A new all-day Georgian cafe is taking shape at 95 2nd Avenue in the East Village, with signage already up and a menu promising everything from morning espresso to late-night wine and small plates. Kera describes itself as a place for good mornings, long lunches and late nights, and while there is no official opening date yet, the team says it is busy tasting, testing and getting everything ready.
According to WhatNow, Kera will sit between East 5th and East 6th streets and plans to seat up to 38 guests indoors, with 10 additional stools at an L-shaped bar and outdoor sidewalk cafe seating to come. Hours are expected to run Sunday through Wednesday from 7:30 a.m. to midnight, and Thursday through Saturday from 7:30 a.m. to 2 a.m. The cafe is currently promoting its build-out on Instagram through the handle @cafekera.
A Menu Built for Morning Through Midnight
The menu leans into Kera's all-day identity, starting with coffee, espresso and tea alongside Georgian-inspired breakfast and lunch fare, per the same WhatNow account. Lunch and dinner options include sandwiches, soups, salads, charcuterie boards and savory pastries filled with beans, potatoes and greens — a nod to Georgian baking traditions.
Beyond the pastry case, the kitchen plans panko-crusted macaroni croquettes stuffed with mozzarella and served with spicy vodka sauce, a whipped burrata basil dip, and layered potatoes topped with truffle parmesan, garlic butter and garlic sauce. There's also a lighter option on the menu: sweet soy-glazed salmon served over cucumber, peppers, avocado, carrots and edamame with ginger chili dressing. Wine and beer round out the drink list.
Signage Up, Licensing Still Pending
Neighborhood blog EV Grieve first spotted physical Kéra storefront signage at 95 2nd Avenue in late September, alongside early social media promotion for the cafe and wine bar. But paperwork filed with the city shows the operator, Kera NYC Inc., has filed an advance notice and license application with Manhattan Community Board 3 for a restaurant wine and beer permit — not a full liquor license, according to records posted by the city. That application is scheduled for formal community review at a Community Board 3 SLA Licensing and Outdoor Dining Committee meeting set for October 19.
Legal correspondence sent to neighborhood block associations in late September, from attorney Kathleen E. Negri Stathopoulos, confirmed that Kera NYC Inc. is formally replacing outgoing licensee Rice Thief LLC at the address. Signage and opening prep are underway, but official licensing and final municipal approvals remain the key milestones standing between the space and its opening.
Commercial real estate outlet Traded lists a retail lease transaction at 95 2nd Avenue dated September 22, 2026, at $180 per square foot.
Part of a Bigger Georgian Wave
Kera isn't the only Georgian concept making moves in the neighborhood or the borough. Just a few blocks away, a Hoodline report on Art Laboratory detailed plans for Georgian small plates, adjarian khachapuri and wine inside an art gallery at 40 Avenue B.
Adjarian khachapuri, a boat-shaped pie with cheese and a runny egg, is among the Georgian dishes planned for Art Laboratory. For now, East Village regulars will have to keep watching the Kéra signage and @cafekera's Instagram for word on exactly when the doors open.
