Il Gigante, the Ridgewood trattoria known for its homestyle Italian cooking, is planning a second location in Manhattan's East Village at 99 2nd Ave. The restaurant has filed a liquor-license application with Manhattan Community Board 3. If approved, it would mark Il Gigante's first expansion beyond its original Queens home.
A Liquor License Application
The liquor-license filing concerns a proposed Manhattan location at 99 Second Ave. As reported by WhatNow, the planned East Village address is in the 10003 zip code, and the new spot is expected to offer both table and bar seating.
From Ridgewood Trattoria to Michelin Recognition
Il Gigante's flagship opened in early 2025, per WhatNow's reporting, at 880 Woodward Ave in Ridgewood, Queens. The trattoria has since landed on the radar of the Michelin Guide.
A Michelin review of the Ridgewood location singled out its Lasagna alla Bolognese, served with a side mug of grated Parmesan, along with starters like cured meats, fried calamari, and an arugula salad with pears and goat cheese, as recounted in a Reddit thread discussing the recognition. Founders Lorenzo, Jacopo, and Ed built the restaurant around home-style cooking from Bologna and Florence, according to the same public statements shared in that thread.
What's On the Menu for the East Village
WhatNow reports that Il Gigante is known for Italian comfort food and homestyle cooking rooted in central Italy, with a menu built around shareable plates, meat and cheese boards, salads, pastas, and mains. Among the dishes expected on offer: Pollo alla Cacciatora, a slow-baked chicken in homemade Tuscan tomato sauce; Branzino al Cartoccio, an oven-baked branzino fillet with cherry tomatoes, lemon, and herbs; and Linguine alle Vongole, a homemade pasta tossed with Manila clams, garlic, parsley, white wine, and Calabrian red peppers.
The bar program is set to include signature cocktails alongside red and white wines and negronis, per the same WhatNow account. One standout drink, the BLQ Paper Plane, is made with Vecchia Romagna, Casoni Aperitivo, Amaro Bubbòlo, and lemon. Il Gigante has described itself as a feel-good, unrushed space for eating, drinking, and gathering together — a vibe the brand is hoping translates east of the river.
No officially announced opening date has been set for the Manhattan location, but WhatNow reports the restaurant plans to operate daily from 5 p.m. to midnight once it does open. Questions remain about the timeline for State Liquor Authority approval and the status of interior renovations.
