Serafina, the Italian restaurant brand that got its start on Manhattan's Upper East Side three decades ago, is bringing its dining concept across the Hudson River for the first time, with a new restaurant set to open at 25 Highwood Avenue in downtown Tenafly. The opening marks the brand's debut in Bergen County and its first foothold in New Jersey.
A Years-Long Wait Finally Pays Off
According to Boozy Burbs, the Tenafly location has been in development since 2024, with signage first appearing at the downtown property that year. The wait has been a long one for local diners watching the storefront's progress: Boozy Burbs reported back in October 2024 that signs were already up at the Highwood Avenue address, calling the chain a longtime New York City restaurant brand making its first move into New Jersey. Separate reporting from that period, via Daily Voice, indicated the restaurant was then expected to open in spring 2025, while a report citing the Tenafly Chamber of Commerce, via whatnow.com, said only that Serafina should be ready to serve guests that spring without giving a precise date. Those earlier timelines did not pan out as projected, and the restaurant is instead opening more than a year later.
The Highwood Avenue space previously housed a string of other restaurants, including Sachun House, an Asian Fusion Restaurant, and Hong Bo Suk, per whatnow.com's reporting. The Tenafly Serafina will feature a redesigned interior with velvet seating and warm lighting, along with a full bar, according to Boozy Burbs.
What's On the Menu
Serafina has built its identity around an Italian menu of pizza, pasta and other traditional dishes served with a modern twist, per Boozy Burbs' reporting. The brand describes its food elsewhere as a creative twist on homestyle Italian fare, and says it uses 100% Italian ingredients across all of its restaurants, according to whatnow.com. Past coverage of the chain's menu points to offerings ranging from a standard margherita pizza to more unconventional pies like a champagne pizza, the same outlet reported.
From One Pizzeria to a Global Brand
Serafina's roots trace back to 1995, when it opened as Serafina Fabulous Pizza on 79th Street on New York City's Upper East Side, according to the company's own account on serafinarestaurant.com. Founders Vittorio Assaf and Fabio Granato have since expanded the brand across three continents, with dozens of restaurants now operating in the United States and abroad, the company says. By 2024, Serafina had grown to ten locations in Manhattan alone, with additional storefronts outside the city in Scarsdale, White Plains and East Hampton, according to Boozy Burbs' earlier reporting.
The expansion hasn't slowed since. Serafina Restaurant Group announced a move into Long Island City last year, and more recently announced plans for another New York City location at 777 Third Avenue in Turtle Bay, on the corner of 48th Street, according to releases distributed via PR Newswire. Tenafly now joins that growing map as the brand's first stop in New Jersey.
Paperwork on File With the Township
Municipal records offer a glimpse of the business paperwork behind the opening. A Tenafly document dated December 9, 2025 references a distribution license tied to Serafina Tenafly, LLC at the 25 Highwood Avenue address, according to the Township of Tenafly. The filing is a brief entry within a larger set of consent resolutions, and it doesn't spell out the restaurant's hours, reservation policies or other operational details.
For now, Tenafly residents have a new dining destination within walking distance downtown, one with a pedigree stretching back three decades and across continents. Whether the Highwood Avenue space finally sticks where a string of previous tenants came and went, diners will soon find out for themselves.
