NYC's TBar expands to Roslyn
It was 1995 when the Lenox Room — which would become TBar in 2007 — debuted on the Upper East Side of Manhattan with chef Charlie Palmer in the kitchen, and Tony Fortuna, a legendary restaurant guy with a knack for hospitality, his partner. Almost 30 years later, a new TBar outpost is open in Roslyn.
Fortuna, who died Jan. 5 after a battle with pancreatic cancer, handed down the restaurant’s legacy to co-owner Derek Axelrod, the designer and partner of TBar’s Southampton location, which opened in 2019.
“I grew up in Old Westbury, I’m a Long Island guy,” Axelrod said. “I love the quaint and villagey feel.”
The new restaurant boasts the same menu that has kept the city location in business for decades: high-level steaks including a 40-ounce porterhouse ($175) and an 8-ounce filet ($58), fish like seared Chilean sea bass ($56), herb grilled branzino ($42) and soy-wasabi crusted tuna ($48), pasta (don’t miss the black ink linguine with spicy lobster, $38), and crispy sushi ($39 for 8 pieces). Long Island additions include pizza ($24) coming from the space’s brick oven. And although you might be full after dinner, don’t skip out on dessert. The massive strawberry sundae layered with shortcake and meringue ($25) is sublime and the warm apple crisp ($22) with caramel sauce and vanilla ice cream is a classic.
TBar’s dark, moody bar is a good place to start with a jalapeño cucumber margarita ($20) or the "Gold Rush" made with honey, lemon and Angel’s Envy bourbon ($22). Cocktails are juiced by hand and the ice is meticulously curated. The elegant dining room offsets the bar with a rich, creamy palette dotted with leather banquettes, and the pleated walls are accented with oversized mirrors and works by local artists. The dark, velvet-paneled upstairs lounge — a gem for swank private parties — evokes TBar NYC’s sexy, yet soothing texture.
Come spring, a 40-seat roof deck will join the 125-seat interior dining room, brunch will be available on weekends, and the bar will serve a late-night menu of tamarind wings ($24), focaccia and pizzas.
“People will always go into the city,” Axelrod said. “But we hope to give Long Islanders an alternative. A place — in their town — with vibe, ambience, terrific cocktails and great food.”
TBar Roslyn, 1363 Old Northern Blvd., Roslyn, 516-277-2466, tbar.li; Open Tuesday and Wednesday from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m., Thursday through Saturday 5 p.m. to 11 p.m., Sunday 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.; Brunch begins at 11:30 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday.