With its market-driven menu, prime city-center location and expertly curated music program, no Tel Aviv restaurant better exemplifies the city’s innovative culinary spirit quite like Port Sa’id. Since opening in 2012 in a sprawling courtyard next to Tel Aviv’s Great Synagogue, Port Sa’id is where visitors and locals come for an all-hours, al-fresco guaranteed good time.
Now Port Sa’id chef and owner Eyal Shani is bringing the restaurant’s distinctive atmosphere and ever-changing menu to Manhattan. The world’s first international Port Sa’id is slated to open on Wednesday, July 12, 2023 – joining Shani’s existing New York restaurant portfolio, which includes HaSalon, Miznon, North Miznon, Naked Tomato and Shmone, which was recently nominated for a Michelin star.
Port Sa’id was founded as a love-child of sorts between Shani, Tel Aviv’s leading chef, and Teder, an online radio station and cultural hub. As in Tel Aviv, music will be central to Port Sa’id in New York. Guest DJs and music selectors will showcase hand-picked vinyl music from Port Sa’id’s record library and their private collections — all played on a fantastic analogue sound system for optimal enjoyment.
Music will be curated by the Los Angeles-based music collective In Sheep’s Clothing, which emerged during the pandemic as one of the nation’s most innovative and forward-thinking sound-makers.
“New York is an ideal place for Port Sa’id’s love of food and love of music to come together,” said Zack Bar, co-founder of Teder. “Port Sa’id will be more than merely a restaurant,” continues Bar, who will assume a similar position at Port Sa’id in New York, “but a place where folks can eat good food, listen to good music and enjoy a truly memorable vibe.”
Set in emerging Hudson Square, New York’s new Port Sa’id will inhabit a 4,000-square-foot space at 350 Hudson Street, right where artsy SoHo meets the sophistication of TriBeCa. Spacious and open, the restaurant will be divided into a series of distinct spaces and zones – all set to a backdrop of a soul-stirring soundtrack. There will be a large central dining area, a dedicated bar and listening station, and separate retail space for In Sheep’s Clothing, which vinyl fans may enjoy and purchase must-have music. Come nighttime, the restaurant – like most Eyal Shani experiences – erupts with a raucous, joyful, celebratory spirit that lasts well past bedtime.
Unlike its Tel Aviv counterpart, New York’s Port Sa’id is set indoors. However, restaurant designers Dror Shef and Tal Friedland Shef were committed to imbuing the Hudson Square space with a strong sense of Tel Aviv’s open, al fresco energy. Soaring ceilings, broad open spaces and warm relaxing materials give Port Sa’id a comfortable and casual spirit. A record library, central sound system and open kitchen provide plenty of visual stimulation to accompany Port Sa’id’s globally innovative food and drinks offerings. “Nothing feels stuffy or overdesigned, the entire space is intended for folks to feel at home,” says Dror Shef, who notes that an outdoor cafe space is slated for the coming months at Port Sa’id. “The idea is for Port Sa’id to be the kind of place you can spend time late into the night.”
Under the guidance of In Sheep’s Clothing, a groovy, elegant, inspiring music program will enhance every element of Port Sa’id in New York. Bryan Ling of In Sheep’s Clothing said they first became aware of Port Sa’id during a tour to Israel in 2014. Now in New York, In Sheep’s Clothing will run its own bar/ retail space as well as program the rotating roster of turntable talents spinning each evening. “By collaborating with our friends from Tel Aviv on building a massive record library, the sound selectors for both Port Said and In Sheep’s Clothing will light a new torch from Tel Aviv and Los Angeles to New York.”
Port Sa’id’s menu will follow the path set out by Chef Shani at his restaurants worldwide. Contemporary and cosmopolitan, Port Sa’id’s menu will take its cues from the seasons, with the freshest fish, meats, produce and vegetables sourced from small-scale, local purveyors. Plates of salted seafood, roasted root vegetables doused with Levantine spices, Middle Eastern sandwiches and stews as well as grilled, skewered meats form the core of Port Sa’id’s expansive menu.
“There will be a focus on medium-sized dishes entirely meant for sharing,” says Bar. “Lots of vegetables, the freshest ingredients, much like Shani loves to showcase wherever he goes.” Wines – reds, whites, roses and even orange varieties – anchor Port Sa’id’s menu, along with a full beer, spirits and cocktail program.
Port Sa’id is located at 350 Hudson Street and is open Monday through Saturday from 5pm until late. Reservations can be made via Resy, and walk-ins are welcome. Phone: (212) 256 0841; @port_said_nyc on Instagram
