The storefront at 143 Newark Avenue sat dark for most of 2026. It used to be Better Days. By late August the lights were back on and Chef Darryl Harmon had started rolling out Bembe Steak & Raw Bar on the pedestrian plaza, with 143 Social still running in the basement below. Over on 7th Street, a space that had been empty for almost four years is now serving brick-oven pizza. Next year, a Montclair sandwich shop is set to take over the old Cafe Dolma on Grand Street.
Most of Downtown's food news this fall is about familiar addresses. New owners are taking over rooms the neighborhood already knew, and one long-running restaurant on the plaza is getting ready to close. Here's what changed, block by block, with the addresses and hours you'll need.
Newark Avenue: Two Openings Within a Block
Bembe Steak & Raw Bar, 143 Newark Avenue. Harmon is also a partner in Don't Tell Liv and Asbury Social. He planned Bembe in three parts. In back is Steaks Shakes + Harmony, a more casual counter. Up front is a bar with a full cocktail menu and steak and seafood plates with Latin and Caribbean touches. The third part is a steakhouse dining room meant to feel more upscale. On the soft-open menu, Jersey Digs listed a lobster roll, a steak burger, a pollo a la brasa chicken chimi sandwich, a coconut curry rice bowl, grilled octopus, and oysters with salsa verde garlic butter. You can add sauces to any dish, including jerk butter, chimichurri rojo and sofrito bordelaise. The restaurant posts updates on Instagram at @bembesteakjc.
House of Amrut, 136 Newark Avenue. Walk a few doors down and go below Brick Lane Curry House to find a whiskey tasting room built around one Indian distillery. Owner Sati Sharma co-created the restaurant group behind Brick Lane, which he launched in 2002. Jersey Digs reported that he visited the Amrut distillery in 2025 and found many expressions he hadn't known existed. The bottle list includes hard-to-find whiskies such as Amrut Expedition and Greedy Angels. The Amrut team leads guided tastings, and Chef Noor pairs them with dishes from Brick Lane. The room also launched alongside Amrut's new Kranthi Single Malt. There's live jazz many nights, seating at tables and the bar, and reservations through OpenTable. Hours are Thursday through Saturday, 7 p.m. to 2 a.m., and the kitchen serves late. The Jersey City Times covered it too, with the headline "Who Needs Scotland?"
Saigon Cafe, 188 Newark Avenue. One longtime plaza restaurant is closing. Saigon Cafe will serve its last meals on Sunday, November 22, after 27 years. That's ten days after this post goes up. Kim Le founded it in 1999 with her husband, head chef Dan Ly. The team announced the closing on Instagram on November 1. Hoboken Girl quoted the post: "Since opening in 1999, Saigon Cafe has been more than just a restaurant. It has been a place where friendships were made, families gathered, memories were shared, and our love for Vietnamese food brought people together." For a last meal, Hoboken Girl recommended the Saigon crêpe, the vegetable spring rolls and the phở gà.
So in one fall, two businesses arrived within a block of each other on Newark Avenue and a 27-year fixture farther along the plaza is closing. Elsewhere Downtown, the same pattern of new owners in old rooms shows up on quieter streets.
7th Street Gets a Pizza Oven
Vicoletto Pizza & Cucina, 357 7th Street, opened in the former Delenio's space after it sat empty for nearly four years. The team behind Blue Eyes, the Sinatra-themed Italian restaurant on the Hoboken waterfront, runs it. Hoboken Girl reported that it opened officially on October 11 after a soft opening earlier in the month.
"Vicoletto" means "small alley." The restaurant describes itself as "inspired by the small side streets of Southern Italy, where food is simple, intentional, and deeply personal," and its table and bar seats look onto the pizza station. Here's what to know before you go:
- BYOB. Bring your own bottle.
- No reservations. Seating is first come, first served.
- Hours: 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. daily, until 11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.
- Pizzas to try: the Pistacchiosa, a white pie with Fior di Latte, mortadella, Sicilian pistachio cream and burrata, and the Capricciosa, a red pie with prosciutto cotto, mushrooms, soppressata, artichokes and olives.
- Beyond pizza: warm rosemary zeppole with prosciutto, grilled Mediterranean branzino with confit cherry tomatoes, and a dry-aged beef burger with Fontina, bacon, mushrooms and caramelized onions on a pizza-dough bun.
Hoboken Girl also lists cacio e pepe and linguine with clams among the pastas.
Coffee and Pastry on Greene and Second
Most of the new places above open in the evening. The two morning spots are on the other side of Downtown, one by the waterfront and one on a residential block.
Forum Coffee, 200 Greene Street. This New Jersey coffee brand, founded by Courtney Foti and Phelan McGreal, has been opening locations quickly. It roasts its own USDA-organic coffee. Jersey Digs pointed out the dessert-style lattes, including crème brûlée, French toast and cannoli, plus peppermint frozen hot chocolate and espresso milkshakes. The menu also has smoothies, protein shakes and fresh-squeezed juices. It opens at 6 a.m. on weekdays.
Feliz Deliz, 336 Second Street. Diana Valenzuela and Victor Johnson run this bakery and patisserie. It serves Capacity Coffee drinks, homemade chai and rotating soft serve. The cafe menu on its website lists cardamom buns, conchas, seasonal pastries, espresso chocolate-chip cookies, gluten-free pistachio brownies, linzer cookies and whole cakes. On weekdays it closes in the early afternoon and reopens in the evening.
Here are all five new spots side by side, with each one's previous tenant and its hours as of the most recent published schedule:
| Spot | Address | Previously | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bembe Steak & Raw Bar | 143 Newark Ave | Better Days | Check @bembesteakjc |
| House of Amrut | 136 Newark Ave | New room below Brick Lane Curry House | Thu to Sat, 7 p.m. to 2 a.m. |
| Vicoletto | 357 7th St | Delenio's | Daily 5 to 10 p.m., Fri and Sat to 11 p.m. |
| Forum Coffee | 200 Greene St | New location | Mon to Fri 6 a.m. to 7 p.m., Sat and Sun 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. |
| Feliz Deliz | 336 Second St | New bakery | Mon, Thu, Fri 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 4 to 8 p.m.; Sat and Sun 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.; closed Tue and Wed |
New places often adjust their hours in the first few months, so check a spot's website or Instagram before you go.
The Next Few Storefronts to Watch
The same turnover is still happening on a few more corners Downtown and nearby.
Dutch's Sandwich Shop, 270 Grand Street. This New Jersey sandwich shop already has locations in Montclair, Hoboken and Elmwood Park. Jersey Digs reported that owner Amir Kamal plans to take over the former Cafe Dolma space. According to Hoboken Girl's fall roundup, the Jersey City location will use the brand's Dutch's Express format.
SubcultureJC. In early October, Patch reported that this Downtown sandwich-and-shake shop had temporarily left its storefront while the building is repaired. The owners plan to come back, and they're still taking catering orders.
Carlitos Barbecue Taqueria, Newport Centre. Just north of Downtown, this barbecue taco business started as a food truck on the Jersey City waterfront and has come back with a counter at the Newport Centre food court, 30 Mall Drive. Jersey Digs reported that founder Carlos Castillo serves pit-smoked Texas barbecue on hand-pressed corn tortillas, along with bowls and sides.
Boulevard Drinks. Up the hill in Journal Square, the hot dog spot that's been in Jersey City for more than 90 years plans to close its Kennedy Boulevard shop on November 30. The site is making way for a 55-story tower with apartments and a Whole Foods. Jersey Digs reported that the business plans to reopen in a space of about 500 square feet inside the Journal Square Transportation Center early next year.
Here are the dates to remember. Saigon Cafe serves its last meals on Sunday, November 22. Boulevard Drinks closes its Kennedy Boulevard shop on November 30. Bembe, House of Amrut and Vicoletto are all within a short walk of each other, so you can try more than one in a single evening.
I'm based in Downtown Jersey City, and I keep up with which storefronts change hands because those changes are part of how I describe a block to clients. If you'd like to talk about which Downtown streets are seeing the most new openings, or how a new restaurant on your corner might come up when you sell, Janice Hall is glad to walk those blocks with you. Let's Connect.
