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Piccolo Morini may be smaller than the Osteria Morini New Yorkers remember, but the new SoHo restaurant is betting that what diners want in 2026 isn't necessarily bigger. Instead, it's livelier, more flexible and, ideally, accompanied by a $9 martini.
The latest concept from Altamarea Group, the group behind Marea and Ai Fiori, has officially opened at 40 Kenmare Street, marking the return of the Morini brand to downtown Manhattan nearly two years after the original Osteria Morini closed on Lafayette Street. But don't call it a comeback.
Instead, Piccolo Morini is being positioned as a fresh chapter for the brand: a more intimate, cocktail-driven restaurant built around handmade pasta and shareable plates (with an all-night bar scene—this is SoHo, after all).
"Piccolo Morini reflects how people want to dine today," Altamarea Group founder and CEO Ahmass Fakahany said in a statement. "It's social, it's energetic and yet grounded in culinary expertise."
The menu leans heavily into the restaurant's self-described role as "The Pasta Specialistas." More than a dozen fresh pasta dishes anchor the offering, alongside cicchetti-style snacks and small plates designed for sharing. Fans of the original Osteria Morini will also spot a few familiar faces, including the mascarpone-stuffed cappelletti with truffles and prosciutto and the restaurant's beloved gramigna pasta with sausage ragù.
The drinks program may end up attracting just as much attention. Piccolo Morini's "Golden Happy Hour" is centered around Martinis, and the restaurant is serving $9 Martinis all night long at the bar, a rarity in a neighborhood where most cocktails routinely creep toward the $20 mark.
Inside, the 92-seat restaurant feels intentionally split between two personalities: one side is a dimly lit bar and lounge designed for lingering over cocktails, while the dining room offers a slightly calmer backdrop for longer meals. Designer Alsún Keogh of Nusla Design blended vintage Italian touches, like Murano glass and bronze mirrors, with bold wallpaper and contemporary details, making the space feel less like a recreation of the old Morini and more like its younger downtown cousin.
"It’s your fun SoHo go-to, especially if you crave great pastas and cocktails while you share time with friends," Fakahany said.
And there's more on the way. Later this summer, Altamarea Group plans to unveil a rooftop concept atop the Kenmare Street building with sweeping Manhattan views. Until then, the pasta and martinis are doing a pretty convincing job of carrying the conversation.