A bright, art-centric all-day restaurant and bar called Cafe Susanne (8 River St.) opened in Williamsburg’s Domino Park last month. The new spot offers coffee, tea, pastries, and sandwiches during the day, plus craft beer, wine, and cocktails, and small snacks at night.
Cafe Susanne’s owner, Matthew Maddy, is a James Beard Award-nominated designer. He named the cafe after his mentor and hopes Cafe Susanne will provide “a community gathering space for artists, creatives and local residents alike.”
Cafe Susanne’s morning menu features Pain d’Avignon pastries like croissants, cheese and bacon twists, pain au chocolat, banana bread, and Meyer lemon cornmeal loaf, plus loaves of bread.
At lunchtime, a limited quantity of rotating sandwiches from the Queens cult favorite sandwich shop Salvo’s, including gluten-free options, are offered.
The evening food menu features light cocktail snacks such as salted Marcona almonds, assorted olives and barbecued chips alongside a selection of house caviar that is eco-certified and sustainably sourced for Cafe Susanne by Tsar Nicolai Caviar.
Cafe Susanne’s morning beverage menu features traditional java drinks, with coffee from Variety, alongside a selection of curated tea and matcha offerings.
Milos Zica, who was previously at Fandi Mata and Manhattan’s acclaimed Employees Only, leads Cafe Susanne’s beverage program with a menu of New York wines, local craft beers, and low ABV cocktails inspired by the flavors of coffee and tea.
One highlight of the cocktail list is the Chai Bloom made with masala chai, sweet vermouth, blueberry hibiscus elixir, velvet falernum and citrus, topped with an edible flower. Another is the Green Juice with matcha cordial, aloe liqueur, pineapple, white peppercorn, citrus and ginger.Â
Cafe Susanne features expansive floor to ceiling windows, a 14-seat teakwood stone bar, birch and plywood accents, and antique wood from old bleacher seating. If the airy, coastal vibes feels familiar, that might be because Maddy also designed local favorite Lilia.Â
Near the entrance, there’s a small newsstand with international design and food publications, and the cafe’s walls are adorned with art from Maddy’s personal collection, including pieces by his mother, artist Barbara Chapman.
In the spring, the Cafe Susanne team will expand into the space next door with Bar Susanne, a “riverfront raw bar” that will highlight purveyors from the North Fork and other local areas.
Cafe Susanne is open 7 days a week from 7 a.m.- 7 p.m.