Llama Inn alum Juan Correa reopens Williamsburg’s 50 Withers Street as Café Bar J.F. alongside Chef Francisco Castillo, who worked at Llama Inn’s sister restaurant Llama San.
Café Bar J.F. is a South American-inspired tavern opening today, May 13, in the former home of Llama Inn, which closed at the end of 2025.
The newcomer’s menu is centered around Chef Castillo’s “nostalgia-driven” dishes with influences from Peru, Chile, and Argentina. His cooking leans into grilling (especially common in Argentina), acidity, and restraint, with dishes designed to feel “familiar, yet transportive.”
“His cuisine is shaped by South American biodiversity, Japanese precision, and Basque influence, with a focus on seasonality and storytelling,” the team said. “The menu encourages a natural flow at the table rather than strict course.”
Café Bar J.F.’s menu starts with snacks like grilled potato bread with cultured butter, little neck clams with Montauk fluke, and tomato tartare with seed crackers.
It continues with a section of larger appetizers like tuna belly ceviche with preserved tomatoes, black lentils with squid and kabocha squash puree, and celery salad with avocado and Chinese pine nuts.
The menu’s mains include dishes like potato cappelletti, grilled swordfish with yellow-eyed beans, glazed duck with cipollini onions, dry-aged bone-in short rib, and arroz caldoso with carnaroli rice and lobster.
Dessert offerings include tres leches with tonka beans and white chocolate, tarta de queso with dulce de leche, and seasonal berry sorbet featuring fresh fruit.
Café Bar J.F.’s beverage program offers a curated wine list from Pierre Buffet, who was previously at Greenpoint’s Fulgurances Laundromat, another acclaimed local spot that closed at the end of 2025.
While South American varietals are on Buffet’s list, including wines from Argentina’s Valle de Uco, Peru’s Pisco Valley, and Chile’s Valle de Itata, it’s not surprising that his list leans European considering his background at Fulgurances.
The cocktail program, led by Sarah Morissey, draws inspiration from classic South American drinking culture, offering combinados, or two-ingredient drinks, like the classic Fernet Branca and Coke.
Other cocktails include classics like a traditional pisco sour based on Correa’s mother’s recipe and an Old Fashioned served on tap, plus more creative options like the Death in the Afternoon with Pernod, lemon, and champagne.
Café Bar J.F.’s 55-seat space was designed by Madrid-based Plantea Estudio, marking the firm’s first U.S. project.
The red-brick façade of Llama Inn has been preserved, and the interiors have been outfitted in light, buttery tones with half-height curtains inspired by traditional taverns, a central bar, and walls layered with art, movie posters, and cultural references tied to Lima and Santiago. A 21-seat rooftop patio will open soon.
Café Bar J.F. is open for dinner Wednesday and Thursday from 5:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. and Friday through Sunday from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m.