New Uptown Restaurants Include Live Music Spot, Billiards Cafe

UPTOWN, MANHATTAN — Uptown residents will soon have some new restaurants to try.

A new restaurant and music spot replacing the now-shuttered Fantastic Restaurant and Lounge on Sherman Avenue and a billiards cafe opening on Nagle Avenue were among the liquor license applications approved by Community Board 12 on Tuesday.

The new spots passed the full board after winning the support of the Licensing Committee earlier this month.

On Sherman Avenue, a restaurant called Utopia Kitchen and Lounge plans to take over the space once home to controversial spot Fantastic Restaurant and Lounge.

New owners told the board's licensing committee that they plan to run a restaurant with a full menu that will be open from noon to midnight Monday through Thursday and noon to 2 a.m. on Friday and Saturday.

The kitchen and lounge, which will have room for 200 people and include 24 tables and a bar, will also have live Spanish music and a DJ, owners said in their application.

Owners agreed to several conditions on the liquor license, in part due to Fantastic Restaurant and Lounge's unfavorable history with local police. Cops were called to Fantastic more than 50 times in the last two years for noise complaints of loud music and partying, city records show.

The Utopia owners, who also own restaurants in New Jersey and Queens, assured the board that they have no connection with the owners of Fantastic, but agreed to close at 2 a.m. instead of 4 a.m. after officers said they worried about the late hours. They will also install a sound limiter, soundproofing and make their contact information easily available to the public in case of any concerns.

The second new spot approved by the board will be called Arthurs Cafe & Billiard Room, which plans to open at 90 Nagle Ave.

The restaurant will include a juke box, a DJ, karaoke, live music and two pool tables, according to the application.

Owners agreed to make their contact information available to the public, display a "good neighbor" sign at the eatery and remove anything that obstructs the windows after officers said they had a hard time seeing inside when visiting the spot.

Liquor licenses approved at the Community Board 12 meeting also included two new applications for existing spots Opus Lounge and Empanadas Monumental, three renewed licenses and three restaurants who asked to change their hours or add more tables.

The final approval for all the applications will rest with the State Liquor Authority.