UPPER EAST SIDE, NY — Maz Mezcal, a staple of the Upper East Side restaurant scene, sent shockwaves through the neighborhood when it left its original Yorkville location in November after 39 years in business.
For its many loyal fans, good news: The family-owned restaurant is preparing to relocate to 304 East 78th St., just off Second Avenue, in the next two months.
The new location will be just an 11-minute walk down Second Avenue from its old location, at 316 East 86th St., according to Google Maps.
Maz Mezcal’s owner, Maria Silva, told Upper East Side’s Community Board 8 Street Life Committee on Tuesday night that the restaurant will be taking over the space currently occupied by Anand, an Indian restaurant.
“It’s presently right now Anand, and within a month or two, it will be Maz Mezcal,” Silva said.
Silva, along with Conor Healy, the restaurant manager, went before the Street Life Committee on Tuesday night to apply for a liquor license for the new restaurant space and remove an old license attached to the space, which the committee approved unanimously.
Healy, who is Silva’s son-in-law, told the committee that the new space would feature 67 chairs and around 25 tables, with 1,500 square feet of restaurant space.
When the restaurant first broke the news that it was preparing to move back in November, neighbors rallied around Maz Mezcal, raising more than $59,825 on GoFundMe to cover the costs of moving to a new location.
Maz Mezcal has become an Upper East Side institution over the years, feeding locals, donating to nearby schools, and even providing meals during the height of the 2020 lockdown.
“This restaurant has been, for a while, in our community — sad that they moved from 86th Street,” Marco Antonio Tamayo, a Community Board 8 member, said during the meeting. “Welcome back.”
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