Buco

The story

Crafted with passion, served with love

From Antique Store to Acclaimed Table

What Gourmet magazine once called "one of the best and most exciting restaurants in America" began not as a restaurant at all. In 1994, independent filmmaker Donna Lennard and her Italian partner Alberto Avalle opened an antique store on cobblestoned Bond Street in downtown Manhattan — a modern-day trading post of crafts and culture. The warmth of the space, the worn patinas of primitive antiques and Americana, and eventually the aromas drifting from the kitchen drew in an eclectic local clientele. Gradually, the rustic shop transformed into a restaurant, attracting an remarkable roster of chefs over the years and earning il Buco international acclaim. That recognition includes a Gambero Rosso fork — the Italian guide's acknowledgment of restaurants that meet a serious standard of quality.

A Space That Tells Its Own Story

The address — 47 Bond Street, New York — carries its own atmosphere. The origins of the space as an antique store are not incidental; they are the interior. The worn surfaces, the sense of accumulated time, and the eclectic character of the room remain part of what makes dining here feel different from a conventional fine dining experience. It is a place where the setting and the table feel equally considered.

A Growing Family Rooted in the Same Spirit

Il Buco is the founding restaurant of what has grown into the il Buco Family, which now includes il Buco Alimentari & Vineria on Great Jones Street, il Buco al Mare in Amagansett, and Bottega il Buco in Ibiza, Spain. Each location carries the DNA of the original Bond Street address — a commitment to artisanal Italian-influenced cooking, strong relationships with local and regional producers, and a sense of place that goes beyond décor.

The restaurant's circle of friends and collaborators — farmers, winemakers, chefs, and artists — reflects the same ethos. Figures like Argentine chef Francis Mallmann and the team at Robert Sinskey Vineyards are listed among the il Buco family's extended community, underscoring how deeply the restaurant has woven itself into a broader world of producers and makers over its three decades on Bond Street.