Gaia Italian Cafe Unveils New East 3rd Street Location

Photo: Gaia Italian Cafe
Gaia Italian Cafe will return, but not on Essex Street as previously reported. It’s headed north into Alphabet City.
New signage appeared at 226 East Third Street this week marking the return of Gaia, a restaurant beloved by locals since it first began serving Italian home cooking on East Houston eleven years ago.
While owner-chef Gaia Bagnasacco had been utilizing the kitchen of 119 Essex for her booming online store, the second coming of the beloved restaurant will not be here, as previously reported. We’re told the deal fell through, resulting in this new spot.
Bagnasacco opened her cafe in January 2011. It quickly became something of a locals dining room with a communal, family vibe. It shuttered in the summer of 2020, one of many restaurants that succumbed to the harsh climate of the early pandemic.