(Photos: Jaime Cone)
After soft-opening for lunch a couple of weeks ago, Diviera Drive, the newest venture by Oliver Stumm of Happy Ending, Rintintin and Cafe Select, opened for dinner last week at a 3,000-square-foot, 280-capacity renovated Williamsburg auto shop.
With summer approaching, diners can look forward to plenty of seating in the Italian restaurant’s large outdoor space, and don’t forget the quasi-outdoor greenhouse, which while devoid of any actual produce does have floor-to-ceiling windows great for soaking up the sun even while the winter chill continues to hang on.
The dinner menu has salumi and cheese plates, salads, pizza cooked in a wood-burning oven, and homemade pasta. Main courses range in price from the $14 burger with dried tomato ketchup and caramelized onions to the $25 cacciucco (grilled prawns with a seafood stew and garlic bread).
“I like that it’s a family style restaurant — nice and laid back with great cocktails and everything homemade,” said Pedro Leon, a consultant who helped launch the restaurant’s opening. He added it’s likely live music will eventually up the ambiance when bands are invited to play on the tiny stage at the back of the dining room. There’s also an indoor event space, which was prepped for a private party, complete with disco ball, Friday night.
Drinks include $12 cocktails like the Diviera Breeze, which is vodka, fresh pear nectar, simple syrup, fresh lemon juice and prosecco, as well as beer and a selection of red and white Italian wine.
Have a look at the dinner menu below.
Diviera Drive, North 7th St., bet. Berry St. and Bedford Ave. (next door to sister deli Sodaposh); open for dinner 5:30 to 11 p.m.; brunch service (from 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.) begins this weekend and lunch service (from 11 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.) begins the first week of May.