A Georgian restaurant, bakery, wine cellar and bar called Sesilya has arrived at 254 Fifth Avenue in Park Slope, bringing the food of the country of Georgia, in the Caucasus, to Fifth Avenue. The restaurant has posted its hours, phone and booking details, and its bakery hours run from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. every day.

One house, several rooms

Sesilya describes itself as one house that changes character over the day, and it lists six distinct spaces:

  • The Bakery: bread, pastry and coffee from early morning.
  • The Dining Room: a seasonal menu served by daylight and into the evening.
  • The Cellar: qvevri wines, the Georgian wines made in large clay vessels, with a table set inside the collection.
  • The Bar: chacha, the Georgian grape brandy, and vermouth.
  • The Long Table: a private room for large gatherings, in the spirit of the supra, the Georgian feast.
  • The Window: a street-side counter for a quick stop.

Wine sits at the center of the concept. Georgia's winemaking history stretches back 8,000 years, a timeline Sesilya has drawn on one of its walls.

Stories hidden in the details

The restaurant has built its identity around Georgian folklore, mythology and craft rather than the usual images of the country. It calls this an illustration archive: small stories hidden across its menus, packaging and walls, starting with fourteen and growing over time. Among them are the Georgian belief that a dropped fork means a guest is on the way, the village dogs that turn up beside every bakery and family table, Vazha-Pshavela's story The Fawn, the cranes that migrate through the highlands of Javakheti, and the legend of the Golden Fleece, which begins in Colchis, in what is now western Georgia.

The point, as the restaurant frames it, is not to explain Georgia to diners but to make them curious about it.

Hours

  • Bakery: 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., daily.
  • Kitchen: noon to 11 p.m. Monday through Thursday, noon to 1 a.m. Friday and Saturday, and noon to 10 p.m. Sunday.

Table bookings open thirty days ahead through the restaurant's site. Parties of eight or more who want the cellar or the long table book by phone.

How to go

Sesilya is at 254 Fifth Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11215. Call (718) 255-3637 or email info@sesilyarestaurant.com. The R train stops at Union Street, a short walk away. Check the restaurant's site for the latest on dining room service before you go.

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