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Our Story

Leon’s is a neighborhood Italian restaurant with French and Egyptian accents from Natalie Johnson and Nick Anderer (also of Anton’s in the West Village). The restaurant is inspired by Natalie’s heritage (named after her great grandfather, Leon Hakim) and the couple's travels together across the Mediterranean. 

Leon’s spotlights Anderer’s deep passion for Italian cuisine, as well as his thoughtful interpretations of treasured Hakim family recipes and culinary traditions passed down by way of Egypt and France. The restaurant’s beverage program, helmed by Johnson, complements and enhances the culinary offerings, highlighting winemakers, brewers, and distillers the couple and their team admire. The restaurant’s lovely, transporting design evokes the quiet, weathered beauty of an Italian seaside town, celebrates natural light, and preserves key architectural details of our building (circa 1895). The duo spent years hand-selecting the furniture, fixtures, and art that adorn the space; a dining room awash in custom plaster walls inspired by a winemaker visit in Abruzzo (designed in collaboration with Fresco Decorative Arts), sculptural lights from Vincenzo Oste at Atelier Ines in Naples, and a striking oil painting from the talented French artist Roman Cochet.

We hope to welcome you soon! 

Natalie & Nick 

About Natalie & Nick

Nick Anderer (Executive Chef) and Natalie Johnson (Beverage Director) are husband-and-wife co-owners of Leon's and Anton's. In the spirit of its sibling Anton’s, Leon’s hopes to become a convivial gathering place for locals and visitors alike, open from early morning until late in the evening (serving continuously from breakfast through dinner). Leon’s arrival in November 2024 coincides with the fifth anniversary of Anton's opening (November 11, 2019).

The pair met while working together at Danny Meyer’s Union Square Hospitality Group, Nick as Executive Chef and Managing Partner at both Maialino and Marta, and Natalie as a Sommelier. A native New Yorker, Nick began his culinary career working at The Water Club and Babbo, before spending a year cooking in Rome and Milan. From there, Nick joined the kitchen team of Gramercy Tavern where he served as Sous Chef to Tom Colicchio, and later Executive Sous Chef to Mike Anthony. Overall, Nick spent 15 notable years in leadership across Union Square Hospitality Group restaurants - Gramercy Tavern, Maialino, and Marta. 

It was during his time at Gramercy Tavern that Nick’s deep appreciation for seasonal vegetables, and the farmers that grow them, took shape. From there, he went on to open two flagship Italian restaurants - Maialino (2009) and Marta (2014) - serving as Executive Chef and Managing Partner for both. Both restaurants separately garnered widespread praise, and each earned Two Stars from the New York Times under his leadership. In addition to numerous media accolades, Chef Nick is a two-time James Beard “Best Chef, New York City” semifinalist (2014, 2015), and has appeared as a guest chef and guest judge on various food television shows.       

Natalie believes wine service should be accessible, relatable, and fun. At Leon's and Anton's, she facilitates tasting and discovery through meticulously-developed, incredibly-deep bottle lists and a truly inspired, generous by-the-glass program. Natalie oversees two distinct, thoughtfully-conceived cocktail programs that range in style from light, aromatic aperitivi, to spirit-forward riffs on classics, and a selection of playful shaken treats. 

Natalie initially moved to NYC to pursue her love of restaurants as a line cook at Jim Lahey’s Co. in Chelsea. Prior to opening Anton’s, Natalie served as the Beverage Director of Loring Place, a beloved Greenwich Village restaurant from Chef Dan Kluger. Natalie created the opening wine list and later managed the entire Beverage operation for the restaurant, including the full Wine and Cocktail program. Natalie previously worked in the Front-of-House teams in several acclaimed restaurants with celebrated wine programs across the country, including Frasca (Boulder, CO), Sorella (NYC), Otto (NYC), and Marta (NYC). In 2019, Natalie was recognized as a “Rising Star Sommelier” by Star Chefs. 

Natalie, Nick, and their young son Raphael live in the East Village, not far from where Nick grew up.