Giovanni's Brooklyn Eats to reopen 13 months after a fire shut it down

The beloved South Slope eatery has a new address — directly across the street — but the same neighborhood vibe

Last July, a kitchen fire ripped through Giovanni’s Brooklyn Eats in South Slope, forcing the beloved neighborhood eatery to shut its doors indefinitely.

Today, August 22, after 13 months of work and waiting, Giovanni’s is reopening its doors for dinner service. But there’s a minor twist: The landlord at the original location had decided he was done with having a restaurant in his building, according to owner Giovanni Tafuri. Fortunately fans of the restaurant won’t have to travel far for the new location. The new Giovanni’s is at 1666 8th Avenue, directly across the street from its former digs.

“I cannot express the gratitude that I have for all my family, neighbors, friends and community that stuck by me throughout this difficult journey,” Tafuri tells Brooklyn Magazine. “I’m looking forward to many happy days filled with laughter, food, music and happiness.”

The restaurant’s rustic interior remains largely similar to the former spot, and its iconic neon sign has been re-hoisted as a nighttime beacon to diners on this otherwise food-sparse stretch of the neighborhood. Giovanni’s will just be serving dinner at first as the staff regains its sea legs, followed by its pre fixe lunch and popular bottomless brunch, says Tafuri — one of the best dining deals in town.

When the fire shut down Giovanni’s last July, the outpouring of neighborhood support came swiftly, raising more than $34,000 towards an initial of GoFundMe goal of $50,000. Today Giovanni’s has raised $69,705 of its revised $72,000 goal.