Goodbye, Briar’s, hello Bistro 512.
An Ossining pub that was a local landmark has been replaced by a stylish newcomer with a fresh, updated look and menu.
The new upscale family restaurant at 512 North State Road opened Jan. 8 at the corner of North State and Blue Lantern roads. It’s owned by Abel Magana, his wife Karla Magana and Jose Arteaga.
“When we saw the property, we said, ‘It has to be us,’ ” Karla Magana said of the partners’ decision to buy the two-floor building in November 2022.
The building’s interior has undergone a yearlong remodeling, giving the bistro’s dining rooms a splash of light and a new bar, oak flooring and trim, and colorful artwork depicting scenes from Rome, Paris and London.
Chef Abel Magana’s Mediterranean-influenced menu specializes in seafood and steaks, while also offering pastas, wraps and burgers.
Highlights include a tuna tostada featuring grilled tuna with sliced avocado, and fried crispy shallots in a sriracha mayo sauce; lobster tail mojito, which is a grilled fresh lobster tail in a rum mint reduction sauce; the 512 Bistro burger, a smoked, grilled 10-ounce burger with provolone, onions, romaine lettuce and tomatoes; an 18-ounce Porterhouse steak; and a filet mignon panino.
The Maganas and Arteaga own Terra Rustica, an Italian restaurant just a half-mile up the road, where they’ve forged a strong bond with customers over the past 14 years.
“Why we decided to invest here is because we love the community,” Abel Magana said. “The community is like our family. When Covid came, we discovered how much the community loves us.”
The bistro will appeal to a new generation of customers looking for something different, Arteaga said.
“The first week, many customers are telling us how much they like the food, the way it looks inside, the big bar, so it’s already a success,” he said.
Although the restaurant’s mailing address is in Briarcliff Manor, Bistro 512 is in the Town of Ossining.
Bistro 512
512 North State Road
Ossining
914-236-3130
512bistro.com
Outstanding food and service! My husband and I had the salmon and it was done to perfection!
Love the decor and ambiance,..good luck to the owners!
Wow – I was thinking about going to Briars recently – would have been surprised! Looks amazing and looking forward to going! And MAYBE they will want some tasty music from my Doc & Diva duo! 🙂 God bless and good luck!!
We moved to Ossining six years ago, and since then have found a number of adequate enough restaurants. Bistro 512, however, has quickly become our go-to place for exceptional food, combined with a pleasant atmosphere. It’s one of those rare places that becomes an instant favorite. Ossining has needed the kind of place you look forward to taking friends to, and this is it.