Cafe des Artistes to Reopen as Leopard at des Artistes

The Times bring good news that the the Upper West Side landmark restaurant Cafe des Artistes, which shuttered last year among a sea of money and union problems, will reopen on May 2 under the similar name of Leopard at des Artistes.

The new owners, taking over from the Lang family, are Gianfranco and Paula Bolla Sorrentino, who own Il Gattopardo in Midtown. The Sorrentinos have renovated the place, including the nine, 1920s-30s-era Howard Chandler Christy murals that were so intrinsic to give the restaurant its unique charm. "Gattopardo," by the way, means leopard.