A Spanish-style tapas bar will soon be coming to one of Union City’s more unique retail spaces, as the former Park Avenue Bar and Grill location has finally changed hands to new ownership.
The building, at 3417 Park Avenue along the Union City/Weehawken border, was listed for sale after the former restaurant closed for good in 2015. It was purchased last August by the ownership behind Hoboken’s The Cuban, which opened in 2012 and has become a staple of the city’s dining scene ever since.
The group is currently hard at work renovating the three-stories of their new interior space to eventually house Vale Tapas Bar & Restaurant. Co-owner Luis Iglesias tells Jersey Digs that the new place will focus on true tapas dining, which emphasizes small plate dishes. The eatery will also feature about three “family style” entrees like paella that will have generous portions intended to be shared.
The restaurant will have a full liquor license and feature a variety of Spanish-driven drinks, sherries, and wines, plus flamenco music a few nights per week. The first three floors of the property, including a back patio, will be reserved for diners, while a roof deck will feature a cocktail bar area.
Iglesias says the restaurant group liked what they saw in Union City when doing research for a new spot. “I could see it becoming Hoboken in a few years,” says Iglesias, who credited local officials for doing a great job drawing new construction to the area.
Vale Tapas Bar & Restaurant is looking to add to Union City’s resurgence soon, aiming to open in the last week of June.
