Goodbye, Lime — We're Headed for the Tavern

Busy entrepreneur Chris Hyndman closed his sleek Latin-influenced bar and restaurant Lime last week, and he’s remaking the space into a cozier concept called Tavern, which he says suits the Midtown neighborhood better.

“The direction of the neighborhood has trended more casual,” Hyndman says. Lime opened in 2007 (it was planned long before the Great Recession) and initially the chic restaurant prospered in its patio-wrapped space at 1904 Broadway in Midtown.

But now, according to Hyndman, the Broadway and Division corridor seems to be embracing its identity as a neighborhood to hang out and drink beer, not savor a pomegranate mojito and Latin-fusion cuisine.

“In the neighborhood, Lime was something of an odd bird with adventurous food,” Hyndman says. “It didn’t take advantage of the neighborhood’s more casual vibe.” Tavern, on the other hand, is going to be “a half-step up from a cozy sports bar,” he says, “a place where everyone can feel comfortable.”

The food will be “warm tavern fare,” Hyndman says, familiar and accessible but made with fresh ingredients and local produce. He hopes to open Tavern in February, the same month that he expects to open his long-awaited steakhouse Kayne Prime.