I Coppi Will Rise From Dead in Vampire Freaks Space

I CipressiNicole Guzzardi

Taureau isn’t the only recently closed restaurant making a comeback: I Coppi, which closed in September, will reopen in the former home of Vampire Freaks, under a new name, I Cipressi.

“I just wanted to make a change, to start new and fresh,” Lorella Innocenti, the restaurant’s owner, said of the new monicker.

While the name may have changed, the menu will remain largely the same, with the possible addition of a few new Tuscan dishes. “I am going to keep the dishes that I know people want, and once in a while put in new dishes and specials,” said Ms. Innocenti.

The interior of the space at 189 Avenue A, near 12th Street, is still littered with remnants of the Goth clothing and accessories store that closed at the beginning of the year, but that’s the least of Ms. Innocenti’s concerns. Right now her focus is on getting the kitchen squared away and obtaining permits, which has taken much longer than anticipated, she said.

When I Coppi left its home on Ninth Street, Civil Court documents indicated that the neighborhood long-timer, which had been open since 1998, allegedly owed $37,600 in back rent.

Ms. Innocenti said the matter had since been resolved and the new restaurant signified a new page. She was uncertain when I Cipressi would open.