Porsena // NYC

Some places become much more than a client project. They become part of a chapter of your life. For me, Porsena was one of those places.

Nestled in the East Village, Porsena was one of the very first restaurants I worked with after moving to the United States in 2018. Over the next two years, I spent countless evenings documenting its story—photographing the food, capturing the rhythm of service, and witnessing the small moments that gave the restaurant its character and soul.

Porsena was a place where hospitality felt genuine, where regulars were greeted like friends, and where every plate that left the kitchen was crafted with care.

Like many restaurants, Porsena closed its doors during the pandemic in 2020. While the space is gone, the memories remain. These photographs are a tribute to the people, the energy, and the community that made the restaurant so special, and to a place that played an important role in my own journey as a photographer in New York.