Chef Mark Ladner Leaves Babbo After Relaunch

Chef Mark Ladner has reportedly left Babbo in Greenwich Village. His departure comes less than a year after the restaurant's October 2025 relaunch under owner Stephen Starr.

Grub Street first reported the news on Thursday, September 17, citing sources inside the restaurant. The reason for Ladner's exit is not known. Neither Ladner nor Starr Restaurants has provided a comment. Babbo's website continues to list Ladner as its executive chef.

The Revival Built Around a Chef

The revival of the iconic Italian restaurant was heavily centered on Ladner's return. Starr took over Babbo and its sibling restaurant Lupa from Joe and Lidia Bastianich in 2025. He brought in Ladner, who had worked at both restaurants during the Mario Batali era. Ladner later led Batali and Bastianich's Del Posto, where he earned significant acclaim.

During his tenure at Del Posto, the restaurant received four stars from The New York Times and two Michelin stars. His return to Babbo was seen as a homecoming for one of the city's most accomplished Italian chefs. Lupa, however, never reopened under Starr's ownership. Its Bleecker Street space was listed for lease by December 2025.

A Menu Bridging Past and Present

Ladner's menu aimed to connect Babbo's celebrated past with Starr's restaurant style. Classics like beef-cheek ravioli remained. Ladner also introduced dishes seen on other Starr restaurant menus, including his signature 100-layer lasagna. At the time of the reopening, Ladner described the new Babbo as drawing inspiration from 22 regions: Italy's 20, plus the old and new versions of the restaurant itself.

Babbo first opened in 1998 and became a defining Italian restaurant of its era. Mario Batali stepped away from the restaurant group in 2017 following allegations of sexual misconduct and later divested his ownership. Starr kept the Babbo name, and Ladner's involvement offered a link to the restaurant's history without centering Batali in its comeback.

Mixed Reviews for the Reboot

Critical reception of the revamped Babbo was mixed. In a December review, Grub Street critic Matthew Schneier wrote that the new iteration had lost some of the original's magic. In February, New York Times critic Ligaya Mishan noted the restaurant had corrected some early stumbles, though portions of the cooking remained uneven.

Potential Change for Another Starr Restaurant

A separate report suggests another change may be coming to Starr's downtown New York portfolio. Caper reported that hospitality company Ennismore is buying 11 Howard in Soho. Starr's Michelin-starred French restaurant Le Coucou has operated there since 2016. The restaurant is headed by chef Daniel Rose, who resides in Paris, and celebrated its 10th anniversary this spring.

Corporate records connect an Ennismore-controlled entity with a planned 25hours Hotel New York at the address. An April 2026 appellate court decision noted allegations by the building's landlord that the hotel operator had defaulted on roughly $18 million in rent, taxes, and other charges. A separate lawsuit from the hotel operator was dismissed in January.

It is not yet clear what a sale would mean for Le Coucou. The restaurant remains open with current job listings, and 11 Howard's website continues to list it as the hotel's restaurant. When asked if Le Coucou would remain should the sale go through, an Ennismore spokesperson told Eater they would provide an update via email. Eater has also reached out to a Starr spokesperson regarding the restaurant's fate.