Sushi Samba 7 Keeps Deck and Eats Its Fish, Too

Sushi Samba 7, the popular Greenwich Village restaurant on Seventh Avenue, has been battling with the city over its rooftop deck for the past five years.

The deck had violated landmarks law, because the owners never consulted with the Landmarks Preservation Commission over its constructions as they should have. A judge even forced the restaurant to remove a "steel rooftop structure" the restaurant had replaced a city-approved trellis. Silly Sushi Samba, trying to skirt the laws and bylaws of the Village!

The case that the city's lawyer Virginia Waters called "the most frustrating case" of her 30-year career is all settled: Sushi Samba pays $500,000 and will get to build a new rooftop structure - one approved by the LPC. But we urge you to check out the 2005 Villager article that describes the squabble - the stalling over doing anything is somewhat hilarious.