Following a ribbon-cutting ceremony on April 24, 2014, legendary Central Park eatery Tavern on the Green has officially reopened its doors, after a nearly five-year-long hiatus (its last incarnation closed after a plummet into bankruptcy). The long-shuttered restaurant has finally reemerged with a refreshingly more refined atmosphere, and a "locavore" menu highlighting contemporary American cuisine that comes helmed by executive chef Katy Sparks.

  

The revived restaurant's city-owned historic building, which was originally built in 1870 as a sheepfold (for the sheep that once grazed Central Park's Sheep Meadow), was fully renovated in a reported $16 million overhaul, overseen by NYC Parks and the NYC Department of Design & Construction. The structure has been restored and scaled down to recall its original 1930s restaurant design, with its historical facades refinished to highlight its lovely Victorian Gothic architecture.

The new proprietors are Philadelphia-based restaurateurs Jim Caiola and his life partner David Salama, who reportedly pumped another $17 million into the venue's redesign, working to eliminate the kitschy decor of its predecessor in order to create a reimagined space, including a farmhouse-chic aesthetic in the South Wing, a window-paneled Crystal Room overlooking the park, and an open kitchen.

The new Tavern on the Green can accommodate 350 diners inside, and for the first time is offering outdoor seating with a bar-trimmed terrace, where another 350 patrons can be accommodated.

There's also a takeout window, primed for coffee, smoothies, sandwiches, and other snacks to go.

By making food a priority, the restaurant is striving to move away from its former tourist-trap image to appeal to actual New Yorkers, as well as tourists. Hailing from Vermont, chef Katy Sparks, former sous-chef for Bobby Flay's Mesa Grill, has set out to achieve this goal by ushering in modern, urban-farmhouse cuisine, sourced from seasonal and local ingredients. 

Along with a selection of salads, ceviches, and sides, seasonally updated menu items are divided into three main categories: "the hearth," "the grill," and "the plancha," and highlight both small and large plates. Large plate menu items range in cost from $18 (for a grass-fed beef burger with patatas bravas and aioli) to $54 (for prime New York strip steak with braised leeks and patatas bravas and aioli ).

Dinner service begins on April 24, 2014; brunch, lunch, and "to-go" service will be added on come mid-May (the official restaurant opening date is May 13).

Set in a picture-perfect setting within Central Park, restaurant-goers can gain access to the iconic eatery via West 67th Street and Central Park West. For reservations, visit www.tavernonthegreen.com/reservations or call 212-877-8684.