This article is part of our Cocktail Chatter series, where we dive into the wild, weird, and wondrous corners of history to share over a cocktail and impress your friends.
You never know who you might spot while taking a bite of your Benedict.
Standing on the corner of Norfolk and Houston on New York’s Lower East Side, one will find Remedy Diner. Opened in 2007, the family-owned diner is as unassuming as they come, with classic neon signs outside welcoming in hungry patrons at any time of day for a seat in one of its overstuffed booths. Once inside, customers have their choice of anything from buttermilk pancakes and omelets to truffle mac and cheese and penne alla vodka. And maybe, if you’re lucky, they may even be seated next to Queen RiRi herself.
On numerous occasions, Rihanna has been spotted at Remedy Diner sharing a meal with friends or her partner, A$AP Rocky, following a night of partying. Most recently, the musician and makeup mogul proved that pregnancy will do little to slow her down, proudly showing off her baby bump during a 5 a.m. meal there following this year’s Met Gala. Despite the fact that the couple was two hours (fashionably) late to the annual fundraising benefit, they certainly made up for lost time at the diner, sitting down with fellow celebrities including Trevor Noah and Fat Joe.
“After the Met Gala there’s no better place to be than here at Remedy! You never know who is going to walk through our doors,” Remedy Diner shared on Instagram, along with a photo of staff with the group.
While the A-lister’s latest appearance at the diner certainly drummed up quite the stir — especially on the heels of her Super Bowl performance just two months earlier — it wasn’t the first time she was spotted at the restaurant in the wee hours. In August 2021, the diner posted that Rihanna and A$AP Rocky had visited, explaining that the couple had stopped by for a late-night bite. “We heard they had a nice time & excellent service,” Remedy writes. “We hope to see them again soon!” While these two visits were more public, some L.E.S. locals will tell you they’ve allegedly seen RiRi tucked away in a booth at Remedy on multiple occasions.
The diner is somewhat familiar with catering to star clientele. Comedian Jerry Seinfeld and rapper Wale were interviewed there in 2013, and the 2016 film “Collateral Beauty” starring Will Smith used the restaurant as a filming location.
