Stephen Starr, the prolific multi-concept restaurateur who brought Morimoto, Buddakan and Caffe Storico to New York, will open a second location of his popular Philadelphia-based modern Mexican restaurant El Vez in Battery Park City on Friday, April 25.

The new restaurant and bar, which sets up shop at 259 Vesey Street, will feature an eye-catching atmosphere with colorful circular booths and banquettes, wooden bar with antique-finished stools and what’s being billed a “edgier fun-seeking option,” a garage-meets-roadside-cantina space. Outdoors, El vez will offer a sprawling patio and in the weeks ahead, a grab-and-go burrito stand.

Like the Philadelphia original, which Starr opened back in 2005, the bar at El Vez will offer a huge selection of Margaritas and other fun, festive specialty cocktails, as well as a collection of more than 150 mezcals and tequilas plus other agave-based spirits like sotol, raicilla and bacanora. Check out the full bar menu here.

As far as food is concerned, the menu was developed by an all-star culiney team made up of Executive Chef David LaForce, the chef behind the wildly popular El Vez Philadelphia, James Tracey, the culinary director for Starr Restaurants (former Executive Chef of the Colicchio empire), Puebla-native chef Dionicio Jimenez of Starr’s El Rey in Philadelphia and consulting chef Nacxi Gaxiola from Pulqueria. It will feature a range of Mexican regional flavors like guacamoles, ceviches, fundidos, quesadillas, enchiladas and tacos. Along wih those items, El Vez will offer more sophisticated fare, like Los Moles (mole three-ways), a negro mole with lamb, poblano mole with chicken and pipian rojo mole with pork, and Chile en Nogada, a poblano pepper filled with ground beef, almonds and dried fruit topped with a walnut sauce. Check out the full menu here.

El Vez will serve lunch and dinner Monday to Thursday from 11:30 AM — 10:00 PM; Friday from 11:30 AM — 11:00 PM; Saturday from 10:00 AM — 11:00 PM; and Sunday from 10:00 AM — 10:00 PM.

El Vez, 259 Vesey St., 212-233-2500, www.elveznyc.com

Photo: Starr Restaurants