An Italian cafe is getting closer to an opening on a busy commercial stretch of Fort Greene. Construction fences that were installed prior to the start of the pandemic have recently come down around Saraghina Caffè, a sister establishment to Bed Stuy’s Saraghina, Bar Cicchetti and Saraghina Bakery, at 195 Dekalb Avenue.

A peek in the windows showed work still happening on the interior. New dark wood cladding has been installed around the windows of the shopfront. The eatery takes the place of Madiba, a beloved South African restaurant that closed in 2018 after 20 years in the neighborhood.