About
Oceana, the acclaimed American Seafood restaurant and flagship of the Livanos Restaurant Group, is located on 49th Street, just steps from Rockefeller Center, Radio City Music Hall, and Broadway’s famed theaters.
A beloved New York City dining destination since 1992, Oceana is renowned for exceptional hospitality, an award-winning wine list, and world-class cuisine from Executive Chef Tim Jocz.
Oceana is elated to welcome guests to our newly renovated dining rooms and café. Additionally, now featured is a six-seat chef’s counter, where guests can enjoy a front row view of the bustle of the kitchen and have the opportunity to engage with our chefs.
Designed by New York-based New World Design Builders, Oceana introduces stunning new interiors with warm tones and exquisite lighting, stained glass, ample greenery, and a variety of textures that meld to create an energetic, lively and inviting dining experience.
Owners // Livanos Family
Managing Partner & Wine Director // Paul McLaughlin
Executive Chef // Tim Jocz
Executive Chef
Leading the kitchen at Oceana is Executive Chef Tim Jocz. Having joined the Oceana team in 2010, Jocz leans heavily on relationships with local purveyors to continue Oceana’s legacy of serving elevated market-driven dishes. His enthusiastic vision for the next chapter of Oceana is rooted in showcasing quality seasonal ingredients at the elegant, modern American seafood restaurant.
A graduate of Johnson & Wales, Jocz began as an intern under Chef Ben Pollinger. His professional experience continued in Rhode Island where he worked at Rogue Island Kitchen & Bar and the Hourglass Brasserie, before joining the team at the iconic Michelin-starred Relais & Chateaux restaurant, The Inn at Little Washington. In 2016, Chef Tim returned to Oceana to work under Chef Bill Telepan and was promoted to sous chef in 2017 and Executive Chef in 2019.
Managing Partner / Wine Director
Since joining the Livanos Restaurant Group over 25 years ago, Managing Partner Paul McLaughlin has played an integral part in the success of Oceana. Throughout his tenure, Paul has overseen key initiatives, including the original opening on the east side of Manhattan, the relocation to the west side 17 years later, and the rebranding of Oceana’s bar and café.
Originally from Brooklyn, Paul developed a love of food by assisting his Italian grandmother in the kitchen every Sunday. He began his culinary career waiting tables while attending The Joseph I. Lubin School of Business at Pace University. With a passion for a fast-paced environment and guest interaction, Paul began working at Le Bernardin, where he became the first American Captain. He was then hired as the General Manager at Solera by the revered Chef Dominick Cerrone, before making the move to open Oceana.
Paul, a father and grandfather, spends his free time with his wife at their home in the Adirondacks, where he enjoys hiking, boating, and cooking for friends and family.
The Livanos Family
The extraordinary legacy of the Livanos family began in 1957 when John Livanos immigrated to the United States from Greece and began his career as a dishwasher, working for his uncle in Manhattan. He purchased his first restaurant in 1960, and later opened the elegant Livanos Restaurant in White Plains, NY, in 1985.
Today, John and his children, Nick, Bill and Corina, own and manage the critically acclaimed Oceana and Molyvos in New York City, as well as Moderne Barn in Armonk, NY, and City Limits in White Plains, NY.
Nick, the eldest of the Livanos siblings, grew up working in the family’s restaurants during the school year and spending his summers in Greece. Coming from a family of talented cooks and a long line of commercial fishermen, it didn’t take long for him to fall in love with food; the concepts of freshness and quality were the foundation of his culinary expertise. Nick graduated from Adelphi University with a bachelor’s degree in management, but his life changed when, on a whim, he decided to visit the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, NY, and later enrolled. Today, Nick oversees the business of all Livanos restaurants, sharing duties with Bill and Corina. He enjoys engaging with guests and swapping stories about food, family and life.
Like his older brother, Bill was inspired by their father’s passion and dedication to the family’s restaurants to pursue a career in hospitality. As a child, Bill remembers going to work with his father — first to a diner they owned in West Hempstead, NY, and then the Arch Diner in Brooklyn. Bill learned and worked every position in the Arch Diner and eventually followed in Nick’s footsteps and studied business at Adelphi University. Upon graduating, he worked for several national restaurant chains before returning to the family business to develop the wine program at Livanos Restaurant and eventually participating in the beverage programs for all of the family’s restaurants. Today, Bill manages the Livanos restaurants alongside Nick and Corina, with his main focus on the suburban concepts.
Corina, the youngest of the Livanos siblings, grew up with her father and brothers as her role models in the hospitality industry. After graduating with a degree in management from the University of Rhode Island, she worked her way through the family’s restaurants, eventually joining her brothers as a key member of the management team. One of the most notable moments of her career was opening Moderne Barn in the family’s hometown of Armonk, NY, in 2010, bringing a casual-yet-sophisticated concept to the neighborhood. Even though each Livanos restaurant has its own character, Corina hopes that every guest experiences a few simple things: delicious food with exceptional service in a comfortable, engaging environment.
In 2016, the third generation of restaurateurs, Nick’s eldest sons, Johnny and Enrico, joined the family business. Both Johnny and Enrico graduated with degrees in hospitality management and culinary arts – Johnny from Cornell University and the Culinary Institute of America’s Greystone Campus in St. Helena, California, and Enrico from Syracuse University and the Culinary Institute of America.
