The restaurant first opened in 2020 as apop up in a coffee shop on theLower East Side,[2] and later, onMacDougal Street.[3] The pop-up was originally called "Dame Summer Club".[4] The restaurant's operators, Patricia Howard and Ed Szymanski, eventually signed a lease for a permanent location, next to the second pop up venue on MacDougal.[5] Howard and Szymanksi met while working atThe Beatrice Inn.[6]
The restaurant is located nearLord's, a restaurant also run by Howard and Szymanski.[4][7] Lord's opened in 2022.[7]
Hannah Goldfield, in a positive review of the restaurant published byThe New Yorker, praised thefish and chips as the best preparation of the dish she had ever eaten.[6]Pete Wells praised the restaurant, writing in his review that it had "a fresh point of view" on presenting seafood.[8] Wells highlighted Dame's fish and chips as his favorite entrée served by the restaurant.[8]
The restaurant was added to theMichelin Guide for New York City in 2022.[9]
