Gabriel Stulman, the celebrated restaurateur behind West Village neighborhood hotspots like Joseph Leonard, says owners like him could face professional — and personal — financial ruin, as some landlords are showing no signs of rent leniency during the pandemic.

Stulman is known for cozy West Village restaurants that have an outsized style and taste, like 28-seat gastropub Bar Sardine and trendy all-day cafe Fairfax. Now, he’s starting to prepare for the possibility of bankruptcy due to stringent lease terms that haven’t