Want to go back in time? It’s possible at New York’s Russian Samovar, a restaurant established in May 1986. The legendary location, formerly known as Jilly’s Saloon, used to be frequented by Frank Sinatra and The Rat Pack. Seems dandy to me! Let’s check it out!
Doing my best Rat Pack
Located at 256 West 52nd Street (At 8th Avenue), New York, NY 10019 , the history of Russian Samovar starts well before the restaurant itself. Originally Jilly’s Canteen, and owned by friend of Frank Sinatra, Jilly Rizzo, Samovar was the go to hot spot for Sinatra and The Rat Pack. In homage to Sinatra, Johnny Carson, and the good old boys, it still maintains the original red banquettes from back in those days.
You’ll find the original bar as featured in The Manchurian Candidate (1962) and original artwork from talented people who frequented Jilly’s.
In 1986, Roman Kaplan, founder of Russian Samovar acquired the property and was joined in 1987 by friends and business partners: Legendary dancer Mikhail Baryshnikov and Nobel Award Winning poet Joseph Brodsky.
Baryshnikov’s baby grand piano is still used daily by their performers and guests can still request the Brodsky table, where legends used to sit and drink away the hours. Guests of private events can also enjoy the private dining room, where Baryshnikov filmed Sex in the City.
Russian Samovar offers some of the finest Russian cuisine in New York. Russian Samovar is a major supporter of the art community, with poetry readings held throughout the year and a classically trained pianist performs nightly. You can also try out 26 flavored vodkas that are prepared in-house, including ginger, horseradish, lemon and cranberry.
What should you try? I was a fan of the beluga and osetra caviar, blini (crepes) filled with salmon or caviar, beef stroganoff, chicken kiev, pelmeni (veal and chicken dumplings) and a few rounds of vodka of course.
The restaurant also serves a theater pre-fixe menu, available Monday through Friday until 7pm. It’s a great spot before or after a show, you can get a 10% discount on all food items simply by bringing your ticket from any Broadway show. These include appetizers like olivier salad, eggplant caviar, and vinegret (beet and vegetable salad), entrées such as roasted duck, grilled salmon, and beef stroganoff, and a choice of smetannik cake or ice cream for dessert.
You can also enjoy an expertly prepared pre-dinner cocktail at the bar such as the Russian Beauty, featuring raspberry puree and crisp Prosecco or a martini made with any flavor of Russian Samovar’s house-infused vodkas.
So grab your suit and check out Russian Samovar for your next date night or Broadway adventure. Thanks Azadeh of Azaram for helping me shoot these photos!
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Thanks for reading, y’all stay dandy. 😎 Don’t forget to follow me on Instagram!
-Diego