Legendary Le Cirque Closes as Year Ends

Owner Sirio Maccioni Plans to Reopen

See Also
Friday, April 29, 2005 Lajaunie Plans to Open Kosher Hotel in Miami
Friday, April 29, 2005 Former Judson Grill Chef To Open Own Restaurant
Friday, March 18, 2005 Winemakers To Open Restaurant in St. Helena
Friday, March 18, 2005 Orient Express Acquires First West Coast Hotel
Wednesday, March 2, 2005 Grant Achatz Opens Alinea in Chicago
More From Food Arts

Beverly Stephen
Posted: January 4, 2005

The ball droping in Times Square may have marked the official end of 2004, but for many food cognoscenti the true grand finale was signaled by the last dinner at Le Cirque 2000. There, some 500 patrons paid $500 each to celebrate the final moments of this public club for the rich and famous at a gala dinner awash with Champagne and punctuated by caviar, lobster, foie gras, and generous shavings of white truffles. In addition to dishes such as ravioli of lobster and vegetables with fennel sauce as well as venison noisette with pumpkin puree, chestnuts and caramelized pears with white truffle sauce, the dinner was crowned by a commemorative spectacular cassis dessert "Chocolate Kir Royale." (Look for the recipe in the April issue of Food Arts).

This is the second time debonair owner Sirio Maccioni has closed Le Cirque. The original restaurant, located at 58 East 65th Street (now occupied by Daniel), was closed in 1996 after a 22-year run. It then reopened in April 1997 as Le Cirque 2000 in the Villard Houses in the New York Palace Hotel. The whimsical, colorful design by architect Adam Tihany carefully installed inside the historic landmark Villard Houses was controversial—like "putting a Ferrari into a palazzo," Tihany quipped--but did not deter the loyal customers who bask in Maccioni's pampering glow. Ringmaster Maccioni's masterful handling of bold face egos, from Barbara Walters to King Juan Carlos of Spain was indeed what made Le Cirque a New York phenomenon, even though a stellar roster of chefs--Alain Sailhac, Daniel Boulud, Sylvain Portay, Sottha Khunn, and finally Pierre Schaedelin--kept the ranges humming.

Maccioni and the Palace Hotel announced in a joint press release that they had made a mutual decision to end the lease on December 31, 2004. And so the curtain came down on the second act. But as far as Maccioni is concerned, the show is not over. He says he's already working on plans to reopen. Stay tuned.