Elaine’s

Noooooo!!! Just read in the Times that Elaine’s is closing! I am a Seattle-​ite that stumbled in to Elaine’s on a trip to NYC last year. As I walked in I thought «Hmmmm… I think that Elaine’s is the place where all those Stuart Woods mysteries take place…» And sure enough, Elaine’s was the place.
Only went a handful of times over the past year and never really saw anyone more famous than Elaine herself but loved it. I am an admitted Manhattan-​ophile so that was part of it. But the combination of great staff, Elaine’s (more or less) affectionate crabbiness and the kind of food you eat with lots of wine or a cocktail was paretty hard to resist.
RIP in Elaine and RIP Elaine’s.

This is a very special place. I haven’t been there since Elaine’s passing but she was always in the restaurant sitting at her usual table with a bunch of friends when I was there. It’s great no matter what time you go, but I personally think the later the better. I met some people here one night at around 10:30 and it was still crowded. It gives you a very New York feeling and they’re extremely friendly. I’ve tried a bunch of stuff on the menu and my favorites are definitely any of the pastas. The bolognese is exceptional. The appetizers are amazing and the deserts are spectacular.
It’s expensive, but I would rather give them my money here for outstanding food and generous portions than some fancy snotty place somewhere else where the food isn’t even that great and the portions are microscopic. You can come here however you want. You can wear a ball gown or jeans and a sweatshirt they don’t care. It’s very laid back. I really do not have a single bad thing to say about this place. Go try it and see for yourself. It just needs to be understood… if you think Domino’s Pizza is the best thing since sliced bread than you will probably just think it’s some overpriced Italian food.
It will be different going back now since Elaine isn’t there anymore, but I did see Chris Noth there once… maybe I’ll have the honor of seeing him there again.

This place totally blows. 45 dollars for chicken parm. Are you kidding?

Elaine opened her restaurant in 1963 the year I was born. I read reviews of it before I went and read it is mostly about the ambiance and scene and not the food.
I was a little hesitant to review it since I was treated by someone who frequents Elaine’s. Since I didn’t pay and was treated by someone who was gracious of course it reflects on how I feel about this restaurant. I must add that I went before Elaine herself passed away. I was sorry to hear it. It might have changed since then I don’t know. It is out of my price range right now and I did not pay so I can’t comment on the prices. Considering my financial situation it was a treat to eat here.
I didn’t want to go over board ordering since I wasn’t paying so I ordered something simple. I ordered the Spaghetti Squash Vegetable Marinara. They had a sea food entrée. It would have been rude of me to take pictures during our meeting so I did not take any.
This is supposed to be a power broker and celebrity hang out. I am not the kind of person who recognizes celebrities mostly because I don’t care so I did not notice any celebrities other than who I was sitting with. I will let you guess who treated me.

I went to Elaine’s for the very first time a few weeks before she passed away at the urging of friends who had been wanting to bring me there for a very long time. They had such love for this place that I couldn’t wait to get the opportunity to experience it for myself. We wanted to make a special New York evening of it, so we waited until we had tickets to a fantastic 92Y event, and so I was thrilled when the date finally arrived.
It was everything they promised it would be. I can’t explain what it was about Elaines. The food was very good, but they could have brought turkey sandwiches — it wouldn’t have lessened my enjoyment of the evening. There was just a vibe there– a feeling– that felt so very New York, and yet– it was a feeling that is very hard to find in New York these days.
We walked in after 11:00 at night, to find the tables full of people enjoying a late dinner and drinks, and just talking. Sounds unexciting right? And yet it was completely exciting. Anyone who doesn’t believe that a room can hold an energy and carry forward its past has probably never walked into Elaines. And the people in the room were all so interesting. Some of them famous, some of them not, but everyone in the room seemed as if they had some cool story to tell. So maybe I’m too romantic, but I had a wonderful time and SO enjoyed my late supper– veal milanese.
There was only one thing missing– Elaine herself. It would have been an honor to have met the woman responsible for this unique gem of a place, but the warm, engaging, energetic and romantic room that she created is, I suppose, a testament to this unique New Yorker.

Sad to hear about the passing of Elaine! I’m sure she was a great person. I never had the chance to meet her, but I did enjoy her bar. Even though the patrons were much older than me, I felt comfortable and interested in my surroundings! The bartender was really nice and they even had their patrons play on the piano and sing!

In honor of the passing away of Ms. Elaine Kaufman, who died on December 3, 2010 at the age of 81, (
) I am writing this review even if it is not compliant with Unilocal policy that the dining experience be recent.
When a friend invited me to dine at Elaine’s, I had then just arrived in New York. According to him, most of the people in the arts always hang out at Elaine’s and since it was just a hop and a skip, it was an excellent option for dinner. Since neither of us were A-​listers (read:nobody), we merely merited a glance from Elaine. We both had steak and after a couple more times of dining there, both agreed that the kitchen is reliable. The service was excellent as well. I saw Elaine sit court, surrounded by laughter and the love of people who went to Elaine’s because it felt like home to them.
Which brings me to my point — any place that can feel home for any number of people, either because of food and/​or because of the people who run it, will savor the taste of success. Unilocal is great because it allows the community to say where they find such a home.
Ms. Elaine Kaufman provided a home to a lot of people and I trust that the restaurant that bears her name will continue to do so.

Stay Away!
I know it’s over priced mediocre Italian food, I know this place has been over for years and yet we schlepped up to the very edge of Manhattan. Who knew the East-​side went on so long? Did we pass through Harlem? Our cab had to stop for gas…
From the reviews posted here, the diners all seem to be chasing that ghost from the past and finding him, we sure didn’t. My guess is you won’t either.
The only humane course of action is to let Elaine and her restaurant quietly wither…
(this could have been a review of Peter Luger)
note: If you choose to go, carefully review your check.

Restaurant was probably good before Pizza Hut came out, but Pizza Hut has since raised the bar for overpriced Italian food. The bartender, Alex, is horrible and rude. He spends more time on his I-​Phone than serving drinks. The music on Sunday night is a second to the local elementary school’s glee club. Elaine is so old she doesn’t even know quality or good service. Hopefully, the restaurant will die in the near future and something of quality can go there. My advice, unless you are at the dive bar next door and need a clean bathroom… STAY AWAY!

I already knew what Elaine looked like before coming here for the first time, so I immediately recognized her upon entering her establishment. Upon hearing us enter at 10pm on a Saturday night she abruptly turned around from her perch at the bar and looked straight at me and my husband. I assumed this meant she was «greeting us» and so I smiled and said «do you have room for two more?» Well, I guess she wasn’t greeting us because she frowned and pointed a wrinkled index finger over her shoulder indicating «don’t speak to me, you jerk-​off, talk to him» (the maitre’ d). Oh dear.
The place was packed and as I mentioned it was nearly 10 pm. What a darling little place. I swear everyone in there seemed super wealthy and famous but I didn’t really recognize anyone.
You kind of need to be wealthy because the prices are pricey even by New York pricey standards. 13 dollars for a side ceasar salad? 9 dollars for bland pea soup?
You come here to experience the indigenous New York City vibe, not to experience amazing food.
I wonder how Elaine did it. She’s definitely not attractive, not welcoming or charming, the food is just so-​so — why did this place become what it is?

I had never heard of Elaine’s, but on a random weekday night, my boyfriend suggested we make the trek across the park and my fellow Unilocalers seem to agree.
The food here is EXCELLENT! I really cannot rave about it enough. The appetizers were phenomenal (house salad with the best dressing ever and prosciutto & melon), the entrees were amazing (Chicken Paillard and a special chicken breast with mushrooms and leeks) and the waiters were quick to make sure the drinks kept on coming. I don’t know how they make such simple dishes with such simple ingredients taste this good… but they do! I think it may be magic, but don’t quote me on that.
In addition, the room is perfect… the feeling of old New York, the light is perfectly dimmed and Elaine wonders among the tables making conversation. It truly is quite an experience.
Even the next day I was thinking about what a wonderful, liesurely dinner we had at Elaine’s. This doesn’t often happen for me, but then again, not many places have the same magic that Elaine’s does.

It was a spur of the moment decision to visit Elaine’s last night. I’m glad we did.
Our waiter never finished a complete sentence («You’re welc…») which we thought was totally charming and hilarious.
The man in the purple jacket on his way to the restroom, arms straight to his sides, hands flat out like The Penguin.
Elaine was wandering around, making herself comfortable at all the tables.
Had a celebrity sighting, which I never expect because I’m the most unobservant person on the planet (I once almost ran smack into Sting and it was only ½ a block away that I realized it was him).
All in all — a good time.

Elaines is a must do. You would think its some exclusive, hard to get into place, but really its just the neighborhood dinner spot if you go early enough.
My favorite is the Osso bucco. In fact, this is the first place I ever had it.
Every time I have been, Elaine herself has been out and around, plus Ive never been here without a major celebrity sighting, if you care about that sort of thing. (I do!)

Elaine’s is a legend. It’s a privilege to talk with some of the patrons and staff there, as well as Elaine herself. I try to get there every time I’m in New York; love everything about it, because its about the city.

For those of you that saw Big Business you might know why I wanted to have dinner here! :)
Our waiter was Nestor… he was very attentive with great customer service.
Elaine is always there, which sort of makes the experience a bit more authentic. It’s a NYC landmark and exceeded my expectations. Great little bar area too. Although we didn’t see Michael Caine we enjoyed our dinner, wine and live music. Elaine was pleasant, but wondered how the hell I «knew» her. :)

This eponymous hangout for media types is still around after all these years! It’s an older crowd that packs the place. I’d heard the food was terrible but actually, everything we had was completely edible. Although, nothing special. But a perfectly pleasant evening. And of course, the real point is to drink, drink, drink. Definitely worth a visit, to see what the fuss is about. P. S., Gov. Paterson was heading into the place just as we were leaving, around 10 p. m…

We walked in off the street around 7:30 /​8 and were seated immediately. I liked the interior — very Bennigan’s meets Sopranos. Food was okay. I had a special for my appetizer and a special for my entrée (salad and pasta), whereas my bf ordered off the regular menu (clams and pasta).
I asked for a glass of wine, which I never received. I grabbed a busboy when my entrée came and asked again. No biggie, it happens.
My boyfriend said the staff seemed a little mean to him. They seemed a little European to me. They weren’t the friendliest, but they weren’t mean in my opinion — just stand-​offish.
I didn’t know this place had the reputation for being such a celeb go-​to spot. But, as we were sitting there enjoying our Oreo cheesecake and espressos, my boyfriend kept saying «I know him. Who is he?» At one point, he decided it was Governor Patacki. Either way, we both agreed that there was at least 3 or 4 important or important-​looking people sitting around us.
Bill came and it was fairly expensive. Just about $ 200 for two appetizers, two entrees, two diet cokes, a glass of wine, dessert and coffee. Or maybe we just eat too much. Either way, I was surprised for a weekday dinner.
It was okay. Food was decent. Scene was cool.

Elaine’s is situated in a cozy space on the UES and it really adds to its charm. My cousin treated several family members and me to dinner there as she frequents the location and is close friends with the owner, Elaine, who happened to be in while we ate. (Also spotted: Richard Dreyfuss.) I had a spaghetti with squash and vegetable marinara. It was nice, a bit too al dente, but I enjoyed the flavors and large portion. All those who ordered meat seemed quite pleased, as well. The waiters were incredibly friendly and attentive and given the opportunity, I’d definitely return.

All reviews are clouded by personal experience, so I’m not afraid to admit, this one is completely my own.
I didn’t want to come here. It’s all movie-​eque, the whole Woody Allen thing where it appeared in, whatever those movies were called … shouldn’t matter, that’s not what would make a restaurant good. So, I clearly came with certain reservations.
It’s italian, nothing special, doesn’t taste like it came out of your grandmother’s kitchen etc. Don’t expect alot of variety, at that. Food was fine. If I ever have a craving for Italian, I’m not sure I’d run over to this place in particular.
If I ever have a craving to sit at a bar, I might have to run here. The bartender was friendly, funny, creative, and entertaining. Sometimes «the bar» at a restaurant gets a bit crowded, othertimes, the bartender is a bit standoffish. This night might have been the perfect marrying of a great bartender, and a just the right number of people — that being, not very many. It didn’t hurt that we ended up drinking alot of champagne, on the house, to celebrate my birthday (from much earlier in the year), either!
Ah Elaine, it was worth crossing over the park afterall …

Dear Elaine,
Ever since I broke up with my boyfriend and locked myself in my room watching Annie Hall and Manhattan over and over again, I wanted to dine at your bar. I wanted to bathe in the low-​lighting and drink in the glitterati. And the champagne.
Your saloon serves seafood and pasta, which is a perfect fit for my hard-​partying liver. Your staff really put the bus in busboys, and your patrons really put the lift in facelift.
Elaine, perhaps when I was wistfully watching Woody Allen and sobbing into my third pint of sorbet I neglected the fact that Alvie and Isaac both end up totally alone. All of the dark corners and the sceney framed posters were depressing, and it wasn’t until my third glass of champagne did things start to perk up.
I bit my lip and drunkenly vowed to finish my novel, a promise I have been breaking every day since I twirled that glorious fettucini around my fork.
Elaine, what can I say? Your place represents everything classic about the Upper East Side: old money, witty well-​read humor, and the best place to discuss heartache this side of the East River.