The humble abode of the resident sheep herd until the 1930’s, Tavern on the Green morphed into one of the most instantly recognizable restaurants in the world. Due in part to cameos in such films as Beaches and Ghostbusters, Tavern on the Green was also a favorite haunt of rock ‘n roll royalty John Lennon, as well as actual royalty, Grace Kelly. Tough economic times and a dispute over rights to the iconic name forced the institution to file for bankruptcy and shutter its’ twinkling windows on December 31, 2009. That was far from the end of the story for the Tavern and its sparkling Crystal Room.
This fall, a deal was finally reached- for a cool $1.3 million- that would grant the name “Tavern on the Green” to be used in locations outside of Manhattan. Several groups are in talks to re-open the original restaurant and restore the Crystal Room (décor was auctioned off after the last seating), so fans of the storied establishment might be able to book a reservation sometime in the near future. Don’t live in New York? You might be able to snag a table at a Tavern on the Green off-shoot in a city near you, but nothing beats ritzy, jewel-box atmosphere the original.
