A Farewell Tribute To The Four Seasons Restaurant

The Four Seasons Restaurant achieved something that few restaurants anywhere in the world achieved – It became iconic. I wanted to pay it tribute because it was the ultimate expression of branding and identification.

The Four Seasons Restaurant is closing today.  It will be missed by everyone who has ever been there.  For those who were unfortunate enough not to have eaten there or  or visited it, I want to describe the experience.

The Four Seasons was more than a restaurant.  It was an experience – every time I ate there, which was a few times a year.  (In fact, I was taken there for my twenty-first birthday and celebrated my birthday almost every year since.) 

The Four Seasons transcended the food, the crowd, even the ambience or the sheer delight of the Philip Johnson interior. There was something magical about eating there.  It was a total experience.

How many restaurants in the world have their own lobby?  The impressive raw marble and the size of the entrance set the mood for an elegant meal.  Guests had to walk up a castle size flight of steps to get to the restaurant.  The Four Seasons was actually two restaurants, plus a gorgeous bar.  The first thing anyone noticed when walking up the stairs was the grill room with its lush, handsome wood and the gorgeous bar, with hundreds of bronze rods dangling from the high ceiling.  All guest were greeted at the reception desk. People always had preferences for their choice of rooms.  The Grill Room was warm, business-like and somewhat dark.  I always preferred the elegance of the Pool Room, but many executives preferred the Grill Room.  The restaurant kept records of who ate where.

Walking down the long hallway to the Pool Room everyone first passed the fantastic Picasso tapestry (which was created as a backdrop for the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo.) It was immense and perfectly set the tone for the Pool Room and what was to come. Then came the beautiful wine cellar with an extensive array of their wines, including some of the world’s finest.  Entering the room was always an awesome and grand experience. From the entrance to the room, every visitor got a view of the entire restaurant. The two story ceiling gave the room an elegance unlike any restaurant in the world.  The waving bronze curtains shimmered to form beautiful waves.  The tables were set far apart for intimate conversation.  They were set with especially designed silverware, glassware, serving bowls and napkins, all specifically designed for the restaurant.  The room said to the world that this was a special place.

Aside from the Picasso (now at The NY Historical Society) there was tons of fine art – all contemporary – Rothko, Rauschenberg, Jasper Johns, among many,  The art alone was worth the trip.

The Four Seasons became iconic.  There was no restaurant like it anywhere in the world.

One could argue whether the food was good or great (never bad). They served wonderful, creative food – crisp shrimp in mustard sauce, gazpacho, crispy Farmhouse Duck, steak au poivre and Chateaubriand.  Many dishes were prepared or finished table side. Their desserts were legendary. The meal ended with petit fours and a huge mound of fluffy, pink cotton candy – what other restaurant served this kind of outrageous meal?  There have been many restaurants with more innovative and contemporary food, but none compared to the totality of the Four Seasons.

It had its share of celebrities.  Years ago, I saw Gregory Peck; he actually stopped the entire restaurant (he was truly a gorgeous man); he looked up at the hushed patrons and acknowledged their esteem.  There was Paul Newman drinking his beer from a bottle.  Gwyneth Paltrow with a large group.  There were many others over the years.  Almost every time I visited there, I could see ad agency luminaries. And of course there were tycoons of business, some instantly recognized, some not so much. It was home to and the inventor of the "power lunch"because many of the business people ate there every day - at the same table, of course.

Unlike other restaurants, I always felt that I was an adult eating there.  It was very grown up, but somehow its formality did not deter from the experience.  It was the kind of restaurant that its patrons wanted to get dressed up for.  I knew I had arrived when they asked if I would like to open an account there, all I had to do was leave a tip and sign the bill. 

 

When they closed in 2016, because their landlord would not renew their lease.  They then spent over $30 million to relocate and build a new space, sans pool.  It was lovely but it was not the same place.  The new restaurant was actually gorgeous and impressive, but it could not replace what had been and after nine or ten months of struggling, they decided to close.

It is a great loss.

Eating at the Four Seasons was a statement.  It was always expensive, which made it a great place to entertain clients; inviting a client to dine there was an announcement that the client was special.  There are many great restaurants in New York City, but none have achieved the status of the Four Seasons.  The restaurant’s success was a tribute to its partners, Alex Von Bidder and Julian Niccolini.  They made every guest feel welcome, whether they knew the guest or not.  They understood the restaurant and its patrons and kept it consistently great and on brand – every detail was always consistent and perfect.

The Four Seasons closing leaves me with an empty feeling.  I will miss it.  There will never be another restaurant like it.