It was famous for its Alsatian oniontart and a sauteedfoie gras with dark chocolate sauce and bitter orange marmalade.[3] In 1972,W magazine referred to it as one of "Les Six, the last bastions of grand luxe dining in New York." The other five wereLa Grenouille,La Caravelle,La Côte Basque,Lafayette, andQuo Vadis, all of which are now closed.[4]
Lutèce was opened in 1961 by founderAndre Surmain, who brought young chefAndré Soltner to run the kitchen. The name (pronounced[ly.tɛs]) is the French version of "Lutetia," the ancient name ofParis. Shortly thereafter, Surmain and Soltner became partners, and they ran the restaurant together until Surmain returned to Europe. He first retired toMajorca, then later ranLe Relais à Mougins inMougins, southern France.[5] In 1986, he returned to the US to open a branch of the same restaurant at the Palm Court Hotel inPalm Beach, Florida.[6]
Lutèce closed on February 14, 2004, after a period of declining revenues attributed to having alienated its longtime customers with a change in menu following the restaurant's sale, and more general industry changes such as a decrease in lunchtimeexpense account diners and the effects on New York City's tourism industry following theSeptember 11, 2001, attacks.[10]
Julia Child[11] and a 1987 panel of food critics forPlayboy magazine[12] each proclaimed Lutèce the best restaurant in the United States, a rank it held in theZagat's survey for six consecutive years in the 1980s.[10]
The 1971 filmA New Leaf showsWalter Matthau's character, once wealthy but now broke, visiting his favorite restaurant for the last time.
In the 1974 novelMarathon Man, "Doc" takes "Babe" and his girlfriend "Elsa" there for a meal.
Referenced inJane Chambers’s 1980 playLastSummer at Bluefish Cove where the character Donna mentions Lutèce mâitre ‘d who made a assumptive remark to character Sue, a wealthy Blueblood whom Donna is in a romantic relationship with.
Mentioned in the movieArthur, where the wealthy title character visits his dying butler, Hobson, in the hospital, and places a lunch order for Hobson, saying "l want the troutalmondine from Lutèce. Tell Henri it's for me."
During the restaurant's 1980s heyday at the top of the Zagat's survey, it was mentioned in the filmWall Street (1987) by Gordon's call girl when talking to Bud Fox (Charlie Sheen).
Mentioned in the filmCrossing Delancey by Isabelle Grossman (Amy Irving) as the place of her intended birthday dinner.
In the 1998 filmThe Last Days of Disco at the end of the film Josh mentions Alice invited him to go uptown to have lunch at Lutèce to celebrate her promotion.
In season two ofMad Men, set in the 1960s, there are several scenes that are set at Lutèce and the restaurant is mentioned several times in other episodes.
Referenced inLinda Fairstein's NY-based mystery series, especiallyNight Watch (2012). In it a renowned French restaurateur, son of the owner of a fictitious Lutèce, sets out to reopen the restaurant.
In theHBO Max seriesJulia, episode “Foie Gras,” set in the mid 1960s, Julia Child's book editors have lunch at Lutèce and Julia has the signature foie gras.
In the video gameGenshin Impact, Café Lutėce is located in the Court of Fontaine. The food and recipes available for purchase refer to the signature dishes once served in the real-world Lutėce.
^"La Creme de la Creme – Lutece".New York Magazine. February 7, 1983. p. 30.
^Alva, Marilyn (January 13, 1986) "Lutèce creator back in the United States; Andre Surmain 'starts over again' at Le Relais a Mougins in Florida",Nation's Restaurant News, Gale
