| Maxwell's Plum | |
|---|---|
 Interior of Maxwell's Plum | |
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  Location within Manhattan Show map of Manhattan Maxwell's Plum (New York City) Show map of New York City | |
| Restaurant information | |
| Established | April 1, 1966 (1966-4-1) |
| Closed | July 10, 1988 (1988-7-10) |
| Previousowner(s) | Warner LeRoy |
| Street address | 1181 First Avenue (at 64th Street) |
| City | Manhattan,New York City |
| Postal/ZIP Code | 10065 |
| Country | United States |
| Coordinates | 40°45′47″N73°57′35″W / 40.762960°N 73.959770°W /40.762960; -73.959770 |
Maxwell's Plum was a bar at 1181First Avenue, at the intersection with 64th Street, on theUpper East Side ofManhattan in New York City. A 1988 New York Times article described it as a "flamboyant restaurant and singles bar that, more than any place of its kind, symbolized two social revolutions of the 1960s – sex and food".[1] Owned byWarner LeRoy, it closed abruptly on July 10, 1988.[citation needed]
It was opened on April 1, 1966, byWarner LeRoy, son ofMervyn LeRoy the Hollywood producer (Wizard of Oz,Mister Roberts,Quo Vadis), it was initially part of his theater, providing a cafe with good wine lists and hamburgers for the 1960s swinging singles crowd.[2] It became a favorite gathering spot and within a few years the theater was closed in 1969 to expand the cafe with a luxury dining room reminiscent ofMaxim's in Paris. Patrons enjoyed Maxwell's Plum mixed experience of a boulevard café or a second floor majestic restaurant that overlooked the first floor singles' bar. Maxwell's Plum rose rapidly to be one of the city's top venues grossing over $5 million by the 1970s, equivalent to $20 million when adjusted for inflation, with alcohol sales contributing more than a third.[3]
It was famous for its eclectic menu ranging from chili and hamburgers to wild boar and caviar, along with its first class service without snobbery and "outlandishArt Nouveau decor – kaleidoscopic stained-glass ceilings and walls, Tiffany lamps galore, a menagerie of ceramic animals, etched glass and cascades of crystal."[1]
Warner Leroy had two original Toulouse Lautrec paintings in frames screwed into the hall wall leading from mezzanine to upstairs toilets. Two large Tiffany lamps hung over the 2 large tables on the mezzanine level, three steps up from the floor level bar & sitting area. This was during the 1st phase of Maxwell's Plum.
It soon served over 1,200 customers a day, including such celebrities asRichard Rodgers,Cary Grant,Bill Blass,Barbra Streisand andWarren Beatty, and becoming whatThe New York Times called "a favorite watering hole for the 'swinging singles' set."[1] Other celebrities included: Myrna Loy, Buddy Hackett, NY Giants football players (who sat on 2nd floor area), and Vince Edwards (who played Dr Ben Casey).
A second location opened in 1981San Francisco, California, at a cost of $7 million,[4] then soon closed. LeRoy built Potomac, a similarly themed 850-seat restaurant inWashington, D.C., the largest in the city's history, which also closed soon after opening at a cost of $9 million.[5]
LeRoy closed the Plum in 1988 when he sold the First Avenue building. In January 1989, the furnishings and contents of Maxwell's Plum were auctioned off.[6] At the auction, theTribeca Grill acquired the Plum's large island bar.[citation needed]