Lutèce (restaurant)

Lutèce

Company type	Private
Industry	Restaurant
Founded	1961
Founder	Andre Surmain
Defunct	2004
Headquarters	Manhattan, New York City , United States
Products	French cuisine

Lutèce was a distinguished French dining establishment located in Manhattan, which served patrons for more than four decades before its closure in early 2004. Additionally, it operated a branch on the Las Vegas Strip.

Celebrated for signature dishes such as its Alsatian onion tart and sautéed foie gras accompanied by dark chocolate sauce and bitter orange marmalade, Lutèce earned acclaim in 1972 when W magazine included it among "Les Six," the final strongholds of luxurious dining in New York City. The other five—La Grenouille, La Caravelle, La Côte Basque, Lafayette, and Quo Vadis—have all since ceased operations.

History

Founded in 1961 by Andre Surmain, Lutèce quickly established itself with the appointment of young chef André Soltner as head of the kitchen. The restaurant’s name originates from "Lutetia," the ancient Roman designation for Paris. Surmain and Soltner became business partners, jointly overseeing the restaurant until Surmain departed for Europe, retiring initially in Majorca before managing Le Relais à Mougins in southern France. In 1986, Surmain launched another branch at the Palm Court Hotel in Palm Beach, Florida.

Soltner assumed full ownership and culinary leadership of Lutèce until its sale to Ark Restaurants during the 1990s. A second venue was inaugurated in 1999 within The Venetian Las Vegas’s Grand Canal Shoppes, with David Feau serving as executive chef. Both locations achieved four-star ratings from the Mobil Travel Guide in 2002.

On February 14, 2004, Lutèce closed its doors amid declining profits attributed to menu alterations following the change in ownership, evolving clientele demographics including a reduction in expense-account diners, and broader challenges to New York City tourism after the events of September 11.

Prominent culinary personalities such as Julia Child lauded Lutèce, and a 1987 panel from Playboy magazine honored it as the best restaurant in the United States. Throughout the 1980s, Zagat's surveys consistently ranked it number one for six consecutive years.

In popular culture

During its years of operation, Lutèce became a frequent point of reference across various cultural media.

• In Ian Fleming’s 1963 short story Agent 007 in New York, James Bond describes Lutèce as "one of the great restaurants of the world."
• The 1971 movie A New Leaf shows Walter Matthau’s character enjoying his final meal there.
• Characters dine at Lutèce in the 1974 novel Marathon Man.
• Jane Chambers’ 1980 play Last Summer at Bluefish Cove includes mention of Lutèce’s maître d’ during a pivotal scene.
• The film Arthur (1981) features a moment where trout almondine is ordered for a butler at Lutèce.
• Walter Tevis’s 1983 science fiction novel The Steps of the Sun mourns the restaurant’s closing.
• During its prime in the 1980s, Lutèce appears in Wall Street (1987) as a symbol of upscale dining.
• The film Crossing Delancey identifies Lutèce as a venue for a birthday dinner.
• Wendy Wasserstein’s play The Heidi Chronicles (1988) praises its soufflé.
• Characters share meals at Lutèce in The Prince of Tides.
• A business meeting takes place at Lutèce in the film Other People's Money.
• Terrence McNally’s Tony Award-winning play Love! Valour! Compassion! references the establishment.
• The concluding lunch scene of the 1998 film The Last Days of Disco is set at Lutèce.
• Multiple scenes and mentions occur in season two of Mad Men, which is set during the 1960s.
• Linda Fairstein’s mystery novels set in New York, especially Night Watch (2012), feature a plotline about reviving a fictional version of Lutèce.
• The HBO Max series Julia (2022), episode “Foie Gras,” portrays Julia Child dining at Lutèce during the mid-1960s.
• The video game Genshin Impact includes Café Lutėce in Fontaine, which nods to signature dishes from the original restaurant.