General Information

Elaine’s, closed in 2011, used to be a famous restaurant frequented by a great many prominent figures. It is widely known as the place where Woody Allen’s film “Manhattan” opens, with Woody (who plays the role of Isaac Davis) complaining to his friends about the trials and tribulations of dating a 17-year-old.

Additional Information

Established in 1963, Elaine’s was famed for its regular patrons: writers and other well-known New Yorkers, such as Woody Allen, Mia Farrow, George Plimpton, Gay Talese, Tom Wolfe, William J. Bratton, Clay Felker, Joseph Heller, Norman Mailer, Helen Frankenthaler, Mario Puzo or Mark Simone. The restaurant was also recognised for its late chain-smoking namesake and proprietress, Elaine Kaufman, who ran the restaurant for over four decades. The famous visitors who used to dine at Elaine’s included Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Mick Jagger, Clint Eastwood, Leonard Bernstein, Eli Wallach, Kirk Douglas, Michael Caine, Elaine Stritch, Luciano Pavarotti and Willie Nelson. Elaine Kaufman died from chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder and pulmonary hypertension on December 3, 2010, aged 81, and her restaurant was closed soon after.