Le Cirque
Encyclopedia
Le Cirque is a French restaurant
in Manhattan
owned and operated by Sirio Maccioni
. It first opened at the Mayfair Hotel in 1974. It closed and reopened as Le Cirque 2000 at the Palace Hotel
in 1997. The latest installation of Le Cirque opened in 2006 in the Bloomberg Tower
building at One Beacon Court (151 East 58th Street). The current flagship location is a 16000 square feet (1,486.4 m²) restaurant designed by interior designer Adam Tihany
, architect Costas Kondylis. The architectural lighting design was completed by Paul Gregory, principal of Focus Lighting Inc.
There is a second flagship restaurant at the Bellagio Hotel
in Las Vegas
that holds One Michelin Star and a AAA
Five-Diamond rating.. The Maccioni family also owns and operates Osteria del Circo in two locations: Manhattan on 120 W 55th St and Las Vegas in the Bellagio Hotel as well as Sirio Ristorante inside Aria in Las Vegas.
This is the third location for Le Cirque. Its first stood for 22 years on East 65th Street. From 1996 until its closing after New Year's Eve
2004, it was located at the Villard House at the Palace Hotel (it was then called Le Cirque 2000). This location has been open since May 30, 2006. The family's efforts to transition the restaurant to its current location was featured in the documentary film Le Cirque: A Table In Heaven
directed by Andrew Rossi.
From 1986 to 1992, Daniel Boulud
was executive chef
. He was succeeded by Pierre Schaedelin, Christophe Bellanca, and Craig Hopson.
In 2008, Gayot named the restaurant one of its "Top 40 Restaurants in the United States", a status it has maintained to the present day.
In July 2009, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo
, the former President of the Philippines
was highly criticized for her supposed outlandish dinner at Le Cirque with the Philippine delegation during her visit to the United States. President Arroyo and her group reportedly had dinner for the cost of $20,000 or P1,000,000 as reported in the New York Post.
Restaurant
A restaurant is an establishment which prepares and serves food and drink to customers in return for money. Meals are generally served and eaten on premises, but many restaurants also offer take-out and food delivery services...
in Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
owned and operated by Sirio Maccioni
Sirio Maccioni
Sirio Maccioni is a restaurateur and author.He was awarded the Impresario del’ Anno award at Affreschi Toscani...
. It first opened at the Mayfair Hotel in 1974. It closed and reopened as Le Cirque 2000 at the Palace Hotel
The New York Palace Hotel
The New York Palace blends the historic landmark Villard Mansion with a modern 55-story tower. Located at the center of Manhattan in Midtown at the corner of 50th Street and Madison Avenue, it is directly across the street from St Patrick's Cathedral, and a short walk from Rockefeller Center and...
in 1997. The latest installation of Le Cirque opened in 2006 in the Bloomberg Tower
Bloomberg Tower
Bloomberg Tower is a glass skyscraper on the East Side of Midtown Manhattan, New York City. It houses the headquarters of Bloomberg L.P., retail outlets, restaurants and 105 luxury condominiums. The residences are known as One Beacon Court and are served by a separate entrance. The tower is the...
building at One Beacon Court (151 East 58th Street). The current flagship location is a 16000 square feet (1,486.4 m²) restaurant designed by interior designer Adam Tihany
Adam Tihany
Adam D. Tihany is an American interior designer and interior architect. He was named one of the greatest American interior architects by The New York Times in 2001 .-Career:...
, architect Costas Kondylis. The architectural lighting design was completed by Paul Gregory, principal of Focus Lighting Inc.
Focus Lighting
Focus Lighting is a New York City based Architectural Lighting Design Firm founded by Paul Gregory in 1986. Focus Lighting designed the Entel Tower in Santiago, Chile, which was the first automated color-changing exterior lighting display in the world and the first building to have an automatic...
There is a second flagship restaurant at the Bellagio Hotel
Bellagio (hotel and casino)
Bellagio is a hotel and casino located on the Las Vegas Strip in the Paradise area of unincorporated Clark County, Nevada, USA and a member of The Leading Hotels of the World. It is owned by MGM Resorts International and was built on the site of the demolished Dunes hotel and casino.Inspired by the...
in Las Vegas
Las Vegas metropolitan area
The Las Vegas Valley is the heart of the Las Vegas-Paradise, NV MSA also known as the Las Vegas–Paradise–Henderson MSA which includes all of Clark County, Nevada, and is a metropolitan area in the southern part of the U.S. state of Nevada. The Valley is defined by the Las Vegas Valley landform, a ...
that holds One Michelin Star and a AAA
AAA
AAA, or Triple-A, may be a three-letter acronym or may just mean something that is high-quality, premier, or excellent.As a proper noun, Aaa is found only in the species name Cavaticovelia aaa , an insect from Hawaii....
Five-Diamond rating.. The Maccioni family also owns and operates Osteria del Circo in two locations: Manhattan on 120 W 55th St and Las Vegas in the Bellagio Hotel as well as Sirio Ristorante inside Aria in Las Vegas.
This is the third location for Le Cirque. Its first stood for 22 years on East 65th Street. From 1996 until its closing after New Year's Eve
New Year's Eve
New Year's Eve is observed annually on December 31, the final day of any given year in the Gregorian calendar. In modern societies, New Year's Eve is often celebrated at social gatherings, during which participants dance, eat, consume alcoholic beverages, and watch or light fireworks to mark the...
2004, it was located at the Villard House at the Palace Hotel (it was then called Le Cirque 2000). This location has been open since May 30, 2006. The family's efforts to transition the restaurant to its current location was featured in the documentary film Le Cirque: A Table In Heaven
Le Cirque: A Table In Heaven
Le Cirque: A Table In Heaven is an American documentary directed by Andrew Rossi.-Plot:Documentary about Manhattan's famed restaurateur, Sirio Maccioni, and his three sons, who open a new Le Cirque restaurant in New York City....
directed by Andrew Rossi.
From 1986 to 1992, Daniel Boulud
Daniel Boulud
Daniel Boulud is a French chef and restaurateur with restaurants in New York City, Palm Beach, Miami, Montreal, Beijing, and Singapore...
was executive chef
Chef
A chef is a person who cooks professionally for other people. Although over time the term has come to describe any person who cooks for a living, traditionally it refers to a highly skilled professional who is proficient in all aspects of food preparation.-Etymology:The word "chef" is borrowed ...
. He was succeeded by Pierre Schaedelin, Christophe Bellanca, and Craig Hopson.
In 2008, Gayot named the restaurant one of its "Top 40 Restaurants in the United States", a status it has maintained to the present day.
In July 2009, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo
Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo
Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is a Filipino politician who served as the 14th President of the Philippines from 2001 to 2010, as the 12th Vice President of the Philippines from 1998 to 2001, and is currently a member of the House of Representatives representing the 2nd District of Pampanga...
, the former President of the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
was highly criticized for her supposed outlandish dinner at Le Cirque with the Philippine delegation during her visit to the United States. President Arroyo and her group reportedly had dinner for the cost of $20,000 or P1,000,000 as reported in the New York Post.