Maxwell's Plum: Iconic Restaurant and Bar that Defined 1960s New York
Maxwell’s Plum, the flamboyant restaurant and singles bar that more than any place of its kind, symbolized two social revolutions of the 1960s – Sex and Food.
With its luxury dining room reminiscent of Maxims of Paris, it became a favorite watering hole for the Swinging Singles set for over 20 years.
Maxwell’s Plum opened in April of 1966 at a time when a largely residential First Avenue was undergoing a commercial boom of restaurants and night clubs.
Owner Warner Leroy, the son of famed Hollywood film producer Marvin Leroy who produced The Wizard of Oz, Mr. Roberts, Gypsy, No Time for Sergeants, and many more, often paraded around the dining room, his 230 lb frame enveloped in streaming paisley patterned suits.
It was famous for its eclectic menu, from chilli con carne, to hamburgers, to stuffed squab, to wild boar and Iranian caviar, along with first class service without snobbery and outlandish Art Nouveau decor.
With kaleidoscopic stained glass ceilings and walls, Tiffany lamps galore, a menagerie of ceramic animals, etched glass and cascades of crystal.
Leroy had two original Toulouse-Lautrec paintings in frames screwed into the wall leading from the mezzanine to the upstairs toilet.
Two large Tiffany lamps hung over two tables on the mezzanine level, three steps from the floor level bar and sitting area.
Celebrities such as Cary Grant, Barbra Streisand, Woody Allen, Richard Rodgers, Sigourney Weaver, Bill Blass, Sylvester Stallone, Myrna Loy and assorted New York sports stars all were there.
It served over 1200 customers a day and rapidly rose to be one of the city’s top venues grossing over $5 million a year by the 1970s, which is the equivalent to $20 million today.
Leroy closed Maxwell’s Plum in 1988, when he sold the First Avenue building.
A symbol of the sixties and one of the most influential restaurants in the history of New York City.
The daughter of Warner Leroy has opened a new version Maxwell’s Plum in Wellington, Florida.
David Garland NY New York Mar 20, 2025 Bars Restaurants
Mar 20, 2025
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