A recent newspaper article listed the 5 restaurants that still require a jacket and tie in New York. Le Cirque, La Cote Basque, La Grenouille, Rainbow Room and Le Perigord. It would be interesting to know which restaurants require jacket and tie in other cities.
— Corporate Creature.
(Source: TipsOnTables.com)
What an interesting side project! I’d like to enlist you, dear readers, to come to the aid of all who are looking for an elegant evening out. Are you game? If so, please leave a comment on the site and I’ll add your findings to a master list which I’ll publish as a page on Easy and Elegant Life.
It is interesting that only five restaurants in one of our nation’s largest cities still require a jacket and tie for gentlemen.
I’m not sure this is such a bad thing.
I believe I would rather sit near someone wearing a handsome Loro Piana, Bruno Cucineli, or Hermes turtleneck than a “borrowed for the moment” blended blazer that came from the Books Brothers outlet store.
As I mature, I’m preferring genuine quality over faux pretention, and I’m gradually loosening my death-grip on the status quo. I’ve found that it helps me to focus on the more important things in life.
I wonder what Diana Vreeland would say if she were alive.
We’ve survived the demise, for the most part, of the finger bowl and the salt cellar. My dinner won’t be any the less if the gentlman isn’t wearing a tie.
New Yorkers and their guests seeking strict protocol have their clubs, of course–most require jackets in all public spaces. One club where we have been guests does not allow talking at the breakfast tables, and tables are for one. It’s a hoot! So talking to oneself is even discouraged! This strict rule has the added benefit of discouraging the problem of table-hoppers between the hours of 6 and 9 a.m.
The up-side to a dress code is that it eliminates any riff-raff (such as ball caps worn backwards) and ambiguity as to what is appropriate for diners. It assures a certain tone of dignity–even in an ill-fitting, borrowed jacket–that some fabulous chefs and dining spaces deserve. Just as Notre Dame deserves covering your shoulders, some restaurants deserve a serious effort.
I agree with Abbie that quality trumps almost everything. And dining in the company of gentlemen dressed in gorgeous natural fibers is a joy. Unfortunately, it is also rare. I also like the idea of a few choices which guarantee that sort of jacket-and-tie-evening out. There is a place for dress codes–and like the sports bar, America offers something for everyone.
Elegance is not always dressy, but it is never sloppy. Jackie O always donned a wool coat–never fur (and not because she cared about animal rights or couldn’t afford it). She was so fabulous in her cashmere pea coat with her enamel bracelets, strolling the streets of NY while other ladies look so tired and bogged down running around in their pricey or faux full-length furs! In most of their photos together in the city, Mr. Onassis always had a jacket on. But no one had to tell him–it was a different era.
Very nice illustration. Perhaps the blog will post other great illustrations? A pic sez a thousand words and all that stuff.
La Cote Basque closed almost 7 years ago.
Here in Santa Fe, we had one restaurant, The Compound, that required a jacket. Alas, the refusal of patrons and lack of will of the owners of doomed it to the sartorial mediocrity of all the other restaurants in town.
Personally, Herr Doktor rarely goes anywhere without a jacket or tie. That’s just how I was brought up.
Abbie, I’ll agree to a point. There was one gentleman at that breakfast who wore his cashmere turtleneck with a check sports coat and plain front trousers. He was Asian and very well kitted out. He. alas, is an exception to the rule. I rarely see men do “smart casual” well.
Two spectacular public dining rooms in the Grand Tetons National Park request jackets at dinner, Jackson Lake Lodge and Jenny Lake Lodge, both true National treasures and both worth the trip. Patrons generally honor the request and adhere. The rich American history, architecture, the incredible views and dining experience really deserve the show of respect.
Galatoire’s Restaurant in New Orleans has a jacket requirement, and a rack full of FULL-cut (waist) jackets should one forget theirs.
The U.S. Senate Dining Room requires a jacket, as does sitting in the ‘guest box’ at the U. S. Supreme Court (definitely a jacket occasion). Ladies ideally wear a skirt or well done pants and jacket with low pumps. Children: boys in collar shirts, tucked in with a belt, sweater or vest in cooler weather, girls in a cute girl dress and a sweater and Mary Janes.
In DC, the Jockey Club requires a jacket. Also, I believe that The Prime Rib also still requires a jacket (and tie) for dinner. I think the Prime Rib may have relaxed their standards at lunch though.