Tasty Tidbits: Lillie's Times Square
Lillie Langtry was a highly successful British actress, a renowned beauty, and socialite of the late 19th century. She was notorious for her long list of prominent suitors, which included the future King of England, Edward VII. She was born on the Isle of Jersey, which lies off the southern coast of England, and was later known as the “Jersey Lillie”.
Lillie landed on the shores of America in 1882 to fulfill her dream as a world renowned actress. On the evening of her debut “An Unequaled Match, ” at the New York Park Theatre, the building burned to the ground, leaving only a charred sign bearing the words “Lillie Langtry”. This incident assured Lillie’s everlasting fame throughout the states.
At home in the company of princes and presidents, artists and poets, or simply alone in her garden. Envied, respected, adored, and lampooned, her fame spanned over half a century. A controversial figure who challenged Victorian society’s attitudes to women, Lillie Langtry was a unique woman, years ahead of her time.
The ornate wooden carvings and antiquities in Lillie’s were procured from a ballroom in an 1800s estate in Northern Ireland. The establishment combines an authentic ostentatious decor with a down-to-earth, mellow ambiance, that represents one of the last great Victorian “gin palaces” that once flourished in the industrial cities of Northern Ireland and England.
We serve an eclectic, traditional menu and offer an impressive range of over fifty domestic and imported beers, both on tap and bottled, as well as a fine selection of whiskeys and scotches. Our hand-picked selection of wines, the majority of, actually come from the Langtry estate in California, which was founded by Lillie herself in 1888, add to the authentic ambiance.
The antique, carved-wood bar and furnishings, the likes of which have not been seen in many years, were acquired from a Victorian mansion in Belfast, Ireland. Great care was taken to have them preserved, wrapped and shipped across the Atlantic to their new home in Union Square at the heart of New York City.
We can't wait to tell you more in Peachy's Picks!!!
