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It's officially the end of an era: the beacon of Manhattan power lunches, French restaurant La Grenouille, will close for good this week.
The announcement was made earlier this week on Instagram by Philippe Masson, the son of the restaurant's original owners.
"Owner Phillipe Mason, whose parents Charles and Gisèle founded this beloved bastion of French gastronomy in 1962, is moving on to explore new terrain and pursue other dreams," reads the post.
The three-story carriage house restaurant at 3 East 52nd Street has been a stalwart of the city's culinary scene since it first opened under a different moniker back in the 1940s, according to Eater.
Throughout the years, the eatery continued to be a magnet for celebrity power lunches and the preferred destination of uptown socialites—but the owners sought to evolve and update to keep up with the times and expand the scope of its clientele.
Unfortunately, though, that evolution has now come to an end.
Why is La Grenouille closing?
Although the official announcement did not offer any thorough explanation behind the decision to close, fans of La Grenouille have been expecting an update of the sort.
In fact, the eatery had been embroiled in some legal battles between brothers Charles Masson Jr. and Philippe Masson in recent times. The restaurant also had to close following a gas leak and a lawsuit a while back, reopening at the beginning of 2024. Earlier this year, the venue was reportedly up for sale for $15 million.
Clearly, despite being recognized as one of the best restaurants in NYC, La Grenouille had been struggling for a while.
Consider this our official farewell to the restaurant, which we will always think of fondly when musing on the sort of high-end, luxurious meals that every New Yorker should indulge in every once in a while.