Le Pavillon Marks Fifth Anniversary After Opening During Capacity Limits

Le Pavillon marked its fifth anniversary this week after opening in April 2021 inside the One Vanderbilt skyscraper next to Grand Central Terminal. The restaurant opened while New York City dining rooms were still limited to less than half indoor capacity.

Chef and owner Daniel Boulud and Sebastien Silvestri, CEO of the Dinex Group, told then-Gov. Andrew Cuomo and then-Mayor Bill de Blasio they would not open until full seating was guaranteed.

Opening During Limited Capacity The discussions prompted officials to end 25 percent and 35 percent capacity rules. When the doors opened, office buildings were 80 percent empty. SL Green CEO Marc Holliday said the restaurant opened in the throat of the crisis. He noted that One Vanderbilt was 60 percent leased but still very lightly occupied.

The three-course prix-fixe menu started at $125 per person and has since risen to $145. Early customers included Lauren Mitinas-Kelly, who said the opening represented the biggest bet on New York. NYC Hospitality Alliance executive director Andrew Rigie said the opening helped bring people back to a desolate Midtown and sent a message that restaurants must be a major force in recovery.

Mitchell Moss, a professor of urban policy and planning at NYU, said the restaurant made developers focus on drawing superstar restaurateurs. Peter Bazeli, a principal of advisory firm Weitzman Associates, said the space offered views of the Chrysler Building and helped people feel good about New York City again.