The Russian Tea Room in New York: A cinematic story for a cinematic setting

"Did Zero Mostel himself serve food and drinks wearing an apron in an act of extravagance? That's what people say. Did the ghost of Anastasia, daughter of Tsar Nicholas II, appear from time to time during renovations? That sounds more unlikely. But that there's a huge rotating polar bear-shaped aquarium and a tree decorated with Faberge eggs on the second floor, and a several-meter-high model of the Kremlin on the third, we can confirm as true."

"We won't tell you which Chagall artworks are authentic and which aren't, explains Isabella Biberaj, the venue's chief operating officer and daughter of the owner, laughing. She grows more serious when talking about the presence of ghosts, which she assures do roam the building's five floors. Our intention as owners is to make sure all their past lives continue to have a place, she says, speaking somewhere between metaphorically and literally."

"The Russian Tea Room is located in a building barely six meters wide on Manhattan's 57th Street, and eventually became the unofficial snack bar of Carnegie Hall. In 2026, it will celebrate its 100th anniversary. Or rather, several anniversaries, because its history has been a constant reinvention: changes of ownership, concept, and menu; closures and reopenings; lavish renovations. Today, its activity is split between tourists and regulars on the ground floor and private parties in its multiple rooms."

The Russian Tea Room is a legendary Manhattan venue mixing fact and myth with concrete curiosities and recurring reinvention. Anecdotes range from Madonna's alleged early firing and Bernstein composing on a napkin to Zero Mostel serving drinks and rumors of Anastasia's ghost. Confirmed attractions include a rotating polar bear-shaped aquarium, a second-floor tree with Fabergé eggs, and a large Kremlin model. Isabella Biberaj acknowledges ghost stories and emphasizes preserving past lives. Housed in a narrow 57th Street building, the venue long served Carnegie Hall, repeatedly reinvented itself, and now hosts tourists, regulars, and private events.

Read at english.elpais.com