The Victorian era undoubtedly had a
lasting impact on cultural trends and one woman who was one of the most
respected figures was a successful British stage actress known as Lillie
Langtry.
She was such an inspiration that
two Manhattan bars, one in Times Square and Union Square, bear her name. Lillie
was a classic beauty and socialite of the late 19th century who was born on an
Island off the coast of England called the Isle of Jersey in 1853. Lillie’s
early years were quite eventful, she married Irish landowner Edward Langtry in
1874 at age 22, met Queen Victoria two years later, and bore a child all before
coming to America in 1882 to pursue an
acting career. Over the next several decades, Lillie had appears in numerous
stage productions, became an American citizen, bought her own theater, and
wrote a novel and an autobiography all before her death in 1929 at age 75.
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| Lillie Langtry as Cleopatra |
The two Manhattan bars in Lillie’s
namesake pay her remarkable homage with several eloquent portraits of her on
the walls, the lavish cushions on the seats, the fancy Victorian furniture, and
other antiquities that were procured from a mansion in Belfast, Ireland dating
back to the 1800s. The bar also offers a fine
selection of red and white wines coming from places all around the world that
were acquired from the Langtry estate in California which Lillie founded
herself in 1888.
There are many tasty cocktails,
appetizers and entrees on the menu with many of them bearing her name. The
cocktails include Lillie’s Manhattan with
Irish whiskey, sweet vermouth, and bitters; Lillie’s
Black Russian with Grey Goose vodka and a special liquor called Tia Maria
topped with Guinness; and Lillie’s Pennie
with Russian vodka, ginger beer, and fresh lemon juice.
The selection of burgers is also
quite creative with items such as Lillie’s
Burger with applewood smoked bacon, an egg, and an onion ring. Other tasty
burgers include the Oscar Wilde with Oregon bleu cheese, applewood bacon, and
crispy fried onions, or the Jean Marie
with roasted Portobello mushrooms, peppers, goat cheese, and hummus. Besides
burgers, other delectable entrees include Chicken
Pot Pie, Shepherd’s Pie, Beer Battered Cod Fish, Mac and Cheese, and Vegetarian Quiche among many other delights.
Lillie's Times
Square is located at 249 W. 49th St. (212) 957-4530, and Lillie's Union Square is located
at 13 E. 17th St. (212) 337-1970.
