Sel Et Poivre, a perennial favorite among residents of Lenox Hill, has called it quits after three and a half decades.
The restaurant, which was noted for its classic French dishes — garlicky escargots, trout almondine, veal kidneys in mustard sauce — cites the closure to the stress induced by the cost of running a restaurant in New York.
A thank you note from the Schienle family, which owned and operated the restaurant, can be found at its website and Instagram page, both of which were still up as of this writing. It reads:
On behalf of Christian, Pamela, Noma, and all the staff at Sel Et Poivre Restaurant, unfortunately after 35 years we had to make the heartfelt decision to close our doors. The last few years have been very challenging for us. The overhead cost to operate the business in NYC has taken a toll on us. We would like to thank all our loyal customers for their support throughout the years. We will miss the Sel Et Poivre charm, good food, and especially the staff. We are proud of what we have accomplished and thank each and every one of them and you for the devotion to Sel Et Poivre.
According to Eater, the space has already been acquired by another party who plans to open another bistro.
