Sardi's

40°45′28.48″N 73°59′15.12″W / 40.7579111°N 73.9875333°W / 40.7579111; -73.9875333

Sardi's
Sardi's entrance: rows of caricatures are visible through the upstairs windows
Restaurant information
Established	March 5, 1927
Owner(s)	Max Klimavicius
Previous owner(s)	Vincent Sardi Sr. Vincent Sardi Jr.
Food type	Continental
Street address	234 West 44th Street (between Broadway and Eighth Avenue)
City	New York City
State	New York
Postal/ZIP Code	10036
Country	United States
Website	Official website

Sardi's is a continental restaurant located at 234 West 44th Street, between Broadway and Eighth Avenue, in the Theater District of Manhattan, New York City.^[1] Sardi's opened at its current location on March 5, 1927. It is known for the caricatures of Broadway celebrities on its walls, of which there are over a thousand.

Sardi's was founded by Vincent Sardi Sr. and his wife Jenny Pallera, who had previously operated a restaurant nearby between 1921 and 1926. To attract customers, Sardi Sr. hired Russian refugee Alex Gard to draw caricatures in exchange for free food. Even after Gard's death, Sardi's continued to commission caricatures. Following the death of Vincent Sardi Sr. in 1969, Sardi's started to decline in the 1980s, eventually being sold off in 1986. After closing temporarily in 1990, it reopened with new staff.

The restaurant is today considered an institution in Broadway theatre. Over the years, the restaurant became known as a pre- and post-theater hangout, as well as a location for opening night parties, and was where the idea of the Tony Award was devised.