Famed NYC restaurant Serendipity3 opens in Times Square
One of New York City’s most iconic restaurants has moved into Times Square.
Serendipity3, best known for its “Frrrozen Hot Chocolate” and other decadent desserts as well as its funky ambience, has opened an outpost on West 47th Street, connected to the OYO Times Square hotel. It’s only the second location in NYC for the brand, which opened its doors 70 years ago on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. The Upper East location has long been a celebrity favorite, with fans ranging from Andy Warhol (the artist was a regular) to Kim Kardashian, while also proving a magnet for locals and tourists alike.
The new venue features all of Serendipity3’s signature items, with new additions that include a bar area offering “over-the-top” cocktails and a full ice cream bar. Local artists will be invited to display their art throughout the restaurant, providing patrons the opportunity to shop artwork on the walls as they dine in.
Designed by New York-based Wid Chapman Architects, Serendipity3 Times Square boasts a bolder, more contemporary take on the funky, eclectic aesthetic of the Upper East Side location. The design brings the restaurant's long-time Andy Warhol connection to life through reproductions of the artist’s signature pop art depicting Marilyn Monroe, the late Queen Elizabeth II and more across its walls.
As an homage to the original location's iconic Tiffany lamps, Chapman worked with local stained glass artist Allison Eden for similarly-styled glass mosaic installations, including a stained glass installation of a roaring fireplace.
"When designing Serendipity3 Times Square, we wanted to amplify everything that is iconic about the original Upper East Side location and the restaurant's brand through pattern, bold colors, lighting and more," said Wid Chapman. "Through its Warhol elements, Allison Eden's outstanding vibrant glass mosaics throughout, and a new twist on all things form, pattern, color and light, restaurant goers are in for a real treat as soon as they step inside."
At various times in the past, Serendipity3 had licensed locations, including one in Las Vegas. But they all have since closed.
"Serendipity3 has been a destination for locals, tourists, and celebrities alike who share a common interest - a love for ice cream and over-the-top menu items,” said chef Joe Calderone, creative director of Serendipity3. “We cannot wait to welcome thousands of new customers into our Times Square location and continue the tradition and legacy of the iconic Frrrozen Hot Chocolate!"
The 3 in Serendipity3 refers to the three friends — Calvin Holt, Stephen Bruce and Patch Carradine — who founded restaurant in 1954. The trio originally opened it as an antique shop with a cafe in the back, later transforming it into a full restaurant.
