There is something about the Victorian era… It comes with great novels, architecture, fashion and all other things that somehow are romantic and elaborate. One of the renowned writer lived during this era and produced striking novel such as The Picture of Dorian Gray. Yes, I am talking about Oscar Wilde. And I discovered a restaurant named after him. Intrigued, we headed out on weekend for brunch. Mr. Wilde himself was casually sitting on a bench outside. The bench had American Flag design on it, which was interesting.

The door itself was fancy with golden mermaids as the door handles. I was excited to see what this place has to offer…

And then, Mr. Wilde was greeting everyone at the entrance, in the inside. Wait, didn’t I just see you outside? He moves fast! There was a cute little rabbit by his side, I assume from his story, “The Star-Child” unless there is another story that has rabbit in them… And here is the quick facts and interesting information about Oscar Wilde: He established himself within fashionable and intellectual circles in the London scene through his biting wit, flamboyant style, and conversational talent. He was considered to be one of the most successful playwrights of late Victorian London. However, he was persecuted for his sexuality, and sentenced for two years for a crime of having a relationship with Lord Alfred Douglas. Wilde’s legacy lives on through his talent and philosophy, and for celebration of love, his homeland of Ireland became the first nation in the world to legalize gay marriage, a tribute to Wilde’s progressive life and ideas. Interesting indeed!

Back to the restaurant…and from here we were transported back to Victorian Era. I mean, seriously, I questioned “where are we???” as I walked in, glamorous, sophisticated and elegant, but over-the top decoration everywhere. And they are not just “decorations” but most of them are extraordinary art collections!

Just being in this space does feel like you are in some kind of art museum, or an old, historical mansion with lots of antiques and collectible. The whiskey bar seen in these photos below is actually a repurposed 1819  player piano! How awesome is that???

Their bar holds the title of NYC’s longest bar, over 110 feet, featuring Carrara marble and gold draft taps across the length of the restaurant. Oh yeah! They have some items like wood paneling and other historical architecture from castles, stained glass from Milan, and lots of antique clocks, all set to 1:50, the time of Oscar Wilde’s death.

We sat at the Bar area with beautifully designed tables. I later found out that these table bases are meant for fountains. Cool! And even the ceiling was filled with nostalgic designs and chandeliers. So, as you can imagine, it is such an interesting place. Everywhere you look, you can find some kind of history.

As we sat down, a staff brought us water in a goblet. Yes, goblet, made of glass, in deep wine-purple color. Who doesn’t want to have a sip of water in a fancy goblet? That almost transform boring water into magical clear liquid that cleanses our pallet…

We started off our brunch with some cocktails. The drink menu was quite fun, it was separated into four categories; Victorian, Prohibition, Wise Guys and Seasonal. I ordered Mary Pickford cocktail ($14) from “Prohibition” menu, and my hubby ordered Strawberry Moscow Mule ($14) from “Seasonal” menu.

Mary Pickford was a film actress and producer in the 1900s. She was such a pioneer, especially during that period. She co-founded film studios, with nicknames like “America’s Sweetheart” and “Queen of the Movies” with Academy Awards for Best Actress. Strong and passionate women in any era always inspire me…and to honor her, why not enjoy the brunch with a cocktail named after her? The cocktail was fruity which is what I love. Pineapple flavor with rum was awesome. Great drink to have at the beach! Sweet, strong and fun, very fitting…thanks Mary!

Strawberry Moscow Mule had great ginger flavor that was nice and sweet, with hint of strawberry that is not overwhelming. I am not sure if I wanted more strawberry flavor, or this was just right amount… Regardless, it was quite refreshing.

For food, we wanted to get one sweet and one savory dish. For sweet one, we ordered French Toast ($16), which comes with fresh berries, whipped cream and powdered sugar. The bread was fluffy and was thickly sliced. Whipped cream is clearly homemade, no added sugar which was nice. Simple yet elegant and tasty dish.

For savory dish, we went with Wilde Burger ($18). We had to get something that is named after Mr. Wilde himself… Wilde Burger is made with Brisket blend patty, Irish cheddar cheese and tomato. The burger comes with home fries, but we asked if we could swap it with their Chorizo Hash. our server went back to check, and she told us that we can do so at additional $1. We decided to go with this option, so our burger came with the Chorizo Hash.  The burger was quite amazing, it was so juicy and packed with flavor! Cooked perfectly as requested, placed between soft, cloudy buns and fresh veggies. It had more than just tomatoes, but lettuce and pickles as well. Delicious!

Chorizo Has had good spicy-ness to it without being overwhelming. The aroma was great, and it tasted even better. It was meaty and satisfying. Totally worth additional dollar!

Bathroom is at the end of the whiskey bar, down the stairs and to the left. I think the staircase itself has some kind of historical significance too? I am not sure…

When you get to the bottom, you will see wooden doors with some serious artistic carvings.

In the inside, it was full glory of Victorian theme here too! My goodness, people used to live like this? How awesome! The sink counter was marble with golden swan as faucet. Fancy! fun recoding playing from old radio.

The doors to each private stool was also pretty and magnanimous. And I noticed different tune playing in the bathroom. I looked up and I saw an old radio near the ceiling by the entrance/exit door. This I assume is only inside the Women’s restroom, and it plays talk radio transmitted from Hope Castle. Cool!

 

The inside was clean and pretty, roomy and full of Victorian ambiance. I even liked the little step tool to flush the toilet. I heard that the  Men’s bathroom is based on Castle Lesliein Ireland, where Paul McCartney got married. I wish if I could’ve gone in there and see it…

As I came back up the stairs, I got to see some more antique-looking photos, drawing and other items like an old phone. This restaurant really is like a museum!

I also notices that they have quotes from Oscar Wilde everywhere, a bit hidden but can clearly read. It is fun to look for them and see if you know which story the quote came from. And then, I also got to see a large dining room all the way at the back. It had a grand fireplace, which is a French fireplace from 1840s, acquired on Bond Street.

 

We had a nice elegant brunch here at elaborately designed, Victorian-style bistro. Being in the space is so much more overwhelmingly amazing than seeing the photos. The service was friendly and efficient. I would definitely go back again, it is a fun place to take friends and family who is visiting, especially if they are fans of Oscar Wilde or the Victorian era.

 

Oscar Wilde – 45 W 27th St, New York, NY 10001