Serendipity 3, American restaurant in Upper East Side, Manhattan, US
Serendipity 3 occupies two floors of a narrow townhouse on East 60th Street, where Tiffany-style lamps and stained-glass windows light the dining tables. The rooms are filled with vintage toys, antique furniture and memorabilia, making every corner feel like a small museum.
Stephen Bruce opened an antique shop in the basement in 1954 and soon added a small seating area where he served coffee and homemade desserts. By the 1960s, the place expanded upstairs and drew artists like Andy Warhol and Broadway actors.
The name came from a favorite fairy tale of the founders about princes from Serendip who always discovered surprises, which led to the modern English word serendipity. The restaurant shows this philosophy through a mix of food and vintage accessories that guests can buy in the attached shop.
Guests can dine on site or order through delivery platforms, though reservations via Resy are recommended because tables often book weeks ahead. The menu ranges from burgers and salads to sundaes and frozen hot chocolate, served in tall glass goblets.
The place holds several Guinness World Records, including one for the most expensive dessert, a sundae with edible gold and rare ingredients that costs tens of thousands of dollars. An earlier record creation also featured a diamond ring on the spoon handle.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
