The east end of East 31st Street between 2nd and 3rd Avenues is one of Manhattan’s rare tree-lined streets, consisting of brownstone and brick townhouses punctuated by the 1904 Church of the Good Shepherd. This was once the slaughterhouse/waterworks district, and unlike today, these buildings in the early 20th Century housed folks of modest means. Before that, in 1863, this was the site of the worst of the Draft Riots, during which New Yorkers were conscripted into the Civil War unless they could cough up $300, a fortune in those days.
Near 2nd Avenue, at #251, is one of New York’s secret restaurants. It’s well-known enough that it has seen steady business for decades, but is never written about or mentioned in your New York or Time Out magazines. It is identified only by a family crest of the Marchi family.
Marchi’s was founded in 1930 by chef Francesca Marchi and has remained in the family ever since, and family members still participate in daily hands-on operation. Quirkily, there is no menu. Everyone who patronizes Marchi’s is served the same five-course banquet that includes tuna salad, lasagna, fried catfish, veal and chicken; dessert includes lemon fritters, and meals are accompanied by large platters of salad greens. The meal costs $56.50. Marchi’s is open every day during the holiday season and unlike, say, Rao’s uptown, tables can easily be had. Since the Marchi family owns a row of four townhouses on the block, there are apparently no worries about breaking even or profits, and tradition and pride keeps the place open. Among the restaurant’s quirks is that ladies cannot arrive with furs, since those will not be checked.
It’s fascinating corner of New York City: a menu-less restaurant, well-known, but hiding in plain sight.
12/10/15
Update: 1/13/20: Marchi’s is closing.
3 comments
Frequent Marchi’s over the years and each time its been pleasant until this last visit. It was a snowy day and I was deciding if we should cancel or not. Ten adults all professionals and highly respected.in our towns.
Waiter greeted us very mad and upset that began a night of uneasiness… Owner very pleasant but during a request she became nasty. I was the person who recommended the restaurant and I sat their in fear of what was going to happen next. Knowing this group I tried to keep everyone happy. The food was terrific; different than the norm. But wondering why did the owner take my phone number and cancel if they didn’t want to open. 90 years in business you should know by now how to treat your customers. We paid the $1.50 per person charge to slice a birthday cake without any problem… It was a night I wanted it to be nice and enjoyable but my nerves were shot… The waiter once we gave him $20.00 he was getting nicer. When we were ready to leave he became nasty again because we started to walk out without tipping him which we did..but I guess he wanted more. the bill was with tip close to $1,000.00. you would think you could be treated better. I expressed to both the waiter and the owner they could be nicer… WHY I ASK DO PEOPLE TREAT NICE HONEST HARD WORKING PROFESSIOANLS – DOCTORS,, LAWYERS, FUNERAL DIRECTOR , STOCKBROKER AND HEALTHCARE VP…SO POORLY… I would love to go back but I am frighten to see how they would treat me. We tried to do everything in our power to ease everyone… Oh What a Night….
We are new to the neighborhood since April 2019 and we walked past Marchi’s often during the Summer on our way to the ferry, our favorite mode of transportation in warm weather and the restaurant was never
open. We would have definitely loved to try out this neighborhood staple and are sad it is closing but I do believe that while the announcement of their closing is 2020 that they really shut their doors sometimes last
Spring or Summer.
In 1987 as an NYU student I got an award, and my father took us to lunch at Marchi’s after the ceremony. I remember that he was excited to share it with us- he had been taken there for business meals. It was lovely. So old New York, quiet, elegant, and the food was delicious. I always wanted to take Dad back there, but it didn’t happen. He died in August of 2019. I shed a tear when I read at the end of that year that the restaurant was closing. We’re losing too much of the past.