“Aprils have never meant much to me, autumns seem that season of beginning, spring.” ― Truman Capote, Breakfast at Tiffany’s
Ahh, autumns. Since the Blue Box Cafe opened inside of the Tiffany flagship store on 57th and 5th Avenue last autumn, I’ve been dying to get a reservation.
Not that I really imagined the finger sandwiches would be any better than all the other tea spots in New York City, but because Truman Capote’s book Breakfast at Tiffany’s was one of the first “serious” books set in New York City that I read, and immediately fell in love with. And of course there’s the movie version with the darling Audrey…and also I’m a big fan of Tiffany blue and anything with a bit of sparkle.
Apparently, the same reason every other New Yorker and tourist wanted to dine there too, because it was impossible to get a reservation!
The Blue Box Cafe soon realized they couldn’t have a line snaking down 5th Avenue every day (especially since it’s practically next door to the Trump building and all of that madness), so they opened up limited reservation slots on the Resy App. Problem with that?
Even after putting yourself on the wait list, if something was to open, if you didn’t move lightening quick, someone else on the wait list would snag it up. After a few months of that, I gave up, and made the blanket statement to anyone who would listen that if they wanted to really get me a great birthday gift this year, they could secure a table at Tiffany.
Amazingly enough, my sister-in-law put in a reservation request for every single day in October (my birthday month), and was able to snag a wait list spot that opened up last week (a million thanks, Adna!) Granted, it was midday on a Wednesday (weekend spots are really rare), but I locked down a babysitter for the afternoon and everyone was able to take their lunch break at tea time, so it worked out perfectly.
“What I found does the most good is just to get into a taxi and go to Tiffany’s. It calms me down right away, the quietness and the proud look of it; nothing very bad could happen to you there. ”
― Breakfast at Tiffany’s
The cafe is pretty tiny, so it makes sense that there’s rarely reservations open. Wrapped in Tiffany Blue, it’s pretty as a button, as are the place settings. If you get a table along the North side of the restaurant, you can even get a view of Central Park and the changing leaves, which is lovely this time of year.
The menu gives you three options: Breakfast at Tiffany for $32, Lunch at Tiffany for $42, or the Tiffany Tea for $52. Any beverages are extra (minus the tea/coffee), and they don’t accept cash. While you can easily spend about the same amount of money for a full afternoon tea at many of the hotels in the area, you’re paying for the experience here, not the scones.
And, if you’re like myself (and the many, many, many other women and men on the waiting list), it’s an iconic NYC moment worth waiting for.
Jessica Tiare Bowen lives in the juicy Big Apple with her adorable pink-nosed chihuahua, Gillman. He’s the inspiration for her first published children’s book, “Park Avenue Pound Puppy.” The book is the combined result of her two greatest passions: pooches and penning stories.
Her passions include art, urban hikes through Manhattan, drinking coffee with 3 creams and 6 sugars, making extremely detailed itineraries and traveling to far away places, singing along to Broadway shows, Netflix movie nights, discovering incredible treasures at Goodwill and thrift stores, and listening to stories from little people under 7 and big people over 70.
She started her career as New York City Teaching Fellow, teaching elementary school and theater arts at a special education school in the South Bronx for 6 years. She is now a Special Education School Improvement Specialist working in public schools throughout New York City. She is the Editor-In-Chief of the online New York City travel magazine, Used York City. The magazine focuses on finding the best of New York…as used by New Yorkers. She is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, and an ASPCA Ambassador.
