If you’ve ever stepped into the Ambassador Chicago—back when everyone still called it the Ambassador East—you’ve felt the ghosts. It’s thick. The air in the Pump Room doesn’t just smell like expensive gin and history; it feels like a place where secrets were traded for legendary status. But if you’re looking for the absolute epicenter of that vibe, you’re looking for the Pump Room Blue Prince.
It wasn’t a person. Well, not exactly.
To understand why a booth in a restaurant became more famous than the celebrities sitting in it, you have to look at Booth One. That’s the "Blue Prince" territory. For decades, if you were anyone—and I mean anyone—in Hollywood or high society, you didn't just eat at the Pump Room. You sat in Booth One. It was the ultimate "I’ve made it" marker.
Why the Pump Room Blue Prince Booth Defined an Era
The Pump Room opened its doors on October 1, 1938. Ernie Byfield, the man with the vision, wanted something that didn't feel like a dusty Midwestern dining hall. He wanted theater. He got the idea from the Pump Room in Bath, England, a 18th-century social hub, but he cranked the American glamour up to eleven.
Booth One was positioned right by the entrance. High visibility. Maximum envy.
The "Blue Prince" moniker actually stems from the striking decor and the service staff's uniforms. The servers wore knee breeches, buckled shoes, and bright blue jackets—vaguely reminiscent of 18th-century livery but with a mid-century Chicago flair. They were the "Blue Princes" of the service world, carrying flaming skewers of meat (the famous shish kebabs) through a darkened room. It was camp. It was extra. And people absolutely lost their minds for it.
Honestly, the food was secondary. You went for the parade.
The White Telephone and the Power of Being Seen
The most famous feature of the Pump Room Blue Prince experience wasn’t the upholstery. It was the telephone.
Back before everyone had a supercomputer in their pocket, a telephone at a restaurant table was the ultimate flex. In Booth One, there was a dedicated white telephone. If you were a big-shot producer or a movie star like Humphrey Bogart (who practically lived there), you’d have calls routed directly to your table.
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Imagine the scene.
The room is dim, the "Blue Prince" waiters are scurrying around with flaming swords, and suddenly, a waiter brings a gleaming white phone to Bogie. He takes a call from a studio head in LA while the rest of the room watches in hushed awe. That is the definition of "main character energy" decades before the term existed.
The Celebrity Roll Call
You can’t talk about this place without dropping names. It’s unavoidable.
- Frank Sinatra: Ol' Blue Eyes had his own specific demands, but Booth One was his home base in Chicago.
- Elizabeth Taylor: She brought a level of glamour that even the regular socialites couldn't compete with.
- Paul Newman and Robert Redford: Legend has it they spent many a night here during the filming of The Sting.
- David Bowie: Even the Thin White Duke succumbed to the charm of the Pump Room's history.
But it wasn't just actors. It was a crossroads. You’d have a mob boss at one table, a mayor at another, and a jazz legend in the corner. The Blue Prince staff kept the peace and kept the drinks flowing. They were the gatekeepers of Chicago’s nighttime soul.
The Design Shift and the "New" Pump Room
Nothing stays the same. Not even a legend.
The Ambassador East eventually went through changes. When Ian Schrager—the guy who basically invented the boutique hotel—took over and rebranded it as Public Chicago, the Pump Room got a massive facelift. This was around 2011. The flaming skewers were gone. The knee breeches were retired.
Jean-Georges Vongerichten took over the menu. It became sophisticated, modern, and... different.
Some people hated it. They missed the kitsch. They missed the Blue Prince waiters and the feeling of being in a 1940s noir film. But the "Booth One" legacy was so strong that even when the restaurant officially changed its name to Booth One for a few years (under the Lettuce Entertain You group), everyone still just called it the Pump Room.
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The physical space changed, shifting toward a more minimalist, globe-lamp-heavy aesthetic, but that corner spot remained the most coveted seat in the city.
What Made the Service Special?
It’s easy to mock the idea of grown men in 18th-century costumes. But the Blue Prince service model was built on a level of intuition that’s rare today. These guys knew who was feuding with whom. They knew which actress wanted her drink topped off before it was half empty. They were the silent choreographers of the room.
The shish kebab became the signature dish purely because of the presentation. It wasn't about the marinade; it was about the fire. The waiters would march out in their blue coats, skewers held high, creating a literal trail of sparks. It turned dinner into a spectator sport.
Why We Still Care About the Pump Room Legend
Why are we talking about this in 2026?
Because we’ve lost the "third place" that feels truly special. Most modern luxury dining feels clinical. It’s all white marble, loud acoustics, and QR code menus. The Pump Room Blue Prince era represented a time when going out was an event. You dressed up. You participated in a shared social ritual.
The Blue Prince wasn't just a waiter; he was a symbol of a Chicago that was the center of the world. It was a city that didn't feel like a "second city" to New York or LA. It was the place where the transcontinental train lines met, and everyone had to get off and eat.
The Decline and the Ghost of Booth One
The original Pump Room eventually faded as the "celebrity" culture changed. Stars started wanting privacy over visibility. The white phone was replaced by the blackberry, then the iPhone. The idea of being "seen" at the entrance of a restaurant started to feel a bit thirsty rather than prestigious.
But the stories didn't die.
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I talked to a former server once who remembered a night in the late 70s. He said the tension in the room was palpable because two rival politicians were seated just far enough apart to be polite but close enough to stare each other down. He said, "The Blue Prince jackets were like shields. We just kept moving, kept the fire going, and somehow the room didn't explode."
Visiting the Space Today
If you go to the Ambassador Chicago now, the space is still there. It’s been reimagined again, trying to find that balance between the glory days and modern travelers' needs. You can still see where Booth One was. You can still feel the dimensions of the room that hosted JFK and Judy Garland.
Is the Blue Prince still there? No. The costumes are likely in a museum or a private collection. The flaming skewers are a fire hazard now. But the "Pump Room Blue Prince" remains a shorthand for a specific kind of American excellence—one that was loud, flashy, and unapologetically glamorous.
How to Capture the Blue Prince Vibe at Home
You don't need a white telephone or a blue velvet jacket to channel this energy. It’s about the philosophy of the host.
- Lighting is everything. The Pump Room was famously "flattering." Use warm, low-level lighting. Never use the overhead "big light."
- The "Entrance" matters. Whether it's a dinner party or a casual hang, the way people are greeted sets the tone.
- Signature elements. Pick one thing—a specific cocktail, a dramatic way of serving dessert—and make it your "flaming skewer."
- No phones (ironically). While Booth One had the white phone, the magic was in the conversation. Encourage people to put the screens away.
The legacy of the Pump Room Blue Prince isn't about a restaurant in Chicago. It’s about the idea that for one night, you could be the most important person in the room. It’s about the theater of living.
If you're ever in the Gold Coast of Chicago, walk past the Ambassador. Look at the windows. Imagine the blue coats and the smell of woodsmoke and expensive perfume. It’s still there, in the bricks.
Next Steps for History Buffs:
Check out the Chicago History Museum’s digital archives. They have an incredible collection of original Pump Room menus and photographs from the 40s and 50s that show the "Blue Prince" uniforms in all their technicolor glory. You can also visit the Ambassador Chicago’s lobby to see a curated selection of "Booth One" photography featuring the legends who sat there.