New York City eats its icons. It's a harsh reality. One day you’re the toast of the West Village, and the next, your lease is gone, your neon sign is flickering out, and a bank is moving in.
But The Pink Tea Cup New York City is different. It's the restaurant that simply refuses to stay dead.
If you’ve lived in the city long enough, you know the name. It’s a 1954 original. Back then, Mary Raye opened the doors on Grove Street with a dream and some of the best fried chicken the North had ever seen. It wasn’t a tea room. Not even close. It was a sanctuary of Southern soul food where the walls were pink and the vibe was pure community.
Honestly, the history is kind of wild. It’s a story of survival, reality TV drama, and the relentless gentrification of Manhattan and Brooklyn.
The West Village Roots: Where It All Started
Before the West Village was all million-dollar condos and quiet streets, it was a bohemian playground. The Pink Tea Cup was the anchor. For over 50 years, it sat at 42 Grove Street. It was tiny. Just 12 seats originally. You’d squeeze in next to strangers, and nobody cared because the cornbread was that good.
It wasn’t just a local spot. It was a celebrity magnet.
- Whoopi Goldberg was a regular.
- Denzel Washington stopped by for the soul food.
- Isaac Hayes and Oprah Winfrey had their photos on the legendary "Wall of Fame."
The restaurant was famous for its "no-frills" approach. Cash only. No reservations. You waited in line, and you liked it. But by 2009, the rent hikes and the changing neighborhood finally caught up. When the original family, led by Lisa Ford (Mary Raye's granddaughter), announced they were closing on January 3, 2010, the city actually mourned. People were devastated.
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Enter Chef Lawrence Page
This is where the story takes a turn into the modern era. Lawrence Page, a filmmaker and restaurateur from Birmingham, Alabama, couldn’t let the legacy die. He stepped in with $400,000 to buy the brand and the recipes.
He didn’t just want to save a restaurant. He wanted to build an empire.
Page moved the spot to 88 Seventh Avenue South. He added a bar. He brought in cocktails. He kept the pink walls, but the vibe was shifting. It wasn't the "shabby" (as some old-timers called it) little hole-in-the-wall anymore. It was becoming something bigger, flashier, and inevitably, more controversial.
The Brooklyn Move and the "Hustle & Soul" Era
Manhattan is tough for soul food. The margins are thin, and the space is tighter. Page eventually realized that his most loyal customers weren't living in the West Village anymore—they were in Brooklyn.
The move to Fort Greene in 2013 felt like a homecoming.
The restaurant landed at 120 Lafayette Avenue. This was the version of The Pink Tea Cup that many Gen Z and Millennial New Yorkers know best. It was cozy, maybe 30 seats, and it started attracting a whole new crowd. Page was experimenting. He was making gluten-free fried chicken and egg-free pancakes to keep up with the Brooklyn dietary trends.
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Then came the cameras.
If you’ve watched WE tv, you’ve seen the show Hustle & Soul. It centered around Lawrence Page’s quest to make The Pink Tea Cup the first soul food restaurant to earn a Michelin star. The show was... intense. There was staff drama, relationship issues, and plenty of high-stakes kitchen moments.
But reality TV is a double-edged sword. While it brought national fame, it also brought a lot of "performance" to a brand that was originally built on authentic, quiet community.
What’s the Status of The Pink Tea Cup Today?
As of early 2026, the situation with The Pink Tea Cup is a bit of a jigsaw puzzle. If you're looking for the original West Village experience, that's gone. It's a ghost.
The Brooklyn location has had its own "up and down" journey. There was a major setback a few years ago when the ceiling literally collapsed at the Brooklyn spot during filming for the show. It was a mess.
Currently, here is what you need to know:
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- The Brooklyn Presence: There have been multiple "re-openings" and shifts. Local listings still point to 120 Lafayette Ave, but the hours can be sporadic. It’s always best to call (347-227-7472) before you make the trek.
- The Miami and LA Expansion: Chef Page has been focusing heavily on the "Pink Tea Cup Villa" brand outside of New York. There was a big push in South Beach (Miami) and a move toward Hollywood in Los Angeles.
- The Menu: The staples remain. You can still find the catfish, the collard greens that taste like they've been simmering since 1954, and the "cake-like" cornbread.
Why This Place Still Matters to New Yorkers
You might wonder why we're still talking about a restaurant that has moved three times and been through a bankruptcy filing.
It’s about the culture.
There are very few places left in New York that represent the Great Migration era of Southern cooking in the city. When you lose a place like The Pink Tea Cup, you lose a piece of the city's Black history. Lawrence Page gets a lot of flak for the reality TV antics, but honestly? He kept the name alive when it would have just become another Starbucks.
The food still hits when it’s done right. The mac and cheese—now a blend of Cheddar, feta, Monterey Jack, mozzarella, and smoked Gouda—is a heavy hitter. The chicken and waffles are still the go-to for brunch.
Actionable Tips for Visiting
If you’re planning to track down the current iteration of the Pink Tea Cup in New York, don't just show up and expect the 1950s.
- Check Socials First: Chef Page and the restaurant are most active on Instagram. Look for "Pink Tea Cup Villa" or "Chef Lawrence Page" for the most recent updates on pop-ups or operational hours.
- Go for Brunch: This has always been their strongest suit. The "after-church" crowd in Brooklyn knows what's up.
- Expect a Vibe: This isn't a quiet library. It's often loud, there's music, and it feels more like a lounge than a traditional diner.
- The Salmon Croquettes: If they are on the menu when you go, get them. They are a throwback to the original 1954 recipes and are arguably the best thing the kitchen produces.
The Pink Tea Cup is a survivor. It's messy, it's storied, and it's quintessentially New York. It has transitioned from a neighborhood secret to a reality TV set, but at its core, it still serves the kind of food that makes you feel something. Whether it stays in Fort Greene or migrates again, its legacy as a pillar of New York soul food is already cemented.
Before heading out, verify their current status on Google Maps or their official site, as the "Hustle & Soul" lifestyle often means things change fast. Grab a plate of those pork ribs and a Pink Mojito while you can.