Sardi's

Vincent and Eugenia Sardi opened this Broadway institution in 1921 and moved it to its current West 44th Street address, courtesy of the Shubert family, in 1927. The caricature wall began when Sardi hired the Russian-born artist Alex Gard to draw the theater world's regulars in exchange for two meals a day and an open bar; the collection now runs to well over a thousand portraits. Sardi's is considered the birthplace of the Tony Awards, and producers and directors have used the Little Bar for decades to hash out deals over a drink. The Shubert Organization and La Masseria Group are refreshing the space in 2026, aiming to reopen that fall without a major redesign.