“Great music, man!” he told Chianese, who was happy to briefly steal Shaul’s spotlight. Ben Shaul, a model who’s also British, was DJ’ing that night, and Chianese covered for him for five minutes, during which McCartney was rushed out through the bar crowd. “Keith, being British, really had a hard time saying no,” and rented out half the space. Madonna was among those that asked, but McNally had refused to rent Lucky Strike out “until he got the call from Sir Paul McCartney, who wanted to have his 50th birthday there,” Chianese said.

(Later Chianese did some acting, like his father, who played Junior on The Sopranos.) Often he presided over some sort of starry and discombobulated scene: “ Johnny Depp making out with Kate Moss in the corner for the entire brunch” “ Gary Oldman was asked to leave because he said something that somebody didn’t like, he was so pissed.” Love you longtime, Lucky.Over eight years working there, Chianese became a manager-and what one of his fellow managers called the pied piper of the place. The rest have been taken along the way with some of my fav people in the world. The first blurry pic was taken on my first day as a server on a 98 degree summer day in July 2016. As put perfectly: “I fell in love with my best friends here.” So here’s a small tribute of some of my favorite mems. I know this all sounds corny, but it was such a special place that meant so much to so many people, and my heart is broken that it’s closing. The music, the spicy rigatoni, the jalapeño guava margaritas (made perfect every time by the espresso martinis ‘s speciality), the best french fries in the city, and the berry cheesecake. I’ve laughed until I peed, and cried so many tears (good and bad) at those tiny, rickety, wooden tables, and I can’t believe I won’t get the chance to again. Where the staff who began as coworkers became an extended family to me. What started as a job in college, turned into my home away from home after graduating. It’s been my cliché, quintessential neighborhood staple. Ugh where do I even begin🥺 Lucky Strike has been such a huge part of my life in nyc. If you want to support the longtime staff, donate to their GoFundMe HERE.

Needless to say, the news has been devastating for everyone who's ever enjoyed fries and espresso martinis at one of their rickety wooden tables, and tributes have poured in via Instagram. This decision was particularly difficult since many of Lucky Strike’s wonderful staff have worked for me for over 20 years, and some of the customers have been coming since the day we opened: 31 years ago.' In a statement to Eater, the restaurateur explained, 'Due to the COVID-19 crisis, I was unable to find a way to make Lucky Strike work financially. This week, McNally has confirmed that it's shutting down for good. The chill, French-flavored bistro that's served as a cool kid hang for over 30 years, predating McNally's similar spots, Balthazar and Pastis, halted takeout and delivery service on March 22nd. The latest restaurant casualty is unfortunately Keith McNally's Soho hot spot Lucky Strike. Now, the coronavirus crisis is keeping eateries closed, so we're bound to have to say goodbye to even more beloved institutions. With increased rent prices already ravaging the restaurant scene, the past few years have seen a slew of shutterings of some of our favorite New York staples.

Lucky strike restaurant