Le Club was a members-only restaurant and nightclub located at 416 East 55th Street in Manhattan, New York City. It was considered one of the first American discotheques.[1]
| Le Club | |
|---|---|
 Interactive map of Le Club | |
| Restaurant information | |
| Established | 1960 |
| Food type | French cuisine |
| Location | 416 East 55th Street (original location), New York City, New York, United States |
| Reservations | Members only |
Other locations | 313 East 58th Street; Waldorf Astoria New York |
History
editOn New Year's Eve in 1960, French expatriate Olivier Coquelin founded the members-only discotheque, Le Club.[2][3][4] It was frequented by the elites of New York City, including the Vanderbilts and Kennedys, and members of royalty.[5][6] As a young man in the 1970s, Donald Trump frequented the club, particularly associating with Roy Cohn.[7]
In the 1970s, the club repeatedly failed New York City health code inspections despite its status among socialites. The club was cited for mouse excrement in storage and locker areas.[8]
The club moved to 313 East 58th Street in 1981,[9] then to the Waldorf Astoria New York in 1996.[10]
An early board of directors at Le Club included Oleg Cassini, the then-Duke of Bedford, Rex Harrison, Nicholas Biddle, and Alan Jay Lerner, among others.[8]
References
edit- ↑ "The Birth, Proliferation, and Death of Disco". AMERICAN HERITAGE. Retrieved June 1, 2026.
- ↑ Braunstein, Peter (November 1999). "Disco". American Heritage. 50 (7).
- ↑ Andelman, David A. (July 9, 1974). "Le Club, Restaurant of Jet Set, Cited for Health Code Violations". The New York Times. Retrieved March 13, 2021.
- ↑ Times, Alberto @ Adorable (September 7, 2024). "Adorable Story #80: Olivier Coquelin and the invention of the modern discotheque". Adorable Times’ Newsletter. Retrieved June 1, 2026.
- ↑ Trump, Mary L. (2020). Too Much and Never Enough. Simon and Schuster. p. 100. ISBN 9781982141462.
- ↑ Andelman, David A. (July 9, 1974). "Le Club, Restaurant of Jet Set, Cited for Health Code Violations". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved June 1, 2026.
- ↑ Haden-Guest, Anthony (March 12, 2019). "Donald Trump's Nights Out at Le Club With Roy Cohn". The Daily Beast.
- 1 2 Andelman, David A. (July 9, 1974). "Le Club, Restaurant of Jet Set, Cited for Health Code Violations". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved June 1, 2026.
- ↑ Sharp, Christopher (April 28, 1981). "Le Club Picks Up Le Czech: Eyeview". Women's Wear Daily. Vol. 142, no. 81. p. 18. ProQuest 1445501083.
- ↑ Gelder, Lawrence Van (November 7, 1996). "Chronicle". The New York Times. Retrieved November 25, 2025.
40°45′23″N 73°57′46″W / 40.75639°N 73.96278°W
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