Serendipity 3 facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Serendipity 3 |
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Entrance to Serendipity 3, in 2007
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| Restaurant information | |
| Established | 1954 |
| Food type | Dessert, ice cream |
| Street address | 225 East 60th Street |
| City | New York City |
| State | New York |
| Postal/ZIP code | 10022 |
| Country | United States |
| Other locations | 501 East Camino Real, Boca Raton, Florida 33432 |
| Website | http://www.serendipity3.com/ |
Serendipity 3, also known as Serendipity III, is a famous restaurant in New York City. It is located at 225 East 60th Street. Calvin L Holt, Patch Caradine, and Stephen Bruce opened it in 1954.
At first, it was also a unique shop. It sold special clothes and art. Many famous artists and celebrities visited the restaurant. Serendipity 3 has even been featured in movies. The romantic comedy Serendipity (2001) is one example. The popular singer and actress Selena Gomez is also part owner of the restaurant.
A Sweet History
Serendipity got its name from a fun word. It comes from the "three legendary princes" of an island called Serendip. This island is now known as Sri Lanka. An 18th-century writer, Sir Horace Walpole, created the word serendipity. It means finding something good by accident.
Serendipity 3 became popular very quickly. Many famous people loved to visit.
- Marilyn Monroe often ate there.
- Andy Warhol was a regular customer before he became super famous.
- First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy also visited often.
She once tried to buy the recipe for their famous Frrrozen Hot Chocolate. She wanted it for a party she was hosting. Stephen Bruce, one of the founders, did not sell the recipe. Instead, he offered to come and make the drink for her party himself! You can now find the recipe in a book called Sweet Serendipity. This book shares recipes and the restaurant's history. It is sold in the store inside the restaurant.
In 2004, Serendipity 3 turned 50 years old. To celebrate, they created a special dessert. It was called the Golden Opulence Sundae. This sundae broke a world record! The Guinness Book of World Records listed it as the most expensive dessert. It cost $1000!
The Golden Opulence Sundae is very fancy. It has three scoops of special vanilla ice cream. This ice cream is made with vanilla from Tahiti and Madagascar. It is covered in real 23K edible gold leaf. It also has the world's most expensive chocolate, Amedei Porcelana. Chunks of Chuao chocolate are added too. This chocolate comes from cocoa beans grown by the Caribbean Sea. The sundae also has candied fruits from Paris. Gold dragées, truffles, and Marzipan Cherries are also included.
It is topped with a tiny glass bowl of Grand Passion Caviar. This is a special dessert caviar. It is made from salt-free American Golden caviar. It has a sparkling golden color. It is sweetened with passion fruit, orange, and Armagnac (a type of brandy). The sundae is served in a beautiful Baccarat Harcourt crystal goblet. The person who buys it gets to keep the goblet! It also comes with an 18K gold spoon and a small mother of pearl spoon. A gilded sugar flower by Ron Ben-Israel finishes it off.
Over the years, Serendipity 3 opened other locations. There was one in Boston and later in Boca Raton, Florida. Another location opened at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. The Las Vegas location closed in 2017. The Boca Raton restaurant is now the only one outside New York. In 2011, a new restaurant opened in Washington, D.C. It closed in 2014. There is also a Serendipity 3 in Harajuku, Tokyo, Japan.
In 2019, Serendipity 3 released ice cream pints. They came in 8 flavors. You could find them at 7-Eleven stores across the country.
Serendipity in Movies and Books
Serendipity 3 has been featured in several movies. The most famous is the movie Serendipity (2001). This movie is even named after the restaurant! In the film, a couple meets by chance. They then share dessert at Serendipity 3.
Another movie, One Fine Day (1996), also has a scene there. You can see the famous Frrrozen Hot Chocolate in that movie.
The second book in the Gossip Girl series also features the restaurant. In You Know You Love Me, characters Serena and Dan visit Serendipity 3. Serena orders a peppermint sundae. Dan orders a coffee banana split.
World Records at Serendipity
Serendipity 3 holds several amazing world records for its food.
- In 2007, they introduced the "$1,000 dessert." This was the Golden Opulence Sundae. Guinness World Records named it the world's most expensive dessert.
- The restaurant also serves the Frozen Chocolate Haute dessert. This one costs an incredible $25,000!
- In 2012, Serendipity 3 set another record. They served the world’s most expensive hamburger. It was called "Le Burger Extravagant" and cost $295.
- In 2014, they broke a record for a sandwich. The "Quintessential Grilled Cheese" cost $214. It became the world's most expensive commercially available sandwich.
