Russian Tea Room Reborn in New York

A revolving aquarium. A tree with 35 Venetian glass eggs. Hundreds of candles. A stained-glass ceiling with 700,000 Tiffany pieces. Everything but dancing bears . . . oops, there are dancing bears.

With a flash and a $20-million flourish, one of the grande dames of New York social life, the Russian Tea Room, plans to make a fashionably late re-entrance Monday. The West 57th Street fixture, founded by former Russian Ballet members in 1927 and hostess to celebrity clientele for six decades, was shut in 1995 for a two-year renovation that stretched into more than three.

Showman-restaurateur Warner LeRoy, son of “Wizard of Oz” producer Mervyn LeRoy and owner of New York’s Tavern on the Green, recruited more than 100 artisans to transform the two-story restaurant into a seven-story extravaganza. The dancing bears are depicted in chandeliers, candelabrum and etched glass panels in the Bear Ballroom. On the top floor, there’s a diorama of pre-revolutionary Red Square.

Oh, and there’s food too. The chef is Fabrice Canelle, formerly of San Francisco’s Brasserie Savoy. The Russian Tea Room is open this week for private parties only; on Oct. 11 it opens to the public. Reservations are required. Call (212) 974-2111.