The Cigar Room at Trumpets

The Grand Hyatt,

Shandana A. Durrani
Posted: June 1, 1996

You walk through the foyer to the entrance of the restaurant and see a slightly incongruous sight, a sign that indicates smoking is permitted. Is this place for real?

Since the April 1995 New York City ordinance prohibiting smoking of any kind in most city restaurants, cigar smokers living in or visiting the city have found it increasingly difficult to savor their smokes in a friendly dining establishment. Along comes The Cigar Room at Trumpets, a place where one can eat a meal in peace and embrace the pleasures of smoking. Take that, city hall.

Situated on the ground floor of The Grand Hyatt New York (adjacent to Grand Central Station), this cozy restaurant has a decidedly clubby atmosphere. Frank Sinatra croons over the speakers while ceiling fans circulate the air. The lights are dim, the paneled walls a burl-finished walnut; framed paintings of clipper ships dot the walls. The canvas slip-covered chairs with old-style prints are comfortable. This adds up to an understated ambience, making one feel right at home.

The owners of Trumpets designed The Cigar Room exclusively for cigar smokers, limiting the seating to 34; the new law applies to restaurants with seating for 35 or more diners. A lounge area is available behind the bar and an adjacent larger room can be reserved for private parties. In a nutshell, The Cigar Room at Trumpets is a haven for cigar smokers.

Once you are seated, the waiter asks if you would like a cigar. While the restaurant lists four recommendations for pre-dinner cigars, you can choose from 36 cigars on the room's cigar menu, including Davidoffs, Avos, Ashtons, Montecristos and Nat Shermans. The prices are reasonable, although not inexpensive. I chose a Davidoff Ambassadrice and my companion selected a Nat Sherman Hunter after learning that the room's five humidors were out of Avos that evening. Both smokes were smooth and easy on the palate. The waiter assured us that they would restock the Avos the next day.

Dinner was a relaxed and comfortable experience. The menu is limited to about six or seven items for each course, but chef Anthony Wall has created a broad variety of choices. Starting with salad, my friend chose a generous serving of tossed mesclun greens with goat cheese, black Calamata olives and red wine vinaigrette. The mellowness of the cheese perfectly complemented the tang of the olives. My Caesar salad with sliced focaccia was scrumptuous, although the focaccia itself was disappointing.

For the main course, we passed on some intriguing seafood dishes, including the daily special of broiled mahimahi with orange chutney, instead choosing the roasted free-range chicken and the Angus rib chop. The latter, the restaurant's signature dish, was a massive cholesterol-be-damned slab of beef on a bone, coated in a shallot parsley butter and then broiled. The chop was very tender, juicy and savory. It was served with garlic mashed potatoes that were a nice turn on an old stand-by. The roasted free-range chicken with lemon and garlic was tender and seasoned to perfection with rosemary. However, the accompanying squash and zucchini were slightly overcooked and rather bland.

The wine list is very satisfactory, with fair prices. There is a wide selection of American whites and reds, including picks from Jordan, Chateau St. Michelle, Kendall Jackson and Opus One wineries. The list from France and Italy is much more limited, but well-chosen. We selected a 1987 Château Lynch-Bages Bordeaux. It was smooth, supple and flavorful, and quite reasonably priced at $45.

Dessert was a great finish to the meal. The dark chocolate cake was intense but not overwhelming; it had the perfect combination of rich chocolate and cream that melted on the tongue.

The wait staff at The Cigar Room were very attentive, without being intrusive. Tiber, our waiter, answered our questions completely and knowledgeably, as well as cutting and lighting our cigars. In a city where cigar smokers are often seen as intruders, it is nice to know there is somewhere where every attempt is made to ensure your comfort.

As we left the restaurant, we knew that we would return to enjoy our cigars in the peaceful surroundings. Viva fumare!

--Shandana Durrani

The Cigar Room at Trumpets
The Grand Hyatt New York
East 42nd Street (between Park and Lexington avenues)
Phone: (212) 850-5999
Dinner: approximately $50 per person, without wine or cigars