The history of Russian Samovar starts well before the restaurant itself. Originally Jilly’s Canteen, and owned by friend of Frank Sinatra, Jilly Rizzo, Samovar was the go to hot spot for Sinatra and The Rat Pack. In homage to Sinatra, Johnny Carson, and the good old boys, we decided to maintain the original red banquettes from back in those days. We also preserved the original bar as featured in The Manchurian Candidate and even unearthed original artwork from the talented people who frequented Jilly’s before we were fortunate enough to acquire this landmark location.