A Pineer of Cool

20 YEARS OF INDOCHINE

WHEN BRIAN McNALLY OPENED INDOCHINE, on Manhattan's Lafayette Street, in 1984, it signified the moment when restaurants became nightclubs, and everyone—movie people, artists, lawyers, criminals, and politicians—was thrown together in refinement or excess. "It was an incredible vantage point to see the 80s," recalls former Indochine waitress Jessica Craig-Martin. "In one booth you'd have the mayor; in a better booth, Claus von Bülow; in the next, Bianca Jagger with a broken leg and Ross Bleckner; and Jean-Michel Basquiat, Henry Geldzahler, and Keith Haring in another." The commingling of personalities, palm fronds, cocktails, and cocaine triggered spontaneous parties and famous fights. "People were often throwing things and dancing on tables," says CraigMartin. "One night about 20 Niarchoses arrived in limos to celebrate the arrival of a new Niarchos. Each time one fell off the table, others lifted them back on." In its 20th-anniversary year, Indochine, now owned by Jean-Marc Houmard, Huy Chi Le (a former busboy), and Michael Callahan, is still a stage, welcoming regulars such as Diane Von Furstenberg, Carolina Herrera, and Anna Sui every night. The Niarchoses have moved on, but the foliage, the menu, and the waitresses remain, impervious. EDWARD HELMORE