Elaine's, the Manhattan restaurant that hosted everyone from Norman Mailer to Jack Nicholson has closed its doors for the final time.

Opened by Elaine Kaufman on Second Avenue in 1963, it quickly became a New York landmark and the place for celebrities to dine under the radar.

Woody Allen even used it as the location for the opening scene of the film Manhattan.

Ms Kaufman died last December at the age of 81, after nearly five decades of running the restaurant.

She left everything to her friend and manager, Diane Becker. But she said that the place could not stay open without its proprietor.

Ms Becker said: "This is one of the most difficult decisions I've ever had to make. But the truth is, there is no Elaine's without Elaine."