Le Cirque was established in 1974 by Italian Sirio Maccioni and continued to be run by the family through its closure in 2018.

[4][5] Boulud was succeeded in 1992 by Sylvain Portay,[6] and later Sottha Kuhn,[7] Pierre Schaedelin,[8] Christophe Bellanca (2007–2008)[9][10] Craig Hopson (beginning in 2008),[10] and Olivier Reginensi.

[6] The restaurant at the Mayfair closed in 1996[3] and reopened as Le Cirque 2000 at the Palace Hotel in 1997 where it remained a hotspot through 2002.

The family's efforts to transition the restaurant were featured in the documentary film Le Cirque: A Table In Heaven directed by Andrew Rossi.

[17] Its future plans are unknown as of 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic's impact on the restaurant industry[18] and the 2020 death of founder Sirio Maccioni.