Jan. 12 (Bloomberg) -- The Cipriani family said it will keep operating New York City’s Rainbow Room restaurant after landlord Tishman Speyer Properties LP said the group will be evicted.

The Ciprianis will run the restaurant “as contemplated by the lease by which its terms expires in 2013,” said Ryan Toohey, a family spokesman who works for Global Strategy Group in New York, in an e-mailed statement. “We fully anticipate that we will prevail against these frivolous actions.”

Tishman Speyer said that the family hasn’t paid rent since September, forcing the company to end the lease.

“The Rainbow Room is one of our city’s great institutions, and we will immediately begin the process of finding another great restaurateur to operate the space,” Tishman Speyer said in an e-mailed statement.

Offering panoramic views of the city, the Rainbow Room has been a fixture on the 65th floor of the Rockefeller Center since the building opened in 1934. The restaurant has been operated by the Ciprianis since 1998 and features Bellini cocktails, caviar with frozen vodka and a fixed-price dinner for $200. Tishman Speyer took over redevelopment of Rockefeller Center in July 1996, and its world headquarters is located there.

Arbitration Ruling

The New York Times reported on Jan. 10 that the Ciprianis won an arbitration ruling late last year that cut the Rainbow Room’s rent to $6 million from $8.7 million annually.

The Ciprianis’ statement said the lease termination was retaliation for the family’s arbitration victory and “part of Tishman Speyer’s plan to convert the iconic Rainbow Room to office space.”

Family spokesman Toohey declined to comment on the issue of back rent. David Rozenholc, an attorney for the Ciprianis, didn’t respond to a voice-mail message left by Bloomberg News seeking comment.

Rockefeller Center in midtown Manhattan is home to General Electric Co.’s NBC-TV, Radio City Music Hall and Christie’s Auction House. It also receives national attention each year with the lighting of a Christmas tree overlooking its skating rink.

In addition to the Rainbow Room, the Ciprianis also operate Harry’s Bar in Venice, and Harry Cipriani on Fifth Avenue, Cipriani Dolci in Grand Central Station and Cipriani 42nd Street, all in New York City.

To contact the reporter on this story: Dan Hart in Washington at dahart@bloomberg.net.

Last Updated: January 12, 2009 00:01 EST