<?xml version="1.0"?>
<ownershipDocument>

    <schemaVersion>X0202</schemaVersion>

    <documentType>4</documentType>

    <periodOfReport>2007-08-28</periodOfReport>

    <notSubjectToSection16>1</notSubjectToSection16>

    <issuer>
        <issuerCik>0001137047</issuerCik>
        <issuerName>SMITH &amp; WOLLENSKY RESTAURANT GROUP INC</issuerName>
        <issuerTradingSymbol>SWRG</issuerTradingSymbol>
    </issuer>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001354652</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>Porcelli Joseph E</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>C/O THE SMITH &amp; WOLLENSKY RESTAURANT</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2>GROUP, INC., 880 THIRD AVENUE</rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>NEW YORK</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>NY</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>10022</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>1</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>0</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>0</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>0</isOther>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <derivativeTable>
        <derivativeTransaction>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Stock Option (Right to Buy)</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <conversionOrExercisePrice>
                <value>5.18</value>
            </conversionOrExercisePrice>
            <transactionDate>
                <value>2007-08-28</value>
            </transactionDate>
            <transactionCoding>
                <transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType>
                <transactionCode>D</transactionCode>
                <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
            </transactionCoding>
            <transactionAmounts>
                <transactionShares>
                    <value>5000</value>
                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
                    <footnoteId id="F2"/>
                </transactionPricePerShare>
                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                    <value>D</value>
                </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
            </transactionAmounts>
            <exerciseDate>
                <footnoteId id="F1"/>
            </exerciseDate>
            <expirationDate>
                <value>2016-05-23</value>
            </expirationDate>
            <underlyingSecurity>
                <underlyingSecurityTitle>
                    <value>Common Stock</value>
                </underlyingSecurityTitle>
                <underlyingSecurityShares>
                    <value>5000</value>
                </underlyingSecurityShares>
            </underlyingSecurity>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>0</value>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>D</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
                <natureOfOwnership>
                    <value></value>
                </natureOfOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </derivativeTransaction>
    </derivativeTable>

    <footnotes>
        <footnote id="F1">On May 23, 2006, the Reporting Person was granted an option to purchase 5,000 shares of common stock of the Issuer. This option, which provided for vesting in five equal annual installments beginning on May 23, 2007, was cancelled pursuant to the merger agreement dated May 6, 2007, by and among Project Grill, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (&quot;Grill&quot;), SWRG Acquisition Sub, Inc., a Delaware corporation and a wholly owned subsidiary of Grill, and the Issuer (the &quot;merger agreement) in exchange for a cash payment of $29,100, representing the difference between $11.00 (the &quot;per share merger consideration&quot;) and the exercise price multiplied by the number of shares subject to the option.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F2">This option was granted pursuant to the Issuer's 2001 Stock Incentive Plan.</footnote>
    </footnotes>

    <remarks></remarks>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>/s/ Joseph E. Porcelli</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2007-08-29</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>
</ownershipDocument>
