O. Henry wrote “Gift of the Magi” in one of the black-lacquered booths, and the “Oldest Continuously Operating Bar & Restaurant in New York City” serves a surprisingly fresh weekend brunch.
The Old Town Bar has been serving drinks near Union Square since 1892. It also purports to have the city's oldest dumbwaiter and 102-year-old urinals in the men's room. - From Eater NY
Celebrity caricatures line the walls at this iconic Theater District restaurant, where a legendary past is served with a side of Broadway lore--and a damn good martini. Read more.
The ONLY place to eat in Midtown East. Come late at night too. Wonderful Oysters! Try that Cadillac Burger...!!.m "One More For The Road" was penned here. Classic, old school NYC!
This spot is considered the birthplace of the Bloody Mary, or so the story goes. The bar serves their Snappers a bit pricey but they come with tasty gourmet nuts, wasabi peas and a slice of history. Read more.
McSorley's was one of the last "Men Only" pubs in Manhattan and the musky walls and sawdust floors are doing their best to uphold that odiferous tradition. - IFC Staff
Caffe Reggio's claim to fame--a 1902 cappuccino machine-- allegedly introduced the drink to New Yorkers. Check out the cafe's Renaissance-era decor as well.
Most quintessential NYC place ever. Go early for uber cheap drinks and more access to the piano, go late for amazing singers and rando Bway celebs gloriously belting showtunes.
Try the Pat La Frieda Black Label burger, known for its 70/30 meat-to-fat ratio -- pleasingly symmetrical to your own 30% muscle, 70% big boned. Read more.
New York wouldn't be New York without this classic Jewish deli and its kosher-style corned beef, snappy old-school hot dogs, chopped liver, and pastrami. Read more.
Classic old school doughnut shop with a devoted following. Old fashioned cake doughnuts are our favorites here.
This Little Italy haunt was established over a hundred years ago, as a small bar called Mare Chiaro. Its rich history remains in its original subway tile floor, wooden bar, and pressed-tin ceiling. Read more.
I heard great things about Ear Inn and wasn't disappointed. I ordered the burger and it was amazing. It's made from Pat LaFrieda beef and was cooked perfectly. I love the old atmosphere - so cozy!
Sure, $23 is pretty steep for a cocktail, but it’s worth every penny when you get to soak up the ritzy, old-world atmosphere at this Upper East Side institution. Read more.
Located down a narrow red staircase at the end of Mott Street, Wo Hop has served all-hours Cantonese fare since 1938 and is one of the city's great pilgrimage sites for late-night revelers. Read more.
Highlights include the Long Room, where George Washington gave his final speech to his officers. Bonus: the museum is connected to an excellent old-school tavern and restaurant.
The “Kerouac, go home!” that once decorated this tavern’s bathroom walls was a testament to how much the Desolation Angels author frequented the place. Read more.
This shop seems to be stuck in the past. There are old signs that advertise pastries that are no longer sold and graffiti by Columbia students from years ago. Still, the newer pastries are delicious.
Order a banana split at this authentic soda fountain & ice cream shop. With tin ceilings, and a menu filled with old school ice cream favorites, you'll feel like you're back in the 1920's. Read more.
It may be stuffy, but if old-school, Don Draper Manhattan is your thing, there's nowhere better. And much of the food is still quite good. At lunch, get three courses for $24.
The oldest eatery on Restaurant Row, this Theater District staple was once a popular hangout for John Lennon, Andy Warhol and Dudley Moore. It was even featured in an episode of "Mad Men." Read more.
This 1968 relic is rumored to have invented the “doggie bag” to pack up its massive portions. Chow down on a giant cut of Kobe beef and a cauldron of truffle mac and cheese. Read more.
For red-sauce Italian, Bamonte's can't be beat. Order the veal scaloppine and the homemade manicotti. Three course meals range $28- $40; always call ahead to make a reservation. [Eater 38 Member]
It was founded in 1887 when Williamsburg was a city onto itself, and some say Luger is the greatest steakhouse in the world. Even if we can’t go quite that far, the steaks are damn good. Read more.
Delmonico’s is the oldest restaurant in the country. It is also one of the most expensive.
The weekend and holiday lines are themselves legendary. Join the throngs, or opt for a calm weekday morning. Lunch is almost always busy; at dinnertime, you practically have the place to yourself. Read more.
House-cured pastrami is sliced to order and the steamy smoked meat layered into the welcoming pocket of bread, which is much lighter than rye. Read more.
Purists will opt for the No. 1 Original Cheesecake, but Junior’s flavored cheesecakes including a chocolaty devil’s food cheesecake and the strawberry cheese pie also stack up. Read more.
Here you can try 14 or 15 varieties at one time. Few culinary pleasures can match the chance to compare several from far-flung locales. Or opt for a bowl of delicious clam chowder. Read more.
Looking for the best cheap watering hole and a piece of history? Come to the oldest bar on Manhattan; $5 gets you two beers – light or dark. Read more.
Though you can get a wide variety of knishes here—mashed potato, mushroom, spinach, etc.—their cakelike sweet potato knishes are the key to turning around any bad day. Read more.
Go with the classic: pastrami (or corned beef) on rye with a slash of mustard. Wash down with a Dr. Brown's Cel-Ray. Classic.
Open since 1937, this old school candy shop is packed to the brim with chocolate, gummies, fruits and nuts, and all manner of other sweets, vintage and new.
Jewish delicacies since the '40s. Live music, lounge acts, customers who sing along. The atmosphere is festive, and will make you be hoisted on a chair by those drunk on “Hava Nagila” and Stolichnaya.
Filled with huge barrels of pickley, crunchy goodness in one tiny store. Everything is pickled: garlic, beets, olives, string beans and okra. We recommend the hot sour pickles or the horseradish pickl
Bialys — a flat round roll with onions chopped up in the center — are a NY tradition. Kossar’s is the ultimate place to score some. The shop opened in 1936, and still uses the same original recipe. Read more.
Obscured by stalls selling hats, piercings, and all the things you don't really need, pop in to Gem Spa for the chocolate egg cream; no egg, just a drink of frothy seltzer, milk, and chocolate syrup.
You can sip on some of Bemelmans' famous cocktails like the Red Velvet (rye whiskey, spiced plum syrup, egg white, fresh lemon juice, bee pollen) and the Luxury Sidecar. Read more.
Treat yourself to an evening of old school NYC. Start with cocktails, then oysters and steak tartare... and see where the night takes you!
The bar menu at this clubby New York institution underwent an overhaul and now features delicious small plates and a great burger.
The bartender would just talk with her friends and took 15min to make a order (bar was empty), we gave 10% instead of 15% tip, and she start screaming and waving the money on my face, extremely rude.
This place has it all: stunning space, good service with many tableside preparations and most importantly DELICIOUS food. Don't miss the pasta a la presse, crab cakes, prime rib and lemon chiffon cake
Take a power lunch amongst Manhattan's elite— from business moguls to celebrities, you never know who might be at the next table. Don't forget to explore the restaurant's rich art history.
The ambience? You couldn’t buy this for a million dollars or 10 million dollars. Delicious. – Anthony Bourdain, No Reservations Read more.
I've been several times over several years & enjoy the atmosphere more than some of the other City Island restaurants. It can be pricey, but the mussels are great & the portions are extremely large.
The bun is flimsy, but in the end, it’s just a vehicle for the chain-spawning wiener, which has a tight casing that gives way to a juicy interior. Read more.
This kosher delicatessen is a NYC institution. Cold-cut sandwiches come stacked and favorites like blintzes, knishes and potato pancakes taste just like Mom's. Read more.
Bring the whole family to enjoy low prices on huge portions of Italian food here. No menu, just tell the waiter what you want! Cash only. Read more.
Everything! Amazing food, great service. My husband had veal that was very tender. I had meatballs others had chicken parm lobster ravioli and more.
Wonderfully classic Italian-American restaurant in the Bronx's Little Italy. Great Shrimp Parmigiana, delicious pizza with amazing crust, it would be hard to not like, if not love this place!
Came here 4 brunch & requested table in the sun room (formerly the famous room that was renovated). Got the pastry basket which was worth the wait till my eggs Benedict w/ salmon arrived. Delicious.
The restaurant still features classics like Oysters Rockefeller, Prime Rib and Dover Sole. However, the star of the show is the Legendary Mutton Chop, a huge bone-in hunk of juicy saddle of lamb. Read more.
Beef stroganoff is served with short rib steak on top of noodles! If you are a sweet person definitely try blintz
The Black Label Burger with dry-aged beef and a pillowy bun smothered with caramelized onions & tangy cheddar cheese? Or the easygoing classic? Either way, both burger here are off the charts.
It’s unclear what can be said about Pete Luger that hasn’t already been said. It’s a New York institution, and the steaks are damn good. Order the porterhouse.
A piece of history old beautiful exposed brick. Old bar. The food was american Classic comfort. Drinks were strong but fairly priced. The staff was attentive. Food was awesome. A must do!!
The chicken hash — a mixture of cubed chicken, cream, Worcestershire sauce, eggs, butter, and sherry — is a real throwback to a different era. It’s pure, pull-no-punches comfort food. Read more.
The baked clams are a "don't miss" dish & so is the chicken francese. The pork chops with peppers (sweet or hot, or both) is the city's most perfect evocation of that dish. Read more.
Recommended: Foie gras, sweetbreads, wild-mushroom risotto, Dover sole, quenelles of pike, veal kidneys, braised oxtails, soufflés. Read more.
Its famed oyster pan roast, with gently cooked Blue Points floating in a cream sauce with chile and paprika, is one of the longest-running menu items in New York City. Read more.
The regulars who frequent this bar make it the greatest karaoke experience I've ever had.
Barney Greengrass is a true New York institution. The menu includes a long list of omelettes and egg sandwiches, but you're definitely going to want to try something with smoked fish. Read more.
