You’re standing on a street corner in Lower Manhattan, and everything is glass, steel, and noise. Then you turn a corner, and suddenly, you’re looking at a building that was there before the subway, before the Brooklyn Bridge, and—in one case—before the United States was even a country.
New York City eats its young. It’s a city of "out with the old, in with the luxury condos." But a few places just refuse to die. Honestly, finding the actual new york oldest restaurants is a bit of a detective job because everyone claims the title. One place says they’re the "oldest tavern," another says they’re the "oldest continuously operating," and a third says they’ve been around since 1762 but, well, they took a few decades off for a nap.
If you want to eat history, you have to know which "old" is the real deal.
The Heavyweight: Fraunces Tavern (1762)
Let's start with the big one. Fraunces Tavern at 54 Pearl Street is basically a museum you can drink in. It was built in 1719 as a residence and became a tavern in 1762. George Washington famously stood here in 1783 and told his officers, "I eventually have to go home now," or something to that effect, during his emotional farewell address.
Is it the oldest? Technically, the building is the oldest standing structure in Manhattan. But here’s the kicker: it hasn't been a restaurant every single day since the 1700s. It’s been a hotel, a warehouse, and even a residence. Today, it’s a sprawling complex with a whiskey bar, a piano bar, and a museum.
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What to order: Go for the Chicken Pot Pie. It was allegedly Washington’s favorite, and while we can't ask him, the version they serve now is a dense, buttery comfort-food hug that feels appropriate for a room full of 18th-century ghosts.
The Fine Dining Pioneer: Delmonico’s (1837)
If Fraunces Tavern is where you go to meet revolutionaries, Delmonico’s is where you go to feel like a 19th-century tycoon. They claim to be the first "fine dining" restaurant in America. Before the Delmonico brothers showed up, "eating out" usually meant a fixed-price meal at a common table in a boarding house.
Delmonico's gave us the à la carte menu. They gave us tablecloths. They basically invented the concept of the "power lunch." They also claim to have invented:
- Eggs Benedict (for a regular named Mrs. LeGrand Benedict).
- Baked Alaska (to celebrate the purchase of Alaska in 1867).
- Lobster Newberg.
It’s located at the corner of Beaver and William Streets. The building itself is iconic, with those two massive pillars that were supposedly salvaged from Pompeii. It recently reopened after a long pandemic-induced hiatus, looking sharper than ever.
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The "Continuous" Kings: Neir’s and Pete’s
This is where the New York oldest restaurants debate gets spicy.
Neir’s Tavern in Woodhaven, Queens, has been around since 1829. It started as "The Blue Pump Room" serving crowds from the nearby Union Course Racetrack. It’s famous for a young Mae West performing there and for being the backdrop of that "mink coat" scene in Goodfellas. It almost closed in 2020, but the community (and the Mayor) stepped in to save it. It feels like a real neighborhood spot, not a tourist trap.
Then you have Pete’s Tavern in Gramercy (1864). They call themselves the "oldest original bar." During Prohibition, they stayed open by pretending to be a flower shop. You can still see the fake flower shop windows today. It’s famously where O. Henry wrote The Gift of the Magi in the second booth from the front.
The McSorley’s Situation
You can't talk about old NY without McSorley’s Old Ale House (1854). It’s the kind of place where the floor is covered in sawdust and they only serve two types of beer: light and dark. You get two mugs at a time. Period.
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It was a men-only establishment until 1970, which is wild to think about. A woman named Dorothy O'Connell Kirwan actually owned the place for decades but never set foot in it during business hours out of "respect" for her father's wishes. Today, the walls are covered in artifacts that haven't been moved in a century, including Houdini’s handcuffs and wishbones left by soldiers heading off to WWI.
The Steakhouse Triangle: Keens, Old Homestead, and Luger
New York is a steak town. Always has been.
- Old Homestead (1868): Located in the Meatpacking District. It’s the oldest continuously operating steakhouse in the country. They have a giant cow named Annabelle on the marquee.
- Keens Steakhouse (1885): Famous for the mutton chop and the 160,000 clay pipes hanging from the ceiling. Back in the day, you’d leave your pipe there because traveling with a thin clay pipe was a recipe for a pocket full of shards.
- Peter Luger (1887): Over in Williamsburg. It’s the gold standard for many, even if the service is famously... let's call it "curt." It’s cash-only (mostly), and the steak for two is a religious experience for meat lovers.
Why These Places Still Matter
In a world of digital menus and QR codes, these restaurants are tactile. They smell like old wood and stale beer. They remind us that the city has a soul that isn't just about the next big tech IPO.
People think these places are just for tourists, but honestly, you'll find more locals at Neir’s or Old Town Bar (1892) than you will at the latest "it" spot in Hudson Yards. There’s a comfort in knowing that the chair you’re sitting in might have been occupied by a Civil War veteran or a Beat poet.
Actionable Tips for Your Historic Crawl:
- Check the hours: Some of these spots, like Rao’s (1896), are nearly impossible to get into unless you "know a guy." Others, like McSorley's, don't take reservations and are better on a Tuesday afternoon than a Saturday night.
- Bring Cash: Some of the old-school joints (Luger, Rao's) still prefer the green stuff over plastic.
- Look Up and Down: At Keens, the history is on the ceiling. At McSorley's, it's the dust on the wishbones. At Pete's, it's the original tile floor.
- Respect the Vibe: Don't go into McSorley's asking for a craft IPA or a calorie count. You'll get laughed out of the room.
To truly experience these legends, pick one that matches your mood—Fraunces for the history nerd, Delmonico's for the celebration, or McSorley's for the "I just want a beer" afternoon—and just soak in the fact that these walls have seen it all.