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An open-faced burger with lettuce, tomato, onion, and cheese next to a side of fries. — A burger with lettuce, tomato, onion, and cheese next to a beer and a side of fries at PJ Clarke’s.

21 Classic Restaurants Every New Yorker Must Try

Whether it’s a Midtown steakhouse or a Chinatown mainstay, these establishments deserve to be on everyone’s bucket list

by Eater Staff Updated May 8, 2023, 2:13pm EDT

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A burger with lettuce, tomato, onion, and cheese next to a beer and a side of fries at PJ Clarke’s.

| Eater NY

by Eater Staff Updated May 8, 2023, 2:13pm EDT

New York is one of the oldest dining cities in the country, and though it can feel like we’re always mourning the loss of another neighborhood stalwart, the city is still brimming with countless iconic establishments. Here is a collection of some of the most vibrant New York classic restaurants, all of them decades-old and some dating back more than a century. They range from legendary steakhouses to gritty taverns and coal-fired pizzerias, but they’re all quintessentially New York.

Health experts consider dining out to be a high-risk activity for the unvaccinated; it may pose a risk for the vaccinated, especially in areas with substantial COVID transmission.

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Eater maps are curated by editors and aim to reflect a diversity of neighborhoods, cuisines, and prices. Learn more about our editorial process. If you buy something or book a reservation from an Eater link, Vox Media may earn a commission. See our ethics policy.

188 Bakery Cuchifritos

Open since 1982, 188 Bakery Cuchifritos, a Caribbean neighborhood staple for orders of chicharrones, pernil, cuajito (meaty pig stomach), as well as morcilla. Of the latter, critic Ryan Sutton says, “the sausage...serves as a reminder that if you’re not considering Puerto Rican pork within the scope of the city’s grand meat and charcuterie traditions, you’re not doing it right.”

158 E 188th St, The Bronx, NY 10468

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Patrons gather behind a plexiglass guard at a counter for lunch; decorative handwritten menu signs hang in the background — The lunch counter at 188 Bakery Cuchifritos.

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Mario’s Restaurant

Now over a century old, Marios on Arthur Avenue in the Bronx is as old-school as it gets. The Migliucci family still owns this restaurant that started as a pizzeria, serving dishes like linguine with red clam sauce and veal marsala. The interior looks untouched, full of oil paintings, Michelangelo statuettes, and white columns. Don’t miss the dessert trolley, and be sure to finish off with an espresso paired with a shot of complimentary anisette.

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8196, 2342 Arthur Ave, Bronx, NY 10458

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A man in a yellow shirt walks under a red awning with the word Mario’s. — Mario’s in the Bronx.

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9 Restaurants With Heated Outdoor Dining in the Bronx

Sylvia's Restaurant

Dubbed “the Queen of Soul Food,” Sylvia Woods opened the doors on Sylvia’s Restaurant in 1962, bringing generous servings of Southern comfort food to Harlem. The neighborhood restaurant is world-famous for its timeless cooking and Southern charm, which still endures decades after opening. While Woods died in 2012, her family continues to run the restaurant.

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328 Malcolm X Blvd, New York, NY 10027

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A leg of fried chicken next to a helping of mac and cheese in an aluminum take-out container. — Fried chicken with mac and cheese at Sylvia’s.

Joe Allen

New York lost the restaurateur Joe Allen in 2021, yet after nearly 60 years, his namesake restaurant lives on; this Theater District staple remains a haunt for theatergoers and actors alike. Get the La Scala salad with iceberg, salami, and provolone; the Joe Allen burger or steak frites; and save room for the epic banana cream pie.

326 W 46th St, New York, NY 10036

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P.J. Clarke's

Though it’s now expanded into a chain of pubs, the original P.J. Clarke’s has stood on Third Avenue since 1884. This is the one with the ancient mahogany bar, the old jukebox, and the taxidermied dog at the bar. Over the years it has attracted regulars like Jackie Kennedy and Frank Sinatra, and the bacon cheeseburger is called the “Cadillac” because that’s how Nat King Cole once described it.

915 3rd Ave, New York, NY 10022

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The corner building that’s PJ Clarke’s. — The exterior of PJ Clarke’s.

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Grand Central Oyster Bar

Grand Central Oyster Bar has occupied the subterranean space in Grand Central Station since 1913. The award-winning room, with its vaulted, tiled ceilings is one of the main attractions here, and one of the best seats for slurping more than a dozen kinds of oysters is at the bar. The only update in its storied history is that the restaurant is now closed on Saturday and Sunday.

89 E 42nd St, New York, NY 10017

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Customers sit around a chef’s table below ornate, hanging lights and arched ceilings. — Grand Central Oyster Bar in Grand Central.

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Keens Steakhouse

Keens is packed with history, and not just because it opened in 1885. This Midtown steakhouse used to be home to a famous theatre and literary group, and after that, a pipe club. Dozens of pipes still line the restaurant, giving it a warm, unique vibe not like any other restaurant in the city. The signature order here is the mutton chop. The restaurant also sells a smaller portion as a $29 as special.

72 W 36th St, New York, NY 10018

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A mutton chop on a white plate with salad, surrounded by a knife and fork on a white tableclothed table. — A mutton chop from Keens Steakhouse.

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Old Town Bar

Old Town Bar is one of a handful to survive Prohibition. The space itself, with its tiled floor, wooden booths, and mahogany bar, is one of the main attractions, but Old Town also serves a superb burger and wings. Dine downstairs, and your food might just be delivered to the bar via dumbwaiter from the kitchen upstairs.

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45 E 18th St., New York, NY 10003

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A darkened bar room with many standing and seated patrons and Victorian fixtures. — The barroom of the Old Town has been a literary hangout for over a century.

John's of Bleecker Street

John’s — a coal-oven pizzeria founded by a veteran of Lombardi’s — opened in 1929 and today serves a pie that Eater critic Robert Sietsema found to be “lusher” than its coal-oven peers. That means a little bit more cheese and a top-notch crust. Prepare to wait in line to enter.

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278 Bleecker St, New York, NY 10014

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People sit alone and in groups in a restaurant with tiled floors and wooden booths. — Inside John’s of Bleecker Street.

Raoul's

Raoul’s, the decades-old Soho bistro regularly hosts high-rollers and famous folks alike (and is the subject of a soon-to-run documentary on what makes it so special). In addition to a great place to people watch, the restaurant has one-of-a-kind ambiance and is known for its legendary burgers and steak au poivre.

180 Prince St, New York, NY 10012

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A neon sign with the words “Ballantine Raoul’s” gleams on a glass window. — A neon sign from Raoul’s.

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Ear Inn

A venerated bar that used to mark the water’s edge before the landfill expansion, the Ear Inn is many things: a music venue, a haunted house, an Irish pub, and a piece of history. Go here for the better than it needs to be bar food, an eclectic collection of regulars, terrific people watching, and stuff on the walls chronicling the bar’s history since it opened in 1817.

326 Spring St, New York, NY 10013

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Balthazar

Whether or not you’re following owner Keith McNally’s provocative Instagram account, opened in 1997, Balthazar is one of those classic restaurants that feels of-of-the-moment: from its roster of high-profile regulars to its French brasserie menu or the dining room with attention to design detail like few others. Visit solo for a VIP glass of Champagne to kick off a meal or go with a crew and start the night with a seafood tower.

80 Spring St, New York, NY 10012

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A person walks in front of a bakery, whose front window advertises loaves of bread in various shapes and whose red awning reads “Balthazar” in yellow font — The exterior of Balthazar.

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Katz's Delicatessen

Katz’s has stood on the corner of East Houston and Ludlow streets since 1888, and the pastrami alone is a New York icon. The expansive, cafeteria-style dining room is almost always bustling, and diners have to know how to navigate the system. Get in line, remember to tip the slicer (they might give you an extra piece to snack on), and no matter what, don’t lose that ticket.

205 E Houston St, New York, NY 10002

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The front of a sprawling corner store at night, with red neon letters that read “Katz’s Delicatessen” in capital letters. — Outside of Katz’s Delicatessen.

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Lombardi's Coal Oven Pizza

Lombardi’s is the first pizzeria in New York City and, supposedly, the country. It relocated a few decades ago — from the home it had occupied since 1905 to a storefront down the block — but it’s still one of the city’s few coal-oven pizzerias. Go early or late to avoid the onslaught of tourists, and get a basic red or white pie.

32 Spring St, New York, NY 10012

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Four employees in red shirts and white aprons work in a kitchen, behind them the words “1905 Lombardi” are etched into a tile wall — The interior of Lombardi’s.

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Russ & Daughters Cafe

This spinoff from Russ & Daughters offers deli classics like chopped liver, matzo ball soup, and potato knishes. The emphasis is on preserved fish, but the pastrami smoked salmon on a pretzel roll more than makes up for the the lack of actual pastrami. The serpentine space, cheerily decorated in white and powder blue, extends from Orchard to Allen streets, and seems as old as its original location.

127 Orchard St, New York, NY 10002

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Russ & Daughters interior. — Russ & Daughters Cafe shows a vision of old-school NY.

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The Odeon

Opened in the ’80s, the comely neon-lit Odeon “is a movie set that doubles as a restaurant,” according to a decades-old piece in Vanity Fair. Opened by Lynn Wagenknecht, her then-husband restauranteur Keith McNally, and his brother Brian, it’s still run by Wagenknecht (while Keith has gone on to open a restaurant empire). In spite of the many lives New York has lived since it opened in what was then remote Tribeca, the Odeon feels both of the ’80s and of the moment. Other plusses: No server will ask if you’ve dined here before. The dining room, usually crowded, is neither too loud nor too quiet. The music is a backdrop but not intrusive. And your Odeon burger, three-egg omelet, or croque monsieur will be as satisfying as you would hope.

145 W Broadway, New York, NY 10013

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A bard with red stools, mirrors, and tables. — The bar at The Odeon

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Bamonte's

A red-sauce stalwart of Brooklyn, Bamonte's has been open since 1902 and hasn’t been renovated since the 1950s. It’s said to have been a mobster hangout and still attracts plenty of Williamsburg old-timers. Don’t miss the baked clams or the pork chop topped with peppers, which Eater critic Robert Sietsema deems “the city's most perfect evocation of that dish.”

32 Withers St, Brooklyn, NY 11211

A red frame house is the setting for Bamonte’s, and an old man sits on a bench in front. — Customers gathered outside of Bamonte’s in Williamsburg.

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Wo Hop

Wo Hop, founded in 1938, takes the distinction of the city’s second oldest Chinese restaurant. (Only Nom Wah Tea Parlor, started in 1920 and also on this list, is older.) Its longevity is due to both the reliability of its Chinese-American fare and the small, subterranean nature of the real estate it occupies. Try the massive platters of chicken chow mein, sweet-and-sour pork, subgum egg foo young, and beef chow fun. While the address listed here is considered the original Wo Hop, the street-level part of the restaurant is dubbed Wo Hop Next Door.

17 Mott St, New York, NY 10013

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A bowl of congee set against a neon green background at Wo Hop. — A bowl of congee from Wo Hop.

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Gottscheer Hall

Founded in 1924 when Ridgewood was a German immigrant enclave, Gottscheer represents a group of ethnic Germans who had previously lived under the Habsburg Monarchy in what is now Slovenia. This sturdy beer hall, which looks every year of its age, has a barroom open to the public where German and American beers are dispensed, and an agreeable but limited menu of sausages, goulash, pretzels, and cutlets is served. Don’t miss the potato pancakes.

657 Fairview Ave, Queens, NY 11385

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A blue brick entrance with a bright blue awning. — Step through these doors into a century old German tavern.

Also featured in:

20 German Restaurants, Beer Halls, and Bakeries in NYC

Gage & Tollner

Residing at this location since 1892, Gage & Tollner reigned until 2004, then reopened in 2021: That’s when Red Hook restaurateur St. John Frizell, along with husband-and-wife team Ben Schneider and Sohui Kim of Good Fork and Insa, shepherded the historic steakhouse into the present day with a menu of classics: steak and scalloped potatoes, pork potpie, clams casino with a dab of kimchee, former chef Edna Lewis’s she-crab soup, and plenty of pillowy Parker House rolls. Don’t miss the Sunken Harbor Club bar upstairs.

372 Fulton St, Brooklyn, NY 11201

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An dining room with a fireplace at Gage & Tollner. — A dining room at the reopened Gage & Tollner.

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Nathan's Famous

Even if it’s since grown into a wide-reaching franchise, Nathan’s Famous remains a true New York institution. The Coney Island original opened in 1916, selling hot dogs for five cents. They cost more now, of course, and come in vegan varieties, but otherwise not much has changed about the experience of eating a cheap, greasy dog on the boardwalk.

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1310 Surf Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11224

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Customers wait in a line that wraps around the corner of the colorful Nathan’s Famous restaurant in Coney Island. — The original Nathan’s Famous in Coney Island.

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188 Bakery Cuchifritos

158 E 188th St, The Bronx, NY 10468

Open since 1982, 188 Bakery Cuchifritos, a Caribbean neighborhood staple for orders of chicharrones, pernil, cuajito (meaty pig stomach), as well as morcilla. Of the latter, critic Ryan Sutton says, “the sausage...serves as a reminder that if you’re not considering Puerto Rican pork within the scope of the city’s grand meat and charcuterie traditions, you’re not doing it right.”

158 E 188th St, The Bronx, NY 10468

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Patrons gather behind a plexiglass guard at a counter for lunch; decorative handwritten menu signs hang in the background — The lunch counter at 188 Bakery Cuchifritos.

Mario’s Restaurant

8196, 2342 Arthur Ave, Bronx, NY 10458

Now over a century old, Marios on Arthur Avenue in the Bronx is as old-school as it gets. The Migliucci family still owns this restaurant that started as a pizzeria, serving dishes like linguine with red clam sauce and veal marsala. The interior looks untouched, full of oil paintings, Michelangelo statuettes, and white columns. Don’t miss the dessert trolley, and be sure to finish off with an espresso paired with a shot of complimentary anisette.

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8196, 2342 Arthur Ave, Bronx, NY 10458

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A man in a yellow shirt walks under a red awning with the word Mario’s. — Mario’s in the Bronx.

Sylvia's Restaurant

328 Malcolm X Blvd, New York, NY 10027

Dubbed “the Queen of Soul Food,” Sylvia Woods opened the doors on Sylvia’s Restaurant in 1962, bringing generous servings of Southern comfort food to Harlem. The neighborhood restaurant is world-famous for its timeless cooking and Southern charm, which still endures decades after opening. While Woods died in 2012, her family continues to run the restaurant.

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328 Malcolm X Blvd, New York, NY 10027

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A leg of fried chicken next to a helping of mac and cheese in an aluminum take-out container. — Fried chicken with mac and cheese at Sylvia’s.

Joe Allen

326 W 46th St, New York, NY 10036

New York lost the restaurateur Joe Allen in 2021, yet after nearly 60 years, his namesake restaurant lives on; this Theater District staple remains a haunt for theatergoers and actors alike. Get the La Scala salad with iceberg, salami, and provolone; the Joe Allen burger or steak frites; and save room for the epic banana cream pie.

326 W 46th St, New York, NY 10036

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View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Joe Allen (@joeallennyc)

P.J. Clarke's

915 3rd Ave, New York, NY 10022

Though it’s now expanded into a chain of pubs, the original P.J. Clarke’s has stood on Third Avenue since 1884. This is the one with the ancient mahogany bar, the old jukebox, and the taxidermied dog at the bar. Over the years it has attracted regulars like Jackie Kennedy and Frank Sinatra, and the bacon cheeseburger is called the “Cadillac” because that’s how Nat King Cole once described it.

915 3rd Ave, New York, NY 10022

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The corner building that’s PJ Clarke’s. — The exterior of PJ Clarke’s.

Grand Central Oyster Bar

89 E 42nd St, New York, NY 10017

Grand Central Oyster Bar has occupied the subterranean space in Grand Central Station since 1913. The award-winning room, with its vaulted, tiled ceilings is one of the main attractions here, and one of the best seats for slurping more than a dozen kinds of oysters is at the bar. The only update in its storied history is that the restaurant is now closed on Saturday and Sunday.

89 E 42nd St, New York, NY 10017

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Customers sit around a chef’s table below ornate, hanging lights and arched ceilings. — Grand Central Oyster Bar in Grand Central.

Keens Steakhouse

72 W 36th St, New York, NY 10018

Keens is packed with history, and not just because it opened in 1885. This Midtown steakhouse used to be home to a famous theatre and literary group, and after that, a pipe club. Dozens of pipes still line the restaurant, giving it a warm, unique vibe not like any other restaurant in the city. The signature order here is the mutton chop. The restaurant also sells a smaller portion as a $29 as special.

72 W 36th St, New York, NY 10018

Visit Website

A mutton chop on a white plate with salad, surrounded by a knife and fork on a white tableclothed table. — A mutton chop from Keens Steakhouse.

Old Town Bar

45 E 18th St., New York, NY 10003

Old Town Bar is one of a handful to survive Prohibition. The space itself, with its tiled floor, wooden booths, and mahogany bar, is one of the main attractions, but Old Town also serves a superb burger and wings. Dine downstairs, and your food might just be delivered to the bar via dumbwaiter from the kitchen upstairs.

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45 E 18th St., New York, NY 10003

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A darkened bar room with many standing and seated patrons and Victorian fixtures. — The barroom of the Old Town has been a literary hangout for over a century.

John's of Bleecker Street

278 Bleecker St, New York, NY 10014

John’s — a coal-oven pizzeria founded by a veteran of Lombardi’s — opened in 1929 and today serves a pie that Eater critic Robert Sietsema found to be “lusher” than its coal-oven peers. That means a little bit more cheese and a top-notch crust. Prepare to wait in line to enter.

Open in Google Maps

278 Bleecker St, New York, NY 10014

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People sit alone and in groups in a restaurant with tiled floors and wooden booths. — Inside John’s of Bleecker Street.

Raoul's

180 Prince St, New York, NY 10012

Raoul’s, the decades-old Soho bistro regularly hosts high-rollers and famous folks alike (and is the subject of a soon-to-run documentary on what makes it so special). In addition to a great place to people watch, the restaurant has one-of-a-kind ambiance and is known for its legendary burgers and steak au poivre.

180 Prince St, New York, NY 10012

Visit Website

A neon sign with the words “Ballantine Raoul’s” gleams on a glass window. — A neon sign from Raoul’s.

Ear Inn

326 Spring St, New York, NY 10013

A venerated bar that used to mark the water’s edge before the landfill expansion, the Ear Inn is many things: a music venue, a haunted house, an Irish pub, and a piece of history. Go here for the better than it needs to be bar food, an eclectic collection of regulars, terrific people watching, and stuff on the walls chronicling the bar’s history since it opened in 1817.

326 Spring St, New York, NY 10013

Visit Website

Balthazar

80 Spring St, New York, NY 10012

Whether or not you’re following owner Keith McNally’s provocative Instagram account, opened in 1997, Balthazar is one of those classic restaurants that feels of-of-the-moment: from its roster of high-profile regulars to its French brasserie menu or the dining room with attention to design detail like few others. Visit solo for a VIP glass of Champagne to kick off a meal or go with a crew and start the night with a seafood tower.

80 Spring St, New York, NY 10012

Visit Website

A person walks in front of a bakery, whose front window advertises loaves of bread in various shapes and whose red awning reads “Balthazar” in yellow font — The exterior of Balthazar.

Katz's Delicatessen

205 E Houston St, New York, NY 10002

Katz’s has stood on the corner of East Houston and Ludlow streets since 1888, and the pastrami alone is a New York icon. The expansive, cafeteria-style dining room is almost always bustling, and diners have to know how to navigate the system. Get in line, remember to tip the slicer (they might give you an extra piece to snack on), and no matter what, don’t lose that ticket.

205 E Houston St, New York, NY 10002

Visit Website

The front of a sprawling corner store at night, with red neon letters that read “Katz’s Delicatessen” in capital letters. — Outside of Katz’s Delicatessen.

Lombardi's Coal Oven Pizza

32 Spring St, New York, NY 10012

Lombardi’s is the first pizzeria in New York City and, supposedly, the country. It relocated a few decades ago — from the home it had occupied since 1905 to a storefront down the block — but it’s still one of the city’s few coal-oven pizzerias. Go early or late to avoid the onslaught of tourists, and get a basic red or white pie.

32 Spring St, New York, NY 10012

Visit Website

Four employees in red shirts and white aprons work in a kitchen, behind them the words “1905 Lombardi” are etched into a tile wall — The interior of Lombardi’s.

Russ & Daughters Cafe

127 Orchard St, New York, NY 10002

This spinoff from Russ & Daughters offers deli classics like chopped liver, matzo ball soup, and potato knishes. The emphasis is on preserved fish, but the pastrami smoked salmon on a pretzel roll more than makes up for the the lack of actual pastrami. The serpentine space, cheerily decorated in white and powder blue, extends from Orchard to Allen streets, and seems as old as its original location.

127 Orchard St, New York, NY 10002

Visit Website

Russ & Daughters interior. — Russ & Daughters Cafe shows a vision of old-school NY.

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The Odeon

145 W Broadway, New York, NY 10013

Opened in the ’80s, the comely neon-lit Odeon “is a movie set that doubles as a restaurant,” according to a decades-old piece in Vanity Fair. Opened by Lynn Wagenknecht, her then-husband restauranteur Keith McNally, and his brother Brian, it’s still run by Wagenknecht (while Keith has gone on to open a restaurant empire). In spite of the many lives New York has lived since it opened in what was then remote Tribeca, the Odeon feels both of the ’80s and of the moment. Other plusses: No server will ask if you’ve dined here before. The dining room, usually crowded, is neither too loud nor too quiet. The music is a backdrop but not intrusive. And your Odeon burger, three-egg omelet, or croque monsieur will be as satisfying as you would hope.

145 W Broadway, New York, NY 10013

Visit Website

A bard with red stools, mirrors, and tables. — The bar at The Odeon

Bamonte's

32 Withers St, Brooklyn, NY 11211

A red-sauce stalwart of Brooklyn, Bamonte's has been open since 1902 and hasn’t been renovated since the 1950s. It’s said to have been a mobster hangout and still attracts plenty of Williamsburg old-timers. Don’t miss the baked clams or the pork chop topped with peppers, which Eater critic Robert Sietsema deems “the city's most perfect evocation of that dish.”

32 Withers St, Brooklyn, NY 11211

A red frame house is the setting for Bamonte’s, and an old man sits on a bench in front. — Customers gathered outside of Bamonte’s in Williamsburg.

Wo Hop

17 Mott St, New York, NY 10013

Wo Hop, founded in 1938, takes the distinction of the city’s second oldest Chinese restaurant. (Only Nom Wah Tea Parlor, started in 1920 and also on this list, is older.) Its longevity is due to both the reliability of its Chinese-American fare and the small, subterranean nature of the real estate it occupies. Try the massive platters of chicken chow mein, sweet-and-sour pork, subgum egg foo young, and beef chow fun. While the address listed here is considered the original Wo Hop, the street-level part of the restaurant is dubbed Wo Hop Next Door.

17 Mott St, New York, NY 10013

Visit Website

A bowl of congee set against a neon green background at Wo Hop. — A bowl of congee from Wo Hop.

Gottscheer Hall

657 Fairview Ave, Queens, NY 11385

Founded in 1924 when Ridgewood was a German immigrant enclave, Gottscheer represents a group of ethnic Germans who had previously lived under the Habsburg Monarchy in what is now Slovenia. This sturdy beer hall, which looks every year of its age, has a barroom open to the public where German and American beers are dispensed, and an agreeable but limited menu of sausages, goulash, pretzels, and cutlets is served. Don’t miss the potato pancakes.

657 Fairview Ave, Queens, NY 11385

Visit Website

A blue brick entrance with a bright blue awning. — Step through these doors into a century old German tavern.

Gage & Tollner

372 Fulton St, Brooklyn, NY 11201

Residing at this location since 1892, Gage & Tollner reigned until 2004, then reopened in 2021: That’s when Red Hook restaurateur St. John Frizell, along with husband-and-wife team Ben Schneider and Sohui Kim of Good Fork and Insa, shepherded the historic steakhouse into the present day with a menu of classics: steak and scalloped potatoes, pork potpie, clams casino with a dab of kimchee, former chef Edna Lewis’s she-crab soup, and plenty of pillowy Parker House rolls. Don’t miss the Sunken Harbor Club bar upstairs.

372 Fulton St, Brooklyn, NY 11201

Visit Website

An dining room with a fireplace at Gage & Tollner. — A dining room at the reopened Gage & Tollner.

Nathan's Famous

1310 Surf Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11224

Even if it’s since grown into a wide-reaching franchise, Nathan’s Famous remains a true New York institution. The Coney Island original opened in 1916, selling hot dogs for five cents. They cost more now, of course, and come in vegan varieties, but otherwise not much has changed about the experience of eating a cheap, greasy dog on the boardwalk.

Open in Google Maps