The 9 Best Classic Restaurants In NYC
April 3, 2013, 2:35 p.m.
New York's seen countless beloved old restaurants bite the dust, but in a city of constant change, it's comforting to know that some classic eateries are still keeping tradition alive.
New York's seen countless beloved old restaurants bite the dust, but in a city of constant change, it's comforting to know that some classic eateries are still keeping tradition alive. Here are a few of our favorites—we know you'll leave us yours in the comments:
PETER LUGER STEAK HOUSE: This South Williamsburg steakhouse has been a carnivore's mecca for a century and a quarter, serving up prime porterhouses paired with basic sides since 1887. They don't offer much of a menu, but you don't dine there for variety; Peter Luger's is about the steak, and that's what you're going to eat. They serve tender, hearty single steaks or steaks for two, three and four; appetizers include sliced tomatoes & onions drizzled with their special Luger's Own steak sauce, thick bacon, iceberg wedge salads and sides of creamed spinach, onion rings and German fried potatoes. Make a reservation well in advance, and bring a lot of Benjamins with you—Peter Luger's is cash only, and a dinner for two will easily set you back $200.
Peter Luger Steak House is located at 178 Broadway between Driggs Ave and South 6th Street in Williamsburg, Brooklyn (718-387-7400, peterluger.com).
DOMINICK'S: The Bronx's Arthur Avenue is lined with classic Italian delis and eateries, and this family-style Belmont spot is no exception. There's no real menu here; just ask the waiter for a few suggestions based on your tastes, and expect him to bring a few overflowing plates of basic Italian dishes like veal parmigiana, spaghetti and meatballs or spinach manicotti. And don't expect an intimate meal, here, either, since if you're with a small party, you'll end up being seated at a big table with strangers. It doesn't matter, you're all ordering the same thing, you're family now! Bring your kids, bring your friends...and bring cash, because Dominick's doesn't take credit cards either. A la famiglia!
Dominick's is located at 2335 Arthur Ave near 184th Street in the Bronx (718-733-2807).
The Bar Room at 21, decorated with toys donated by patrons over the years. (Katie Sokoler / Gothamist)
21 The first thing you should know about the 21 Club is that it's not a club. Anyone with cash or credit to burn can wander in off the street, and as of last year you don't even need to wear a tie. (Jacket is still required "for gentlemen.") The famous restaurant and bar, which survived numerous FBI raids during Prohibition thanks to a thick fake wall in the basement (here's a photo tour) is bending over backwards these days to make sure youths like you know its not some stuffy private club.
The current location, which fills multiple townhouses on West 52nd, opened in 1930, and it's still one of the most convivial places in town to tie one on. They recently opened a bar and lounge near the entrance which serves a limited food menu and cocktails, but for the real experience you'll want to get a table in The Bar Room, where some of the best scenes in Sweet Smell of Success were set. Chef John Greeley handles both classics and contemporary dishes with skill—an appetizer of Ahi Tuna Tartare with lightly pickled cucumbers, shiso, yuzu vinaigrette, “purple” taro root chips kicks ass—but they're not cheap; entrees quickly sail north of $30.
But while a cocktail may cost you $15, it packs the weight of two drinks served in most other pricey bars. We've discovered a couple of secrets to keep the bill down: if you make your reservation online via the restaurant's website, 21 gives you a complimentary cocktail for you and your guests to start things off. And if you're seated for dinner before 6:30, there's a not-outrageous-all-things-considered pre-theater prix fixe for $42. (John Del Signore)
21 is located at 21 West 52nd Street (212-582-7200)
KEENS STEAK HOUSE: Keens has been heralded as one of the city's best steak places, and for good reason. This 128-year-old Midtown spot was once frequented by actors, playwrights and producers fresh off the Herald Square theater scene, and they're still serving well-seasoned choice cuts to tourists and locals alike. The decor itself makes it worth a visit—Keens' walls are decked with pipes belonging to old-timey celebrities like Teddy Roosevelt, Babe Ruth and J.P. Morgan, all of whom were part of Keen's smoking club once upon a time. But the food is another animal: try the super-famous mutton chops ($48.50 each) or dive into a salted prime porterhouse for two ($96.50), and your taste buds will thank you.
Keen's Steak House is located at 72 West 36th Street between Fifth and Sixth Avenue in Midtown (212-947-3636, keens.com).
DELMONICO'S: There was a time when there was no such thing as a fine dining restaurant in America, at least not in the way we think of it. If you ate out, it was most likely at an inn where you took whatever grub they threw at you. All that changed in 1837, when the Delmonico brothers opened New York's first à la carte restaurant on 2 South William Street, favoring French cuisine, cloth-covered tables and a printed menu designed by the first "star chef." The locations and owners changed hands many times over the years, and the current iteration of Delmonico's has no connection to the original beyond the name and the luxurious location, which faithfully replicates the subdued grandeur of a bygone era.
The current owners recently expanded with another location in Hell's Kitchen, but the old spot on 2 South William Street (the restaurant lists it as 56 Beaver Street, but it's the same place) is worth a visit if you or your well-to-do benefactors are craving an old New York experience. They still serve some of the iconic dishes that made their world debut at the storied institution 175 years ago; try the extravagant Lobster Newburg or one of their signature steak dishes for a satisfying trip back in time.(Nell Casey)
Delmonico's is located at 56 Beaver Street in the Financial District (212-509-1144)
FERDINANDO'S FOCACCERIA: This homey Italian staple has over 100 years of experience under its belt, dishing out Sicilian specialties in gut-busting proportions on a tree-lined stretch of Union Street in Carroll Gardens. There are few places in the city you can find vastedda, a Sicilian style sandwich stuffed with spleen, ricotta and grated cheese on a homemade roll, and within Ferdinando's dark brick walls is one of them. Likewise, the fist-sized arancina are sure to satisfy, as will the pasta con sarde, which uses hand-canned sardines from owner Franceso Buffa. The restaurant's history is illustrated through framed reviews and pictures from Italy on the walls, and walking over the lovely tiled floor you can't help but wonder how many generations of New Yorkers made the same trek to visit this old-world restaurant. (Nell Casey)
Ferdinando's Focacceria is located at 151 Union Street in Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn (718-855-1545).
SAM'S: While some of the city's most iconic restaurants employ the white-glove service and votive candle motif, there's definitely something to be said for a good old checkered tablecloth joint. Enter Sam's, a Cobble Hill pizzeria that's been cranking out delicious pizzas, pastas and other Italian fare in a delightfully homey and casual setting since the '60s. Walking inside is a bit like stepping back in time, with framed posters depicting rocky shores, lots of wood paneling and lovely hand painted signage on the windows. Cozy up in one of the bright red leather booths, sip on a chilled Peroni and order an extra cheesy pizza with a side of nostalgia.
Sam's is located at 238 Court Street in Cobble Hill (718-596-3458).
DONOVAN'S PUB: Nestled in the heart of Woodside, Queens, Donovan's Pub claims to have the "best burgers in NYC." Anyone who has stepped foot inside a Shake Shack knows this is patently false, but sympathetic patrons reserve the same winking patience for Donovan's that they do their senile grandmother, whose tales of once being courted by a surprisingly aggressive FDR remain questionable at best. After all, the place has been on the corner of Roosevelt Avenue and 58th Street since at least 1966 and quite possibly forever, and its wood-paneled booths, personable Irish clientele and yes, mad decent burger, means that trying to correct the owners at this point would embody the very essence of teaching an old dog a new trick. (Lauren Evans)
Donovan's Pub is located at 57-24 Roosevelt Avenue in Woodside, Queens (718-429-9339)
BAMONTE'S: Williamsburg's vibrant Italian community has been largely sidelined by the hipster/condo influx over the past decade or two, but the century plus-old Bamonte's (it opened in 1900) is still kicking it from its spot right by the BQE. A meal there feels a little like walking into the set of The Godfather; the place is complete with tuxedoed waiters, white tablecloths, low-lit chandeliers and a decidedly old-school Brooklyn-Italian crowd. The food's not as fancy as some of Williamsburg's newer, hipper Italian eateries, but the classic pasta dishes are more than serviceable; try the homemade ravioli or rich fettucini alfredo, and you'll stay full for days.
Bamonte's is located at 32 Withers Street near Lorimer Street in Williamsburg, Brooklyn (718-384-8831)