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Pete’s Tavern sits on a classic Manhattan corner—East 18th Street at Irving Place—serving as both a neighborhood hangout and a living piece of New York City history.
According to the restaurant, the building (built in 1851) originally housed the Portman Hotel, and the first drinking establishment on the site was founded in 1864 as a “grocery and grog store.”
Pete’s Tavern also describes itself as New York City’s oldest continuously operating restaurant and bar.
Pete’s says the business was purchased in 1899 by Tom and John Healy and became Healy’s Café. In 1922, it was sold to Peter D’Belles—after which the name Pete’s Tavern has remained.
Part of Pete’s reputation comes from what it says has stayed the same inside: the forty-foot rosewood bar, the decorated back bar, the tin ceiling, and the tile floor are described as original fixtures in place since 1864. Pete’s also says the booths in the bar room—and the cabinets above them—have been there since the restaurant was founded.
Pete’s Tavern ties its story to writer William Sydney Porter, known as O. Henry. The restaurant says O. Henry—described as a neighborhood regular—wrote “The Gift of the Magi” in 1903 while sitting in the second booth. Pete’s also notes he lived nearby at 55 Irving Place from 1903 to 1907 and mentioned “Healy’s” in his short story “The Lost Blend.”
Pete’s describes what happened during Prohibition this way: it was disguised as a florist with fresh flowers and signs outside, and patrons who “were in the know” entered through a side door and were escorted through a “dummy refrigerator door,” with hinges the restaurant says are still intact.
Pete’s adds that after Prohibition was repealed on December 5, 1933, the florist signs came down and the business remained open.
Pete’s all-day menu runs from bar-friendly starters to hearty mains. Appetizers include Rhode Island–style calamari, fried zucchini chips, thin crust pizza, and O. Henry chicken wings.
For mains, the menu lists dishes like chicken pot pie, fish & chips (cod fried in “Pete’s Ale batter”), and shepherd’s pie, alongside Italian-American staples such as eggplant parmigiana and chicken parmigiana served with spaghetti pomodoro. There are also burgers and sandwiches, including the Gramercy Burger and a plant based Beyond Burger.
On draft, Pete’s lists house beers like Pete’s 1864 House Ale and Pete’s “Easy” Light Lager, alongside well-known options including Guinness Stout and Brooklyn Lager.
The cocktail list includes classics and house builds such as a Manhattan, Pete’s Old Fashioned, and an Espresso Martini, plus seasonal warm drinks like a hot toddy and mulled wine, and a house egg nog offered in virgin and spirited versions.
Pete’s Tavern
129 East 18th Street (At Irving Place)
New York, NY 10003
Website: petestavern.com