Welcome to Bar of the Week, a running series from TV and City that highlights New York’s best spots for drinks, vibes, and just the right amount of chaos.
Each week, we spotlight one bar. Sometimes it’s a cozy cocktail lounge. Sometimes it’s a sprawling beer hall. Sometimes it’s a barely-marked door behind a fake hardware store. We don’t try to cover every bar in the city. Just the ones we actually go to. The ones we’d take a friend, a first date, or someone visiting who asks, “So where do you usually hang out?”
These aren’t curated for algorithms or chasing clout. They’re the bars that make up New York. One week at a time.
🏛️ Bar of the Week: Fraunces Tavern
📍 Location: 54 Pearl Street, Financial District
🚇 Nearest Subway: Bowling Green (4, 5), Whitehall St (R, W)
Vibe: A Revolutionary War–era tavern that doubles as a living museum and triples as one of the coziest, most character-rich pubs in the city.
🕰️ Why We Love It
Fraunces Tavern isn’t just old—it’s foundational. Opened in 1762, it’s widely considered the oldest bar in New York City and one of the most historically significant. This was a real meeting place for the Sons of Liberty. George Washington delivered his famous farewell to his officers here in 1783. And yes, it’s possible that Samuel Adams himself once raised a glass within these walls.
From the outside, the building seems modest, but once you’re inside, it feels endless. The layout is a labyrinth of interconnected rooms and bars, each with its own name and atmosphere. There’s the wood-paneled Independence Bar, the moody Dingle Whiskey Bar, and tucked-away nooks like Lafayette’s Hideout. It’s the rare kind of place where you could start the night in one room and end it somewhere else entirely without ever leaving the building.
Upstairs, the Fraunces Tavern Museum adds even more to the experience. You’ll find galleries filled with Revolutionary War–era weapons, portraits, handwritten letters, and exhibits that spotlight the early days of American politics. For any history buff visiting New York, this place should be a mandatory stop.
🥃 What to Order
Beer and whiskey are the way to go. The cocktail menu is perfectly fine, but this feels like a pint-and-a-pour kind of place. The whiskey list is extensive, and the rotating beer taps include both local brews and classic ales. There’s something delightfully poetic about drinking a Sam Adams in a place where the real Sam Adams may have actually been.
And while it’s tempting to imagine every suit inside just left the Stock Exchange down the block, the crowd here is a mix—Wall Street folks, tourists, neighborhood regulars, and the occasional group of reenactors during historical events.
🗽 Why It’s a TV and City Pick
Fraunces Tavern makes drinking in New York feel mythic. It’s not just about the beer or the bar snacks. It’s about being in a place where American history happened, where the lighting is warm, the walls are wooden, and the floorboards creak in a way that feels authentic, not curated. Whether you’re raising a glass to the Founding Fathers or just looking for a bar that doesn’t feel like every other one, this is a New York classic that earns the title.
TV and City 