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Number 8 of 20 in New York

P.J. Clarke's

When the block was cleared for a tower of forty-seven floors, the owners of P.J. Clarke's would not sell. The tower was built round the saloon, which is still there, two floors of red brick on the corner.

What it is
Saloon
Opened
1884
Area
Midtown East
Nearest museum
The Museum of Modern Art, 850 m

New York this week

    What P.J. Clarke's is known for

    1. The hamburger

      Nat King Cole called the bacon cheeseburger here the Cadillac of burgers in the 1950s, and the house has sold it under that name ever since.

    2. The bar

      A long mahogany bar under a pressed-tin ceiling, little changed in a century. Johnny Mercer is said to have written One for My Baby on a napkin at it.

    3. The back room

      The dining room behind the bar, with red-checked tablecloths. Buddy Holly proposed to his wife here, a few hours after they met.

    What to know

    • A saloon since 1884
    • Named for Patrick J. Clarke, the Irish barman who bought it
    • Ten minutes' walk from MoMA

    Where P.J. Clarke's is

    Address

    915 Third Avenue
    New York, NY 10022, United States

    Nearest station

    Lexington Avenue/53rd Street (E, M) or 51st Street (6)

    Museums and sights nearby

    Distances are in a straight line from the restaurant.

    The holdout on Third Avenue

    Patrick Clarke came from Ireland, was taken on as a barman at the start of the twentieth century, and after about ten years bought the place and put his name on it. It was a neighbourhood bar under the elevated railway until the railway came down and the offices arrived.

    It is one of the oldest restaurants in the city to have traded without a break.

    P.J. Clarke's: common questions

    Where is P.J. Clarke's?
    At 915 Third Avenue, in Midtown Manhattan, New York. The nearest station is Lexington Avenue/53rd Street (E, M) or 51st Street (6).
    Which museums and sights are near P.J. Clarke's?
    The Museum of Modern Art is 850 m away, Central Park is 1.7 km away, Empire State Building is 1.9 km away. Distances are in a straight line from the restaurant.
    What is P.J. Clarke's known for?
    The hamburger, The bar, The back room. A two-storey brick saloon of 1884 left standing at the foot of a skyscraper on Third Avenue, known for its hamburger and for the singers who drank at its bar.
    When did P.J. Clarke's open?
    In 1884. A saloon since 1884.

    What visitors say about P.J. Clarke's

    Rating from Google

    4.5

    3,616 ratings on Google

    Google's figures as read on 7 October 2026.

    Read every review on Google

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