Hurley’s Saloon
M-Sa 11:30am-4am; Su 11:30am-3am
Stepping inside, I initially had no idea of this saloon’s storied past. Originally opened in 1892 on Sixth Avenue and 49th Street, Hurley’s Saloon is considered one of the oldest restaurants in New York City, and has been serving its traditional Irish pub food for over one hundred years. We were told that in its day, due to its close proximity to NBC, Hurley’s was the hangout spot for TV and radio personalities and counted Jack Paar, and Johnny Carson among their regulars, as well as Henry Kissinger and Howard Hughes.
When the area was being bought out to build Rockefeller Center, owner Adrien Barbey resisted, forcing the real estate developers to build around Hurley’s. In 1999, however, the pressure to move forced Adrien and his son Paul to reconsider. Closing Hurley’s doors was a difficult decision, but a year later they reopened their saloon in its current three-story location. Now retired in Florida, Adrien had a long run at Hurley’s and today Paul, along with two other partners, are keeping the restaurant alive. Although the saloon is now at a distance from NBC and their old TV crowd, the bar on the ground floor, dining tables on the second, and private rooms and a patio on the top level all continue to attract others in the Times Square area, while maintaining the Irish tradition.