McSorley’s Old Ale House
Step onto the sawdust-covered floors of NYC's oldest saloon, where the order is simple: light or dark ale.
- Mon – Sat, 11:00 – 01:00 (+1); Sun, 12:00 – 01:00 (+1)
- Free Entry
- 15 E 7th St
- 4.7 (8870 reviews)
Description
Behind the swinging doors, the saloon preserves a gritty atmosphere of worn wood and a crowd standing at the counter, famously bypassing the convention of seats at the bar. The tables have hosted everyone from Abraham Lincoln to Woody Guthrie. It was also the center of a landmark civil rights fight, as attorneys Faith Seidenberg and Karen DeCrow took their case to the Supreme Court before women were finally allowed access in 1970. Today, the rules remain simple: the pub is strictly cash-only, and the house ale is served frothy in two glasses.
Good to know
Cash only