No photo of this bar survives from the 2008 site.

Old Town Bar and Restaurant

45 E. 18th St. · btwn Broadway & Park
Grammercy, Manhattan

In 2026

Still pouring

Checked October 16, 2026.

Show on the map Directions See the 2008 page

Overview

Since 1892 this former speakeasy just north of Union Square has been pitching pints to punters of all stripes. Nightly a crowd spanning generations and socioenomics fills the booths and saddles up to the 50 foot mahogany bar.

History

Third name's the charm

Old Town began in 1892 as a German restaurant called Viemeister's¹. By 1920 it had been sold and renamed Craig's Restaurant¹. In 2009 we called it a former speakeasy; what's on record is that Craig's owners were concerned with surviving Prohibition¹. After Prohibition it changed hands again and was renamed Old Town Bar – Restaurant¹.

Larry liked the place so much that he began bartending there, and in 1985 he bought it¹. Gerard started behind the bar one night a week and took over for his father in 2007¹. Twice now, the way to the top at Old Town has run behind the bar¹.

It's still at 45 East 18th Street, where in 2025 it went before the city for a four-year roadway cafe². More than 130 years in, it wants seats in the street^{1, 2}.

Sources

Researched October 2026.

What's nearby

Craft under 0.1 mi Closed
Duke's 0.1 mi Closed
Flute 0.1 mi Closed; now LenLen
Kava Lounge 0.1 mi A different business is licensed at this address: Passerine
Tarallucci e Vino 0.1 mi Still pouring
Gramercy Tavern 0.1 mi Still pouring
No Idea 0.1 mi A different business is licensed at this address: By Antidote
Heartland Brewery (Union Sq) 0.1 mi A different business is licensed at this address: Barn Joo
Lillie’s 0.1 mi Still pouring
Union Bar 0.1 mi No license found in 2026