Ear Inn
Bar & grill · SoHo
326 Spring St, New York, NY 10013
Highlights
Historic tavern serving classic bar bites & drinks since 1817
Historic tavern serving classic bar bites & drinks since 1817
"The Ear Inn is located in way, way far west Soho, practically in the Holland Tunnel. But it’s worth diverting over here to drink in this extremely old school spot with an extremely cool history (it used to be the home of an African-American revolutionary war veteran). Open since 1817, it’s arguably the oldest bar in New York - and happens to still be a very good one." - katherine lewin, hillary reinsberg
"The river was once just five feet from the door of this low-ceilinged, Hudson Square bar, and the eclectic nautical decor —oars here, a life jacket there—nods to the longshoremen who once frequented the place. One of them, Mickey, is said to still be here. Why is it called Ear Inn? To sidestep the bureaucratic headache of changing the landmarked facade, the owners just painted over part of the neon “BAR” sign. John Lennon, John Belushi, Paul Rudd James Brown, a Black Revolutionary War veteran, tobacconist, and possible aide to George Washington" - bryan kim, molly fitzpatrick, willa moore, will hartman, sonal shah
"New York classic haunts are undeniably fun, especially those that are allegedly haunted. One of the oldest taverns in New York, Ear Inn is reliable for a casual night out over martinis, burgers, and drawing on a paper tablecloth with crayons. And it still has the feeling of being a hardscrabble dive patronized by sailors from the piers just at the end of the street (or their ghosts)." - Emma Orlow
"Spooky score: ???????????? The river was once just five feet from the door of this Hudson Square building—in operation as a bar since 1817. As at McSorley’s, the walls bear layer upon layer of objects, which feel like the kind of personal effects you’d bring to a seánce. Many are nautically themed: a life preserver, a life jacket, some oars. The story goes that their resident ghost “Mickey” was a seaman in life. In death, he apparently harasses women, and takes sips from people’s drinks. The tables are covered in butcher paper, and patrons equipped with crayons. When we scrawled a greeting to Mickey, the EMF meter flashed orange—the highest rating we’d yet to observe. And then, when we tried to take a photo of it, our phone froze for a full minute. Our server, who claimed Ear Inn was “absolutely” haunted, told us she once had a guest who wanted to be moved to another table. That woman, who claimed to be a medium, sensed that something terrible had happened under the stairs—right where, as it happens, we were sitting." - molly fitzpatrick
"Established in 1817, the Ear Inn is one of the oldest bars in New York City. The building was originally built for James Brown, an African aide to George Washington during the Revolutionary War. When Brown died, the building was sold to Thomas Cooke, who sold home-brewed beer and whiskey to sailors and dockworkers. The brewery turned into a restaurant and bar around the turn of the 20th century and remains a bar that welcomes everyone – living or not. The Ear Inn has a reputation for housing some friendly spirits including “Mickey”, a sailor who is said to still be waiting for his ship to come in. Don’t forget to grab an Ear Inn ale, brewed specifically for the bar." - Laine Doss
