Harry’s is part of a series of tidbits from the chapters of my book Bars, Taverns and Dives New Yorkers Love, published by Rizzoli. You can order it from Powell’s, Amazon, Rizzoli, and Barnes & Noble. Signed prints of all the bars in the book are available here.
Harry’s is a classic downtown New York steakhouse, opened by Greek immigrant and host supreme Harry Poulakakos in 1972, now owned by his son, Peter and his partners. It sprawls throughout the garden level of India House, a private club founded in 1914 by a group of businessmen headed by US Steel’s James A. Farrell. The café side of Harry’s is the Wall Street bar you’d picture in your head—all wood and leather, brass and glass—even if you’ve never set foot in New York. It feels strong and secure and confident.
After work, the bar at Harry’s is a scene, with a lot of well-dressed financial types (mid-30s to late-60s) casually enjoying rich after work snacks like lobster-stuffed mushrooms, steak tartar on toast, and vast platters of shrimp and oysters on cracked ice, all paired with potent drinks served in no-bullshit, straight-walled glasses and some very fine wines from Poulakakos’s extensive personal cellar. Now, you could be thinking, Oh, I see. A money-guy bar. Whoop-de-doo. Too expensive. Not my bag, etc. And I get that, but I like Harry’s. I really do. I feel good when I go there, as do a lot of others, so just… reconsider your prejudices, there, Swifty.
When to go to Harry’s:
Tuesday through Thursday after Wall Street’s 4 p.m. closing bell till about 7 p.m.
Where to sit at Harry’s:
Dead center at the long bar, facing the windows of post-work commuter frenzy as they scurry to trains, ferries and cars, while you casually sip a cocktail, munch shrimp cocktail, and, watching the folly outside, chuckle dryly to yourself.
What to drink at Harry’s:
Get the classic, New Yorker cartoon, post-work, Wall Street beverage of choice: a Martini. An ice cold, amply garnished Harry’s Martini. Give that a little time to process, then order an Old Fashioned, another traditional businessman’s dietary staple.
Next up:
Harlem Tavern, one of the finest post-church brunch spots/football bars in all of NYC, and another chapter of my book Bars, Taverns and Dives New Yorkers Love, which you can order right here. Limited-edition signed prints of the bars are available here.