Jean Georges Vongerichten’s historic restoration of the Tin Building last year returned the words South Street Seaport to the consciousness of hungry New Yorkers and visitors to the city looking for a place to eat.
While much of the heat in the neighborhood is generated by the nine tenants of Jean Georges’s bustling 53,000-square-foot marketplace, a couple independent newcomers have sprung up as well.
One of them — The Paris Café — is an historical landmark in its own right. Established in 1873 as the Meyers Hotel and Bar, the café in its time is said to have entertained Thomas Edison, Teddy Roosevelt, and Butch Cassidy (the real one). It closed twice — once after Superstorm Sandy swept through in 2012, then again at the height of the pandemic in 2020 — but now it’s back with a new menu and refurbished interiors.
Despite the name, the menu is best described as what used to be called “continental.” Pastas, sandwiches, and brunch items share menu space with French onion soup and steak frites. The Paris Café, 119 South Street, 646-846-6270.
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