White Horse Tavern Café / Historic Bar / Restaurant

West Village, New York –

Built in 1880 and frequented by 1950s literary greats like Mailer, Ginsburg, and Kerouac, the White Horse Tavern still attracts the artistically inclined denizens of the West Village.

Both day and night, would-be writers and college students settle into faded red-cushioned booths to scribble away, perhaps inspired by the paintings of white horses or even the creaky chairs and rustic décor that haven’t changed much since the days when the Beat writers made this pub their second home.

Regulars line up at the bar to argue passionately about everything from the televised sports being broadcast above the bar to the latest Pynchon novel, while patrons looking for more privacy slip into the two comfy dens looking onto Hudson street, the first watched over by a portrait of poet Dylan Thomas, who famously died after a whiskey-soaked visit to the Tavern.

Once the weather turns balmy, the outdoor patio fills with passersby stopping in for burgers and beer, or by aspiring creative types who descend on weekends to chat each other up to a soundtrack of rock tunes from the jukebox.

Although it never gets overly rowdy these days, White Horse Tavern is a great stop for visitors who want to pay homage to the bar’s rich history of literary debauchery in what is still a comfy, stimulating atmosphere.