Erstwhile workingman’s bar in the West Village that became a refuge for writers and assorted bohemian types and labor rabble-rousers in the 1950s because the beer was cheap and the location convenient to where most of the clientele lived. Bob Dylan, Mary Travers, Hunter S. Thompson, Jack Kerouac, Allen Ginsberg, Joan Baez, The Clancy Brothers, James Baldwin, Jim Morrison and Norman Mailer all tippled here. The most-famous former patron now is the Welsh poet Dylan Thomas who became ill and died a few days after downing a record 18 straight whiskey shots there in 1953. A large photograph of Thomas hangs prominently in the bar to enshrine his memory.
This small but lively spot still retains its vintage neighborhood dive vibe even as it hosts hordes of literary tourists and visitors from around the world. Bottled and draft beers, classic cocktails and burgers are the standard fare. The Guinness is fresh.
Dylan Thomas is said to haunt the corner table where he used to sit.
The Happy Hour Guys reenact some of the famous – and infamous – moments from White Horse Tavern’s colorful past in this video:
567 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10014
212-989-3956
Photo: By Johndhackensacker3d – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0
