Peter McManus Cafe is a historic Irish pub at 152 Seventh Avenue at West 19th Street in Chelsea, Manhattan. Open since 1936, it is widely described as one of the oldest family-run bars in New York City and is known for its traditional wood-and-glass interior and long-standing place in the neighbourhood.
Peter McManus Cafe appears in Highlander (1986), Radio Days (1987), Keeping the Faith (2000), The Other Guys (2010), Seinfeld (1989–1998), Law & Order (1990– ), Saturday Night Live (1975– ), and Broad City (2014–2019). The pub itself highlights these productions in its own screen-history material, and it is especially well known as one of those real New York bars that often turns up as an authentic city location rather than a built set.
In Highlander (1986), Peter McManus Cafe is used in the scene where Connor MacLeod follows Brenda Wyatt to the bar after the Madison Square Garden sequence. The location is used directly as a Manhattan pub, giving that part of the film a grounded New York setting. The pub serves as the backdrop for an iconic bar sequence where Macleod follows Brenda to get a drink, famously ordering a double Glenmorangie.
In Seinfeld (1989–1998), Peter McManus Cafe appears in early exterior restaurant shots. It is used as one of the real New York façades seen in the series before the show settled fully into its better-known recurring visual routine. Elaine dumps Russell at the pub, and inadvertently convinces him to join Greenpeace. Later, Jerry meets TV Elaine here to discuss Elaine’s personality, and ends up kissing her.
In Law & Order (1990– ), Peter McManus Cafe is one of the many real Manhattan bars used to give the series its recognisable New York texture. The pub is regularly cited among the show’s real-life city locations.
In The Other Guys (2010) Peter McManus Cafe served as the setting for the iconic “lion vs. tuna” scene, chosen for its authentic 1930s-era aesthetic. The scene features Terry’s famous, comedic outburst of frustration over being a “lion” trapped in a cage while Allen claims to be a “tuna” that would hunt the lion. The Chelsea bar, known as the oldest family-run establishment in New York City, provided a gritty, old-school contrast to the film’s modern, white-collar crime plot.
Seinfeld (1989–1998)
Highlander
Highlander was shot across Scotland, England and New York. The Scottish flashback material used some of the country’s most recognisable landscapes.
Seinfeld
Seinfeld is inseparable from New York in tone, most of the series was filmed in Los Angeles. The series used real New York locations for key establishing shots.
The Other Guys
The Other Guys is tied to New York City, and the film uses a wide range of real locations across Manhattan and the surrounding boroughs to ground its comedy.
Empire Diner
Empire Diner appears in both film and television, including Manhattan, Home Alone 2: Lost in New York, Men in Black II, Law & Order, and many more.
Pete’s Tavern
Pete’s Tavern appears in Two for the Seesaw (1962), Seinfeld (1989–1998), Rounders (1998), Sex and the City (1998–2004), and several other productions.
Thomas Suffern House
Thomas Suffern House has appeared in I Am Legend (2007), where its exterior represents the fortified Greenwich Village home of Dr Robert Neville.
Joe’s Pizza
Joe’s Pizza appears in Spider-Man 2 (2004), Seinfeld (1989–1998), Along Came Polly (2004), and Sex and the City. It is most famous on screen from Spider-Man 2.
McSorley’s Old Ale House
McSorley’s Old Ale House has appeared in Once Upon a Time in America (1984), The Hard Way (1991), Rounders (1998), The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel and Dash & Lily.
Tacombi Nolita
Tacombi Nolita appears in The Jim Gaffigan Show (2015–2016). It is in Season 2, Episode 3, “Ugly,” and places the scene at 267 Elizabeth Street.
Times Square
Times Square has appeared in Midnight Cowboy, Taxi Driver, *batteries not included, Crocodile Dundee, Big, Vanilla Sky, I Am Legend, Enchanted, and many more.
Hotel Edison
Hotel Edison appears in The Godfather (1972), Seinfeld (1989–1998), Bullets over Broadway (1994), and Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) (2014).
The News Building
The News Building has appeared in Deadline – U.S.A., Emanuelle and the Last Cannibals, La via della prostituzione, Confessions of Emanuelle and Superman movies.
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