Delmonico's • 1837

The institution that invented American fine dining opened its doors in 1827 as a Swiss pastry shop on William Street before transforming into the nation's first true restaurant a decade later. Delmonico's gave the world Lobster Newburg, Baked Alaska, Eggs Benedict, and the original Delmonico Steak — dishes created in its kitchens that defined an entire culinary era. Nearly two centuries later, presidents and power brokers still gather in the Financial District dining room where American gastronomy was born.