{"id":148323,"date":"2026-02-28T13:10:05","date_gmt":"2026-02-28T13:10:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/148323\/"},"modified":"2026-02-28T13:10:05","modified_gmt":"2026-02-28T13:10:05","slug":"manhattans-oldest-italian-restaurant-to-close-after-120-years-remarkable-journey-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/148323\/","title":{"rendered":"Manhattan\u2019s oldest Italian restaurant to close after 120 years: \u2018Remarkable journey\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Barbetta<\/p>\n

Barbetta closing<\/p>\n

Manhattan\u2019s oldest Italian restaurant is about to serve its final meal.<\/p>\n

After 120 years on West 46th Street\u2019s Restaurant Row, Barbetta will close its doors tomorrow, Friday, Feb. 27.<\/p>\n

The decision to shutter the eatery, which is also the longest-running family-owned restaurant in the city, comes after the death of longtime owner Laura Maioglio<\/a>. She ran the institution until she passed away last month at age 93.<\/p>\n

\"Barbetta<\/p>\n

Barbetta is permanently closing on Feb. 27. Barbetta \/ Instagram<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n

The restaurant was recognized as a historic establishment by Locali Storici d\u2019Italia. Barbetta \/ Facebook<\/p>\n

\"Elegant<\/p>\n

Elegant pastas, risotti and seasonal white truffles were signature dishes at Barbetta. Barbetta<\/p>\n

\u201cWith heavy hearts, we share that following the passing of Ms. Laura Maioglio, the heart and soul of Barbetta, the restaurant will conclude its remarkable journey, with our last day of service on Friday, February 27,\u201d the restaurant shared in a farewell message on its website<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Barbetta was founded in 1906 by Maioglio\u2019s father, Sebastiano, and her uncle, Vincenzo.<\/p>\n

Originally named The Maioglio Brothers, the restaurant was located on 39th Street, and quickly became known for serving good food at good prices to patrons of the old Metropolitan Opera, located down the street.<\/p>\n

In the 1920s, after Vincenzo\u2019s death, Sebastiano moved the eatery to its current location on 46th Street, where it was renamed Barbetta.<\/p>\n

The restaurant is spread across four adjoining 19th-century brownstones, which were originally built by the Astor family and rented to wealthy ship merchants.<\/p>\n

Sebastiano bought the houses from the Astor family in 1925 for $250,000 to take advantage of the burgeoning theater business in Times Square.<\/p>\n

The sale came 13 years after Astor patriarch John Jacob IV died aboard the Titanic.<\/p>\n

\"One<\/p>\n

One of the private upstairs dining rooms at Barbetta is pictured. Maioglio preserved most of the original Astor interiors Barbetta \/ Facebook<\/p>\n

\"Barbetta<\/p>\n

Barbetta stood out for its flourishing garden patio, which was built in 1963. Barbetta \/ Facebook<\/p>\n

Laura Maioglio took over the restaurant from her father in 1962, turning its interior into an elegant Piedmontese palazzo, importing antique chandeliers, and furniture from grand villas near Turin, Italy.<\/p>\n

Upstairs, she preserved most of the original Astor interiors, which were used as private dining areas. Patrons were charmed by the marble fireplaces, parquet floors and original doorknobs with peephole hinges from the 1880s.<\/p>\n

At the time, regional Italian cuisine was not a trend in New York, and Americans associated Italian food with rustic joints full of red sauce \u2014 but Barbetta\u2019s food garnered just as much buzz as its elevated interiors.<\/p>\n

The restaurant built its reputation on consistency and tradition, specializing in Piemonte cuisine from the northwestern Italian region, where the Maioglio family originated.<\/p>\n

Elegant pastas, risotti and seasonal white truffles were signature dishes \u2014 with the restaurant even sourcing truffles through its own hunters and truffle hounds<\/a> in Italy for some years, extremely unusual at the time.<\/p>\n

The wine cellar at Barbetta also introduced many American patrons to Piedmontese wines such as Barolo and Barbaresco long before they became wine list staples.<\/p>\n

\"Barbetta\u2019s<\/p>\n

Barbetta\u2019s owner Laura Maioglio is pictured in the 2000s. NEW YORK POST<\/p>\n

Barbetta also stood out for its flourishing garden patio, which was created in 1963 and was among the first open-air dining spaces in Manhattan outside of Central Park. The garden eventually became one of the city\u2019s most highly coveted summer dining reservations.<\/p>\n

The restaurant survived more than a century of New York\u2019s ups and downs, weathering the wild times of the 1970s and 80s as nearby Times Square turned into the city\u2019s center of sleaze.<\/p>\n

The Guardian Angels patrolled Restaurant Row, with Maioglio saying pimps and prostitutes stayed on Eighth Avenue and never bothered her customers.<\/p>\n

Her business continued to thrive, becoming an institution in the Theater District, drawing in Broadway stars, opera performers, artists and politicians.<\/p>\n

The Post penned an ode to Barbetta back in 2015<\/a>, and interviewed Maioglio herself<\/p>\n

The owner dished on celebrity diners, including Elizabeth Taylor, who regularly ate there during her 1983 Broadway run in \u201cPrivate Lives\u201d at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre.<\/p>\n

\"Actor<\/p>\n

Actor Dustin Hoffman and musician Sting attend the performance party for \u201cMerchant Of Venice\u201d on December 8, 1989 at Barbetta. Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images<\/p>\n

\"Paul<\/p>\n

Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward attend a party at Barbetta in 1989. Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images<\/p>\n

\u201cShe ate huge meals before the performance!\u201d Maioglio told The Post.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, Madonna was a regular until a sommelier tried to take her picture and the pop star threw a cup of espresso at him.<\/p>\n

More diva drama ensued when singer Toni Braxton hosted a family event in the private dining rooms upstairs. A fight broke out and one of the original Astor doors was damaged. Braxton paid for repairs, per Maioglio.<\/p>\n

The eatery was also featured in films such as \u201cArthur,\u201d with Dudley Moore, \u201cBasquiat,\u201d with Jeffrey Wright and \u201cAlice\u201d with Woody Allen.<\/p>\n

Allen became a regular at the restaurant, as did Dustin Hoffman, Robert De Niro, Tina Brown, and Bill and Hillary Clinton.<\/p>\n

\"Laura<\/p>\n

Laura Maioglio pictured in Barbetta\u2019s backyard patio in 2015. Kristy Leibowitz<\/p>\n

\"Katie<\/p>\n

Katie Couric and Dame Helen Mirren attend a special luncheon hosted by Tina Brown, Diane Von Furstenberg, and Pamela Thomas-Graham at Barbetta in 2015. Stephen Lovekin<\/p>\n

Former New York Post gossip columnist Liz Smith hosted her 60th birthday party there, with guests including Barbara Walters and Calvin Klein.<\/p>\n

And while Barbetta was an institution in New York, it made its mark far beyond the Big Apple.<\/p>\n

The restaurant was recognized as a historic establishment by Locali Storici d\u2019Italia<\/a> \u2014 the first restaurant in the US to receive the distinction.<\/p>\n

In Barbetta\u2019s farewell message, the restaurant invited guests to visit until its closing, and they shared that many bottles from their wine cellar are being offered at half of their listed price.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was Laura\u2019s wish that guests continue to gather here in the spirit she cherished, and we invite you to join us during this final month to celebrate the food, wine, and memories that have defined Barbetta for generations,\u201d the restaurant said.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn that spirit, we are sharing our extensive wine cellar, with bottles listed at $200 and above offered at half their listed price. Thank you for being part of our story.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Barbetta closing Manhattan\u2019s oldest Italian restaurant is about to serve its final meal. After 120 years on West…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":148170,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[35],"tags":[62124,62123,75,84,83,9,24,63,1302,62125],"class_list":{"0":"post-148323","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-manhattan","8":"tag-barbetta","9":"tag-laura-maioglio","10":"tag-manhattan","11":"tag-manhattan-headlines","12":"tag-manhattan-news","13":"tag-new-york","14":"tag-new-york-city","15":"tag-nyc","16":"tag-restaurant","17":"tag-white-truffles"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/148323","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=148323"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/148323\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/148170"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=148323"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=148323"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=148323"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}