| Pearl Oyster Bar | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Restaurant information | |
| Street address | 18 Cornelia St |
| City | New York |
| State | New York |
| Postal/ZIP Code | 10014 |
| Country | United States |
| Coordinates | 40°43′53″N74°00′07″W / 40.73141°N 74.001995°W |
Pearl Oyster Bar was a restaurant located on Cornelia Street in the West Village neighborhood of New York City. [1] [2]
The restaurant opened in 1997 and closed in 2022. [3] [1] Pearl Oyster Bar was founded and run by Rebecca Charles. [3] The restaurant was forced to close temporarily due to 9/11 in 2001 and Hurricane Sandy in 2012. [4] The restaurant served takeout and had outdoor dining in 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic. [4] The restaurant closed temporarily after a server contracted COVID-19 in 2021. [4]
Pearl Oyster Bar's final day in operation was 29 October 2022. [5] Charles attributed the closure to rising expenses. [5] The restaurant Figure Eight now occupies Pearl Oyster Bar's former space. [6]
Pearl Oyster Bar has been credited with re-popularizing oyster bars in New York City. [7] [3]
The restaurant was referenced by the character Tony Soprano in "The Fleshy Part of the Thigh", a 2006 episode of the show The Sopranos . [8] James Gandolfini, the actor who portrayed Tony Soprano, ate at Pearl Oyster Bar after the episode aired. [1] Charles referenced the show's mention of the restaurant to Gandolfini, but Gandolfini did not remember the line. [1]
In a 1999 review for New York Magazine , Gael Greene praised the restaurant's lobster, but noted that the restaurant's compact size might prevent some from feeling "comfortable". [9]
Helen Rosner, in a review of the restaurant Penny published in 2024, referred to Pearl Oyster Bar as "well-missed". [10]
The restaurant was included in the Michelin Guide for New York City. [11] The restaurant was a semi-finalist for the 2014 James Beard Award for Outstanding Restaurant. [12]