About

Welcome to The Golden Swan, brought to you by restaurateur Matthew Abramcyk and Chef Doug Brixton. Housed in an iconic two-story townhouse, you will discover refined dishes and unique cocktails creating an unforgettable experience. Drop by to dine in the first floor Wallace Room where specialty cocktails and a la carte dishes are served in an intimate window-wrapped space. Venture up to The Dining Room with its warm golden hues to enjoy Chef Doug’s exciting take on classic French and Mediterranean flavors.

Chef Brixton’s cuisine, alongside The Golden Swan's in-house brand of hospitality, evoke the quintessential dining experience of Old New York while remaining both welcoming and approachable for all. The Golden Swan is sure to become a true New York institution for both casual drop-ins or special occasions.

Serving as a literal den of artists and thieves for over 130 years in Greenwich Village, the Golden Swan’s unique past made it ripe for a project showcasing its rich history and its new beautiful location at 314 West 11th Street.

The original Golden Swan opened sometime around the turn of the 19th century and its most notable proprietor was Thomas Wallace a member of the Hudson Dusters, an old New York street gang. Wallace was a blind prize fighter who put more men on canvas than Vincent Van Gogh.

The Golden Swan served the West Village’s bohemians, Irish street gangs, Ashcan artists, poets and authors for nearly 50 years. It was depicted in a John Sloan painting, and served as the inspiration for Eugene O’Neill’s bar in The Iceman Cometh, Harry Hope’s saloon.

Both Sloan and O’Neill were steadfast patrons, and considered fixtures no different from the barstools upon which they sometimes slept. Other Swan staples included the two bruisers Mr. Wallace kept at the door, Lefty Louie and John Bull, and the two pigs kept in the basement to get rid of the garbage, which occasionally served as their drinking buddies.

The bar was closed in the 1920s having felt the impact of prohibition, and later demolished to make way for the West 4th subway station. Its memory lives on at the Golden Swan Garden, a tiny park at its original location nearby on the corner of West 4th Street and Sixth Avenue.

Though the location and the neighborhood have changed quite a bit since Tom ran the joint, one thing remains the same: no one drinks for free unless they’ve got a good story to tell.