9. Sevilla Restaurant (1941)
Once a grocery store and Irish Tavern, 62 Charles Street now doles out paella. Sevilla Restaurant, which opened in 1941, is the oldest Spanish restaurant in New York City. In the 1930s, many Spaniards fled their country to escape the Spanish Civil War, a conflict between Spain’s fascist and nationalist parties during which approximately 200,000 people died. Many of these Spaniards settled in the West Village in the 1930s, leading to 14th Street and 8th Avenue’s reputation as “Little Spain.”
Sevilla Restaurant & Bar emerged during this era. In 1962, one of the restaurant’s chefs, Jose Lloves took over the restaurant from its original owners. By the next decade, Lloves brought on his brother Bienvenido Alvarez. The team of brothers still operates the restaurant. In 2015, Sevilla Restaurant & Bar won the James Beard Foundation’s America’s Classic award, given to locally owned restaurants with timeless features and quality food. The menu offers traditional Spanish dishes like paella, arroz con pollo, and an assortment of tapas.
Next, check out 7 of the Upper West Side’s Oldest Restaurants!
