About us

The most authentic Irish bar in New York City

Molly’s Pub and Restaurant Shebeen, which stands at 287 Third Avenue, was first established as a bar in 1895. During Prohibition (1920-1933), it operated as a grocery store, and in the mid-1930s, following the repeal of Prohibition, the retail space once again began to serve alcohol, and the building’s three upper floors became a rooming house for transient workers. The bar was constructed from Honduran mahogany.

In 1964 the business was purchased by the Purfield family from Dublin and Galway, designed by Stanley Franks in the Tudor style that exists today, and named Molly Malone's after a popular Irish folk song.

In 1991, Molly Malone's was taken over by Peter O'Connell from Co. Meath, who renamed it Molly's Shebeen (a shebeen is an illegal drinking establishment), serving traditional Irish and American pub fare to a loyal and much-appreciated Gramercy neighborhood.

About us

Molly’s Pub and Restaurant Shebeen, which stands at 287 Third Avenue, was first established as a bar in 1895. During Prohibition (1920-1933), it operated as a grocery store, and in the mid-1930s, following the repeal of Prohibition, the retail space once again began to serve alcohol, and the building’s three upper floors became a rooming house for transient workers. The bar was constructed from Honduran mahogany.