Harry's New York Bar
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The original Harry's New York Bar is located at 5 rue Daunou between the Avenue de l'Opéra and the Rue de la Paix in Paris, France. In 1911, it was acquired by former American star jockey Tod Sloan who converted it from a bistro and renamed it the "New York Bar." [1] At the time, American tourists and members of the artistic and literary communities were beginning to show up in Paris in ever-increasing numbers and Sloan hoped to capitalize on his fame and make the place a spot where expatriates would feel at home. His bar did become a popular spot for members of the American Field Service Ambulance Corps during World War I. However, financial problems from Sloan's overspending on a lavish personal lifestyle forced him to sell the bar and in 1923 it would be acquired by Harry McElhone who would be responsible for making it into a legendary Parisian landmark and one of the most famous bars in the world.
Over the years, Harry's New York Bar was frequented by a number of famous American expatriates and international celebrities such as Knute Rockne, Sinclair Lewis. Ernest Hemingway, Bill Tilden, Coco Chanel, Jack Dempsey, Primo Carnera, Ramon Novarro, Aly Khan, Rita Hayworth, Humphrey Bogart, and even the Duke of Windsor occasionally showed up.
The "Ivories" Piano Bar at Harry's is where George Gershwin composed An American in Paris.
Harry's New York Bar is the birthplace of classic cocktails such as the Bloody Mary and The Monkey Gland[2].
Harry's was also mentioned in the fiction novel, American Psycho, by Bret Easton Ellis where the main character, Patrick Bateman, often patronizes with his colleagues.[3]
[edit] References
- ^ Sturges, Preston. - p. 195, Preston Sturges by Preston Sturges: His Life in His Words. (1990). Simon & Schuster. ISBN 0-671-67929-5.
- ^ Rob Chirico, Field Guide to Cocktails p. 66 and 189, 2005 by Quirk Productions. ISBN 1-59474-063-1
- ^ Ellis, Bret E. American Psycho. New York: Vintage Books, 1991. 86-92.
