A New York Icon Returns to Midtown
Nearly a decade after closing its legendary Midtown location, Carnegie Deli is back on Seventh Avenue.
The New York institution reopens today at 834 Seventh Avenue at West 54th Street, just a short walk from its longtime former home. And in a particularly New York twist, the new location occupies the former home of Stage Deli — Carnegie's onetime rival in Midtown's famous pastrami wars.
First opened in 1937, Carnegie Deli became part of the fabric of Midtown, known for towering pastrami and corned beef sandwiches, cheesecake, bustling waiter service and walls covered with photographs of the celebrities who passed through its doors. The original Seventh Avenue restaurant closed at the end of 2016, leaving behind nearly eight decades of New York dining history.
The new restaurant is designed to bring much of that character back. The 110-seat dining room features wood-paneled walls, the familiar illuminated signage and the celebrated Wall of Fame, including original photographs and frames from the former restaurant. Seating remains decidedly old-school New York: walk-ins only, no reservations.
The classics are returning as well — pastrami and corned beef piled high on rye, knishes, matzo ball soup and Carnegie's famous cheesecake — alongside several new additions. The restaurant is being led by third-generation owner Sarri Harper, whose grandfather Milton Parker helped turn Carnegie Deli into an internationally recognized New York institution after taking it over in 1976.
For Midtown, the reopening is more than another restaurant opening. It's the return of a piece of old New York — this time in the very space once occupied by its greatest rival.
THE DETAILS
Carnegie Deli
834 Seventh Avenue at West 54th Street
Open daily, 11 a.m.–10 p.m.
Walk-ins only