Rathbones, Longtime Upper East Side Bar, Closes Permanently

UPPER EAST SIDE, NY — After nearly a half-century in business, the Upper East Side pub Rathbones will not survive the coronavirus pandemic, management announced this week.

"Today we regrettably announce the closure of our beloved Rathbones," reads Tuesday's post on the bar's Instagram.

"Since the onset of the pandemic almost a year ago we have weathered the storm but, as restrictions continue, we are unfortunately left with no choice."

The bar, on Second Avenue near East 88th Street, had been in business for 49 years, having first opened its doors in 1972, according to Rathbones' social media.

Described variously as an Irish pub, a sports bar or simply a neighborhood watering hole, Rathbones also served hamburgers, chili, chicken pot pie and other classic pub grub.

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Over the summer, Rathbones reopened for to-go service, dishing out drinks and food from a street-level window. But like so many other restaurants, a trickle of takeout orders was not enough to keep the business afloat — nor, apparently, was Gov. Andrew Cuomo's announcement that indoor dining could resume at 25 percent capacity on Valentine's Day.

"This was [an] UES institution. One of a kind neighborhood bar and my local watering hole," one user wrote on a Reddit post announcing the bar's closure. "A real gut punch to lose them."

At least 25 bars and restaurants have closed permanently in New York within the past month, according to a running list by Eater.

Rathbones could not immediately be reached for comment Friday.

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