After nearly 80 years hidden from the public, a “secret” dining room at Katz’s Deli has reopened following a restoration. The Ludlow Room, a 68-seat space that once served generations of New Yorkers, opened Tuesday after being closed in 1949 and converted into a giant walk-in refrigerator amid postwar demand for deli meats. Restored to reflect its original appearance, the Ludlow Room features original tin ceilings and period-inspired lighting, as well as the same freight scale used to measure every pound of meat served at Katz’s for eight decades.
Katz’s was first established in 1888 at 207 East Houston Street, across from its current location on Ludlow Street. During the 1920s, construction of the IRT subway line, now the F train, prompted the deli to relocate to 205 East Houston Street.
For more than three decades, patrons gathered in the Ludlow Room, enjoying Katz’s famed pastrami and corned beef sandwiches through the Roaring Twenties, the Great Depression, and World War II. However, it later disappeared from public view and instead became an integral part of the deli’s operations.
“We’ve always said Katz’s is more than a deli, it’s a living piece of New York history,” Jake Dell, owner of Katz’s, said. “Reopening this room feels like uncovering a forgotten chapter of our own story.”
“For decades, this space helped support the demand that made Katz’s what it is today, but very few people ever got to see it,” he added. “Bringing it back to life is a way of honoring the generations before us while creating something new for the generations still to come.”
The space will offer additional seating during regular hours and also be available for private events.
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