A Goodfellas Night Out

A self-guided evening in old Little Italy: the church from The Godfather's baptism, a bar from The Sopranos, cannoli since 1892 and a clam-house dinner, plus the real Goodfellas sets for another night.

Distance: ~0.8 km (0.5 mi)
Time: about 3.5 hrs
Stops: 6
Effort: easy

Distance and timing are editorial estimates along the suggested streets, not a live routing calculation — treat them as a generous guide.

A man in a dark suit at a café table in a dim old-fashioned room, in black and white — Envato Elements

Why pay for a tour? This one you can take at your own pace. Start where the old neighborhood starts, at Manhattan's first cathedral, and walk south down Mulberry Street the way it has been walked for more than a century: past a famous old social club, into a bar the movies keep borrowing, through a pastry shop that opened for opera fans in 1892, and on to a clam house with a notorious past.

This is film history and old New York, not a celebration of anyone's crimes; where the real history is dark, we tell it in a sentence and move on. The actual Goodfellas locations are scattered across Queens and Midtown, so they are listed at the end for another evening, led by the Woodhaven tavern where the film's bar scenes were shot.

1
Basilica of St. Patrick's Old Cathedral~20 min
Begin at Manhattan's first cathedral, finished in 1815. The baptism scene in The Godfather was filmed inside; it is a working church, so step in quietly if the doors are open, and walk the old churchyard wall along Mulberry Street.
Manhattan's first cathedral, from 1815, and the church where The Godfather's baptism scene was filmed.
2
247 Mulberry Street~5 min
A plain storefront between Prince and Spring Streets that was once the Ravenite Social Club, John Gotti's headquarters in the 1980s, where FBI wiretaps recorded the conversations that helped convict him. It is a shop now; look from the sidewalk and keep walking.
3
Mulberry Street Bar~30 min
Stop for a drink in the old bar where scenes for Donnie Brasco and The Sopranos were filmed. Early evening is the easiest time to get a stool.
The century-old Mulberry Street bar seen in Donnie Brasco and The Sopranos.
4
Ferrara Bakery & Cafe~25 min
Turn left on Grand Street for an espresso and a cannoli at the café that opened in 1892 so opera fans had somewhere to go after the show.
Little Italy's pastry-and-espresso stop since 1892, family-run for five generations.
5
Mulberry & Hester Streets~5 min
Back on Mulberry, the corner at Hester Street is where Umberto's Clam House first stood; Joey Gallo was shot there in April 1972. Da Gennaro has the corner now.
6
Umberto's Clam House~90 min
End with dinner across the street at today's Umberto's: clams to start, then pasta. Book ahead on weekends.
The Mulberry Street clam house with the most notorious history in Little Italy, still serving seafood and pasta.

Beyond the walk

For another evening

Neir's Tavern, Woodhaven
The must-do. Goodfellas filmed its bar scenes here, including the post-heist Christmas party and Frankie Carbone's fur coat, and the walls are full of memorabilia. Make it a dinner at the bar.
J to 75 St–Elderts Ln
Jackson Hole, Astoria Boulevard
The chrome 1950s diner, then the Airline Diner, where Henry and Tommy steal their first truck. Order a burger and a shake in a booth.
M60-SBS or Q19 along Astoria Blvd
10 East 60th Street
The site of the Copacabana, home of the film's famous one-take walk through the kitchen to a table by the stage. The club is long gone; take a look from the sidewalk on your way to Central Park.
N/R/W to Fifth Av–59 St
Sparks Steak House
A family-run Midtown steakhouse since 1966, and the place where Paul Castellano was killed in 1985. Today it is simply a classic place for a steak dinner.
4/5/6/7/S to Grand Central–42 St
Rao's
East Harlem's legendary ten-table dining room, open since 1896 and famously almost impossible to book.
Bamonte's
A Williamsburg red-sauce room since 1900, with tuxedoed waiters; it turned up in The Sopranos.

Practical tips

Reserve dinner at Umberto's on weekends; walk-ins are easier on weeknights.
Old St. Patrick's is a working parish: dress respectfully and don't photograph services.
247 Mulberry Street is a private shop today; look from outside.
Prefer a steak? Swap dinner for Sparks Steak House in Midtown, listed below.

Editorial draft — core details last reviewed October 26, 2026. Confirm practical details with the official site before you go.