Light Horse Tavern served as a speakeasy through the Prohibition era and was named after Henry Lee III, a historical figure from the American Revolution, after it’s renovation in 2002. Light Horse Harry, as he was called, led the successful Battle of Paulus Hook in 1779 which helped to retain Jersey City as a stronghold for the Continental Army.

A wondrous restoration from the original 1850s structure, this Paulus Hook restaurant boasts oak-plank floors, pressed-tin ceilings, soaring windows, iron scrollwork and a long, mirrored mahogany bar all alongside a portrait of Light Horse Harry himself. And while the two-story main room is a frenzy of bustling, after-hours urban energy, the best place to eat is a more intimate balcony that overlooks the action.