SEINFELD FILMING LOCATIONS

There are tons of locations throughout New York City that Seinfeld fans will recognize! We cover the key sites in Midtown and the Upper West Side where Jerry Seinfeld and his friends George, Elaine, and Kramer found themselves in one hilarious predicament after the other.

On Location Tours features two different tours that bring fans to Seinfeld’s most famous locations: the NYC TV & Movie Tour and When Harry Met Seinfeld Tour. Here’s what you’ll see!

Al’s Soup Kitchen, the restaurant that inspired the infamous “Soup Nazi” episode is featured in both tours. The well-known character of the soup Nazi who is most known for yelling “No soup for you!” to both Elaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) and George (Jason Alexander) is actually based on Al, the true owner of the restaurant. Since being featured in Seinfeld popularity has exploded. Al’s Soup Kitchen is now a franchise, with several locations throughout the city.

Tom’s Restaurant played the part of Monk’s Cafe, the diner where the gang regularly gathered. The interior scenes of the diner were filmed on set in California, but the bright red and blue “Restaurant” sign outside the diner will be familiar to fans. Tom’s Restaurant was also the locale of Suzanne Vega’s 1987 song “Tom’s Diner.” Loyal Seinfeld fans will get an incredible photo-op on our When Harry Met Seinfeld Tour.

H&H Bagels: “The Strike” 1997

It turns out Kramer did have a job, but had apparently been on strike for 12 years. Since minimum wage had finally caught up to the workers demands – the strike ended and Kramer headed back to work at H&H Bagels. When he asks for the 23rd of December off and doesn’t get it, he goes on strike again. H&H Bagels is now closed, but once produced 80,000 bagels day – no thanks to Kramer.

Barney’s New York: “The Secretary” 1994

Elaine shops at Barney’s where she buys a dress on sale, but once she takes it home and sees herself in her own mirror, she thinks Barney’s was using “skinny mirrors” to trick their customers. Elaine goes with Kramer to return the dress, but discovers she can’t return it after wearing it outside. Madison Avenue, known as the “fashionable road,” is the home to the stores of several well known fashion designers like Carolina Herrera, Chloe, Donna Karan, Armani, and Versace. Guests on the NYC TV & Movie Tour will pass right by the famous store – but will have to inspect the mirrors another time.

Gray’s Papaya: “The Movie” 1992

Kramer and Elaine head to the movies – which of course sounds simpler then it was. Desperate for a treat that isn’t a “movie hot dog” Kramer heads across the street (from the current AMC Loews) to Gray’s Papaya for what he deems is a hot dog “better than filet mignon.”

Other Seinfeld Locations Not Featured on Our Tours

Roosevelt Hospital: “The Bris” 1993

This is the location where Jerry and Elaine nervously participate in the circumcision of their godchild, and where Kramer discovers the infamous “Pig Man,” Charles Levin, guest stars as the rabbi in this episode and accidentally circumcises Jerry’s finger. Roosevelt Hospital is also notable as the sight of John Lennon’s death.

Champagne Video (Now Closed): “The Comeback” 1997

Elaine and Kramer go to Champagne Video to rent movies. There is a section where the employees at the store offer their suggestions of the week, and Elaine is partial to Victor’s movie choices. Victor ends up calling Elaine on the phone and she becomes romantically interested in him. One day when Kramer persuades Elaine to rent a “Gene pick” instead, Victor mails Elaine the “play” button from his VCR and terminates the relationship. After Elaine apologizes, Victor finally agrees to meet with her at his apartment if she brings vodka, cigarettes, and fireworks. When Elaine arrives she is greeted by Victor’s mother, because Victor turns out to be 15 years old. Elaine then takes the vodka out of the bag and leaves.

* In an effort to stay current, we are constantly updating our tours with new locations and cannot guarantee the presence of locations mentioned on our site. If you have a particular interest in locations from a specific TV show or movie, please let your tour guide know and we will do our best to accommodate your request.