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The basement Planters Tavern transports guests back to 1855, when it first opened as an underground bar and billiards hall frequented by Savannah's gentlemen. Patrons dine immersed in the architecture and atmosphere of 18th century Savannah brought to life by one of its earliest leading citizens. Over 250 years later, the mansion remains one of the premier illustrations of Georgian architecture in Savannah. The striking pink facade also rendered the mansion instantly recognizable in the local landscape, with the color chosen as a proud nod to Habersham's English heritage. In exploring the history of the Olde Pink House, we peel back the layers of this Southern icon to reveal its origins, illustrious inhabitants, and evolving identity across centuries at the heart of Savannah.
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With its pink stucco facade and white ornamental ironwork, the mansion emanates the elegance of 18th century life when it was first erected in 1771 for James Habersham Jr. Servants smoothly attended to every guest's needs and Mary Clay ensured the food and wine were of the finest quality. News of the Clays' parties often appeared in Savannah's society pages, further elevating the family's social status. Through meticulous restoration and devotion to regional cuisine, the restaurant has revived this aristocratic dwelling, allowing modern diners and history aficionados alike to step inside Savannah’s gilded past. Stepping into the Olde Pink House today, patrons can embark on a culinary journey through Savannah's regional fare thanks to the restaurant’s meticulous attention to heritage Southern cuisine.
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For over two centuries, the mansion has welcomed Savannah's elite through its doors, from the lavish parties of Habersham's era to the distinguished gentlemen's club operated out of the house in the 19th century. Through painstaking technique and time-honored family wisdom, the Olde Pink House kitchen channels history onto every plate. The kitchen’s expertise with these Satisfying coastal classics comes through in every bite. Yet preparation still remains faithful to the way grandmothers and great-grandmothers cooked throughout Savannah’s history. During this period, the mansion was less a family home or even hotel—it now bustled daily with patrons conducting business transactions and employees obediently working in their offices. The Habersham-Clay mansion led a utilitarian existence for many decades following Savannah's antebellum era.
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The food draws from regional tradition, but underneath the surface of fried green tomatoes and shrimp and grits lies a storied landmark that has watched over Savannah from Reynolds Square for nearly 250 years. Just as in 1771, the Olde Pink House remains a destination for those who seek to experience Georgian Savannah's splendor. The stately mansion surely felt livelier during the Clay's residency than in its previous incarnation as a more staid family estate for James Habersham Jr. But the Clays upheld the home's refined atmosphere, using its grand spaces as the backdrop for some of Savannah's most memorable early 19th century social events. Joseph's wife Mary was known as a consummate hostess who masterfully planned lavish dinners, musical evenings, and holiday balls in the mansion's spaces. Guests delighted in dancing the evening away in the grand first floor ballroom or discussing politics and business in the dining room over sumptuous meals.
Checking in with ... Sidra Sams - Savannah Morning News
Checking in with ... Sidra Sams.
Posted: Sat, 25 Sep 2010 07:00:00 GMT [source]
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The sauteed shrimp and scallops or the crispy fried lobster tail washes down well with a wine selection from their Arches Bar, and the Green Chile Bloody Mary will get you right after a long night. One of Savannah’s great culinary experiences, adjacent to the Planters Inn, this local institution remains extremely popular. The property itself dates way back to 1771, and is indeed covered in a layer of pink stucco. Today, diners can still experience that refined grace as they step inside the Olde Pink House restaurant and enjoy Southern cuisine in spaces that have hosted Savannah society since the city's settlement.
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Among the city’s most iconic historical treasures is the Olde Pink House restaurant, which has borne witness to Savannah society since 1771 within the elegant confines of an 18th century mansion. Despite the poor success rate of restaurants in Los Angeles, there are a good number that have lasted past their early buzz, through their prime and, despite recessions and depressions, are still going strong. Only two bars and the main floor will be open initially, but the general manager says more will follow in the weeks to come. When guests savor the cuisine, they take part in the continuing story of Southern food that fills this landmark with legacy.
As the Civil War plunged the nation into chaos, the grand house transitioned into more practical uses aligned with tumultuous times. The ornate brick and pink stucco edifice with its symmetrical layout exemplified the Georgian style then fashionable throughout the colonies. Arched windows flanked by columns, iron-railed balconies, and a signature white ornamental iron fence cast in Savannah all exuded an air of refinement.
The menu draws deeply from traditions and recipes perfected in local kitchens across generations. The Strongs filled the dining rooms with fine antiques and opened the restored cellar as a tavern. Their passion revealed the mansion's beauty once more, while retaining its 18th and 19th century character. This practical chapter, though far removed from the structure's original purpose, became an important part of the historic mansion's story and connection to Savannah's past. Footsteps, voices, and moving objects remind visitors that while the Olde Pink House offers a glimpse into the past, some aspects of its bygone eras may continue to inhabit the present day. Between the food, decor, and architecture, the senses pick up on the echoes of Georgian and antebellum life that still linger within the Olde Pink House.
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The kitchen fries the green tomatoes to perfection so diners can experience this Southern staple at its finest. Crisp fried green tomatoes offer another taste of regional delicacies transformed by the Olde Pink House into appetizing works of art. Dishes like the creamy shrimp and grits or silky she-crab soup allow diners to savor two of the Lowcountry’s quintessential flavors. With a vision to revive the mansion to its former elegance, the Strongs commissioned meticulous restorations of the original floorplan, doors, windows, and interior details. The banking offices situated upstairs in the former bedrooms, while the ornate dining and drawing rooms of the Clay family became the public-facing spaces for bank transactions.
The Olde Pink House (also known as The Pink House and, formerly, Habersham House) is a restaurant and tavern in Savannah, Georgia, United States. “For anyone who wants to come back and see it exactly as it was before the fire, you’re going to have to wait a few weeks. We wanted to get our staff back to work, so there will be some finishing touches that aren’t in place,” said Jeffress. Frommer's only recommends things we think you will enjoy and that will make your trip both authentic and unforgettable.
The appropriately-named Olde Pink House is easy to find, with its iconic shade of pink, right across from Reynolds Square. Located next to the iconic Planter’s Inn, this 18th-century Georgian mansion has the reputation for serving the best food in the city. Its entrée-quality appetizers include Cheerwine Barbeque Pork Sliders, blackened oysters on the half shell, and a pan seared jumbo crab cake with fried green tomatoes and remoulade sauce.
Sign up to unlock our digital magazines and also receive the latest news, events, offers and partner promotions. That’s what history deserves, that what’s the community deserves, and that’s what the many guests that are going to visit us in the future deserve,” said Jeffress. Exceptional local flavors thus converge within the historic rooms where Georgia's leaders once dined centuries ago.
At a time when Savannah society was flourishing, the Clay family used the house to host elegant soirees and entertainments befitting their station. Its brick walls, burled wood accents, and dim atmosphere evoke 19th century revelry, likely not so different from when city leaders and planners would discuss business over cards and whiskey. Standing stately in Reynolds Square, the Olde Pink House restaurant inhabits one of Savannah's finest examples of Georgian-style architecture.
Sturdy counters and railings were installed while the original delicate interiors were hidden away behind the pragmatic trappings of a Gilded Age bank. The mansion followed this trajectory when purchased in the 1870s by a consortium establishing a bank. Their tenure left an indelible mark during an important transitional period as Savannah evolved from provincial colony to refined American city. The house glittered with candlelight while well-dressed gentlemen and ladies conversed over cards or music. The parties perfectly reflected the sophistication and gentility of Savannah's elite in that era.
During Clay's tenure as mayor of Savannah from 1805 to 1806, he and his family took up residence in the mansion. As Savannah progressed into the 19th century, the stately Habersham house passed into the hands of prominent political leader Joseph Clay. With their low ceilings, fireplaces, and limited seating, they resemble the type of formal but cozy spaces where Georgia's early aristocracy would have entertained friends for elaborate dinners. As one tours the storied halls of the Olde Pink House today, it becomes easy to imagine the mansion as it was during Savannah's earlier days. The legacy of James Habersham is still honored through the surviving Habersham house, now the Olde Pink House restaurant.
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