Dinner
Pub Dinner and Drinks
Irish pub fare, extensive beer and whiskey list. The tiger-oak and Honduras mahogany front bar dates to 1936 and is one of the oldest continuously operating bars in Saratoga Springs.
- Duration:
- 1.5 hr
Photo coming soon
Haunted Dining / Bar
The Parting Glass
Long-running Irish pub and music venue in a 1926 building previously known as Rocco's Royal Spring Grill, with a tiger-oak front bar built in 1936 and reports of two resident spirits.
40-42 Lake Avenue, Saratoga Springs, NY 12866
Wheelchair Accessible
Research-Backed · 6sources
Age
21+
Cost
$$
Pub menu and bar service; live music tickets when scheduled.
Access
Wheelchair OK
Ground-floor pub interior with some stair access to the back music room.
Equipment
Photos OK
Est. 1926 · Oldest Continuously Operating Bar in Saratoga Springs · 1936 Tiger-Oak Front Bar · Prohibition-Era Tavern Architecture · Saratoga Live-Music Heritage
The Parting Glass operates at 40-42 Lake Avenue in a building constructed in 1926 to house Rocco's Royal Spring Grill, an Italian restaurant opened by Lou Rocco. The building was named for a mineral spring that ran beneath the property, characteristic of downtown Saratoga Springs. Rocco's served Italian cuisine and thin-crust pizza and was a fixture of the neighborhood for decades.
The building's current front bar — built from tiger oak, straight-grain oak, and Honduras mahogany — was installed in 1936 by Frank K. Spalt. A partition divided the front room into two sections: a primary bar side restricted to men, and a corner door that allowed women to enter and be seated separately, in keeping with the social conventions of 1930s tavern operation.
Rocco's Royal Spring Grill was purchased by Joan Desadora and family, who reopened the space as The Parting Glass on St. Patrick's Day in 1981. The bar has operated as an Irish pub and small music venue continuously since. It is said to be the oldest continuously running bar and restaurant in Saratoga Springs. The Parting Glass faced closure during the early-2020s pandemic period but was saved by community funding (including a notable contribution from Barstool Sports' small-business fund) and reopened.
The building is listed on the Saratoga County Chamber's Haunted Hotspots guide and on regional Irish-pub and music-venue itineraries. The bar was ranked among the top Irish pubs in the world in TripAdvisor reader rankings.
Sources
- https://www.partingglasspub.com/aboutus
- https://www.saratoga.org/live/haunted-hotspots/
- https://www.saratoga.org/2019/10/22/13-spooky-saratoga-area-spots-to-dine-stay-visit-this-halloween-season/
- https://518fever.com/saratoga-spotlight-the-parting-glass/
- https://www.thetravel.com/haunted-places-to-visit-in-saratoga-springs-ny/
- https://www.saratoga.com/fall/halloween/haunted-history-tour/
ApparitionsObject movementUnexplained soundsPhoto anomalies
The Parting Glass's haunted reputation is documented through the Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce's Haunted Hotspots program (which lists the building as one of downtown Saratoga's notable paranormal sites), The Travel's '10 Truly Haunted Saratoga Springs Places' feature, and the Chamber's self-guided Haunted History Tour. These outlets consistently describe two recurring apparitions: a woman in white (most often observed in an upstairs window) and an unidentified male spirit. Patrons and staff have also reported objects moving without apparent cause, unexplained sounds, and 'strange additions' to photographs taken inside the building.
Local lore connects the haunting to the building's earlier life as Rocco's Royal Spring Grill, when the upstairs reportedly catered to gamblers, vaudeville acts, and women who worked from upstairs rooms. A band promoter once reported a ghost-like image in old photos in the restaurant that resembled the deceased owner. Specific identifications of the spirits remain anecdotal rather than archivally documented.
The pub does not host formal ghost tours or paranormal investigations; the reputation is part of the venue's ambient downtown character rather than a marketed feature, and the lore now appears across at least three independent regional outlets.
Notable Entities
Woman in whiteUnidentified male presence
Media Appearances
- Saratoga County Chamber Haunted Hotspots
Plan Your Visit
2 ways to experience Guided Tour
Live Music in the Back Room
The Parting Glass is one of Saratoga's longest-running small live-music rooms, with traditional Irish, folk, and rock acts.
- Duration:
- 2 hr
Sources & Further Reading
Every HauntBound history is researched from documented sources. We clearly separate verified historical fact from paranormal folklore.
- 1.partingglasspub.com/aboutus
- 2.saratoga.org/live/haunted-hotspots
- 3.saratoga.org/2019/10/22/13-spooky-saratoga-area-spots-to-dine-stay-visit-this-halloween-season
- 4.518fever.com/saratoga-spotlight-the-parting-glass
- 5.thetravel.com/haunted-places-to-visit-in-saratoga-springs-ny
- 6.saratoga.com/fall/halloween/haunted-history-tour
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is The Parting Glass family-friendly?
Bar-forward Irish pub; not a family destination. Paranormal lore is mild but the venue is 21+ in practice during evening hours. Overall family fit: Low.
How much does it cost to visit The Parting Glass?
Pub menu and bar service; live music tickets when scheduled.
Do I need to book in advance?
No advance booking is required, but checking availability is recommended.
Is The Parting Glass wheelchair accessible?
Yes, The Parting Glass is wheelchair accessible. Terrain: Ground-floor pub interior with some stair access to the back music room..