The Cloister Restaurant was created by James D. DiLapo, Jr. in June of 1964, on the site of Mark Twain’s home at 472 Delaware Avenue, Buffalo, New York.

James D. DiLapo, Jr. and the DiLapo Family were the owners/managers of the Cloister Restaurant from its inception until its closing in 1989. The many rewards received by the Cloister Restaurant are well documented and will be included in the final restoration of the Cloister Restaurant.

For over 20 years, the Cloister Restaurant was not only a Buffalo Landmark, but a National Landmark winning awards including “Top of the Table,” from Hospitality Magazine with its nationally recognized excellence in table top settings.

Throughout its long history, the Cloister Restaurant won numerous awards for its décor and for its superb food and hospitality. In the “Cloister Gazette,” published by Jim DiLapo, the Cloister was described as:
“A story book journey back into the elegant era of the gay and fascinating “Nineties” with its days of lavish living, courtly manners and romantic history.”

When approaching the Cloister one will immediately recognize the enhancement of the vision of the exterior with its ancient brick walls and antique iron grills lit by gas lamps that once graced the boulevards of old Baltimore.

The Cloister will once again be completely and lavishly restored to its former place of beauty. Its furnishings will provide an authentic air of elegance emphasized by the beautiful century old patina of the original brick walls.

The ancient door studded with hand-wrought Spanish Calvos and its intricate hand cast brass handles will be your passport to a world of make believe. As you enter the foyer with its exquisite leaded glass walls, you will find historical articles of interest and the subject of much conversation with your guests.

For many who frequented the Cloister it will be a return to a romanticist journey back into a moment transplanted to a fabulous era of Mark Twain and his contemporaries. The wrought iron galleries, two story stained glass windows, Tiffany style lamps and crystal chandeliers among period antiques are a part of the restored period elegance.

“The sunken bar room to your right is built in the basement of the original home erected in 1811 and the old foundation still remains now covered with love seats along the walls. The vaulted beamed ceiling is traditional of a Cloister known for centuries as places where men might meet and enjoy the undisturbed fellowship of good companions.”

Through the years, Cloister remained a restaurant that was filled with romance and reminiscences in rooms filled with treasures of yesteryear along with the art of dining with the memories of all that was and soon it will be returned to its rightful place as a Buffalo landmark. For over 20 years, until its closing in 1989, the Cloister Restaurant was the place to see and to be seen and remained one of Western New York’s premier restaurants for both its décor and its sumptuous menu.