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TEN GREAT IRISH PUBS

By David Zuckerman

There are entirely too many Irish pubs in New York to claim that any list of 10 boasts the best, but a guy’s got to try. 

An Beal Bocht Café
(445 W. 238th St., 718-884-7127)
All the way up in Riverdale, this inviting little spot offers everything you could want from an Irish pub, including wonderful ambiance, good comfort food (including traditional and vegetarian Irish breakfasts for $10) and some of the best Guinness pints ($5) you’ll find. The walls are covered with the work of local artists, vintage posters and news clippings celebrating Irish history; the décor creates an authentic pro-Irish mood, readily distinguished from the over-the-top Irish-ness so often found in pubs.

The Ear Inn
(326 Spring St., 212-226-9020)
Ensconced in a historic post-and-beam house built in 1815, possibly by an aide-de-camp to George Washington, The Ear Inn has some real history behind it. Home to spirits-related businesses since the mid-19th century, the space has also served as a brewery and a speakeasy. Charmingly eclectic décor (with a nautical bent) is highlighted by a collection of antique jars, casks and bottles above the bar. Beers are cold and cheap—$5 for a well-poured Guinness—and the menu offers more than your usual pub fare. Try the delicious smoked trout appetizer ($6.50) served with pickled onions and fresh horseradish.

George Keeley
(485 Amsterdam Ave., 212-873-0251)
George Keeley has only been open for five years, but it feels like it could have a real future as a classic, classy pub. Here’s what the bar has to recommend it: 20 taps pouring excellent, obscure beers, plus an always-rotating cask tap (prices vary), a long happy hour in which most pints cost $4, free popcorn, a pleasant dark wood interior that doesn’t overdo it and a handful of TVs that play soccer as often as possible. The crowd can get a little UWS at times, but the bartenders are friendly.

Henry St. Ale House
(62 Henry St., 718-522-4801)
A stately and subdued brewpub with quiet charm, the Henry St. Ale House is not the place to go for a rollicking, drunken party. Rather, this is a great spot for enjoying a quiet pint with a friend or even by yourself with a book. There are 16 taps of quality beers (prices vary), and the kitchen serves excellent pub food. 

Iona
(180 Grand St., 718-384-5008)
OK, so Iona’s technically a Scottish pub, but when you’re planted at the bar on a Saturday morning watching Premiership soccer with a bunch of rowdy UK expats, what’s the difference? Iona’s great anytime, though, either for an afternoon pint on the spacious back patio or at night, when the generally mellow vibe is a welcome antidote to Williamsburg’s hipster posturing. The bar also offers a good selection of draft beers, and there are several board games you and your friends can amuse yourselves with if you can’t manage a conversation. 

McSorley’s Old Ale House
(15 E. 7th St., 212-473-9148)
Before a bar can smell like 150 years of vomit, it has to last for 150 years. Opened in 1854, this bar looks every minute its age, but that’s why people like it. Or is it the dirt-cheap house ale (two for $4) served in only light and dark varieties? This East Village classic still charms despite ever more pervasive douchey-ness.

Molly’s Pub & Restaurant, Shebeen
(287 3rd Ave., 212-889-3361)
Molly’s feels like a comfortable place the minute you walk in. The appropriately dim light, booths made from old church pews and sawdust-covered floor suggest the best of Irish pub traditions without feeling forced or affected. The menu covers the range of pub eats and Irish classics, including a full Irish breakfast ($12.95).

O’Connor’s
(39 5th Ave., 718-783-9721)
Not much Irish about this B’klyn spot besides the name and a stuffed leprechaun pinned up behind the bar, but it’s a great dive with loads of character. The space has been a bar since at least 1931, and it feels that way. Little has been updated except the jukebox, which features a winning mix of classic indie, rock and soul, with a healthy dose of twang. In addition to round-the-clock cheap beers ($3 for domestics), O’Connor’s serves one of the city’s best Bloody Marys ($6). Charlie, the man behind the recipe, is an octogenarian, but he still comes in every Fri. and Sun. (except for his six-week summer vacation).

P.J. Carney’s
(906 7th Ave., 212-664-0056)
This cozy little bar first opened in 1927, and though the interior was recently renovated, it retains the stately feel of a place that opened before the average Irish pub became a parody of itself. Lending to the aesthetic is an attractive in-the-round bar, with liquors clustered on shelves in the center, and wood-paneled walls. There are a few decent Scotches, bourbons and wines available, and a full pub menu including American bar food and Irish pub standards like shepherd’s pie ($11.95/$15.95) and fish and chips ($13.95/$16.95).

P.J. Clarke’s
(915 3rd Ave., 212-317-1616)
Though it’s expanded with two additional locations and has recently been dressed up for the Midtown/Uptown crowd with the a fancy little annex called Sidecar, the original P.J. Clarke’s is nonetheless a classic. This old NYC hangout claims more than 120 years of history as a saloon, and they still make a mean cheeseburger ($9.70).
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