The 20 Best Bars In NYC To Celebrate St. Patrick's Day
St. Patrick's Day is almost upon us, and nobody does it better than New York (except maybe Chicago, which dyes its whole river green, but go with us on this). New York has an incredible Irish history. Go ahead, find an actual Irish person right now who's never visited America. We'll bet you a Kennedy half dollar that their impressions of this country are either the dreams of New York or the promises of the Western frontier. Checkmate, other municipalities. Sure, Boston may have the per-capita population, but it sends a lot of its pipe and drum bands to New York for a full week or more of festivities every March. So we claim them.
The world will drink million of pints of Guinness on St. Patrick's Day. That's a lot of thirsty marchers! To make it easier on our visiting friends, we've made a list of absolutely awesome places to grab a pint of plain this St. Paddy's. No matter where you are in the city, we've got a spot in range for you. Unless it's Howard Beach, in which case, you're probably tucked in cover for the duration of windy season. No one can help you find fun that far out — so batten down at home with as many Irish stout varieties beyond Guinness as you can procure to tide you through.
Everyone else: these are the best bars to celebrate St. Patrick's Day in New York City, where streams of whiskey are flowing.
An Beal Bocht Cafe
This is one of the hardest Irish bars to walk to, and we've hiked a mountain outside Dublin proper to reach Johnnie Fox's pub. You can get there by car easily, or opt for its sister bar, Le Chéile, in Washington Heights steps from the A train. But here's why An Beal Bocht is worth the hostile-to-all-but-cars Broadway Bridge or a long 1 train ride to the Riverdale/Kingsbridge border. Up several stories worth of stairs awaits An Beal Bocht Cafe, a sunny stop where Irish staff, customers, and performers will welcome you to rest your weary legs. Authentic Irish snacks and groceries abound here, so you can replenish your calories while you cry along to a song about a starving horse.
Dry your tears, though — they host trivia, too, along with most major art forms, including theater, poetry, visual arts, you name it. A true neighborhood arts magnet, the Irish component is not required here, though on the 17th you'll find the bar hosting The World's Shortest St. Patrick's Day Parade. Here's hoping it's not up and down those stairs.
(718) 884-7127
445 West 238th St, Bronx, NY 10463
Biddy's Pub
The Upper East Side is the last huddle of Irish bars till you reach Inwood, with plenty of options: some good, some Merrion Square. And yeah, you should absolutely make the institutional Phil Hughes a stop. But let us tell you about Biddy's, a place that feels a lot older than its turn-of-the-century opening. While it may look like a fairly unremarkable Irish pub given bigger and more bustling options on Second Avenue extending their hundred thousand welcomes, this is your pick.
It's too small to be anything but cozy and convivial, everyone working here has a great sense of humor, the beer selections are choice, and there's a dartboard and a great jukebox. It's one of the last bars in New York where your phone will stay ignored in your pocket as you get to know your neighbors. Let the same preppy bros who fecklessly made the sidewalks of the UES a hot mess during the worst days of the pandemic have Second Ave for themselves. We'll be tucked away on 91st Street with the good crowd.
(212) 534-4785
301 E 91st St, New York, NY 10128
The Clonard
For the ostensibly hippest part of the city that will furnish you with everything from a tea room to barbecue, northern Brooklyn is startlingly devoid of Irish pubs and Irish neighborhoods (though we have it on good authority that Bushwick is the city's new top destination for Irish immigrants). Till now you might have kissed a proper Guinness goodbye and asked a local for directions to the best affogato, mamajuana, or grzane piwo. But when the Burnside cocktail bar closed in 2021, The Clonard opened its doors to bring a touch of Belfast to Williamsburg.
Its cozy décor and extensive draughts (including a couple of house beers) belie the scrappiness it took to open a bar just as the Omicron variant knocked us all back to square one for several months. That means a lot of New Yorkers have slept on The Clonard's debut. A year and a half later, it's still serving proper Irish grub in what has to be one of the most charming bar fronts in Brooklyn. Imported Irish snack foods, a beer garden, and plush booths set the comfort, while exposed brick and live sports keep the NYC authenticity raucous — especially if you're a rugby fan.
(718) 734-2825
506 Grand St, Brooklyn, NY 11211
The Copper Still
Maybe you're not the Guinness type. Maybe you hate green beer. Maybe you just have a lot of hair on your chest. Whatever your reasons for favoring streams of whiskey over buckets o' beer? The Copper Still is a great place to indulge them on St Patrick's Day.
Here, you'll find an array of Irish whiskeys beyond the Jameson, Powers, and Teeling most bars quit at. The full span of Spot whiskeys (barring some cask-finished limited offerings) are on display here, as well as more elevated offerings from familiar brands — which are seated adjacent to labels you've probably never seen before or even heard of in your life.
While whiskey bars abound in the Lower East Side/East Village/Alphabet City area, The Copper Still is owned by Irish natives and is a little more spacious, making it one of the better St. Paddy's Day picks to experience the conviviality of a Tipperary tipple. You can also visit the Chelsea location if that's better for you, but we favor the East Village a little bit more given the likelihood you'll find adventure on the street thereafter.
(212) 510-8469
151 2nd Ave, New York, NY 10003
The Dead Rabbit
There's a reason why The Dead Rabbit was one of our picks for the best cocktail bars in NYC. While you'd be forgiven for mistaking it as a much older venue, it's only been around since 2013, when two friends from Belfast first opened its doors. Fittingly (given its founders), this tippling titan touts North America's most extensive collection of Irish whiskeys — including its own label produced by Dublin Liberties Distillery — and may even have the largest collection of Irish whiskeys in the world outside of Ireland.
Additionally, its Financial District walls actually contain several bars within the establishment, so you can enjoy different experiences based on what you want out of your festivities. This makes the highly acclaimed NYC bar a fine choice for any group of friends who want variety minus upheaval.
Perpetually popular, you might find The Dead Rabbit harder to access with the St. Paddy's crowd push. On the other hand, entering may not be that difficult with the bar's extended holiday hours. Either way, if you can't take the day off to get into this Irish hot spot, or can only celebrate this year's holiday from home, you can embrace Ireland with The Dead Rabbit's cocktail book and make some of the bar's signature Irish whiskey cocktails yourself.
(917) 540-5228
30 Water St, New York, NY, 10004
Donovan's
If we're being honest, we almost left this one off the list. It's such a consummately perfect Irish restaurant, we didn't want to lump it in with the bar-forward places getting jam-packed on March 17th. Seeing how it tops every NYC list of great pubs, thought, we must surely mention this neighborhood linchpin. Woodside's famously Irish population has plummeted to the single digits, but Donovan's (pronounced "Dunnavins" if you're in the know) has remained the Sunday supper beacon for those who remain.
Sure, it frequently gets cited for the best burger in Queens if not the city. Sure, that burger is huge and prices are fair. Sure, New York overlooks how good the wings and chicken sandwiches are here. All of that is beside our main point: as famous as it gets in city dining lore since a fireman founded it in the '60s, this sexagenarian stable remains a blissfully welcoming place. If you intend to make Donovan's a stop this St. Patrick's Day, respect its rare Irish-American gentle dignity, even though it does know how to party.
(718) 429-9339
5724 Roosevelt Ave, Woodside, NY 11377
The Dublin House
The Upper West Side gets rich with Irish options in the 70s (we mean street numbers). Yet The Dublin House remains something special. It's on a side street, but you can't miss the recently restored, massive neon harp calling you to this bar ... just as it did to sailors pulling into the 70th Street Boat Basin back in the day. Officially dating back to the Great Depression (but recently celebrating its centennial since it unofficially opened during Prohibition), The Dublin House is a place with both venerable stature in its décor and rebellious street cred in its soul. It's a stronger cocktail bar than much of this list, but it still pulls an experienced pint of Guinness.
Everyone knows this bar, most people have been here, and lots of them praise its historical glories, and yet somehow — perhaps due to the slightly insular UWS atmosphere — it seems to always get mentioned half a breath behind the usual list of Irish institutions in this city. Let's raise a glass here on the 17th towards changing that.
(212) 874-9528
225 W 79th St, New York, NY 10024
Hartley's
Walking past Hartley's you might ... well, walk past Hartley's. The unassuming front has a small shop window and the most understated of signs, but if the sandwich board catches your eye, you're in for a great time at what bills itself as Brooklyn's homiest bar. Buddy, they might not be wrong. The pub at the confluence of Fort Greene, Prospect Park, Bed Stuy, and Clinton Hill packs a lot of Irish into a tiny space. There's traditional Irish music every Monday (so don't be surprised if that holds true on St. Paddy's) and it serves a short but decidedly Eireann menu. Its only items that don't include the word "Irish" are Guinness and potatoes. (And chocolate chip cookies, because everyone loves a chocolate chip cookie.)
A decidedly devoted crowd of regulars keeps this well-positioned bar in business, but serving wine and cocktails with flair from far beyond the Irish hills definitely helps. Normally this is a great pick if you want to avoid the madding crowd. Are you 30 or older? Hey, congrats, we found your civilized celebration for you. But on St. Patrick's Day, it's been known to get overrun by invaders who are more interested in boilermakers than conversation.
(347) 799-2877
14 Putnam Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11238
Hibernia
First things first: Hibernia is a Pittsburgh Steelers bar. Once you steel yourself for the vibe that comes with that fandom, it's also a great watering hole that has drawn numerous NYC Irish residents for years for their after-work fun at midtown jobs. It's Irish-owned, hosts darts league teams, serves really damned good bar food, and is monstrously packed on St. Patrick's Day, and was pouring Smithwick's back when you had to really search for such a draught. Hibernia remains a great place to keep your eye out for other Irish beer brands that aren't Guinness — while also pouring Belgium's Delirium Tremens for a remarkably good price.
But perhaps its biggest credit is the numerous Irish staff who have worked here — for instance, WWE's Becky Lynch made landfall at Hibernia before conquering the wrestling world. Having survived a couple of St. Paddy's Days at Hibernia ourselves, we can testify that anyone entering will need all their pro wrestling moves to hold down a table in this bar, but the overwhelming unity will make it all worth the trip.
(212) 969-9703
401 W 50th St, New York, NY 10019
Hudson Hound
You know, not all Irish establishments in this city are a traditional pub and/or a raucous half-sports bar. Amid the quaint bricks of the West Village sits Hudson Hound, an elegant affair that often commands a wait even on regular days of the week. But not everybody knows this place has strong Irish roots, despite how often its menu swerves from Americana into Irishana (which is definitely a real word that we didn't invent just now). Dublin-born chef Donal Crosbie has a mighty impressive pedigree, having worked with Wolfgang Puck, and flashing his talents in the extensive offerings here at the Hound.
If you're west of the Hudson, Crosbie successfully swayed owner Jason O'Brien into opening a Jersey City iteration in (eek) 2020. In fact, this site might be the better pick for the unofficial Sixth Borough, since both men live locally. That might guarantee you the freshest of brown breads, but with the PATH station just around the corner in Manhattan, it's not too crazy to compare both places.
(212) 796-6213
575 Hudson St, New York, NY 10014
Landmark Tavern
Landmark lives up to its name with its sesquicentennial presence in Hell's Kitchen. This establishment has been in Manhattan longer than some of the streets around it, serving up slightly more elevated fare (crispy duck breast, anyone?) since 1868. That makes it just a bit younger than McSorley's, whose own length of presence is ... surprisingly debatable, but generally agreed to have been established by the start of the Civil War (which is when it acquired its famous wishbones).
Landmark doesn't say what its St. Patrick's Day specials are, but they're kicking off at 11 a.m., so here's a good first stop of the day. The Irish institution is a popular stop, so who can say if arriving early will help you brave some crowds. If you can't get a foot through the door, consider returning Monday nights for an open-call, all-hands Irish trad session. This is a great place to be any day of the year.
(212) 247-2562
626 11th Ave, New York, NY 10036
McSorley's Old Ale House
What could possibly be said about McSorley's at this stage? It's the history of New York itself, and anyone who dismisses it as a tourist trap is a fool. It's a place tourists rightly go see because two centuries of cheer are soaked into its floorboards. Abraham Lincoln drank here. Are you somehow better than Abraham Lincoln? Did Thomas Nast, whose cartoons adore the walls, lie on his deathbed with yellow fever, saying, "I wish ... I had drank somewhere ... less trendy?" No, because 17 decades of good beer and great company is not trend but tradition.
Books can (and have) been written about this place, one by Geoffrey Bartholomew and another by his son Rafe, both of whom ported a superhuman number of beers in hand from bar to table for years. Their poems and prose say better than any web article can: the soul of Irish Manhattan drinks here, and all the other nationalities that passed through joined in its community. The only reason not to stop at McSorley's on St. Patrick's Day is it'll be a mob scene trying to get in. Eh, still worth it. Top pick. And we do mean literally our top pick to represent New York among the best Irish pubs in America.
(212) 473-9148
15 East 7th St, New York, NY 10003
Molly's Shebeen
If Donovan's has a Manhattan counterpart, it might be Molly's Shebeen on Third Avenue in Gramercy Park. It's another '60s establishment with a class and character that it may not be possible to create today. It has to be cultivated from a time when the world was bigger and the bars were cozier. Of course, being the older institution, Molly's might protest the comparison as backward. The self-billed "most authentic Irish bar in New York City" is famous for its sawdust-strewn floors, so it may have a point. It also offers a wood-burning fireplace, though it will likely be out of action with the number of warm bodies pressing in here on St. Paddy's.
You can't put a wrong food order in here, though the burger or corned beef sandwich are the right places to start. Sip your stout slowly and drink in the scenery and people as much as the beer.
(212) 889-3361
287 3rd Ave, New York, NY 10010
O'Neill's
Look, if you're on Staten Island after visiting Ellis Island in honor of your ancestors' bold journey, you're going to O'Neill's. That's not technically the law of the borough, but it might as well be for anyone who can resist it. While there are options closer to the ferry terminal, you didn't come to Staten Island (or reside there) to visit the walking-distance spots from the main commuting point. Get the bus or a cab out to O'Neill's, where an extensive (but inexpensive) menu rewards your travels. Burgers are a specialty here, and we dare you to say no to the Guinness Burger with Irish cheddar today of all days.
Inside, kelly-green booths and venerably aged décor (or at least a convincing facsimile) encourage you to settle into a rustic seat beneath portraits of Irish boxers. An excellent choice for someone who'd rather find one great place than crawl through a half-dozen questionable ones.
(718) 273-4481
1614 Forest Ave, Staten Island, NY 10302
Paddy Reilly's Music Bar
Yes: there really is a Paddy Reilly. And yes: it's that Paddy Reilly from The Dubliners, who co-founded this bar back in the 1980s as part of his NYC pub empire. Open year-round and seven days a week, the Irish music hasn't stopped playing since, although it came frighteningly close in 2023. A last-minute save by a devoted regular kept it from being turned into an anonymous celebrity chef restaurant, so hooray for community and boo to all celebrity chefs (except our interview subjects).
Since tomorrow isn't guaranteed, today — or, at least, this year's holiday — is an excellent time to visit this legend of the New York City Irish pub scene and show your appreciation. Paddy Reilly's hasn't tipped its hand on its St. Patrick's Day plans as of February 28 (we called and asked). But The Prodigals recently returned to the stage there, so if that's a random Friday night? Expect March 17 to be something very special indeed.
If you need to take it down to something more serene, there's a fireplace at Fáilte across the street. Of course, since this holiday isn't a day for quietly staring into the flames, we suggest you make the music bar your Kips Bay craic den instead.
(917) 261-2113
519 2nd Ave, New York, NY 10016
The Perfect Pint
Frankly, we were a little surprised to find Midtown so prevalent on this list, but it contains the majority of the city's Irish pubs (and we actually had to prorate our picks a bit to ensure even distribution around the city). So if your favorite bar isn't on this list, it doesn't mean it's not great — just that we couldn't let central Manhattan hog all the glory.
With that established, imagine how good The Perfect Pint must be to rank best in a crowded market. We came here once with a huge group of coworkers at full after-work rush, minded our own business, and still found ourselves greeted by name when we returned a month later. Imagine how many people that bartender met in 30 days! Successive visits to both locations have only ever shown this heroic-tier hospitality to be the norm.
Honorable mention to the two O'Lunney's locations, which conduct similar high-quality/high-volume operations in a part of town seemingly antithetical to relaxing Irish hospitality.
(212) 354-1099
123 W 45th St, New York, NY 10036
Rambling House
So here's the deal: Woodlawn is perhaps the most thriving Irish community left in the city. And we really wanted to tell you that we knew a line on some brilliant hidden gem in this bar-dense block, but alas. Rambling House is the perfect Bronx pub, and every list on the web already correctly recommends it.
But the truth is that Woodlawn is so directly Irish that a lot of these bars are very much for ex-pats and aren't really what you'd take a trip for on St. Patrick's Day. So yes, obviously, go to Rambling House. We've concluded at least one March 17 there in a haze of Guinness and Pogues songs and have already been invited to do so again this year.
There are hidden gems here, but after a short walk into Yonkers: Rory Dolan's and The Heritage both have great food and live music in the most legit Irish vibe. Although given the wealth of options on Katonah and McLean Avenue, you might want to save Heritage for a hangover cure with their Ulster Fry (an Irish breakfast on steroids). They also serve a Hangover Burger if you're not trying to hide it.
(718) 798-4510
4292 Katonah Ave, The Bronx, NY 10470
The Standard Biergarten
Not everyone necessarily wants to reflect on the Irish-American soul this day, or travel to Woodside to drink with firemen. Whether you like it or not, some people prefer to tackle this holiday like it's Green SantaCon: With ridiculous accessories and an "everyone's got a little Irish in them on St. Patrick's Day (including the four people I just made out with)" attitude. Now, while you can find this kind of vibe in a lot of places in the city, few will furnish the fun amid the company of beautiful people to The Standard Biergarten degree.
This hotel is a perpetually good pick for a broad time (and one of the few Meatpacking spots that won't make you quietly hate yourself for buying a $1500 bottle of Jameson to watch bored finance types and models play disinterest brinkmanship). Head to the ground-floor Standard Biergarten for green beer, specialty cocktails, and green Jell-O shots to enjoy that cartoonishly (bordering on offensive) Irish atmosphere on St. Patrick's Day.
Afterward — or before, depending on how your day goes — you can visit the rooftop Le Bain for elevated views and cocktail prices, both of which are worth the trip. There's been no word yet on whether the tub in Le Bain will be dyed green, but you're welcome for the idea, hoteliers.
(212) 645-4646
848 Washington St, New York, NY 10014
Three Jolly Pigeons
While Breezy Point may be the most remote of Irish enclaves, Bay Ridge has it beat for bars that reward you when you get there. You won't find much about Three Jolly Pigeons online. It doesn't even seem to have a web presence beyond its seldom-updated Facebook page. But we hear enthusiastic recommendations that one of Brooklyn's oldest bars, dating back to 1906, is a multi-generational Irish pub run by a firefighter (which is on brand for both Bay Ridge and Irish-American bars).
What we can tell you is the place looks gorgeous. Stained glass, old wood, and that precious commodity of NYC drinking establishments: elbow room — maybe not on St. Patrick's Day, but still. If you're willing to head south of even Sunset Park, a good time awaits you. (Hey, at least it's north Bay Ridge.)
(718) 745-9350
6802 3rd Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11220
Tubby Hook Tavern
Time was, Inwood and Washington Heights had an Irish population density that might have beaten Dublin's if you count bodies per square foot. There were countless Irish bars in the neighborhood, but they've been dropping every couple of years of late. Gone is the Irish Brigade. Gone, Irish Eyes. Gone, Reynold's Café. Coogan's saved itself from its lease woes only to get gobsmacked by the pandemic. The Liffey II hangs on almost alone.
The one bright spot is Niall Henry and Shean Carbin's spreading revivals, born of their friendship in a Gaelic football league. The two opened Tryon Public House at the end of 2014 and even at its soft launch, it felt like a neighborhood institution, flooded with a community that had been waiting for it. The taps leaned heavily towards IPAs, befitting of Henry, founder of the Bronx Brewery, but hey, still a great spot.
Still, our pick for this part of town has to be Tubby Hook, which mindfully preserved everything it could of Piper's Kilt (though locals will bemoan a comparison of their burgers), salvaging the area's past for a functional future. It's a thoughtful advancement of Irish Inwood, despite the Dutch name. It's more intimate than Tryon, and with a more relaxed atmosphere that slots better on 207th Street than the Dyckman bustle. (Don't worry, friends — there's still a Piper's Kilt in Eastchester serving an award-winning burger.)
(212) 569-7071
4946 Broadway, New York, NY, 10034
Methodology
New York is a big city, and while its Irish bars aren't as numerous as they once were, they remain diverse in the kind of fun each bar furnishes. We've tried to pick a sampling of potential experiences so you can find the exact type of Paddy party you're pining for. Whether it's green beer, rare whiskey, or belting out ballads arm-in-arm with a stranger wearing a tricolor clown wig, we're here to inform your journey — not judge it.
We also realize not everyone wants to travel too far, so we've deliberately spaced out our picks to ensure you don't have to leave your borough to get within earshot of an Irish accent while sipping your beer. It's perfectly acceptable if you just want to savor a poured Guinness in the company of good folks from the neighborhood, after all.