New York City’s East Village has changed quite a bit through the years, but its Irish pubs provide a bit of a time capsule. While some old and some new, the Irish pubs in general have not changed much. Sure, there are some ‘trendier’ ones than others, but my favorite Irish pubs hold their old time character and charm. With a neighborhood as diverse and high energy as the East Village, you will see all walks of life both on the streets and in its restaurants and pubs.
One of the things I like most about Irish pubs are their welcoming nature. While you might have some fairly gruff bartenders and waitstaff, you will be treated pretty much the same, regardless of your background or socioeconomic status. You know nothing they say or do is personal and within a few minutes you can enjoy a Guinness, perhaps, and argue anything from baseball to football to, well, American football. The following are the five best Irish pubs in the East Village of New York City.
The Central Bar
109 East 9th Street
East Village, New York City
I have been to the Central Bar several times and each time it has been a different experience. During the day, particularly when a football (soccer) game is on, this place is filled with boisterous but sports minded people (mostly guys) who are there for Guinness and football (with six plasma televisions, the baseball extra inning package and a heavy Sunday emphasis on American football, the Central Bar is sports heavy) But it looks, feels, and sounds like a true Irish pub. I
‘ve also been there at night, however, when the bar is filled with a heavy New York University crowd and it is basically a loud frat party atmosphere. A bad place, it’s not, even then, but nothing seems particularly ‘Irish pub like’ about it. Either way, the Central Bar is a favorite among locals from a number of different backgrounds, including sports fans, college students and even the occasional after work professional.
There is an upstairs room well situated for a company or private party and is actually a bit sleek; much more so than the downstairs.
The Central Bar’s weekend brunch menu is a neighborhood favorite and includes Irish bacon and sausage, eggs, pudding, baked beans, grilled home fries, fried mushrooms, toast, and, perhaps best of all to most of the crowd, a complimentary drink. Speaking of drinks, as you might imagine, the Central Bar’s full of top shelf alcohol, with a special emphasis on good whiskey and beer.
The Central Bar’s prices are moderate, neither cheap nor expensive particularly, but there is a high minimum charge for credit cards ($30 is what they told me).
Lunasa
126 First Avenue
East Village, New York City
Opened in 2003, Lunasa has a sleek and contemporary feel to it, though somehow manages to retain an Irish pub motif. One of the ways it accomplishes that it through the use of board games and an atmosphere that encourages people to sit down and stay a while without feeling pressured to run up large tabs (they offer free Wi-Fi access, for example). There is a more relaxed and slightly older crowd here than The Central Bar, for example, and Lunasa has a bit of a lounge type of feel to it. That said, people are here primarily to drink and be merry and Lunasa definitely delivers on that front.
One of the more popular attractions at Lunasa is the small but comfortable outdoor patio which offers five to six tables at a time.
There is a solid, though not overbearing, emphasis on sports and all of the American sports, plus football (soccer) and rugby are prominently displayed. There is a wide selection of draft beers and the whiskey, scotch and all spirits are all top shelf.
The food is definitely a step above what most New Yorkers would consider to be ‘standard pub fare’. Try the bangers and mash and thank me later.
Ryan’s Irish Pub
151 Second Avenue
East Village, New York City
Ryan’s Irish Pub is about as authentic as you can get and is proud of it. It offers only Irish beers, and no frills Irish food (try the corned beef and cabbage) and keeps its prices very low. They do offer outdoor sidewalk seating on a prime strip of East Village real estate and the people watching during the warm months is second to none in the area. Some might look for a place with more energy and spruced up atmosphere, but don’t mistake Ryan’s Irish Pub for a dive; it definitely is not.
Bull McCabe’s
29 Saint Mark’s Place
East Village, New York City
Bull McCabe’s is about as non-pretentious and neighborhood friendly as any bar can be, particularly in the St. Mark’s area of the East Village. There is an emphasis here on pool, darts, rock and roll and merriment across its patrons and yet, there is not a ‘meat market’ or frat house type of fell to it.
There is an outdoor patio that is in high demand in the warm months. The interior of Bull McCabe’s is a bit worn,, well a lot worn, though that, in the final analysis, is part of its charm. Probably the most popular aspect of Bull McCabe’s is the large beer garden in the back. There is a ‘crashed’ plane sitting in the beer garden…I don’t know the story on that one, but it adds to the charm of the place.
As you might imagine, the drinks are very reasonably priced and while they do not serve food, you are welcome to bring it in from the outside, helping you to drastically reduce expense if you so choose.
Finnerty’s Irish Pub
221 Second Avenue
East Village, New York City
Finnerty’s is the prototypical Irish pub dive place. It is very inexpensive, there is certainly no need to worry about being under-dressed and the drink specials reward the heavy imbiber. Wednesday night is all you can drink for $15. Really. This place comes down to the mood that you’re in. If I want to watch a game, I appreciate the relative lack of noise and crowds.
If you are looking for an inexpensive but LONG night out, Finnerty’s is the place as well. Finnerty’s does not serve food, but does have a wide selection of beers both imported and domestic. The crowd trends young, in fact very young, but doesn’t really have the ‘frat party’ atmosphere on most nights that many of its neighbors have.
