17 Best Irish Pubs in New York City (& Most Authentic)

This blog post is all about the best Irish pubs in New York City.

America is known for its love of Irish people, Irish heritage and of course, Irish pubs.

However, as an Irish person (born in Ireland), I’ve stumbled into one or two ‘Irish’ pubs in New York that don’t feel anything like a traditional pub in Ireland.

Just having an Irish flag outside doesn’t really mean you can call yourself an ‘Irish pub’, let’s be real.

After living in New York for a year and visiting far too often afterwards, I’ve been able to narrow down the best Irish pubs in New York, especially as we approach St. Patrick’s Day.

If you’re an Irish person living in New York and want to feel at home for a few hours, or if you’re someone that just appreciates a great pub, hopefully you’ll find a pocket of Ireland in this list of the best Irish pubs in New York.

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The Best Irish Pubs in New York City

You won’t find any gimmicky Irish pubs on this list, no sir.

You can trust that you’ll find the best pint of Guinness, the best traditional music, the best bowl of Irish stew and the most authentically Irish pubs on this list.

Being from Ireland and spending most of my life in Irish pubs (both behind the bar and in front of it), I know what makes a good, traditional Irish pub.

The Best Irish Pubs in New York: Manhattan

1. The Long Hall Pub & Grocery

Address: 34th and Park Avenue, Midtown Manhattan

If you dropped this pub into Dublin tomorrow, no one would question it.

The Long Hall feels like someone carefully dismantled a traditional Irish pub brick by brick and rebuilt it on 34th Street.

The dark wooden bar, the snug little corners, the grocery shelves stocked with Tayto, Barry’s Tea, Club Orange and other Irish staples that make you irrationally emotional when you’re living abroad.

The Guinness here is poured properly. No rushing, no theatrics, just the right settle time and that creamy dome that feels like a promise.

It’s one of the best Irish pubs in New York because it doesn’t try too hard. It doesn’t perform Irishness. It simply is.

You’ll hear Irish accents at the bar, GAA on the screens, and conversations that drift between New York hustle and stories from back home.

2. McSorley’s Old Ale House

Address: 15 East 7th Street, East Village

Technically, McSorley’s Old Ale House predates the wave of modern Irish pubs, but it is undeniably Irish in spirit.

Established in 1854, it is one of the oldest bars in New York City, and walking inside feels like stepping into a time capsule.

Sawdust floors, and ancient newspaper clippings on the walls make this place feel like you’ve stepped directly into the 1880s.

Plus, you only have two drinking options here: light or dark ale. No cocktails, no nonsense.

It feels like an old rural pub that never updated its decor because it didn’t need to.

McSorley’s Old Ale House earns its place on this list of best Irish pubs in New York because authenticity is not always about geography. Sometimes it’s about soul.

McSorley's Old Ale House New York — *Light or dark ale only at McSorley’s!*

3. The Dead Rabbit

Address: 30 Water Street, FiDi/Battery Park

The Dead Rabbit is where traditional Irish pub culture meets contemporary polish without losing its roots.

Downstairs feels like a proper Irish public house. Wood panelling, snug seating, and Guinness poured with respect. Upstairs leans into an Irish literary and cocktail tradition.

Named after a 19th-century Irish gang in New York, this place celebrates the Irish immigrant story rather than caricaturing it.

It’s one of the best Irish pubs in New York because it balances heritage and quality so well. You can bring your New York friends here and feel proud. It feels elevated without feeling fake.

One of the most popular Irish bars in New York and for good reason.

4. Mary O’s

Address: 32 Avenue A, East Village

Mary O’s feels like someone’s local back in Mayo or Galway.

It’s small, cosy, and unpretentious. The lighting is warm, the accents are real, and above all, the Guinness is excellent (as can be seen below).

There’s something about Mary O’s that feels deeply community-driven.

You’ll find Irish regulars who’ve lived in New York for decades, fresh-off-the-plane J1 students (like myself back in the day), Mary herself pouring your drink, and homesick expats all gathered at the same bar.

It makes this list of best Irish pubs in New York because it feels lived in. It feels like it grew organically into what it is.

And when you’re here, Mary’s home-baked scones are a must!

Mary O's Bar New York — *The perfect pint of Guinness at Mary O’s!*

5. Swift Hibernian Lounge

Address: 34 East 4th Street, East Village

Swift Hibernian Lounge (or the Swift) is what happens when Irish pub tradition gets a slightly intellectual New York twist.

It has that long polished bar, vintage mirrors, cosy corners and that perfect dim glow that flatters everyone after 9pm. There’s an understated elegance to it, like a well-read uncle who also knows how to throw a proper session.

It’s authentically Irish because it understands pub culture beyond clichés. Conversation is central, the drinks are excellent, and it never feels like a sports bar masquerading as something else.

Plus with live traditional Irish music every day of the year, it solidifies its spot on this list of the best Irish pubs in New York.

6. The Playwright Irish Pub

Address: 27 West 35th Street, Midtown Manhattan

The Playwright has that lively, central-Manhattan energy while still maintaining genuine Irish roots.

Yes, it’s bigger, and yes, it’s busier. But it’s also Irish-owned and deeply connected to the community.

It shows major GAA and rugby matches, celebrates Irish holidays properly, and attracts a real mix of Irish locals.

It feels like a Dublin city-centre pub on a Saturday night. Energetic but still grounded.

7. 11th Street Bar

Address: 510 East 11th Street, East Village

This one is special, mainly because it’s a Liverpool supporters bar and I am a huge Liverpool supporter.

But besides that, it’s also one of the best Irish pubs in New York City. No bias here or anything.

Tucked into the East Village, 11th Street Bar feels like a hidden slice of Ireland. It’s small, narrow, and wonderfully intimate. The walls are packed with Irish (and LFC) memorabilia that feels collected over time rather than bulk-ordered.

Live traditional music sessions here are magic. Not staged, not forced, just musicians who know each other’s rhythm and let it unfold naturally.

If you’re craving that pub-in-the-middle-of-nowhere-in-Ireland feeling, this is it.

However be warned, on Liverpool game days the place will be jam-packed.

8. Molly’s Shebeen Bar & Restaurant

Address: 287 3rd Avenue, Gramercy

Molly’s feels old in the best way.

There’s a fireplace, sawdust on the floor, and bartenders who know how to move with calm efficiency. It’s dim, woody, and deeply comforting.

It has that old-world pub aesthetic that so many places try to replicate but rarely pull off convincingly.

It feels like somewhere you could sit on a rainy Sunday for hours with a stew and a pint and forget you’re in Manhattan at all.

9. Finnegan’s Wake

Address: 1361 1st Avenue, Lenox Hill, Upper East Side

Named after the famous Irish ballad and novel, Finnegan’s Wake leans fully into its Irish literary identity.

It has that friendly chaos of a proper local. Loud laughter, big rugby days, and genuine accents at the bar. No gimmicks here.

It makes you feel like you’ve wandered into a neighbourhood pub in Cork or Limerick where everyone knows someone who knows someone.

The Best Irish Pubs in New York: Brooklyn

10. Hartley’s

Address: 14 Putnam Avenue, Clinton Hill/Bed-Stuy

Hartley’s is the kind of place that feels like it belongs to the neighbourhood.

It’s warm and wooden, with a proper Irish menu and a relaxed atmosphere that encourages you to stay awhile. It doesn’t feel touristy, it feels local.

It earns its authenticity and place on this list of the best Irish pubs in New York because it focuses on the fundamentals. Good pints, good food, and good conversation.

11. Paddy’s of Park Slope

Address: 273 13th Street, Park Slope

Paddy’s in Park Slope feels like someone transported a country pub from rural Ireland and dropped it into Brooklyn.

It’s welcoming, community-focused, and it’s filled with that easy Irish humour that you recognise immediately when you hear it.

There’s no performance happening here, just proper pub energy.

12. The Canary

Address: 789 Franklin Avenue 8, Crown Heights

The Canary has quietly built a reputation as one of Brooklyn’s most genuinely Irish pubs.

The owners are Irish, and the staff often are too. The Guinness is consistent, and the sports coverage is on point.

It feels like the kind of pub where you’d end up celebrating an All-Ireland final at 11am and somehow still be there at sunset.

The Best Irish Pubs in New York: Queens

13. Cronin and Phelan’s

Address: 38-14 Broadway, Astoria

Astoria has a strong Irish presence, and Cronin and Phelan’s feels like the heart of it.

It’s laid-back, unpretentious, and deeply community-driven. This is where you’ll find long-standing Irish New Yorkers catching up over pints like no time has passed.

14. Donovan’s Pub

Address: 57-24 Roosevelt Avenue, Woodside

Donovan’s is famous for its burger, but it’s the atmosphere that makes it authentically Irish.

It has that old-school public house energy. Dark wood, proper bar seating, and regulars who’ve been coming for decades.

Woodside has long been an Irish hub in Queens, and Donovan’s feels like a pillar of that community.

RELATED Best Irish Pubs in New York blog post to read: Ultimate Guide to Exploring Queens in New York

The Best Irish Pubs in New York: The Bronx

15. Behan’s Public House

Address: 4299 Katonah Avenue, Woodlawn

Woodlawn is often called Little Ireland, and Behan’s is exactly why.

Step inside and you’re greeted with genuine Irish warmth. The accents are real, and the conversations drift easily between politics back home and life in New York.

It feels like a neighbourhood anchor. The kind of place that keeps cultural ties alive across oceans.

16. An Beal Bocht Cafe

Address: 445 West 238th Street, Riverdale

An Beal Bocht is more than a pub, it’s a cultural space.

It hosts Irish music sessions, poetry readings, storytelling nights and community events. It feels like a living extension of Irish artistic tradition.

Authenticity isn’t just about pints. It’s about Irish culture, and this place protects that beautifully.

RELATED Best Irish Pubs in New York blog post to read: A Guide to Exploring City Island, The Bronx, New York

The Best Irish Pubs in New York: Staten Island

17. Duffy’s

Address: 650 Forest Avenue

Duffy’s feels like a true local.

It’s welcoming, grounded, and has that unpolished, comfortable energy that reminds you of home.

You walk in and immediately feel like you’ve been there before.

And that, to me, is the highest compliment you can give an Irish pub. Especially in Staten Island of all places.

Where to Find the Best Irish Pubs in New York City

There is something beautifully stubborn about an Irish pub. It refuses to be rushed, resists reinvention, and it doesn’t care about trends.

Living in New York as an Irish person is exciting, but it can also be disorienting. The city moves at a pace that sometimes makes you forget which time zone your heart belongs to. And then you walk into one of the best Irish pubs in New York City.

You hear the accent, you see the familiar brands on the shelves, you watch a pint settle the way it should, and you overhear someone arguing about a match back home.

And suddenly the Atlantic Ocean feels a little smaller.

The best Irish pubs in New York City are not the loudest or the flashiest. They’re the ones that protect the culture rather than costume it, they’re community hubs for expats, soft landing spots for new arrivals, and welcoming spaces for anyone curious about what a real Irish pub feels like.

Whether you are Irish and missing home, Irish American and reconnecting with your roots, or simply someone who appreciates a properly poured pint in a room full of character, these best Irish pubs in New York offer something special.

And in a city of eight million people, finding a place that feels familiar is no small thing.

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By Orlagh Shanks

Orlagh Shanks is the Editor of Orlagh Claire, an award-winning travel and lifestyle blog.
After working in the PR & Influencer Marketing industry, Orlagh quit her job to travel Asia for 12 months and moved to Sydney, Australia where she is now a full-time travel blogger and content creator sharing travel tips and recommendations for all 30 of the countries she’s visited so far.

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The Best Irish Pubs in New York City