Where to drink near the St. Patrick’s Day Parade

The self-described Long Room asserts itself as “an authentic Irish bar” one and-a-half avenues west of the parade’s starting point. It has an abundance of whiskey in two pour sizes, bottled, canned and draft beer and a serviceable wine selection. The food is a classic midtown mélange of burgers, pork belly bao, tacos, meatballs and fish and chips. 

This one’s a little less than a mile from the top of the parade route, and that bit of distance—plus a little luck of the Irish—might make it a slightly easier to get a seat. Be prepared to get personal with the James Joyce portrait and order a few pints of Guinness should you need a little liquid courage to strike up a conversation with the legendary Irish writer’s visage. 

Another brief walk, Doc Watson’s has indoor, sidewalk and beer garden dining and imbibing, with general interest menus to please many palates. It’s always a lively scene on St. Patrick’s Day, having previously hosted live Irish bands for the occasion. 

This Irish restaurant has been an Upper East Side favorite for over a century. It first opened on St. Patrick’s Day in 1967 and still serves sliced corned beef, wild “Irish” smoked salmon, drinks and charm on 57th Street. 

The Fitzpatrick Hotel’s Wheeltapper is parallel to the parade’s starting point at 44th Street and it opens earlier than most area bars, so you can get a head start on the festivities. Gather around the fireplace, one of its two bars, or year round patio and get to parade pre-gaming.

Whichever side of 5th Avenue you choose to cheer the parade from, you can go a few blocks east or west on 45th and find a Perfect Pint location. Both of the multi-level locations boast dozens of beers on tap—including plenty of Irish options like Smithwicks, Harp, Kilkenny Cream Ale and Guinness. If you head west, check out the uncommon midtown pub perk: the rooftop deck.

Stout has four NYC locations, and its Grand Central-area iteration is a fraction of a mile from the foot of the parade. It has plenty of space upstairs and down, but expect it to fill up fast for bar food, cocktails, wine hard seltzer and, obviously, Guinness. 

Connolly’s has two locations along the parade route, and this one on 47th Street between 5th Avenue and Madison is a hair of the dog closer to the action. Its also smaller than the 45th Street spot, so get in early for the Gaelic burger with Irish bacon and Guinness-grilled steak.