As we head in to the annual St. Patrick's Day wind-up in New York, time to look at a few of the newer Irish-themed pubs around the town.Lillie's on 17th street, just west of Union Square, opened in 2009. It's a handsome Victorian room with high ceilings, an antique, carved-wood bar, and furnishings that were acquired from a Victorian mansion in Belfast. The long bar is impressive and inviting, and when the lights aren't up high, Lillie's is a very atmospheric place for a drink. The name comes from Lillie Langtry, a 19th century celebrity: "an acknowledged beauty of her era, an A-list guest, an actress, a model, mistress to the future king of England, and an inspiration for poetry and plays by Oscar Wilde."
The bartenders I met were from Ireland, and they were efficient, friendly, and in one case, quite generous. Beware of the food - this is what gives the term "gastropub" a bad name. It gets busy with an after-work crowd during the week; on the weekends it's mostly tourists and sports fans.
Good selection of draught beer (Guinness was decent), and a big selection of whiskey and spirits.
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