Swift Hibernian Lounge

You are hard pressed to find a town in America that doesn’t have an Irish pub and in cities like New York, Chicago, Boston, San Francisco and any other large urban area you will find dozens. Unfortunately the Irish pub has become a bit of a cliché at best and a punch line at its worst. These faux Irish pubs have sprouted like mushrooms on a damp forest floor. Most of them have as much in common with an actual pub in Ireland as Las Vegas has with the planet Earth. Well I’ve heard that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery so I suppose there is a silver lining to the proliferation of pretenders. One pub that need not pretend is Swift in New York City’s East Village.

Swift is a proper pub in every respect. At Swift you’ll find no televisions, no juke box, no fluorescent slushy drinks, and no BS. What you will find at Swift is a damn fine Guinness pour, a great selection of beers (including a super line-up of American micro brews), Irish Whiskey, Scotch Whisky, and tasty pub fare. Best of all, it feels like a pub. A long bar dominates the narrow front room with wooden floors, dark colors, and warmth oozing from every corner. A trip to New York City is not complete without a visit to Swift. I’m in New York four to five times a year and the bartenders know my name by sight. Damn impressive and yes I will have a pint of the black stuff.

The food isn’t fancy by any measure but it’s just what it should be and the juicy, beefy sliders with aged cheddar cheese are deviously addictive. If you’re famished order six and if you’re absolutely bloated order two. On Tuesday’s they offer a Guinness and half-dozen oyster combo and if you are there after 10 you will be treated to a live session. I’ve heard positive stories of their brunch but I have never sampled it.

When in New York be sure to stop in for a pint and stay for the craic.