1. A private party venue straight from across the pond: Grace’s
West Village, New York
If you’ve recently binged Derry Girls and are craving a trip to Northern Ireland, consider a trip to Chelsea instead. Before you laugh, Grace’s is probably as authentic as you can get in the city – owned by two Irish ex-pats from Cork and Limerick, it’s an honest homage to the Guinness-soaked traditional pubs of their home country. The unpretentious interior, warm candlelit ambiance, and welcoming hospitality encourage you to leave your jobs at the door and join the party.
The back room can hold 60 people in a quaint, brick-walled space with its own private bar. Fare consists of the owners’ Irish family recipes with a Manhattan twist: popcorn with Irish cheese, chicken pot pie, and a burger that, according to one reviewer, “genuinely cured [his] depression.” For a treat, Wednesdays host traditional live music with fiddle and harp so you can jig with all your friends.