As much as I love the other Irish bars in the city, there's something special about the Irish Bank. Maybe because it's in an alley... and my favorite Irish Bar in all of Germany was hidden in an alley near the tourist areas. I'm not exactly sure, but it just had the right craic - that feeling that you only get in an Irish Bar... warm, cozy, and like you can spend the rest of your life there in the corner, perched on a stool and drinking whiskey and stout.
The bar itself is simple and comfortable, with two televisions and a wall full of whiskeys (+1 point for having Redbreast 12 and +1 point for having Jameson 18). Guinness, Harp, Bass and Magners Cider are available on tap (+1 point for Magners) but unfortunately, there was no Murphy's Stout (-1 point for ignoring the amazing stout from San Francisco's sister city of Cork).
It's a great place when you're done dealing with the Union Square crowd, but not quite ready to head home.
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