Manhattan / Midtown
St. Patrick’s Day
Bar Crawl
Five verified Irish pubs by the Fifth Avenue parade — where to claim a spot, what to order, and how to actually enjoy the most crowded drinking day of the year.
New York’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade marches up Fifth Avenue from 44th to 79th on March 17, kicking off late morning. The bars are the Irish pubs just west of the route in the Theater District — get there before 10am, because by noon they’re packed.
- 5 Irish pubs
- parade up 5th Ave
- Mar 17
- get there by 10am
The short version
- The paradeUp Fifth Avenue from 44th to 79th, March 17, kicking off late morning.
- At the startConnolly’s (3 floors + rooftop) & O’Donoghue’s (24 taps) – claim a spot early.
- The partyThe Mean Fiddler – two floors of chaos for big groups.
- The real thingP. McDaid’s – trad music and a proper Guinness.
- Do it wellGet there before 10am; on St. Pat’s you commit to a pub, you don’t crawl.
The best St. Patrick’s Day bar crawl in NYC isn’t really a crawl — it’s claiming the right Irish pub near the Fifth Avenue parade and holding it. The parade marches up Fifth from 44th to 79th on March 17, and the drinking happens in the Theater District pubs just west of it. These five are all verified and all in the thick of it: Connolly’s and O’Donoghue’s right by the 44th Street start, The Mean Fiddler for the party crowd, McGee’s (yes, the How I Met Your Mother pub), and P. McDaid’s for the most authentic Guinness. The honest move: get there before 10am. All five were checked open in June 2026.
At a glance
Five verified Irish pubs by the parade — what to order, and what each is best for on the day.
| # | Bar | Order this | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Connolly’s Pub & Restaurant | A Guinness on the rooftop (or claim a floor) | A 3-floor base near the start |
| 2 | O’Donoghue’s | A Guinness, early, before the crush | An early pint at the start line |
| 3 | The Mean Fiddler | A pint and a singalong | A big, loud party crowd |
| 4 | McGee’s Pub | A pint where MacLaren’s was born | A pint where HIMYM was dreamed up |
| 5 | P. McDaid’s Irish Pub | A proper Guinness and the Shepherd’s pie | Trad music and a proper Guinness |
Map: where these 5 bars are
All five sit just west of the Fifth Avenue parade route, between West 44th and West 55th — walkable from Times Square (N/Q/R/W, 1/2/3) and Rockefeller Center (B/D/F/M).
Pins are numbered to match the list above – tap any pin for the details and directions.
The five pubs by the parade
These five Irish pubs all sit just west of the Fifth Avenue parade. More in our best Irish bars in NYC and best Guinness in NYC guides, and the full NYC bar crawls hub.
1 · Connolly’s Pub & Restaurant
Verdict: the parade-day workhorse. Connolly’s on West 45th is a family-run, three-floor traditional Irish pub with a rooftop, a block off Fifth Avenue and minutes from where the parade steps off — which on March 17 means you want to claim a floor early and hold it. Gaelic burgers, Guinness done right, live music up in the Klub 45 room. The move: get here before 10am, stake out a table, and let the parade come to you. Honest caveat: it’s a zoo by noon on St. Pat’s — this is a commit-to-one-spot day, not a hop-around.
connollyspubandrestaurant.com · See our best Guinness in NYC
2 · O’Donoghue’s
Verdict: the closest honest pint to the start line. O’Donoghue’s, on West 44th between 6th and 7th, is a 24-tap Irish pub a two-minute walk from where the marchers gather at 44th and Fifth. It opens at 11 and pours a proper Guinness without the velvet-rope nonsense. The move: an early pint here, watch the bagpipers assemble, then decide if you’re following the parade or settling in.Honest caveat: ‘closest to the start’ also means ‘first to fill up’ — if it’s packed, Connolly’s is a block north.
odpubnyc.com · See our best Irish bars in NYC
3 · The Mean Fiddler
Verdict: where the party people go. The Mean Fiddler on West 47th is a two-floor, two-bar Irish party palace — DJs, karaoke, beer pong, every game on the TVs — and on St. Pat’s it’s exactly as chaotic as that sounds. This is the spot for a big organized group that wants volume, not a quiet pint. The move: a group, a reservation if you can get one, and zero expectation of hearing your friends. Honest caveat: it leans young and rowdy and runs full party-promoter energy on the holiday — love it or avoid it accordingly.
themeanfiddlernyc.com · See our more Midtown bars
4 · McGee’s Pub
Verdict: the one with the story. McGee’s on West 55th is the Irish pub that inspired MacLaren’s on How I Met Your Mother — the show’s writers dreamed it up over pints here — and it’s a genuinely good, unfussy Midtown pub the rest of the year too. On St. Pat’s it’s far enough up (55th) to be a notch less insane than the 44th–47th crush. The move: a Guinness in a booth and the satisfaction of drinking in TV history. Honest caveat: ‘less insane’ is relative on March 17 — it still fills up, just later.
mcgeespubny.com · See our best Irish bars in NYC
5 · P. McDaid’s Irish Pub
Verdict: the most authentically Irish of the bunch. P. McDaid’s on 7th Avenue revived a 40-year Irish-pub space in 2022, and it leans into the real thing — trad music in the air, lofted ceilings, a proper Guinness pour, and a kitchen doing Shepherd’s pie, corned beef and cabbage, and a serious Reuben. On a day of green-beer chaos, it’s the closest you’ll get to a pub in Ireland. The move: a Guinness, the Shepherd’s pie, and a seat near the music. Honest caveat: it’s smaller than the party palaces, so it’s a get-there-early pick, not a midnight option.
pmcdaidsirishpubnyc.com · See our best Guinness in NYC
St. Patrick’s Day in NYC: FAQ
What’s the best bar crawl for St. Patrick’s Day in NYC?
Honestly, it’s less a crawl than picking one Irish pub near the Fifth Avenue parade and holding it. The five best near the route: Connolly’s (121 W 45th, three floors plus a rooftop), O’Donoghue’s (156 W 44th, 24 taps), The Mean Fiddler (266 W 47th, big party crowd), McGee’s (240 W 55th, the How I Met Your Mother pub), and P. McDaid’s (837 7th Ave, the most authentic Guinness).
Where is the NYC St. Patrick’s Day parade?
The parade marches up Fifth Avenue from 44th Street to 79th Street on March 17, kicking off late morning – it’s the world’s oldest and largest St. Patrick’s Day parade, marchers only, no floats. Fifth Avenue itself is barricaded, so the drinking happens in the Irish pubs just west of the route in the Theater District.
Which Irish pubs are best near the parade?
Connolly’s and O’Donoghue’s are closest to the 44th Street start. The Mean Fiddler (W 47th) is the big, loud party option. McGee’s (W 55th) is a bit north and a notch calmer – and it’s the pub that inspired MacLaren’s on How I Met Your Mother. P. McDaid’s on 7th Avenue is the most traditional, with trad music and a proper pour.
What time should I get to the bars on St. Patrick’s Day?
Before 10am. The parade kicks off around 11, and the Theater District Irish pubs are packed by noon and stay that way all day. The honest move is to claim one good pub early and stay put – trying to hop between bars on March 17 means waiting in a door line every time.
Where’s the best Guinness near the parade?
P. McDaid’s and Connolly’s both pour a proper pint, and McGee’s is a reliable Guinness too. For the city-wide ranking, see our best Guinness in NYC guide; for more options, the best Irish bars in NYC guide.
Last updated: June 2026. Deals and hours change – confirm with the venue before you go. Spot something out of date? Let us know.