Irish Haven

Irish Haven is not just a dive bar... it was the perfect place for my brother’s surprise party! From the moment I started planning, Matt ( owner) went above and beyond to bring my vision to life... The entire staff was so accommodating, the day of, Emmett and Nadine were so helpful, and genuinely cared about making the night special. The atmosphere was fun and welcoming, the drinks were great, and every single guest had an amazing time. I honestly couldn’t have imagined a better place to celebrate. If you’re looking for a spot that works with you every step of the way and delivers an unforgettable experience, Irish Haven is it!

The best bar in America. If you're visiting New York, please do yourself a favour and pay it a visit. Really great selection of drinks and fabulous service. Also if you need any local recommendations for places to go/ eat, you'll get it here (along with alternative opinions from the locals).

If you're looking for a pub that isn't overly crowded where you can enjoy drinks with a friend, this is the spot! The only food offering is (frozen) pizza, so you'll want to plan to eat before or after, but that shouldn't deter you. The staff here is very nice, and they've got a good selection of drinks behind the bar and beer on tap. Their prices are decent too, as opposed to those in Manhattan!

The meals here make me want to come back every single day. The cooking was tasty and staff was attentive. The place delivers complete satisfaction. You'll save money eating here. Put this place on your radar.

Dropped into the Irish haven on Monday 18th march,,, I felt right at home straight away, bar staff are really friendly and they can pull you a decent pint of cream... Got talking to the owner's, lovely lads, chatted to them for awhile, and had a good few pints, it made my day to meet some great people... Here for a full week and I intend to go back for a few pints...so if you're ever in Brooklyn, give this place a look in. James, Ballyfermot, Dublin 👍

Turned up to watch the all Ireland hurling final only to find game wasn't being shown. Landlady was absolutely fantastic, looked after us and helped find an alternative bar to see the game. Had my Ukrainian uncle with me who has never been to an Irish bar before and couldn't believe how they went the extra mile to help us out. Next time I'm in Brooklyn this is the first place I'm going to on my arrival to say thank you. Diolch yn fawr

A true Brooklyn Staple. I have been going here for years ! Everyone knows this bar since it was in the movie "The Departed" The ambience, food music, and crowd all great. Mike the bartender a little arrogant but nice

I recently visited Irish Haven to meet my boyfriend for a night of pool and drinks. Before going, I had read some negative one-star reviews accusing the bar of racism and wanted to see for myself what the atmosphere was truly like. From the moment I walked in, I was warmly welcomed by both the bartenders and the regulars. My British boyfriend joined me shortly after, and we spent the evening enjoying great music from the jukebox, playing pool, and sharing drinks. The experience far exceeded our expectations, and Irish Haven has quickly become our favorite bar in Sunset Park. Don’t let the negative reviews mislead you—Irish Haven is a gem.

If you've ever wondered whether that one scene from Martin Scorsese's "The Departed" was filmed here, don't worry: Within 20 minutes, somebody in the bar is gonna tell you about it. Jokes aside, this well-preserved and surprisingly spacious relic from a more elegant-looking--if less civilized--era of Brooklyn bar history stands as a proud testament to the enduring power of wit and whiskey over common sense. As the name suggests, this is an old-school Irish bar through-and-through, and a haven for those who claim Ireland, either as their actual home country or via the questionable decisions of some long-lost immigrant ancestor. This establishment is also one of the last holdouts of a rapidly dying New York breed: the bar that still opens at 8 o'clock in the morning. Come for the unscathed early-20th-century wood decor and the perfectly poured pints of Guinness, and stay for the World's Surliest Bartender (You know who you are) who, on particularly prickly nights, is his own source of entertainment. There are also various events, including an open-mic music night, and a great jukebox packed with the kind of old Irish ditties and (slightly) less-old classic rock and punk standards you would expect from an establishment of this ilk. As with all authentically New York bars, the Haven can be a mixed bag when it comes to clientele, and to its attitude toward non-regulars in general. It can get quite packed at night, especially on weekends. And if you don't absolutely love the sound of a pack of shouty pink bros in matching Islanders jerseys and 2-for-1 Supercuts, maybe check the evening's sports listings before you come out.

I had the pleasure of hosting my Birthday party at the Irish Haven, renting out the back room. Matt, the owner, was very responsive and super easy to work with. The keg we reserved had definitely had the lines cleaned which I really appreciated and everything else was a good price. Very happy overall and hope to have more parties there in the future!

I was here for a surprise party a couple of days ago. I felt welcomed. What was really cool was they had photos of The Departed. I would totally come here again.

Yes. The best bar in Brooklyn!!!from the bartenders,to the locals,And even the owner.All down to earth and very welcoming

Management needs to control number of patrons or add staff. I could barely push my way in the door and had a long wait for a pint!

Awful. The drinks are insanely weak and expensive . No buybacks at all and the bartender is insanely rude. He kept ranting about politics to everyone and get himself extremely angry. It was very uncomfortable. Won't be back Edit in response to the managers comment - I wasn't there today, I was at your establishment another time and reviewing based off that. Not sure how you saw me... wonder what your angle is.

Great atmosphere and customer service. Very fun and their Guinness is the best !!!! Go check it out.

Had a wonderful time today. Friendly folks, great atmosphere. Stopped in today and was immediately treated like an old friend. This is a real New York bar, for real New Yorkers. God I miss going to bars. #savr

another racist gross bar in this part of brooklyn. got overcharged by a yt woman bartender in flip flops who didn't properly make my drink and took way too long. give me pubs without the trash

This is one of best spots I've found in Sunset Park! Love the charm, quality service and you can't beat the prices. We had a great time. We particularly enjoyed the friendly locals and the attentiveness of the bartender. Can't wait to come back and try to catch some of the live music or trivia.

A cozy neighborhood watering hole for years & years. Atmosphere is always welcoming, staff is fantastic (Steve the bartender is one of my favorite/the best bartenders in the neighborhood - by far.) I would recommend anyone looking for a great time to head to Irish Haven & let loose for a bit. Cant wait for the quarantine to end so i can enjoy a cocktail with great company. See ya soon guys!

The last of the true Irish bars, drinks not watered down, low price, Everyone keeps to themselves, Great place to drink alone or with friends. I didn't eat any hotdogs but I should've. I'm sure they were good to

We've come back here few times during visit this area. The real and very famous Irish pub. Very popular and what is give a high points. Staff were friendly and helpful even though the place was very busy. Lovely and authentic atmosphere. They have nice variety of beer. And Guinness. It was great! For real beer lovers. The prices were great as well. We would definitely go back in this pub.

Apparently this place is reservation only due to COVID, which I only learned after an employee/Bartender greeted me with a "Who the F**k are you" and informing me that it's reservation only after insulting me and saying "we're in a F**cking pandemic....." If he would have told me when I walked in like a decent human being that I had to call to reserve a table, I Gladly would have done so, but insulting me and cursing at me for not knowing the rules of this spot is not a way to Run a business. (Mind you I walked in by myself to another local pub one hour prior and got served, so it's not as if this rule was a common thing in the area, and I Ofcourse had a mask on)

Best of the best! I feel exceptionally safe here during COVID. Bartenders and patrons alike are friendly, thoughtful and kind. Give them a try!

This is my favorite neighborhood spot for a pint! The bartender (Mike) is always friendly and approachable, the rest of the staff is friendly as well. The fact that it happens to be a 3-4 minute walk from my house is nice, as it leaves little chance of me accidentally and drunkenly stumbling into the wrong house. (Process of elimination baby!) I wish their selection of beer was a bit more expansive, from memory I recall there being 4-5 tap selections including Bud, Bud Lite, Guinness, Sam Adams and Sam Adams Seasonal, Smithwicks and Magners Cider. Not a terrible selection, but they don't take the (brace for snobbiness here) TRUE beer lovers into consideration and satisfy our thirst for the good stuff (IPA). Please get IPA on tap! kthx:) ^_^ I come in here every once in a while (despite the IPA-less environment) because the atmosphere is friendly, people actually acknowledge your existence here and the other patrons are usually fun to talk to. They have events sometimes, like all-you-can eat/drink, unsure of what the prices are for those. Price for a pint at any time of the day is 5$ which is the same as happy hour prices at most other places. They have apparently been around for some time, and I was told there was a movie shot here. They even have their own t-shirts and Ireland memorabilia. They have a jukebox and a pool table, which is awesome! The box is full of great music by Def Leopard, Pink Floyd, Metallica, etc as well as several other genres. I think they have food here too, but I have not tried it yet.

Legendary bar in Sunset Park. Old school Brooklyn - from the people and decor to the jukebox and drinks. As a sign inside says "This is the Haven not the Hilton." Very fair prices. Next to subway stop, few blocks from ferry so easy to get to. Did a great job with two large outdoor seating areas to enjoy drinks during the pandemic. Good for groups or just grabbing a drink solo. Highly recommend.

Had such a great time. The food is incredible, the staff is so helpful and the establishment itself has such a great atmosphere.

Cash only. I came here around 12am on a weekend and was ignored 3x by the bartenders there. He even looked at me once and then went over to serve someone else. Wtf?! There was someone at the end of the bar who wasn't working but supervising and had asked me what I wanted to drink instead but did not even help to serve me a drink. I'm not sure if it was because I was young or because I was Asian (not to make it a race thing but it seemed that way) as everyone was older and white I inside the bar. So my friend and I finally got our drinks and it was EXTREMELY watered down. Basically we were drinking soda or water. It's $6 for cocktails so I guess the price played a factor but we could've just got a beer and soda from a local deli if we wanted watered down drinks. Smh. Only went here because it was the only bar near an event I was heading to.

This place looked popping but it looks like a place where the locals come more often. It took me forever to get my drink because none of the bartenders wanted to acknowledge me and the drinks were soooo watered down. The cheap price is mainly because they use their house alcohol which isn't alcoholic at all.. I can't understand why so many other reviewers mentioned "strong" drinks or cool crowds. Felt like I was drinking soda..and some of the people were very fun looking but others seemed rather sleazy. Cash Only.

Great atmosphere. Great bartenders. Awesome whiskey selection and wonderful friendly owners.

Had such a blast while visiting Brooklyn earlier this year with my husband at the Irish Haven. Cait was our bartender and she was super nice and friendly and made us feel right at home! We only intended to stay for a drink but ended up having 3-4 drinks and hanging out for ages chatting with Cait and some folks who seemed to be regulars. I'd highly recommend this homey spot if you're ever in the area!

Love this place for it's beer and rustic ambience. Over past 4 years in NYC I have brought all my tourist friends to this place and everyone loved it. It's truly a hidden gem of NYC.

Cannot say enough great things about this bar and its staff! I was planning a surprise birthday for my boyfriend, and received such a warm welcome and help from the staff. Thank you Matthew & Jane for helping me pull off this surprise in such a wonderful setting. We were so well taken care of, and could not have been treated kinder. I would recommend this venue for any drinking occasion! The place also has a lot of interesting history and memorabilia scattered along the walls, so you can't help but check it out! This is a true gem and well-worth a drive from Queens, or even further out! Thank you Irish Haven!

Cheap drinks, friendly bartenders and regulars, eclectic music. Good place to relax with a small group.

My local dive bar. Small place, Great people. Departed pool table. The movie "The Kitchen" was just filmed there, too. Broken jukebox. Open always. Sometimes there is even free food!

The place looks old and smells old. I've been there a couple of times, drinks are pretty affordable, service is just about average. Just a place you go when you run out of your options.

The Irish haven feels like home. I recently had an event there and Matt and Emmett were amazing. I love Taco Tuesdays- it is so relaxing and low key. I love that about the bar in general- they don't try to pretend to be anything they are not. They just are! Bonus - they have live music on Sundays, some Tuesdays. It really does feel like home.

This is an Irish Bar. And by Irish I mean goddamn Irish. Not Irish Saint Patty's Day when everyone says their Irish. Not Irish suburbs of New York Irish. I mean Irish. Like a bunch of Irish people took a boat to Sunset Park last week and when they got here turned the boat into a bar and stayed in it and hung out a while and put a jukebox in. With the Cranberries on it. And then let me and Bill in, which was nice of them. So when an older gentleman asked me my name and I said Kyle and he replied "Oh Koyle. That wus moy son's nime.", and closed his eyes and held my hand to his heart I was nunplussed. "Kipe the nime good, Koyle." I plan to. I had never thought about the reputation of name but now I kind of do. Irish Haven has a very long bar with plenty of empty seats. Cheap beer on tap is $3, nice stuff like Smithwick's is $4. I don't know about harder stuff, but I imagine it follows suit. The place rules and doesn't have the racist vibe Feeney's does.

Great bar. Great draft beers such as guinness, magners, smithwicks for $4 for a 20 oz. Regulars are very friendly. Just nice and simple. I've been to 32 states and far to many bars to count in the last 2 years I have been traveling and I gotta say this is my favorite bar I have been to. Great people, cheap prices and that down to earth feeling of being home, which is important to me considering how much I travel. I hope to go back as soon as im back in Brooklyn. Thanks for the good times.

I will only say this: had one of the best nights of life here. When I move back to Brooklyn I'm def gonna drink there.

The bar where they filmed The Departed in, this is a spacious two-part bar with a country/rock/celtic jukebox, a functioning kitchen just sitting there in one corner, and a pool table in the back with space to chill. This is a bar that never sleeps; I've been here extremely late and it seems the rush for this bar comes around 3 AM anyway. Lots of older regulars come in, as well as neighborhood Irish, Irish-American, and Russian locals. When I paid 3.50 for a pint of Guinness, I almost cried. I think its only on certain nights. They have schaeffer's and magners on tap as well. Its a good place to come for a quiet night of a couple rounds with the guys. Race shouldn't be an issue, but I've been called "boy" and been stereotyped more than once here. It doesn't bother me as much, but its something to watch out for.

My pub!!! Found a place my partner and I love to come by to get a nice glass of Guinness and IPA. Pool table in the back is fun and also nice to watch people play.

Such a fun neighborhood spot. Fresh, cheap Guinness, interesting mix of friendly and philosophical drunken locals, what more could you want? I especially love the forlorn kitchen in the corner. Someday I'm going to sneak back there and whip up a meal for everyone. Haven't gotten a real late-night experience there yet, but I'm looking forward to it.

Fantastic bar with a chill crowd. Cash only!!! But the drinks are strong, they have a pool table, a nice chill area in the back, and a live band depending on the day. Guinness on tap means I like this place!

Loved this place, admittedly we went there because "oh! they shot The Departed there!" but the novelty of that quickly rubbed off when we realised "damn, this is a great bar!" Free pool (though not all the balls are there) I think we could smoke there (this was a continuation during a night of drinking), great drink prices and also an excellent jukebox plus it wasn't packed on a Saturday night! So forget the fact that The Departed was shot there, go because it is an excellent place to relax and enjoy a few pints.

The real deal, McNeil! A true slice of South Brooklyn. Great drinks and cool folks. They have a comedy show once a month that is hilarious. Check it out.

Legitimate bar with good music. There's a pool table in the back and lots of space for groups. The bartender pours a mean Guinness with just the right amount of head. She played Business Time by Flight of the Concords. I will just leave it at that.

Great bar. Very accommodating for events. I took part in a fund raiser for a non-profit org at Irish Haven a few weeks ago and it went very smoothly thanks to the competent and professional staff. The event had a lot of moving parts: food, donations, raffles, and karaoke, all of which was pulled off thanks to good planning and careful execution. The owner/bartender cares about his patrons and he cares about his bar, and it shows. It was a pleasure being there. It's also just an awesome bar in all the ways you want a bar you frequent to be: cool people and affordable drinks and a bonus you'll never get in a Manhattan bar: a pool table with plenty of room to play.

Great place to have a drink. Classic old school Irish bar...the kind of place that is getting hard to find. Want to go out for a drink with one of your bros this is definitely the place unless you have a problem with an Irish brogue ..buy if you do maybe you shouldn't be going to a place called the Irish haven.

Your typical old school Irish bar. There are always regulars sitting at the bar. Bartenders are always chill and drinks are always cheap!

I'm not sure what all the hubub's about. It's just a bar. I think a lot of people like it because they allow smoking inside, but that's the main thing I don't like about the place: it's too damned smokey in there. They need to get some ventilation or something. Otherwise it's pretty Ok.

Perhaps the last of a dying breed of Irish bars in the Sunset Park vicinity and definitely the BEST! Great crowd, excellent staff and a cozy old school environment. Check it out once and you'll be back!

I attempted to go into this bar, but some pretty racist patrons smoking by the door told me 'This is not a good place for you' so I turned around and went home. No, I'm not Irish/White but I don't dress or look ghetto at all. So I don't understand why they would say that. I'm updating this review, because Matt ( the owner) has been very responsive to my experience. I will give this place another shot sometime this summer. But there you have it, that was my first experience at the Irish Heaven.

It has character and the staff are friendly/good. But it was a warm eve and the place was stanky, smokey and hot. I don't really mind if people are stanky, smokey or hot, but the whole place needed a window open or something. They obliged by running the AC for a bit, but I still left smelling like an ashtray - and a very drunk Irish girl wanted to fight... but I kinda liked that.

Old school Irish bar. Friendly Bartender and locals at the bar. Keep it simple here and you'll have a great time.

You may end up inadvertently talking to a large Irish man at length about how proud he is of his son. You may end up hearing a one man band play a Pogues song backed by midi drums. You may run into a raucous Irish rugby side that just won some sort of city tournament. There are plenty of things that may happen at Irish Haven, but one thing is certain -- it's near impossible to have a bad time here. There's nothing complex about Irish Haven. It's no homage to some long lost art of drink making, there is no quirky and overwrought interior. This place is just a great bar with plenty of space to have a pint with friends and enjoy yourself. Speaking of pints, it's worth noting that the Haven offers a $4 pint of Guinness that is, according to my Irish friend, the best Guinness pour in the city. Sure, you can come because this is the location used for the bar scenes in Scorsese's The Departed. But I'd encourage you to stay, have a pint, listen to some Irish tunes on the jukebox, and just enjoy yourself. That, my friends, is where Irish Haven really excels.

Thanks to Matt and the whole Irish Haven crew for the back room at the Haven. We had our son's baptism reception in the back room which was perfect. Matt took care of everything, helped the caterer and balloon deliveries go smoothly, and saved the day when I forgot the knife for the cake. It was a perfect spot to host our 50 guests after the ceremony at OLPH up the block. Thanks for being awesome!

I was not very impressed by this bar. The bar tenders seemed like they weren't very attentive and didn't really care about filling up your cup/pitcher all the way. A good deal of foam was left at the top of my pitchers. Speaking of pitchers, a pitcher of Coors is $12 and pitcher of Blue Moon is $16, which is decent I guess if I had received pitchers with less foam. The bar was really a bunch of hipster types, which is cool if you like that but that's not really my style. I guess it's because Sunset Park is the new cheap place to live and this is one of the only Irish bars in this Mexican/Puerto Rican/Chinese neighborhood. I will say I did enjoy the Jukebox in this place. After enough drinks, I was o\all over it. Except one guy decided to buy 10 songs before me and I had to wait forever. But that's life. It's also nice they have a pool table in the back in case you want more to do. Overall, this bar was just meh. Poor bar tenders, the crowd, and honestly how dead it was on a Friday night are reasons I wasn't a fan. I did hear that they do have free food during the week (Taco nights, etc), but I've never been. Maybe this place is better on weeknights.