St. James Gate

We found this eatery by chance. The place seemed cozy from outside and when we entered we didn't regret it. The Shepherd Pie was very tasty and combined perfectly with a Guinness. The atmosphere and the staff are very friendly.

Prepare yourself for a good old Irish welcome. If you get passes that you will be treated like family. I highly recommend the Guinness beef Stew, Shepard's pie and the fish and chips.

Good food. Service is slow but only 2 servers were on for a packed place. Polite staff. Get the smoked salmon. Cobb salad. The st. James Turkey sandwich was very satisfying.

Great Service! Great Food! Irish Coffee was one of the best I’ve ever had as well as the mashed potatoes! I must come back for the fish and chips. Such a great classic Irish pub!

I had an unexplainable yearning for Shepards pie and I walked in after reading menu on outside - theirs was. Excellent Irish pub aviance was great Service outstanding Distinct brand of ginger ale prob. irish? Good!

One of the best in the area - great staff, laid back vibe, and classic food. Will be sad to see it go if the rumors are true…until then, bring on the Guinness !!

This is one of my favorite restaurants on the Upper West Side. Many great menu items, but my favorite is their chicken pot pie (see pic). I also often order the bruschetta - it’s always prepared perfectly. The ambiance of an Irish pub is full of character. The food, the drinks, and the service here is consistently excellent.

St. James Gate is one of our favorite neighborhood, Irish Pubs, on the Upper West Side. We have dined here at least a dozen times over the years. The food and service have always been solid. If you live up in or are visiting the 80s and want to frequent a solid, no frills pub, this place is your best bet!

Super nice waitress and chilled outdoor seating ambiance! Love the menu too! My dogs and I came here for dinner after a day at Central Park :)

When you deserve a break and need some comfort and a few laughs, which I do at least once a week, St James Gate has this to give. SJG is unpretentious and friendly with delicious food and drink always -- the Ceasar salad and nachos are my favorite. The nachos may be the best in NYC. It's all good, consistently, thanks to a great chef. There's been a number or wonderful bartenders over the last 15 years or so, my favorite being Marcus. With gratitude and fondness for Paul, Siobhan and Marcus, and all of the wonderful employees at St. James Gate, for making me feel more like a friend than a patron - farewell. A pause would be better. Selfishly, hoping this is a pause.

Situated in the corner of West 81 St. & Amsterdam Ave. this Irish Restaurant/Pub is lively, friendly & the food is hearty & delicious! Through the glass windows you can see the welcoming atmosphere. The staff is especially friendly & the food is great. My favorites are the Corn Beef & Cabbage, the Shepherds Pie & the Beef Stew. The Irish Lemon Cheesecake with a side of Whipped Mascarpone will get you hooked. The bar is well stocked, with a variety of signature drinks. If ever you're on the Westside on 84 St. & Amsterdam, stopping here to eat is a must!

Busy street, great service, amazing food at Upper East Side! It was around 8pm on Saturday. It was packed but luckily we've got a table for 3! It was lively, packed. But not too crazy so I enjoyed the moment. Our server lady was perfect. She got our kinda complicated orders no mistakes and super friendly and efficient!! Got some drinks served so smooth and Calamari was sooo good!! Had St James Gate burger with cheese!!! Should Try it so goood!!! We really enjoyed our dinner after the long day! It was a wonderful experience :)

Stumbled upon this place after many bars were too crowded for us to watch football on a Sunday. We were able to grab a last minute table in the corner to hang out and watch. They have a small draft menu and were serving brunch until 4pm. Nothing stood out to be on that menu so we waited for the dinner menu. Many of their dishes are basic bar food with some traditional Irish food. I ended with getting the chicken sandwich which had avocado bacon and a side of fries. My boyfriend got the boneless wings and fried mushrooms. I'd highly recommend the boneless wings. Everything else was pretty average. The service was okay. I think because we were sitting a while we had to flag down our waiter when we needed something but they were very nice. I wouldn't go running back but it's a good spot to remember that airs football in case other spots are full.

One of my favorite neighborhood restaurants! The chicken pot pie, shepherd's pie, and Guinness stew are all really good.

This is one of my favorite restaurants on the Upper West Side. Many great menu items, but my favorite is their chicken pot pie (see pic). I also often order the bruschetta - it's always prepared perfectly. The ambiance of an Irish pub is full of character. The food and the service here is consistently excellent.

Walked in here unexpectedly to watch the AFC Championship game. The place was busy but was able to find a corner booth which was perfect. Ordered the boneless wings and fried mushrooms. The wings were great, made with real white meat chicken. The mushrooms were good but not something I would order again. Service was good but needed to wave our server over if we needed something, water, food, etc. Overall it was a good experience.

What a great neighborhood Irish Pub! The place is warm and inviting with a great bar. The restaurant was festively decorated for St. Patrick's Day. We stopped in for a short drink. It was a fairly cold day, so I opted for an Irish coffee! It was wonderful. It appeared that they had an extensive menu as well. Sorry we don't live in NY to come back, but would recommend St. James Gate to New Yorkers.

Exactly what you would expect for a place with this name. Comfortable seating at the bar. The selection of beers on tap is not overwhelming, one might even say shallow, though it does have a decent enough selection of representative styles. A nice whiskey selection, friendly and helpful bartender, and a nice mix of people at the bar itself. In essence, a comfortable place to land. I shall return.

Service was great. Atmosphere was also great. Really enjoyed this place. Waiter had told us that we had 10 mins to order food (close to closing) but bar was still open, burger and fries were really good. No complaints about the food or my drink. Only complaint was that they charged us for a drink that we didn't order, so please check your bill carefully before paying. Instead of the hassle of giving us a refund we agreed to having another John Daly.

What a find! Two days into our stay in New York and we stumble across an outstanding Irish pub in Manhattan complete with Irish staff and a great background sound track. The food was the sort of traditional pub grub you'd expect in an establishment like this back home - breast of chicken with mash and broccoli, chicken pot pie, fish and chips etc - and the portions were huge, well cooked and very tasty. We'll definitely come back if we get the chance, if only to watch England lose to the Netherlands tomorrow night.

I don't know why this place is only cruising at 3.5 stars. This is a perfect Irish pub! Beautiful pint of Guinness, nice service and fantastic food. This place rocks.

Visited here on January 28, 2023. The food was good. Had quesadillas and calamari. Both were good though I could do without all the extra cheese. The drinks were very good as well. I had two Patron Silver margaritas. The vibe was good. Loud so kinda hard to have a conversation, but still a good vibe. Why the three stars you ask? The waiter, Jesus. Disgruntled, unhappy, mad, didn't care whether service was good or not. A real stinker! Don't know what his issue was, it just wasn't good.

Decided to stop in here to grab a drink. Pretty average price for beers. We were planning to sit upstairs but we could see someone who appeared to be doing drugs so we decided to stay downstairs. Luckily we did because a few moments later that person ended up smashing glasses which was a quite scary. Additionally, there was a dog inside, which I am generally fine with, but when it was putting its paws up on the counter and trying to lick things, I worried about how sanitary that could be.

Awesome Irish public house. Great food. attentive staff good pour on drinks. Nice folks having a good time and chatting it up. But seriously. The best Shepards pie ever at a pub. Fish and chips equally so.

AMAZING PUB!!!! Fabulous menu, service, and top tier location in New York. The stained glass and decorations make you feel just right drinking a Guinness--or any of their other many cocktails and specials! Friendly vibe and atmosphere--which tends to be uncommon in this city.

Nowhere is better...food, staff, atmosphere. You'll be happy ordering anything on the menu, apps to salads to sandwiches and entrees. Everyone that works there rocks. "Cheers" if they had bangin food.

It's hard to find a bad meal in New York but, by gosh, St James Gate manages to provide it. Had brunch there on May 19, 2024. There were six of us, including two kids, and it took over 45 minutes from ordering to receive our meals despite checking in with our waiter a couple of times. The sixth meal didn't arrive and that took an extra 15 minutes. Food was inedible. I ordered the Bird's Nest and the poached eggs were totally overcooked and placed upon something described on the menu as brioche toast but was actually a soggy mess. I consider myself a good tipper and believe in the system. I decided not to tip, for the first time ever, given all of the above. The waiter or management decided to give themselves a 20% tip nonetheless, which is straight up larceny. Awful experience.

Stopped in on A Saturday night after a show at the Beacon Theater. This place was great - warm and friendly staff, manager on the floor greeting customers and checking in, really good food, and jovial vibe. A winner!

l LE this place .. .. love the atmosphere, the pot pie and shepherd's pie, and Guinness!! mmmmm

Sometimes I walk by this place wondering why it's so packed, now I know. The food here is great. It's the kind of American food you think of when someone says American home cooking. The meatloaf was tender, juicy and had a nice umami flavor. The chicken pot pie was flacky and creamy, the only complaint we had on that dish was that we wish there was more gravy - so yum. One thing is maybe stay away from the cocktails. I got the Manhattan but it tasted more like just whiskey than a cocktail. Next time I'll got do the hearty meal and a cold beer.

I'm an out-of-towner exploring and after a false start at a recommended spot nearby I stopped into James Gate. It was incredibly welcoming. Food was good and drinks were plentiful. Neighborhood regulars were incredibly friendly and Paul the bartender/maybe owner was incredibly gracious. I will go out of my way to come back here and will bring friends. I've never felt more welcome in a bar away from my neighborhood.

I remember one time we tried coming here to eat but the kitchen was closed, we decided to try again during brunch hours. The fish & chips was perfectly crisp, first time adding malt vinegar to it thanks to Steph and I regret never adding it before. Boneless wings were delicious and saucy. And the Guinness....look how perfect it looks

Best Irish Pub on the Upper West Side. My partner and I had been searching for a place to get a decent Chicken Pot Pie somewhere in the neighborhood for a few months. While we passed this place many times, last night we finally stopped in and really enjoyed ourselves. We ordered the Garlic Mushrooms, Guinness Beef Stew, and (of course) Chicken Pot Pie. Personally, I was blown away by the Garlic Mushrooms. They were not at all what I was expecting, but I am going to order them every time I visit. Imagine battered mushrooms with an incredible glaze served with aioli. The stew was just about perfect and the pot pie turned out to be exactly what my partner was dreaming about. Service was friendly and prompt and the prices were very reasonable.

the food was okay but my son in law found a piece of wood in his French fries We told the wait staff very disappointed In their response !!! waiter came back we don't know how it got there ? No apologies ...the manager didn't come out at all... they didn't bring new fries I would not recommend this place

BLASTING LOUD Music..Certainly Not an Upscale Vibe or Clientele Ordered to be on the safe side simple Burger Fries wsmallest piece of lettuce substandard Cole slaw + tomato.. Waitree, was however pleasant Not worthe the $ Dessert menu cake offering $10.0]]0! OVERPRICED

Good outdoor seating options spot COVID, if a little busy. The drinks were straight forward and we were surprised by how much we enjoyed the chicken pot pie and the fish and chips. The buffalo wings were also good, as was the apple pie (although we may not repeat). The trick is to walk by early and reserve a table, with the good weather it's a bit of a wait. Great local nevertheless

Stopped by for a beer and some snacks in the late afternoon on a Saturday. I was surprised by how many people there were and they were definitely understaffed, so service was a little slow. They have a few tables outside, but of course those go quickly. The beer was typically priced (about $8). As for the food, the brussel sprouts were amazing! It came out fresh and piping hot, with onions and pancetta. The hummus and pita wasn't very good; the hummus was thin and watery and had a strange taste that we couldn't really pinpoint. Overall, good place to stop by for a beer, but definitely stay away from the hummus.

I had a burger and fries, it wasn't anything to really write home about. Our waitress was very accommodating it being a large of of 14 of us. We got seated on the upper level which we had it to ourselves. She didn't make any mistakes with our order. It's an Irish bar in the city not much to write about.

Solid drinks and great food. If you want a chicken pot pie, shepherds pie, fish and chips or anything in the Irish/English food category, this is the place to go.

We've been here for a couple of parties and love this place. They bust any "bad Irish pub food" stereotype and serve quite tasty items. Paul (one of the owners) is a welcoming and charming host. We'll be back!

Great local pub if you live in the area. The bartenders and waiters are all very friendly. Food and beer are enjoyable. The checkered tablecloths and fresh flowers draw me in every time. Highly recommend their chili and fish and chips with a Guinness!

I had so much fun eating outside here this weekend. I got to try an apple cider with apple juice from 17 (!) varieties of apple and munch on the best nachos I've had in years! Everyone was very friendly and the restaurant has a very cute Irish flare. They have a great selection of Irish (Shepherd's pie, bangers and mash) and non-Irish inspired foods. Definitely worth a visit!

Wasn't friendly or attentive to what we ordered. This seems to be a locals bar and if you aren't ... well then, you should probably take your $$ somewhere else. Typical of most Irish establishments, also smelled like vomit. Menu was handwritten, which I could take as charming but again what sucked the most was horrible service and unfriendly vibe.

So happy to find a great Irish breakfast in the Upper West Side. Their outdoor seatings are decent as well.

Didn't really notice this bar right near home until an Irish colleague suggested they have 'the best Guinness' is NYC ! Well - so we went to two different bars and tried Guinness before coming here to see if it was really 'different' and were not disappointed ! Oh and yes, try their curried fries while you sip Jameson and ginger ale.

Amazing pub. The turkey sandwich is to die for! The bacon also dissolved in your mouth! The prices are very reasonable given it's location. $14 for the best turkey bacon avocado on ciabatta is not bad at all. My kids loved the mini burgers and lemonade.

It's my 3rd year living on the UWS and it's high time that I find my neighborhood bar. I can't keep going all the way out to Sunnyside to Molly Bloom's if I want a solid Irish joint. I miss you Molly... :( First, don't sit in the front during the winter. I should have sat further in, but the couple making out in the most dispassionate PDA I've ever seen distracted me. Smashing your face together and holding it there is like watching little kids playing house. Slightly disturbing but you don't want to say anything and give them a complex. Thankfully the server brought them their check and broke it up. I came for the "Celtic" Onion soup mainly. It's traditional French Onion soup so don't worry. All the molten cheese you try to eat too fast as usual, on top of a slice of baguette. The onion was very sweet. I'm on the fence about it. I still ended up tipping the bowl to finish it all. I could have sworn I ordered the Fish & Chips because I was already killin' it with the onions in the soup. My server brought out Bangers & Mash. I really didn't mind because I was eyeing it anyway, but it was loaded with even more onion! I really do love onions but now I'm going to be peeing them for the rest of the week. (TMI TMI) The presentation was surprisingly fancy for such a staple dish. It was a mashed potato volcano with gravy lava, buttressed with 4 good sized sausages. It was cute as a button. The gravy was a bit greasy, but overall it was successful. There's free, non-password protected WiFi. But I couldn't see any outlets. This is crucial to becoming my home away from home. But I could have made it work if they had hard cider on tap. I know I'm asking for a lot, most places don't. Not even Molly's. But Magner's in bottles and two others in cans... I can't. I was just on the UES at an Irish bar and had some of the best cider on tap since I was in my 20s in Bainbridge section of the Bronx. IRA/Sinn Féin embezzling and FBI raids and "jump up jump up to jump down" House of Pain type bars that sometimes would serve you skunky Woodpecker, but you didn't care. You loved it. THAT'S what I want, but I don't want to go across town to get it, dammit. I'm going to have to go crosstown aren't I? I mainly can't do this because the service was more inattentive than even I like. I don't need someone asking me if everything is okay every 10 mins. But I also don't like have to wait 10 mins after finishing my drink to finally flag you down to get another. It was not busy. In fact it was a ghost town compared to other places up the block that I walked past on my way home. And it was only 11 pm. Nope. I'm going to have to keep looking. Jesus. This was the longest 3 star review that I think I've ever written. Sorry!

Worth going out of your way for! Charming little corner pub in a charming upper west side neighborhood near the Museum of Natural History. Waiter was friendly, attentive, and smiley. Window tables have a nice view of the neighborhood and passersby Had the fish and chips. Fries were maybe the best I've ever had in my life-- hot, crisp, absolutely perfect! Fish was pretty darn perfect as well. Tartar sauce and cole slaw were disappointing- bland and waaaay too much mayo. But the fish and chips and overall experience was so enjoyable, it hardly mattered. Highly recommend!

Decent neighborhood place for a drink and a quick bite. Beer menu is not extensive but there is variety (though the Radeberger Pilsner in the bottle I had tasted like it had been sitting upside down for awhile...very metallic). Boneless wings were very good! Cramped seating so it is very cozy and you'll get to know your neighbor intimately but if you're looking for a low-key place where you can have a conversation and the douche-bag quotient is under 25% (unlike some of the other nearby bars), this place fits the bill.

My 90 year-old aunt and I began our three-day visit to NYC this evening and stumbled upon St. James Gate. What a wonderful time we had! Employees were kind, helpful, and they all smiled brightly. Smoked salmon starter was phenomenal; pasta primavera and chicken pot pie also had outstanding flavors. Special shout-out to Maureen who is a lovely server, and Kelly is great too.

Would someone please either fire or retrain the nasty blonde bartender? I came in on Friday at 7 pm ish for drinks and dinner. I sat at the end of the bar and waited 8 plus mins before the bartender even acknowledged me. She was busy messing with her phone. Changing the music and then talking to the waitstaff. I ordered a Manhattan and the nightmare began. She doesn't understand the basics of bar cleanliness or mix techniques. First she drug the GLASS through the ice bin -- she didn't use the tin or ice scoop. Biggest bartender no no! Then she added the liquor to the tin and shakes it with the said glass and rather than using the proper strainer she flipped the same glass in her hand over, inserted it in to the tin and uses it to pour the drink in the martini glass. Sooooo gross!!!!!!! You touch money and filth and then put that in my drink?!?! She put it down in front of me and I couldn't say a word as my jaw was dropped ... in shock of her carelessness, blatant laziness and nasty bar skills. I tried to get her attention for like 10 mins. But she was all over the place, huffing, rolling her eyes and general treating folks at the bar badly. Not to mention she over poured the guy next to me who was weaving and a drink away from falling off the stoll... embarrassing! He was obviously drunk and she continued to serve him!! Terrible!! My friend shows up and when she finally comes over I say very softly (as to not alert others at the bar of her gross preparation of my drink) ... she grabbed the drink of in front of me. Makes a face like she realizes I was aware of her missteps and tossed in anger in the sink ... She said nothing more to me, no apology, no "can I remark it for you?" .... I sat stunned for a moment and got up to leave ... So my friend and I went down the street to Another restaurant and had a lovely dinner and several drinks! I hope the owner is reading this because I am super disappointed.. I had been to the Amsterdam gem before but was never treated so poorly!!! Fire her -- she is a liability! The health department would have a field day if they saw the number of indiscretions she manages to do in a matter of mins. I will think twice before I return! It's a shame -- the first time I came in there was a super friendly young guy bartending and the food was delicious!

Friendly staff and really good Irish pub fare. Highly approve of the corned beef & cabbage, and the fish & chips.

Really excellent food and service! My wife has the Guinness Stew and I had the Shepard's Pie was excellent!! Highly recommend

Dinner after work-hours with a friend (absolutely NOTHING more than a friend) who is in deep distraught based on personal circumstances, which St. James Gate suit dinner and serious conversation. St. James Gate, an Irish Pub resides on Amsterdam Avenue, which I've had my first taste of Irish soda bread amid disappointedly very dry and harden complete opposite of what I've researched from Wikipedia. Being seated at a corner booth, a pleasant Irish waitress, attentively served two glasses of red Sangria at $18.00 each which was not fruity yet juicy to be immensely diluted in a water and alcohol. Shepherd's Pie at $17.95 was plentiful as should be the price, while my friend consumed the chicken pot pie at $16.95. The quality of food is average, although avoid the Irish soda bread if you like re-heated harden bread. Since I'm a cocktail girl who personally do NOT intake beer of any genre or country of origin for the bitter stench/taste, I opt the renowned Magners Original, Irish cider from Tipperary, Ireland at 4.5% volume content for my second serving which I was unable to finish. One bottle of Magners Original at $8.00 is best enjoyed in a Pilsner glass, despite of its high alcohol level content, Magners is similar to non-alcoholic cider resulted me to spend the night with the Porcelain King of diarrhea. Dinner for a party of two with entrées, no appetiizers, and two alcoholic drinks totalled a nasty $66.31. There are mid-size TV screens for avid sport fans to view their genre of sport being played. N.B. To my poet husband/lover: TAKE ME TO IRELAND! I so desire to taste authentic and good quality Irish cuisine.

Great food and drinks. I highly recommend the onion soup, though it would be even better if they added rosemary. You should give it a try

We found this place while looking for a lunch spot and it was fantastic. The fish and chips were delicious and the staff was very attentive and welcoming!

I've never left this place a review? What is wrong with me?! I love it here, and I've never had a bad experience. I went in one night, I didn't see a certain kind of beer on tap and asked if they had it in bottle. They didn't, but the bartender actually was convinced they had it. The effort was noticeable. I never forgot it. For an Irish bar, their nachos were SO GOOD! In fact, I talked about them so much for like a year, hubs and I went one night and he didn't even look at the menu - just said nachos since I sold him on it (he's an easy mark lol). Nice people, good eats and solid drinks. Go here. Now.