The Wren
Pub · Baltimore ·
Irish pub serving elevated fare, craft cocktails, and Guinness
Irish pub serving elevated fare, craft cocktails, and Guinness
"Run by the team behind award-winning French bistro Le Comptoir du Vin, this “American Irish” pub in Fells Point feels like someone’s home den rather than a bar, but with incredible food. Co-owners Will Mester, Rosemary Liss, and Millie Powell turn out traditional Irish and English dishes using ingredients from around the neighborhood. The menu rotates daily—check the chalkboard—but we always start with the bread and butter: two crusty slabs of Ovenbird Bakery sourdough and daffodil-colored Kerrygold sprinkled with finishing salt. Get something on toast, too; ours came layered with pureed anchovy, olive oil, and bitter yet bright broccolini. Expect interesting proteins like rabbit, pork cheeks, and lardons; we loved the lardons in coddle, a traditional Irish stew of potatoes, carrots, and sausage from nearby Ostrowski’s. To drink, you sort of have to get a Guinness on draft, expertly poured, though classic cocktails like a Bleu Martini or Blood & Sand also deliver, and it’s only $8 for a shot and a Hamm’s. While the cuisine is the draw, this is a true pub: belly up to the dark wood bar up front or settle into the cozy back den with fireplaces and dartboards; there are no TVs and hardly anyone was on their phones, making it a lovely escape from the noise. It works for a warm, casual date night but also suits solo diners and after-work drinks. Insider tip: once a month the bar hosts a Scotch night where producers and distillers come to talk about various varieties, which members can purchase at cost; membership is $5." - Jess Mayhugh
"In Baltimore, the Wren is modeled on Irish and British pubs with a focus on socializing rather than formal dining: conceived as a straightforward gastropub, the team uses two induction hobs and a convection oven in a corner of the bar to prepare thoughtful small plates like lamb mince, toasties, and a terrine with brown bread; national attention that landed the Wren on 2025 best-new lists changed the casual atmosphere and forced the space and menu to evolve (serving food in both the front bar and back lounge) as crowds out the door tested the limits of their minimal kitchen." - Nick Mancall-Bitel
"What was meant to be a pub became The Wren, a convivial, pub-as-living-room where I’m happiest belly-up at the bar with a fresh pint and a chalkboard menu: a brown-butter country omelet oozing Lancashire, terrine with good brown bread and cornichons, or a whole roast pigeon resting on jus-swaddled peas—rustic, transportive food designed for close conversation and the casual joy of sharing drinks and bistro-style plates." - ByThe Bon Appétit Staff
"Baltimore’s new gastropub, which joined our Eater 38 list this summer, secures a place on the New York Times 50 best roster." - Tierney Plumb
"The Wren feels like the sort of Irish pub where your great grandparents might have hunched over a pint and griped about wet winters and bad politics. In other words, timeless. This shouldn’t be surprising, as The Wren is run by the team behind popular bistro Le Comptior du Vin, but this time with an Irish brogue, antiques everywhere, and endless drafts of Guinness. The front bar is accented with dark wood and copper finishes, and serves an evening bar menu of Irish food with some French twists, written each night on a chalkboard and trending towards stick-to-the-ribs dishes like terrine, brisket, and smoked haddock. There's plenty of seating in the back room too, along with a fireplace and steady selection of scotch, whisky, natural wines, and of course, draft beers." - michele berry