St Patrick's Day: 11 of the best Irish pubs to visit in Britain

St. Patrick’s Day is upon us, and what better way to celebrate than to visit your favourite Irish bar?

Irish bars are popular, and for good reason.

Although filled with laughter, cracking pints of Guinness, and wonderful people (in this writer’s unbiased opinion…) on the other 364 days of the year too, things are kicked up a notch on the day of the Emerald Isle's patron saint.

If you’re wondering which Irish bar to grace with your presence this St. Patrick’s Day, look no further as UK coffee retailer Coffee Friend has devised a list of 11 of the best Irish pubs and bars across the nation that are worth a visit.

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They’ve looked at a selection of pubs with a rating of 4 out of 5 or more on TripAdvisor and ranked them based on the percentage of top ratings across all its reviews.

Here’s what they found…

1. Dropkick Murphys, Edinburgh

Dropkick Murphys is one for those wanting to keep the craic going into the small hours as it stays open until 3am in Edinburgh's Old Town.

Live music and sport is a staple and they've recently added a shop, modelled on John and Mary's from the 90s TV show Father Ted, to buy the best snacks Ireland has to offer.

2. Raglan Road, Nottingham

As well as the promise of live music and sports, this pub has one huge draw. A must for fans of Ireland’s best snack, Raglan Road has a Tayto sandwich on its menu. A true delicacy.

This bar has also put a picture of Putin's face in the men's urinal. Worth a visit for that alone!

3. Shenanigans, Liverpool

Shenanigans is an independent Irish bar in the city centre providing a wide range of food and drink options to its punters while also screening live sports, including GAA.

Flanagan’s Apple (see #9) is just a few minutes away too, if you fancied a Liverpool Irish pub crawl.

4. The Irish Bar, Llandudno

This Irish joint in Wales rates highly across the board for its food, service and value.

Its menu offers multiple Irish dishes alongside classic pub meals and live music is a regular fixture throughout the week.

5. The Crown and Cushion

The Crown and Cushions' rustic charm can be found in Waterloo, with their reasonable prices being a highlight among reviewers.

It also veers away from traditional fare as you have the option of tucking into Thai and Laotian food alongside the pints.

6. Fiddler’s Elbow, Brighton

A short walk away from the seafront sits Fiddler’s Elbow, a cosy Irish pub that serves hearty pies and frequently hosts live music.

It’s one for Guinness lovers as they are said to pull the best pints of the black stuff in Brighton.

7. Malone’s Irish Bar, Glasgow

Priding itself as a pub and live music venue is Malone’s in Glasgow's city centre.

It boasts a lovely roof terrace where you can enjoy cocktails made with Irish-made spirits and liquors, including Baileys, of course.

8. Philomena’s Bar and Cafe, London

With a central location like Covent Garden, Philomena's undoubtedly provides a lively atmosphere at times.

The bar and cafe screens live sports and also serves up breakfasts complete with soda bread, alongside the usual drinks you’d expect to find.

9. Flanagan’s Apple, Liverpool

Flanagan’s Apple sits centrally in Liverpool, a city with famously strong links to the Emerald Isle.

Music is a regular fixture with live bands, open mics and karaoke, plus Irish-themed highlights on the pub’s varied menu include a steak and Guinness pie and colcannon.

10. Mulligans of Deansgate, Manchester

This pub claims to have the best pint of Guinness in Manchester as well as being the city's oldest Irish pub.

It ticks the boxes when it comes to providing sports, drink and live music but there's also the opportunity to stay above it in one of its nine hotel rooms.

11. Waxy O’Connor’s, London

Centrally located in Soho is Waxy O’Connor’s London joint, which dubs itself the ‘biggest and best’ Irish pub in the capital.

It certainly is a maze of a venue set over three floors with a total of four bars, complete with a tree and its own confessional.

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