I have to mentally steel myself every time my friends suggest going to a bar in the East Village / LES. The amount of crowded, loud, obnoxious places I've been to in the area has left me with a Pavlovian gag-reflex. So imagine my surprise when I step into Donnybrooks on a Saturday night at 1030, and I can actually see the bar. I can hear the music. I can move my arms without smacking people in the face (unintentionally anyway). Bartenders who actually seek you out for drinks. This must be what Shangri-La is like... Actually, nirvana likely lacks late 90's/early 2000's hits, to which I say 'for shame!'. And you could tell people were digging the beats, nary a still body could be seen. The bar stayed at a nice busy-but-not-crowded level until we stumbled out around 3 am, happily drunk if a bit lighter in the wallet (drink prices weren't what I would deem affordable). All-in-all a solid watering hole without the pretensions and obnoxiousness of similar venues. read more

I held a 25 person company happy hour here last week and it was absolutely perfect. The space was comfortable and accommodated my group nicely, and the in house caterer, Lisa, was exceptional and truly can work wonders with a shoe string budget. Lisa kept consolidating the platters so it appeared more presentable, and after the initial rush moved the food trays to our table to folks could pick at it throughout the remainder of the night. It is small gestures like that that made me realize how attune she and the rest of the staff were to our group. I highly recommend Donnybrook for small corporate events or gatherings like a birthday. The drinks and food are also amazing. read more

When you walk in you will find a semi dark room with wood seats and stools.. it is simple but elegant. I makes me feel like that I walked inside of an English pub.. but with two flat screens and music in the background. FYI: they dont serve food. t Friendly staff and good service. I have been back twice. I would recommend it for a quick beer or to chat with friends. Beers in this place are around $6. I don't know about mix drinks I didn't have one here. yes I will be back again. read more

The servers here are NOT nice! They take forever to get to you and then when they finally do decide to take your order that have the worst attitude. I'm not sure what the deal is but, these same two women are the main reason why I tell people not to come. They yelled at my friends and overall I don't ever feel comfortable coming back. read more

One of the pits of the LES that attracts loud and rude crowds. The bar itself isn't bad but don't count on a cold drink every time or fizz in your soda. read more

This review is for brunch. Donnybrook offers three complimentary drinks with its brunch entrees. The brunch menu was not extensive, and I was really only drawn to two entrees- the omelet and the salad (note that there was a bigger menu than what is on the website). I typically make my ordering decision based on what is on my salad or sandwich or what accompanies an entree, so when I saw a salad with bacon, tomatoes, onions, avocado, hardboiled eggs, chicken and blue cheese with a balsamic dressing, I was sold. My friend went with the Donnybrook - which was a warm sandwich with Irish ham, Dubliner cheese and a tomato and came with chips. The restaurant wasn't crowded around noon on a Sunday, so we got a huge table to ourselves which would have been perfect for 6 of us, rather than just us two. We also enjoyed our choice of complimentary mimosas, screw drivers and bloody marys. We got mimosas and our waitress was always there, ready to fill our glass. My salad was absolutely delicious. It was so filling and I loved that the toppings (aka my favorite part) heavily outweighed the lettuce. Everything tasted super fresh and the dressing was so flavorful that just a little bit went a long way. I had a bite of my friend's sandwich too, which was essentially a grilled ham and cheese. This was good as well, but I have to say I felt like my salad was definitely the winner. The bill came and it was $15 a person with tax and tip. If you are looking to enjoy a brunch with a few beverages, the Donnybrook is a great place to go. If you are looking to drink a bit more, you may want to head to another brunch spot. I'll be honest though - I'm a lightweight, and this place was perfect. Three drinks made me sleepy, but all I needed was a 5 minute nap to recharge, where usually I'm down for a few hours after an all you can drink brunch. So if you are a lightweight and not looking to kill your whole afternoon, Donnybrook is for you. read more

Went to a friend's party here on a Friday night around 11pm. Shrug. I was just unimpressed with this place - from the crowdedness up at the bar, to the service, to the drink prices. My whiskey and ginger ale was $9 for a glass with too much ice. Maneuvering my way through the crowd around the bar, I ended up spilling probably $1.48's worth of booze. Sigh. Going back to the bar again for a friend's drink, I mistakenly asked the barback for more ginger ale. I got a brusque "Talk to that guy" and a point to the bartender. OK, thanks guy...he definitely got his job because of his freakishly long arms to grab empties, not his people skills. DJ was playing a ton of Top 40s, which turned out to be a good soundtrack for some dancing. But this was more a result of being kinda bored with the crowd and being kinda drunk from some shots, not because the bar is a dancing-type place. I will say the wood benches and tables are nice. Lighting is nice. The rest...shrug. read more

Skip this bar. Better service elsewhere We got one drink and never saw our server ever again. The worst service. I first thought It was do to the full bar was attended by only two servers. But I walked up to the bar and they were just chatting with a friend. I sat here for an hour and could only squeeze out 2 drinks. A friend I was with flagged down a server and asked for a beer. The server/bartender told him he would come back after he served another table and never returned. read more

This place is good to catch up with friends (but only weekdays). Nice seating options with large wide tables. The music is insanely loud on Friday nights. Ended up here a couple of times on Friday nights with friends/coworkers. Everyone agreed it was too loud. At one point my friends and I had to move the conversations downstairs by the bathrooms so we could hear each other. read more

My best friend lives above this place, so when we were cold, it was snowing, and we didn't feel like making decisions, it was somehow decided that we would try out the bar downstairs. I'm glad we did! Donnybrook is charming and felt a lot like the room in my house at home called "the fancy room." It's a lot of homey wood and wallpaper. Another thing I liked about this place is that it wasn't too crowded, but it definitely was not deserted either. Additionally, the people that were there seemed to be above average in the looks department which never hurts. read more

This has been my go-to bar in LES for a while now. Unlike many other bars in the area, it has a relaxed vibe and doesn't have scores of drunk college kids causing a scene. Friday and Saturday nights fill up a bit more, but always a great time. The staff is extremely friendly and attentive (shout outs to Kayla, Maria, Vinny, Noah, and Andrew!). I've also had multiple private events here, which have all been great. When it comes to a fun, neighborhood bar, DB is as good as it gets. read more

Came here for my 21st bday and the bartender was terrific! Great environment and delicious drinks. Can't wait to come back on our next trip to New York! read more

I'm not sure why this place is always packed. I definitely won't be coming here again. I came here after work and the only thing they had on the menu was hotdogs not to mention they "ran out" of wine glasses. Their tables are not wiped down. It was just gross. read more

Love the bartenders here and I have to give a mention to my new favorite, Veronica! Such a sweetheart and hard worker!

I had been here a couple of times because a friend used to live right above the bar. My experience had always been OK, nothing spectacular but nothing to really complain about. Cold beer, good place to chat, it was a typical neighborhood bar. And then I came here for New Year's Eve. After losing track of time and realizing the clock was going to strike midnight my boyfriend and I rushed to the bar since it was the closest establishment to where we were (aka 3 floors above). Now it is not hard to throw a New Year's Eve party since this is one night when people want to have fun. Let me correct myself, people are DESPERATE to have fun on New Year's and filled with merry cheer for no particular reason. We get in and it is packed. There are lots of drunk people but no one is dancing. Odd. It does not take long to figure out that it is because the DJ is bad, absolutely no flow. Kind of like when you have an ipod at a party and even though you have an awesome play-list set up, people decide to go change it and pick out there favorite songs throughout the night. Obviously we need drinks. I go to the bartender and ask what's on tap for the night. He rolls his eyes, gives out a condescending "guffaw" and then points to the tap levers all the way down the bar and says "look." Excuse me? Your bar is currently about as dark as a crypt and it would take bionic eyes (something I do not have, yet...) in order to read anything. Plus you are the BARTENDER! When I worked as a waitress and someone asked me a question about the menu I did not tell them to "look" I answered their question. Nothing bothers me more than rude customer service especially on a night like New Year's Eve, which should be the faux-happiest of our lives! To top it all off when the clock struck midnight Empire State of Mind came on which gave me moment of twilight-esque fear that we had actually gone back in time and it was now Jan 1 2010. Fortunately it was lame DJing. I may seem harsh but when you bill yourself as a "low-key" or "neighborhood hangout" and then charge over $5 for a coors, I at least expect a smile. read more

Dropped in 'fresh' (am sure we were anything but!) off the plane from Denmark to keep ourselves awake. Met by a super friendly bar tender who made our first few hours in NYC brilliant. Great beers, good conversations, seemed like a great place to start our trip. Hope to pop back before we leave. Magne tak read more

One of my favorite spots to hang out at in the LES. I've never had anything to eat here, only drinks. The bartenders are awesome and always easy to have a quick chat with. Typically has a friendly atmosphere to it - patrons all around you are having a good time - all the time - in here. The prices are fine and there is plenty of space at the bar in addition to about four large tables for the bigger parties as well as a few smaller tables near the bar. It gets to be a little packed on those key days late at night - Thurs, Fri and Saturday nights. I like coming here during any other day of the week - it is absolutely perfect then. read more

From the outside, the place is hard to miss with its iconic white outside and "Donnybrook" written. A decent bar for a fun time. On the weekend, it gets a bit crowded with loud dance music, but if that's what you're looking for. read more

Dropped by for a few beers and a bite to eat on a Wednesday evening. It's a nice open space with a few TVs, some rustic wooden tables, about 8 draft beers and a generous selection of spirits. The draws are 20oz pints, normally $7 but $5 at Happy Hour (12-8pm). The menu is a mix of traditional Irish food (Shepherd's Pie) and some bar standards (sliders). I had the pie and it was tasty. There is also a weekend brunch for $15 which includes three drinks. Overall it's a nice neighborhood bar with plenty of room and a nice selection of food & drink. read more

Was here on a Friday night. Attentive bartender. However, the music was way too loud and the men to women ratio was skewed in the wrong direction. Probably won't go back. read more

Donnybrook - Skewed ratio..had to leave. Probably won't go back. - Bars Near Me - New York, New York

This is my local. The best spot for a pint Guinness! The bartenders Frances Greg Abby Nicole and Maggie are so welcoming. Brunch is a special treat at the weekend...check it out 11am-4pm. Thank you for keeping it real in the LES my neighborhood!! read more

Without a question the best pub in the city and the bartenders are absolutely the best around. Definitely a must go if you're in LES

The absolute best place to drink. Lisa the bartender is fabulous and has great drink recommendations. The hummus plate is out of this world. The punk music is fab. All around great atmosphere. read more

Went there on a Friday afternoon @ 4:pm. Waited at the bar to order a drink, the bartender stood there washing glasses while stood there. We walked out . Don't waste your time, worst service. read more

I came here for what I was told was an unusual event: ice skating broadcasting. (I guess this place is otherwise a "hardcore," "mainstream" sports bar?) There was a nice vibe throughout this large bar. There's a great amount of standing room, which I appreciated, but also many seats available. The beer selection has very standard beers but a good amount of them. The food options were also pretty standard but abundant, including delicious fries (served in a cone) with curry sauce. Definitely a good neighborhood bar; I'm pretty sure I'd never go out of my way to come back to this bar if I wasn't already in the neighborhood, though. read more

I got a Donnybrook Sandwich (Irish Ham, Dubliner cheese, and a tomato, grilled to perfection) and three glasses of mimosas for only $12 during a Sunday brunch. Let me iterate: A hearty sandwich, served with a baby spinach salad and Tayto chips, and three alcoholic beverages for only $12. DAMN. I'm just sayin'. This minor Sunday night hangover is almost worth it. read more

On a recent vacation, my parents and I stopped in to have a pre dinner drink. The spot attracted us because while there were people inside, it wasn't overly busy and my dad saw the sign for Guinness which he enjoys. We grabbed a free table and waited...and waited some more. Perhaps you have to go up to the bar to order we thought, so my dad got up and walked over - the waitress said she would be over shortly. She never came, a few new people came in and were served right away, but we continued to wait. After 15 to 20 minutes we called it quits and went next door to a lovely Tapas place that we visited multiple times during our trip. read more

Service was horrendous. Waited 2 and a half hours for 2 beers and some cosmos. Still haven't gotten my food yet. If you love horrible service and free shots then come here. read more

I stumbled into Donnybrook last night for the first time, because it is one of the closest bars to my new apt :) I have been to the owners' other bar, Lucky Jacks (also in LES) several times and wanted to give it a try. Although Donnybrook is nothing like Lucky Jacks (it is clean and open and relatively bright - not Schiller's bright, but much brighter than Lucky Jack's), I really enjoyed it. It still smells new and you can tell that it hasn't fully been broken in, but the whiskey selection is fantastic and the bartenders are nice and unpretentious. It is a great neighborhood bar. I plan to return often. read more

Warm and inviting neighborhood spot. I arrived for a dinner at wd~50 early, and it was too cold and dark to wait outside. The early shift bartender was really sweet - we talked about owls - and she gave me the "drink that looks like a cocktail but isn't" that I ordered (I was unable to consume alcohol that day). Regarding the atmosphere - I loved the old feel of the place. When I arrived, it was populated by a handful of regulars - definitely my speed. However, just as I was leaving at 8pm, the bros showed up and the volume increased significantly inside. Too much for me, so I left. (I'm not the most social person. I prefer an empty bar to a full one.) read more

This was the first bar we decided to stop by when we visited when visiting New York. The bartender, I believe his name is Ian, was super friendly and even went as far as giving us an entire list of places to see and a bars to check out while we were there. Drinks were great. Definitely an overall great experience. Would recommend to all our traveling friends. read more

The first bar we attempted seemingly found it appropriate to play rave music at 9:00 pm and stamped a tiny baby on the inside of my forearm - clearly NOT the bar for us. We stumbled on Donnybrook while searching for an alternate location, and it was exactly what we needed. It was quiet enough that we could have a conversation, but it was bustling enough that we felt as though we were still part of the social scene - even though we had no intention of visiting with anyone besides our group. (Strangers? Yuck!) Another plus: The bathrooms are really nice. read more

The bartender lady here makes a KILLER bloody mary. You must ask her to make it for u. read more

A friend & I had reservations @ another spot not too far from here. Due to the lack of reliability in the MTA, we missed our reservation by 15 minutes. So we opted to try somewhere else instead of waiting 45 minutes for another table to become available. We stumbled upon Donnybrook as we walked down Clinton Street. It's aesthetically pleasing to the eye, inside & out. Very spacious! They have a giant bar that seats @ least 20 people. There are about 6 massive oak picnic-esc tables lining the perimeter of the bar & it's huge open windows. We were sat at one of these tables. With brunch, you get a choose of either 3 complimentary Bloody Mary's or Mimosas. We went w/ the Bloody Mary's. They were either watered down or pre mixed hours before. I ordered the corn beef hash...yuck!!!! The corn beef was cut into gamey chunks & the potatoes were hardly hash. They sautéed it in what taste like the hot dog onions from the cart. Why? Since when is corn beef hash in a tomato based sauce? The 2 fried eggs it came with taste like egg substitute. The yolk was overcooked & the egg white had a rubbery texture . My friend ordered the Cobb salad which she said was ok. But it's impossible to screw up salad. Although the food was less than desirable, the service was great. Our server was pleasant & accommodating. The bar itself seems like it would be a great place to go after work for Happy Hour. I don't know if the rest of the menu Is up to par but do far the food didn't leave a good impression. read more

Interesting corner spot that we stumbled into while it was pouring rain on a Saturday night. The bar has decent decor and could fit probably about 75 - 100 people. They have a wooden theme going on with these big communal tables that could fit probably 15+people. We all ordered custom drinks and the bartenders were nice. Really laid back and even gave us a discount. Our 3 drinks only totaled to $22. Amazinggg! Unfortunately since the music wasn't all that great we opted to go hunt for another bar/lounge/club that would provide a livelier atmosphere. Maybe if I was with a larger group I wouldn't mind visiting this spot again. ~happy drinking! read more

Best bar in the city! The Donnybrook staff always offers service with a smile- especially Maria and Lauren! I was glad to see that they are strictly following the covid regulations which made our outing safe. Keep it up donny! read more

Best Guinness in nyc. I've had the real stuff in Dublin and this is not far off! A really friendly staff too!

the crowd was a little older, like late 20's to 30's, but the vibe was low-key. The crowd wasn't too pretty, but they were nice. Bartender was nice, but 4 total drinks for the evening was $40+, so not a great deal for the neighborhood. Nice decor, as you can see from the photos I posted. Overall, would go back if I was in the neighborhood, but wouldn't go out of my way for it. read more

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Wandered around the area looking for a spot to watch the Yankees game and grab a drink and a bite to eat. After about 45 minutes ended up back here which is a couple blocks from my apartment. It was a solid decision. No, they don't have the cheapest drinks around, but if you want cheap drinks, Welcome to the Johnson's is handing out $2 pbrs a couple blocks away. They pour a great Guinness and their other drafts are 20oz so it's not such a bad deal for around $6. Also, order the sliders. They're good sized, juicy and the best sliders I've had in the very long time. For $8 you get four. They're substantial enough to split between two people. With an order of fries (which comes with a curry dipping sauce), it's a solid meal. It's not as trendy or hip as most of the bars down here, but a relaxed bar playing the Yankees game for a relaxed night. read more

The first time I came here the bartender was awful - but the food was excellent in spite of her poor service and inability to make a drink to save her life, so I gave it another chance. Fortunately that was the last I've ever encountered her. Every time I've been back the food has been excellent, the staff is friendly and knowledgeable, and I like their specialty drinks. Their fries are excellent. My only complaint is that I wish it were slightly cheaper so I could eat here more often. read more