Jack Demsey's has held its corner of West 33rd Street for decades, pouring pints from 11am to 4am every day of the week, one block from the Empire State Building and a short walk from Madison Square Garden.
This is the Irish bar formula executed without gimmicks. One 8-foot projection screen anchors the room, 12 more televisions cover the walls, and the satellite package runs deep enough that the bar bills itself as a place to catch any game from anywhere, per the listing at NYC.com. The kitchen serves a full Irish and American pub menu until late, and the taps lean where you would expect: Guinness, Smithwick's, and a rotating cast of American lagers.
The detail that gives Demsey's its character is the affiliation. The bar is the official home of the Manhattan No. 1 Celtic Supporters Club, which means Scottish Premiership mornings here carry a green-and-white intensity most American sports bars never see. Old Firm derbies pack the room before noon. If you have never watched Celtic and Rangers fans share a Manhattan sidewalk at 7:30am, this is the address for it.
The room itself is honest Midtown Irish: long mahogany bar, tin details, booths that have survived a few thousand MSG postgames. Knicks and Rangers nights fill it with ticket holders on both sides of the event, and the staff turn tables fast without rushing anyone.
What to order: the Guinness, naturally, a shepherd's pie or fish and chips from the kitchen, and an Irish coffee if you are settling in for an early kickoff. Prices stay reasonable for the block, which is part of why the regulars are actual regulars.
Who it is for: Celtic supporters first, MSG ticket holders second, and anyone who wants a real bar near Herald Square instead of a chain. Tourists who stumble in tend to stay longer than planned. For a soccer-first operation with more screens, Legends NYC sits 30 seconds away on the same street, and the full picture lives in our ranked guide to the best sports bars in New York.
Best time to go: Scottish football mornings for the supporters club at full voice, weekday afternoons for a quiet pint, and two hours before any Garden event if you want a table. Skip the hour right after an MSG show lets out. More options across the city live in our complete New York guide and our round-up of New York's best bars for watching the game.
Sources: Jack Demsey's (official) · Yelp · Tripadvisor · NYC.com
