Brooklyn

Spike Hill
184 Bedford Ave., at N. 7th St.; Williamsburg, Brooklyn; 718-218-9737
Named after the owner's parents' farm in Galway, Ireland, Spike Hill is as authentic as you can get on Bedford Avenue. Chef Brett Ackerman whips up a limited menu: a traditional Irish breakfast (at any hour) and hot dogs for the Irishman on the go.

Water Street Restaurant & Lounge
66 Water St., nr. Main St., Dumbo, Brooklyn; 718-625-9352
If you want to avoid Manhattan's crowds, head over to this Dumbo pub where you're unlikely to bump into an out-of-towner with a face painted green. A special Saint Patrick's Day menu is on tap, as are dozens of beers, including the new SixPoint IPA. Expect burlesque, live bands, and bagpipe classics on the jukebox.

The Brazen Head
228 Atlantic Ave., nr. Court St., Cobble Hill, Brooklyn; 718-488-0430
Generally, there's little reason to venture here if you don't already do so (with great regularity). But on Saint Paddy's Day, the pub serves complimentary corned beef and potatoes from noon on. Pints of Guinness and Black & Tan are $4; shots of any Irish whiskey are $4.

Iona
180 Grand St., nr. Bedford Ave., Williamsburg, Brooklyn; 718-384-5008
This intimate and welcoming neo-tavern is the kind of place where no one will mind if you monopolize a window seat and nurse your pint all night. Tonight you can also listen to live music or nosh on the requisite corned beef and cabbage.