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A Forest Hills watering hole since 1960, this family-owned pub is filled with congenial regulars (some of whom are second-generation Cottagers) who'll happily strike up conversation with strangers in between belting out the familiar words in the choruses of Irish folk songs. The wall decorations around the small room are as quirky as you might expect at this homey bar: photo collages of smiling customers, lush landscapes depicting owner Kathleen McNulty's birthplace of Donegal, a handful of Elvis memorabilia, even a frayed "Certificate of Upgrade to Complete Asshole." Background music varies from live Celtic tunes to jukebox pop, all punctuated by the clanging of gears in a hulking antique cash register. It's been collecting money there since the Cottage opened, and will probably be there till the last day. "It's my good luck piece," McNulty says. — Danny Freedman