Reviews
In Hard Times, Just Plain Bars Are Timeless
“Most patrons of Carnegie Hall have probably walked past P.J. Carney’s many times without ever noticing it. Little did they know that a social symphony of great color and texture holds forth there nightly. The small oval room with a U-shaped bar and scattering of tables and booths attracts a remarkable cross section of New Yorkers: businessmen, artists, students, musicians, itinerants, even some turnaways from the nearby Planet Hollywood restaurant. Carney’s may not have the hood of the Batmobile on the wall, but it certainly has a better shepherd’s pie (made with beef, not lamb) as well as a good hamburger and fish and chips. When owner Mr. Crawford is asked if he would ever change anything in the bar, he doesn’t even pause to think it over. ‘Not a chance,’ he replies. ‘People feel as if this is their home, and don’t want people changing things around in their living room.’ Among others who stop by P.J. Carney’s for the ambiance and Irish ales are the neighborhood resident Buster Poindexter and the musicians Cy Coleman and Joe Jackson.”
— Bryan Miller, The New York Times
Critics Pick
“Don’t be put off by its sign; this tiny little bar across from Carnegie Hall has a wonderfully inviting, only-in-New-York ambience. Since the ’20s, this bar has attracted all kinds: businessmen, concert patrons, students from the nearby Art Students League and a late-night crowd of after-hours restaurant and bar employees. Posters of Ireland and New York memorabilia cover the walls, including a large, colorful illustration of some of the pub’s best patrons and employees. Some of the bartenders look like they’ve been here a little too long and the waitresses are not the model types you’ll find at Whiskey Park an avenue away, but Carney’s is what a dive bar should be: comfortable and familiar.”
— Tobey Grumet
“The circular bar at this comfortable neighborhood fixture, established in 1927, is packed almost nightly with postshow revelers seeping out of nearby Carnegie Hall. Sketches of bar patrons by contemporary artist Robert Cenedella (he’s captured regulars at Broome Street Bar as well) add a genteel touch to the mahogany walls, but most eyes focus on TVs showing a steady stream of sports. Crispy, beer-battered fish-and-chips complement a solid list of brews—21 on tap include Guinness and Blue Moon.”
— Time Out New York
Another Round, Please
“Irish watering hole with a mix of regulars, tourists and solo business types who always seem happy and chatty. It probably also helps that even after two a.m. you can still get a drink and a burger.”
— American Way, American Airlines
in-flight magazine
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