Best Irish pub
Everyone looks good at the Burren. Just peek at yourself in the mirror - your face cast in shadow, a pint
glass in hand, swaying to the music - and you'll fall in love with yourself. Maybe it's just the perfect
lighting, or the way the dark woodwork complements anything you wear. One look at the Burren's red-and-black
façade, and you know you've found the Shangri-La of bar-hopping: a place with impeccable taste that doesn't
demand the same quality in its patrons. The location, in bustling Davis Square, is a bonus, and there's also
the cachet of seeing a bit of local-film history (several scenes in the independent flick Next Stop,
Wonderland were shot here). The nightly Irish seissiúns in the front bar and the harder-rocking bands in
the back complete the welcoming atmosphere. Fortunately, this is one readers' favorite that shouldn't
remain a secret. The bar is much larger than it appears from the street, and it's actually fun to negotiate
the crowd.
The repeat winner on the other side of the Charles is Brookline's Matt Murphy's. This is undoubtedly the
most popular Irish bar in the Boston area that doesn't allow smoking (in accordance with town law), but
you'll be thankful for unclouded taste buds when you see the generous portions of smoked salmon and
shepherd's pie. And how many Irish pubs make their own ketchup?
The Burren, 247 Elm Street, Davis Square, Somerville, (617) 776-6896; Matt Murphy's, 14 Harvard Street, Brookline, (617) 232-0188.
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