The Scratcher 209 E. 5th St. (2nd & 3rd Aves.)
East Village
212.477.0030
The Scratcher:
Hey, look—it’s an Irish pub in the East Village! Around this strip of Second Avenue, it’s more unusual to see a bar that isn’t pushing the Gaelic shtick, but Scratcher is worth your scratch. Stop in early for the tasty (and filling) Irish breakfast (eggs + Irish bacon + beans + toast = hangover sponge) and you’ll find yourself lingering over one more pint all afternoon until that hangover’s gone. It’s dangerous not to wear a watch in this place because the few steps down from the sidewalk enable a warm, subterranean lighting and welcoming atmosphere that renders time non-existent. Not necessarily a bad thing, especially if the sunlight is making your retinas throb.
