In a sea of cheap Indian and Pakistani restaurants and spice shops on the east side of Manhattan is one of New York's really distinctive Irish bars. Rocky Sullivan's was immortalized by the late travel writer Pete McCarthy when he wrote about reading there at one of the bar's weekly reading nights -- McCarthy's account of being accosted by drunken Glasgow Celtic fans is absolutely hilarious.
They have quite a schedule. Tuesday's is an anti-Bush satire night of stand-up comedians; Wednesday is a literary reading night; Thursday is a pub quiz and Friday and Saturday are hip hop nights. Pretty eclectic.
Rocky's is a real no nonsense New York bar with cheap booze and bar tenders with an attitude. It also has the cosy atmosphere Dublin bars used to have before that city's yuppification.
129 Lexington Avenue, between 28th and 29th Streets;
www.rockysullivans.com; tel: 212 725 3871
Take the 6 Train to Park Avenue South and 28th Street.
As of September 2007 this great bar is no more. Actually Rocky's is still live and kicking, just moved across the river to Red Hook in Brooklyn. The website above has all the current details.
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