This Weekend
March 6, The Grand Marshal Dinner at the Sheraton, click here to get your tickets.
March 7, The St. Patrick's Day Parade kicks off at noon at Columbus Park. Stamford magazine is the exclusive media sponsor and will be joining in for the festivities! Tigín Irish Pub will once again offer the biggest and best outdoor party in Stamford with a kick-off party. Doors open early for English Premier League Soccer and brunch. Live music and entertainment begins under the heated tent at 2:00 p.m. with The Irish Band and Bliss taking the stage at 8:00p.m. St Patrick’s Day 2015 is not just a day at Tigín Irish Pub, its a season.
On St. Patrick's Day
By The Cove
If you can start at The Boatyard for a quick one, you’ll get your sealegs the right way this year. This spot is unpretentious and boasts surprisingly decent food. From there, you can walk up the road a bit to Seaside Tavern and soak up more nautical flavor—the interior is, literally, shiplike, as is The Boatyard’s. Complete The Cove swing (or start and end there, if you like) at Fiddler’s Green, where the outdoor canopy shields you from the weather, and you can indulge in some fresh-air entertainments.
Downtown, Part 1
What once was fairly scruffy, say, 20 years ago, is now filled with life—nightlife, that is. Bobby Valentine’s is a mainstay that never disappoints, especially on holidays, game days and such. There is always Bartaco up the ways, Buffalo Wild Wings and also Barcelona, though both are better for food than drinks, IMHO. Finish up, if you like, at Cask Republic, whose Tap and Fireside Rooms are elegant, and will make you feel welcome.
Harbor Point
There are two options here, and the first is not exactly Irish, but it will satisfy. Dinosaur Bar-B-Que is a great choice for eats and drinks—sure to please. However, for sheer scope, there is really nothing like World of Beer. Both spots will be crowded, naturally, but World of Beer will be COMPLETELY mobbed and can be hard to get service anyway, so get there early and have your crowd stake out a good spot.
Downtown, Part 2
OK: The really sweet spot in Stamford for St. Patrick’s Day is on Bedford Street (and everyone knows it). The nice thing is that if one pub/bar is crowded, then you can cross the street and visit another. Downside? Everywhere will be crowded, regardless of the weather. But there are many to choose from: try BUtterfield 8, Bradford’s, even the competing Italian flavors of Zaza or Remo’s (hey, mix it up!). That said, and it’s hardly a secret, the best place to be on St. Patrick’s Day, provided you can get in, is Tigín. Basically, it’s a classic Irish pub that’s weathered the years, as has its canopied cousin, Murphy’s. Tigín has everything you could want, except possibly green beer, which, to my mind, is actually a blessing of which St. Patrick would approve.