New Jersey Nightlife

Gold-leaf writing inscribed across the towering red portico at the entrance to The Shannon Rose Irish Pub announces what one might expect to find inside: “Premium Stouts,” “Irish Whiskies,” and other culinary staples of the Emerald Isles. Behind this imposing entryway lies a series of dining rooms that have a markedly different effect; chandeliers create a sense of intimacy as they illuminate Gaelic artwork and aged hardcovers resting on lofty bookshelves.

Mention the Cryan family to South Orange locals and they'll probably tell you stories. They'll talk about the sons who've worked as chiefs of the local police and fire departments, the father who emigrated from Ireland in the '40s, and the lively parties held at Cryan's Beef & Ale House. Captained by the youngest son, Jimmy, the 30-year-old local landmark is the last of the 30 pubs and eateries the family owned throughout Jersey.

An Irish flag waves outside the cheerful Celtic storefront, beckoning passersby in for some beer and Irish pub classics. Inside, a St. Patrick statue smiles down on rows of cushy green booths, where diners wrap their hands around corned beef sandwiches and hearty Angus beef burgers. Among regular patrons are students from the nearby Seton Hall University and a woman named Carol, who has eaten there every night since 1982. Throughout the week, the restaurant plays host to lively events, from spirited DJ college nights to traditional Irish music shows.

A curving wooden bar and Victorian chairs give Vie de Bohème the ambiance of a 19th-century Parisian bar, one where artists such as Matisse and Toulouse-Lautrec might have passed the time. Visitors lounge in the inviting space as they sip on beer, cocktails, or a selection of wines from around the world or accompany Bordeaux-born host Didier Sudre into the wine library to select bottles to take home or store in a secret wine cellar beneath the Olympic-size whiskey pool. Traditional snacks such as salami, cheeses, and olives complement drinks, small plates like their salmon cakes or pate plate give way to more substantial dishes such as cassoulet make sumptuous dinners. Local bands and pianists who play the in-house grand piano often inspire dancing.

Oak Ale House is an eatery divided in half—one side is a sports bar, and the other is an old-fashioned Italian restaurant. Paintings of Italy hang in the latter section, where families crowd long tables piled high with plates of pasta, pizza, and burgers. The menu unfolds to reveal a mélange of American-Italian staples such as penne in a creamy vodka sauce, and rib-eye steaks that sizzle out the national anthem as they’re cooked. Back in the kitchen, ovens bake thick and thin pizzas to a bubbly golden brown, and grills heat up eight types of hamburgers to sate hamburgervores.

Beyond the guarded border dividing the two establishments lies a sports bar, where frothy brews pour from kegs and live music beckons toes to start tapping. The bar also houses seven flat-screen TVs, billiards, darts, and karaoke on select nights.

Three Wise Monks first threw open the doors of its welcoming, renovated saloon in spring of 2012, unveiling gleaming pint glasses and the malty scent of freshly crafted brews. Barkeeps rotate more than 14 craft beers through the tap lines, supplementing suds with bottles from breweries such as Founders, Flying Dog, Rogue, and Smuttynose. Three Wise Monks updates visitors online on the daily contents of its hop rocket, a Randallizer that infuses beer with basic hops or flavors such as coffee beans, fruit, and Clydesdales' tears.

Hanging baskets line Marty O'Brien's Social Club's front patio, contributing to a quiet sidewalk ambiance that contrasts with the pub’s convivial laid-back lounge. Regardless of where diners sit, they can expect tables brimming with plates of seafood, grilled chicken, and beef. Nearly every corner of the restaurant exudes an air of comforting americana, from the rugged blue-brick façade to its name, which invokes Frank Sinatra's father's boxing moniker and the pen name gracing Teddy Roosevelt’s fan fiction. As servers roll out entrees, guests toast to each other’s health with glasses of beer or wine and share appetizers of chicken skewers and mussels.