Not wanting to walk far in the midday heat, we choose to dine at the Nine Fine Irishmen for lunch. This casual, yet energetic Irish pub/restaurant, is located inside the New York New York Hotel and Casino. You have your choice of seating at the bar, or at tables located on either the first or second floor. The main area of the pub is open so even if you sit on the second level, you are still able to see and enjoy the happenings of the first floor. The seating hostess will ask you if you would like first or second floor seating as well as inquire if you would like to take the stairs or use the elevator if you dine upstairs. Restrooms are located on both levels and seating on both levels is handicapped accessible.

The food is traditional Irish pub cuisine. The menu contains starters, main dishes, and desserts as well as an extensive list of whiskeys and Irish brews. You will find the more Irish traditional dishes like Shepherds Pie, Banger and Mash, or Corned Beef. They also have fish as well as a few vegetarian choices. A full menu can be found at their website www.ninefineirishmen.com. We chose the Crab & Spinach dip as a starter. Since the pricing for the appetizers were comparable to the main lunch courses, my husband and I opted to share the dip as well as a main course. The dip was served hot and in record time! It came with a variety of different homemade breads, crackers, bread sticks to use with the dip. We find it to be quite tasty and the crab was fresh. For our meal, we chose the corned beef sandwich. The sandwich was served hot with a side of fries and a small dish of slaw. The slaw cup was small with maybe 2-3 bites in it but the serving of fries more than made up for it! Between the crab/spinach dip and the corned beef sandwich, we were too full to eat a dessert. The pricing for our meal came to around $45 tax, tip, and two Black n' Tans included. A menu is located on the window if you would like to view it before deciding to dine. Bring your camera as you will want to take photos of the many details that went into decorating this restaurant.

The atmosphere at this pub is comfortable and cozy with a traditional Irish feel. You need not be hungry to enjoy it either. There is a bar located on both levels for those looking for a traditional Irish stout or whiskey. Reservations are accepted and can be made through the website although it is not required. Overall, I found this restaurant to be fantastic although the drinks were a bit on the pricey side. I would recommend it for couples, groups, and families.

The restaurant/pub is named in honor of the 'Nine fine Irishmen', a historic tale of nine young Irishmen who were involved in the 1848 uprising against British rule. These men--John Mitchell, Morris Lyne, Patrick Donohue, Thomas McGee, Charles Duffy, Thomas Meagher, Richard O'Gorman, Terence McManus, Michael Ireland--were captured, tried, and convinced of treason against Queen Victoria. When the judge asked if the men had anything to say, Thomas Meagher spoke on the group's behalf:

"My Lord, this is our first offence, but not our last. If you will be easy with us this once, we promise on our word as gentlemen to try and do better next time. And next time - we won't be fools enough to get caught!"

The affronted judge sentenced them to death, but through public outcry and also not wanting to create martyrs of the men, most of them were sent to the penal colony of Australia. (By the way, I have heard this story recounted with equal pride in Ireland, Vegas AND Australia... it goes to show that we all take pride in these nine rebels!) These nine men eventually all went on to positions of power and influence: Brigadier Generals in the US Army; governor of Montana; Governor General of Newfoundland; two Attorney Generals of Australia; a member Canadian Parliment, and one prominent New York polititican.

The Nine Fine Irishmen became our favorite meeting place and watering hole on my most recent trip to Vegas. We loved the atmosphere, the band and the food. Having been to Ireland only a few months before, I felt the oddest sense of deja vu, as if I were almost stepping into M.J. O'Neill's in Temple Bar in Dublin--from the traditional bar, to the cozy dark nooks hidden away, to the menu and drinks we had.

Of course the drinks were great--Guinness, Bushmill’s and Bailey’s, where can you go wrong? But the food is fantastic as well, ranging from traditional favorites such as shepherd’s pie, to a variety of fish and pork (the bacon loin was excellent), and more. Just want something light? Go for their seafood stew, it’s quite tasty, and gave me flashbacks to Glenbeigh. And if you’ve managed to save the room, top it all off with a Dunbrody Kiss, their signature chocolate dessert, which is heavenly (their other desserts are pretty good, too!).

A great place to hang out and enjoy – "Sláinte!" (pronounced 'slawn-cha', meaning ‘health’)