Anna Liffey's

Review in a few words:  Surprisingly good breakfast that, in terms of food, easily surpasses a lot of the overhyped breakfast/brunch spots in New Haven.  It should be noted that breakfast will be served in a dark basement and soccer will likely be on (these are plusses for me but not for everyone else).

The full review:  Liffey's has one of the best breakfasts in town.  No seriously.  I am writing this review mostly to spread the word because I have been so underwhelmed by the other breakfast spots around town.  The Pantry, Bella's, etc... have all been middle of the road (at best) and are always swamped.  I came to Liffey's to watch a soccer game and was pleasantly surprised to discover that their breakfast was unbelievably good.

While you won't get an eggs benedict at Liffey's it is obvious that the chef, Shane, takes a lot of pride in his cooking.  The portions are not only huge but also delicious.  Breakfast features traditional English/Irish fare (think eggs, sausage, beans, fried tomato, and the sort).  Whatever you order at breakfast you can expect to leave satisfied.  I feel a little bit odd highlighting the fact that their homefries are great (given that I usually regard homefries elsewhere as plate filler) but man are they something to write home about at Liffey's.  The lunch and dinner menu at Liffey's is a little run-of-the-mill but the food is still good and portions are large.  I cannot stress enough how much they shine at breakfast.  While lunch and dinner may not be worthy of a five star rating, breakfast certainly is.

The atmosphere at Liffey's is also great if you want some more action in the morning.  I come here somewhat regularly for the Chelsea games and there is always a fair amount of folks in.  It helps to make you feel a little less guilty about ordering a beer (or six) at 10AM.  The bartenders who work the morning shift, the owner, and the chef are all quite personable.  This is one of the first places I have ever felt like a regular at and this is largely thanks to the staff.  Decor-wise Liffey's is essentially a dream mancave: stonewalled basement with only a razor thin sliver of natural light coming in through a window in the back.  This fact is important to note for those mornings when you're nursing a hangover.

The only real downside is that beers are a bit pricey here.  $6 for a draft is a bit rich for my blood... and while these aren't domestic beers we aren't exactly talking fancy craft beers.  Occassionally they have specials but otherwise a trip to Liffey's can put a larger dent in the wallet than I had hoped if I am sticking around for a game or two.

I'm Irish and I approve this establishment. The Guinness, the bangers and mash, the corn chowder all made the perfect ending to a great "Taste of NewHaven" tour.

Appalling service, so-so food. Avoid this place!

We went here on a Sunday morning to watch soccer and enjoy a nice meal. The lower level was packed so we sat in the bar on the main floor. We had to ask twice just to get menus, and the waitress said they didn't have enough for everyone. She finally took our drink orders, then told us that it would take a while for coffee, since apparently they only had one pot and it took a long time to brew. She finally came back about 10 minutes later to take our orders. Then we waited. And waited. And waited. After about half and hour she brought us a plate of bread and butter. Then nothing. Coffee refills? Non-existent. One of the waitresses finally went to the local Dunkin Donuts and came back with a box of coffee and proudly walked around the pub filling cups.  

Still no food. Another small plate of bread was shoved onto our table about an hour after we ordered our food. We finally asked if they could estimate when our food would arrive, since the game was nearly finished. "They'll bring it out when it's ready." was the response.

The food finally appeared on the table, one plate at a time, two minutes before the game ended, about an hour and a quarter after we'd placed the order. We didn't order anything complicated, just eggs, bread (not toasted) and pancakes. When we finished eating we had to ask them twice for the check.

Did they offer an apology for the poor service? Of course not!

Never, ever again. There's no excuse for a pub like this.