Plenty of the Irish pubs around here are just poseurs where jersey-clad dudes bro out with a bottle of Bud. For the real deal, it’s James’s Gate, a warm place packed with diners and drinkers enjoying an al fresco quaff on the patio in summer or getting comfortably lit by the fire in winter. Late night brings packs of friends, toasting the good times with pints of Smithwick’s and plates of curry chips and mash.

James's Gate | 5 - 11 McBride St., Jamaica Plain, MA | 617-983-2000 | http://jamessgate.com/