Where to grab a Guinness

What other saint can claim to have rid Ireland of snakes? And that's the reason so many people celebrate St Patrick's day — no, not just because it's a good excuse to wear a big green hat and drink pints of Guinness. Here is our pick of the best pubs to pickle your liver in on March 17th. Slàinte.

With the highest proportion of Irish folk in London, Kilburn and Queen’s Park will be party central on St Patrick’s Day. With Irish dancing, live music, and traditional Irish food (including smoked salmon, cabbage and bacon, and Irish stew) served from midday, The Corrib Rest is a great place to line your stomach before drinking into the wee hours.

With a name like Brendan O'Grady's you know this isn’t going to be one of your mock Irish boozers with reproduced Victorian photographs of Dublin and factory-aged Guinness posters. You are going to get true Irish hospitality, Irish food, Irish music and Irish stout here — which is helpful when you've forget which patron saint's day you're celebrating half way through the night.

As is tradition at the South London Irish Club, the Friday before St Patrick's Day sees the Wimbledon club party to live music from the Two Counties, while on March 17th there will be a day-long celebration: with a tea dance, story-telling, and of course, lots and lots of drinking and dancing to an Irish disco in the evening.

There promises to be more than few people having a craic at the huge theme bar modelled on the original in Dublin's Temple Bar. Irish beer and whiskey will be flowing freely, oysters are being served, while live music will be cranked out across the crowds - there is more than a slight chance of mayhem at this 'lively' venue.

Get to this family run Irish bar early, because you can bet that it'll be packed to the rafters before the sun sets. You'll be dinking alongside people who actually know that the black stuff is better on the other side of the Irish Sea, so expect some hearty banter and discover who's kissed the Blarney Stone in this bonefide Irish establishment.

This scruffy pub is for proper St Pat's celebrations. Everyone's heard of Filthy McNatsy's (you don't forget a name like that in a hurry) and as a result the 'cosily-sized' place will be heaving on the night - with both Irish and adopted-for-a-day Irish alike. Sit back, listen to some more live music, and drink to the snake beater.