Best of Boston

This Brookline Village pub has consistently bucked conventional wisdom by proving that “Irish cuisine” is not an oxymoron. Spicy pork sandwiches and divine French fries (with homemade anise-tinged ketchup) are some of the unexpected twists. The traditional is also nicely represented: extraordinarily flavorful beef stew, and fish and chips wrapped in newspaper. The authentic country-pub atmosphere includes mismatched wooden tables, perfectly out-of-place British dance music, and the sardonic publican behind the love-worn bar. Of course, the real test of any Irish pub is the Guinness. And Matt Murphy’s passes with flying green and orange colors.