No Rental Fee Private Events Near Penn Station & MSG at Tara Mor
Private Events Near Penn Station & MSG at Tara Mór.
Tara Mór sits two minutes from Penn Station and one block from Madison Square Garden, close enough that guests coming from a train or a show can walk straight in. That location is the first thing people ask about when choosing where to host, and it is the reason this venue works for groups coming from every borough and beyond.
Tara Mór is a contemporary Irish bar in Midtown, and private events run alongside that identity rather than replace it, with the same energy carrying into every booking. Kevin Doherty, who runs Tara Mór and grew up in Donegal, set the private events program up on the same principle as the rest of the bar: no separate charges stacked on top of the night itself.
No Rental Fee, Just a Minimum Spend
There is no rental fee. Every booking runs on a minimum spend instead, so the money that would normally go toward a venue charge goes toward the food, the drinks, and the night itself. Tara Rose, our sister bar in Murray Hill, runs its own underground speakeasy the same way, no hire fee, just a spend that goes back into the party.
Four Private Spaces at Tara Mór
Off the Record is the downstairs speakeasy, a hidden room reached through its own entrance, and the most requested space for parties and celebrations. The Record Room seats fourteen at its main table with three additional cocktail tables for mingling, a fit for team lunches, small corporate dinners, and private meetings. The Mezzanine Bar sits above the main floor with its own high tables, suited to a standing cocktail party rather than a seated one. The Emerald Lookout overlooks the main dining room from the mezzanine level, a smaller, quieter option for a more intimate group. For anything bigger than one room can hold, a full venue buyout covers all three floors, and every space keeps access to the 16 HD screens with the sound on, useful when a client dinner overlaps with a Knicks game or an MSG concert night.
Two Minutes from Penn Station, One Block from MSG
The 1, 2, 3, A, C, and E all stop at 34th Street Penn Station, a two minute walk from the door, and Madison Square Garden is one block further. Groups coming from a MetLife Stadium fixture, an MSG concert, or straight off a train all land at the same address without a second connection.
Which Occasion Fits Which Space
Birthdays, corporate events, engagement parties, and holiday parties are the four most common reasons groups book here, and each one gets a setup suited to it rather than a generic party package. Read the birthday party guide, the corporate events guide, or the engagement party guide for the detail specific to that occasion. For groups that want to start the day rather than end it, Tara Mór also serves a full Irish breakfast from opening, which makes an early client breakfast or a team meeting straightforward to book without waiting for evening hours.
Food, Drinks, and Game Day at Tara Mór
Every event includes a custom cocktail list built with the bar team rather than picked from a fixed menu. The kitchen sends out the same food as the main dining room, including the properly poured Guinness and the Irish Spice Bag Tara Mór is known for. Sunday Roast is also available for private bookings, a fit for a family gathering or a milestone lunch that does not need the late night energy of a full buyout. Tara Mór has sponsored the Manhattan Gaels GAA club since 2024, and GAA finals, Six Nations, MSG concert nights, and Knicks games all bring in the same crowd that later comes back to book its own event here.
How to Book
Send the date, group size, preferred space, and occasion to the events team. Smaller groups can often be confirmed within days, while larger buyouts and peak season dates need more lead time. There is no fixed minimum group size, from a small private table through to a full building takeover.
There is plenty of spaces across the city. Tara Mór is part of a small group of venues across the city, and if this space is not quite right, one of our sister bars might be. Tara Rose in Murray Hill runs its own underground speakeasy with no hire fee, a quieter alternative away from the MSG crowd. Ellington in the Park hosts open air group events along the Hudson from April through November, booked through catering in advance, well suited to an outdoor summer celebration. The Red Lion in Greenwich Village and The Ellington on Broadway in the Upper West Side round out the group for a different neighborhood and a different night, live music downtown at the Red Lion, a year round dinner room uptown at the Ellington.
Private Event Questions, Answered
Is there a rental fee for private events at Tara Mór? No. Bookings run on a minimum spend instead of a separate rental charge, so the budget goes toward food and drinks rather than a venue fee.
How many guests can Tara Mór accommodate? It depends on the space. The Record Room seats fourteen at its main table, the Mezzanine Bar suits a standing group, and a full building buyout covers the largest events. Confirm exact numbers with the events team when booking.
How far is Tara Mór from Penn Station and Madison Square Garden? Two minutes from Penn Station and one block from Madison Square Garden, both an easy walk from the venue's Midtown location.
How far in advance should I book? Smaller groups can often be confirmed within days. Larger buyouts and holiday season dates need more lead time given demand.