Burger and a pint for lunch? Grilled chicken with a warm-bread salad for dinner? Glass of bubbly later? This instant-hit English pub is open all day.

With its exposed-beam ceiling, unadorned brick, raised booths and scuffed chairs and stools, The Village Idiot felt nicely lived-in almost overnight. This can probably be attributed to the fact that the place was instantly mobbed upon opening. Reservations are not accepted, and it's just as well, because the hostess can't hear anyone on the line after sundown anyway—it's really loud inside, and most groups randomly run into other groups they bear-hug and exclaim rather genuinely to be excited to see. The kitchen sometimes struggles to keep up (the burger is tasty one night, undercooked the next), and we've been assured on the phone there was no wait, only to show up and discover otherwise. But something about the vibe makes the Idiot's occasional disarray part of its charm. Flip the paper menu over bubbly, wine and beer options: Most by-the-glass wine options are under ten bucks, and a big bottle of Arrogant Bastard is $7. —Lonny Pugh