This large hotel, with a huge bar, wraps around N1090 Hacienda, literally - it is its neighbour on both streets.
Go drink in the Hacienda instead. The bar here is terrible. Was bottle only when I visited, and the range was about five different bottles in total.
Shay even takes card now, so just ignore the hotel and go to him instead.
I was here once, the day of my brothers wedding; and about all I can remember from it are:
1: Alan Whicker was doing the Irish launch of his biography in another room, with people floating in to the bar with their copies of the book. I did, eventually, see him.
2: They had the heaviest single-use hand towels I'd ever seen before or since
Its changed brands since, from one five-star brand to another; and I'm very unlikely to go back here. Alan Whicker is dead for over a decade, so no chance of running in to him here, either.
This was another place I assumed I might need to 'dress nice' to get in to.
I didn't. I still wouldn't try get in here in a pair of short bought in JD Sports, but normal clothes look to be absolutely fine.
This is quite a nice, but fairly expensive cocktail bar. The printed menu is entirely house defined cocktails, some clearly influenced by some of the classics - but I heard people ordering classics by name.
It is sited in a basement - if the name didn't give some indication of that - specifically that of the Stephens Green Club. Many places say it is in the basement of a "former" club; but the club building that did not continue when the Hibernian and United Services Club merged in to the Stephens Green Club in 2003 is number 8, and this is definitely in the basement of number 9.
Ah, my youth, where the feck did that go...
A premises divided across multiple rooms of a Georgian mansion, this was definitely more interesting as Spy than it is now; but its probably still worth a look. I was a regular attendee here in 2006-8; but not since.
This months update is delivered with thanks to Revenue's Statistics Department; who delivered me a replacement file when I noticed the original one was missing the county - which would have made it extremely hard to do an ingest and comparison on!
New licences:
1021114 Premier Inn, Newmarket Square - this means all operating Premier Inns are now on the public licence register; and I assume the few still in development will too
Reappearences:
N0029 Goya Lounge, North Strand - the former Strand House (not the current pub of that name), not currently trading
Renumbering:
S341 Schoolhouse Hotel, Northumberland Road renumbered to 1021502
This was a "saving it for formal attire" premises, as I suspected I might have trouble getting served in my normal clothes. And indeed, nobody in the bar I went in to - the hotel has multiple, with the No. 27 Bars seeming to be the least formal - was dressed even vaugely like I would normally do. Chinos and a polo shirt might do it; and there were definitely people wearing runners.
However, the offering isn't stuffy - they do have an oysters menu, but they also offer burgers, toasted sandwiches and similar bar food; and a substantial tap list including multiple independent Irish offerings - Rye River are highlighted as a supplier of Irish products on their website, an element I wish more places serving tourists would do, rather than just relying on Guinness to be the Irish option on the menu.
The food isn't cheap, but also isn't obscenely priced; and the pints are actually close to reasonable - you can certainly pay a lot more in a lot less nice surroundings nearby.
This has to be the least likely "drank there with work" place, surely - but, I did.
First time was doing an outside broadcast from the Gravity Bar; where they were extremely welcoming hosts - food and drink on tap (quite literally) for myself and the presenters.
Second time was a work Christmas party in a side bar further down the structure.
I've never actually done the tourist tour of the place.
