1010478 Deer Park Golf

This very, very 1980s clubhouse, attached to the currently non-operational Deer Park Hotel, is open to the public and normally operates as a restaurant under the control of the Wright Group.

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I hauled myself up Howth Head, in very warm weather, to find that the restaurant was pre-booked for First Communion dinners and only drinks were available - but at least I was able to slake my thirst, get it ticked off and take a look at the views before rolling myself back down in to Howth.

Once littered with hotels, Howth currently has zero operational - this having been the last open; but the owners intend to replace the current structures with a new 142-bed setup, so you will likely be able to enjoy a pint with these views for some time yet.

1014505 Clayton Hotel Dublin Airport

It's extremely hard to get to this hotel without driving, or using their shuttle bus from the airport - its fairly isolated and there's poor footpaths. I got a taxi in from Priorswood, and a taxi back out; so bear that in mind if intending to come out here.

The bar here is substantial, easily the biggest in a main brand (Clayton/Maldron) Dalata hotel I've been to; but that is because the hotel itself is pretty big, and with a constantly transient customer base. There's even a dedicated "delayed flights" checkin desk, handling those who have been boarded here by their airline during disruptions. It may also be a legacy of this having been one of the Bewleys Hotels which made up an early bulk purchase for Dalata, 

The bar itself has a fairly good range of drinks on offer, and the staff I dealt with were friendly and chatty - but there's an oddity with the layout, where the seats that are in front of the bar are actually for diners only. It's bar seating or lobby seating for the drinkers, something some people may not like. The lobby in particularly was quite loud with the volume of people checking in when I arrived; and I expect it's like that until late.

1015067 ONE Ballsbridge

Two restaurants have failed in rapid succession in this new, pub-licenced unit; so I decided I'd better be quick, lest lightning strike a third time - and then still took nearly six months to get out here.

The first two were run by household names - Dylan McGrath and Richard Corrigan, and this one is run by someone who's probably close to a household name. Oliver Dunne has held a Michelin star and done a fair bit of TV work, and has previously reacted rather badly to a review, but may not be quite as well known as the previous tenants here. 

That may be for the best, as premises can get a reputation as "cursed", and attaching another extremely well known name, or promoting a fairly well known name hugely in connection to it could do far more harm than good.

Unlike a lot of pub-licenced-restaurants, where drinkers are either barely catered for, or not catered for at all - the licence being bought to make drinks service and production of cocktails more legally simple than on other classes of licence - there is an actual dedicated bar here; and its big at that. The second floor is a nicely fitted out bar; and there's also terrace seating outside on the ground floor that held the majority of the drinkers during my visit - it was a very nice day; but I'd already been outside, walking between the previous writeups, for long enough in that sunshine.

Its an interesting enough bar, in a premises that will hopefully be third time lucky. Just in case, maybe visit quickly to get the tick!

S3437 Radisson Blu St Helens

I was going to say this was the most expensive hotel for pints I've ever stayed in, but in the time between my visit and the writeup, I've been to London for work - and even a discount hotel there makes the €9.30 I was charged in the Orangery here seem fairly reasonable.

The hotel is a fairly minimally messed with, mid 18th century mansion with a modern bedroom wing attached, and underground carparking hidden under the front approach, and is by all accounts quite nice. But there's absolutely no reason to go here just to get a drink - unless it happens to be in the last ~75 places you have to visit in Dublin, that is!

1021852 Super Social

The last of the 'experience pubs', for now - and finally one that isn't underground!

This is my first visit here, but it's not the first time I've written about the premises - as this was originally built as the ill-fated Baileys Icon Centre, which closed some years before I was allowed drink; and was briefly a nightclub - Rocksy - that the internet has basically forgotten existed. And then it sat empty, licenced, awaiting its fate.

When Club 92, the famed nightclub in the racecourse pavilion, closed in 2018, there was some mention that something was going to open in this space - and eventually a planning application went in to restructure the space, with some being hived off for retail and the rest being changed to pub/restaurant style use.

Rather than reopening as a nightclub type space though, it has reopened as a sort of amalgam of all the other experience bars, but with a large, conventional bar on the ground floor. There's virtual golf - like Pitch, darts - like Flight Club, but also shuffleboard and "The Arena", something I've not quite found a good description of yet; and I don't think would have been much fun to do on my own.

Apparently €5m has been spent on the fitout - a fraction of the ~€26m, inflation adjusted, that the Icon Centre cost; but still a very substantial amount. Hopefully this is more attractive to visitors and lives a longer live than the Icon Centre, or the Rocksy for that matter.

(no number yet) Lane7 Dundrum

Unlike the previous Lane7, this is not a small, subterreanian, awkwardly laid out bowling alley - its a large, penthouse, awkwardly laid out bowling alley!

The bar remains expensive, but there's actually some reason to come here for drinks - the bar is large, spacious and has views over Dundrum from two sides. There's slightly more choice of drinks than in the city centre location, but prices remain high.

Rooftop bars aren't much of a thing in Ireland, and Dundrum certainly isn't the most interesting vista to look out over - but it could be worth heading up here. Like all Lane7s, you can just come in to drink without bowling or using the paid arcade games.

1018537 Donnybrook Fair Dundrum

This is another high end food store using a pub licence to cover various operations within; and another case where I decided that buying and drinking some off-sales inside would probably get me thrown out - so I had to come around when the restaurant was actually open.

At the time of my visit, all they were doing here was breakfast/brunch, with the fairly limited hours that entails; but I managed to haul myself down here early enough - and hungry enough - for a brunch and a bottle of beer. Licence ticked.

The food was decent enough and, despite being fairly close to full, the restaurant is a lot less hectic than eating in many of the Dundrum Town Centre restaurants might be. Later service has been promised for a while and may have actually resumed by now.