RetroReviews: N0191 Pantibar

Now a sufficient fixture on Dublin's gay scene that even Enda Kenny turned up there as a PR event; I was rather sceptical when it opened. GUBU, its previous incarnation, which I'd visited, hadn't done well enough to stop it being planned to be turned in to a CafeBarDeli (not that that chain lasted), the economy was definitely sniffling and Panti had no obvious experience running a bar. But I went early on regardless and have been there multiple times since.

Its still there 13 years later, which is basically geriatric in the lifespan of Dublin gay bars other than The George - there were some that lasted entire months in the early-mid 00s, with five months being how long Paddy McKillen Jr kept one open for in the 2010s. So I was very, very wrong. 

Its changed a bit over time - there's been multiple different setups downstairs mainly - but is overall much the same as in 2007. A sister venue, 1015498 Penny Lane, opened across the road in mid-2019.