RetroReview: S3759 McGrattans

I've been here a fair few times, and somehow my main memory is of managing to drop my phone in my soup when having lunch once.

No, I've no idea how I did that either

The layout here is a bit mad, if its a weekday the smoking area is a carpark for other offices, and you may run in to Anne Doyle, as she is in a long term relationship with the owner; (albeit it was not listed as her favourite pub when quizzed in 1985, years before she was dating Dan McGrattan and probably before he owned it - I just want to link to that piece I found in the archives)

1021189 Ruby Molly Hotel

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.

RetroReview: S3733 Intercontinental Hotel (as the Four Seasons)

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.

1013769 9 Below

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.

RetroReview: S3731 Farrier & Draper (as Spy)

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.

November 2024 Register Update

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

 

S0061 The Shelbourne Hotel

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.