What makes a good pub?

[bandage]

Was gonna do a poll but I didn't want to confine people to one answer. So what combination of quality of pint, quality of bird, quality of music (if any), quality of staff, atmosphere, price, location, familiarity, other is most crucial and what are the most important 3 or 4 factors in forming your opinion? While we're at it it'd be no harm to recommend some good pubs and not just in Dublin as I'm sure many members will be off on their holidays throughout the summer.

For me music is crucial. Much as I admire a pub like Mulligan's if a pub can combine a decent pint with some top tunes then I'm happy. I suppose a bit of eye candy is always welcome but not necessarily in your drinking group as that reduces the potential conversation topics by circa 85%. I don't really care about price as I earn substantial amounts of money which are treble some countries' annual GDP but a bit of banter or atmosphere is crucial also.

I'd highly recommend Bar 51 on Haddington Road off Baggot Street, a quality watering hole if ever there was one.

[therock67]

I'd have the following factors in consideration:

• furniture (can't stand these post modern couches and minimalist designs - give me tables and chairs and stools and ledges and nooks and crannies)
  
• price of a pint
  
• quality of Guinness
  
• whether it attracts a wanky crowd or not
  

Music wouldn't be a huge consideration for me. I'm after conversation in the pub so I'd be happy enough for there to be no music at all. The only thing I dislike about Mulligan's is the fact they don't let you sing.

Wouldn't really have birds as a factor.

A rule of thumb for a good pub is a name over the door. I want a decent proprietor who's name is over the place, not some monstrosity owned by Capital Bars or one of those crowds.

I like

Mulligans
The Long Haul
Whelans

that class of a place.

[eamo]

Considerations:

Quality of Guinness - dont want to try to sound hard here but it really makes a difference

Quality of Beer in General - if I am drinking lager then I want a head on my pint

Birds - Not essential to having a good night but sometimes you want a good old perv or heaven forbid a score....

Music - Again not essential but required for me. It can break a pub if it is done wrong. I like Rody Bolands in Rathmines (safisfies the above criteria) but the music there is terrible...

Atmosphere - you want it to match your mood, if you only want a few pints then a quiet pub is good, if you want to get rotten then you need an atmosphere

Peter Carroll, proprietor of Carrolls' Public House, Mohill, County Leitrim knows how to make a good pub. Peter doesnt clean the toilets, he cleans the pipes to the taps. Also a smashing collection of music in the old duke box - a man way before his time.

Customer Service is important as well - the Two Sisters on Wainsfort Road, Terenure is high on that. Harourmaster is a disgrace

Familiarity is hugely important - nothing beats a pint in the local.

In conclusion, I like:

Mulligans (best Guinness in Dublin)
Keoghs,
McDaids,
O'Donoghues,
Whelans,
Rodys,
Chaplins,
Harbourmaster (sometimes - chicken wings)
The Two Sisters,
The 51,
Carrolls of Mohill ,
Duignans of Drumsna, Co. Leitrim, (best Guinness in Ireland)
Cusacks of Mohill

I hate:
The Clarendon,
Lagoona,
The Vaults,
MacTurcails
Q Bar,
Sinnotts
Messrs - ever since they look away Guinness and replaced it with extra cold muck

End of rant

[lyonsee]

Quality of pint is number one for me. Manky pints will make me never go to a place again whereas I could cope with poor music, wanky crowd, poor bar staff etc. for a good pint. Price doesn't really matter as long as it's less than a fiver a pint.

A bit of eye candy is good but not essential for me.

As long as the music ain't too loud that one can't have a chat I'm happy.

Crowd and atmosphere kinda roll into one and are pretty important. I hate the feeling of being looked down upon because I'm not wearing Tommy Hilfiger.

Comfort is damn important too. Happy with tables and chairs so I can grab my pint easily. Hate couches that are too low down that you have to pull yourself up everytime you want a mouthful of beer. Comfort also includes level of packedness.

Must say I love the Harbourmaster (only drawback is the absolute shit bar staff - every last one of the fooks). Lovely pint, great atmosphere and wonderful wings and wedges. Reasonalbly comfortable and have had some decent music on in there in recent weeks. Pity about all the rank KPMG birds in there though.

The 51 is a cracking spot too. Very comfortable, lovely pints. Worth going out of my way to get to.

In Galway the Cellar kinda reminds me of the 51 although one needs to get good seats to be comfortable. Smack bang in the middle of town too and a late bar Fridays and Saturdays which leaves one with options.

[eamo]

Forgot the Turks Head in my hate list - the worst pub in Dublin by a mile. Disgrace to the people that died for our freedom....

[steamboatsam]

for me it's all about the toilets. Firstly there must be individual urinals - nothing worse than having your personal space invaded by some turnip muncher trying to barge in between you and the next guy at "the drain" and then invariably splashing his product over some combination of your shoe/trouser leg/ hand/chest. It's also pretty annoying when one has to stand in a puddle (a puddle that seems to be constantly topped up) while making use of these "drains". This means a choice must be made between destroying ones shoes or standing 2 feet back thus increasing the amount of backsplash and putting oneself on display for any wandering faggoteyes.

Having said that, it is quite difficult to find a really suitable urinal - correct height, correct width and roundness of bowl and presence of a mat. Anything less than the full complement of the above characteristics can (and does) result in an inordinate amount of backsplash from ones own and indeed neighbouring urinals. How annoying is it to feel the splash on your hands and have to go to the inconvenience of washing your hands after every hit & miss, particularly when there's some fook expecting money for pushing the tap down and handing you ONE SOLITARY paper towel.

Someone once told me the backsplash problem was not with the urinals or drains in question but with the urinator and the angle at which he urinates. I find this ridiculous - there is no correct angle; what if one has an involuntary semi?? what then?? how can you adjust the angle to take account of this after a skinful of pints? Impossible.

The centenary stores in Wexford town do a good urinal......stainless steel aswell......and not the cheap looking kind.

[bandage]

Some very good inclusions on both lists there.

Must say for some reason I hate Sinnotts also and I don't know why. Have similar disdain for all those trendy modernist decor dumps as mentioned too. I particularly hate those uber-cool places to be seen spots such as Café Insane, Ron Blacks, The Odeous etc. Never liked Messrs either until I watched 10 man Manchester City come back from 3-0 down at half time to beat Spurs 4-3 in the Cup two years ago. Still a brutal place to watch a match though. I recall the Swiss-Ireland game in Basle in Sep 2004 when there was a delay between the screens on the two floors. We're upstairs and Ireland have the ball on the wing and downstairs are celebrating like crazy fookers.

Like Kehoe's and Whelan's and the Village is a decent spot if you fancy going on to a niteclub.

The Crown Bar in Wexford town is a good pub but all pubs in that town went down massively in my estimation when they all refused to show Celtic's championship party against Hibs because Liverpool were playing Blackburn.

[eamo]

steamboatsam said:

particularly when there's some fook expecting money for pushing the tap down and handing you ONE SOLITARY paper towel.

I would actually not go to a pub that has some dude in the jacks. All the nightclubs have them (I hate nightclubs - not just because of that) - there must be a hole in the market for nightclubs that dont have the attendants.

While I was amused by most of steamers rant, I cant say I share the same view. Regulars of Cafe En Seine would agree with you though....

[therock67]

steamboatsam said:

for me it's all about the toilets. Firstly there must be individual urinals - nothing worse than having your personal space invaded by some turnip muncher trying to barge in between you and the next guy at "the drain" and then invariably splashing his product over some combination of your shoe/trouser leg/ hand/chest.

I had a horrible moment with those troughs once. My bird was staying in a house in Limerick in college and some guy got meningitis. They all had to take tablets to immunise them against meningitis and the Eastern Health Board rang me to take them too. The only side effect of these tablets is that they turn your piss red. All well and good till I go to Gibneys in Malahide one night. Off for a slash at the trough urinal and forgot about the red piss till it starts flowing. Other blokes see red piss mixing with their own and think someone's pissing blood. Tried to explain that it was just a side effect from tablets but they were freaked out. It did look very wrong in the trough mixing in with all the standard piss.

Prefer the individual units myself as well.

[iamthelaw]

lyonsee said:

Must say I love the Harbourmaster (only drawback is the absolute shit bar staff - every last one of the fooks). Lovely pint, great atmosphere and wonderful wings and wedges. Reasonalbly comfortable and have had some decent music on in there in recent weeks. Pity about all the rank KPMG birds in there though.

Nothing wrong with the Harbo most of the time, but from 5:30 to 7:30 of a Friday, I'd rather be almost anywhere else. The layout of the place means there's no place to stand where you're not blocking someone's way. Seems to me atmosphere during this period is of repressed rage (& not just the normal levels of this present wherever sticky is involved in a discussion). Can't argue with quality of wings & wedges, but not that important to me in choosing a pub; a proper lunch & a kebab on the way home usually sort me out. Have had some terrible pints in there too, which usually took about half-an-hour to order too, thanks to the bar staff as mentioned by Lyonsee.

[cully]

iamthelaw said:

lyonsee said:

Must say I love the Harbourmaster (only drawback is the absolute shit bar staff - every last one of the fooks). Lovely pint, great atmosphere and wonderful wings and wedges. Reasonalbly comfortable and have had some decent music on in there in recent weeks. Pity about all the rank KPMG birds in there though.

I would have to contend that the reason you like the harbo is because we have good banter in there. What none of you have alluded to is the company which you are in. you could be drinking the best of pints, served by models, surrounded in fantastic luxury (defined in any way you like) but discussing sh*t with a bunch of potholes. Harbo serves oftentimes rubbish pints, served by a deteriorating workforce looks-wise in a packed atmosphere, with average to rubbish music. yet because it's friday and you've had a rough week, you're gagging for pints of any description and a bit of pink panther. so my basis for a good pub is the company you hold not the aesthetics. typical of the celtic tiger mentality, people now want luxury and have forgotten what sharing a pint with a friend is all about, just that, sharing a pint and catching up, shame on you all.




Nothing wrong with the Harbo most of the time, but from 5:30 to 7:30 of a Friday, I'd rather be almost anywhere else. The layout of the place means there's no place to stand where you're not blocking someone's way. Seems to me atmosphere during this period is of repressed rage (& not just the normal levels of this present wherever sticky is involved in a discussion). Can't argue with quality of wings & wedges, but not that important to me in choosing a pub; a proper lunch & a kebab on the way home usually sort me out. Have had some terrible pints in there too, which usually took about half-an-hour to order too, thanks to the bar staff as mentioned by Lyonsee.

[lyonsee]

cully said:

iamthelaw said:

I would have to contend that the reason you like the harbo is because we have good banter in there. What none of you have alluded to is the company which you are in. you could be drinking the best of pints, served by models, surrounded in fantastic luxury (defined in any way you like) but discussing sh*t with a bunch of potholes. Harbo serves oftentimes rubbish pints, served by a deteriorating workforce looks-wise in a packed atmosphere, with average to rubbish music. yet because it's friday and you've had a rough week, you're gagging for pints of any description and a bit of pink panther. so my basis for a good pub is the company you hold not the aesthetics. typical of the celtic tiger mentality, people now want luxury and have forgotten what sharing a pint with a friend is all about, just that, sharing a pint and catching up, shame on you all.




Nothing wrong with the Harbo most of the time, but from 5:30 to 7:30 of a Friday, I'd rather be almost anywhere else. The layout of the place means there's no place to stand where you're not blocking someone's way. Seems to me atmosphere during this period is of repressed rage (& not just the normal levels of this present wherever sticky is involved in a discussion). Can't argue with quality of wings & wedges, but not that important to me in choosing a pub; a proper lunch & a kebab on the way home usually sort me out. Have had some terrible pints in there too, which usually took about half-an-hour to order too, thanks to the bar staff as mentioned by Lyonsee.

Cully you're dead right for a change. I said to Eamo just after my post yesterday that the reason I like the Harbo is probably more to do with the fact that I associate it with getting locked and having the craic on a Friday night with the weekend adrenalin pumping. I've never had a bad pint of Miller there and the company is decent especially when Sticky holds my hand. What a sweetie.

[bandage]

admin said:

steamboatsam said:

for me it's all about the toilets. Firstly there must be individual urinals - nothing worse than having your personal space invaded by some turnip muncher trying to barge in between you and the next guy at "the drain" and then invariably splashing his product over some combination of your shoe/trouser leg/ hand/chest.

I had a horrible moment with those troughs once. My bird was staying in a house in Limerick in college and some guy got meningitis. They all had to take tablets to immunise them against meningitis and the Eastern Health Board rang me to take them too. The only side effect of these tablets is that they turn your piss red. All well and good till I go to Gibneys in Malahide one night. Off for a slash at the trough urinal and forgot about the red piss till it starts flowing. Other blokes see red piss mixing with their own and think someone's pissing blood. Tried to explain that it was just a side effect from tablets but they were freaked out. It did look very wrong in the trough mixing in with all the standard piss.

Prefer the individual units myself as well.

Similar enough story when a young Bandage was sent off to Ardkeen in Waterford for laser eye surgery. I was given an injection in the arm beforehand for a reason I can't recall and was told this contained a dye that would turn my piss blue for 24 hours. Quick flash of the laser and the Bandages retreated into Waterford for a bite to eat. Young Bandage saunters into the toilet of the Grand Hotel on the quay and forgets about his earlier discussion. Up he steps to the trough thingy and proceeds to spurt out a load of blue piss with two old lads standing there looking very uncomfortable. The only thing I could do was to show no reaction at all so that's what I did. Unashamedly stood there pissing a sea of blue.

[whyohwhy]

• Good seats
  
• A Snug
  
• Plenty of friendly staff
  
• Good Guinness
  
• A wide variety of foreign beers
  

Best Pubs:

Husseys - Best Guinness ever, FACT
The Speakeasy
Courtneys (due to their wide variety of Foreign Beers)
Mulligans
Jimmy Briens
The Arbutus

Worst Pubs:

The Kube
The Failte
Bar 51
Ron Blacks
The Plaza
Cafe En Seine
Lagoona
MaCuddas

[humbug]

There must be one of those brass bars at the counter that you can put your foot on.

Young, good looking floor staff who will take drink orders.

Toasted specials (our national dish). A toasted special must contain ham, cheese, tomato and onion (in that order). If it does not contain these ingredients, in the proper order, it is not a toasted special. Tomato must be hotter than lava and must stick to the roof of your mouth causing severe burns.

Bad lighting in a pub is always a good call for me.

Sinnott's is the worst pub in Dublin, an absolute kip. I had a bad experience there a few years ago with one of the bouncers. There is something about a pub that is part of a shopping centre. It's just not right. It's like something you'd expect to see in the UK.

Mulligan's has been let down by putting in plasma screens.

[humbug]

Also, I try to stay away from pubs that do not have apostrophes on their names outside. For example, ONeills (sic) on Pearse Street.

[therock67]

But the apostrophe is just an anglo interjection into Irish names. O Byrne isn't short for Of Byrne it's an anglicisation of Ó Broin. The apostrophe is incorrect because it implies, erroneously, that there are missing letters.

[Ball Ox]

FEW HINTS FEW HINTS FEW HINTS FEW HINTS FEW HINTS FEW HINTS FEW HINTS FEW HINTS FEW HINTS FEW HINTS FEW HINTS FEW HINTS FEW HINTS FEW HINTS FEW HINTS FEW HINTS FEW HINTS FEW HINTS FEW HINTS FEW HINTS FEW HINTS FEW HINTS FEW HINTS FEW HINTS FEW HINTS FEW HINTS FEW HINTS FEW HINTS FEW HINTS FEW HINTS FEW HINTS FEW HINTS FEW HINTS FEW HINTS FEW HINTS FEW HINTS FEW HINTS FEW HINTS FEW HINTS FEW HINTS FEW HINTS FEW HINTS FEW HINTS FEW HINTS FEW HINTS FEW HINTS FEW HINTS FEW HINTS FEW HINTS FEW HINTS FEW HINTS FEW HINTS FEW HINTS FEW HINTS FEW HINTS FEW HINTS FEW HINTS FEW HINTS FEW HINTS FEW HINTS FEW HINTS FEW HINTS FEW HINTS FEW HINTS FEW HINTS FEW HINTS FEW HINTS FEW HINTS FEW HINTS FEW HINTS FEW HINTS FEW HINTS FEW HINTS FEW HINTS FEW HINTS FEW HINTS FEW HINTS FEW HINTS FEW HINTS FEW HINTS FEW HINTS FEW HINTS FEW HINTS FEW HINTS FEW HINTS FEW HINTS FEW HINTS FEW HINTS

[iamthelaw]

fockoffrangers said:

FEW HINTS FEW HINTS FEW HINTS FEW HINTS FEW HINTS FEW HINTS FEW HINTS FEW HINTS FEW HINTS FEW HINTS FEW HINTS FEW HINTS FEW HINTS FEW HINTS FEW HINTS FEW HINTS FEW HINTS FEW HINTS FEW HINTS FEW HINTS FEW HINTS FEW HINTS FEW HINTS FEW HINTS FEW HINTS FEW HINTS FEW HINTS FEW HINTS FEW HINTS FEW HINTS FEW HINTS FEW HINTS FEW HINTS FEW HINTS FEW HINTS FEW HINTS FEW HINTS FEW HINTS FEW HINTS FEW HINTS FEW HINTS FEW HINTS FEW HINTS FEW HINTS FEW HINTS FEW HINTS FEW HINTS FEW HINTS FEW HINTS FEW HINTS FEW HINTS FEW HINTS FEW HINTS FEW HINTS FEW HINTS FEW HINTS FEW HINTS FEW HINTS FEW HINTS FEW HINTS FEW HINTS FEW HINTS FEW HINTS FEW HINTS FEW HINTS FEW HINTS FEW HINTS FEW HINTS FEW HINTS FEW HINTS FEW HINTS FEW HINTS FEW HINTS FEW HINTS FEW HINTS FEW HINTS FEW HINTS FEW HINTS FEW HINTS FEW HINTS FEW HINTS FEW HINTS FEW HINTS FEW HINTS FEW HINTS FEW HINTS FEW HINTS FEW HINTS

welcome back fockoffrangers

[Ball Ox]

I think the best pubs are on Baggot St/Merrion Row. Doheny and Nobs-bit, foleys, larry murphys etc. What did you think of Munster D?

[Ball Ox]

FEW PINTS IN THE HARBO OF A FRIDAY AFTERNOON, GET IN, LAW LADS

[steamboatsam]

a proper smoking area is always good, particularly one in which non-smokers can skulk about perving on birds and letting on that they're smokers to try and pull them without making it obvious that they're non-smokers just skulking about perving on birds and letting on that they're smokers just to try and pull them.

D2 is good for that, also donoghues, diceys

[bandage]

steamboatsam said:

a proper smoking area is always good, particularly one in which non-smokers can skulk about perving on birds and letting on that they're smokers to try and pull them without making it obvious that they're non-smokers just skulking about perving on birds and letting on that they're smokers just to try and pull them.

D2 is good for that, also donoghues, diceys

Nice couches to get sick on is also a bonus. I hear Sinnott's is good for that Sam

Or even a barrel type bucket thing - maybe like in Copper's.

[steamboatsam]

bandage said:

steamboatsam said:

a proper smoking area is always good, particularly one in which non-smokers can skulk about perving on birds and letting on that they're smokers to try and pull them without making it obvious that they're non-smokers just skulking about perving on birds and letting on that they're smokers just to try and pull them.

D2 is good for that, also donoghues, diceys

Nice couches to get sick on is also a bonus. I hear Sinnott's is good for that Sam

Or even a barrel type bucket thing - maybe like in Copper's.

i was merely showing my disdain for the establishments in question. they were purely voulntary acts