The Turks Head, Parliment Street

So we were going to review Church this weekend. Unfortunately, we went for a pint in the Porterhouse first, and ended up talking to some very nice Norweigian men, and one pint quickly became 3, and then we were pretty much locked in.
So when we eventually made our way to Church, the bouncers probably fairly sensibly decided not to admit us. (Actually, the last time I went there, I was told I was "too casual for tonight" so I suppose be warned: The bouncers at church have Standards.)

So rather than leave everyone reviewless, I'm gonna review the Turks Head, which I was at tonight. As I approached, the doors opened and three women clad only in fur bikinis exited. This seemed somehow a good omen, though on entering, there seemed to be a substantial drop off in the amount of hairy knickers. (Turns out it was some sort of Lynx promotion, not a fantastic new fashion trend.)

Inside, the bar is quite spacious and well furnished. The clientelle are generally young and apparently pretty cheerful. The selection of drinks is pretty much bog standard, and the prices are on the high side for Dublin (4.95 for a Guinness.). The music was a pretty acceptable mix of country and rock, slightly loud where I was sitting near the speakers but pretty tolerable elsewhere.

Probably the most notable thing was the promotion that was going on for Bud Light. Women clad in skintight jumpsuits were passing out free bottles of this foul tasting brew. I know I shouldn't complain when an attractive woman gives me free beer, but man, I wish they'd promo something tastier. Still, the ladies in question were happy to provide us with several bottles each, and sitting listening to Johnny Cash and sipping awful mass produced light lager did give the place a certain US Redneck ambience which I reckon it'd be hard to find anywhere else in Dublin.

All in all, I quite liked the Turks Head, even though it was a wee bit pricey. It's got a pretty good atmosphere and I reckon I could have a good conversation in there, and free beer always cheers me up, even if it's terrible.

The Porterhouse Temple Bar

A Wednesday night in the Porterhouse temple bar. As my good companions mentioned the porterhouse welcomes quite the diverse crowd. On this particular visit we chose seats – I say chose but in reality you take what you can get in this popular place- so we “chose” a little table nestled under an old world-y looking staircase. It was a perfect spot for the evening of drink and chat we had planned.


I had the good fortune of locating this spot and quickly sent out word to “come find me I have seats”. So for those few minutes I was a lone girl sitting under the stairs. This obviously sent out signals to the 2 late middle aged (I’m being generous) men (again-generous) perched at the nearest bar. Luckily they decided to keep their creepiness toned down to staring. Although this required them to keep looking over their shoulders- and if they happen to be reading this I would like to say I appreciate the effort you put in there lads.
The atmosphere is great in the Porterhouse whenever you’re there- at different times for different reasons. The staff are also quite friendly and the cocktails potent. We grabbed a waitress and quickly had a nice large bowl of perfectly cooked chips in front of us. For more substantial meals I would say the food is fairly moderate in standard. Won’t impress a date but good for soakage and about average in price. Drinkwise I’m not a beer or stout girl so I made do with the selection of cocktails. They have a specials board and on Thursday nights all cocktails are a fiver. In general you would be looking at between 7 and 9 euro for one. The bar staff are unusually proactive - suggesting drinks that would suit my preferences. A nice touch when you have an extensive drinks list.

My party and I stayed until past closing and got thrown out onto the cruel Southside streets. We took our remaining bottle of kwak (yes it’s a beer) and passed it around in true bohemian fashion as we sauntered down the river, reflecting on our enjoyable night and the strong likelihood of a return visit to this fine establishment.



http://www.porterhousebrewco.com/templebar.html

The Porter House (John's Impressions)

I love the Porter House. It's got the single biggest selection of delicious beers in the city. Tasty ales, stouts and lagers abound. It also does reasonably priced cocktails for those who prefer that sort of thing, and a pretty respectable wine list. So on selection, it really can't be beat.

The clientelle are varied and generally easygoing. It's a complete melting pot: You've got ould fellas drinking stout, business men in suits, couples having dinner, groups of young people listening to music.

It's nice inside too, really twisty and bendy and fun.

My gripes are the music and well, the fact that it's so popular! They do live music every night, and usually it's quite good- sometimes really decent traditional stuff, sometimes alternative or jazzy stuff. The problem is that they pipe it in through the speakers, so once the band starts all conversation must end. I know some people like that, but it really is a deal breaker for me. There are places you can lurk (the downstairs bit in past the bar is the best) where the music is muted, but they tend to fill up fast. The place is so popular that it generally gets very crowded very fast, so make sure you arrive early. It's worth it for a night of excellent beer.

The bouncers I've always found to be really nice and polite- and I'm a scruffy looking kinda guy. Another point in their favour. For food other than chips, the burgers and irish stew are my two favourites.

Probably my favourite pub in Dublin.

The Porterhouse

We were in the Porterhouse, Temple Bar on a Wednesday from about 8.30 p.m. til close. The Porterhouse is hugely popular, and I think it's because it really does have something for everyone. At least beverage wise: there's all the usuals, a good cocktail selection, an extensive selection of bottled beers, not to mention their own brews.

Plus food! (Though we only had chips, but they were good. But if the chips are bad, what's the point?)

The Porterhouse is maze-like, with lots of levels and mezzanines, so while finding people is a bit of a challenge, its also possible to avoid people should the situation require it. Plenty of seats, though finding a free one can be quite the challenge. It's got a lot of nooks and crannies, which I like. Due to it's popularity, it gets totally jammers. Good atmosphere, but they can get a little volume-happy with the music.

In brief:

Halt! Who goes there: All sorts. And tourists. Not that they're not "sorts"!

The ensemble: Jeans and runners, though you wouldn't be out of place dressed up.

The facilities: Lots of stairs to get to the toilets, and there aren't enough of them, but they've got a hair straightener....

J'approuve!