The Vicarstown inn (re-reviewed) (Cork city)

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I had a lot of negative things to say about this pub when I previously reviewed it. I was in their recently and the transformation could not be more profound. This pub used to be a very quiet, unwelcoming pub that was poorly maintained from our first visit there. It is now one of the city’s hottest pubs. We could barely get in the door when we were there recently and you could tell that their has been a lot of money invested. I admired the bar staff’s efficiency and ability to hear customers orders above the loud music. I noticed some craft beers for sale there. We made our way down to the back of the pub and out to the very impressive heated smoking area.

I enjoyed the pint of Murphy’s and would have stayed for another but we moved on. The toilets are small but were reasonably maintained when I saw them. I think who ever over hauled this pub deserves immense credit as it now appears to be a big money maker.

Toilet rating: 6/10
Pint rating: 7/10
Overall rating: 7.5/10

Final comment: The Victarstown inn enjoys a very prominent city centre location on North Main Street and is certainly making the most of it.

The Oar (Crosshaven)

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Recently we headed for a few pints in this pub in Crosshaven. I previously reviewed this pub under its former name ‘The moonduster’. Myself,Ken,Charlie and Mark headed in early and took a seat to the left as you walk in the door. We sat next to the blazing fire which was extremely welcoming on a bleak evening. There wasn’t many in there when we arrived but people stated coming in steadily throughout the night. The service at the bar was good and the pints were excellent . I was on the Beamish and that went down a treat. There is a pool table up in another area of the bar. It is a very pleasant pub to sit for a few pints in. I don’t think that there have been huge changes from what I can remember from my last visit.

The toilets are just off the bar and are small but were well maintained. I know there is a room up stairs as well that is used for functions. A really decent pub that has been taken over relatively recently and we wish the owners well with their venture.

Toilet rating: 7.5/10
Pint rating: 8/10
Overall rating: 8/10

Final comment: this is definately that I can see myself visiting a lot in the future.

O’ Reillys (Crosshaven)

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I was out for a few pints with Finian before Christmas and headed into this pub in Crosshaven. It has been there a while now but only got to visit then. It was very busy on the night we headed in and there were no seats available. I did notice another area off the bar and it was empty but perhaps it is a function room. The service at the bar was efficient and friendly and the two pints of stout consumed weren’t bad at all. There was a band playing and they were too loud for my liking (maybe I’m just getting old).

The toilets were not in great condition when I saw them which is perhaps not surprising as it was very busy. I’d say it would be a good place to watch a match on TV.

Toilet rating: 6/10
Pint rating: 7/10
Overall rating: 7/10

Final comment: Is this my favourite pub in Crosshaven? No. That said there are some great pubs down there. Pop in for a pint.

Kerry Coast Inn (Cahersiveen )

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As any avid readers of this blog will know we review a lot of pubs in the south Kerry region as we have a base down there in Waterville. The Kerry Coast inn is located in the town of Cahersiveen Co Kerry. It appeared on the ‘at your service’ programme hosted by the Kerry legends Francis and John Brennan. We headed in on a Saturday evening and it was very busy. We managed to get a seat just inside the door to the right by the front window. The first thing that struck me was the amount of people eating in the bar. It was obvious that it is popular for food and the meals looked very apitising it has to be said. I had two pints of Guinness and Jen had two glasses of wine and they went down very well.

The bar staff were extremely efficient and polite despite there being a crowd around the bar waiting to be served. The toilets were very well maintained and I would have no complaints about. You can stay at the Kerry Coast inn and there is a nightclub in the premed is for good measure.

Toilet rating: 8/10
Pint rating: 8/10
Overall rating: 8/10

Final comment: Cahersiveen has a lot of pubs and this is up there with the best.

O’ Briens (Churchtown)

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We went for a few days break away to the Charleville park hotel last week during the school Easter holidays. On our second day there we went to Liscaroll to the delightful donkey sanctuary. On the way to the sanctuary I spotted a pub called Boss Murphy’s as we were passing through Churchtown and was ver interested in visiting there for a pint. On the way back Jen brought the two older girls to the playground and I went to see the pub. Unfortunately it wasn’t open when I went to go in so I instead walked across the road to O’Briens, the only other pub I could see in the village. I went in and had the baby with me who I gave a bottle of milk while enjoying a pint of Murphys. The lady behind the bar was very pleasant and pulled my pint and had it to me very quickly. She was in conversation with two other men at the bar and all appeared friendly. The bar lady asked me if I was after moving to the area and I told her I was just passing through and having a few pints. She was very chatty and had a word for anyone that came into the bar. The pints that I had were really good and I enjoyed them a lot. The pub itself is small and is a real country pub which I love. There is lots of horse memorabilia on the walls in this pub.

The toilets were out the back and they were maintained very well. There is a smoking area out the back as well. Jen and the kids came into the pub and Jen ordered coffee which she wasn’t charged for. That was a very nice gesture. In the end I was glad that Boss Murphy’s was closed as I would not have discovered this pub otherwise and it was quite a find. This pub proves that that you can still walk into a pub in Ireland and instantly feel like a local.

Toilet rating: 7.5/10
Pint rating: 8.5/10
Overall rating: 9.5/10

Final comment: What a find this was. A really good experience and the people of Churchtown are lucky to have such a nice local

Brewdog (Glasgow)

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I think I was the only person in the city who had never heard of the Brewdog chain of craft beer pubs. We ate in a very nice and reasonable Indian restaurant just up from the pub and the food was great. Brewdog itself is a craft beer chain of pubs. On entering this pub I liked it immediately. We managed to get a seat to accommodate all of our group and ordered our drinks at the bar. I was unsure what beer to go for so one of the lads in the group suggested 5am saint which is a red ale. It cost 4 pounds and 5 pence for a pint and I really enjoyed it. I had three pints of that and it left a lasting effect on me. I was thinking about it even after returning home.

The toilets were small but were well maintained. They have a selection of board games available to play as you enjoy your drinks. The music being played here was very much to my taste and there was a very eclectic mix of people drinking here so it was a great experience.

Toilet rating: 7/10
Pint rating: 9.5/10
Overall rating: 9/10

Final comment: This pub converted me to trying new beers especially craft ones. I even got 5am saint in a pub in Cork recently.

Premier inn George Square (Glasgow)

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This is the hotel that we stayed in while on our trip to Glasgow. It was basic but was great value for the two nights that we stayed there. We had drinks in the bar on two occasions while we were there. The day we arrived we had a drink during the day and another drink after coming back from a night on the town. It was disappointing on both occasions. It is your typical hotel chain pub so much so that I can’t remember what it was called. I didn’t like the layout of the bar and even when we were there when it was busy, it lacked atmosphere.

I have varying opinions on the bar staff there. On the first occasion that we went inn I found the lady working at the bar to be courteous and engaged in conversation with me. There was a young bar man on the second occasion we were there and he was perhaps the rudest person I have come across working in a pub (and I’ve been to a few). He completely ignored me and the man standing next to me despite only one other person being at the bar. He walked past us several times deliberately avoiding eye contact with us. He then stood with his back to us looking at his phone. I eventually raised my voice just a little and asked him if they were closed for business. He replied no, so I asked him if I could speak to his manager. He then then promptly served us our drinks at the speed we would expect them normally. In other circumstances I would have left the bar once I encountered this ignorance but it was late and we were not heading back out. The pint itself was only ok and was certainly not worth the wait! I didn’t use the toilet in the bar so cannot comment on that.

Pint rating: 5/10
Overall rating: 3/10

Final comment: This review only reflects my experience in the bar. I would definately stay in the hotel again but wouldn’t bother with the bar.

Three Judges (Glasgow)

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We headed to this pub on Saturday night and it wasn’t too busy when we got in. We were standing for a short while but then managed to aquire a table in this small pub. Prior to heading in the lads in the know said that this was supposedly Glasgow’s best pub . There was loads of craft beers on sale and there was a black board that was was updated regularly with different special craft beers that they were offering and their price. I ordered a pint of Guinness and it was by far the best pint of stout I have ever had abroad. It was super. We only stayed for the one drink but it was a good one. There was a good mix of young and older people here and the atmosphere was good. The service at the bar was excellent.

What let this pub down were the toilets. They were very small and there was no running water in the sink to wash your hands with. This is a big let down for such a nice, well run pub. Despite this I would head back there in a heartbeat.

Toilet rating: 6/10
Pint rating: 9/10
Overall rating: 8.5/10

Final comment: A really decent pub that is most certainly worth a visit if in Glasgow.

The Drovers Inn ( Loch Lomand)

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Our visit to Glasgow brought us out by Loch a Lomand after we partook in some very enjoyable and frustrating clay pigeon shooting nearby. We stopped at this pub for a bite to eat and I have to say it is in perhaps the most idealic location of any pub I have visited previously. When we parked the car behind the pub we noticed a stunning waterfall on the hill side. We headed in and luckily found a table to accommodate us as the pub is small and there was a crowd in there. I ordered a burger and chips which was very tasty and reasonably priced but didn’t have a pint as I would be driving later. Ryan had the traditional Scottish dish haggis and I tried some but was glad I had ordered the burger! The waiters were all wearing kilts and were very pleasant. This was a traditional Scottish establishment which was enjoyable to visit.

The toilets were very well maintained and no complaints there. I noticed that they had another room which I presume was a restaurant area but I couldn’t say for certain. I enjoyed the visit to this pub in a rather remote location. Certainly a place to check out if in the Loch Lomand area.

Toilet rating : 8/10
Overall rating: 8/10

Final comment: even though I didn’t enjoy a pint here I enjoyed the experience immensely.

Horseshoe bar (Glasgow)

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This pub in Glasgow city centre appealed to me for a number of reasons while doing my research prior to going there. First and foremost it hosts nightly karaoke upstairs and is the place to head to in Glasgow to sing a song or two. Secondly, it apparently has the longest bar counter in Europe. I was interested to see this also. We headed in on a Saturday night and I have to say I liked the bar downstairs instantly. Even though we were in the city centre of a European capital it had that distinct ‘local pub’ feel about the place. I was disappointed to be told by some polite bouncers that the karaoke area upstairs was full beyond capacity and there was no way anyone else could head up. I told them that I just wanted to have a look and they eventually agreed. It wasn’t full at all, standing room was aplenty but for once in my life I decided not to stay there and sing to the masses but to return down to the bar.

The longest bar counter in Europe was oval shaped and not that impressive. It is a big pub and the sound of Glaswegian banter was great to hear. I ordered a pint of tenants much to the disgust of my fellow craft beer drinking crew. It was your average pint of cheap beer but I enjoyed it. They serve lots of pies in this establishment but we didn’t sample any food. The toilets were not great. The floor just outside was very sticky and the toilet area could have done with a good clean.

Toilet rating: 5/10
Pint rating : 6/10
Overall rating: 7.5/10

Final comment: I enjoyed the pint we had here. Wouldn’t be everyone’s cup of tea but I liked it.