Next we walked to Mc Curtain street and to L on the alphabetical pub crawl of Cork city. We headed into The LV bar at about 10pm. There was a good crowd of people inside. We took a seat by the bar and i liked the atmosphere in the pub. A pint of Murphy’s and a Bulmers draught were ordered. It was a good pint of stout. There are two sections to this pub. Last night there was a comedy show in the back section and i think it cost 7 euro to attend. A table became available and we took up residence at that. It is a narrow pub in the front section and at the back it there was rows of seats and a stage for the performers. The pub advertises that they sell world beers but i didn’t see what brands they sell.
The gents toilets are out through the back section where the comedy was taking place last night. They are small toilets but were in fairly good condition last night. It must be annoying for people performing and also the audience to have people walking through from the front bar to use the toilets. The LV bar is a pub that i would head back to in the future.
Toilet rating: 6.5/10
Pint rating: 7.5/10
Overall rating: 7.5/10
Final comment: LV bar on Mc Curtain street is one to check out.
K on the alphabetical pub crawl was Kudos. Kudos is the bar in the Clarion hotel in Cork. I have been in here a few times and have done a review before. I have also had dinner in the restaurant and being brutally honest the service was terrible. The food was good but the service was poor. Kudos is a very nice bar with plenty seating areas. Last night the bar was very busy but we managed to get a seat. A pint of Murphy’s and a Bulmers draught were ordered and the Murphy’s was a very good pint it has to be said. I have to say that last night was the most enjoyable in this bar. The Clarion hotel has a lot of good and bad points. I have mixed views myself but overall this bar is a good for a drink.
This pub is gone and has been replaced by Mulligans. September ‘09
J on our alphabetical pub crawl of Cork city was JD Styles. This has been previously reviewed by Munster Pubs. We went in last night and found the place to be packed. We managed to get a seat near the front of the bar and watched some of the days premiership action on the tv. A pint of Murphy’s and a Bulmers Draught was called and to be honest i could tell that Murphy’s wasn’t pulled very often in this bar. The pint tasted like stout you get abroad. There was a very good atmosphere in the place last night. The last time i reviewed this bar i heard that this was apparently one the hot spots in the city. From the crowd that was there last night this is certainly still the case. It is a bright and big pub that i enjoyed visiting last night. The toilets were in very good condition last night. I am sure that most people in Cork are aware of this pub but if you haven’t been there it might be worth checking out.
From the Hi B bar we walked for about 10 minutes to I on the pub crawl and The Idle Hour bar on Albert Quay. We walked in and found there to be only a few others in the bar. I ordered the pints of Murphy’s and Bulmers draught off the pleasant bar man. We had a choice of seats and sat on a bench with a cushion that wasn’t very comfortable. The pint of Murphy’s was a very good one and i enjoyed it. There was a cd playing good music in the background but it wasn’t too loud. The Idle Hour is not a huge bar and was dimly lit and very relaxing. The bar man appeared to know most of the people he was serving by name so it must have a good local trade. There are some interesting photographs on the wall and a red ceiling that i thought stood out. There is an old telephone on the wall which is a nice piece of memorabilia.
The toilets we ok and useable last night. There is one cubicle available but there was no toilet seat. Overall this was an enjoyable visit. The Idle Hour bar is a bit of a walk from the city centre but i felt it was certainly worth visiting.
Toilet rating: 6/10
Pint rating: 7.5/10
Overall rating: 7.5/10
Final comment: The Idle Hour is a grand pub.
Headed into town last night to continue the Munster Pubs alphabetical pub crawl. Since we finished with The Gables bar we started at H and Hi B bar on Oliver Plunkett Street. From the stories that i have heard and read about this bar it is most certainly a Cork institution. We went in last night just after 8pm. We followed a big group of people up the stairs and into the bar. First impressions: my grandmothers sitting room! The Hi B bar is just basically a one room bar that is like no other that i have visited in Cork. The smallest pub that we had been to is Pat Buckleys on Mulgrave Road but this pub is as small. We got a seat just inside the door on the left as that was the only seat available. The place was very busy and there was a mixture of younger and older people here. The red leather seats are interesting as is the memorabilia on the walls. I ordered a Murphy’s and a draft Bulmers and the Murphy’s was not great but ok.
I was wary heading in with a mobile phone in my pocket as the owner apparently doesn’t like them! I actually switched it onto silent just in case. I have heard many stories about Brian (the landlord) and his rules. The toilets are absoloutely tiny with one cubicle available. I was talking to a local and he told me that there would be uproar if anything in the pub was changed, it just wouldn’t be accepted. If you want a very different experience in a Cork city centre pub then check out the Hi B bar across from the GPO.
Toilet rating: 6.5/10
Pint rating: 6/10
Overall rating: 7/10
Final comment: I have wanted to visit this bar for a long while and enjoyed the experience. i didn’t find it to be the friendliest bar around but it is worth heading in for a pint.
Myself and Jen were out driving one night recently and decided to stop off at Mok’s bar on the Bandon road. |It is just across the way from Galvins off licence. It was a Wednesday night when we headed in and there was a good crowd inside. They appeared to be comprised of locals and students. I ordered a glass of white wine and a 7up at the bar and sat down near the open fire. There are two sections to this pub and it appeared to have loads of character. To be honest i wouldn’t head into Mok’s for a private chat as the seats are close together and it is a small bar. The lady serving behind the bar seemed to be nice and she knew a lot of the customers by name.
There was a few lads watching a match when we were there. The toilets are small but were ok on the night that we visited. The one complaint that i had, was that the hand dryer was not working. The bar lady told one guy sitting at the bar that he had enough and without complaint or argument he got up off his chair and stumbled out the door. A good call of judgement. I liked Mok’s, its nothing spectacular but its a nice pub.
Toilet rating: 6.5/10
Overall rating: 7/10
Final comment: Mok’s Bar is an old style public house that is worth calling into.
On our trip to Kerry we also called to Cahirciveen and a pub called The Shebeen Bar and Restaurant. The pub area is small but very cosy. It is very much a traditional pub with character. There was about 10 other people in the pub when we visited at 7pm on a Saturday night. I ordered a pint of Guinness and a glass of diet coke up at the bar. The bar man was very pleasant and replied ‘a wonderful idea’ to my order. I sat across from the bar and observed my surroundings. I noticed a group of musicians sitting at the front of the pub but who hadn’t started playing as of yet. The pint of Guinness was a very good one indeed. I noticed a darts board on the wall. I noticed a few lads bringing their drinks out the back of the pub so there could be another area or smoking room that i didn’t see.
I went to the gents toilet and saw a notice that read ‘This toilet should be in good condition. If you find it otherwise please inform the management’. Thats what all pubs should do, encourage you to tell them if their toilet facilities are not up to scratch. The toilets were in good condition so i didn’t have to report anything bad. Overall this was an enjoyable visit and i was glad we visited The Shebeen.
Toilet Rating: 7.5/10
Pint Rating: 7.5/10
Overall Rating: 7.5/10
Final comment: The Sheeben Bar is a very decent bar serving a decent pin of Guinness.
We drove to Knightstown and to Bostons Bar next. It is very near a restaurant called Fuchsia that is quite popular. We headed in and found it to be very busy. There was a load of bikers enjoying drinks and food. They had all the bar stools occupied and also the seats across from the bar. They appeared to be having a good time. We got a seat just past the bar on the right hand side. I also noticed another section at the back of the pub. I ordered the pint of Guinness and a latte at the bar and was served efficiently by the friendly bar man. The pint of Guinness was another very good one. The two drinks came to 6 euro. There is a lot of ship memorabilia around this bar and there is also a lot of Kerry flags. The bar food menu looked very appetising.
The toilets were fine when i checked them. There was a notice up telling customers to inform staff if the toilets were in a poor condition of if there was no toilet roll etc. This to me is a very good idea. Overall this pub is grand for a drink. Obviously there was some bikers event on in the area as there was so many inside.
Toilet rating: 7/10
Pint rating: 7.5/10
Overall rating: 7/10
Final comment: Bostons is another of the pubs on Valentia Island.
50 pub reviews in Kerry have now been completed by Munster Pubs!
I was down in Kerry for the weekend and took a trip over to the Beautiful Valentia Island. I was staying in Waterville as usual and headed over for a visit. Myself and Jen had our lunch in The Bridge Bar in Portmagee. It was very tasty and reasonably priced. We then drove across the bridge and drove up to a walkway that leads up the big hill. We walked up to an old ruin and the spectacular views of the Skelligs were breathtaking. We then went to Chapeltown and saw The Ring Lyne bar and restaurant. Jen used to go in here a lot with her family when she was younger. We decided to pay a visit. We walked in through a hall way with a football table. There was just two men sitting at the bar when we went in. There was no-one else in the pub. The bar man was watching premiership results roll in on the tv as is the norm at just after 5 on a Saturday. I ordered a Guinness and diet coke and took in the surroundings. It is an old style pub with a pool table in the middle and there are two sections available. We sat just across from the bar and had a chat. There was something about this pub that appealed to me. There are photographs on the walls and also some cartoons. The pint of Guinness was very good and went down well.
It was quitre obvious that an Everton fan eithier owns or works in this pub from all the Everton stuff behind the bar. I saw the toilets and they were very clean but maybe a bit old fashioned. We just stayed for the one drink and then headed off. It was nice for Jen to see this pub again as she had enjoyed visiting as a child. As we were leaving in the car we noticed the prices that are charged for overnight accomodation. It stated overnight available from 9 euro 99/14 euro 99 and 19 euro 99. That appears like good value!
Toilet rating: 6.5/10
Pint rating: 7.5/10
Overall rating: 7/10
Final comment: The Ring Lyne is a locals pub but i would say does well from the busy summer trade.
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