Monthly Archive for June, 2007

The Cotton Ball

Published on June 28, 2007 in Cork. 16 Comments

I have been in this pub quite a few times but haven’t had an alcoholic drink. The Cotton Ball is a pub on the Old Youghal Road in Mayfield, Cork. I have only been in the lounge area and that is quite impressive. It is very spacious with plenty of seating all around. It is an especially good pub to watch a match in, which i have done a couple of times. The bar staff are efficient and i have been there when it has been quite busy and you are never waiting too long to get served. I cannot comment on the bar area as i have not been in there.

The toilets off the lounge area have been ok when i’ve seen them and the gents is small. The Cotton Ball is a pub that i have enjoyed visiting and i have no doubt i will be back there again. It is most certainly worth a look.

Toilet rating: 6.5/10
Overall rating: 7/10

Final comment: The main competition for this pub is O’ Mahony’s which is just a short distance away.

Soho

Published on June 25, 2007 in Cork. 2 Comments

Cork’s trendiest and most exclusive night spot. These are things i have heard people saying about Soho on the Grand Parade. Formerly Doyles, Soho is a modern sophisticated pub that caters to everyone but being well dressed is important. I have been in just the once and it was at about 8pm on a Monday evening. It was relatively quiet except for us and a group of ladies out for a few drinks. I was driving so i had 7up and Jen had a glass of white wine. The bar man was quite polite and even engaged in a little chit chat which was nice. The pub itself is spacious and the furniture is comfortable. I have heard that it gets busy at weekends and i don’t doubt it. It has a central location and it had the plasma screen tv’s and a very tempting bar menu.

The toilets are up stairs and they are very impressive. You can actually watch tv in the gents. They were immaculate when i saw them and are very well designed. I couldn’t fault them, however when the pub is very busy they may not be as well kept. Jen has recently had a meal in the upstairs restaurant and had no complaints about it. I’l have to head in for a pint of Murphy’s in the near future.

Toilet rating: 9/10
Overall rating: 8/10

Final Comment: Soho bar is still one of Corks newer venues even though it has been there for a while. They have a web site @ www.soho.ie

Flannery’s

Published on June 11, 2007 in Limerick. 14 Comments

The last pub we visited on our flying visit to limerick City was Flannery’s bar on Denmark Street just up from Nancy Blakes. There was loads of bouncers at the door and when we walked in we realised that it was another pub with a huge smoking area. This is at the front before you go into the bar area. It was hard to move when we were there. I managed to get to the bar and in fairness there was plenty of staff on but it took me a while to bring my drinks back to where we were standing. I had a pint of Guinness and Jen had a bottle of Coors light. The Guinness was a good pint and it was even better considering how busy the staff were serving me. It was hard to make a judgement on the pub because it was so crowded. I noticed there was an upstairs and people were standing on a balcony.

The toilets i used were downstairs in the pub. They were a good size and were well kept. Flannery’s was a grand pub to visit but i found it to be too busy for my liking. My days of squashing in somewhere with the faint hope of getting to the bar are long gone. That said however, this pub is obviously very popular and does very good business. I wouldn’t be rushing back personally but thats because its not my kind of pub. If it sounds like yours, check it out.

Toilet rating: 7/10
Pint rating: 6.5/10
Overall rating: 6/10

Final comment: Flannery’s is a type of superpub that thrives in the heart of Limerick City.

Nancy Blakes

Published on June 2, 2007 in Limerick. 43 Comments

The first pub we headed to in Limerick City centre was Nancy Blakes. It’s on Denmark Street in the city. A few people recommended that i visit this pub. We walked in past the bouncers and into the beer garden area. It was packed with people and there was a great atmosphere. I got a pint of Guinness and a glass of Coors light. It was a battle to get to the bar in the small area inside. The bar staff were efficient and were working hard to serve everybody. Judging by the size of the crowd in this pub, it is one of Limerick City’s top night spots. There appeared to be people of all ages in this pub last weekend. We actually walked out of this pub through the beer garden entrance and went back in to the main pub. This part has a very traditional feel to it. It was very busy in this section as well. We managed just about to get standing room and i enjoyed another Guinness and Jen had another Coors Light. The pints that i had were very good to be honest.

The toilets were small and in need of attention. There may have been other toilets that i didn’t see but the ones i used were not in great condition. Overall it was an enjoyable trip into this pub and i can certainly recommend it. Check it out for yourself.

Toilet rating: 4/10
Pint rating: 7/10
Overall rating: 7/10

Final comment: Nancy Blakes is a pub that will suit many people. A taxi driver told me that it is very busy 7 nights a week.

Kudos (Clarion Suites Limerick)

Published on June 2, 2007 in Limerick. 0 Comments

It’s been a while since the last review was completed. Have many people noticed, probably not! The last few months have been very busy so finally getting back to the site. We headed to Limerick last wekkend and stayed at The relatively new Clarion suites on the Ennis road. We got a two bedroom suite which was unlike anywhere we have stayed before. It was so spacious but it was bit wasted on just two people. It was a great novelty. The bar in hotel as with all The Clarion chain is called ‘Kudos’. We had dinner in the restaurant and it was top class. The service we got from one particular waitress really stood out for both of us. She was very friendly and nothing we asked for was any bother. Kudos bar is just next to the restaurant. I noticed the high Georgian ceilings and the chandaleers. There is a small oval shaped bar and there is a good lot of seating that continues out to the lobby area. In comparison to the restaurant the service at the bar was terrible. The guy servicing quite obviously didn’t want to be there are he was very abrupt and banging glasses and bottles. He was one of the worst bar people i have ever come across. I got a pint of Guinness and a glass of white wine and the Guinness cost 4.30. It was a good pint and went down well. I had another pint before we headed into the city.

The toilets i used were just off the reception area and they were in very good condition and very spacious. We had another few drinks when we came back and there was a nice girl serving at the bar. I would most certainly stay at this hotel again, it was great value.

Toilet rating: 8/10
Pint rating: 7/10
Overall rating: 7.5/10

Final comment: Kudos is a bar with character. I thought the bar itself was more like a serving hatch. A hotel/Suites well worth checking out.