The Elphin takes its name from a small town in county Roscommon, where the owner comes from.
When I arrived in Ireland 3 years ago I was astonished to see the place packed with families at lunchtime - untill I had a delicious lunch with fresh seafood from Howth there for myself.
It's one of those pubs every taxi driver knows and which has a rather huge parking space (for a pub).
It actually is a little weird seeing loads of people heading to their cars at 1 am on a Friday or Saturday night - from the pint to the car I'd say... ;-)
The pub lies on the Dublin Bay side of Sutton, and as this is no real tourist hub, it is rare to see tourists there. I only know the place because I live 200 metres away.
Unlike the other reviewer, my opinion of the pub is a good one: pints are cheaper than in town, and most of the guests are locals and regulars.
I like the clean and chilled atmosphere, the food which is served all day and the little 'indoor smoking area' between the two bars.
I like the fact that the regulars are not alcoholics but normal people enjoying some pints.
I had funny evenings here - one day of the week is "Karaoke night", and you can see even elderly people taking part. This pub seems to be a still intact "social" place, a little bit the cliché about Ireland perhaps, where pubs are having a function which goes beyond getting drunk - an "enhanced living room" perhaps.
And I also like it that, as a non-Irish citizen, I often met local people to chat with here, which doesn't happen too often in town.
The Elphin in fact was so pleasant for some of my visitors from Germany that we went there nearly every night of their stay: why have overpriced pints in town, then a cab out to Sutton, if you can have a nice night out just on your doorstep?
Oh and since recently the pub has a small outdoor area, just in case when the weather decides to be nice :-)
The bartender might come over as a little "grumpy", but if you don't take that too personally, you may find out that he is in fact a very nice and down-to-earth guy.
The Elphin also has a function room in the first floor which can be booked for parties.
If you happen to find yourself in the Sutton area and looking for a pint - go to the Elphin no matter which time of day or night! read more