Sandinos is the ultimate "non-conformist" poser bar. Basically, for all the people who claim to be anti-capitalist, but don't really do anything constructive about it.
There must be about 30 different pictures of Che Guevara on the walls and other stickers and pictures to do with communist figures. Which is all well and good, but if Sandinos ever did stick to the values it espouses, it doesn't anymore. Lots of American beer and the supplies are all as big-company-branded as anywhere. Also participates in the large marketing events such as Arthur's Day for Guinness. Drinks are also pricey for Derry... I've never paid as much for a pint in Derry as I did there. On the plus side, they do stock Australian beer, Coopers Sparkling. It's the only place I've found in the North of Ireland that stocks it, so I was pleased about that.
The crowd it attracts is largely as hypocritical as the bar itself. Most of them do their best to look anti-establishment, but still wear Converse/Nike/etc shoes or other branded products and drink Budweiser. I'd say a lot of them are or were recently students in government-supported university places, but who are more than happy to complain about "the man" and how the government is all terrible.
If you are one of these kinds of people, you will love Sandinos. There is live music quite often, with Irish trad sessions on Sunday afternoons. There's also an upstairs which has bands and can get quite lively of a night time, I understand (I haven't been so I can't be sure). The downstairs bar is quite small and cosy, and could be quite funky if it just stopped trying so hard to be something that a (profitable) business can never be. read more