I was horrified to read Rebekah's review - yeah it's a great place but are you kidding me music has come to the Blue Haven? This is blasphemy. The Blue Haven is the last pub standing in the locality that actually deserves the name pub. No gastro in front of the Blue Haven, no Sirree.
The last solitary place where you can sit down and get a quality drink without a lasagne, burger, beef stew, house fries or whatever crap pubs serve suddenly arriving at the next table to ruin the experience. The Morgue, the Yellow House, Bradys, Terenure Inn, the Orchard....the list is endless of local so called pubs where all drinks now come with a food menu!
I had to check this music thing out for myself and I'm delighted to say that there was no band playing - maybe it was a once off thing (hopefully) or just for the weekend - and we were greeted to the sweet sound of people chatting away and enjoying themselves. There was a large group of ladies in the slightly raised section of the lounge under the TV on a night out and they seemed to be enjoying the crack that comes from a great watering hole which allows group conversations to flow so easy without being interrupted by bad Oasis covers or the waft of vinegar from the next table.
It was nice and busy and a real mixture of young (I'd better clarify this statement - couple of early to mid twenties) and old with everything in between. I ordered some pints and the bar woman told me the lounge girl would drop them over and who was I to argue. True to her word that's exactly what happened. That's as exciting as it got. Look this is a pub you go to talk and share a laugh. It is the company you are with that makes a night out here great. If you can't keep the fun going then it is out with the iPhones or looking at the TV screen as there is nothing else to fall back on. I do like pubs with music and am only about 99% as grumpy as I sound but there has to be an alternative. The Blue Haven is that alternative. This does not have to be the quiet night out pub it just depends on the people you are with.
Simply put - quality drink served in a friendly and relaxed atmosphere by friendly and experienced bar staff. It's a great old style pub (recently painted though). What more does anyone want?
Well apart from food and a band obviously ! read more