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    The Vathouse Bar

    3.2 (44 reviews)
    ModeratePubs

    The Vathouse Bar Photos

    THE VATHOUSE BAR ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Live music
    Loud
    Casual
    Good for dancing

    Recommended Reviews - The Vathouse Bar

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    Yummi
    Svein Erik J.

    The VAT House might be a touristy place with higher than average prices but the quality of food and service surpasses a lot of other venues in the inner city of Dublin. We had a few meals at VAT House during our stay and we really enjoyed it. My personal favourite is the Beef and Guinness stew and compared to the same dish at the Duke they thoroughly kick some Duke ass. It is quite a large meal but it has a rich beefy flavour, plenty of vegetables and it is topped with a good chunk of mashed potatoes. My girlfriend tried both the fish and chips and the bangers and mash and just loved it. The selection of beer is quite extensive and the waiters are attentive and polite. I think the VAT House is a great place and I hope you will try it some day. Two thumbs up from us!!

    Jason K.

    Outstanding food! The cottage pie special was delicious and the bacon and cabbage was amazing! Best cabbage l ever tasted

    Alexandra M.

    I try to stay away from tourist traps because I'm a local and I should know better. However, last night I ended up going to a ridiculous pub because my friend was supposed to meet a girl there. Let me describe the scene in the Vat House on a Saturday night. Six women in theirs 20s were having a hen party. They were dressed in skintight pink dresses and spiky black heels. They danced to most of the songs (Sweet Home Alabama was playing at one point) and stumbled around the pub looking for partners. One older man obliged and proceeded to do what resembled the chicken dance. Of course, there were other customers in the pub, people who did not make a spectacle of themselves, but I hardly noticed them because of the embarrassing scene that was unfolding in front of me. The Vat House may be packed on the weekend, but I would avoid it all together. Not only was the company bad, but so was the service. It took around 15 minutes to get my drink order in despite there being three barmen. And in case you were wondering, the girl my friend was supposed to meet never showed. Go figure!

    Chicken Goujons with Garlic Mayo
    Laninani C.

    As an American in Ireland, I came here on my first day. The prices are actually much cheaper than most of the other places I was looking for dinner at. When you first arrive, you should seat yourself, as they do not seat you. The waiters were very friendly and very helpful in helping me understand the menu and suggesting good food. However, you have to wave them down, they don't wait on you. Drinks on the food menu only include alcohol, mostly beer and whiskey, so I had just a glass of water. I ordered the Chicken Goujons (in American read "Chicken tenders"). It was very filling, if you eat the salad, which was a third of the portion. The portion was a good size: 1/3 salad, 1/3 chicken tenders, 1/3 fat chips/fries. I couldn't finish it all after having the whole salad and half the chicken goujons. Unlike American places, "take out" doesn't really exist, so I had them wrap it up for me in foil. I went yesterday, on a Monday night in late August. The whole place was rather empty with a few people, probably mostly tourists.

    Telling whiskie tasting tray.
    Jon M.

    Great location, food, drink selection & prices, and amazing staff. Located and attached to Blooms Hotel, this is a great place for a quick half-pint, dinner, or a night of entertainment and drink. Their pre-planned whiskie tastings are a great intro to Irish whiskies, they have 8 sets of four each tasting to try. I'd suggest the Irish Writers tasting.

    Andy K.

    Located by the Blooms Hotel (where I was staying), the Vathouse was a nice place to stop in for a few drinks while hanging out one night in Dublin. The atmosphere was laid back during the day and much livelier once the sun went down. The staff was also very friendly and added to an already great locale. Definitely stop in here for a pint!

    Irish Stew (front) and Fish & Chips (back)
    Jessica G.

    I must admit that the deco of the bar was very old-school and it's lovely to just sit in it and enjoy the sights. Food was somewhat a disappointment. Not that it was bad but it just wasn't great I guess. The fish & chips was only ok, the batter was not crispy and the fish was not that fresh. We also had the Irish Stew which was just ok.

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    11 months ago

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    3 months ago

    Manager was extremely rude, food was bad and no wonder there's hardly anyone in there

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    8 years ago

    Service very slow. Food came out 45 minutes later - soup and appetizers ..???also requested a 'hop house - lager and received a Budweiser??

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    Page 1 of 2

    The Vathouse Bar Reviews in Other Languages

    Review Highlights - The Vathouse Bar

    Located and attached to Blooms Hotel, this is a great place for a quick half-pint, dinner, or a night of entertainment and drink.

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    The Stag's Head - Bacon & Cabbage

    The Stag's Head

    4.3(313 reviews)
    0.2 kmSouth Inner City
    €€

    My 1st to go bar upon landing in Dublin. Got to say, it's the best Dublin's preserved Victorian…read morepub. The authentic Victorian setting, the Victorian mahogany fittings, the mosaic marble tiled floors and granite tabletops, the mahogany bar, capped with red Connemara marble, follows the classic Victorian architectural pattern. The staff are helpful, friendly and patient since their accent is hard to understand sometime. My 1st beer and 1st Irish food, all I can say is what a meal, just simple delish. Being here is just a wondrous experience, the place is cosy, warm and the friendly of the people. So glad I picked this place as my first of Dublin.

    If you want to experience a true Victorian pub in Dublin, The Stag's Head is a beautiful place to…read morestart. Tucked down Dame Court just off Dame Street, The Stag's Head is one of those rare pubs that feels genuinely historic rather than designed to look old. The building dates to the late 1800s, and the interior retains the ornate features of a classic Victorian "gin palace"--rich carved wood, stained glass, brass rails, and a warm, glowing bar that feels wonderfully preserved. We stopped in around 4:30 pm, which turned out to be a perfect time to visit. There were other patrons enjoying drinks and food, but the atmosphere was calm and relaxed rather than loud or rowdy. It felt like the kind of place where locals drop in for a quiet pint on their way home from work before the evening crowd arrives. The staff were excellent--friendly, welcoming, and attentive without being intrusive. The food was very good (we failed to take photos because we were too busy enjoying it). As a vegetarian, I was thrilled to see the Impossible burger front and center on their menu; it was deliciously prepared with guacamole on a brioche bun, and not an afterthought on the menu. My companions both chose the Irish Beef Burger, and said it was excellent. One thing to know: this is a traditional Victorian pub, so cocktails aren't really part of the program. Expect beer, wine, or spirits rather than mixed drinks. In a place like this, that actually feels exactly right. Other pubs do serve mixed drinks. Between the history, the ambience, the quality of the food, and the wonderful staff, The Stag's Head is the kind of place that makes you feel like you've experienced a real piece of Dublin.

    Photos
    The Stag's Head - Bar

    Bar

    The Stag's Head - One of our favorite

    One of our favorite

    The Stag's Head - Back door area

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    Back door area

    O'Reilly's - Courtesy of Sub Lounge website

    O'Reilly's

    3.9(60 reviews)
    0.6 kmSouth Inner City

    The Sub Lounge (formerly O'Reillys) was a real find. Not something you'd expect to come across at…read morethe end of an alleyway under Tara St Station, Sub Lounge takes its visitors on a gothic journey into a haven of magical otherworldliness. A group of us wandered down the dark alley one Sunday afternoon, a little anxious about what we might discover... Pleasantly surprised to find ourselves inside a Sleeping Beauty-like cavern of candlelit wonder, we stopped to marvel over the interior before giving the solitary bar man his rush of the century. The place was empty before we arrived, but luckily we'd brought a large enough group to make the entire place our own. The candelabras, mood lighting and high, domed ceilings make this place enchantingly atmospheric, but let's not forget the practicalities. Recipe for a good night with a large group: large tables - check, cheap beer (3.40 a pint!!!) - check, pool table - check... Ok this place is a winner. And get this - they even have a foozeball table! Rad! The toilets are definitely worth a gander... many, many mirrors, and easy to get lost in after a few pints of the dark stuff. OMG - 5 euro COCKTAILS Thurs - Sat night. Done. Sold. I'm there.

    After finishing work I went to meet a few friends here for after work drinks. It started out very…read moregood the first waitress we had could not do enough for us we even ordered a few wedges and chips these were really good. Me and 1 of my friends decided to order some cocktails so we went to the bar to see what we could get I ordered a mojito and a White Russian for my friend. I should have known it would be a disaster when the female bartender had to as the waitress how to make it needless to say it was not very good. After a while my friend decided to get one more round before we left. Well to say we were shocked is an understatement. When the waitress came over she went to order a drink to which the response was cant you see I'm busy what's wrong with you going to the bar, as she turned and walked away and went back to the bar to chat with another member of staff. The girl that had been looking after us earlier I think had finished which was a shame. Needless to say we didn't stay for another drink. This would put me off going back I could understand if it was busy but service like this is not acceptable

    Photos
    O'Reilly's - Had some wedges have to say they were great very hot and spicy though good value for money

    Had some wedges have to say they were great very hot and spicy though good value for money

    O'Reilly's - Nice smoking are.

    Nice smoking are.

    O'Reilly's

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    Windjammer

    Windjammer

    4.0(13 reviews)
    0.9 kmSouth Inner City

    Local bar, very cool people…read more Tons of beer on tap, with some liquor options. Great service, and love the location. Be mindful of going during a sports event! It gets slammed.

    The Wind Jammer on Townsend St is one of Dublin's "early houses", that is, pubs that open at half…read moreseven in the morning. The Wind Jammer is not, however, one of the really fun early houses. For fun early houses that serve already somewhat inebriated people, try The Chancery. The Wind Jammer is the type of early house that caters to shift workers and Gardaí from Pearse St coming off the night shift. Apart from a few couples the morning after the Trinity Ball, they wouldn't let in too many post-club revellers. The door is closed most early mornings, and they have a CCTV camera to give ya a good hard scrutinising before they'll let you in. The only time I was there for early pints, there was only one other group of young lads there and the barman looked like he was about to stop serving them. During the rest of the day and night, the Wind Jammer is a quiet pub frequented mainly by old, grumpy locals, who would sooner bite your head off than ask you the time of day. If you're really desperate for a drink and can't make it til half ten when the rest of the pubs open, by all means go to The Wind Jammer. Otherwise, there isn't that much else to recommend to it. Oh, one other thing. The Wind Jammer is the closest pub to Windmll Lane Studios, so U2 and The Saw Doctors among others have retired there for post-recording session pints over the years. Not the type of thing that would interest me, but sure it might interest you so I thought that I'd tack it on the end there

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    Windjammer
    Windjammer
    Windjammer

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    The Vathouse Bar - pubs - Updated May 2026

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