Magill Pub reviews

Mulligan's, Poolbeg Street, Dublin 2. Some people would like to put a preservation order on this pub and its , atmosphere'. Devoid of plastic trimmings, fulfilling its function as a place to meet and drink in much the way that old Wild West saloons must have done, it's a natural for those who are into basic Living, maaaan.

Unfortunately, it attracts its share of those who make a pretention of unpretentiousness and on a crowded night you're liable to wind up next to a Trinity student brandishing his cut price of the Irish Times, dipping his scarf into your drink and emoting about Annie Hall in a voice that sounds like all his teeth are loose. However, the simplicity of the place is attractive and as long as you've brought your own good company, does it really matter 11 those three gesticulators in the corner are pseuds or geniuses? The Commodore, Parnell Street (corner of Jervis Street), Dublin 1. Doesn't overdo the na-utical effects, though the place itself is something of a hidden treaasure. The layout of the pub, among the best in the city, makes it ideal for a long, quiet evening of drink and conversation. It's almost three small pubs in one, with the TV tucked away at the back for the ,,'100tection of those for whom drinking is not a mixed media experience. The other two sections are so arranged that even with a noisy afterrwork drinking session going on you can find a spot for a quiet chat. The service is friendly rather than courteous, service without servility, and with the coal fire blazing a way and a supply of toasted sandwiches on hand you might consider moving in permanently.

The Plough, Marlborough Street, Dublin 1. Centrally located and with an infinite variety of clientele, at rush hour it's the nearest thing to a railway station bar. Pin stripes and donkey jackets rub shoulders as stimulants are gulped in preparation for the trek homewards. Later on you're liable to be caught in the crossfire, as the denizens of the Abbey, just across the road come in to hurl superlatives at each other. Comfortable upstairs lounge. Daly's, Eden Quay, Dublin 1. If you want a night out with some drinks and a meal but you're not quite ready for the Mirabeau, and if· you're feeling lazy into the bargain, Daly's is convenient. You can start off in the bar, stroll up to the grill to eat and go back down (just one step) to the lounge to finish. And for the extremely lazy, there's a taxi rank outside the door.

The Metro, Parnell Street, Dublin 1. No dilletantes, please. One of those places where the word pub, is deefined as a building within which alcoholic drink is sold for consumption on the premmises. Full stop.
It's usually packed, hectic-and somewhat sloppy. Opens at seven in the morning, by which time there's usually half a dozen people stamping on the paveement and tapping on the window.

Those disappointed by the lack of 'character' in the long, rectangular, functional downstairs bar may find compensation in that of the barmen. Abrasive wit is the phrase.. if you like that sort of thing. In fact, you could probably use it to scrape the paint off your deck if you've got a boat. They do, however, have the good taste to do their own drinking next door in The Shakespeare.