If ever there existed a warning against trying to be all things to all people, the folk behind Alfie Byrne’s have not come across it. Emblazoned with signs promising “Beer – Whiskey – Wine – Food – Coffee – Fun – Friends – Chat” like some sort of grotesque “Singles in Your Area” airport diner, I found myself inexplicably drawn into its clutches.
The exterior to this pub could be considered pretty atypical for the trendy locales associated with the Galway Bay Brewery ventures such as Against The Grain and The Black Sheep; in the shadow of the five-star Conrad Hotel and vertiginous financial offices, Alfie Byrne’s looks out over a sleek, gleaming plaza complete with water feature. Considering the surroundings I might have expected to step into a slick, yuppie-style bar, but a glance inside the door revealed a ping pong table helpfully graffiti’d with the words “Ping Pong” (the epitome of mindless vandalism) and football on the big screen. It looked like a weird, spotty teen rebelling against its austere parents, but the thought of a pint in the sun was too great to withstand so I parked up on the terrace and waited for all my beverage and companionship needs to be fulfilled.
Within minutes it became frightfully apparent that the onus was in fact on me to provide the fun, friends and chat, so with some dismay I phoned in nearby reinforcements to join me for a drink. Beer is, of course, at the fore, with the usual selection of Galway Bay stalwarts alongside hoppy darlings from home and abroad. As is often the case, the choice was too much to handle so we opt for a few rounds of tasting trays to get a good spread – ringing in at €6.60 it’s a pretty great way to at least ensure you don’t get stuck with a whole pint of that funky smelling cask ale you thought you’d look cool ordering.
That said, the cask offering was actually the winner of the evening, a Beál Bán from the inimitable West Kerry Brewery, followed closely in second place by the Mare Incognita Pilot Brew from Galway Bay. We soaked these up with some inoffensive chips that arrived before the beers had even been poured (at once impressive and worrying) and, lo and behold – Skips! Kudos to all at Alfie Byrne’s in their tireless work to resurrect this wondrous snack.
The sun beamed down on the Piazza della Tigre Celtica, ties slowly loosening and dress socks sweatily unfurling. While I wanted to take them to task for their bizarre interior and lofty ambitions, I couldn’t help but think they might have got it spectacularly right at Alfie Byrne’s. In a bizarre way, they sort of tick all the boxes – the drinks are good without being overly pretentious, the location is nicely removed from the Camden Street thoroughfare and the thought of enjoying a nice pint in a fountain-side beer garden outweighs the try-hard graffiti pong. I fear I might find myself back here before long.
Alfie Byrne’s
Earlsfort Terrace
Dublin 2
t: (01) 602 8976
w: galwaybaybrewery.com/alfiebyrnes
Words: Yann Chalmers
