Last night we visited The Dubliner, a pseudo - Irish bar in Upper Long Street, Cape Town.

 

I was slightly impressed by the decor, fixtures and fittings, but apart from their selection of Single Malt whiskeys and Guiness sold on - tap (at around R30/pint), there was nothing remotely Irish about The Dubliner.

 

The only saving grace for The Dubliner is that it is split into two levels, where the lower level is left to the mercy of the drunken Cape Town mob as they have their wallets raped by rediculously expensive drinks and shooters. The upper level was reserved for the more cultured, older crowd who wanted to enjoy a quieter atmosphere with a chance of actual conversation. The fact that they also added a glass - topped grand piano made this level far more civil than it's lower level counterpart. We also had the priviledge of seeing local performer Dave Goldberg in action as his fingers raced accross the ivory keys in a storm of Blues passion.

The only aspect I would change abpout The Dubliner is the Staff, as I found the bartenders pushy, obnoxious and sneaky, as they, more often than not ,slipped in an extra (unwanted) tot into our whiskeys and charged the hell out of us. They also assumed all change leftover from a transaction was automatically rendered as a tip. Hmm. Fat chance buddy!

The Dubliner.

Go there if you have shitloads of money to spend and if you don't mind pushy service. Also said, this is by far my least favourite bar on the cosmopolitan boulevard that is Long Street, Cape Town.