Perhaps a mere week after we covered it here, Biddy Mulligan’s Olde Ale House abruptly closed. But now, as Aragorn retorted to the King of the Dead, it has been remade. Indeed, it has both returned to something closer to its previous Sackville Lounge existence and metamorphosed into its current cocktail bar form with its new/old name, The Sackville.
Its latest transformation is courtesy of the team behind the wildly-popular Bar 1661, and while it feels like an even smaller space than it did before, it’s beautifully appointed. Although it’s None More Black, it actually seems brighter than it was; the elegant lighting fixtures help a great deal in that regard. And as with Bar 1661, you are here for the next-level cocktails. There are classics and house specials, and all like their parent bar, they place a special focus on Irish spirits and ingredients. We’re talking spicy margaritas and Bloody Marys made with Bán poitín – another brainchild from Bar 1661’s Dave Mulligan, as well as a whiskey highball with Subzero pot still whiskey and soda and a well-curated selection of Irish whiskeys served solo. There’s also Bar 1661’s signature Belfast Coffee here, but as someone with a deep aversion to coffee, you’ll have to try that yourselves. (I did recently have a delightful ESB made with Earl Grey tea – Maybe I Like The Misery – but, of course, that was at Underdog. I digress). While I personally only know enough to be dangerous about cocktails – I can go down a very large rabbit hole on the history of Tiki drinks, for example – these are all clearly top-notch. Did it make me want to go book the Tasting Experience at Bar 1661, which I’ve coincidentally been given independent rave reviews about by something like 5 different people of late? Yes, very much so.
And while you’re not really here for the beer – labelled moderately-pretentiously-but-it-works as ‘pale ale,’ ‘lager’ and ‘stout’ in lower-case cursive on gold tap towers – they are, for the record, the Changing Times pale ale, Birra Moretti and, of course, Guinness. But if it’s good beer you’re after, you can do what we did and stop off at Piper’s Corner first while you’re waiting for The Sackville to open; just be sure you get there soon after, as it fills up immediately. The Flowing Tide would also do the trick if you’re in the area.
If you’re wondering what happened to the portraits of the 1916 leaders, they are still here, protected under the new panelwork. From a historic preservation point of view, it’s an ideal opportunity for one of those cases where they are forgotten about for a few hundred years and then rediscovered in excellent condition. This is a good thing.
Finally, being so close to the Abbey Theatre, The Sackville is perfect for pre- or post-show drinks, but you may want to book in ahead of time to guarantee a spot. For all the internet scaremongering about this part of town being dangerous or run-down, there are signs of good things happening: new spots like this and the nearby Morris Bar, as well as the regeneration of longtime favourites like The Flowing Tide – combined with a bit of effort from Dublin City Council to keep things a little tidier – makes for an area on the rise.
Let’s hope that continues.
Where: 16 Sackville Pl, North City, Dublin, D01 V0C7
Access from the city centre: Luas Green Line, Buses 9, 13, 14, 83, 122, 123, 10-ish minute walk
Food: Almonds, olives
Sport: No
TVs: No need
Music: Perfect cocktail-bar sophistication
Family-friendliness: Not really space for the younglings
Pub-crawl-ability: High – Mooney’s of Abbey Street, The Morris Bar, Kimchi Hophouse, MeMa’s, The Big Romance, The Flowing Tide, The Palace Bar, Piper’s Corner, Bowes, JR Mahon's, The Oval Bar, Mulligan’s and The Confession Box; also not too far from The Silver Penny if you must visit a ‘Spoons
Local sites of note: O’Connell Street, The Spire, The Portal, GPO, Custom House, Busáras, Connolly Station, Abbey Theatre, Gate Theatre, NATIONAL WAX MUSEUM, Ha’Penny Bridge
Haunted: Only by the queues outside
Other notes: Beautifully-crafted cocktails come at speed – it looks like such a stressful job!
Socials: Instagram
Sometimes, just sometimes, a fantastic new(ish) pub pops up where you least expect it. Dublin’s Talbot Street has had a lot of publicity 
At that time, the shopfront that is now the pub was The Morris Wallpaper Stores, and the signage from that era has been preserved above the door. The theme continues inside, with framed William Morris wallpaper samples on the exposed brick, giving a mix of industrial chic and cosy early-20th century-pub vibes. There’s a pizza spot toward the back (check for opening hours, as these things evolve) with more communal-styles tables, but the seating in the main bar is much ‘pubbier,’ and very comfortable indeed.
There’s a good mix of the usual Guinness-and-friends offerings, but also a handy Rye River tap, as well as Beamish for the Corkonians in your life. The cocktail list is interesting as well. On our visit, the staff were all wonderful, and the attention to detail that went into the design of the pub is evident. It hits just the right mark of honouring the building’s past without feeling like a theme pub.
And yet, while some of those elements may not be what tourists envision when they think ‘Irish pub,’ MeMa’s feels very much part of the fabric of the neighbourhood. One of the reasons I especially enjoy stopping in – beyond the comfortable seating options – is their support for independent Irish beer. There is always Ambush on from Trouble, and usually something from Rye River as well, plus a few other wild cards. The same can be said for their championing smaller Irish distillers, and some of the cocktails are a great way to showcase those producers (perhaps not, it must be said, in the ‘tower’ format, but in your standard-sized cocktail, absolutely).
There’s also what sometimes feels like a secret beer garden, which is a welcome respite on Parnell Street, and MeMa’s is definitely one of those pubs that seems, TARDIS-like, to be bigger on the inside. In addition, it’s a handy spot for us Northside folk to meet friends, with the Luas just outside. And speaking of meeting friends, it’s an ideal spot for a group hang (if you make a reservation, obviously – don’t be That Group that shows up with 15 people and no booking) – there are many seating options, and something for nearly every taste.
This is no surprise, though, as the other pubs in the group have always supported independent beer; we’ve covered 
One of the most pleasant thing about a pub crawl through 
As at Fidelity – which is itself about to be a fair bit larger – there is a 
But for me, it’s the main space I found quite soothing: dark, but not too dark; and some banging tunes (jazz, electronica and a few old favourite Pet Shop Boys tunes), but nothing too loud. 
Update:
Happily, the beer selection is just as good as it was in Juno 1.0 – lots of support for independent Irish breweries on the taps and in cans; the Ballykilcavan choices are especially delightful. And the food has not been neglected on the bar side, either – there is a wonderful sourdough snack, and the yeast butter fries were rather special. The space at the back of the pub, The Green Room, has also been revised a bit, and from the looks of things, it’s ready to host all manner of events and music – there is, of course, also a handy bar there, too.
