O'Neills Pub Suffolk Street

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O’Neill’s Pub has been a licensed premises for over 300 years so I guess you can say they know the business. Its location too is very historic because O’Neill’s is actually on the site where in Viking times the Norsemen had their Parliament or “Thingmote”. I was originally on a earthen mound which stood 40 feet high and had a circumference of 240 feet. The area was used for all sorts of entertainment – including executions! It was levelled in 1681 but excavations in Suffolk Street have unearthed weapons from the Norse period which are now in the National Museum of Ireland. To this day, of course, the location could not be better because it is in the heart of Dublin’s most interesting areas – be your interests shopping or tourism. It is around the corner from Grafton Street’s prestigious shops and just beside Trinity College, Dublin Castle and the Bank of Ireland – our former Parliament. I worked in nearby Trinity Street for a number of years so O’Neill’s was my local for lunch or drinks at the end of the day. It is a very friendly atmospheric spot with a great variety of homely food on offer – varying every day – at reasonable prices – from 12 noon to 10 p.m. The carvery starts at noon from Monday to Thursday finishing at 3 pm - whereupon the Bar Menu takes over from 3.30pm until 9.30pm Fridays the carvery runs until 6 pm; Saturday until 8 pm; and on Sunday until 10 pm. Oysters are available served in their natural form on crushed ice with wedges of lemon and lime accompanied by Tabasco.sauce and delicious brown bread. I tend to like my oysters cooked so favour Oysters Kilpatrick, which are oysters with a whisper of Worcestershire sauce topped with julienned bacon, Cheddar cheese, and grilled. They also do a Seafood Platter with smoked and fresh salmon, mussels and prawns with “Oceanic” sauce, as well as a Seafood Chowder with brown soda bread. Main courses vary each day, some are served from the carvery, and some on order, depending on the time of day. It might be delicious tender roast leg of Irish lamb studded with rosemary and garlic served with mint sauce, or maybe roast rib of beef with Dijon and black pepper crust with Yorkshire pudding. They also do the real Irish dish of collar of bacon with cabbage and parsley sauce; roast loin of pork with apple and thyme stuffing; roast breast of turkey with ham and stuffing. You will get a great traditional Irish Stew here as well as a cracking Irish Beef and Guinness stew where the beef is braised in Guinness and slow cooked with potatoes, celery, carrots and thyme. These are only the tip of the iceberg for they do the real old Dublin dish of ham hocks served with Dublin Coddle – which to the uninitiated are stewed sausages, onions, parsley and thyme. If you like something spicy they do Chicken Tandoori. You can also get Homemade 10 oz burgers in different varieties as well as Traditional Fish ‘ n Chips or Golden Fried Scampi deepfried in a light beer batter served with French Fries and Tartare Sauce. They also have delicious vegetarian options including an Aubergine and Roast Pepper bake with chopped tomatoes, peppers, garlic, fresh Basil, sliced potato topped with Parmesan cheese – what the Italians would call Aubergine Parmigiana. They do cannelloni stuffed with Ricotta cheese and baby spinach and a homemade vegetarian Lasagne. You can also get open seafood sandwiches or a Hot Roast Joint Sandwich from the carvery. If you have room you can pack in a scrumptious dessert which might he homemade Irish apple and blackberry pie; rhubarb crumble; bread and butter pudding or maybe Bailey’s cheesecake. They also have daily specials of soup, sandwich and tea or coffee for around €6.50. There is an extensive wine list and there is Live Traditional Irish Music every night from 9 pm during the Summer and on Sundays and Mondays for the rest of the year. There is also Sky Sport Television and WIFI. By the way, I had a very nice email from a lady visitor to Dublin thanking me for recommending O'Neill's, which they thoroughly enjoyed, and apparently I saved them a lot of money in comparison with what they thought they were going to have to spend dining in their hotel. O’Neill’s is the Real Dublin.