Pub Review: The Porterhouse Temple Bar
By Alison Sneyd | Oct 19 2010
The Porterhouse Temple Bar is a great place to go for international beers and cocktails, writes Alison Sneyd Temple Bar offers its own unique mix of schmaltzy tourist joints and genuinely interesting venues. Thankfully, the Porterhouse, located on the corner of Parliament Street and Essex Street, falls into the latter category.Inside, the walls are lined with beer bottles. The warm lighting and wooden benches gave an inviting atmosphere. Although it was early on a Wednesday evening, almost all the tables were full and my companion and I wound up tucked away in a corner behind a staircase. The spot was cosy but, as we soon learned, difficult to attract staff from.The Porterhouse is a microbrewery and stocks a range of their own award-winning lagers, stouts and ales. In addition, they have a huge selection of international beers. We chose from the extensive cocktail menu. I had a San Fran Mule (vodka, lime and ginger beer) at €6, and my companion opted for the Surfer on Acid (Malibu, Jägermeister and pineapple juice) at €8. My drink was smooth, the bitterness of the lime complementing the spiciness of the ginger.The Porterhouse offers a good food menu. It has a beer theme running through it, offering choices like the Beef and Porter Stout Pie. I ordered the Classic Burger costing €11.50; it came with chips and a side salad. The burger was acceptable but nothing special and the bun quickly got soggy. The chips were excellent though – big and crispy.My friend chose the Spanish Chickpea Stew at €10 and found it tasty, but too chunky. For dessert I had a €5 chocolate brownie. It was delicious, moist and covered in a rich, thick fudge sauce. It came with cinnamon cream, which proved the perfect accompaniment.Throughout the evening service was slow, though the staff were always pleasant. Food and drinks at the Porterhouse are more upmarket than the average student pub, and the prices reflect this. Many of the beers on offer cost €5.50 or more. So it's not the place to go for a cheap student night out. But for any budding beer connoisseurs out there or anyone who ever wanted to try Belgian fruit beers, a visit is recommended.The Porterhouse Temple Bar, 16-18 Parliament Street, Dublin 2. Tel: 679 8847.