The Workman's Club

Rothko

Hi, I'm going to a gig at the Workman's Club in Dublin next week. I've never been there before so I'm just wondering what it's like as a music venue.

Stuff like is there usually a good atmosphere there, how expensive is the bar and what time should I expect the show to be over at (doors open at 8 PM)?

Thanks for any help.

Mr Simpson

Personally I like Workmans, theres usually a good crowd. Every time I've been there, there have been drink promos on, ie. Vodka and Dash for €5. It also stays open until 3am.

carlmango11

The 2 times I was there there were cocktail promos too

rcaz

The kind of place where you'll see some very interesting shoes :pac:

Gavin "shels"

mmcn90 wrote: »

It also stays open until 3am.

Still gets away with that? I was there a few months back (possibly a year) and it got raided because it was playing music after 2.30am!

Mr Simpson

Gavin shels wrote: »

Still gets away with that? I was there a few months back (possibly a year) and it got raided because it was playing music after 2.30am!

Bars are allowed to serve until 2.30 and close at 3 (although as you say, there should be no music after 2.30). It occasionally serves later though. I suppose it helps who the landlord is

Gavin "shels"

mmcn90 wrote: »

Bars are allowed to serve until 2.30 and close at 3 (although as you say, there should be no music after 2.30). It occasionally serves later though. I suppose it helps who the landlord is

But the best afterhour pubs/clubs are the secret ones, except Coppers! :cool:

Mr Simpson

Gavin "shels" wrote: »

But the best afterhour pubs/clubs are the secret ones, except Coppers! :cool:

I never accused workmans of being the best

Marty McFly

I cant stand the place one of the most over hyped places in Dublin, it looks like a dump some wil ltry say that adds to its charm it doesnt, all the staircases are a accident waiting to happen, it takes ages to get a drink, and any trip to the bathroom is an ordeal. They dont know the meaning of over packing a place on the door.

Mr Simpson

Its a bit better now thanks to a recent refurb. ie. Extra toilets and another bar.

Gillo

The place itself is nice, but I've found it's full of music snob's, the sort who liked the killers before they realised an album and went all commercial (insert any random band name and you get the idea), I've been tempted more than once to just make up some name for a bad and see how many people critique them. That and the crazy wait at the bar.
On the plus side the beer garden / smoking area is one of the nicest in the city centre.

anitack

I was in the workman's last night and I ordered two tequilas at the upstairs bar. I and my cousin were totally shocked when we drank them, my cousin even spat hers out. It was lime cordial that would normally be used as a mixer for spirits. I told the bar man (a short bald guy) but he adamantly denied that it was lime cordial. I explained that I knew the taste of tequila but he aggressively denied it. He held up the bottle which contained a green liquid and shouted at me that it was tequila so I asked for the manager as he was becoming so aggressive and impatient that he simply wouldn't listen to me. He went away from the bar for a minute. I waited for 5 minutes but no sign of the manager. Then when I tried to ask the bar man whether the manager was coming or not, he blatantly ignored me, stared right past me to take orders from people behind me. He avoided making eye contact and kept turning away from me. I tried to get his attention at least 4 or 5 times so I eventually became aggressive myself and cursed at him to get the manager. Then, of course, he paid attention to me and said 'right, that's it you're out of here!' to which of course I knew he was going to have me kicked out.

The next minute the bouncer arrives up and tells me the manager was waiting for me at the front door. This tactic obviously usually works for drunk punters but I could see right through their plan and knew there was no one waiting for me at the door except another bouncer to remove me from the premises. So I went downstairs but refused to go to the front door. I told the bouncers they were kicking me out because I simply voiced my grievance at having been served the wrong drink which I had paid for to which I was told "I'm just doing my job". I said if I was going to be kicked out I wanted my coat which was upstairs as it was lashing rain upstairs. I went to go back up and they grabbed me by the arm. I told them not to handle me and I again demanded to see the manager and that I wouldn't leave until I had. They said the manager was on his way so I waited another 10 minutes.

Then two young "managers" arrived and I calmly and coherently told them what had happened. They simply looked blankly at me and asked what I expected them to do about it. I suggested that they being the managers might suggest a solution but I was told all they could do was give me my tequila. So knowing that was the best I was going to get I reluctantly accepted. I told them they needed to sort out their bar man upstairs as it seemed to me that they serve tequila but the incompetent and ignorant bar man didn't have a clue how to do his job properly. So much for the customer always beings right.

This is a prime example of disgracefully disrespectful treatment of a customer who was served the wrong drink. Instead of an apology and any kind of fair compensation I was ignored and harassed. I am never going to give the Workman's my business ever again and am going to make damned sure that I tell as many people as I can not to drink there due to their rude, incompetent staff. I am also never going to set foot in the Liquor Rooms or the Clarence Hotel as they are all owned by the same crowd. Pure incognizant denial of consumer rights, pay heed people.

Jesus Wept

Odd one. They place is a goldmine, I really doubt it's policy from on high to serve cordial as tequilla. Perhaps its a nice sideline for that barman or perhaps he is a moron. Or it was a tequila :P

Lux23

It wouldn't surprise me if they had run out and they were trying to pull a fast one. Honestly, I have witnessed barmen give punters barcardi when they have run out of gin, watering down vodka, refilling coca cola bottles with coke from a gun etc. Serving lime cordial instead of Tequila is beyond the pale though.

A Neurotic

Any chance it was lime tequila? Not being funny, we used to serve it in a bar where I worked. Very strong lime flavour off it. Maybe they were out of normal tequila and were making do?

Doesn't excuse their treatment of you of course.

Strumms

The Workman's its a great spot for gigs and the service downstairs is generally friendly and good in the venue bar.. However id avoid upstairs for drinks if it's busy. Ive been short changed twice in the space of 7 days and the attitude of the staff up there leaves a lot to be desired.. aside from those two instances that is... Also the staff in the Bison next door are absolutly cack and cluleless also.

OldGoat

A Neurotic wrote: »

Any chance it was lime tequila? Not being funny, we used to serve it in a bar where I worked. Very strong lime flavour off it. Maybe they were out of normal tequila and were making do?

Doesn't excuse their treatment of you of course.

I tried that stuff once, vile. It is still the wrong drink though, it's not what the lad ordered. Piss poor bartending by the sounds of it though it's no surprise at this busy and messy time of the year. On Saturday in a bar in Galway I was served a 'classic' gin Martini made with sherry rather than vermouth. :eek: