WJ Kavanagh

Ravelleman

Just thought I'd tip my hat to WJ Kavanagh's, which is closing today. By far my favourite pub in Dublin and almost unique for its range of cask beers. In time I will switch to L Mulligan Grocer but I will mourn the loss of WJ all the same. Very disappointing for the craft scene.

I saw some suggestion that the staff was being kept on so hopefully they will return with a new location.

Lovely Bloke

Really out of the blue too, must be devastating for the staff.

I loved the place, sound staff who really cared about the beer and food. Always a friendly face.

First time we went there was a Sunday evening, we were peckish but not starving and asked if they'd make us up a cheese board kind of thing. Wasn't on the menu, but they did it anyway, and I'll never forget that hospitality.

Very sad news indeed.

Seaneh

Wow, didn't see that coming, I wonder what caused it...
Hopefully they are just moving or something...

nosietoes

Such sad news. Really great pub - had been planning a wonderful st Patricks day there away from the craziness.

Though hardly surprising unfortunately. Having past the pub most weekday evenings from its opening I often wondered how it was still open.

Not only wonderful cask collection but great interesting gin collection.

BaZmO*

Yeah I saw the announcement earlier on Facebook. Disappointing that it's closing, always liked the place. On the wrong side of the city for me but always tried to get there for a few pints and some grub whenever I could.

Tar.Aldarion

What I was just in there a few days ago and two weeks ago and it was amazing, as always. Great food, great drinks, great staff.

Slattsy

A sign of things to come maybe?

Are craft only pubs sustainable when you consider the current economic climate and the price of some of the stuff?

Or just in a part of the city that wouldn't be seen as popular when you consider the clientele associated with craft pubs.

Bit of both I reckon.

BaZmO*

Slattsy wrote: »

A sign of things to come maybe?

Are craft only pubs sustainable when you consider the current economic climate and the price of some of the stuff?

Or just in a part of the city that wouldn't be seen as popular when you consider the clientele associated with craft pubs.

Bit of both I reckon.

Nah, I'd say it was purely down to location.

Slattsy

BaZmO* wrote: »

Nah, I'd say it was purely down to location.

Mulligan's would be close enough to myself and Stoneybatter wouldn't be considered a nice area but it's always busy.
Certainly not during the week though. The food keeps it ticking over.

Pubs outside the city are struggling big time. And one by one they'll close. This is the first.

ciaran76

I liked it but Mulligans was is easier to get to for me so kinda stuck to Mulligans.

Shame as staff were great.

Seaneh

Slattsy wrote: »

Are craft only pubs sustainable when you consider the current economic climate and the price of some of the stuff?

Some of the busiest pubs in town are craft pubs.
Wishful thinking from publicans of run of the mill bars if you ask me.

Slattsy

Seaneh wrote: »

Some of the busiest pubs in town are craft pubs.
Wishful thinking from publicans of run of the mill bars if you ask me.

Every half decent pub is busy on a Saturday night in town.
Whether it be your Against the Grains or McDaids. Dublin City is a gold mine unless you run a kip!

BaZmO*

Slattsy wrote: »

Mulligan's would be close enough to myself and Stoneybatter wouldn't be considered a nice area but it's always busy.
Certainly not during the week though. The food keeps it ticking over.

Pubs outside the city are struggling big time. And one by one they'll close. This is the first.

Mulligans is also essentially on the LUAS line. Plus it's more central.

Ravelleman

Slattsy wrote: »

A sign of things to come maybe?

Are craft only pubs sustainable when you consider the current economic climate and the price of some of the stuff.

I don't think so. There are so many factors at play, with location perhaps being the most obvious. They also never really made any attempt as far as I could see to gain customers from the sports crowd, despite the promise of a big screen on the sign out front, for example.

Where might they reopen? Surely not bang in the city centre with its extortionate rents.

drumswan

Ravelleman wrote: »

I don't think so. There are so many factors at play, with location perhaps being the most obvious. They also never really made any attempt as far as I could see to gain customers from the sports crowd, despite the promise of a big screen on the sign out front, for example.

Where might they reopen? Surely not bang in the city centre with its extortionate rents.

D6 seems an obvious choice

oblivious

Slattsy wrote: »

A sign of things to come maybe?

Are craft only pubs sustainable when you consider the current economic climate and the price of some of the stuff?

Or just in a part of the city that wouldn't be seen as popular when you consider the clientele associated with craft pubs.

Bit of both I reckon.

Don't rule out rent hikes, it happened to other business when they have perceived to be doing rent reviews asked for increased rent.

Lovely Bloke

Wouldn't be surprised if it was rent related.

It just seemed to come very out of the blue altogether.

I dooubt if there's anything solid in the pipeline regarding opening up another premises, as there surely would have been something mentioned on Twitter about that. It all seemed pretty downbeat.

Can Mulligan's sustain the staff of 2 pubs? I know at least one guy was working in both pubs though

Ravelleman

drumswan wrote: »

D6 seems an obvious choice

This is what I thought. The Taphouse is also quite lifeless so it would be nice to have another option there.

BaZmO*

I think D8 would be a good spot. It's hipster heaven around there over the last couple of years.

drumswan

BaZmO* wrote: »

I think D8 would be a good spot. It's hipster heaven around there over the last couple of years.

Thomas St could be good. Though The Headline is already in D8

Lovely Bloke

yeah, The Headline needs to get established first I'd say.

Is there room for another in the CC, closer to Grafton Street?

the beer revolu

RIP
Any time I stayed in the Skylon, I always thought Kavanagh's was worth the stroll for food and/or beer. From about 3 visits I could never fault the food, beer selection or staff. Thankfully, when in Dublin, I usually stay more centrally - within easy reach of The Black Sheep, ATG or BUll and Castle but of all those pubs, for some reason, Kavanagh's was my favourite.

Lovely Bloke

Food was always awesome, and we always took people there if they were staying with us. Cousins, aunts, in-laws, you name it, we've brought them there.

I have 3 siblings, and on each of our birthdays my dad always brings us all for dinner, with my mam and our spouses. For my last birthday we went to WJKs. Just seemed like the right thing to do.

Slattsy

Baldy Conscience wrote: »

Food was always awesome, and we always took people there if they were staying with us. Cousins, aunts, in-laws, you name it, we've brought them there.

I have 3 siblings, and on each of our birthdays my dad always brings us all for dinner, with my mam and our spouses. For my last birthday we went to WJKs. Just seemed like the right thing to do.

This made me cry.

Ravelleman

Slattsy wrote: »

This made me cry.

I had a great birthday there in one of the armchairs. My OH's parents, who came over from Spain another time, loved the food as well.

Now that people are mentioning rents as a potential reason for the closure I feel more confident that they'll be back with the same staff somewhere else soon.

Slattsy

Ravelleman wrote: »

I had a great birthday there in one of the armchairs. My OH's parents, who came over from Spain another time, loved the food as well.

Now that people are mentioning rents as a potential reason for the closure I feel more confident that they'll be back with the same staff somewhere else soon.

They did say on Twitter that they'll be taking the staff with them.

From that you'd have to assume they'll either go to Mulligans (split shifts?)
or
they've their eye on another premises somewhere.

Wurzelbert

damn, thought the place looked closed last time i walked past, and now that, sad news...was a great place, just a tad too expensive all in all...i hope the off license next door stays...

Wurzelbert

there seems to be reason to believe the place might re-open kinda soon under new management…even though, as i understood, nothing is certain just yet…

The Drunken Destrier

Such a shame, I never went there, was really looking forward to! On all my trips to Dublin though it just seemed a bit out of the way for the casual tourist. If I was on my own, grand, but when you're with someone who isn't obsessed with beer...
Someone already said they reckoned it was down to the location, and I think that sounds about right. Good luck to them though, hope they open up again somewhere.

snowblind

Great place, but the location was unfortunate. Purely speculating, I would say the closure is a sign of that more than any other trend. Dorset Street is not really a great location for the young professional / neckbeard crowd who are according to my own studies the biggest target market for craft beer. Stoneybatter (Mulligans) is great for that, as is the SCR/Portobello (Headline).

Rathmines could be a good location for a new craft beer spot!

liffeylite

I would be pretty confident the pub itself will reopen but probably under different management and perhaps a different angle on their trade and customers.

hopefully the team have found a new spot somewhere and create something impressive elsewhere.

Koptain Liverpool

I liked Kavanagh's pub but I didn't go there often for a few reasons.
Firstly I thought it was overly expensive (Mulligans is also but has become a bit cheaper recently I think). I hate the way they served 400ml glasses of certain beers with little apparent reduction in price to match. I remember one day feeling particularly annoyed at paying €5.70 for a half pint of Dr. Rudi, one of their own beers. This meant I was far more attracted to the likes of the black sheep which offers a range of pints for just over a fiver plus a loyalty card. If it doea reopen I'd advise them to be a bit more competitive with their pricing.

I'd also agree that the location wasn't the best. Mulligans is also out of town but it has a few other decent bars nearby whereas there are few decent bars near Kavanaghs.

Wurzelbert

i heard the folks running kavanagh’s off license next door are planning to re-open the place…when or if that happens i’ll certainly check it out…

slayerking

Koptain Liverpool wrote: »

I liked Kavanagh's pub but I didn't go there often for a few reasons.
Firstly I thought it was overly expensive (Mulligans is also but has become a bit cheaper recently I think). I hate the way they served 400ml glasses of certain beers with little apparent reduction in price to match. I remember one day feeling particularly annoyed at paying €5.70 for a half pint of Dr. Rudi, one of their own beers. This meant I was far more attracted to the likes of the black sheep which offers a range of pints for just over a fiver plus a loyalty card. If it doea reopen I'd advise them to be a bit more competitive with their pricing.

I'd also agree that the location wasn't the best. Mulligans is also out of town but it has a few other decent bars nearby whereas there are few decent bars near Kavanaghs.

Funny enough, I had the reverse opinion. Always though Kavanaghs was very reasonable - a range of cask ales all for a fiver was great value imo, I usually stuck to the cask as they always had stuff you wouldn't see elsewhere.
I always find The black sheep expensive for anything other their own stuff. And even then, all their own stuff is 5+.

Koptain Liverpool

slayerking wrote: »

Funny enough, I had the reverse opinion. Always though Kavanaghs was very reasonable - a range of cask ales all for a fiver was great value imo, I usually stuck to the cask as they always had stuff you wouldn't see elsewhere.
I always find The black sheep expensive for anything other their own stuff. And even then, all their own stuff is 5+.

Fair enough - I didn't try their cask ales although if it was €5 for a 400ml glass I wouldn't have called it great value. Yeah the black sheep is expensive for some stuff also I'll admit.

slayerking

Koptain Liverpool wrote: »

Fair enough - I didn't try their cask ales although if it was €5 for a 400ml glass I wouldn't have called it great value. Yeah the black sheep is expensive for some stuff also I'll admit.

Nope, cask was defo pints. They served the cask in the british style dimpled mugs. The 400ml glasses are only used for high alcohol stuff, every pub does it including the black sheep.

cormacjones

slayerking wrote: »

Funny enough, I had the reverse opinion. Always though Kavanaghs was very reasonable - a range of cask ales all for a fiver was great value imo, I usually stuck to the cask as they always had stuff you wouldn't see elsewhere.
I always find The black sheep expensive for anything other their own stuff. And even then, all their own stuff is 5+.

I think WJK, Mulligans and the Cottage Group (in Dublin anyway) are all pretty expensive. Sweetman's is the only place that's quite reasonable.

Dublin could really do with a few new entrants who compete on price.

The Loyalty Card for the Cottage Group helps, but I've heard they're discontinuing this.

Ravelleman

Since the last budget most craft beer pints are well over €5. Sweetmans, The Gingerman and Porterhouse are, for me, the best value places at the moment as you can normally get something for €4 - 4.50. I'd be quite disinclined to pay €5.50 for a beer from a brewery attached to the pub or group.

I paid €6 for a totally unremarkable cask ale in L. Mulligan Grocer last week, by the way. It was about 4.4%. I may be wrong but the days of the €5 cask pint may be gone.

BeerNut

Ravelleman wrote: »

I may be wrong but the days of the €5 cask pint may be gone.

The cask beers in the Bull & Castle are often €5.

Losty Dublin

BeerNut wrote: »

The cask beers in the Bull & Castle are often €5.

The Headline also has beers for under a fiver.

Ravelleman

In fairness, so does the Porterhouse. L Mulligan Grocer might be higher. Good to know about B&C - last time I went there they had nothing on cask.

sarkozy

snowblind wrote: »

Great place, but the location was unfortunate. Purely speculating, I would say the closure is a sign of that more than any other trend. Dorset Street is not really a great location for the young professional / neckbeard crowd who are according to my own studies the biggest target market for craft beer. Stoneybatter (Mulligans) is great for that, as is the SCR/Portobello (Headline).

Rathmines could be a good location for a new craft beer spot!

Ah now, in fairness, the Headline is my local pub so I get to observe a fair bit. My completely scientific census of the clientele would indicate an organic mix of all kinds of drinkers from the old Headline crowd to honest to goodness ordinary locals to grizzled callow beardies.

snowblind

Oh absolutely, I don't think a pub in Dublin would survive by attracting only scruffy shoe gazer types but also without gentrification and all that new hipness in the area, no way Headline would have ended up the way it is.

But whatever about the socioeconomic changes, I'm sure we can all agree that it's a lovely spot, so it is.

crockholm

Did a bit of work on St. Georges Church a few years back,used to get a bite to eat in there at lunch time and sometimes a few pints Before heading home.Sad to hear.

TakeTheVeil

The Headline crowd has always been fairly sparse when I've been there/passed by, especially during the week. Portobello is too close to Camden street and ATG amongst others. I assume people are taking the walk and meeting friends down that way.

cormacjones

TakeTheVeil wrote: »

The Headline crowd has always been fairly sparse when I've been there/passed by, especially during the week. Portobello is too close to Camden street and ATG amongst others. I assume people are taking the walk and meeting friends down that way.

They could do with changing the exterior. You'd never guessed they served craft beers if you were going by it at pace. Just looks like any other identikit Irish pub.

drumswan

TakeTheVeil wrote: »

The Headline crowd has always been fairly sparse when I've been there/passed by, especially during the week. Portobello is too close to Camden street and ATG amongst others. I assume people are taking the walk and meeting friends down that way.

Was in last Thursday, couldnt get a seat after about 9.30

cormacjones wrote:

They could do with changing the exterior. You'd never guessed they served craft beers if you were going by it at pace. Just looks like any other identikit Irish pub.

There are two large sandwich boards at each door, and every external wall panel advertises craft beer or whiskey. Not much more they can do other than rebuilding the pub. Its most likely protected anyway.

nosietoes

I wouldn't be too worried about the Headline not being busy enough. Always is has a reasonable to large crowd at peak times. It was jammed for the rugby too!

Cask tap got installed yesterday too - yum.

peadar313

It was a nice place but prices had gone up too much. Casks that were €5 went up to €6 overnight and many drafts also shot up. Basically priced themselves out of the market.

c_murph

Kavanagh's is back in business under new management!

Thankfully the new owners are keeping the craft beer and quality food ethos in place - no sign of any Heineken.

Tar.Aldarion

hmm, but is the food the same, it was unreal before but i'd say that was due to the old owners and chef.