PHOTOGRAPHY TRISTAN HUTCHINSON
Dublin has no shortage of bars, but that didn’t stop The Shelbourne—the historic hotel on St. Stephen’s Green—from adding two more to the scene last year, as part of a property-wide $44 million restoration. These new spaces couldn’t be more different from each other. The Terrace is just that: a bright, airy outdoor patio with walls drenched in greenery and a special spritz menu. The 1824 Bar, meanwhile, is a hushed hideaway with red leather stools and a quote from poet Brendan Behan above the mahogany bookshelves. (“I only take a drink on two occasions: when I’m thirsty and when I’m not.”)
These posh spots join the hotel’s existing watering holes—No. 27 Bar & Lounge, where the staff sabers Champagne bottles every Friday, and the Horseshoe Bar, an Irish whiskey lover’s heaven—giving locals and guests all the more reason to raise a glass. “We call The Shelbourne a celebration hotel,” says bar manager Sean McGoldrick. “People come for everything: birthdays, anniversaries, graduations. Now we have four different personalities. It’s an interesting dynamic.”
The Terrace, which opened in June, was an immediate success—outdoor bars are few and far between in Dublin, so McGoldrick knew “it was going to be a big deal.” For the winter months, heat lamps, a fireplace, and wool blankets keep patrons cozy. McGoldrick adds that 1824 Bar, which was previously open only to hotel guests, “is still kind of a hidden gem,” but “when people find it they’re completely taken away.” The bar recently launched a sustainable cocktail menu, featuring drinks such as the An t-Úllín (Gaelic for The Apple), made with apple core–infused Longueville House Apple Brandy, Green Spot whiskey, apple sherbet, and caramel-apple honey. “What we’ve done is try to maximize the use of one individual fruit,” McGoldrick says. “This was the most difficult menu I’ve ever done.”
Whether you’re staying at the hotel (the Maureen O’Hara suite is divine) or just want to pop in for a preprandial dram, McGoldrick stresses that each place is right for everyone—depending on how you’re feeling. “You never really see people just going to one,” he says. “They always try each bar.”
