Dun Laoghaire pub famine

Yellow121

How's the Purty Kitchen doing? Pints were always decent there and although the food was a little pricey the burger was unbelievable.

ted1

Yellow121 wrote: »

How's the Purty Kitchen doing? Pints were always decent there and although the food was a little pricey the burger was unbelievable.

Food service was dire, and they called. 4 tiny prawns on a piece of steak a surf and turf. Totally poor standards.

Yellow121

Well I only ate the burger and chips there lol

Fratton Fred

Yellow121 wrote: »

How's the Purty Kitchen doing? Pints were always decent there and although the food was a little pricey the burger was unbelievable.

I ate there a few weeks back and although prices were a bit high, I thought it was reasonable for the quality(well, comparatively anyway).

Great if you like a variety of craft and foreign ales as well.

I'd consider the Purty Kitchen to be in Monkstown to be honest

Larbre34

The Purty is in Old Dunleary, Monkstown begins at the next link road. Its ours, we're keepin it

Fratton Fred

I think that Laoghaire's dun was more or less where the Purty Kitchen is now.

LimeFruitGum

I used to go into Purty's for their old lunchtime meal deal, but I couldn't afford to make it a regular lunchtime haunt now. I see they recently put up a review plaque on the wall (Paolo Tullio, I think?) which is great for them but it is still fairlyquiet at lunchtime. I work in the business campus up the street and I never see anyone from work or the neighbouring offices in there. Food is tasty, but the nearest other options are a chicken roll from the Londis (or whatever it is called) or an overpriced small sandwich in the Gourmet Parlour. :-/

Larbre34

LimeFruitGum wrote: »

I used to go into Purty's for their old lunchtime meal deal, but I couldn't afford to make it a regular lunchtime haunt now. I see they recently put up a review plaque on the wall (Paolo Tullio, I think?) which is great for them but it is still fairlyquiet at lunchtime. I work in the business campus up the street and I never see anyone from work or the neighbouring offices in there. Food is tasty, but the nearest other options are a chicken roll from the Londis (or whatever it is called) or an overpriced small sandwich in the Gourmet Parlour. :-/

Its a real sign of the times. I work near the Peoples Park, 7 or 8 years ago all the pubs and cafes up Dun Laoghaire town would be thronged with office staff from all over eating hot lunches out every day. Places like Traders Wharf, Scotts, Weirs, the Portview, all mobbed for hot food. That market is dead now, all homemade lunches or deli sambos at a push

That said, the Purty was always pricey at that end of the market....

JupiterKid

Given its size and location (both a major port and one of the biggest suburban centres in Dublin) Dun Laoghaire has a shockingly poor selection of good pubs/bars/night spots.

Blackrock and Dalkey seem to have a thriving pub life so why not Dun Laoghaire?

Larbre34

JupiterKid wrote: »

Blackrock and Dalkey seem to have a thriving pub life so why not Dun Laoghaire?

As its a sketchy and uninviting hole?

I exaggerate only slightly to make a point, when I say to people I work around here, thats their reaction to the prospect of a night out in DL

Yellow121

Larbre34 wrote: »

As its a sketchy and uninviting hole?

I exaggerate only slightly to make a point, when I say to people I work around here, thats their reaction to the prospect of a night out in DL

I never found it bad when I was there. Has it got worse in the last few years?

Larbre34

Yellow121 wrote: »

I never found it bad when I was there. Has it got worse in the last few years?

Since around when?

Yellow121

Larbre34 wrote: »

Since around when?

2006/2007.

Larbre34

Yellow121 wrote: »

2006/2007.

Ah yeah it definitely has disimproved in that time unfortunately. The closure of so much retail in that period has meant reduced footfall and the kind of buzz you get around a busy place. During the day there are far too many junkies and alcos hanging around the main areas, and in the evening its a quiet and grim enough spot. The oft mentioned parking situation has put people off and there are less good standard restaurants and pubs than there used to be so it doesnt cross the mind of a hungry or thirsty punter to come to Dun Laoghaire over anywhere else.

At the same time certain businesses are doing their best to attract people but its not enough of a concerted effort.

coylemj

If it wasn't for Penneys on the main st. and Tesco and Boots in Bloomfield, the place would be a complete ghost town. No surprise that M&S are closing their shop though how they kept it open so long selling yuppie food in Dun Laoghaire never ceased to amaze me.

On the pub situation - the Greens and the well known anti-car county manager had cars banned from the main st. several years go but the end result was that because there was no cars passing along at regular intervals, people (especially women) said they felt that the empty street was intimidating on dark nights and I'd say that had a seriously negative effect on the pubs on George's St.

reprazant

coylemj wrote: »

No surprise that M&S are closing their shop though how they kept it open so long selling yuppie food in Dun Laoghaire never ceased to amaze me.

Seriously?

coylemj

reprazant wrote: »

Seriously?

M&S announced last week that they are closing four stores in Ireland, Dun Laoghaire is one of them.

http://www.irishtimes.com/business/sectors/retail-and-services/m-s-to-close-four-irish-shops-with-loss-of-180-jobs-1.1487094

reprazant

Yes, I know that. I am surprised that you seemed surprised that a shop was selling 'yuppy' food in Dun Laoghaire, a town which has quite a large middle class population and is surrounded by some of the most well off areas in Dublin.

coylemj

reprazant wrote: »

Yes, I know that. I am surprised that you seemed surprised that a shop was selling 'yuppy' food in Dun Laoghaire

Well given that they are now closing the store, I'm no longer surprised.

reprazant wrote: »

a town which has quite a large middle class population and is surrounded by some of the most well off areas in Dublin.

and where the largest clothes shops are Penneys and Shaws so clearly your middle class shoppers who live in the surrounding 'well-off' areas are away in Dundrum and other shopping centres. I know there is also a large Penneys in Dundrum but there's also a huge M&S clothes shop which DL could do with to attract higher spending shoppers.

Larbre34

The yuppie food comment is a bit glib but reasonably fair. The Dun Laoghaire M&S did well from the commuters working in DL, but for the residential catchment they can get the same yuppie food in M&S Blackrock a short distance away with free parking. Thats enough to make the difference in a lot of Dun Laoghaire's retail situations and why it always plays second fiddle to Blackrock, Dundrum etc

schemingbohemia

Larbre34 wrote: »

The yuppie food comment is a bit glib but reasonably fair. The Dun Laoghaire M&S did well from the commuters working in DL, but for the residential catchment they can get the same yuppie food in M&S Blackrock a short distance away with free parking. Thats enough to make the difference in a lot of Dun Laoghaire's retail situations and why it always plays second fiddle to Blackrock, Dundrum etc

There isn't free parking in Blackrock.

matt-dublin

schemingbohemia wrote: »

There isn't free parking in Blackrock.

There isnt free parking in dun laoghaire either!

Larbre34

You can park in Frascati free for an hour with nobody bothering you, they only chase all day parkers

Glenalla

Larbre34 wrote: »

You can park in Frascati free for an hour with nobody bothering you, they only chase all day parkers

Went to Frascati yesterday evening and a car was clamped right outside front door. Only wanted to nip in for a few minutes but paid and displayed just in case.

ted1

Glenalla wrote: »

Went to Frascati yesterday evening and a car was clamped right outside front door. Only wanted to nip in for a few minutes but paid and displayed just in case.

thats always there, I believe its staff car they just stick a clamp on to scare people.

Bits_n_Bobs

ted1 wrote: »

thats always there, I believe its staff car they just stick a clamp on to scare people.

lol - thought I was the only one who suspected that

Chinasea

coylemj wrote: »

. No surprise that M&S are closing their shop though how they kept it open so long selling yuppie food in Dun Laoghaire never ceased to amaze me.

On the pub situation - the Greens and the well known anti-car county manager had cars banned from the main st. several years go but the end result was that because there was no cars passing along at regular intervals, people (especially women) said they felt that the empty street was intimidating on dark nights and I'd say that had a seriously negative effect on the pubs on George's St.

OMG. Sorry, but some of us have moved on from mushy peas and tripe.

As for the other myth regarding the pedesitrianisation, honestly, please try and read up on the proven successes of pedestrianisation.

Most European cities and similar sized towns have very successful and pleasant pedestrian zones that bring so much to a town both economically and environmentally. If implemented properly, I firmly believe that pedestriansation could salvage the town.

It was the Dun Laoghaire Business Association that shortsightedly lobbied the town hall to bring back the choking traffic hurtling down the main street, claiming the pedestrianisation had caused the down turn in business :eek:, dismissing the possibility that one of Europe's largest shopping centers, namely Dundrum was built a mere 20 mins drive from the town centre, not to mention the savage impending global economic downturn.

Unfortunately, for us, for them, for you and me, the car is King in Ireland.