Embrace your Irishness: the best Irish pubs in town to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day

One of the best ways to say “thank you” to Ireland for Oscar Wilde, U2, Pierce Brosnan and everything else that you are grateful for is to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day in an Irish pub.

March 17 is the day of St Patrick, one of Ireland’s patron saints. It is universally recognized as the day when the world stops and admits that “those Irish, they are pretty fun”, a day to celebrate Irish culture and customs. On March 17 famous landmarks are “dressed” in green, the biggest cities in the world (including Bucharest) organize special parades and people flock to Irish pubs for a pint of Guinness.

If you plan on drinking like an Irishman this St. Patrick’s Day, do it with beer or whiskey. Some local revelers like to mark the day in Irish-style surroundings, and BR talked to Guinness Romania representatives to find out the ingredients of an authentic Irish pub.

Travelers to Ireland are often impressed by the charm of the country’s pubs, of which there are over 10,000. Their unique atmosphere invites people to relax and be themselves, beyond national and cultural boundaries. Good Irish music, beer and traditional food are the “must-have” ingredients, known in the Irish language as “craic” – a word that is difficult to translate. Each Irish pub, wherever it is in the world, taps into this Irish concept and tries to offer an authentic experience to the consumer.

Guinness itself, which has opened over 2,000 pubs in almost 50 countries worldwide, has identified seven factors for a successful Irish bar. Firstly and most importantly, the authentic Irish pub décor, in one of the three design categories: Country Cottage, Pub Shop or Dublin Victorian. Then, Irish food, music and drink – if is beer, it should be draught – location and personnel, both management and customer service.

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While the Romanian capital has its fair share of pubs, it is not exactly “overflowing” in this department. Irish pubs are typically pricier than the standard Bucharest local, which may be part of the reason why so many go out of business. The Old Dublin Irish Pub is one of the more recent casualties, having closed down in December 2013.

Up until 2007, Bucharest had only two such establishments: The Dubliner and The Harp, which at the time were owned by the same people.

The Dubliner

Nicolae Titulescu 18
021 222 9473

A true veteran of the pub scene, The Dubliner is located near Piata Victoriei and stands out because of its covered terrace (which has always been there). At one point, The Dubliner and The Harp had the same owners; however they couldn’t be more different. The Dubliner is less “tidy” than The Harp, the atmosphere gets pretty intense during football matches and the prices are certainly lower.

The Harp
Bibescu Voda 1
0735 554 455

Located near Hotel Horoscope, The Harp recently changed owners and has undergone a renovation. The new design reflects the pub’s “corporate” clientele. Given its proximity to a major international hotel and several company headquarters, business lunches are, pun intended, The Harp’s “bread and butter”.

It has two floors and no non-smoking section, but the pub is well ventilated so you will not feel the looming threat of cigarette smoke.

The menu contains Irish specialties (meat pies, halibut steak), piri-piri chicken, pizza, sandwiches, apple pie and carrot cake. A bit pricier than The Dubliner, a pint of Guinness (560 ml) is RON 16 and cocktails vary between RON 18 and 26.

The owners of The Dubliner and (formerly) The Harp also opened Molly’s in 2010, but unfortunately it closed down.

One Irish pub that has defied the odds and risen to fame and success in a relatively short time is St Patrick’s Irish Pub and Restaurant.

St. Patrick Irish Pub and Restaurant
Smardan 25
021 313 0336

St. Patrick’s is located in the heart of the historical center on Smardan Street. It prides itself on being the only pub in Romania built to the original Victorian Irish pub concept, from design to services and atmosphere. This boast is justified, given that St. Patrick won the Guinness Award for Best Pub at the 2013 Food & Bar Awards.

A pint of Guinness or Kilkenny will set you back RON 16. A pitcher of the local St. Patrick’s Beer (1,500 ml) costs RON 27, while sandwiches are priced between RON 21 and 31 and most of the pizzas over RON 30. However, it’s the only place we’ve seen that offers deep-fried chocolate bars for dessert (a Scottish specialty).

Given its ultra-central location, it is almost always full with an assortment of foreign and local patrons. While it may be the perfect spot to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, we recommend you get on the phone and make a reservation right now (or after you finish reading).

If St. Patrick’s is too loud, too bright, and too busy… you may like to try James Joyce Pub.

James Joyce Pub
Walter Maracineanu 1-3
021 311 4177

Located near Cismigiu, the location has frequently changed names and owners over time, but Joyce’s seems to be the one that has stuck. It is a dark pub and we are not referring to the atmosphere. It is literally dark, given the small windows, brick walls and furniture in dark-brown tones.

James Joyce Pub has the Irish Embassy seal of approval, having been used as a venue for the Bloomsday Festival: an event dedicated to Leopold Bloom, the main character of Joyce’s Ulysses.

Explorer’s Pub
Franceza, 9
0735 190 131

One of the more recent additions to Bucharest’s pub scene is Explorer’s, opened in November 2013 in the historical center. Most Irish pubs in Bucharest are happy to design their theme around the generally accepted idea of “Irishness”: an abundance of posters with beer commercials, various knick-knacks posing as antiques and the ever-present “shamrock”. Explorer’s goes that extra step, plastering maps of former British colonies all over the walls. The menu is a mish-mash of traditional pub food (Irish pie at RON 26, pizzas from RON 15-30) and local cuisine (plateau of traditional Romanian products at RON 65).

The pub is spacious and you can bring your friends to watch a Champions League game on one of the many plasma-screen TVs, or choose a booth with a bit more privacy for a romantic date.