“'On our birthday we go all out, last year we had Mush Ben Ari and Omer Adam and this year Einat Saruf will be on stage. We have plenty of surprises, specials and giveaways; this is a great opportunity for our regular as well as new customers to come and celebrate with us…'" Yonatan Sternberg is looking forward to Dublin's 5 year anniversary
It is no secret that the restaurant and bar scene in Israel is quite volatile and not an easy one to operate in. Bars open and close on what seems to be a daily basis, trends come and go but it is clear that some places are here to stay. While this may not seem like a long time in European terms, where bars and public houses often date back between 80-100 years, the Dublin Jerusalem will be celebrating its 5th birthday next week and believe me, this is one party that you do not want to miss.
The Dublin in Jerusalem is part of the Dublin chain with locations in Herzlia (opened 7 years ago) and Rehovot, serving as a home away from home to many tourists, expats residing in Israel and Jerusalemites that appreciate a well poured pint. In preparation for the festivities, I stopped by the Dublin to chat with co-owner Shai Katzir, hear about the Dublin’s plans and of course have a couple of cold ones.
It is clear that Katzir is very passionate about his work, “we take this business very seriously” he says, “customers spend their money and deserve good service and quality. We have 18 beers on tap, each served at the right temperature and in a proprietary glass and as you can see most of the furniture and woodwork is imported from Ireland to create an authentic pub feel. Wednesdays are usually music nights with live bands and top of the line DJ’s. Over the next few months we will also be launching the ‘sports room’ where customers can enjoy live broadcastings of various sporting events”. When asked about the upcoming birthday part scheduled for Monday, September 5th, Katzir smiled. “On our birthday we go all out, last year we had Mush Ben Ari and Omer Adam and this year Einat Saruf will be on stage. We have plenty of surprises, specials and giveaways; this is a great opportunity for our regular as well as new customers to come and celebrate with us”.
The assortment of beers on tap is quite impressive, with a different beer to meet every palate. From sweet cherry flavored Kasteel Rouge (while it is considered by many as a ‘girly’ beers, it is truly delicious), through German wheat bears, Austrian lagers, full bodied Belgian beers and of course Guinness, the classic Irish stout. Another thing worth noting is the quality of the Guinness served at the Dublin which tastes different than the one served in other Israeli bars. I am not a chemist, but Katzir explains that this is due to the ratio of carbon dioxide and nitrogen inserted to the beer. I am not sure if this is the only reason, but after having a few pints of Guiness at the Dublin (on separate occasions of course), it is really hard to order it in other bars. The Dublin also offers a pretty extensive food menu ranging from delicious melt in your mouth herring served with sliced tomatoes and onions to classic bar food such as burgers, steaks, fries and more. While I haven’t tried it yet, some say that they also make a pretty good pizza. Happy hours run daily from 17:00-20:00 and for every beer that you order, the second one is on the house.
There is no questions that Dublin is here to stay and in my opinion rightfully so. Looking forward to the 10 year anniversary and congratulations on the 5th!
