Bartley Dunne would be proud to be associated with the bar and restaurant now occupying the place of his former hostelry in Lower Stephen Street, Dublin, called of course, Bartleys.
Bartley’s – A New Dublin Dining Experience
In its day Bartley Dunnes pub was the one outlet that welcomed gay people and others of Bohemian demeanour. With its red velvet curtains, wax encrusted chianti bottles and fringed lamps, Mr. Dunne created a welcoming atmosphere.
Now on the former site is a stylish new hotel, The Grafton, and the bar, restaurant and lounge are called Bartley’s after the popular welcoming host. The décor is inspired by retro glamour, and designed with a nod to the nostalgia of the era. It feels lush and luxurious with lots of quirky design features.
Dinner in Bartley’s
Dining in Bartleys on a recent weekday evening was a lovely experience. Though it is part of the recently opened Grafton Hotel, it is not a traditional hotel restaurant or bar, it’s much better. The menu is a classic café one, but has a good variety of unusual dishes along with international touches. The selection includes small plates, starters, main courses and house made desserts.
We shared starters of wild mushroom arancini and an interesting crispy ham hock terrine with fennel. For mains my ribeye steak was the best I have tasted for a long time. The melt in the mouth meat was accompanied by a nutty pepper sauce, grilled tomatoes and rosemary sprinkled potatoes.
The fresh seared salmon was served with shrimp salad and salsa verde and got the thumbs up from my friend. There was a lovely selection of desserts but who could resist homemade chocolate bread-and-butter pudding with caramel sauce. It tasted as good as it sounds.
Food and Beverage Manager John Sheridan says; “Even though Bartley’s is newly reopened, we have worked hard to retain some of the original atmosphere that made Bartley Dunne’s a default destination in Dublin. The service from all the staff certainly reflected the true welcoming atmosphere of the original Bartleys, and his spirit will live on here.
The fine big venue has a number of places to enjoy lunch or dinner including a spacious outdoor terrace, ideal for summer dining. Lunch is served from noon – 5pm and dinner from 5.30pm to 9.30pm. Bartley’s is at the Grafton Hotel on Lower Stephen Street, Dublin 2.
Do you have any memories of Bartley Dunne’s let us know on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram and @bartleysbarandlounge.