Brandi C.
Yelp
Having drinks on a boat in the middle of the Liffey - what's not to love? I had heard about this pub for awhile, but had never had the opportunity to give it a try. That all changed the day we arrived in Dublin, as my husband was due to have some drinks with some buddies he used to work with, and the MV Cill Airne is close to the office. So we headed to "The Boat Bar" at around 9pm, and even though I was extremely jet lagged and fighting a nasty cold, I had a great time. I figure that's pretty much a ringing endorsement. Plus, again, drinks on a boat - not your typical pub experience, but still a cool one.
We got there before the big group, so we grabbed a small table in the Blue River Bistro Bar area (on the upper deck) and ordered the Antipasto Meats plate and some chips to share, both of which were very good to my tired and starving self. As someone else mentioned, the chips are of the large chunky variety, which is a personal favorite, and they were hot and delicious. Both the chips and the Antipasto plate were a good sized portion, perfect for sharing. I let the husband buy my drinks, so I don't know how they rated cost-wise to other pubs in the area, but I do know that even as the group my husband was meeting arrived and the Boat filled up, the bartenders kept our drinks coming as quickly as we needed them. All of the staff were friendly and personable, the ladies room was nice and clean, and the bar itself was very nice. There wasn't a whole lot of "movement" from the river, but that's probably a good thing, and the view of the city from the Liffey was cool.
We ended up staying until closing time (actually later than closing time, as we didn't leave until after 1am), and everyone enjoyed themselves. I'd definitely go back to the Boat Bar the next time I'm in Dublin.