Merchant’s Arch Bar

Pros:
— This place has some weird charm but if you’re on the bus you’ll love the experience.
— Live music at night, delicious fish and chips, tall pints of Guinness; what’s not to like?
— The dinner area has really cool high ceilings and classic Irish décor.
Cons:
— It gets loud, real loud.
— You have to climb a long staircase from the cramped bathroom to dinner area.

I feel like in the «touristy» parts of every city, there are bars that locals can appreciate. In my mind, this is that one bar in Temple Bar (maybe because a local brought us here). Yes, it is full of tourists, and by full I mean packed to the brim, but the music is great, the atmosphere was cheery and the drinks were flowing. We loved it so much, we came another night (New Years Eve) instead of having to try to find a new bar though the hoards of people.
There are two different areas: The Bar bar (downstairs standing with seats also upstairs) and a restaurant bar, which was up the winding stairway. We tried to find a decent place to stand at the Bar bar, but it was packed, so thinking the upstairs we could see was up the stairs in the foyer, we tried it out and happened upon people eating dinner and no live music. We went back down to the Bar bar, found the appropriate stairs, and found a seat at a half taken table with some nice guys willing to share. We all made friends and it was nice to have room while overlooking the massive crowd downstairs. Our waitress was also on point. We had to wait a bit for drinks, but it was an extremely busy night.
The live music was AWESOME! The feeling of everyone singing together, at the top of their lungs, was something I will miss about Ireland. It was like «we’re all in this (New Years) together!» Now I truly understand when people say «It was great craic.» I felt that here!

We had dinner here while staying in Dublin. I read the great reviews but thought it was just OK. Or waitress was fine but not over friendly. The food was just OK but I probably should have tried something else. Music was a nice touch.

This place is located at the foot of the Ha’penny Bridge as you enter the Temple Bar area. It was my first stop once in Dublin, as I was drawn here by the music playing. Once inside, I found a nice place filled with people, but not too crowded where it was uncomfortable. The bartender was friendly and he reviewed the local IPA options. By the way, in Ireland, IPA stands for Ireland Pale Ale, not India!
For a food selection, I tried the Irish Stew. This was the only area that I was disappointed with. The stew was weak tasting with too few pieces of meat.
I had an opportunity to meet the owner, Mike, who was very friendly and reviewed choices of Irish Whiskey for me.
They have music every night. Both current and also Irish music

Walked in with two young kids, hungry and tired… So glad we did! The staff is welcoming and the food is scrumptious. We had Beef and Guinness pie, with lovely side of mashed potatoes and veggies. My daughter had the chicken «goujons» with chips– and these were really good too. Interesting historical building and nice ambience inside.
Highly recommend!!!

Came here twice last week because of the amazing music (could’ve sworn there’s Ed Sheeran playing). In addition there’s very good pub food, nice waitresses and more restaurant-​like atmosphere upstairs. Definitively the best place to start your evening in Temple Bar or when you actually want to talk to each other.

Great spot for some good pub chow and a pint of that magical Guinness ale which somehow just tastes better in Ireland! We had the beef stew with Guinness of course and the classic tasty fish and chips. With some great local music hard to go wrong. Great location off the canal near Temple Bar. Sure it’s a tourist spot but it’s a fun joint

Good food, good music, good beer! great friendly staff! Music 7 days a week! Their potato pie is the bomb! Also recommend orchard thieves apple cider if you’re a fan of cider vs beer!

I realize that this may be one of the more touristy places in one of the more touristy areas. Despite the fact, I had an overall good experience. I stopped in for late lunch on a Saturday, and we were seated on the upstairs balcony. The downstairs was a bit crowded, but there was plenty of seating upstairs.
There was a live acoustic musician, and I’ve read bad reports from other reviewers, but I loved the music we heard. I didn’t catch his name, but it was wonderful. When we came in, he was playing a few Irish folk songs. I figured that was his schtick in this part of town in order to please the tourists. I was pleasantly surprised when he put his twist on covers of classic rock tunes, including some Pink Floyd. I couldn’t help but sing along.
The menu is what you’d expect to find in an Irish pub setting. I had a hard time choosing an entrée from the «Traditional Irish Mains» part of the menu, as they all looked appetizing. I settled on the «Pork and Leek Sausages» (others in my party had the «Beef and Guinness Pie» and the «Cottage Pie»). I enjoyed my dish, and heard from my friends that it was better than either of theirs, though it wasn’t the best I’ve ever had. Plus, it was slightly underseasoned for my salty American palate and. Pretty darn good, just not the best.
Music was great, though a bit loud. Food was okay. Service was just okay, as our waitress mysteriously disappeared and was then reincarnated some time later as a completely different girl. Oh, but they do have free wifi! All in all, not a bad spot for lunch in the middle of tourist district.

Great pub! Good music and beers for an authentic Irish pub^^I recommend the blue cheese burger is delicious ^^ the food is one of the best Irish pub food in Dublin

Live music, very pleasant atmosphere. The servers were extremely accommodating, even so far as charging a friend’s phone. Beautiful!

Great time, great music, great food and the likes. We stopped in before lunch and secured a 730 reservation for a good dinner table. This proved to be a wise move as we arrived for dinner and were seated at a table upstairs overlooking the bar area and stage. We ordered a nice appetizer and meal and enjoyed the music during our meal.
I had the Guinness stew, very delicious. The service was good. The entertainment was excellent and made the evening very enjoyable. It’s a loud environment so not a place you can sit and talk.
Make a reservation and have a great time.

Great pub for some good live music! Been here multiple times and there’s always been pretty good music here. It gets crowded as it gets late so be sure to come early if you want a seat.

The atmosphere was great. The music was very enjoyable and the food was killer. I had the cottage pie and I couldn’t get enough. I desperately wanted to know the recipe. Mixed drinks were a bit more expensive than I would have liked.

Walked in after dinner to listen to live music. It was hopping but not insanely crowded. Contrary to what others say there was nice a mix of locals and tourists. In any case it didn’t matter because we were all singing to classics from Green Day, Coldplay and A few Irish tunes as well. The band (I think) was called «Reely?» And they were up there having a blast. Songs flowed from one to another. At the end people of all different ages danced jigs, waltz, and white man shuffle. Do go. You’ll enjoy the atmosphere.

De tous les pubs de Temple Bar, c’est sans doute un de ceux qui fait le plus «usine à touristes», mais la qualité des groupes de musiciens qui y jouent le rend tout de même fréquentable.

This pub’s décor is pretty fantastic, the spiral staircase up to the restaurant is magnificent! It can get out of hand though, the toilets are so far away and in a maze-​like path to get to them! Haha
We came here with Aussie relatives, they were impressed with how authentic it looked inside and the dramatic high ceiling in the restaurant upstairs. Good view of the ha’penny bridge too!
Ordered a chicken carbonara, was glad to see a garlic bread on top but disappointed as I bit into it as it was soggy rather than crunchy. Carbonara was lovely though, not too rich so I was able to finish it.
My mother ordered the plaice (fish) completely plain with nothing on it… And out it cane with paprika all over it! The waitress Fiona was great, changed the dish with no fuss and really friendly and apologetic about it.
Had banoffee pie for dessert. Crumbly biscuit base, toffee/​caramel layer, banana layer and cream. It was good, not too sweet, but a bit too much whipped cream for my liking. My relatives really liked the apple pie.
Nice place for food, ideal for tourists!

I generally avoid this bar like the plague. It’s almost always filled with tourists and the prices reflect that. The quality of the food is pretty decent and you’ll get a cold pint. The bathrooms are quite a trek downstairs, through an extremely narrow corridor. All in all not my favorite place to drink a beer.

Probably the most authentic pub in dublin. Live music at any time ! Just love this place

Walked by this bar a million times, always saying ‘must pop in there for one’ never actually meaning it — it’s location screams standard tourist fare and even though the décor looks great, I expected it to lack substance.
Ventured in last weekend on a Saturday night and the place was rammed. Like, cannot move a muscle without offending someone/​spilling a drink/​tripping over a handbag jam packed. We sqeeeeezed our way to the bar — extra vowels for the length of time it took — and after ten minutes got a drink (overpriced, standard temple bar).
Eventually found a little nook and got settled, standing room only but that’s okay. The music was pumping, live and traditional and everyone in the place was singing along, paying as much attention to the band as their friends with a really nice atmosphere overall. It was strange. I loved and hated this place at the same time. After an hour of truly enjoying myself, it was time to legit and get some breathing space, but in spite of my self I had an excellent time in here. Don’t plan to spend your whole night if your there on a weekend, but do swing by!
Now my mission — which I do actually mean this time — is to pop in mid week and see what it’s all about minus the madness.

Notre dernier lunch à Dublin, c’était ici, au Merchant’s Arch Bar dans le fameux quartier Temple Bar. Ce pub typique possède une ambiance et une décoration authentique! Il n’y avait pas grand monde vers midi 30 (personne pour ainsi dire) quand nous sommes arrivés mais cela né nous a pas découragés… Une trentaine d’avis sur Unilocal et une note moyenne de 4 étoiles… C’est généralement bon signe!
Au menu, des spécialités irlandaises principalement et pour moi, c’était donc l’occasion de tester le fish&chips local avant de revenir en Belgique. Ma moitié a opté pour un plat de viande mijotée à la Guinness. Je n’ai pas été déçue de mon choix mais on né sentait pas vraiment la bière dans la sauce du plat de mon homme, un peu déçu vous vous en doutez.
Le barman est 100% local et vraiment sympa et on peut dire haut et fort qu’on a passé un bon moment au Merchant’s Arch bar, cela né fait aucun doute! L’endroit est à tester le soir aussi: concerts, ambiance irlandaise, grosses foules,…

Service rapide et agréable. Un plat succulent que je recommande à tout prix si vous aimez le boeuf bourguignon: beef and guinness pie! Non mais vraiment, j’en ai encore les papilles qui frémissent.
Et l’ambiance, que dire de l’ambiance… musique traditionnelle irlandaise, très rythmée. On chantait et tapait dans nos mains tout en mangeant. :)
Une adresse sûre que nous a recommandé un français qui passait dans une rue annexe.

Hacía más de una década que no pisaba Dublín y el primer sitio donde entré después de tantos fue aquí. Y no estuvo nada mal. Es cierto que el estilo de atención al cliente en este país difiere del español, pero venir merece la pena. Yo, en la semana que estuve por la capital irlandesa rondando por trabajo y luego de vacaciones, estuve dos veces y las sensaciones fueron buenas.
La primera fue con los compañeros de trabajo. Llegábamos varios de diferente paisesu, cansados y hambrientos. Tardaron en atendernos y fueron bastante bordes, pero como la comida estaba buena y había ambientazo con música en directo, yo salí contento de aquí.
Tanto, que días después estando de vacaciones volví para disfrutar otra vez del ambiente, la comida, las cervezas y la música en vivo. Esta vez atendieron mucho mejor, más rápido y más amablemente, por lo que recomiendo este sitio a todos, especialmente si quieres tomar algo con vistas al Ha’penny Bridge.

Si alguien se preguntaba de dónde salen todos esos pubs irlandeses que hay en todas las ciudades del mundo, la respuesta es «de Dublín». Y es que, sorprendentemente y aunque no lo parezca, Dublín está repeltita de este tipo de establecimientos, sin más.
Nosotros estábamos muertos de hambre, así que nos dirigimos aquí con la intención de comer un poco. El sitio es enorme, y no se queda solo en su parte frontal ni en su piso superior: hay otro piso aún más arriba, aunque desde ese no se ve la actuación en directo que tienen a veces. Pero como nos apetecía sentarnos a todos juntos, y no tanto esperar ni estar en mitad de la marabunta, nos decidimos a subir al piso de arriba.
Nos trajeron las cartas, y he de decir que fue un poco raro, porque nadie venía a tomarnos nota. Durante cierto tiempo, de hecho, estuvimos esperando, esperando y esperando. Llamamos a la chica un par de veces, pero parece que llamar en Irlanda es de mala educación, así que esperamos un poco más, no sé si como castigo. Cuando llegó el tipo a cogernos la comanda, no traía papel ni nada: pretendía acordarse de memoria de los ocho o nueve platos que habíamos pedido las ocho o nueve personas que conformábamos la mesa. Yo no entendía nada.
Obviamente tuvo que venir otra vez, porque no se acordaba de algunas cosas (pocas, sin embargo, buena memoria sí tiene, pero no tan buena) y luego esperamos a que llegase nuestra comida. Esperamos BASTANTE, he de decir, yo en concreto más que el resto de mis compañeros (suerte que les dije aquello tan español de «comed, que eso frío no vale nada».
La verdad es que la comida es contundente (tomé hamburguesa) y tienen mucha variedad de cervezas, pero he de reconocer que no salí particularmente contento con el servicio, que me pareció un tanto despistado.

Holy Shit! I loved the Guinness Beef Pie! I wanted to just eat a second one, and a third one, and a fourth one!!! But alas, my stomach would only accomodate one serving that night…
She ordered the Irish Stew, and THAT was quite amazing too! Everything in this place was delicious…
I admit that I was cautious coming in here because it exhibits all the signals of a tourist only location… Well, if it is, I don’t care. The food was amazing, the musical entertainment was engaging, and of course the Guinness went down like water…
Two Thumbs up!!!

Je me suis rendue dans ce pub avec une amie pour dîner tout en écoutant de la musique irlandaise live et ainsi profiter de ma dernière soirée à Dublin. Raté!
Pour commencer, nous avions réservé une table via internet, mais on nous a annoncé à notre arrivée que celle-​ci n’avait pas été prise en compte et que, par conséquent, toutes les tables étaient pleines.
Après un peu d’attente, une serveuse a fini par nous placer à une table complètement collée à une table d’autres français, ruinant ainsi toute intimité.
On nous a ensuite laissé poireauter pendant une demie heure dans cette salle bondée (bon, c’était un samedi soir, mais quand même!), très bruyante et surchauffée, avant de nous apporter les bières que nous avions commandées.
Le temps d’attente avant l’arrivée de nos plats a ensuite été si long, que nous avons souhaité recommander une deuxième tournée de bière…que les serveuses complètement dépassées ont fini par oublier. Il était assez agaçant de les voir tourner en rond dans la salle pendant 15 minutes en demandant à toutes les tables si c’était eux qui avaient commandé des frites.
Le plat que j’avais choisi (une «seafood pie») était bon mais peu consistant, et relativement cher.
Enfin, la programmation musicale ce soir là n’était pas non plus à la hauteur de nos espérances. Une déception donc.

Estuve en el Merchant’s Arch el verano pasado y no pude evitar acordarme de nuestro querido Responsable de Comunidad, Txema, y además lo disfruté de lo lindo.
Es un pub típico irlandés, muy turístico, pero con encanto. El ambiente es increíble, súper alegre, cada noche se llena hasta la bandera. Y mira que es un local enorme con dos plantas.
Suele haber algún grupo tocando música irlandesa, o no, cuando yo fui versionaron canciones muy conocidas, después de un amplio repertorio propio.
Es el pub ideal para tomarte una pinta después de un paseo por Dublín, junto al río, con un ambiente increíble, y, si te atreves, tienes que probar sus hamburguesas, enormes y deliciosas.
Si vuelvo a Dublín es de los primeros sitios a los que pienso volver.