MV Cill Airne

My friends and I all had a great experience here for dinner. I had the fish and chips, which was great. I got to sample the duck too, which was tasty.

My friends and I went here before the Mumford and Sons gig in the Arena 3, Dec 2016. We ate in the Quay 16 restaurant. We ordered from the pre theatre menu. A few of the group ordered the duck bon bons, which I had a sample of and had food envy, although I had the Feta & Parma Ham Parcel and I was not disappointed. They were delicious. Again half the group got the blackened chicken and the rest ordered the lamb. Everyone was impressed with the food and lovely interior. I would definately recommend a visit to MV Cill Airne

Great and unusual spot for after work drinks especially when it’s sunny with amazing views of the Liffey. There’s outdoor seating for you to soak up the sun and pretend you’re cruising on the high seas!
Service in the upstairs bar is efficient and drinks are reasonably priced around € 5 a pint. A bottle of Prosecco was € 25 and very quaffable. Sharing platters were delish too and did their job of ‘soakage’!
It does quieten down from 8-​ish pm onwards so you need to plan another venue if you’re out OUT for the night. :)

We ate in the pub part of the boat upstairs. They had pretty good food! I had a vegetable wrap that had a tasty chili dressing, & my husband had a fat burger. Both came with hand cut chips– delicious!
It was hard to tell if they were open from the street. They could use some better signage.

I’ve been here for lunch, dinner & a 30^th. It is a really unique and cool location. The bar is very chilled out and relaxing and you can walk out on deck with your drunk in the nice weather. The food is good & the portions are big, it is more pub grub that restraunt. It is quite far down from O’Connell bridge but it is worth the walk.

I joined the Dublin Boat party.
It was incredible! I could drink Bulmers new flavor as free!
The staffs is very friendly. Foods is nice. And good sightseeing.

It sucks when you go to a restaurant and all the window seats are taken… well that ain’t a problem if you choose to dine at MV Cill Airne… you cant feckin’ move for windows, what it being a boat and all that. Not only that, when you step into the main bar area, it is really nicely decked out, rustic tables, pictures, nice layout… hell, it’s got a better jacks than my own flat! If you order a platter of snacks, the chips, chicken wings and onion rings are pretty decent, and good value.
Officially, i’d give it 3.5 stars if i could give it a half star, largely because i think that friendly service tends to travel a long way in this country, and you could fit the combined amount of positive vibes coming from the staff into a shot glass, and that’s pushing it. A bit odd, ‘cus the day i went was lovely and sunny, and i couldn’t see any reason why they should be as cold as they were. Also, no ambient music… this is a big no no in a gaff like this. It would have been great if there was some chilled acoustic noodling away in the background, but no luck.
I would definitely go back sometime, say if i’m meeting someone for a quiet pint of a Saturday afternoon, ‘cus the view is nice, but with the negative vibes i was getting the day i went, it risks being labelled as a «dive». There’s probably a pun there somewhere…

I always wanted t try this pub /​restaurant but was always afraid it might be a bit outside my budget.
So I was very pleasently surprised that their prices are actually as high as the average in Dublin.
They have a nice choice of dinks and food for all needs (hungry /​starving…). I had their Spicy Chicken Fillet Burger and it was very good.
And obviously being on a ship, feeling the movement of the water and being that bit away from normal life adds immensly to the experience. I had lovely holidays on ships so this brought back the memories.

The boat is fairly big from the outside but cozy at the inside with wooden interior. The prices are average and the chips are the delicious Irish fatty hand cut ones (yummy!). The same goes for the massive onion rings and delicious cheese dips. Those portions vary from 4 to 5 euro each and can feed from 2 or 3 people nibbling with no problems.
The staff is not fabulous and the service is a bit slow, besides the lack of music and that the interior is a bit cold (I imagine that in the summer eating in the outside area checking the bay whilst overlooking Samuel Beckett Bridge, would make this a great spot) but in the wintertime they need to provide more heating indoors.
Their website is very complete also, featuring the history of this boat, dating back to the 60’s. The overall experience is great and interesting.

Booked dinner here before a concert in the 3 Arena, so handy location wise for this. Short walk from Connolly and then not far to concert either. Couldn’t fault the dinner– chicken wings for starter and steak for main. Bar seemed busy and the atmosphere was good with friendly waiter staff.

Absorb and enjoy the lights of Dublin and her dazzling dancing reflections.
Fun novelty, we rambled aboard on a crisp winter’s eve very cosey interior.
Let your imagination run wild. It felt like we were on a mini cruise of our very own.
#fun, another good one for a date on a warm or cold day

I went there once and am looking forward to visit it again, the food and service were very good.

I love boats. The only thing better than boats is food on a boat. As I had seen this place but never investigated I assumed it was a bit dear but was pleasantly surprised when I first visited. The prices are very reasonable and the food is really good. I had an amazing fish and chips here for about a tenner. The staff were very nice and the service was lovely. I have been back a few times now because as I said, it’s pretty cool having a few drinks and eating dinner on a boat, even if it’s not sailing anywhere sure.

It’s a boat in the Liffey that can’t make up it’s mind if it wants to be a bar or restaurant so it does both. The bar is just an average bar and the restaurant serves fairly lackluster food… burgers, chicken wings… ahhhhh :(I really thought this place would have a fine dining feel to it but I was surprised to find quite the opposite.
The only thing this place has going for it is that it’s a boat in the Liffey, so that’s kind of cool and also the traditional Irish feel is refreshing.
Food took literally 40 minutes to arrive (why me?) and it was tasteless. Had to use the table sauce to spruce up my dinner…
I’m awarding MV Cill Airne 3 stars as it’s a boat in the Liffey.

I was actually going to an Italian place when I saw this boat and I had to go. I ordered the bacon blue cheese burger which was alright but had way to much blue cheese. The burger bun was all sloppy, however I’d like to go back and try one of their other meals. :-)

It’s a boat. Wait — it’s a restaurant. No hang on, it’s a freakin bar!
Ok so I have a bit of a thing for boats anyway. They’re cool aren’t they? All wooden and curved and floating. I also have a thing for bars. All stocked up with whatever ails ya. So now, the conglomeration of both entities. Oh yes, the boat-​bar. Or bar-​boat?! Either way, it’s always gonna be a winner. Ok so the Liffey isn’t quite the high seas or the River Nile, but it’s all we got, so why not make the most of it.
I was on my way back from a gig in the O2 when a few mates and I decided to hop on board (Teehee sorry, had to say it!!!) The place was jam-​packed. Great atmosphere though, lots of happy heads around the place — perhaps something to do with the whole ‘being on a boat’ scenario. The bar staff were nice and friendly as well (always a bonus), and drinks prices are average.
There are two options here for eating — fine dining downstairs, and a more affordable bistro upstairs. I can’t vouch for either I’m afraid, but would definitely like to give the nosh in this place a go.
One thing I will say though — seriously lacking in music of some kind. There did actually seem to be music in the background, but either it was really low, or just not the right kind, but it wasn’t working. Some live ceoil would defo go down well here on the weekends I reckon, or just something to take the atmosphere up a notch.
Either way, nice different way of spending an evening fo shizzle.

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.

I have been to the boat bar a few times now, however waited to review until I was able to experience in a number of different ways. The great thing about the MV Cill Airne (or Boat Bar) is that 1) It is a stationary bar which rises and falls with the tides of the Liffey and is parked right near the Samuel Beckett bridge where myself and quite a large office crowd works every day. 2) It is also a place to get a wide range of dining options. They have the Blue Bistro upstairs (connected to the pub) or finer dining at Quay 16 downstairs. I have been to the Bistro twice but never to the Quay 16 restaurant in the lower level of the boat.
Due to the large number of people working in this area, this is a great place to have a beer after work and they do attract a nice crowd in the evenings for this very reason. It may be a bit of a novelty, however drinking your beer on the outer balcony of the boat and watching the Liffey flow by is a nice experience. I have always enjoyed having a few beers here.
As far as the food at the Bistro, I have found it on the pricer side for lunch. The last time I was there I ordered the fish and chips and found it to be overpriced at 14 Euro and was extremely over fried as well. It was delicious, but definitely more expensive than most places I have seen. You can get burgers for 12.50, which is still a little outside my standard lunch time range. Due to the expensiveness of the dining, it is hard to say I would frequent this place often for food. I would more recommend this place for the drinks instead.
I have read that they do have a pre-​theatre menu which is also quite good and reasonable in the more upscale Quay 16 restaurant, but it is probably worth spending a little more for a proper night out.
Overall, I would say that the Boat Bar for the bar itself would be 4 stars but the Bistro would be set at 3.5 for the pricey lunch and my dining experiences thus far.

Was at the «boat bar» on a sunny Tuesday evening. Plenty of space available inside, but sat out in the sun. The atmosphere was lovely, bar staff and waiters friendly. Just had some chips between us, so no comment on food, other than the chips were of the huge chunky kind, and were nice.
The ubiquitous pub TV with snooker/​football/​darts was missing, which was great. Music was really good.
Oh, and pints are € 5

I can’t believe I forgot to review this place. After the amazing, hilarious, fantastic time I had here… And about now you’re wondering why I’m only giving 3 stars?
I walked in here with two friends without a reservation, since we just happened to be in the area, and the lady that greeted us kinda snootily said we should have had one. Nevertheless we were seated and we proceeded to order some wine. We also got their appetizer plate and the lamb, and settled in for a good night.
Cill Airne is a ship, and it is pretty cool how they turned the first level into a restaurant and the second level into a pub. I never got to the pub, by the way. The décor was tasteful, and it was comfortable if not a little crowded.
So the food came, and from here on it just turned completely hilarious. The bread was good, except for this one darkish piece… looked like chocolate to me, and pleasantly reminded of Cheesecake Factory’s awesome breads I bit into it… Yikes. This strange dark «bread» thing tasted like it had been made with coffee and… SOY SAUCE. I have no idea what it was, but it was so salty and I just could not finish my piece.
Then there was the rest of the food. Appetizer plate was great — different kinds of fish and seafood, and they had a great salad. But tell me why there were two round things that looked like cookies… but, when eaten, actually taste like burnt something. Oh man we were cracking up by this time.
Our main course was delish, and there were no strange things on it… and the desert we got, a pear tartin, was pretty good as well. So all things considered we had a good time.
Just watch out for the unfamiliar and pretty funny-​tasting stuff you can get there sometimes.

El MV Cill Airne es un barco que se ha quedado fijo en el río Liffey de Dublín y se ha transformado en un restaurante en su planta baja y en un bar-​pub en su planta alta.
Se puede salir por el barco con tu pinta, tanto a proa como a popa, y cuando hace buen tiempo (aunque raro en Dublín), es un lugar muy agradable y original.
Lo malo es que el precio es un poco elevado y el servicio no es muy simpático con la clientela.
Está muy bien por la originalidad y lo curioso del lugar, pero a partir de ahí, se acaba.