Blue On Water

Excellent vibe. Terrific food and great beer on tap. The triumvirate of what a top old-school pub…read moreshould be.

I think the Duke has my favorite flannel... lost it somewhere in ST Johns, thats how good of a time…read morewe had here. During our stay we came several times and met some interesting characters. The overall atmosphere in this place is amazing and I do love going to a place that I see in shows and movies... Bar tender was very nice and my wife and I chatted with her quite a bit between the endless beer orders. Definitely come to this place!

Sign in the alley

The Duke

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Christian's Pub

4.0(35 reviews)

•$

Come from away, leave as an honorary Newfoundlander…read more.... Christian's Pub is where I was "screeched in". Gayle skipped being in the ceremony, but watched enthusiastically as we both had a great time. Plus enjoying a couple of wee pints of Guinness ahead of time was a great starter. After all, Christian's Pub is a cool bar and lounge in itself. As legend has it, an American serviceman stationed in Newfoundland during the Second World War downed some local rum one night and let out a 'blood-curdling howl'. Someone nearby asked what that awful yell was and a Newfoundlander sitting at the bar said, "The Screech? 'Tis the rum, me son." And that's how Screech earned its name. I now have the certificate as an Honorary Newfoundlander. But first the ceremony! That involved a shot of Screech rum, flambé bologna, kissing the codfish (a real frozen one), receiving a a personalized certificate, and taking a photo with Skipper Lukey. Joining me that Sunday evening were people from all over the world, all of us having a great time. It was a whole lot of fun and Skipper Lukey put on a show that was also thoughtful, folksy, and educational, all in just under 30 minutes. Other George Street bars do this, but Christian's was the only one that another businesses on the street recommended. And Hell Yes! I'd do it again.

Every visitor "from away" must be Screeched in. It's the law. Being from Newfoundland myself, I had…read moreto use this opportunity to have my younger brother and partner Screeched in on our recent trip home. Christian's, being the oldest pub in St. John's on one of the oldest streets in North America seemed like the perfect place. Now, Christian's is no fancy joint, so let that be known right away. It's charming and a little edgy. Drinks are poured with love, and hope you're not hungry because you're lucky to get a bag of crisps. Or maybe a piece of flambéed bologna! But it's all served up with the typical Newfoundland charm. Fast forward to the Screeching in... Skipper Lukey is impressive! Memorizing everyone's name (all 40 or so guest) during our ceremony. Adding in his rough around the edges reminders on how the process works. You better be good at following instructions, because Lukey will remind you, not so gently, if you're out of line. All in good fun, I promise! Respect the ceremony and keep chatter to a minimum. It's a sacred duty to Screech in mainlanders after all. Overall a great experience and I highly recommend it to anyone and their group looking to become an honorary Newfoundlander!

Drink the Screech!

Here fishy fishy

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Establish 1979. 1st bar on George St.

Erin's Pub

4.6(8 reviews)

0.5 km

•$

Gayle and I were walking back from dinner and live music on George Street, when we happened by a…read moresign outside of Erin's Pub about an Irish music trad session that as it turned out was in progress. So we came in, took a seat at the bar, ordered a couple pints of Guinness (the best pour in St. John's we were told), and listened to several musicians around a big table churn out a number of traditional tunes. Another Irish word for this is seisiún or session. It was very relaxed and informal, with individual musicians starting a tune and others quickly joining in. Gayle and I really felt part of a local crowd of very nice and hospitable Newfoundlanders. A significant percentage of Newfoundlanders come from Irish descent. That started in the 17th Century when ships from the English West Country stopped into along Ireland's south coast to collect food and servants for the fisheries around the coast of Newfoundland. As such, the traditional music of Newfoundland and Labrador is rooted in Irish, Scottish, and English music. The Bar itself has a sort of local divey vibe, with dark woods, a cool bar, no pretense, and even a 24-hour camera screen on Quidi Vidi. It was a place where we really enjoyed staying awhile, which we did until this Celtic jam session was over.

Somehow this turned out to be pretty incredible. While practically all bars in St. John's are…read moresimilarly Irish and quite casual, Erin's is a standout. For all that is said (and really overstated) about Newfoundlanders being the nicest people in Canada, I actually had that friendly experience here more than at other bars in the city. (As an outsider, you can be easy to spot.) The bartender was friendly and on the ball. The live music was impressive. The artist who played (July 2?) was furiously devoted to continuously cranking out great music. The local patrons were generally lively and willing to engage in conversation with outsiders.

Come on In!

Erin's Pub Entrance

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O'Reilly's Irish Pub

3.4(30 reviews)

Such a wonderful spot, full of nice people and great music, my wife and I had so much fun in here…read more On this night it was the bartenders anniversary for working behinfd the bar, I feel like he had been ther for 25 years, maybe it was 50 years, but he was too young for that- great guy! My wife and I ended up buying a few rounds for guys that were having trouble getting the bar tenders attention- tons of fun!

We were off to a difficult start because we ordered drinks but it took at least 15 minutes to get…read morethem. I don't know why. How long can a beer take? They didn't have any pale ale so our server suggested an 'Rielly's lagar but it tasted more like a pilsner. I'm really not that hard to please but that's how it was. Once the drinks arrived the food also came shortly thereafter. The server apologized for the delay in bringing the drinks. That helped but this is a pub so if they can't get the drinks out there is a problem. My fish and chips were good. My guests were pleased with their dishes. This is a very popular establishment so for that reason alone I would recommend it. Our meals were good and it was really just the strange delay in getting our drinks that put us off. There is live music with a local flair. Interestingly many of the patrons were older folks. I don't know what to read into that. Perhaps it's the folksy music. Three stars because of the mistakes made in bringing our drinks, being out of common items, etc.

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Live music

One Eared Goat

4.6(7 reviews)

0.0 km

Best meal that I had in St. John's. Five of us shared drinks, stories and the candied scallops,…read morewhipped feta, hot honey goat cheese, basque mussels, spicy shrimp, citrus beet salad, lamb stew and the chef's board pintxos. The food was wonderful, the service was wonderful, the entire vibe of this place is wonderful. Do yourself a favor and experience this adventure in eating.

5 stars for mussels and cod taco. The brisket taco was drowned in bbq sauce. Chicken skewer had…read moregreat flavor, but was on the dry side. Beer selection could be more interesting. Probably should have gotten wine. Not meant to be a hyper critical review. Some excellent dishes snd some just good.

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Ship Inn

4.1(15 reviews)

0.6 km

•$

We've been in St. John's for two days and we've been here twice already. Come for a late lunch and…read morehad the seafood soup, it was lovely and flavorful. Lindsay and her staff are absolute gems, you can tell they care for the pub and the customers. The vibes are perfect and what you would want in a pub called The Ship. We'll be back before we leave to go home.

Great food, and always new specials every week including dessert. Nice little place, sometimes they…read morehave bands playing or open mic. The waiter Chico is super friendly and always nice to talk to. The service is always fast and food is always hot.

Seafood Soup

Cider

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First NFL fish n chips for my mom!

Brewdock

4.0(6 reviews)

1.2 km

Tasty range of beers with a focus on the local/regional, though I discovered not everything listed…read moreon the QR menu might actually be available. The food choices are pub grub with focus on burgers. I had the bulgogi burger -- it was a loose riff on that inspiration, but I appreciate the creativity, it was delicious regardless. Not huge, but sort of modern industrial feel on the inside, and a bunch of picnic tables in a nice outdoor space.

Staff and service was very good, food was pretty good too but I have to say that I have had…read morebetter. Being in St. John's for the past several days I took a break from Cod and just settled for a burger. Burger was very good, but the fries were not good at all. Thin and totally overcooked. They were almost tough and hard to eat. Perhaps I just had a bad batch. My wife had a root veggie salad and it looked like mostly a bowl of romaine. She liked it though and also liked her beer. Would I go back? I don't think so, would I recommend it? I think I would. Staff were great and everyone there seemed to enjoy the beer.

Wine

Taps

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Cider

Velvet Club & Lounge

2.0(5 reviews)

0.2 km

Out of 5 bathroom stalls, only one has a working lock. The owner charges a lot for their drinks,…read moreI'm surprised this man can't afford to fix a bathroom stall. He is money hungry, he doesn't pay his performers a proper wage, and he breaks contracts. Not only should you avoid this place to visit, but you should also avoid this place if you are looking to do business. Terribly run.

This is one of the worst gay bars I've ever been to. The alcohol is very expensive. They have no…read morebeer on tap. They have no good drinks. They only have drag shows and there are very few opportunities to dance. While the mediocre drag shows are somewhat enjoyable, it would be great if they ended at 12 or 1 and they opened up the dance floor for people to dance until close rather than for 5 minutes in between sets. Bathrooms also need some fixing. As the night progresses, there is almost no water pressure. Sometimes there is no water in fact because pressure is so low. This must violate some sort of public health rule. It can be so bad that you are unable to flush the toilets. This also happens at Grapevine, run by the same owner. This bar has so much potential and it's disappointing to see this potential wasted. Please get better alcohol and provide more opportunities to dance.

Wow! $5 cover doesn't get you very far.

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Shamrock City Pub

3.6(24 reviews)

Live music, friendly Natives ready to kick up their heels and dance! Fantastic atmosphere! Very…read morepleased with Allison's from Fish Exchange recommendation

Could be great but wasn't. The band were good but it was an an Irish Newfoundland acoustic band…read morethat didn't need amplification let alone over amplification. It was impossible to talk without leaning in and shouting. Best to just sit outside and listen and chat

Caramel Apple Chimi Cheesecake

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Kellys Pub

4.4(10 reviews)

Kellys Pub is hands down one of my favorite spots to unwind. The atmosphere is warm and welcoming,…read morewith that perfect mix of lively energy and laid-back comfort. The staff are friendly, attentive, and make you feel right at home from the moment you walk in.

I had the fish and chips and it was the best I've had so far on my visit here to St John's. Service…read morewas excellent and the staff were very friendly and helpful. I would recommend this place.