Our best night in Ireland was spent here and it was completely thanks to the live music of Fiach o Connor and Eddie Whelan - they were insane! The bartenders were very vice, although I find it interesting/disappointing they do not know how to make any shot drinks. The hostess micromanaged and was sort of annoying but that could be overlooked given the overall energy of the place. Do not miss out on this bar, particularly if those two guys are leading the craic. read more

Food was good except the meat in my stew was inedible. SMALL bowl of stew with inedible meat was 16 euro.

Very charming place, went in thinking it was just going to be a dive bar but was pleasantly surprised. While the service was spotty a couple of times during our visit overall we were very happy. The food was excellent and of course the beer (Guinness) was satisfying as well. The live music was also a wonderful touch, would not mind going back and spending a couple hours just hanging out there read more

Good location, live music every night in the main bar, and a beer hall upstairs with a pretty good variety. Can't speak to the food, but the service was good and at the time I was just happy to find a warm, dry corner where I could enjoy a pint and listen to some music. My only gripe is that I wish the set had tended more towards traditional Irish music rather than acoustic covers or rock songs, but it was still enjoyable. read more

Absolutely. I love it. Go here. Great music. Great food. Great craick! Cheers.

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. read more

Great spot to stop for a pint with fish & chips. Live music was fab! Friendly, lively spot!

Loved this place! Great atmosphere, service, food and live music! We were drawn in by the live music and were seated upstairs where we could see across to the North side through big windows. The set list for the live music was so good we stayed past dessert. The food was enjoyable. Good shepherd's pie (they call it college pie), juicy burger and chicken sandwich. Delicious buttery apple pie. And the service was top notch. I'd come back here again! read more

Walked in for a pint on a Weds afternoon. No one else in the bar area. Moody server gave us dirty looks for not ordering food. 7.25 euro for a weak beer. Not impressed. read more

One of my favourite live music pubs in Dublin. In a wam day you can even seat at the other side of the Liffey and enjoy the music.

Everyone who visits Dublin should go to this pub at least once in my opinion. Great atmosphere and the live music has been fantastic every time I went there. read more

Nice place with horrible service! We arrived late the eve of St Patrick's day and was greeted by a rude pushy waitress who told us all that we had to order a drink. Which we did. When the drinks arrived we we're not allowed to split the bill, again not a huge deal but just another small nuisance. Then no more than 5 minutes after we had received our beers the music stopped and we were asked to go downstairs. With no previous warning of the fact that they were closing. We were ticked off at this point but obliged to go downstairs. Over the next 15 minutes we were told over 10 times by security to get up and leave in an extremely rude way. We went to enjoy a beer and instead were forced to listen to rude staff and chug our drinks the best we could. We will not be back, and I do not suggest anyone to go either. I will also add that the drinks are overpriced. read more

My husband and I spent three days in Dublin on our honeymoon and we had dinner and drinks here from a suggestion we got on a bus tour...this is what we had been looking for the ENTIRE time! Wonderful atmosphere...not cookie cutter...delicious food! I had the mussels and housemate soda bread and almost died (in the best way) service was attentive and quick plus we loved the slew of live music while we were here...wish there were several pubs just like it!!!! read more

Came for lunch after landing as this was just across the street from my Air BnB. Had a very nice salad with good portions. Good beer. Very nice atmosphere. At night it gets VERY loud - we heard some less than favorable buskers and karaoke singers as the night progressed. read more

I think that 3 stars is a little generous; it really should be 2.5 stars. Merchant's Arch Bar had good food and a nice atmosphere, but the service was awful. Our waiter was very rude and had a lot of attitude when taking our order as if we were bothering him. We ordered simple meals that should have taken no time at all, but we waited so long for our food. Other people that came in after us got their food and finished their meals before we even got ours. Our waiter disappeared behind the bar and several other waiters approached us after we awkwardly sat there for long periods of time. Again, we ordered dessert (a piece of cake) and it took 30 minutes to get it. We awkwardly sat there waiting for the check for a very long time before we had to ask a random waitress for it. Overall, not the best experience. read more

Everyone is saying they avoided this pub due to tourists but on my second trip to Dublin I came here every night. The staff were friendly and welcoming, the food was lovely and the music was brilliant. Your pint glass was never left empty! As for the prices, compared to what I've paid in Dublin previously they really weren't that bad! Admittedly Friday night was packed but I wouldn't expect anything different, it's a Friday. All in all I would definitely go back! read more

Love the live music no matter when we stopped in. Beers were on the pricey side, but I think that's most of Dublin. Great atmosphere, not enough seating but plenty of standing room. The waitresses were on the pushy side during the day. read more

All i can say is wow. im ao furious there are biund to be apelling mistakws. Im here right now and id like to see if i can get a refund on my meal. Service and food is terrible. Really really terrible. Our order took 1 hoir on a tuesday nite. For a burger and mozz sticks.Dont order the fries. They dont taste like anything. Our waitresses (yes multiple cause one forget about us and the bartender had to come give us our drinks) didnt speak english. We were soooo hungry, we couldnt help but eat the fries. One savings grace for this olace is Ken the bartender. Reallt angry right now, but my reviewbia accurate. read more

There are better restaurants in Temple Bar and I would advise people to check those out first. Although the food is cooked well and the staff are friendly the food portions are disappointingly small. I ordered a chicken supreme, which had very little white meat (seemed like a pan fried chicken leg) and the vegetables were also scarce. The soft drinks are also watered down with so much ice. This was really bad value for money. read more

This classy little bar is a gem in what can sometimes feel like a cheap and touristy city. The bar was spacious, bright, with floor to ceiling windows and lots of natural light. I'm sad to say that we ate dinner before we went because the mussels and fish at the table next to us looked amazing! If I lived in Dublin, I'm fairly sure this would be my bar. The bartenders were very pleasant, although the hostess was really pushy and somewhat rude. I'll let it slide because overall experience here was amazing! We saw a lot of great live music in Ireland but the performers who played that night, Fiach o Connor and Eddie Whelan, are the REAL DEAL. Traditional Irish music played with such crazy talent and so much passion!! Now, don't condemn me, I have to admit I don't really care for Irish music. We have an Irish music night every Sunday at the Irish pub in town, and I avoid it at all costs. Fiach o Connor and Eddie Whelan however completely converted me with their incredible performance and infectious passion! If you can, find out where they are playing in advance and seek them out. They are not to be missed! read more

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! read more

One of the best!! The food was prepared well, the price fair, a band performed during the stay forced my feet to dance under the table. But the gem was our waitress. She stayed on top of all the orders, managed her team and appeared calm and sane despite the intense environment. read more

This place is phenomenal!the atmosphere is beautiful and historic while still comfortable. The food took our breath away! The seafood chowder was by far the best I've ever had, and my son's fish and chips was as well. Even though we only have a few days here, we are going back for more! read more

Great live music, very expensive pints, and traditional Irish foods. The music makes the overpriced pints worth going to.

We just love The Merchants's Arch! It's even better now that the upstairs, Brewery Lane has opened and seems to be a well kept secret as far as we know! We love the food here...club sandwich with fries and a bowl of their freshly made soup is always a hit for us! Their fish and chips is always delicious too! There is always someone playing either traditional Irish music or popular songs, along with house request. Always good craic! We are from the US, but living in Dublin for work and we we seem to frequent here a lot! Service by our favorite waitress, Karolina, is always a plus, as she is efficient, friendly and very knowledgeable of her job! The upstairs Brewery Lane is a more quiet atmosphere with different beers from all over world available. We just love the beauty of the room...the wood, the view of the HaPenny Bridge, the beautiful arched windows and then there's the food, which can be ordered from the same menu as downstairs and is equally delicious! read more

It was my first night ever in Dublin and I walked into this place with my mother because we could hear live music playing. We stood around inside for a little while until we finally found a seat. As soon as we sat down the manager came over and told us that we had to buy drinks right now or else we had to leave. We didn't even have a chance to think about what we wanted to drink before he said this, so needless to say we left. Horrible customer service. read more

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. read more

called in Sunday morning at 11:50 just in time to order off the breakfast menu, and i'm glad i did!! we got 2 full Irish with the works on it. egg, bacon, sausage, stuffing, beans, mushrooms, tomato and potato. there was no room left on the plate. also had a pint of Guinness and a gin and tonic. and all for 30 euro. absolutely fantastic value. cured my hangover and set me up for the day all in one go!! read more

This is a greats place to stop for a pint early in the afternoon. If you're late arriving the place is packed and not great if you're hungry. We snacked on the garlic mozzarella fries and fried Brie with cranberry jam which were both pretty good around 3pm after walking by the night before because of the large crowd. The music was very good and decor is great! read more

VERY expensive place to go too and the place is to small for the amount of customers they letting in and for the live music (sound is so loud) that your ears will hurt after a while. Seems their market strategy based on making quick $$$ on the back of the unknown tourist. NOTE! for all tourist, trust me and avoid this place as there are much nicer places in the area where you can enjoy good food/pints and live music for €1.50 less per pint. read more