Yum! Came here while on holiday in Europe. My companion and I decided to dine here for dinner. There's a fancier upstairs and a more pub-ish casual downstairs. Seating upstairs requires you to wait for a hostess whilst seating downstairs is a free for all. We decided on cheaper food and sat downstairs in a little cozy corner. I ordered the Guinness beef stew while my companion ordered a steak sandwich with fries. Service was quick and friendly and our waitress was really attentive even though we were out of the way and in a nook. The food was really good and hearty and we were definitely satisfied at the end of our meal. Since the venue used to be a church, it has huge ceilings and it's really grand and majestic and the architecture is definitely something to be admired. We only stayed for dinner and not for the nighttime festivities (i.e. clubbing). Seems like a cute place to bring a date and the menu was pretty extensive. read more

The Church - Guinness beef stew (far) and steak sandwich (close) - Bars Near Me - Dublin, D

The Church is an interesting place, Mr. Guinness, the soul of the recent history of Dublin, married in this Church long time ago, when it was a real church. Time goes by and nowadays the venue is a huge pub. May you have heard already stories about pubs behind a church or similar, but in my modest opinion this one is different. The pub has an organ with a beautiful look, not known if still in good working conditions, solid walls and different spaces. During the day the pub wants to be a kind of restaurant without a proper identity, the food looks ok, it is not bad, but it is not great, just to kill hunger. The same lack of identity can be found in the distribution of the spaces: the main floor, the first level and the basement. It is a pity that all the spaces are used with the same set up, sharing the music with very different sound quality. Late in the night the main space is terrible, not appropriate for dancing and with too loud music to start a conversation. Outdoors the smoking area is huge as well, with good stoves, but there is not service, you have to order inside. I have the feeling that it is a pub for outsiders, easy to find and suitable for big groups, but it will be very strange to find a regular dubliner pub guest in this venue, but if you pay slightly more for a pint than in other pubs in Capel street. read more

The Church - Bars Near Me - Dublin, D

This place has such a cool concept. An old church turned bar? Genius, and I'm not even Christian. There's tons of seating inside, and a bunch outside too. The bar is located right in the middle, and around the sides you can still see the church architecture and the organ. The prices are a tad steep, but worth it. I got the mussels and the crab artichoke dip--both were excellent. My friend got the tortellini which he really liked as well. They have a really wide variety of drinks, including beer and whiskey flights. They have live music almost every night which I love. The servers are also really friendly and efficient. Definitely recommend checking this place out! read more

The Church - Mussels - Bars Near Me - Dublin, D

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Stopped in for some lunch. Got the lunch special which for €11 you would think is a little steep. Lunch included soup (carrot) a wrap (chicken in sweet chilly) and a some greens. The soup and wrap were very well make and hot. Really enjoyed them. The greens I only ate the tomatoes and onions. I think for what I got and the service the price was well worth it. read more

The Church - Bars Near Me - Dublin, D

I've heard some good stories about this bar that is why I decided to check it out myself. The concept is really interesting and the bar itself very specious. At the beginning we wanted to sit in the outside area to enjoy some sun. However the only table available was at the back of the garden were smell from the toiled was unbearable. The first drinks we ordered were mojitos in promotion 2 for 1. It was the worst mojito I have ever had! After two sips we returned it to the waitress. She managed the problem very quickly and offered us to exchange our cocktails for another drink. The service was very good but the place itself wasn't as special as I expected. read more

The Church - mojitos - Bars Near Me - Dublin, D

The conversion of Church to pub done tastefully. As expected it was busy and loads of tourists popping in for a visit and taking photos. Food is only ok and service is slow. I had the lamb pie and it was bland and lacked flavour. The Weiss beer I had came out of a bottle and I wish they told me that when I ordered :-( all in all an ok place and won't be rushing back unless I have some tourist in tow :-) read more

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What fun !! To say I went to 'Church'. Thursday's lunch was at this place. Only a 15 min wait for sitting with my party of two. I gave it 5 stars from my 5 star rating: decoration/cleanliness, plate decor/presentation, service, food taste, and whether it's worth the journey to make it here or simply a detour. The place was clean and it had original Church decor. A little background info is that this place used to be a church! Service was good and prompt and food taste was really good too. Servers came around and were attentive, this was a bit different from our experience in the rest of Dunlin. Was it worth the journey? Most definitely!! I also recommend the vegetarian nachos! read more

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Although the place is amazing, great atmosphere, live music and Irish dancing, I still don't like the fact that the service isn't that good! I've been there a couple of times and no one ever receives me at the door. I choose my own table and wait basically for half an hour or even more for any waiter/waitress to bring the menu and still nothing happens until I stand and go get the menu by myself. Not very friendly staff I have to say, which is a pity because once you're in there the minimum you'd expect is an average service. Still try it out and see it for yourself. read more

The Church - Live Irish Music and Dancing - Bars Near Me - Dublin, D

The setting is exquisite, and the staff is very good, although you may have up to three different people taking case of you. You never know whom to ask for something. We had the house Church salad with liver for an appetizer. It was tasty but very oily. There were only two vegetarian items on the menu, and we ordered both. One was way too rich, and the other was bland. We did not finish either one. We had the strawberry dessert, which was simply some fruit, pralines, and whipped cream in a glass. Much more whipped cream than fruit. We would recommend the Church Bar for drinks and atmosphere but not for dinner. Finally, we had to wait an extraordinary amount of time for the bill. read more

Designed for tourists. That's what I can say. Food was mediocre. My roast beef was dry & the Guinness stew was ordinary. Having said that, it is well situated on the pedestrian street and a good place to get some rest. Just don't expect a lot out of the food. read more

The Church - Roast beef sandwich. Sandwich of the day. - Bars Near Me - Dublin, D

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Still five stars. Still one of the unique bar. We decided to visit this place with my friends one more time before my moving to Los Angeles. Fantastic food, great coctails, cool music. I will miss you, my church! read more

Hands down our favorite pub in Dublin! A taxi driver recommended we stop by, and we are eternally grateful to him! This bar is literally an old English church- organ, stained glass windows & all! There is something so entertaining about drinking a Jameson sour in the place where Arthur Guinness was married, you just have to go to understand. We sat at the bar and Cristina made our night! It was her first night on cocktails, and she absolutely killed it. She was also great conversation, so huge shoutout to her! The drinks were 2 for 1 and strong. I will recommend this place to everyone I know who goes to Dublin & if we find our way back to Dublin, we will definitely return! read more

Every so often, The Church will host an industry night for all Dublin bar staff. Last night was one of those occasions. All the tables on the main floor were cleared so that the hard workers could mingle and enjoy a free concert by the new Irish sensation The Blizzards. There was a great atmosphere at the start when everyone flooded the balcony that overlooks the ground floor. A buzz of excitement filled the air when the band took the stage. Flashes of light danced across the room and people crowded the bar to get their 2 free Coronas. Early birds were also treated to a free platter of pub nibbles. The thrill of the whole party died after the Blizzards finished playing and gradually the club emptied out. The pub started charging for drinks and people began to leave. Around 12am, the night was pretty much over. Keep your ear to the ground for more upcoming industry nights. The best way to get tickets is by knowing someone who works in a pub. Although the party did not exceed my expectations, I did enjoy free music and beer and for that I'm grateful. read more

Seems like a fun place. Came here for a drink after dinner. Inside decor is interesting, I don't know the history but it seems like this place used to be a real church. Got a whisky sour to try and it was pretty good. The egg white ingredient threw me off but I think it ended up being the froth on my drink. A bit loud so you'll have to talk louder and listen more closely with your party. Drink can be a bit expensive so even if I were on dublin, I'd probably only come here occasionally. read more

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Set in a 300+ year old church, this bar and restaurant is located at the heart of Dublin's city center and along Dublin's premier shopping district. The space is tastefully redesigned--a bar runs along the entire length of the former sanctuary on the ground level, and seating is located closer to the walls, along the upper balconies, and outdoors. The redesign maintained the church organ and windows. The food here is a bit pricier, but I would argue that the quality and setting warrant the prices charged. I ordered a Buckwheat, Garden Pea, and Prosciutto Baby Leaf Salad. I love most salads, but this salad surprised me on a number of levels. It featured a number of textures, colors, and was tastefully seasoned. If you're in the area, I would recommend that you try this place, but make a reservation. Things can pick up as both tourists and locals frequent this place, and tables can be hard to come by for walk-ins... read more

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I have never eaten in the church but it's a great spot for a drink before the cinema - if you're going to cineworld that it. It's a magnificent building - as the name suggests it's a converted church, and it's absolutely lovely inside. Really high ceilings and winding staircases - one of which is a striking focal point outside. It houses a restaurant, a main bar that serves bar food, a club, an outside terrace for summer barbeques and can also cater for private parties. I've only really come here for one or two drinks on a few separate occasions, and I've always really liked it. read more

The Church - Bars Near Me - Dublin, D

The Church is famous to many because of the many historic figures that attended mass services here. To me and my friends The Church is famous for the many wild nights that we had here. The Church is a nifty pub/restaurant/club that has much of its church interior kept intact. The back part also houses a function room that's really good to have a party in. It's on the pricey side, but if you want to go for a daytime coffee or pint, there are few places that would beat it. read more

The Church is a beautiful building with interesting concepts of all the different "parts" of the establishments. Restaurant, bar, nightclub...etc.? My friend and I came here for lunch on our only day in Dublin. She ordered a burger and I ordered a chicken sandwich that was recommended by our waitress. Both of our dishes were too large to eat by hand, so we ended up eating it by the way of a fork and knife. I personally didn't really like my sandwich because it felt that the chicken was too dry. I really loved the history behind the building though, such that Arthur Guinness was married here and Handel practiced Messiah on the organ. read more

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Welcome to Ireland and Welcome to the church. We decide to book our New Year's Eve dinner at this fantastic location with fantastic service, a fantastic atmosphere to spend the last day of the year in Dublin. We choose the 20/22 time slot with fixed menu dinner at the cellar 80 euros per person excluding alcohol. We show up at the door at around 9pm and find the first surprise, the queue to enter with at least 30 people in front of us. We point out that we have a reservation and that we are a little late and they tell us to get in line and wait our turn. We enter the restaurant after having been in the wind and cold for 20 minutes at 9.20pm and we are greeted by the friendly Manager Darren Moore, short with a white shirt and visible ass gnawing, he looks at our confirmation email and tells us that we are in delay of over an hour and our table is not available. He pretends to look at the PC and tells us he can't help us with dinner, "go out and find another place to eat". At that point, after having traveled for 2000km and having booked for over a month, the anger can only start. We ask for explanations and he only told "I can't help you, you are late, it is not my problem" and he shows us the exit despite the fact that we had paid the full amount of the dinner and despite the fact that we had the right to have dinner and have a reserved table until 10pm. We always try to find a solution with the nice dwarf in white Darren, but as a good manager of a classy restaurant he bounces us several times until he calls the security who was outside who pushes us and takes us strength to both me and my woman. Now Dear Darren hoping to never meet you again around Dublin because you know the world is small and Karma is big, we wonder how you manage to be manager of a club when you are not able to manage an emergency situation but prefer kick out customers rather than commit to finding them a solution instead of ruining dinner and New Year's Eve. And we wonder how the property can allow such a person who is not even able to manage "the horses race" to manage such a structure alone and for New Year's Eve. We are disgusted by the terrible organization but above all by the welcome you give to those who come to visit your land to spend moments of fun and happiness. Shame! In the hope that this review does not remain just a river of words... Greetings and never again from us and from those who I hope will read this honest review. read more

Sorry but they really need to get it together here. We were told to sit anywhere. We waited for 15 minutes then got up from our table and ordered our own drinks from John, the awesome bar tender. The goat cheese salad was made with 2 week old tomatoes and week old greens that I had to pick they because some was rotten. The 1/2 chicken was excellent. I wish I could say better things but I just wasn't impressed. read more

The Church - Bars Near Me - Dublin, D

Location location location...this place must be very popular! Luas and all the main retailers are literally around the corner! Loved the interior and design. Popped in there after Fringe Festival performance the other day, ordered me white cod with some salad and a glass of red wine following a cuppa cappuccino Coming back again! read more

The Church - Bars Near Me - Dublin, D

Wonderful pub in Dublin. I was told that you'll have the best Guinness here so of course I made my way over to investigate. Unfortunately, when we arrived there was a 40min wait for a table and the place was buzzing with tons of people. We made our way over to see if we could get a spot at the bar, to at least have a Guinness and then go somewhere else for dinner since we were already hungry. Not a chance...we did two laps around the bar and no luck. We decided to make our way out and then spotted two irish step dancers putting on a show, so we watched it until they were done and then made our way out. They were also set up for a live band and it was definitely a happening spot. I'm one of those impatient people when they're hungry and I won't wait more than 10mins for a table. I was disappointed we didn't get to stay and enjoy a meal and a good few Guinness pints. So just a heads up, there is a long wait for this place so don't walk in the door and expect to be seated right away. I love the whole decor and liveliness. The Church is so rich in Irish history and would make this review way too long to go into it. So if you're interested in a very cool, modern pub with tons of history check this place out. I can't give me true opinion on food or drink, but I hope to be able to come here next time I'm home and be able to update this review. Until then my fellow Yelpers. read more

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Very good restaurant in an inviting environment. Lots of history behind this converted church. Mendel wrote/practiced The Messiah on the organ. Be sure to take the self guided tour and don't miss the Irish dancers! read more

Requires 1entree per person while I wanted to order a bunch of appetizers Ordered chicken main course and it was as very dry. Salmon was okay it wasn't at a standard of a 30euro dish. Didn't like the service either Will not visit again. read more

I have often gone into The Church for after work drinks or a mid-shopping break. It's central location is ideal, and the preserved Church décor inside is really impressive. The atmosphere is usually very lively, with "traditional" music and dancing on a couple of nights a week. This is a bit too touristy for me, but it's good if you're into that kind of thing, and luckily it's not every night! I ordered food along with my drink for the first time last Friday - and was very happy with my Thai curry. The chicken was very tender and the vegetables were really fresh with just the right amount of crunch! All in all a very satisfying Friday evening treat. read more

The Church - Thai chicken curry at The Church - Bars Near Me - Dublin, D

This is a really is a beautiful building with many of the original church features retained such as the amazing organ that Handel practiced the famed Handal's Messiah on. In theory this should be a great spot for groups. Visited here with a group of work colleagues on what was not a particularly busy Thursday night & the table service was so slow. Several times we had fight for the waiter's attention and it is not like there was a shortage of staff working either. On the plus side the drinks menu is extensive with several Irish craft beers on offer and the cocktail menu looked impressive, if a little on the expensive side. Might need to pay a return visit to sample the food menu at some stage. read more

The Church - Bars Near Me - Dublin, D

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Lovely atmosphere in the heart of Dublin. Stopped in for a quick bite after a day of tours and caught the live music and dancers on a Monday evening. Food was good, priced reasonably given that it's in a tourist area if you go with the bar menu. read more

this is my first time coming here and the people are lovely. especially Florencia who made sure we were comfortable. the food was great and the portions were bigger then I expecte. 10/10 read more

Great decor and ambiance. The food was fresh, filling, and excellence. Fairly large portions. Plenty of drink selection. The live music and dancers during dinner time were very entertaining without drowning out our conversation. They state on the menu they don't split the bill. They have a very large and lovely outdoor seating area. The staff was very friendly and accommodating to our party of ten walking in around 1900. I would suggest this be in your top three places to eat while in Dublin, the church never fails to have something interesting to gaze at or talk about. read more

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Aesthetically, this is a lovely spot. As the name suggests, the bar is in an old church, and therefore, is huge, with high vaulted ceilings, and all the stained glass and epic wood carvings you'd expect. It also has a great little beer garden to the side with lots of outdoor heaters to keep you toasty as the weather gets chiller. It's a good spot if you've got some smokers in your gang that don't want to be skipping outside all the time, and of course if it's a sunny day. I haven't had the food so can't comment on that, but just a note on the beer. We were told upon asking for a Heineken that they only sell 'premium beers', then offered a Stella instead. Are Stellas really 'premium' now? And what's with the booze snobbery? Happily ordered a Stella anyway, until I realised, they were €6.10 each! I thought the boom days were over?!! read more

The loos are for all essences and purposes unisex. I'm not too cool with that. It's one thing if its a dive bar and there is only one toilet but there was a sea of toilets. It's design tries oh too hard to be cool. OK at the start of the night but as the night progressed you had messy drunk men stumbling in to use the hand-dryers... Because apparently none of them worked on their side. Not my spot for late at night, maybe a pre-game spot or a coffee spot during the day. No, no, no not my cup of tea at all. read more

The Church is an amazing looking place but apart from that, it contains what is probably the best beer garden in the city centre. During the summer, they regularly do an outdoor BBQ. During the winter, the outdoor area still has its charm if the heating is on but don't worry, inside is very warm indeed and there's loads of space. It's not the cheapest place to order a beer but it's far from the worst. They have a great selection of Irish Craft Beer on tap too but if you prefer bland then they also serve the usual suspects from the multinationals. I vaguely recall eating there years ago but I don't recall the meal so that means it was good but not worth remembering be it negative or positive. read more

I've spent many an afternoon at The Church. The service is excellent, the food is always top notch and the atmosphere is great. The staff are very friendly, they provide fast, efficient service and always with a smile. The food is amazing. I've never had a bad dish here and I've tried a lot of different options on the menu. I would recommend the Market Fresh Fish & Chips. The fish is cooked to perfection, the chips are delicious and it comes with a side of tartar and mushy peas. The Church Buffalo Wings are also very good, especially if you don't want a big meal. The portions are very generous (bring your appetite!) I absolutely love dining at The Church. Ps. Make sure to have a hot chocolate. (Yum!) read more

I've been here twice now; the first time I came with my parents and their duck was overcooked, the second time multiple people got duck and they said it was great. The food is always presented very beautifully, and tastes pretty good--not the best I've had in Dublin, but not the worst either. Could be a bit less costly for what they offer. Drinks took forever for us to get them, and one of them was wrong so we sent it back (taking over 5 minutes to get the new one). Also, being vegetarian, I asked if the soup of the day had vegetable or chicken or beef stock and the waitress said 'I don't know, its probably vegetable. No one has ever asked that before'. Way to make me feel comfortable and unsure about if I can eat that or not....another person at the table asked her to go check and she came back (once again, over 5 minutes later, to let us know that it was vegetable). Beautiful inside, but I'm sure everyone has said that! There was a live band at one point playing, but they were so loud that it was difficult to hear other people talking over them. read more

I was really torn how to feel about The Church. I kept asking myself how a church so steeped in history would end up becoming a bar. On one hand I was glad that this historic and beautiful building was re-purposed so that it could be seen and enjoyed. On the other hand I'm not sure how those interned souls and church founders would feel about this historic place of reverence being used for bacchanalia and clubbing. Here's how it works, three levels three menus. Two pricing tiers. There's budget priced bar food, and an eyebrow raising upstairs menu and daily specials. We stuck with the bar food and had a great bowl of seafood chowder and a beer at a reasonable price. The building is really the star here. The organ, the memorials, the stained glass and history. Arthur Guinness was married here. Handel practiced on the organ. It's in great condition and you descend in to the crypt to find the banos and a thumpin dance club. Not sure there's too much resting in peace going on. It was a true curiosity and I was glad I was able to see this grand old Church. That being said there was nothing here that compelled me to return. read more

Its alright. I went in on a weekday for food, a pint and a read of my book. Its lovely inside with lots of nice seating and the table service was good. I didn't love the food. I got the battered cod and chips and it was fine but a bit tasteless. It definitely looked nicer than it tasted, and I didn't find the menu that appealing. The toilets, as Annie said, are sort of unisex and they seem quite out of the way - you go downstairs and then you have a moment where you wonder if you're wandering into the gents by accident. For all their unisexness they're really swanky looking, although the first sink I went to didn't work and the first dryer I went to didn't work. Overall it was fine but I didn't love it. read more

It feels sinful to be schmoozing around with cocktails in a House of God but I suppose that's what makes it so fun! As a Yelper as previously said, it's a bit weird with the layout. If you are lounging at a table and happen to look up, you can see where the choir probably spend many an hour giving themselves laryngitis and swaying from side to side (but in an ever so dignified and holy way) and more than one person has mentioned that they are not very relaxed with the unisex bathrooms (Men should not see women put on makeup and we should not have to see men pee and not wash their hands) The bar is the main feature as it is the first thing that dominates the room when you walk in the door, however if you find yourself wanting to boogie, there is a pretty good dance floor downstairs (past the uni sex bathrooms) Nice place to start off the night (of DEBAUCHERY *Insert Evil Laugh*) read more

At the risk of sounding like my parents generation I must say that The Church is some "swanky digs". Considering it was an actual church at one point you get this strange feeling of shame and guilt in here because it is now a home to indulgence and pride. Even the barely separated mens and ladies bathrooms seem like a blatant attempt to flout the former purpose of the building. Another thing that's not too divine are its prices. Although the food is quite nice.....albeit shamefully decadent. I've a pain in my arse trying to come up with more religious shtick so I'll get to the point. Looks nice inside and has a cool novelty but not a whole lot else going for it. I actually found some (not all mind you) of the staff a little rude too. Guess it's one of those places to be "seen". read more

This is one of those must see place when visiting Dublin. Stop in for a coffee of pint and take a great look at what use to once upon a time be a Real church. This place is very beautiful inside and out and by all means take a look downstairs, its amazingly beautiful decor restaurant. Excellent place to dine for the evening, but on the pricey side........and pleaseeeeeee make reservations, your going to need it. read more

The Church - Yes this use to be a chuch and no that ain't holy water - Bars Near Me - Dublin, D

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How often can you call a church your local? Already a historical landmark for Irish political, business and literary heroes like Jonathan Swift, Arthur Guinness and Sean O'Casey, today The Church punctuates the Henry / Mary street shopping area as a welcome place for bag-laden shoppers and locals alike to set down their burdens. Stepping inside, first-timers are immediately swept up in the interior's grandeur - from an original (but silent) pipe organ, to hand-painted murals, replica tombstones and dark woods and marble, all lovingly restored by original owner John Keating. If it's a soft day, head inside and grab one of The Church's lush leather couches; if there's a shred of sun, make for cool cafe-style seating available outside. The lunchtime menu is varied, with wraps, sandwiches, salads and soup of the day offered along with finger-food platters for groups sharing. Unfortunately, the prices reflect the surroundings, and range from €8.95 for a Goat's Cheese and Spinach Salad to €13.95 for fish and chips. Leave the ground floor for the airy Gallery above and discover a more grown-up menu offering seafood, pasta and other dishes. An Early Bird menu is available from 5-7pm Sun - Fri, while the evening menu delivers on portions and taste. Pint lovers will find The Church taste runs toward mass-market, with no craft beers or specialties on tap. Lovers of Guinness, Miller, Corona and others will find prices again to reflect the decor, but quick table and bar service does make drinking it all in much easier. For casual pub explorers, be sure to avoid Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights for a first-time visit, as Dublin's bright young things pack the bar and make space a rarer commodity than a free seat. Go in on a lazy Sunday afternoon for a slow lunch and a long chat, and let the magic of this historic space make your weekend one to remember. read more