'James, would you be willing to go to Dublin for a week?'
Before Daniel S could come to his senses, I quickly looked him dead in bright white apple with the bite taken out of it (we were both huddled over our MacBooks at the time) and said, 'what do you think?'
Sometimes I love my job. A quick few clicks of the online booking system a few lies about how Delta was the only airline that could possibly get me to Dublin and off I went.
So that explains the 'why' of Dublin. The 'what' is where the charm of the place lies, though, and The Tap House holds the banner high in that regard. The lads at work had given me tons of guidance of what to do (in other words, where to drink Guinness) while in town, but I went to another Ancient Chinese Secret. I asked a cab driver. And without hesitation, he pointed me towards The Tap House.
When in Dublin, you don't ask if they have IPA, the secret code word is 'Craft Beer,' and Tap House has a wide selection of some of the best locally brewed crafts around. I settled in at the bar and went with the first that I saw on the menu. And some chicken wings, please, I heard that they are special.
My non-Irish accent drew the attention of one of the local patrons named Don. Don made an excuse to move over to my side of the bar, ostensibly to read the paper that was lying next to me, but instead quickly struck up a conversation. That is the beauty of Dublin, there is no such thing as a stranger, only those people you have not yet met. Don and I chatted the evening away, talking about everything between the latest match on TV to world politics to the prices of a flat downtown. The wings came, they were delicious and perfect. The crafts kept coming, they were perfectly hoppy and fresh.
Eventually Don made his exit, only to be replaced by another couple of local patrons that had overheard parts of our conversation and wanted to give me more advice about what to do (where to drink Guinness) while in Dublin. We chatted for a few more crafts and probably another order of wings.
Let's back up and regroup for a second here. American guy strolls into a pub way off the beaten path of what would be considered 'tourist area' of Dublin. Server behind the bar greets him with a smile and offers advice on the local selection of crafts, then pours it up and brings it over. Local patrons quickly and easily make conversation with this stranger in a strange land, treats him as a welcome guest afforded every ounce of Irish Hospitality. At the end of the evening, they pour him into a taxi and give the driver explicit instructions on where his hotel is. And make promises to meet up the next evening for more of the same.
I learned quite a lot that evening. The world is a tiny place, and what makes us different makes us remarkably the same. Sure, the beers, the ambience, the food at The Tap House was all wonderfully first rate. But I've had first rate at many places across the globe. What sets The Tap House on another level, though, are the locals that call The Tap House their hang. If I lived in Dublin, this would be one of the places that I would frequent. As someone that can't (yet) claim that privilege, I will have to settle for putting this on my return visit list and implore any other wanderers to stop in and sit for awhile. You won't be disappointed.
5 stars and hits the Must Do list.