The Old Stand

We are from the US and stopped in while we were walking Dublin because it was was there in front of us when we were hungry. We were able to sit at the bar and were pleasantly surprised to have delicious meals. My son had a burger, my husband the fish and chips and I had the best Chicken Tiki Masala I’ve ever had! The bartender was pleasant, too. I almost gave the establishment 4 stars because the surrounding benches have very low tables… I couldn’t imagine eating at them. I’m sure drinking from them and having some chips is just fine though. But since I am basing the review on my actual experience I gave it 5!

The Old Stand is my favorite pub because it’s in the heart of City Center; it’s clean, light and breezy; it has a unique space; and, it offers decent wines by the glass and good eats.
A combination of tourists and locals fill this pub and there’s pretty consistently a good buzz.
Sit up front and enjoy the natural light that filters in though the large windows. The tables surround a bar that’s right smack in the center. There’s also another bar in the rear of the establishment. But, there’s a quieter little corner up front that is typically available and has about four or five bar stools for friends to gather.
Last, but not least, the wine-​by-​the-​glass offerings are really decent and the fries (chips) are pretty yummy.
I fell in love with this pub and the cool bartenders when I first moved to Dublin and I have returned over and again.
The Old Stand is a great ‘old standby’… cheers!

We had been walking around Trinity College and town all day. We wanted good Irish food and drink and this place looked good. We were not disappointed! The delicious dishes we tried were the fish pie & chips, Guinness casserole & mashed potatoes, and Irish stew. Fabulous!

Why am I paying € 5.10 for a mediocre pint of Guinness in 2012? Is it because the ’ active 55+’ G&T set are paying for the privilege of not having to rub elbows with the active 55– crowd? Last time I checked, Dublin pubs were multigenerational institutions. While I understand that there is a market for a bar in Dublin that caters to an older, pre-​dinner crowd with bourgeois aspirations, I want nothing to do with it, least of all the € 5.10 pints. I’ll be nearby at Grogan’s with the active (and relatively inactive) 55+ gentlemen murdering pints and appraising the wall hangings.

Nice boozer with good food.

The Old Stand is pretty standard fare, reliant on passing tourists and local business folk to turn a trade. Location is excellent and staff and friendly and efficient enough.
Sadly the food isn’t all the price would have you believe. Having the only veggie option on the menu I was disappointed with greasy chips and a pretty depressed looking stir-​fry.
A pint of Heineken set me back an extortionate € 5.35! Perhaps in 2007 that was a reasonable price but with every pub within a two min walk at the 5 or under price mark it’s simply too much.
With a array of nearby pubs offering better food and more palatable prices I’d leave The Old Stand to the tourists.

This place is definitely doing something right because it’s always busy. I’ve been in a few times on my break for a pint of really really good guinness and one of the home-​cooked-​style dinners which are also great. If you’re into mammy food, then this place is for you.
Service is prompt and I never noticed the barstaff under pressure, no matter how busy it gets. They just keep the old head down and get it sorted.
It loses one star because it’s a wee bit cramped for me and the tables are a bit small (2 meals, 2 glasses of water and 2 ints of guinness will struggle for room).
Definitely worth a visit if you’re looking for a bit of pub grub and a good pint but don’t bring too much shopping… there’s simply no room for it!

The Old Stand is just that. I can often be found there. Real friendly Barpersons that have the knack of including other people in the chat. Yes suitable for active 55+is. Have just (November 2010) installed an electric food lift to replace the rope driven dumb waiter. One of the great pubs in Dublin that has not succumbed to major change.
Perhaps we should not praise it much more as it is only able to accommodate a very large crowd. Children not admitted as there is not enough room for buggies.

Not fantastic but not bad either. It’s a nice little place to stop in for a pint or two and maybe watch a game. The bartenders are friendly and fast. I caught the older bartender checking out the younger bartender’s ass, he just gave «the nod» and had a silly gin on his face. Be warned it can get very packed inside, especially if there is a game on. Also be warned of the stairs down to the men’s bathroom, they can be a bit tricky. I saw this guy, after being an ass to a bunch of women, he almost wiped out down the whole flight. It was hilarious.

Well my arty friend came to stay again. Lovely !!! Got my ‘how to bluff your way in art’ book out, found my glasses, looked suitably inttelligentl, and off we go …
The Old Stand is now so old that I feel terriby sorry for all who enter here. There is an atmospere of jaded noncholance I do not understand. Lamb shank braised is about the best dish they do. Served by a person whose command of the English (Or Irish) language is inadequate.
Back in the day, we all loved their lunches, especially their mashed poptaotesl wooooooooooooooeeeeeee… but, alas, those were the days. We both had Lamb shank, ok, we both were not impressed with the food, nor the service. Pablo could not wait to get to the art gallery, I was sorry everything at the Old Stand was not much, much
better,
Maria A

Popped into this spot on a Sunday in August about 3pm with a friend of mine and the two of us sat out the (tiny) front shooting the breeze with a couple of pints of Bulmers in the baking sun (how often do you get to say that?!) and watched the world go by.
I came to a number of realisations as I sat there:
1) People who write the doom and gloom news we hear every day should be shot — things aren’t that bad
2) The population of Dublin is looking as attractive, happy and vibrant on a sunny day in 2010 as they did in our supposed heyday of 2007 — sure we’re all a bunch of rides! ;)
3) This place does a decent auld pint — great afternoon!

The Old Stand has a great atmosphere if you come here to watch the Rugby, but it is also usually packed so you’d have to get here fairly early. It is known as being a Rugby pub and usually has a lot of Rugby fan paraphernalia around the place. It has a nice, friendly atmosphere most of the time and you can always have a decent pint here. While it is a nice pub and very handy because it is smack-​bang in the middle of the city centre, there is nothing really sticking out about this pub and there is probably places where the crowd is a bit younger and the atmosphere just as good.

A favourite of rugby types during the six nations season. This city centre hostelry just off Grafton Street is a favourite of older drinkers and is usually fairly packed. Perhaps the one thing that stands out is its brightness — the feng shui of the place seems to include having the full house lights on at all times. Definitely not a good option if you are on a blind date.
Don’t let the bright lights put you off, as it can be a great meeting point and can be conducive to passing an hour or two waiting for your table in a nearby restaurant. My gentleman friend recommends that you go easy with the pints, as the nosebleed inducingly steep stairs to the men’s underground toilets can prove tricky.

The Old Stand, ah what a great pub, been there twice and would not hesistate in going back ever. Locals are so friendly but not intrusive. Bar Staff are proper Bar Staff. Booze is resonable but never free. Tipping is not an offense. Bar Staff serve one of the best pints of Guinness in Dublin. At least the know how to pull it. The Pint that is. Don’t take kindly to load people. (people who like to hear the sound of their own voice) Prefer you to just sup your beer quietly, and keep your complaints to yourself. Not that you’d have any there. Good for a quiet pint and some headspace. A must for the quiet man /​woman.

I’m not much of a drinker, but The Old Stand has such a facinating history. We went on a literary pub quiz and found out that it was where the political uprising in Ireland was being planned and plotted. But that was this century, it’s actually about 300 years old and was quite important in the medievil days — the bar staff are usually happy to divulge a few interesting facts along with your choice of drink.

This pub has a gorgeous interior and is a good spot for watching those all-​important rugby matches.

I was first invited to The Old Stand by a local friend for lunch one day, on the promise of a great and unique feed. He wasn’t wrong.
The Old Stand is a reasonably small and traditional Irish pub, but a generally more polished version. Large windows lend a lot of light to this cosy little place with it’s comfy seating and cute little tables (although these can seem unfortunately small if you have a group trying to get a meal together). The well-​maintained timber and fixtures seem to appeal to a slightly more gentile clientele than a lot of pubs in this part of Dublin, so if you’re looking for somewhere to go and party hard you are probably better off heading to other, bigger, brasher pubs in the area — or doing the 5 minute walk over to Temple Bar.
However, if you’re looking for somewhere classy but unpretentious, and/​or if you love your rugby, the Old Stand could be the place for you.
But back to the food. The general menu is fairly standard fare and is all quite nice, but the piece de resistance has to be the giant meatball with chips and gravy. It may or may not sound appetising, but any self-​respecting carnivore will find this menu item an absolute treat. The meatball itself is probably about the size of a large man’s fist, and is guaranteed to satisfy. For the vegetarians, there are certainly menu options for you as well.
A charming, laid back little pub, this is perfect for a quiet place to kick back with a pint or a plate.