Hi- B Bar

Small and local. Like out of 100 years ago. this is the sense of a real bar. Close and good mix with the locals.

The Hi-​B is my favorite pub in Cork and probably my favorite in Ireland. They aren’t going out of their way to attract tourists like so many of the nearby pubs loudly advertising their «craic» to passing foreigners. The Hi-​B has a nondescript sign and you must ascend to it through a chilly stairwell. On first entry you may think you’ve mistakenly stepped into someones living room. There are a handful of chairs and couches, a cast iron stove, and a small bar to one side. The room isn’t much bigger than your standard living room. The beer selection includes several local micro brews and pints are under 4 euro before 6pm on weekdays. The crowd is mostly locals, but there are some tourists mixed in and the place is quite welcoming. Just don’t use your phone, they frown on that here.

Only tell a few people about this bar… Keep it cool and local!

Nestled above the corner of Winthrop and Oliver Plunkett street, is a unique little piece of Irish pub history. If they took the tiny advertising sign away, you would be forgiven for calling Hi-​B Bar a speakeasy, akin to PDT or Angles Share in New York City. It’s small, full of locals, and not well advertised; in other words exactly what I look for in a bar. If Cork ever has an YEE, this should be the venue, small and full of character.
You’ll find that pubs in Ireland are almost always on the ground floor of a building. Makes sense from a fire safety standpoint, and the fact that the Irish are notorious for loving their beer (sucks falling down a flight of stairs drunk, let me tell ya). So to find a bar on the second floor was exceptionally odd, and exceptionally cool. Hi-​B got around the law by being around for a while (like 110 years a while), which adds to the cool factor this place has going on. Another oddity of this place is the size; it may in fact be the smallest pub in Cork, the place could barely seat 10 to 15 people before it was full up. They do have an extremely strict «no cell phone» policy, which our bartender was quick to notify us about, and enforce. They are old school at this place, and I love them for it.
The tap lineup was good, rebel red (amazing beer if you see it try it), Beamish and the like. For spirits, if you could dream it they could make it, which was exceptional considering how small the bar was (NO clue where they were hiding all the bottles, it was like watching a magic show every time the bartender pulled another one out). The bartender was extremely pleasant, helpful and full of good stories. She seemed surprised that we took such a liking to this place; honestly dunno how one couldn’t, it’s such a uniquely awesome spot.
Hi-​B Bar may have been the coolest pub I found in the whole of Ireland; if you are ever in Cork and looking for a pint, this is the place to go.

A visit to the Hi-​B for a pint is an enjoyable trip back in time to 1920’s Cork when the pub first opened. I spent some time chatting with the owner who filled me in on the history of the pub that his father opened in the 1920’s. The current owner is quite advanced in age so get to the Hi-​B quickly to meet him to hear his stories.
As others have said, the place is tiny and seems that it still exists in the 1920’s. The patrons at the Hi-​B seem to be a mix of regulars and tourists passing through. It seems that Lonely Planet has put the Hi-​B on a list in their guidebook so tourists are a frequent sight at the bar hoisting a pint.
As others have said, Thursday night is music night. A singer and a small keyboard are tucked into the corner away from the windows.
The Hi-​B is quite lively, I enjoyed my visit.

We wandered in to the Hi-​B on cold February night to find a welcoming crowd and a cozy bar. This place is certainly ruled by its regulars. Cold pints, nice people, and Dylan on the radio made this a welcome stop for a few Yanks wandering Cork. If I ever find myself back in the lovely city of Cork, this will be my first stop.

good pint of beer

Rebel Red and Murphys on tap.
No mobile phones allowed.
You can barely swing a cat in there.
An old man playing Duke Ellington on the keyboard and young folks to elderly folks bopping their head away.
The place is ancient, unique and hidden away. Also you get to hear the newspaper seller on the streets below shout,
«Echo, Echo get your Evening Echo.»
A very authentic Cork City experience.

Me encanta este bar.
Se entra por un portal de Oliver Plunkett Street justo enfrente de Correos y hay que ir hasta la primera planta. Es pequeño pero muy característico, familiar. Te sientes muy a gusto. Es sobre todo la atmósfera que te encuentras.
Eso sí, los baños son un poco guarros.
De todas formas es uno de los mejores pubs que he encontrado en Cork para tomar algo en plan ‘tranquilo’ o tomar las primeras antes de ir a otros bares y pubs con más marcha.

Hi-​B ist definitiv einer der besten Pubs die ich besucht habe (und glaubt mir — ich habe jeeeeedeeeeeeee menge Pubs schon besucht: D)
Klein, gemütlich, charmant… einfach nur Klasse!
Freue mich schon auf nächsten besuch :)))

This is a 5 star experience but in a uniquely Cork fashion. Don’t come here for über cool décor or fancy facilities (or even basic one’s wha wha) but rather for the most intimate pint of stout accompanied by an ‘eclectic’ crowd of Cork’s finest!!!
Thursday night sing song not to be missed.

Hi-​B Bar is a lovely wee bar, every time I go in there I meet friendly punters, both young and old. Its an old fashioned kind of pub and i believe there are occasionally gigs in there, but I’m not sure how they even fit in there as it is a seriously tiny pub. The décor is simple and unpretentious. The toilets are basic.

Das HiB ist eine sehr alte Cork Institution. Ich wette, das viele Qyper ein größeres Wohnzimmer haben als dieser Bar. Mit roten Wänden und dunkles Holz erinnert es teilweise an einer alten Boudoir.
Wenn Dick o Sullivan hier für die Gäste Keyboard spielt, dann bebt der kleine Raum. Er ist ein Musiker der genauso ein Teil der Stadt ist wie the HiB. ein Besuch lohnt sich sehr.

A real Cork institution and a place you must visit if you’re ever by the Lee. It’s quaint, quirky and almost surreal. Just go there and you’ll know what I mean!

Nice little pub !
Mobile phone forbidden !! =)

If your ever in Cork city go here. The hi B bar is one of those pubs that time forgot. it’s an up stairs bar which is just one room that would remind you of an old sitting room with a bar at the top of it. It’s one of those places you’ll always remeber but probably never find again. Nice spot in the summer you can sit by the window with your pint and watch all the shoppers strolling about. Might not be everybody’s taste but I loved it.

In some ways a hidden gem. Easy to miss as one perambulates down this densely packed shopping street. The door is easily missed. One mounts some stairs to enter this pokey bar. The place is none too roomy. There is a crowd of regulars. It was in the not too distant past frequented by those of a republican mindset. The bar staff are upbeat and talkative. The place has an old world ambience which many find to be profoundly alluring. The location is very central. There is not much by way of tucker available. This is an eccentric pub, a real experience — not to be missed but by no means everyone’s cup of tea.

Prepare yourself for this bar — it’s a one off. A cranky landlord who everyone reveres precides over the Hibernian — or the Hi-​B as everyone knows it. Mobile phones are banned — if the landlord catches you using them, he’ll sling you out. Generally the rule is — what he says goes. Outside of that, you have a bar with a loyal following making for a good atmosphere and a fairly standard set of drinks. Its upstairs location makes it something of a hidden secret.