Ocean Bar & Restaurant

Great location and only a five minute walk from Google office in Dublin.
Nice cold pints but a bit on the pricey side.
Food is pretty standard pub grub.
Service is decent though I personally think they’re overworked when they’re really busy!

I work near to here so it’s one of our options for the occasional team lunch.
The food is so-​so, predictable pasta and rice dishes, sandwiches, soup. On my last two visits I had the steak sandwich and the BLT, both of which came in a very hard roll which made eating quite difficult. They come with shoestring fries and cost roughly € 10 each, if memory serves me correctly.
Service was also slow on both occasions which is off-​putting at lunchtime. A colleague had amazing seafood chowder so that may be next on my list.
However, the setting is wonderful and Ocean Bar comes into its own on a sunny evening as the people spill outside along the canal.
The seating is comfortable and the place is lovely and light-​filled, thanks to all the windows.

This is quite a nice place to meet for a drink or a bite to eat. The staff are really friendly — even when they’re run off their feet. If you’re bored you can always look at the people in the dock area engaging in water sports and lay bets as to whether they’re going to fall off!
Lots of comfy places to sit and the atmosphere does liven up as the evening gets going.

Friendly bartenders, pints of Guinness, ocean/​docs view, and lots of nice low seating near floor-​to-​ceiling windows make this a nice enough place for a Friday afternoon pint.
Restrooms are downstairs, the starters menu looked nice, and they have several private event rooms for rent. The outside patio gets busy.
All in all, a very safe choice for meeting friends if you’re in the area.

Went on a busy Tuesday evening with a voucher and we were immediately confused where to sit as there wasn’t a server visible. When we finally found the guy we had a nice table for two with a lovely view of grand canal. The atmosphere was weird, seemed like a really trendy and pretentious crowd and I was clearly not cool enough to hang. My boyfriend loved his chicken parmesan and chips. I ordered a mushroom risotto which surprisingly contained no mushrooms. None. Carrots and peppers instead. It was just ok. Redeeming factor of the place was the one waiter on duty. He was hauling ass, extremely attentive, and really nice. It cannot be easy waiting on some twenty tables alone, bless him. Someone give that guy a raise!

So I went here last night, armed with a deal for two that covered 2 glasses of Prosecco, 2 starters, 2 mains and a tea/​coffee each to end. All for € 30.
We went in and I was surprised to find so many people in there on what was a baltic evening in Dublin… I’d always assumed it was lifeless in there on nights like that.
Down we sat and were met by the chap who seems to be running the show: the epitome of good customer service. Pleasant, welcoming and chatty. He had the Prosecco over in no time and a pair of menus.
Both of us went for the chicken wings to start. I’d had them there before and they were tasty. I hadn’t banked on quite the same size of bowl coming out this time given they were a starter but I rubbed my hands in delighted anticipation when I saw what came out. I tucked in and they were delicious. «Gaw-DAYAM»…I would have said, had I not had a mouthful of food.
I somehow finished them all… along with two or three of my better half’s:-) and sat back to let them digest. It was only then that it dawned on me that there was a main course to follow. I wondered if there was any chance of getting them too hold off on bringing out the main course for, oh… say, 24 hours. I didn’t like my chances so I braced myself for the beer battered cod and chunky chips. The better half had the beef burger.
The cod was delicious. Lovely, chunky, meaty cod with a crispy batter and chunky chips on the side. Again, delicious.
I soldiered on to the end thinking about less fortunate people who would love such a meal and would finish it… and that it was my duty to finish it! :D
I couldn’t even finish my drink after but that’s down to the fact that I could and should have left something on my plate.
The food was great. The service was great and the atmosphere was better than expected. I’ll be back for food and that’s a fact!

Came back with the GrabOne coupon and had tea and a raspberry scone and took a winter fruit muffin to go.
The tea was Kenyan which i was not sure how that made it different from other teas and the owner was very informative but I still could not really tell the difference, guess I need to work on that! I’m not usually a fan of scones but theirs looked so good that I had to try and they did not let me down! The winter fruit muffin I thought was a cupcake so that was a bit of a disappointment when I bit into it, but it did have melted white chocolate on top… which made it pretty amazing. I expected diversity in the muffin/​cupcake in the fruit but all I got was raspberry – which is great with white chocolate, but I expected more.
The owner was cleaning the whole time which is great to see how much he cares about the place and let you know how clean it is. Some friends were visiting Dublin for a few days and we were trying to come up with some things for them to do other than Guinness and he had a few great suggestions that were off the normal super-​touristy path!

Typical new modern pub. No real feel to it, needs to be busy to be enoyed, not somewhere for a quiet drink — more like a hotel lobby!
Great view of the Grand Canal Dock though… hence the 2 stars!

Despite not actually being in, near or on an ocean, this bar does a reasonable job of keeping the water motif in check.
Situated a little while off the road and right on the Grand Canal Dock basin, there’s a great, relaxing view of the water where you can sit down on the dock with legs dangling over the edge. Thanks to the lack of any nearby buildings, on sunny days you get hours of uninterrupted sun, which would make this a great beer garden — were it not for the fact that you were drinking cocktails on what is effectively a small alleyway.
This outdoors area is responsible for the bars popularity on sunny days; There’s absolutely no way you’re getting a good seat if you arrive after noon. Fortunately, there is a marina nearby. All you have to do is purchase a small inflatable boat and paddle right up to the bar. Once you’ve gotten your drinks, just paddle out into the middle of the basin. Guaranteed seat, but you do run the risk of drunkenly capsizing. For bonus points, dress as a pirate and drink only rum-​based drinks while doing this.
On quieter days, the bar will occasionally run a three-​for-​the-​price-​of-​two offer on cocktails or beers. I haven’t figured out the pattern to these offers, though. On these quieter days, you’re going to be sitting inside. Even though there are loads of tables and chairs and there’s hardly any customers, it’s still difficult to find a table; For some reason, it seems that five customers are able to completely fill the seating. You brought the boat, just in case, right?

Nice views, great place to grab a bite though it’s a bit pricey.
Excellent seafood chowder and burgers.

Ocean Bar is a peculiar place.
Very, very, VERY popular among the Google-​crowd so the place is swarming with «Googlers» on a Friday evening.
The thing is… Ocean Bar isn’t the best pub. By far not.
The setting, in the middle of the re-​styled Grand Canal area, is typical «Celtic Tiger Posh».
Drinks and food are overpriced (last time I checked a pint was over the 5-​Euros-​bar, if I remember it correctly).
And: they don’t know how to pour a Guinness. They pour it in one go, without letting it settle first when the brew reaches the golden harp. They smash the foamy mixture towards you, I regularly get a wet, over-​flooded Guinness for me bucks — which has VERY negative effects on the taste.
Let’s face it: a Guinness at Ocean’s tastes like water, I don’t know how they manage it, but every can-​Guinness I pour at home is better…
But then, your usual Ocean’s Bar aficionado doesn’t indulge in Guinness. If they would serve Fleurtinies, that’s what the pseudo-​posh guests would order.
Cheap, bad tasting European and US «beer» (Carlsberg, Heineken, Budweiser, Coors Light) are the main sellers.
The only beer I would recommend here is bavarian white beer. They have Paulaner from the bottle — this at least ensures that they can’t mix it with water… but 5,70 Euros for one beer is just way too much money for value.
The only reason to go there is the rare occasion of a sunny evening.
Because the beauty of Ocean Bar lies OUTSIDE of Ocean Bar: you can take your drink outside and sit down, your feet towards the muddy waters of the Grand Canal.
Then, the sun on my head, a wheat-​beer from good ol’ Germany in my hand, I am at peace with the world and have a smile on my face. But only after payday :)

At one point my local, Ocean is a nice bar for a quiet pint, chilling out with friends on one of their couches or to grab a bite to eat. They once had a wider selection of beers, but they shrunk the selection somewhat a few years ago.
Everytime I get food there, I always gravitate towards the burger. Someday, I really will try something else from the menu, but I’m always satisfied by their burger, so I don’t expect to try new things anytime soon.
Late in the week, once the weather is good, it gets packed to the rafters and people overflow the outdoor area and sit along the banks of the docklands. Earlier in the week is good for a quiet pint, later in the week is good for post work drinks in a hopping bar.

Ah yes… there’s no better and more chill a place than Ocean Bar on a warm Thursday evening. The view is awesome of course… you get to watch swans swim by, and people walk throughout the brand new, beautifully lit Grand Canal Theater right across the water. The place had a good crowd but it wasn’t totally packed. I like places that don’t get totally packed, because I’m a big fan of plunking my ass down in a comfy chair while I drink brew as opposed to drinking at the bar while I look around for the next couple to free up a table. The restaurant/​bar environment is good looking and pretty comfy.
A crazy dude named Brian, who had already had a good few beers, came up to me and my husband for a crazy chat. He works for IBM, is getting married next week, loved that I was enjoying my time in Ireland, and absolutely HATED my beloved brown hat. UURRGGG, I love this hat and assured him that he did not want to see the messy hair underneath. This did not appease him at all and he said I was just hiding the view of my beautiful face. Next time I will return sans hat. :-D
Beer selection isn’t fantastic, but they’ve got the basics and a Carlsberg suits me fine anywhere. Our brews were not cheap, as this place is pretty expensive. This is OK by me as I can afford it, and would only come here to have a fancy pint or cocktail with a great view. Crowd varies between business chill (after work crowd) and chic pretentious (pre-​theater crowd) so go depending on what you’re mood is. Seems like a great place to network and/​or discuss exciting future career plans! :-)

City slickers who’d rather steer clear of the crowded seafront hotspots would do well to check out Ocean, found on an attractive waterside location in Ringsend. The Main Bar is a bright and airy room with floor to ceiling windows opening out onto the patio. Contemporary décor within this stylish bar provide an exceedingly pleasurable setting to enjoy pre-​dinner drinks.
The warm and inviting Ocean Lounge, which can comfortably accommodate up to 100 people for a meal or reception is where we enjoyed our dinner. Admittedly, its menu can be a tad uninspiring on occasion, but the restful and gentle scenery easily makes up for it. I opted for what I deemed, theoretically speaking, the most adventurous menu option, that being Lunch Baked Crab Cakes with Cous-​Cous Salad and Sweet Chilli Jam for € 12.25. I also ordered Sauté Potatoes for € 4.50 to accompany the fish. Everything was to my satisfaction with the Sweet Chilli Jam providing a very pleasing punch that really enlivened the whole dish.
Ocean Bar and Restaurant provides a pleasing place to relax within the cosy and spacious interior the venue proffers. The views over the water through floor to ceiling windows allow you to soak up the evening sun on the waterside patio. A welcoming ambience with friendly and efficient service confirm this as a definite place to visit.

Der Aussage meines Vorredners in Sahcen «Google Bar» kann ich nur zustimmen: Hier hängt die versammelte Google-​Crowd z. T. noch mit Namensschildern zum After-​Work-​Pint ab. :)
Auch sonst ist die Ocean Bar ein beliebter Treffpunkt nach Büroschluss, hierher kommen vor allem junge, gut verdienende Menschen aus der Umgebung. Die Atmosphäre ist eher relaxed als posh, und bietet einen schönen Rundumblick auf das Grand Canal Dock.
Lecker, wenn auch ziemlich scharf sind die Chicken Wings, die es um 8EUR gibt. Das Pint Guinness kostete beim letzten Mal 4,80EUR — nichts Ungewöhnliches in Dublin.
Besonderen Reiz hat die Ocean Bar im Sommer, wenn in der Abendsonne die Beine am Dock ausgestreckt werden entsprechend voll ist der Laden und die Terasse dann.

THE BEST chicken wings in town!

I like the Ocean Bar. On a nice day, there’s no better place to have a drink out in the sunshine. You can sit on the deck, throw your legs over the side and enjoy it by the water.
The Grand Canal/​Hanover Quay area is a busy little mecca, and there’s always a great atmosphere around. There are lots of little trendy café/​restaurant/​bars dotted around the place and I think this contributes to the buzz of the place greatly.
The bar itself isn’t particularly spectacular. I tend to only go there on sunny days, and so does everyone else. I’ve never known it to be jammers on a rainy mid-​week night. But then again, I’ve never gone on this kind of night so how would I know!

Auch bekannt als die Google bar. Haben die den Laden bereits gekauft? Wie auch immer, nette Location am Wasser, nette junge Leute. Oben Lounge, unten ein kleiner Dancefloor. Mir hat hier etwas die Originalitaet gefehlt, das Ocean ist gut, aber extrem unspektakulaer. Drum herum ist ausserdem nichts, da die Docks etwas ausserhalb liegen. Das macht den Laden automatisch zur after work /​vorglueh location, also nichts wo man lange bleibt.

Der Klassiker unter den modernen Dubliner Bars. Bei gutem Wetter ist die Location unschlagbar: Mit einem Pint in der Hand am Ufer sitzen ist großartig! Das Essen ist sehr gutes Pub Food der gehobenen Klasse (empfehlenswert ist z.B. der Goats Cheese Salat). Im Sommer bei gutem Wetter am Freitag Nachmittag ist es hier brechend voll, wie eine gigantische Stehparty rund um die Oceans Bar. Viele Google & Accenture Mitarbeiter, da die beiden Headquarter gleich um die Ecke sind.

Die Ocean Bar ist der beliebteste After-​Work Hang-​Out für all die coolen IT-​ler und Dublin Yuppies, die es in die Dockland Area verschlagen hat. Auch ich bin dort jeden Freitag nach der Arbeit gewesen um mir das ein oder andere Feierabend-​Pint zu gönnen.
Über die Ocean Bar muss vorn-​weg etwas gesagt werden: dieser Spot ist SUPER COOL, denn — Legend has it — wird es entweder von Bono von U2 oder von Colin Ferral, dem irischen Sauf-​Bruder bekannt aus «The Recruit» oder «Alexander» besessen. Jedoch wurde weder der eine noch der andere von mir dort jemals gesehen…
Zur Lokalität: in Dublin könnte man sich eigenlich keine szenischere Lage wünschen, denn die Ocean Bar liegt direkt am Wasser und bietet mit seinen großen Fenster-​Flächen einen schönen Ausblick über das Neubaugebiet: Docklands (dem neuen trendy Hang-​out). Das Flair ist eher loungig mit Ledersesseln– und couches um kleine Sofatische herum (die nicht gerade praktisch zum Essen sind). Jedoch spielt sich viel der Kneipenkultur in Irland seit dem Rauchverbot von 2004 draußen ab. Im Sommer kann man dann auf der Kai-​Mauer sitzen und den Kindern beim Brückenspringen zuschauen.
Das Essen in der Ocean Bar lohnt sich auch. Jeder meiner Gäste war bis dato von den Roasted Peppers oder den Chicken Wraps begeistert. Nur ein paar Punkte der Warnung:
— es ist voll und die Barbesetzung nicht immer aufmerksam (außer zu den «known faces»)
— das Bier dort ist ECHT teuer (aber es gibt auch deutsches Beck’s)
— Wein gibt es nur in 2 Sorten: weiß und rot
— für große Gruppen IMMER vorreservieren