The Horse Show House

After a long day of travel, we were looking for something close to where we were staying and this was right up the street. Cool ambiance and plenty of classy seating options. The menu was somewhat limited but the price was very affordable. They offer daily specials and the portions are plentiful. I had the tomato basil soup with brown bread. I was very excited about the rhubarb apple crumble however it wasn’t sweet enough for me and I would have preferred it served warm.
Our waitress was very friendly and efficient.

This pub is great on rugby days and is really handy to the Aviva and RDS. It gets pretty busy on match days but the bar queue does move fairly quickly, they always seem to have plenty of staff on to cope. They have a massive beer garden out the back for sunny days with plenty of seating available and at the side they have a sheltered outdoor area again with plenty of seating, good for smokers and rainy days.
They do good pub grub too!

Been here a couple of times now and would def go back again.
It is right opposite the rds so very handy if you are attending an event there.
There is a covered annex to the side of the main lounge which also has a bar but as it classed as outdoors it can be used for smoking.

The inside is a bit tight but it actually goes way further back that you’d expect so except when there is a huge abnormal crowd, like during Web Summit, there is ample space. The atmosphere is a traditional pub feeling with a fairly dimly lit space. The best feature is the beer garden out back though which is expansive and great for groups or getting fresh air. There is even a fairly large bar set up outside with some good brews available. It’s a bit of a hike from the city center but a good choice for drinks with friends.

How could I miss that place in the last 2 years living in Ballsbridge?
The pub itself is very old fashioned but what is actually amazing is the huge beer garden next to it — probably only open when the sun is out, but soooo cosy! All in natural design and a small stage in the back, I was wondering where the live music came from –now I know!
Well, defo worth to go there people if you have a day of sun soonish :)

Being busy does not suit this place. If you see a crowd on the day you arrive, leave!
Just had a sandwich that should have been toasted come out cold and with different ingredients to what was shown on the menu. However i was waiting so long to order & for the food to arrive that i was too hungry to send it back & wait for another order to be made up!

Oh, The Horsehow House — the usual first stop for my friends and I after UCD exams at the RDS across the street. It’s a pretty nice place, although relatively quiet the past three or four times I’ve been there. I’m sure it can get busy at times with the RDS just across the street.
Friendly staff, good prices and a relaxing atmosphere make this an A-​OK place to grab a drink if you’re in the area.
The beer garden in the back is huge and lots of fun, although with this summer’s heat it was a bit too warm in the afternoon as there were no umbrellas on the tables.

I’ve been here a couple times for my husband’s after work drinks, and each day it’s been a pretty good place to go. The only food I’ve ever had there is their pub snacks… deep fried sausages, french fries, etc. So, I don’t know how the food on the menu is. The waitresses and the bartenders have all been nice and helpful. My husband’s drink glass got knocked over and shattered in his hands as he tried to catch it. The waitress immediately came over with a first aide kit and continued to come check that he was okay. They even brought us a free appetizer platter afterwards!
The inside of the building is pretty neat. I imagine that with it being right across from the RDS, that it can become pretty busy before and after events there. Although many of the reviews here say it’s a quiet pub, it’s actually been pretty busy each time I’ve been, although it was always on a friday night when I’ve been there. Some friday nights they also have live music. Definitely a nice, casual place to go, especially with large groups.

The Horseshow House is a bit down the road from the busier trio of Mary Macs, Crowe’s and Paddy Cullens which means that on a normal night its less busy. It’s handier though if you’re at Christmas on Ice because it’s just across the road.
It’s one of those pubs you don’t really notice most of the time even though it’s grand. I’ve met up with friends in here a few times because there tends to be enough room for a bigger group and the staff are attentive. If you prefer pubs when they’re quite and relaxed you might want to avoid the Horseshow House on match days but if you enjoy a good crowd and a great atmosphere do come by.

The Horse Show House is perfectly situated as a giant beer dispensing base ball mitt for the RDS. If you’re in town for a Horse Show, or a Horse Show on Ice (which is inevitable and much anticipated, by me at least), this will be the closest and busiest boozer near you.
The interior is very traditional, slightly dark and clad in heavy wood. It has a giant car park behind it, which may or may not be a secret, I wouldn’t know, I don’t have a car.

The Horse Show House is a popular lunch-​stop for many of the officey folk in the ballsbridge area. They do a great carvery (massive patefuls of the roast of the day, served with mash or roast potatoes, two veg and gravy), a selection of other hot dishes like lasagne or chicken breast and chips, soup, sandwiches and other pub-​grub favourites. I really love that they serve cocktail sausages and chips in a basket, unfussy, pre-​Celtic Tiger cuisine.
The place is much quieter in the evenings — its much too bright and open-​plan for my liking — but it gets rammed on match days and is also a good venue for meeting a group of people — no lack of tables here! There’s a few chairs out the back for the smokers too.

You know those pubs you pass on a regular basis but never go in, and you cant for the life of you understand why as its on the way home and looks ok but you just never get around to it? The Horseshow House is exactly like that… for everyone! I have never passed it and seen anymore than 5 people on the customer side of the bar, how in blazes does it survive? It always has a sandwich board up declaring the days food specials which sound great and at very reasonable prices but again, quiet on the customer front.
And then the Horse show or some such even happens in the RDS across the road and sweet jeebus, you see how it survives and how the staff switch gear from idle to full throttle. The atmosphere alone will get you drunk never mind the copious pints you want to swill as you get caught up in the feeling of general well being!
So, wait for a big event and then give it a shot, tremendous fun!

This huge pub is completely empty, manned only by a single bored barman reading a book, about 80% of the time. The other 20% of the time it’s rammed. I mean limbs hanging out the windows sardine can rammed.
Good fun though, even if you can’t move.