The Library Bar

The thick curtains and slightly faded Victorian furniture featured in this bar reminded me of the provincial hotels that you might find in Bandon or Tralee, requiems to former days of glory, and so it seemed the perfect spot for a Christmas drink with a good friend, who had been before and loved it. Unfortunately, the experience was muddied by the frowning man behind the bar, who was nothing short of obnoxious. I politely asked if they had Teeling whiskey (my new favourite tipple) and he almost spat, ‘No!’. Full stop. «Um, okay,» I meekly replied, feeling like a scolded child. «I’ll just have a Jameson.» The hostility radiating from this man was palpable and as the only person standing at the bar I felt quite awkward. As he slammed our drinks together I tried to neutralize the situation, asking if he had tried Teeling yet, and adding that wasn’t it great to have a new distillery in town. He barked back,“Tullamore Dew is better.” End of conversation. He might as well have added «Now shag off, you silly ninny.»
This behaviour is just plain unnecessary. I don’t want or expect to be fawned over by bar staff. But I also don’t expect to be patronized or ridiculed by the person who is taking cash from me! C’mon Mister. Be nice. It’s Christmas.

First time here and it is a warm cosy setting, old furniture and calm setting .
Drinks are fine expensive enough with an OK welcome from bar man .
Seating is small so hard get a table but we where lucky and did .
Ordered food and got fish and chips, very nice .
Bar bites are lovely… well recommended .
Quiet setting so would on, y stay for few but well recommended for old time drink in Georgia setting .
Makes a welcome change from modern noisy bars !

This is a nice little place that you wish less people know about so you could enjoy it more often. There is not a whole lot of seating and it’s really a gamble when you show up if you’ll get the chance to stay. Though, I can’t fault them on that because their seating is all oversized, comfy armchairs that you just sink into, so that is a sacrifice I can appreciate. But again: often crowded. There is a fireplace and vintage furniture, makes for a great atmosphere when you want a quiet drink, though it can get pretty loud because it’s often full. They do have a nice selection of drinks though it’s not as huge as some bars, but it’s a nice place for a Port or Whiskey.
I am a little put off by the staff, but it depends on who’s there. Sometimes they’re fine, not going out of their way to be nice, but decent. Though, one particular bartender is… tactless and comes off rude. Ordering from her is off putting because she doesn’t really listen or answer your questions. It’s too bad because when we come in and see that she’s working the bar it kind of puts you off. It doesn’t stop us though because we love the ambience and cozy feel to this place. Definitely somewhere you’d bring people visiting because the style and mood is hard to match.

Nice place for a quiet drink. It’s hidden away on the first floor of the Central hotel and even when its busy, it has a nice calm quality to it. The bar men are very nice too– I had a great chat about gin with one of them the night I was in. Its not a fancy place– there is a faded gentility to it that harks back to olden times. They dont have piped music so the only sound you hear is the buzz of conversation (and the odd mobile phone)
Check it out when you around that part of town.

Funnily enough I’d never even heard about this place until the first time I came here the other week. Turns out I was missing out!
Let me put it this way: cosy place for a drink. Comfy seating and good drinking options. What’s not to like?
This place is upstairs inside the hotel and kind of feels like a hidden find. Considering how crazy busy most bars get on the weekend, I came here on a Saturday night and it wasn’t too busy or noisy, we could actually sit down and have a nice chat!
I’ll definitely be keeping this place in mind next time I want to catch up with friends for drinks without going somewhere too crazy. The location is pretty central as well, so it’s handy no matter where you’re getting there from.

The Library Bar is a quiet and very quaint little niche, tucked away in Dublin 2. I went in there with some friends and had no idea what to expect, the setting alone is worth the visit.
It’s a quiet place with a old fashioned style of décor, really takes you back. It’s a great place to have a quiet drink and a chat with friends, perfect for a relaxed drink in the afternoon, a quick drink before you head out to dinner or, in our case, the perfect place to end a rowdy night out.
The staff were very nice and very accommodating as I asked them about their Port selection — I’m picky — and the Graham’s Ruby they had in stock was excellent.

Tucked away from the madness… This is a true Dublin gem! A very classic hotel bar yet open to the public, it’s located on the 1^st floor of the grand hotel on Exchequer Street and is a great little nook when you just want to have a good bar, with just the right amount of atmosphere so you can catch up and chat away with your friends. Introduced to this place through a friend recently and it’s on my list forever more now when it comes to finding that perfect, catch up with your friend over a drink.
The blend of people is great, age group is that bit older as in over 30’s so it’s got just the right feel for me. Blend of tourists but interestingly on the 3 times I’ve been here now it’s been good olé Dublin folk too. If you are after loud music and a sneaky pull, this is not the place but chilling is your thing… Yes. No frills the bar whilst a full bar, not sure they’d be accommodating the latest cocktail on trend for you but a pint, or a spirit an mixture… Sure!

A hidden gem in Dublin. This bar is beautiful. Old world style with creamy Guinness following.
Grab an arm chair by the fire and your done!

The Library Bar is such a great spot, a nice quite place to get some work done. The internet is automatic which saves you any time-​wasting trying to find someone willing to give the password. The décor you can see from the photos, is like your rich great-​aunts sitting room, and it’s so cosy and nice. There’s no background music at all, which I can understand might get awkward, but as I was there at a time when the place was full, it’s really quite pleasant. Everyone is chatting amongst themselves and it’s a lovely hum in the background if you’re doing some lappy toppy stuff. I just had a coffee here, which was grand, and it came with one of those caramel coffee biscuits, which is always a bonus. I’d love to come here for a drink some night though and see what the atmosphere is like. You can only pay by card for transactions over 10, which is a bit of a pain, but the staff were great and advised me to just get 10 cash-​back, so I was able to have my coffee.
You’ll only find the place if you’re staying in the hotel or if you already know about it and are actively seeking it out, which I think is kind of awesome. Love places like that.
As someone said below, it’s not really a place for a sunny day, as it’s very much inside, but definitely a great spot to nip in out of the cold or the rain.

Really cozy for a hot drink (alcoholic of course) on these seriously cold winter evenings. Delicious chocolate tarte too

I was a little underwhelmed by the Library Bar; I definitely expected too much. It’s on the first floor of the Central Hotel and overall, I’d say it seems a little run down. There’s a large bar area and a smaller side room where we ended up sitting — on a lovely, sunny Saturday afternoon it was pretty dark and dreary!
We had a couple of drinks and sat for about an hour to pass the time — the place was pretty busy and most tables were occupied, or snapped up within a few minutes. Near us were a couple of large groups of people so it seems this place is a popular starter place for a night out.
To get to the toilets you need to get a swipe card from the bar, which I thought was just plain weird — what’s to stop anyone just walking in and taking the swipe card? In the end, the ladies loo didn’t need a card as the door was propped open.
I think this place has so much potential but is a little more on the shabby side for me. Perhaps it’s more enjoyable when the weather is more dreich!

We booked a room at the Central Hotel before realizing the hype of the Library Bar; we were in luck! This is definitely a neat spot and worth the stop for a drink. You feel as if you’re taking a step back in time when you walk in; bookshelves, old, Victorian furniture, dark wood bar and a quaint atmosphere. The drink prices are on par with the remainder of the area, as is the service.
If you’re staying in the Central Hotel, this is the perfect bar for a nightcap. If you aren’t staying here, it’s the perfect afternoon drink spot. Either way, definitely worth the visit!

It’s cozy and unique (a bar in a library) and a little hidden… but it’s WAY too packed now and there isn’t really much standing space. Every time I go, you approach empty seats that have been empty for a long while and you get a glare from someone «these are taken» or «Saved.» I guess it’s more defensive customers that are ruining the experience for me.
Perhaps you’ll get lucky… and fine some nice seats. If so, take your time and chat a little — the atmosphere is perfect for it :)

A piece of heaven in the centre of Dublin, this is the perfect spot for a quiet beer on a Saturday afternoon or an after work drink. The have Peroni and San Miguel on tap, and do a decent hot toddy.
The best part. table service and a fire!

I should seriously be wearing some tweed garments, have a pipe in my mouth, a cocker spaniel at my feet, and noshing on scones for this review.
Alright I think I’m mixing up the Library Bar with Sherlock Holmes, sprinkled with bits of the Darling Buds of May.
Let’s tone it back a tad. I’m not even sure if there is any tartan or tweed in sight, and there definitely are no scones on the menu.
But there is dark wood, and big manuscript writing chairs (That’s it! I shall write a manuscript!), and gold fittings and dark wallpaper and muted lighting and plush carpets.
You feel a little like you’ve discovered somewhere you shouldn’t be. (Or is that just me and my overactive imagination?!)
Either way, it’s a hell of a spot. All cosy and warm and cosy and just so feckin well. cosy.
They have good WiFi so you can work away or have meetings til your heart’s content. I had some lunch here which was ok — it was crab salad — not brilliant, not terrible. A little saucy (in a not good way), and bland. And cost € 14.50. BUT still. My guest’s pork sausage sandwich and soup combo for a tenner looked and smelled delish.
My only complaint (besides not loving my food) is that perhaps it might be just a teeensy bit too quiet? Like perhaps some barely audible background music might be nice? Something atmospheric and classic? I reckon the staff in this place hear a lot of secrets…

Went there after a
event with some friends!
Atmosphere: great, luxurious lounge, upholstered chairs, dark wooded book cases, saloon style carpetted pub
Drinks: fresh and cold beer
Service: quick & friendly
Cost: € 5.2 pint
Location: middle of city centre, easily accessible.
Tip: you need a card to access the toilets, get it from the bartender :-)

The Library Bar is lovely little spot in the city. Good for a nice quiet drink to have a chat on sit alone and hear your thoughts.
The décor is plush and cosy. Think like going into an old manor house.
Everyone else has covered all the good parts so I’m just here to agree!

Sometimes you just want a pub experience that feels a bit more civilised, where you can sit in an armchair and pontificate… well the Library Bar is just such a place. Its upstairs int he capital hotel, so its not spilling out onto the street and it gets a minimum of chance passers-​by. There’s no music so its actually good if you want to a meeting of some kind and you want everybody to be able to hear each other.
Its especially cosy on a cold, wintry day

A cosy fireplace, pint of beer, a comfy sofa and good company, what more do you want?! Up the stairs from the Central hotel there are a couple of photo opportunies and my friend posed quite well for pictures by the big ornate mirror and while the cocktails are not as good as downstairs they are very reasonably priced.

I was shown this bar on Saturday night on a pub crawl with someone who has lived here for 10 years. We wondered where she was taking us to start with as you walk into a hotel and head up the stairs and end up in a very nice bar off the beaten track so to speak.
We only had one drink but it was enough to work out what a gem this place is.
The only issue I had really was having to use a card from the bar to go to the toilet. I mean really?
So try it out if you can find the way!