Cathedral

Been there several times and have had great food and drinks. First time I had the monk fish and chips which was the best I’ve ever had. That monk fish is top notch. Since they are also a bbq place I decided to have the pork ribs. Once again very delicious and perfectly cooked. They also have their own ale made by a local brewery called Cathedral ale which was delicious and easy to drink. Similar to Hop House 13.
The place also has a very nice décor. Perfect for a date or night out

I was excited to see mantra getting a makeover and a new name. I was told that there was a large amount of money spent on the renovation of the place and I’ll be honest I don’t see it.
I’ve been there twice now. The first time there was serious issues with what beers were available from the taps so I ended up having the home brew and its not fantastic. Went to the outside area and it seems to have been very cheaply renovated. The orange plastic glow bits in the ceiling were quite crude and the screws holding them in were sticking out at all angles. On top of the so called stage for live bands was tiny. The band that arrived when I was there refused to set up on it and it had to moved out of their way so they could set up on the floor.
The 2^nd time was a little better. The beer issue seemed to be sorted. They seem to be a bit cheaper then other bars. There was a pretty reasonable crowd for a Sunday night. However the general feel of the place is pretty cheap. Grand for students but there are nicer spots in Maynooth. Which is strange since you have to be 21 to get in there.

Mantra is gone and Cathedral has replaced it. Apparently this place has had a 2 million euro makeover… gulp. Although I guess if your house was 30,000 sq ft it might cost a few bob alright.
This place bills itself as a smoke house grill kinda thing so I was expecting ribs, burgers etc, instead we got caprese salads and chicken fancily piled up on a plate. It was good but not what we expected. It’s early days since they opened though so I’d imagine they are still trying to see what works.
Décor wise, this place is Mantra part 2. It has a much better layout than the old bar did but it’s still not exactly up my street. Not sure why, most people would be impressed. Maybe it’s the faux brick walls and pillars or the giant stone lions that look like you could pick them up. I do though like the new enormous winding staircase in the centre leading right up to the nightclub. Unfortunately the stairs is closed during the day so looks like the dancing shoes will have to go on if you want to check out what’s up there.