Need a bargain after-work drink, and something to wear while painting the town red?
CAROLINE MADDENhas a few ideas
Plain prices for a pint is your only man
Torn between heading for a sociable tipple after work and keeping your “discretionary” spending within budget? Although the average price of a pint of beer in the capital stood at an exorbitant €4.85 in May (according to CSO figures), many publicans have begun slicing their prices in a bid to fill half-empty bars and dance floors.
So although happy hours may be but a fond memory, the days of getting a decent handful of change from a fiver have returned – you just have to be prepared to shop around.
Take Dicey Reilly’s, for example. It’s a favourite watering hole for the accountants on Dublin’s Harcourt Street, but don’t let that put you off. Head there today, or indeed any Thursday, and you can get a variety of drinks including glasses of beer and selected shots for €3.
Across the river, the Vaults is currently offering two drinks for the price of one on Fridays to entice the IFSC work crowd through the door. This offer applies to all drinks, and quality brands such as Huzzar vodka and Coca Cola are used rather than slipping customers bargain- basement spirits and “splashes” of cheap mixers, as often happens with such offers. Fans of bubbly will be pleased to know they won’t be served cheap prosecco – the two-for-one offer extends to glasses or bottles of Tattinger. Head before 10pm to avoid the €10 cover charge.
The Scene, located beside Stephen’s Green shopping centre, is a venue that has suffered a number of identity crises over the years. Its new incarnation is as a hardcore rock and metal venue. This latest rebranding move has seen cheesy chart music and r’n’b banished, but has also seen all drinks slashed to an impressive €3.50 (although splits are extra). For a more comprehensive guide to finding a cheap pint, see www.pintofplain.com. It has a clever calculator that will work out how much you could save over a week, a year and five years by simply changing your local.
nIf culinary pleasures are more to your taste, Balzac Brasserie (previously La Stampa restaurant) on Dawson Street is currently offering a three-course meal for €25. Unlike most deals of this kind, it is not confined to early bird hours, but runs at all times.
The former golden boy of haute cuisine Gordon Ramsay may have lost his lustre of late, but eating in his eponymous restaurant in the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Powerscourt, Wicklow is still a worthwhile fine-dining experience, particularly now that a two-course terrace menu is available for €35, and three courses for €40. This offer is only available from Sunday to Friday, between 6pm and 7.30pm.
Floaty fashion with a fine cut price
The ultra-feminine floaty dresses and blouses in silk chiffon and lace from Peter O’Brien’s capsule collection for A-Wear were added to many a fashionista’s lust list when first launched earlier this summer. However, their high-fashion price tags meant they were just that little bit out of reach for many – until now. Selected items from the collection have been significantly reduced. For example, the Rita ruched dress in navy or duck-egg blue is now €130, down from €190.
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Stunned by high prices or bad service? Want to share a bargain? Let us know at www.irishtimes.com/blogs/ pricewatch
