The Celt — Restaurant in Dublin

What happened Celt!!!!!?

Yesterday, we were lucky enough to stumble upon one of our favourite pubs in Dublin, just in time for the Champions Cup game: La Rochelle vs. Munster, kicking off at 6 pm. The place was absolutely packed — except for the dining area booked, which makes up a good third of the bar.

After 15 minutes of awkwardly standing behind the bar like extras in a rugby-themed movie, we decided to ask the staff if we could sit at one of the tables marked as “booked.” To our relief, they said yes — but with a catch: if the people who actually booked the table showed up, we’d have to clear out. Fair enough, we thought. Seems like a decent deal.

Now, here’s the kicker: the tiny handwritten booking signs scattered across 7 or 8 tables (around 30 seats in total) didn’t mention any times. None. Just “Booked.” Mysterious. So, naturally, at halftime (40 minutes in) and again around the 55th minute, we politely asked if there was any word on when these mystery guests might show. The answer? A shrug and a “No clue.” Apparently, not even the staff knew the timeline or the plan for releasing the tables.

Finally, at 7:40 pm — after we’d sat through almost the entire game — the first members of the bachelorette party finally arrived.

Here’s where it gets fun: We hadn’t ordered any food (because who wants to wrestle a plate of wings standing up?). We kept our drinks to a minimum, just in case we had to suddenly evacuate. So between the four of us, we had just three pints in total — when, under normal rugby-watching conditions, we’d have easily smashed 7 each.

So I couldn’t help but do some back-of-the-napkin math: Let’s say 7 tables x 4 people per table x 6 pints x €7.50 = €1,260 Add in food: 7 tables x 4 people x €20 = €560 Grand total = €1,820 left on the table (literally).

Now, I’m no business guru, but if The Celt is happy to wave goodbye to nearly two grand in 90 minutes, just because they didn’t bother writing the booking time on the signs, well — that’s a bold strategy!

All jokes aside, it’s still one of the best pubs in Dublin. Just a tip for next time: book ahead, or risk becoming a professional...

I am writing to share some feedback following a recent visit to your establishment, as we believe it's important to highlight our experience.

Upon settling our bill, we were surprised to learn that splitting the bill between four people was not permitted. At no point prior to this were we informed that splitting payments was not allowed.

When we explained to the waitress that we only had enough funds on our individual cards to cover our own meals, her response was both dismissive and unprofessional. She remarked, “You really only have €20 in your bank?” and then laughed to herself, which left us feeling quite embarrassed and uncomfortable.

We asked whether the system physically could not process separate payments, and she replied, “No, it’s just more work for me,” which we found disheartening.

In addition, one of our friends had to leave early and paid his share of €17, which included a €2 service charge. The remaining group was then charged an additional €9 service charge. We were also charged for an extra pint, which had already been paid for by the friend who left early. We have receipts confirming this payment, but given the overall attitude and unwelcoming approach from the waitress, we chose not to return to dispute the charge in person.

On a positive note, the barman was friendly and professional. Unfortunately, the experience with the waitress overshadowed this and ultimately left us disappointed with the service.

We hope this feedback is taken constructively, as we believe customer service plays a key role in any dining experience.

It was the mentioned waitress that cost the Celt a...

Visiting this pub left a mixed impression. Overall, a nice authentic atmosphere, like many Irish pubs. My friend and I visited this pub last Friday. We arrived at 17:30 and asked for a table for two. We were seated in the second hall in the aisle, while there were other more comfortable seats available. Since the hall smelled of cigarettes, we asked if we could sit in another hall. We were seated at the end of the large third hall, which was completely empty at that time, some tables had reserved signs. The table we were seated at had no sign. We ordered beer and snacks and had a good time. The hall gradually filled up, pleasant music was playing. But at 19:40 a girl came up to us (without a badge with her name and position, but from her behavior you could tell that she was an administrator) and said that we had five minutes, that this table was booked for 19:45 and began to clear away plates with food,which we hadn't finished yet. And half the room was empty. When we objected that no one had warned us that this table was reserved when we sat down, we were allowed to stay for another 20 minutes, and then told that we could stay until 9:00 pm. But the evening was ruined and we preferred to leave. I doubt I'll ever return to this pub. And all because of the unprofessionalism of the nameless...