Shamrock green and wooden interiors, classics of an Irish pub, and finger-licking food wow Muskan Kathuria at the new branch of Irish House
long wooden tables, bar stools along with an open, fully-stocked and well-displayed bar gave me the feeling that I was in an old time Irish bar on a summer night in the city of Dublin. Classic rock music played in the background and soon I was singing along to the lyrics of Hotel California, a very American song ironically. Red brick walls were adorned with a display of motorcycles and wooden windows with vines at the new Irish House bar in Delhi’s Connaught Place. The green planters floating from the ceiling, among designer lights, added a fresh vibe to the place. The perfect inclusion of wood and the lucky charm shamrock green in the décor, two staples of the Irish pub culture, prove that every effort has been made to recreate the right atmosphere.
Sports have a special significance for the Irish and the pub has tried to create the right environment for it with four huge projector screens and lCDs for match screenings. So, don’t forget to shout out for your favourite teams as you sip on your chilled beer at this restro-pub.
They have a wide range of appetisers, starting from the regulars like Veg grande nachos to Crispy sriracha rigatoni. The nachos are made with crispy corn tortillas smothered with refried beans, spicy jalapenos, and fresh peppers and served with sour cream, fresh tomato salsa, and seasonal guacamole. The velvety consistency and the herby essence of the sour cream teamed with a contrasting hot salsa outshines the bare nuance of the chips.
For chicken lovers, they have lip-smacking mini tacos, which are stuffed with chicken, baked pinto beans, fresh tomato salsa and shredded lettuce and are topped with cheddar cheese and sour cream. A rich, delightful mix of crunch and mush, while having the zest of the fresh salsa, these tacos, crowned with cheddar cheese and sour cream, have me hooked.
The mains include delicious variants for both vegetarians and the non-vegetarians. Hunter’s penne is a penne pasta tossed in pesto cream sauce, sun-dried tomatoes, mushrooms and shaves of Parmesan cheese, fulsome enough to make us ditch the regular red sauce and white sauce. The Moroccan lamb bowl is the perfect option for non-vegetarians. The grilled Moroccan spiced lamb is served with pesto-cracked wheat and honey-glazed carrots, which taste crispy and sweet with a hint of spice. These delicacies have been teamed up with a wide variety of beers from across the world and a selection of wines. They offer the standards with a zing like a Gingered Screwdriver and Mini Tequila Sunrise but the Irish Trash Can steals the spotlight. Made with vodka, gin and white rum flavoured with peach extract and served with an inverted Red Bull, it is both Instagram-worthy and a punchy cocktail. Another signature that grabs eyeballs is Smoked wisdom, bourbon mixed with cranberry-infused tea and topped with rosemary-perfumed smoke.
Their is no delight in a good meal until it is accompanied by dessert. For this, the Irish House has the Irish River Dance, a beer mug loaded with gooey brownie, vanilla ice cream, chocolate truffles, chocolate-coated cookies and garnished with caramel sauce, caramelised nuts and fresh lager beer.
For the non-alcoholics, they have a dual chocolate torte, a dark and white luscious chocolate mousse cake, served cold.
The place is as welcoming during a weekday as on a weekend and the menu is great for work lunches and a weekend brunch with friends and family.
Sanju Arora, general manager of the brand, commented on the opening of the new branch, “We’re all set to ‘raise the bar’ and extend the experience to the heart of the city and provide our guests with a high quality, value for money, consistent and an innovative pub experience.”