Solas Bar & Restaurant

Solas bar will always be my favorite cocktail bar. They used to have a bigger cocktail menu for 10 euros each, but they reduced it to 5 – 7 cocktails for a fiver.
When it comes to pre-​drinks, this place is one of my favorites. Several reasons:
— It is super casual. It’s kind of like a café, and I know they serve food, though I have never tried it. They have a bar and couch booths.
— The music. The DJ is excellent and I’ve never not liked the music.
— Location. You’re surrounded by other places to go afterwards. By 1am, people start either going home or going somewhere else. You have cool bars around Camden street right around the corner, or clubs in Harcourt street if that’s what you’re into.
— People. The people that go to this bar seem really cool, and you always end up chatting to the bartender or people around you.

What a little gem! In a sea of bars with pub crawls and terrible seating options you find Solas, it has great music, the evening started out with jazz and the phased into some really great chill step.
Searing options are plentiful (and comfortable) if you get there at a reasonable time.
The setting is intimate and cozy but in a very classy way and you will find all kinds of different people in there. They have gluten free beer, I will be back!

This was a nice quiet stop for our Wednesday evening — just what we were looking for, though I suspect it gets a bit crazy on the weekends. We stopped over while waiting for our table at Bunsen and what a find. The drinks, while pricey, were excellent. The bartenders were super attentive and friendly — even crafting a custom Moscow Mule for me. Clean bathrooms and a great vibe from both the atmosphere and the DJ — we would definitely come back… And we did, as soon as we were done with our burgers at Bunsen. :-)

Had lunch here on a friday. It was pretty quiet compared to the other places on Camden street which were all full.
The menu is standard, with the usual reliables of burgers, sandwiches but with a Thai fusion section also.
I has the chicken enchiladas with chips which was ok. Chips were just the frozen kind but enchilada was decent enough.
Not the most comfortable for lunch as seats are low, but I do like this place– probably more for drinks on the terrace rather than for food.

Great vibe in here on the weekends, although can be a bit quiet during the week.
People often forget that they do food here, which is actually pretty tasty, not to mention nice enough on the aul walleh too.
Their rooftop is probably one of the best aspects about this place; a key tanning spot during the day, and nice and heated for those chilly, breezy evenings!

This place had a very relaxed atmosphere & a super cool smoking area on the roof with an awning to make a little shelter & what looked like a full bar (although it was closed when we were up there). Something I didn’t like was how dark it was, considering it was a bright summers evening I would have expected that the lighting inside would have been a little better. There also seemed to be a shortage of staff the evening we were there.

I have had lunch here before and was really impressed with the burgers. However when I had dinner here this week I was very disappointed. My main course was slightly cold (although the chips were piping hot), the service was not the best, as we had to order up at the bar. And I missed the opportunity to get a good cocktail as we couldn’t find any menus.
It was overall quite disappointing, as i had high hopes for the evening.
I also need to mention that the bathrooms are pretty awful, they definitely need work to meet the standard of the rest of the place.

In search of somewhere for Paddy’s Day that wasn’t filled with drunken happy heads signing The Fields Of Athenry, we made our way to Solas, where they had a DJ in playing some nice easy housey tunes, and a nice chilled vibe with which to sit and eat /​drink.
I always like the vibe in here is nice — cool people, friendly staff, nice music — generally relaxed. I like how they have bar staff that serve tables — it’s not something you see that much in town unless it’s a ‘fancier’ bar.
I got food here for the first time yesterday whcih unfortunately didn’t quite live up to my hopes. Don’t get me wrong, there was nothing actually wrong with it — I got potato skins which were more like halved baked potatoes (delish ones), and the green curry which was lovely, with just the right spice level, but not at all creamy.
Either way, I’d recommend Solas for Sunday boozing in particular, then you can head onto Whelan’s afterwards if you fancy continuing onwards. It’ll be fun, I promise.

I am starting to really like Solas again.
Firstly the food has improved no end, twice I’ve been back to have their BLT and it was really good.
Secondly I was there before Christmas and ended up having a couple of excellent White Russians. The real selling point was the flake they put in it, yum! For 9.50 EUR I thought it was good value. That said, their Appletini for the same price was jush meh, I’ve definitely had better Appletini here in the past. Way better ones.
Finally the service has been excellent on all my last four — five visits. Friendly and efficient. Keep it up Solas!

Overpriced.
Nice cocktails but too expensive.
Nice surroundings.
Good general location.

Very cool bar!
Go for cocktails and enjoy with a group of friends in any one of their several rooms. My favorite space is upstairs overlooking the street. There are tables set up with comfortable chairs for groups of two to six.
The music is cool and there is also a partial covered outdoor area. There are even private areas for a party (which I understand only requires a $ 100 deposit.)
Cheers!

This is probably one of favourite late bars in Dublin. Generally decent music and a cool crowd. The cocktail bar upstairs is good too and the cocktails very tasty. I rarely go to this bar without sampling at least one long island iced-​tea :) The food is not great but I’d never think of going here for food. They have a decent selection of beers and there is a few different rooms in the venue with three floors including an outdoor beer garden/​smoking area. Can be heaving at weekends and I like the way they have decks at the bar. Why cant more bars do this? Such a simple thing and rare in Dublin bars these days. The staff downstairs are generally friendly but the same cant be said for the staff in the cocktail bar who come across as bunch of posing sour twats only interested in serving the pretty girls first. Loses a star for that!

For my very first taste of Ireland we ended up in Solas, which ended up feeling and looking a bit like the bars back home (of which I wasn’t looking for nor wanted).
We went very early in the day so there weren’t very name patrons inside. I really couldn’t get a feel for the place. Solas has this, could be hipster or could be very cool underground vibe to it. Very modern and very clean, though I didn’t understand the big Lion picture on the stall door in the Men’s bathroom. Is it supposed to be like a motivational thing «Be the Lion»?! It kind of a freaked me out, nothing like trying to relieve yourself while a big Lion’s head is staring at you.
Anyways, so the staff is extremely friendly and the food was kind of so so. I dish rocked but my date’s meal was god awful. Don’t order the Chicken Satay here but do order the Solas Club! I can’t even tell you everything that is on it but I will say that it will satisfy your inner fatty.
Not a bad start at all but I would like to come back later in the night to check out the crowd.

Firstly I have never eaten here so this is all about the booze.
Popped in here Sunday for a beevie with my mate and I was impressed with some of the beers on tap, I saw that they had their own Solas brew and I asked what it was like,
«It’s very like Tennetts.»
He gave me a sample which was cool.
«Do you mean that it’s actually Tennents?»
«All I am saying is that it’s very like Tennents.»
«Hmmm.»
I stuck to the Guinness which was grand. The music was really good Sunday mellow hangover music.
Solas means light in English but it’s rather dark. It’s like calling a nun Sr Randy, you imply something but it never will deliver, false advertising of sorts… And here I go again on a random morning tangent, I think it’s time for tea.

Solas is a nice bar situated in the busy strip of nightlife on Wexford Street. The interior is modern, but not scary-​designy or pretentious. The lower level is larger than it looks, though it is basically a long skinny room. Toward the back is a bar and some cool round booths which are great if you’re with a group of friends. Come early to nab one though, because Solas gets really packed on the weekends. At the back of the lower level is what looks like an exit, but if you go back there you will find bathrooms that are probably empty, whereas you’ll have to wait in line upstairs.
Climb the stairs to find another bar, another seating area and an expansive, covered outdoor smoking area. This place is cool to hang out even if you don’t smoke… that is if you don’t mind smelling like you do!
The clientele is pretty much 20-​something young professionals. As someone else mentioned, many people are a little bit dressy but not overly so. Not to worry, there is no «fancy attire required» sign out front and you’d be welcome in wearing trainers and a t-​shirt.
Service is efficient. You’re not going to doing any bantering here, and probably won’t be served with a smile but they are quick and prices are decent for a place like this.

Solas have been putting on a few free barbeques on lately to get hungry punters in the door, and it seems to be working. Solas is usually a bit quiet, but budget chicken legs are whipping tipsy business suits into a frenzy of late and it actually creates a really cool, relaxed summer barbeque vibe. The smoking area/​terrace is a bit crowded with the queues for food, but if you can get yourself a table, it’s nice to bask in the sunshine and enjoy an early evening pint.
On the non-​barbeque nights, solas is a bit underwhelming. It’s not lit well downstairs and the restaurant food is only ok. They do a good finger food platter though.

Not a bad place to pop by for a drink or two… look out for the crazy loud psychedelic wall hanging on the back wall. If it’s not there, my friend has stolen it. He was a bit mesmerised and kept threatening to do so (although it seemed pretty well fastened, so it would be a mean feat to make off with it unnoticed).
I didn’t notice any bad staff vibes, but I did notice the staff were a little overly attentive (i.e. walking past our table every 10 seconds or so) are they trying to get me drunk?!
We were there late on a Sunday night and the vibe was relaxed but cool. I wouldn’t put it in my top ten but I would head there again. The cocktail list was to die for, but at around 10 euros a pop they’re a little steep, don’t you think?

Solas is one of those rare bars that’s modern and classy without being pretentious and vacuous. The vibe is hip and a bit dressy but neither overly slick nor tacky. Considering its location in the vicinity of Whelan’s and on Dublin’s Wexford Street strip (as John nicely puts it!), it’s a good place to start your night. Mind you, it gets fairly jammers as the night goes on so there are obviously plenty who choose to end it here too!
It’s special and fun enough to meet for a birthday party or gathering of the like. The cocktails add a little fun, colour and giggles to proceedings. Based on Ronan’s comments, will keep my ears and eyes open for dodgy staff vibe in future.

World’s best bars website has Solas listed as one of Dublin’s best pubs. Although I can think of roomier pubs in Dublin, Solas is still a much frequented and well known spot on Dublin’s Wexford street strip.
The cocktails are pretty special alright but sometimes take an age to make, so expect to be kept waiting. Other then that Solas is a classy chilled out kinda place. I haven’t notice what Rónán mentioned about the bad vibes from the staff, I could have got the place on a good night though.

Beautiful upstairs, with painted walls and big tasty portions. A good bit better than your average pub grub, without punishing you in the price department. Solas is particularly well known for their cocktails, winning an award back in 2005.
I would have a bit of concern though. As this place is constantly looking for new staff, without actually expanding, I wouldn’t say it’s the nicest environment to work in. And you can nearly sense that in the air. It doesn’t make for a pleasant atmosphere.