As Allison C. said, this place does have an identity crisis. We went in for dinner and it was casual and quiet, but as the evening progressed it began to morph into a club.
The food was disappointing for both me and my husband. The price seemed high, especially for what you get. The beer also seemed a little pricey, but they do have a good variety on tap. The girl waiting on us definitely took her time to begin the "waiting on" service.
If I ever need to party at a bar/club place, I know where to go! But I'll be sure to find food somewhere else.
Unlike a franchise Irish pub, this pub has more of an authentic feel with each wall or shelf decorated with real items from across the pond. Â The owner, Diarmuid Hanafin, is almost always at the place in the evening with either his wife or one of the sons. Â They have the usual Irish beers on tap, but also a good selection of craft beers as well as Angry Orchard cider. Â There is a single TV that usually has a European soccer game on it...though you might catch a UConn game on if they are playing. Â
The food is good, but it is not the draw. Â For those seeking a well poured pint, this is one of the better Irish pubs in CT.
This bar has ADD. Sitting at one booth for about 4 hours I could have sworn I was transported to at least three different places during that time. Arriving shortly after work during happy hour it felt like a simple Irish pub - celtic music playing in the background, lights were up and the family bar atmosphere persisted. I enjoyed it - but the food was lacking in taste and freshness.
Heavy in conversation by mid-evening the tone of the place changed dramatically when the lights dimmed and the music changed to rock. Working within the new theme, the group I was with went with it and we continued to hang but the music was loud and difficult to hear each other.
Not much later the bar switched gears again to a club theme - no joke. Disco lights and ball completed the new look with one of the worst DJ's I think I've ever heard. The cacophonous noise was so bad that we left.
The food was mediocre and the atmosphere left a TON to be desired. I loved it when it was a simple Irish pub when I could hear my friends talk - the later it got, the less I liked the place. My advice - pick a theme/atmosphere and go with it.
This IS an Irish bar. Â Nothing more, nothing less.
Food is straight up and tasty. Â Drinks are good and truly free flowing. Â I seem to have spent many days and nights here, and tend to keep returning.
This is a great place to meet friends for dinner, drinks, or whatever; be it in a group of 10 or 3.
I will definitely be back.
You should GO!
My boyrfriend has lots of Irish heritage, so little Irish pubs always tickle his fancy. We made the short drive to New London shortly after moving to the area just to check it out, and ended up ducking into Hanafin's, seeing as it was the only interesting thing we saw all day. The place was virtually empty, and we had our choice of seating. The atmos was very authentic (for all I know) and the bar was very impressive. The server/bartender was not very warm, and seemed fairly indifferent, but our food was great and the beer was cold. What more does one need? We left with plenty of food for another meal, and a good Harp-induced warmth in our bellies. We'd surely go again...if we could find a reason to go to New London.
Review Source:Found this place a few years ago; got to the very terminal heading back to LI a tad early, needed a bit and a brew. Great place! Very authentic Irish Pub. Very good food, and a nice tap selection. Al 4 times I have been hear have been on Columbus day and they run a skeleton crew so the service is terrible, hopefully its not like that on regular days.
Review Source:I usually don't feel the urge to review on Yelp, but after our frustrating experience here I wanted to vent. Â Our family is originally from Belfast, and to celebrate my father's birthday we looked for an 'authentic" Irish bar online and found this spot got good reviews. Â After checking the hours online we made the half-hour drive and parked outside. Â By the door, the chalkboard listed the summer hours as opening at 4pm on a Sunday; no sweat, since it was 4:35pm. Â Unfortunately, the door was locked. Â Looking inside, we saw a couple of guys sitting at the bar. Â We shook and knocked at the door for a few minutes trying to get some attention (thinking they had forgotten to unlock the door), but got no response. Â Thinking they didn't hear us, I called the phone number they had listed, but after letting it ring 25-30 times I gave up. Â We packed up and ended up having to settle for a nearby steakhouse.
It sounds like this might be a great bar once you get inside, but my first impression left a lot to be desired regarding customer service. Â When the door is posted with a sign saying it should be open, you expect to be able to get in and check the place out. Â If the place had been empty I'd have figured it was closed on short notice, but when the bar is clearly staffed and they aren't answering the door or the phone, then something is clearly off. Â We took a chance on New London, but from now on we'll be headed to New Haven; at least when I go to Anna Liffey's I know I can get in and have a pint!
After failing to find 1 bar I had looked up on Yelp (see Good Times) and then checking out another bar and quickly deciding against it, my friends and I decided on Hannafin's for the last few hours of my birthday. We could hear live music (covers) spilling out of the bar and I could see some non-grinding dancing happening through the open door. Annnnddd yes. The cover was $5 but the bouncer let me in for free because it was my b-day. Kudos for that.
The guys that were playing were pretty good. They were definitely entertaining (they had the bar sing me Happy Birthday) and they made sure to play a bunch of dance-able cover songs (although they threw in The Fray, which I don't mind.. but dance music?). I feel kind of bad because they also played some of their tunes, which was fine, but definitely too slow for a Saturday night.
After their set, we kind of controlled the digital jukebox for the rest of the night. It would seem like we were "those girls" but the bar sang/danced along to most of our picks (rock anthems of course) and the bouncer was giving us thumbs up from the door, so I think we were all good. Minus the one Abba song that people usually like to play when I'm around since I know the choreography (yeah I worked for Mamma Mia for a hot minute).
As far as the decor, I'm not a huge fan. There are some relatively creepy drawings up on the wall, the stage is kind of miniscule, and the tables protrude far into the "dance space".. but like all bars, you make due. And since the place is so dark, you don't really notice too much. haha
I did really really enjoy the vibe. The crowd was probably 20s to 50s.. and we were chatting with random people all night. The bartenders didn't drown us with pleasantries, which I'm totally fine with because they doled out drinks with a quickness
I really couldn't have asked for a better ending to my birthday (except the diner finale - delicious).
PS - Be careful stepping into the ladies room. I definitely saw people fall in. hahahaha.. Of course I only laughed after I asked if they were okay.
Great place to meet a friend or two midweek for a pint of black, or for catching a crowd for music. Â The narrowness is typical of most "true" Irish houses I've seen, so don't let that put you off. Â If nothing else, it's a way to get acquainted with everyone else in the bar at one time or another. Â Pretty cool, I really love it.
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