Danny-Doolans
204 Quay Street
Auckland 1010
(09) 358 2554
dannydoolans.co.nz
Score:
First timer friendly: Yes
Food: 8
Beverage: 8
Atmosphere: 7
Overall: 8
But was it a pub? Yes
Overview:
Nearing the end of my stay in Auckland, I wanted to get a few more pubs in before taking off. I had exhausted a lot of the restaurants within a 10 minute walking radius but I hadn’t been Danny-Doolans and it seemed like a decent spot to grab a bite to eat.
Chris’ Opinion:
I’ve decided that getting off at 8:30 and to dinner at 9 is a bad thing in Auckland. Far too many places are already closed or near to being closed and I think that might be why I get some of the looks I do when I ask for food. Danny-Doolans is on the viaduct so I expected a similar hokey experience that I had at O’Hagan’s but their Bangers and Mash sounded awesome (it was) and they had live music 7 nights a week so I figured it was worth a shot. When I walked in, it was already dark (they had lowered the regular lights and turned on the red lights) and the patrons were already on the high point of their drinking festivities. However, the bartender was friendly enough and was still willing to grab me some grub. I sat down at a stool in the main area of the pub and took in the surroundings.
The first thing I noticed, aside from how dark it was, is how loud it was. Hardly a good place for conversation, which I think is essential for a pub. Even if you have to yell over the drunk guy next to you, you should not need to yell over music as well. That being said, if the 40-something couples necking with each other was any indication, conversation was not the main goal.
That being said, I still had a DELICIOUS meal, some great beer, and the music was pretty good (covers). Everyone seemed friendly (could have been the alcohol) and I left with a smile on my face. So really, how could you go wrong?
The Rusty Alfa - Pubs 