Some of Our Favorite Pub Experiences

On April 1, 2021April 1, 2021 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Germany, Hungary, Ireland1 Comment

It is quite common for us to grab a glass of wine or a beer in a casual pub when we are traveling. We often use the time to people watch and relax our legs after spending the day visiting all of the various sites. There have been a few occasions where visiting a pub was more than just a place to grab a quick drink, but was part of the experience of visiting the location. Having a drink with locals is always an interesting experience, but here are some of our favorite memories of going to pubs while traveling.

Going to a Ruin Pub in Budapest, Hungary – Ruin Pubs are bars that have been opened up in dilapidated buildings that were partially destroyed during WWII. They are usually decorated with random furniture and decorations that have been gathered from anywhere that they can find them. The decorations are colorful, whimsical, and don’t follow any particular themes other than uniqueness. Because of their popularity, they can be quite busy, noisy, and sometimes a little rowdy. We went late afternoon to early evening and stayed away from the late night crowds.

Brazen Head Pub in Dublin, Ireland – This is officially Ireland’s oldest pub. The pub itself has the feel that you would expect from the oldest pub in Ireland, stone walls and a dark atmosphere, but over time the pub has grown into a full restaurant and hotel with many floors of rooms to serve eager guests. We preferred the atmosphere of the old pub, but could certainly see the beer garden being a lively spot during a warmer time of year. No visit to Dublin is complete without visiting this famous spot, especially if you are a fan of historic pubs as we are.

Sitting in the Booth of One of Our Favorite Pubs in Frankfurt

Alten Limpurg in Frankfurt, Germany – Located in the old town area of Frankfurt, this historic pub became our favorite watering hole while we were living in Frankfurt. We became friends with all of the staff and enjoyed talking about the behavior of the “tourists” who would visit the bar and often were rude to the staff. The bar itself has been in operation since 1495 and is small, but very welcoming. There is no doubt that we have very fond memories of this location and if you are in Frankfurt, stop in and say hello to the staff for us.

These aren’t the only places where we’ve enjoyed a pint in an interesting location, but these are our favorite memories. Some other locations that we enjoyed finding a local pub were in Reykjavik, Gibraltar, and Lima. There is something very comfortable about going to these casual locations that serve cold drinks and often some of the best local foods as well.

Going to a Ruin Pub in Budapest

On July 16, 2019 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Hungary4 Comments

Ruin Pubs are bars that have been opened up in dilapidated buildings that were partially destroyed during WWII. They are usually decorated with random furniture and decorations that have been gathered from anywhere that they can find them. The decorations are colorful, whimsical, and don’t follow any particular themes other than uniqueness. Because of their popularity, they can be quite busy, noisy, and sometimes a little rowdy. We went late afternoon to early evening and stayed away from the late night crowds.

The original Ruin Pubs opened in the Jewish Quarter of Budapest, which is now a center of wonderful restaurants and shops, as well as the pubs. Although some of the pubs serve food, the beer, wine, and mixed drinks are the real focus of the Ruin Pubs. We went to the original Ruin Pub called Szimpla Kert, often just referred to as Szimpla, which definitely lived up to the reputation. It was quirky, fun, and a little noisy, especially as more and more people came to the pub. To be fair, it isn’t the cleanest of environments, but you don’t go to a Ruin Pub expecting an elegant experience, you should expect it to be a little on the rough side.

Today there are over a dozen Ruin Pubs in Budapest and there are several companies that will take you on a guided pub crawl. Obviously, you don’t need a guide to do a Ruin Pub Crawl as you can find plenty of maps online that will show where each of the more popular pubs are. Even if you’re not into bars and drinking, visiting a Ruin Bar to see the eclectic decorations and experience the unique atmosphere is at least worth a visit. Many of the Ruin Pubs don’t open until at least 5:00 pm, so be sure to check on the hours of the pub you’re planning on visiting before heading there.

Sampling Food in Colorado Springs

On February 21, 2018 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Colorado, Food, Recipes3 Comments

There are a variety of restaurants in downtown Colorado Springs, Colorado, which means you can find something for any taste. Most of the restaurants are independently owned and each of them has its own unique style. We were only downtown for a day, so we only had time to visit a few locations. In order to maximize our experience we went to a Colorado themed restaurant, an Irish pub, and a seafood restaurant.

Historic Building with Jack Quinn’s Irish Pub

Our first stop of the day was at Colorado Craft Social, which was serving Sunday brunch. We ordered the Green Chili Cheddar Biscuits with eggs over easy. As always, we shared our meal as it was definitely a lot of food. As a bonus, the meal came with a free mimosa to help start the day out right and they also served a lot of local Colorado beers. After eating our fill of comfort food, we walked around the downtown area to enjoy a sunny day in Colorado Springs.

In the afternoon, we headed to Jack Quinn’s to listen to some authentic Irish folk music and enjoy a pint of beer and some chips and dips. Chips are obviously the same as French fries and it came with two dips, one that was a curry dip and the other was somewhat similar to a thousand island dressing. The building that houses the restaurant was built in the late 1800’s and is part of the historic downtown district. It was hard to leave the wonderful ambiance of the pub, but we needed to head back to our hotel for some warmer clothes as the temperatures drop quickly once the sun goes down.

For dinner, we ended up at Bonny and Read for an upscale seafood experience. After a half dozen oysters, we shared the Yellow Tail Snapper. It is served whole with a lime ginger sauce and coconut rice giving it an Asian flare. Although we don’t usually like to have to filet our own fish at the table, it certainly tasted wonderful. With all of the wonderful choices to choose from, downtown Colorado Springs certainly is a great place to go for a night out.