What a difference a week makes – with the tentative reopening of bars and restaurants (outside) and non-essential shops, things are looking up.
Fingers crossed.
And with that, comes openings, and new things, and me getting out of the flat for something other than a long walk, or a toddle to Aldi for essentials. On Monday I hit the gym, exercised my heart out, before grabbing a bite to eat on the way home. And if that weren’t enough, I went out.
Out out.
I headed just outside the city centre (a few minute’s walk from Freight Island) to O’Shea’s Beer Garden. They’ve taken over a huge space, filled it with (spaced out of course) bench seating, added in a bar, and an app for table service, food, and live music.
And you know what? It works.
We arrived at around 4pm, and expected it to be fairly quiet. Instead we found lots of people who’d been there since 2pm, enjoying pints of Guinness, G&Ts, even a Tequila shot or two, singing along to the live band, having a bloody good time.
From a health and safety point of view, it ticks all the boxes. You can book via the website. You’re asked to check into the app at the door, all staff are masked, tables are kept distanced, and the odd time someone got a little giddy and went to dance to the music, they were asked by security staff to sit down again, and they did.
The food and drink is ordered via an app (there’s a QR code on all the tables). There’s a small but well thought out selection. Beers and Guinness (of course), spirits and mixers, wine, softs and one or two cocktails. Order and pay, and everything comes to your table. We did have a few app issues as things got busy, so I’d say be patient (as with anything new, I expect these things will be ironed out pretty swiftly).
Food, provided by those lovely people from Triple B, is ordered from a separate menu on the same app. Grab a tasty burger, bagel or fries (veggie and vegan options are available) and again, it’s brought to your table for you to enjoy.
Overall, whilst I was a bit worried about where it is – it’s a bit of a walk, and there are always going to be those in your group who can’t be bothered – we had a bloody good afternoon. Drinks, food and staff were great. As mentioned, it’s a stone’s throw from Freight Island, so if you want somewhere to go before or after, it’s worth booking in. And given we have a summer of (delayed) football beckoning, I can see it being perfect for a pint or a few, watching the game.