The Front Lounge

The flirtini I got did its trick and was very good. The music they were playing was kind of disco mixes from the 80s which got us all up and dancing which made other people join and dance. I will be back again.

Great place to go for a few drinks nice atmosphere and great bartenders. I really advice if your looking for a good cocktail you need to ask for the tall barman with blond shaved hair and tattoos. The best mojito I have ever tasted. We were sitting at the bar it was quite as it was very early on a Friday afternoon so the barman was able to talk to us and he was very pleasant and engaging. Will definitely be back for good cocktails and great atmosphere the place really gets going when the dj starts.

Cute spot that felt more gay-​friendly than gay, so don’t be intimidated you burly frat boy types. Nice staff, great décor, clean bathrooms, and the drinks are decent. The drinks could use a little va-​va-​vooming, but we enjoyed resting our feet in here for a while.

The Front Lounge is a cocktail bar with a lot going for it:
1. Good location — on the edge of the popular Temple Bar district
2. Good space — large open floorpan to fit in the bar and lots of comfortable seating
3. Little competition — Temple Bar is filled with a ton of pubs but far fewer cocktail bars
Unfortunately, that’s where the positives end. The craft cocktails are flat and forgettable and made with no sense of professional pride. For instance, I asked about one drink that sounded interesting. It featured vanilla-​and-​thyme infused gin. I was informed that they had none of the infused gin. Instead of simply saying the drink was off the menu for the moment, I was told by the bartender that they were replacing the custom gin with a «regular gin and vanilla vodka».
I would go to the Front Lounge again if I was in the mood for a run-​of-​the-​mill mixed drink in a somewhat quiet (assuming the bartender doesn’t crank the music up again) location.

I had no idea the Front Lounge had been revamped until a friend suggested we go for something to eat there just before Christmas. I was very impressed. The food was really good. I was expecting just the runof the mill bar food but I found the menu to be very interesting and very tasty. The starters are quite expensive though so I got 2 starters instead of a main. it hit the spot though! I also found the waiting staff to be professional and very friendly. I will definitely eat here again.

They reopened a couple of days before we came in on a Saturday night. The place has been given a refit and they have divided the space into various zones. I’m not sure I like it but I can see the thinking behind the refit.
I’m guessing they weren’t expecting to be busy as they ran out all the popular tap bars while we were there. They also ran out of ice. It was comical really as we were friends drinking the same drinks but every round was different as the beer and ice ran out — it seems like very bad planning. I would have expected them to be crazy busy after closing for the revamp. I will go back again but the jury is out on this one.

I visited the FL last week after the refurbishments, and what a change — it’s completely unrecognisable! There’s now a restaurant which serves food until 9:30. The smell of steak was amazing — I will definitely be back to try the food.

I see the reason why they had a revamp, so they could build in some sort of gastropub to increase revenue during relatively quiet periods from 6 to 10 pm.
But this also meant the DJ is now spinning in the open plan kitchen, with a deep fat fryer (with day old frying oil visible to all) right behind him and dinnerware/​cutlery piled up around him.
Service staff (a number of them poached from Morrison Hotel) looked sharp in their crisp white shirts/​tie/​bowtie combo but service was haphazard to say the least.
Took more than 20 min to get served, with one barmaid serving her mates first ahead of those who have been waiting for much longer. I audibly heard the manager to ask one bartender to calm the feck down.
If the business model works, don’t mess with it! Hopefully these are all teething problems which will be ironed out soon.

I’m a regular here but i recently went this past thursday to see the newly renovated space. I was hoping for a more dramatic renovation but they haven’t revamped it as much as their FB pics had suggested. It feels more like a restaurant now but thats understandable as they got some famous chef to create a menu for them. I love the new colors but I wonder how it will fare as a crowded gay bar during the weekend. Service is always fantastic here. Jay is a big sweetheart! I always look for him when I’m out! I met another barman this past thursday who was very accommodating when my first cocktail was made not to my taste. He made sure to drop it off and made sure my friends and I were taken care of while we were there! I love the servers but I don’t think I’d order another cocktail here as I’m a bit of a cocktail snob and seeing the inexperience of some of the barmen make me nervous (ESP if youre paying € 12 for an old fashioned!!). Good choice of things to choose! The Rising Road Pale ale if definitely something to try!

Popped in here the other day for a very quick drink before a meal. Have to say it took me by surprise. Now it was only about 5pm on a Monday, so was very quiet, but it’s got a lovely vibe. Really nice décor with some sh*t cool art on the walls. We sat in this curtained off little area in the corner, big corner couch, with a bit of a beduin kinda vibe.
Drink prices are pretty in line with standard town prices. Staff were super sound, very on the ball, but had a bit of banter with them — the perfect balance really.

The Front Lounge is a nice gay bar in Dublin. You will find many people meet up here to have a few drinks before heading out to go dancing at The George or Dragon. I have been here a few times and always had a good time but must admit it can get packed in here and the biggest issue I ever have it waiting a considerable amount of time waiting on drinks. The staff are great and the place is lovely, but once it starts getting extremely busy its usually best to head out as you will find yourself queuing for ages!

There is a really good atmosphere in this bar. I was there last night to celebrate my birthday with a few friends. The thing I like about this «gay bar» is that it isn’t as in your face. It’s a relaxed place where you can be the person you are. The couches are comfortable and though it gets busy, it’s never too busy. It’s a sophisticated grown up bar.
Nice for a date!

The Front Lounge — and don’t forget that most of it is the Back Lounge — is a great bar. I moved in back in the 90s and it has barely changed (although I say, bring back the piano and take away those TV screens).
Can’t be faulted for a bit of ambience at the weekend or a place for a relaxed chat during quieter times. I’m a fan.

Thursday is m’day, only if I’m in town after 6pm that is.
Cocktails — Buy one get one free Thursdays after 6pm :)
All Pints — 4.50euro on Thursdays
The FL is not my type of place for a Friday or Saturday night out but is deffo on the list for an odd mid week splurge. It’s great if you want a nice low key place to have a few gargles with friends or the significant other. The place as a whole is very inviting, friendly and relaxed.
Just to point out, seating is a pain to find as the day progresses, so make sure one of your group plonks themselves somewhere immediately upon entering.

A good place for a sit down pint and a chat with the lads, but if you want to sit down you’ll need to be there quite early! The price range of this place is around what you would expect for a pub around here and the music is fairly passable and generic any time I’ve visited.
There’s something that irritates me greatly about the seat set up in this place, I can’t quite put my finger on what it is exactly, but it seems like a terrible waste of space and there’s no flow to it, so if you’re one of the (majority) of people stuck standing you feel constantly in the way and there’s no where at all to rest your drink.
I’ll probably end up in here again as its one of those places that I don’t dislike enough no to go to, but I also don’t think I’d ever plan it myself or suggest it to friends unless we were limited for options.
All in all a poor man’s Pantibar really.

The Front Lounge has a 2-​for-​1 special on select cocktails starting at 6pm on Thursdays. I visited with two friends and we found the service to be prompt but our server to not be able to count proper change. Twice we had to correct him on the price, cash given, and change given. Overall, the Front Lounge was a nice change of pace from the pub scene. The cosmos were delectable!

For drinking wine it’s a little pricey, however it is a fantastic space, and absolutely excellent if your’re going for after-​work drinks on a Friday — probably because it never gets too packed and you’re practically guaranteed a seat if you get in early enough.
It’s a much nicer bet than the pubs around it due to the décor & the non-​eardrum blasting level at which they play their tunes. It is a gay bar, but as a straight couple we pop in there all the time because of the decent music and lovely atmosphere.

The first time I stepped inside the Front Lounge was when I was 16 years of age and was with my «girlfriend». How things have changed!
That was 1996… It’s now 2012 and I have stepped inside this place with more boyfriends than girlfriends!
They say this place is a gay friendly bar rather than a gay bar. My hoop it’s not a gay bar!
Over the years I have had my ups and downs with this place. In the early days there was an air of pretence about it. Terrible jazz music and a bit of an asshole poser crowd. This has thankfully changed in more recent years and the music is generally pop, chart. A good mix but always a crowd pleaser.
I am usually here for karaōke on a Tuesday with the lovely April Showers. April is always pleasant, never bitchy and a natural hostess for this highly entertaining night. There are some regular characters who take to the stage and some you really look forward to!
April also does April Mail the last Wednesday of the month. A dating night! Fun!
Friday and Saturday nights have DJ’s spinning the tunes until late. My friend Gerry DJ’s here and always has a great mix of chart, 80’s and pop whenever he is on. Music to dance to!
Table service for your drinks which is a bonus! Always art on display and usually up for sale. A nice tradition!
They open for lunch Monday to Friday and the soup is homemade, yummy and changes daily. Follow their Facebook age for daily updates on specials for lunch). The sambos are really nice. Never had the dinner type dishes but I am sure they’re pretty tasty too. (They certainly look it!)…
I have organised a couple of table quizzes here and I really have to give top marks to the staff for their helpfulness and friendliness. Always accommodating!
My only problem with the Front Lounge is the issue regarding the noise levels when it comes to the music late at night. The music is generally not as loud as I would like it to be to enjoy a proper end of night drunken dance. This is due to the apartments above and across from the back of the bar. This is what loses it a star for me. Otherwise it would be getting a 5.
My parents even came in here with me for karaōke over the Christmas holidays. They had a BALL!!! They’re both 60 and not used to drag queens hosting karaōke! Thoroughly enjoyed themselves and got locked at the bar with my mates! Good times!
A staple of the Dublin gay scene. Always fun, friendly and welcoming!

I ended up here for one final scoop after a cocktail making masterclass (somewhere else) and I am so glad I did as I hadn’t been here in a long long time.
It was a Wednesday night and it wasn’t terribly busy, but there was still a nice fill of people and a nice atmosphere for a perfect chilled out drink.
The décor is nice too, its pleasing to the eye.
I plan to be back and soon.

The Front Lounge is a modern classic pub. It is a really great bar and a wonderful place to head just before heading off to a nightclub as the crowd and atmosphere here is usually great and people are well up for a good night out!
It has a long lounge, furnished with plush sofas and chairs and is dimly lit making it feel really hip and cool and you always look good in this light, problem is so do a lot of the guys which isn’t really the case when you seem them in the harsh light of reality!
The bar at the back is called the back lounge. This is not strictly a gay bar but it is very openly gay friendly.