While sitting in the middle of a cosily crowded room and sipping on the popular White Lion, I found myself surprised by the attention to detail in this place. Heavy red curtains, shiny carved ceilings, a piano with a bunch of decades-old goods, such as a typing machine or an old telephone, all of which is topped by candle-only lighting and catchy swing tunes in the background. That is, of course, until your eye catches a modern kettle and a coffee machine randomly placed in the middle of everything, slapping you right back to the 21st century.
The Vintage Cocktail Club, located in the heart of Temple Bar Street, is set in the 1920s style, adding diversity to the many traditional Irish pubs of Dublin. It’s very private and hard to notice for a random passer-by, as the only thing displaying the existence of it on the outside is a small black door with ‘VCC’ written on it. All the windows are blacked out, and the first impression is not too effective. However, once you overcome that and get the courage to ring the doorbell, you will be greeted by a man in a suit, who will escort you upstairs and throw you back into the time of speakeasy.
The Club, which has been open slightly over a year now, is advertised solely by word-of-mouth and is a top place for lovers of class of any age. It’s also ideal for those who may want to feel like a real gangster or a 1920s flapper: spending time in an illegal gambling house, having illegal drinks and enjoying all the illegal fun in secret from the rest of the world.
With busiest nights being Friday and Saturday, VCC is popular for its variety of drinks and the detail that goes into them. It offers dozens of cocktails, as well as spirits and dinner, including brunch during the weekend.
I found that there’s certainly plenty of eye-candy for both men and women. Even if you’re not a big fan of the whole fireplace/piano situation, there’s always pictures of naked ladies across the wall. And let me just mention the staff dressed in black, with see-through tights, laces, red lipstick or a suit & tie. If all else fails, this will certainly not disappoint.
You’re probably thinking, it all can’t be that great. You’re right. There’s one big flaw with VCC – the pricing. With most cocktails at €11.95 each, it’s not a place you’d go to for pre-drinks every weekend (especially with a student budget). But for a slightly bigger occasion, it’s well worth your money. And hey girls, if the mister takes you to a place like this, he’s certainly a keeper!
One can’t doubt that this spot is classy, but in a sort of relaxed way. You wouldn’t get refused at the door if you wore runners, but you might feel slightly out of place. I would probably call it cute & cosy, rather than chic. It really is just like one of the waiters described it: “Cosy like your grandma’s sitting room, except with a bigger range of drinks.”
Ana Kazadojeva
Leave a Reply