Gilhooleys Irish Pub & Restaurant
Editorial
Step through the doors of Albert Street's Gilhooleys and you cold easily be in the Republic of Ireland. No, actually, you blatantly couldn't. It's just another diddle dee generic McIreland reserved for people who don't actually like proper pubs the world over. Full of faux wooden panels, stain glass and beer kegs, and a ridiculously disproportionate amount of green, there really is nothing new to see here.
In fact, so lacking in originality is this plastic-pub, that there are three more in the city, and the only way you can tell the difference is the street name tacked on the end. Chain pubs are gross. Irish and or British chain pubs are even more gross. And yet the masses flock to them like flies to the proverbial poo.
I really do despair sometimes. If you're in town and you want a Guinness and a steak, go for your life. They are promoting themselves as the best steakhouse in Brisbane if you believe that, and the choice of cuts comes straight from the moon. You can also plump for well-known Irish fare including, ahem, pizza and pastas.
Or you could turn around, walk out and head to any pub with even the vaguest modicum of originality. Or better yet, if you're so taken with Celtic culture, how about you book a flight to Ireland? God knows their economy needs the tourism right now.
Stephen Russell, February 2011
User Feedback
Your Feedback
0 User review (add yours)