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The Dead Rabbit hops home for Irish debut: world’s best bar shakes it up at The Sidecar at The Westbury in Dublin

By Sue Tidy   |  

What do you get if you combine the flavours of the gang controlled streets of Lower Manhattan in the 1850’s, and the heady glitz and glamour of the jazz era 1930’s?

Come along to the Westbury Hotel in Dublin between the 28th September and October 2nd 2017 and find out for yourself as the Dead Rabbit team set up shop for an exclusive five day residency at The Sidecar, the hotel’s stylish new cocktail bar.

New York bar The Dead Rabbit is named after one of the notorious gangs who roamed the streets of Manhattan, as immortalised in the Martin Scorsese film “The Gangs of New York”.

It is said that the gang would fling dead rabbits at their rivals but the 21st century Rabbits are more likely to serve you with a Heretic or a Gold Digger, as part of their extensive and innovative cocktail list.

The Gold Digger is a Dead Rabbit favourite

Ranking No 1 in The Worlds Best 50 Bars list, it is the brainchild of Belfast born Sean Muldoon and Jack McGarry and since opening in 2013, it has built a reputation as a traditional Irish pub with a few twists.

Occupying a 3 storey redbrick building close to Battery Park, it maintains an authentic retro vibe with live music and an excellent bar menu to complement the laid back atmosphere.

On the ground floor is the Taproom which stocks the largest collection of whiskeys in any New York bar, the first floor Parlor is where the cocktails come to life, and the third floor Occassional Room is a new venue for private functions.

Beverage manager Jillian Vose will be leading the team to the Sidecar and setting up shop recreating the atmosphere of the Parlor with an exciting cocktail menu, shaking up favourites like Eye Candy and Psycho Killer for hotel guests and locals alike.

Anyone for a Psycho Killer?

A varied pub grub menu will be on offer, showcasing the best of produce from Ireland and the United States, including Carlingford Lough Rock Oysters and the famed Dead Rabbit Burger.

Sean says: “This is the first time we have done an event of this scale in Ireland, it is great to be coming home and we are looking forward to bringing the Dead Rabbit to Dublin.”

As The Westbury Hotel’s stylish new cocktail bar, the Sidecar is already building a reputation for excellent cocktails and top notch service, against a backdrop of elegance.

Offering a modern take on a 1930’s cocktail bar, the Sidecar boasts sparkling chandeliers, golden pineapple cocktail goblets and a private heated terrace which overlooks the buzzing city centre.

Waiters suited and booted in Gatsby styled attire are on hand to craft martinis tableside with a bespoke “Martini Trolley”.

Shaking it up at The Sidecar

The Westbury itself is one of the great social hubs of Dublin, nestled between Trinity College and St Stephen’s Green. Locals know that the place to be seen is the hotel’s grand drawing room – The Gallery – famous for it’s exquisite afternoon teas.

The hotel is the perfect base from which to explore two very different sides of Dublin. Yards from the hotel entrance is trendy Grafton Street with it’s designer outlets and department stores, including the famous Thomas Brown.

But slip out of the hotel’s Clarendon Street entrance and lose yourself in the winding streets of Dublin’s Creative Quarter. Discover the city’s hipster bar scene, fun restaurants and quirky independent stores.

The Martini Trolley in full flow

The Westbury is part of the Doyle Collection, an Irish family owned luxury hotel group, that comprises eight hotels in Dublin, Cork, London, Bristol and Washington D.C.

These design-led properties provide modern havens for discerning travellers, as well as stylish bars and restaurants for local residents.

The Dead Rabbit residency at the Sidecar is the latest chapter in the groups “Club Residencies Project”, which has previoulsy included the hugely successful pop up of Blacktail (NYC) and The Clumsies (Athens) at the Bloomsbury in London.