After weeks of teasing and a very gradual opening of doors, The Well on St Stephen's Green officially opens today. Encompassing a café, bar, restaurant and co-working space, they're calling it "the local for the digital generation", and hope their 'millennial' cocktail list and the fact that they have Dublin Pizza Company on site will help in attracting them.
The main space at ground level is a bar/café/meeting space with free co-working desks (complete with wifi, plenty of plugs and USB connections - the dream), Dublin Pizza Company in the back and loads of seating. ‘These Hands’ coffee shop opens into the ground floor space and out onto the green serving Imbibe coffee, pastries and yoghurts from 07:00 - 19:00, and Dublin Pizza Company will serve wood-fired pizza, cheese and charcuterie boards from 12:00 - 22:00.
The drinks list is definitely a step up from the average city centre bar with several wines more commonly seen in some of the city's best wine bars and restaurants, and a beer list featuring craft breweries and missing a lot of more well known brands - you won't find Heineken or Guinness but you will find Pilgrims Pale Ale and Shandon Stout. The 'millennial' cocktail list includes ingredients like matcha, aloe vera and collagen (whatever you're having yourself), and one comes dipped in edible glitter - the stuff Instagram dreams are made of.
While the fit out of the old Dandelion building (remember those nights?) looks pretty high end, most of the materials have been recycled or refurbished, and they're pledging to only use materials that are sustainable and have been ethically produced. They have eight wines on tap, won't be giving out straws or napkins, and are aiming to keep waste to a minimum.
The basement level will get going in September as an events space, late bar and live music venue, and they're planning on showing sport on big screens too. We can't help thinking The Well is the answer to two eternal Dublin questions. Where can I set up my laptop to work with no pressure to buzz off as soon as my coffee's finished? And where can we get good food and drinks on a Sunday/Monday night? Liquid collagen on request.
The Well
130 - 133 St Stephen's Green, Dublin 2
Sun - Thu 09:00 - 12:00, Fri - Sat 12:00 - 02:30.
