The magic corner of Foxy John’s is the snug just to the left of the main entrance, a narrow wooden coffin of a space with a window view and a private drink counter with direct access to the bar. This reviewer has had the pleasure of an evening spent in this snug a handful of times, and there can be no finer way to get drunk on stout as black as night. Snagging this space on a busy night requires some real commitment with an early entrance and a group big enough to fend off the invading hordes.
On slower nights, the chance to revel in the environment provides an endless stream of conversation, ranging from the signs long forgotten atop the crowded shelves to sheer curiosity into Foxy John’s hardware inventory, ranging from rubber gloves to chisels. Over the years, the assortment has changed and the space has transformed, gradually shaping the space to hold as many drinkers as possible. A back room was renovated some years ago, offering a secondary, fireplace-dominated drinking location and an open-air patio accommodates smokers that not long ago would have spilled out into the street, cigarette in one hand, beer in the other.
This is not an unbiased review. This reviewer’s favorite city is Dingle and favorite pub is Foxy John’s, so the 10 out of 10 rating will come as no shock. But to support that bold position, I would simply offer up that there aren’t many places on earth where your thirst, hardware and extermination needs can all be satisfied in a location quite as perfect as Foxy John’s. And get their early to snag the snug.