Mc Loughlin’s

In Search of … the Craic Part 2

This is the second of a series of posts on Kyoto’s Irish pubs. Earlier this month my friend David Ewen and I went on a pub crawl of five Irish pubs in Kyoto to see what they had to offer in terms of food, beer, music and the craic. Tonight’s post is on…

Mc Loughlin’s

Unfortunately when David and I arrived here, the kitchen was closed, so we were too late to sample any of owner and resident chef Tadg Mc Loughlin’s famed cooking. I shall have to go back for that another time. However, this did mean Tadg was free for a bit of a chat. And chat we did as he regaled us with stories, lessons in Gaelic and some very sweet tasting tequila (He’s a bit of an expert when it comes to tequila you see). Now, Tadg first came to Japan a good 8 years ago after seeing an ad in his local Spar in Limerick that read (and this is no lie): “Wanted barman in Japan”. Tadg was at a time in his life when he was ready to try something new, so months later he was working as a chef in The Hill of Tara (see tomorrow’s post) and then The Gael (see yesterday’s post) and two and a half years ago he opened up his own place. I pointed out to him that there are a lot of Irish pubs in Kyoto these days. What did he think was Mc Loughlin’s unique characteristic? “It’s the only Irish pub in Kyoto.” he said. And he was at pains to point out that this wasn’t just because it’s the only bar owned and run by an Irishman. It’s more than that, he said, it’s about attitude; the personal touch and attention to detail. And indeed I can vouch that any customer coming into Tadg’s bar is given a real Irish welcome, and henceforth treated like family not just by Tadg, but by the staff he picks too. The staff here, he said have to be “more than themselves”;  straightforward but friendly and have a genuine interest in the customer. Well, Tadg and his staff are certainly very likeable but how is his pub? The first thing that strikes you is the bank of windows with fantastic views over the river and city. Then there is the spaciousness of the pub which makes it an excellent venue for weddings and parties. However, this spaciousness does take away a little from the snug, cosy feeling you might find in other pubs, so Tadg plans to have the place renovated in 2009. He has big dreams for the place, planning to transform it into a gastropub specializing in local micro-brew beers of which he already has two Minoh beers on tap. It’s a good space with a lot of potential and he’s a good chap – I wish him luck. You can check out the events page on the Mc Loughlin’s website for upcoming music events here, and the mouth watering menu here. Here are some pictures:

To find Mc Loughlin’s walk straight up Kiyamachi from Sanjo, before you get to Oike you should see the Empire building on your right. Mc Loughlin’s is on the 8th floor. Here is a most convenient map.

Open: Sunday, Monday, Wednesday, Thursday–6pm to12am
Friday & Saturday–6pm to Late
CLOSED on Tuesday
Telephone / Fax 075-212-6339

Next Post: The Hill of Tara
Related articles: The Gael
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