Anchor Tavern in Bantry legal town

We had just arrived in Bantry for the night on our travels on the Wild Atlantic Way. It was a Sunday afternoon and we were walking past just taking in the sites when we heard the music. We wandered in and the place was packed with locals and, of course, locals just playing musics together. It felt absolutely genuine Ireland. We felt very welcome and enjoyed an afternoon of traditional Irish Music.

We passed by and heard the music. It was packed on said Sunday but the sun meant we could sit on the benches outside. We could still hear the music. The barkeep gave us a warm welcome and the locals shared the pool table. Perfect.

I spent five days in Bantry and ended up at the Anchor Tavern twice – and one of those evenings became one of my favourite memories from my entire two weeks in Ireland. This isn’t a polished or touristy pub. It’s a little rough around the edges, full of locals, and that’s exactly what I loved about it. It felt genuine and welcoming, and even though I was travelling on my own, I never felt out of place. I went for the live music on Tuesday and Thursday, and the Tuesday night in particular was fantastic. The singer was originally from Scotland – unfortunately I can’t remember his name – and he was absolutely brilliant. I ended up staying for the whole evening and had so much fun. The drinks were good, the staff were friendly, and there was just something about the atmosphere that made me feel really welcome and almost part of the place for an evening. If you’re in Bantry and looking for an authentic local pub rather than somewhere polished and touristy, I would absolutely recommend the Anchor Tavern. I loved it.

An old traditional Irish pub in Bantry, County Cork. It has several interesting relics, pictures and posters, the most prominent of which is one of the few surviving relics from the sinking of the Lusitania in 1916. They have a lfe bouy from the ship which was retrieved after it sank.

Fantastic local hospitality - the friendly landlord was happy to put our team's match on the TV, and we then had a great couple of hours chatting to him and the other regulars about all things football and Ireland. Thanks for a great experience.

We were at a wedding in Bantry House recently and Paudi catered for the champagne reception etc. I don’t drink but I really enjoyed the non alcoholic cocktails he went to such trouble to make for me! It was an amazing wedding and Paudi really helped to make it extra special for me. Thank you for everything Paudi of the Anchor!

Happy Birthday Paudi 😁😁🥳🥳! We had the best of time at your wonderful Pub! Hope your new juicer will bring you tons of squeezed lemons 🍋🍋‍🟩🍋🍋‍🟩

If you want a very typical Irish Bar, you've hit the jackpot.. while cash only, worth a visit

Paudi top Bar Man -great venue and memorabilia on walls -over 200 years OLD -- no card machine or wi fi - its just an old pub in a mad world -and the Guinness amazing