The Briar Rose in Cork

Arrived late on Sunday for carvery (14:30) and both ordered roast beef. Food was not much more than lukewarm. This isn’t the first time that has happened. Place was dead although there was rugby and soccer being shown there was no volume and no background music even so atmosphere was lacking. Maybe it was just a typical dreary day in January but not tempted to go back soon sadly.

One of the best places in Cork for me to sit down and drink some beer and eat some food. Have many good memories here.

Popped in to watch a match and had a great time! Pints flowing all night, perfect place to watch the game. Cillian in particular kept us well topped up in a friendly yet professional way! Cheers!

Went for dinner last weekend with my family. The service was astonishing which was provided by Tom. One phrase I would use to describe Tom’s service is ‘the gift that kept on giving’. Just had to come on and leave a review on this young man’s service as it was one of the best I had ever received. It also made it a lot easier to talk to him when he informed my family that he was a huge Liverpool fan.

Wow ! Had an incredible experience in the Briar rose. Brought a number of clients out for a few Christmas beers and had a brilliant time speaking to the Barman Tom. His knowledge on the different beers was incredible I’m not quite sure how he knew so much. He recommended a number of beers we had never tried before and because of the pleasant time we had as a group and toms help I managed to strike a new deal with my clients! Hooray for the briar rose and Barman Tom

Hosting a couple of Spanish Erasmus students, one of them asked me to leave a review of this place. Javier said, “The service provided by Tom behind the bar was exceptional. His understanding of our lack of English was truly lovely.”

The Briar Rose is an absolute gem of a bar, and a huge part of that comes down to the service behind the counter. Tom the bartender is in a league of his own. From the moment you order, there’s confidence, pace, and pure class in how he runs the bar. His pint pulling, in particular, deserves special mention — smooth, controlled, and perfectly timed. Watching him work is genuinely electric, like seeing Florent Malouda glide down the wing for Chelsea in his prime. No wasted movement, just precision and quality from start to finish. The pints are immaculate, the atmosphere is buzzing, and the service never drops, even when the bar is packed. If you’re looking for a place with top-tier bar craft and a bartender who clearly takes pride in what he does, the Briar Rose delivers every time.

Fantastic service. Beamish was off the charts and the cocktails were outstanding. The bartender tom was exceptional. Polite yet very professional. Fella even offered to walk my daughter home when it got late. A true gentleman !

Me and my missus were on a last-minute Christmas jolt grabbing pressies for the kids and stopped in on the way home. After a long day and a night of wrapping ahead, we fully intended on getting an early buzz. We were greeted by a young barman named Tom who must have seen the stress on our faces & opened with, “Pints or counselling first?” — he had us laughing from the get-go. Brilliant service, great craic, and exactly what we needed. Couldn’t recommend enough!

I went in with a few of the lads before Xmas for a few festive pints and little did we know Santa Claus would be in there. Of course I’m referring to the bar tender Tom who was pouring perfect pints and providing excellent service and craic all night long. Will definitely be back