pubs without drinking

We are planning a biking trip to Ireland (probably 5 - 6 weeks) next spring/summer. We'd like to enjoy the music scene in the pubs and know that pub food is generally the way to travel a bit less expensively. However, we don't drink alcohol. I've read that you need to keep ordering to keep your table (unlike France, where you buy a coffee and the table is yours idea). What can I order? Also, what times do the pubs serve meals (evening)?

France, so sophisticated LOL

Never heard of that to be honest, only in restaurants and only expensive, busy one's have I ever been asked "would you like the bill sir"? Which is IMO incredibly rude. As long as you've spent money or intend to at some point you can do what you like... hell you can go in and order tap water and sit there - I would be very surprised if someone asked you to leave.

Some pubs serve food all day, in smaller villages it will be lunch and evening service - this may well apply to some city pubs as well. Sometime (depending on the pub) you may also get a breakfast service - for example if it's a pub/hotel or B&B.

Plenty of people visit pubs and don't drink alcohol, so you shouldn't have a problem! There are lots of lovely soft drinks too choose from as they have to cater to the designated driver too! If you've eaten a meal you shouldn't be asked to leave your table, but, should that happen, you can stand and listen to music - there are never enough tables in pubs anyway, or rather, what I mean is that it is not compulosry to sit...

Pubs generally open at 6pm, if they're not open all day.

Sit long enough at a table without a drink in front of you if the place is busy (or maybe even if it isn´t), and you´ll be asked to either buy something or to leave.

Unlike many places worldwide, the pub is in the business of selling stuff to people, not running a drop- in centre.

Genuine traditional pubs in rural areas with good music are very unlikely to do food in the evening. If they do, it will finish by 8pm at the latest. Usually pub food is not great quality, even worse in the evening (in rural areas, people eat the main meal at lunchtime - its always better value to eat at that time in a typical Irish town or village). In more touristy towns and villages food will often be served until later, maybe up to about 9. You usually get better value food in Ireland in a proper restaurant - the cheapest in a typical town will be the local Chinese. If the weather is nice, just get some fish 'n chips and eat it outside before going to a pub.

Don't expect good coffee in an Irish country pub, but you can always ask for a pot of tea (best value IMO for hydrating after a days cycling). Don't go asking for decaff or green tea or something weird like that or they'll probably call the police. You'll get the usual soft drinks - Coke, 7-up, etc. If you want to blend in, ask for a rock shandy (a mix of orange and lemonade). You are unlikely to be kicked out, but it would be considered rude to be sitting a long time with empty glasses in front of you - after all, the publican has paid for the musicians, you are freeloading if you are not buying something.

The pub scene in Ireland is not a spectator sport :-)

That doesn't mean you have to be knocking back the pints, but it does mean that if you sit at a table for a long period without buying something.................then either the owner,staff or fellow patrons will say something to you.

Although if you are in a large venue it is easier to go unnoticed as a skin flint :-)

Hope you enjoy it

I wholeheartedly agree with all those who've said that you can't just go in and consume nothing. I wrote a lengthy response about this in another thread not so long ago. You don't need to drink alcohol, but you do need to keep patronising the establishment while you're there - and that means everyone in the group, not just one or two.

However, frankly, I am rather wondering about why you want to come to Ireland, and experience the pub scene generally, if you don't drink alcohol. It's a little like going to Athens with no interest in history! If I were you, I'd kick back, enjoy the trip and have a drink. You can drink alcohol without becoming an alcoholic you know. And if you've got some religious issue with alcohol, maybe the Irish pub scene just isn't for you. There are, as you point out, countries with a completely different cafe culture and maybe they would be a better match for you.

Wow. I can imagine that the Irish Tourism Board would wholeheartedly disagree with your entire patronising post... visiting Ireland and it's cultural heritage is not about going there to drink booze in a pub. However I'm sure the OP has no intention of taking any of your "advice" seriously.

I'd love to know if anyone on this thread has (honestly) ever been asked to leave a pub or other establishment because one or more of them hasn't been regularly drinking alcohol - I damn sure haven't.

Well #7, if you'd care to maybe practise your reading comprehension skills, you would note that this thread is about the pub scene rather than the broader range of cultural activities in Ireland.

Secondly, where did I suggest you would be thrown out of a pub for not drinking alcohol? More to the point where did I say anything about being thrown out of pubs? What I did say, as have others, is that you are expected to consume produce sold in the establishment whilst you are there. Just out of interest, what do you suggest the core business of a pub is?

Anyway, if you consider my post patronising, that's your right. Some people will always want to be offended. At least it's better than making a fool of yourself because you didn't bother to read the thread properly in the first place.

Go to a pub and not drink - is this some type of new voyeurism!! I think if you go to a pub, eat and drink soft drinks people won't blink an eye. If you eat your meal and drink soft drinks for the evening people wont mind - very normal. If you eat your meal than sit at your table and not buy another drink I doubt that you will be asked to leave but it would be a bit unfair on those people in the pub who want to eat and drink sitting down.

You don't have to go on an alcohol frenzy - try a small glass of the local brew - you may just enjoy it.

I supect you are looking for a tradional pub with good food and a great atmosphere. You will not be able to find a great pub with a fantastic atmosphere and buy a $5 Dollar meal.

So

A) Eat you meal and leave
B) Eat your meal, buy soft drinks and stay as long as you like
C) Buy some fish and chips and spend the evening looking through the pub window

Go to a pub and not drink - is this some type of new voyeurism!!
Unfortunately, I've seen it often enough at pubs where music is on - either a paid band or a session.

Last time was at Applecross in Scotland where lots of nice middle-class English families from the campsite decided to bring their kids in to the pub to sample the wonderful Scottish culture in the shape of a young lass on the fiddle and her guitarist boyfriend. They took up all the seats and nobody thought to tell one of the brats to get up and give a seat to the crotchety old grumps (me & mrs) who'd come in to escape the midges.

But really, if the pub isn't very full, nobody's going to bother too much about you taking up space and not drinking or eating anything (it certainly doesn't have to be alcoholic). It won't kill you to buy an orange juice every now and then.

Most good session pubs tend to be small and get very crowded though, and you'll be quite conspicuous if you're occupying space but not contributing

As others say, you need to buy something, but it can be a soft drink, or other non-alcoholic drink.

Part of the allure of Ireland is its incredible beauty but a pint Guinness is heaven after a long day on a bike. Pubs are a central part of life in Ireland spending a Sunday afternoon drinking pints enjoying some music is an Irish tradition. You know the old saying when in Rome do what the Romans do. So have a pint it wont disappoint.

Some good answers here, from people with a solid understanding of Irish social norms.

You most certainly do not have to drink alcohol, but don't buy one soft drink and sit there all night like a cheapskate.

Once upon a time in Ireland when barstaff did apprenticeships and bartending was a respected trade, the staff of a pub would never whip an empty glass off your table until you had another full one in front of you. This was to avoid pressuring a patron into buying another drink before they were ready, and to ensure they didn't look 'cheap', sitting in a pub with no drink. This etiquette seems to be dying out now, especially in Dublin city centre pubs but it gives you an idea of how things work.

Just to say, if you don't drink then you don't drink. It's not really an 'ah, go on' negotiable kind of thing.
ipkaren, you will be welcome in any pub as long as you buy something! (and keep buying it, to be fair)
In fact the pub will probably be making more from the markup on soft drinks or 'minerals' than on alcoholic drinks.
Most Irish people are absolutely fine with people who don't drink - the ones who do have a problem are actually just showing that they have issues.
You'll have a great time cycling around and listening to Irish music!

Thank you to those of you who gave helpful answers - I especially appreciated kateindublin's response. Obviously some chose to see a title and not bother reading the question - thus giving rude and unhelpful responses. We have no intention of not buying something, just didn't know what options are available in Ireland and whether it is seen as really odd not to "have a pint." Thanks again to those who chose to be helpful.

From the opening post on the UK & Ireland FAQ Thread :-

You'll find that whilst people can appear flippant and/or sarcastic on this branch, it's only part of the unique British sense of humour so don't take it personally.

(Any news on the cricket, Fawlty.?)

Ditto mason!

I've just read back through this post and have found that 90% of the posts contained usefull comments. In fact there is only one post that was possibly being a little too sarcastic. OP if you take offense this easily, you might have a problem in Ireland....

actually, as a non-drinking foreigner living here the last 15 years it is very interesting to see how some people are threatened and/or defensive when the issue of alcohol comes up - this is not just an Irish thing by the way, it happened in Australia too (another country with a big drink culture though - maybe that's it) Most people here are fine though and couldn't care less whether you drink or not. When drinking is not part of your life it is really odd when people start getting tetchy about it! I don't think the some of the responses on this post were just flippant or sarcastic - and since when are the Irish happy to be described as British?! Going a bit off topic, I'd really prefer if Ireland was in a separate forum to the UK - I don't want to have to wade through posts about London to get to something about Ireland. Maybe that's just me?

It's just you.
The rest of us use the drop down menu at the top that allows you to select only posts relating to Scotland/Ireland/England/Wales - choose one.

I'd really prefer if Ireland was in a separate forum to the UK - I don't want to have to wade through posts about London to get to something about Ireland.

No wading required: you can select Ireland under "show only" at the top of the branch.

Thanks - that's great! Appreciate that