Review: Tapped, the reinvention of Porterhouse Central

The first thing you notice when you enter Tapped, formerly Porterhouse Central, is the colours.

Large swathes of bright blue and red furnishings juxtapose each other, almost reminiscent of trendy hotspots in cities such as Amsterdam and Berlin.

The industrial-lite textures, such as exposed stone, brickwork, and steel further enforces the modern continental vibe.

Having only recently re-opened after a summer refurbishing, Tapped – which is still owned by the Porterhouse Group – seems to be garnering a lot of attention from young people, especially on the first Saturday night after launch.

Now with a late-license and featuring up-and-coming DJs, the Nassau and Grafton Street venue has expanded its offering as well as updated its décor.

The drinks selection still features the full range of Porterhouse beer as well as guest breweries which change on a rotational basis.

The Porterhouse Renegade NEIPA is, in my opinion, one of the breweries best offerings, and was certainly fresh on the evening.

The cocktail and wine menu has also been improved – with some cocktails being in-house kegged and available on tap.

Although the food menu doesn’t feature anything remarkably striking, with some of the items not being available on the night in question, the quality certainly wasn’t lacking.

The buffalo chicken wings were crispy, spicy and a decent sized portion while the bacon and cheese smash burger, ordered by my friend, was juicy and flavourful.

Neither item is accompanied with chips or a side, however, so be mindful that you’ll need to additionally order them if desired.

One of the stars of the new menu at Tapped must be the wood-fired pizzas, which are being offered by the renowned Dublin Pizza Company.

We ordered the Bianca, consisting of Toonsbridge mozzarella, smoked scarmorza, wild mushrooms, garlic and oregano oil, and rocket.

There’s not much to say about the pizza apart from that it was truly delicious and great accompaniment to a glass of cold beer.

The Porterhouse Group certainly made a wise decision in partnering up with Dublin Pizza Company.

As we were finishing up our meal, the DJ and clientele were beginning to make the transition from the casual, laid-back mood to the late-night venue, with the music picking up pace and a few more revellers making their way onto the impromptu dance floor.

It was our time to leave. But as we made our way to the exit, the feeling around the bar was one of good spirits and full bellies – it was clear that the bar had more to offer before the evening was out.

It might not be fully refined just yet, but Tapped has the potential to be what Porterhouse Central was before it, a landmark and distinguishable night-time spot.