I tracked down the Tin Whistle because I read something about the "Best Pizza in Dalian." My friend and I went on Wednesday, their pizza night, to see what is was all about.
The bar itself is easy enough to find, take a left out the front door of the Shangri-La, head down the street on the left toward the back of the hotel, then take another left and head down that street and look for the "GUINNESS" sign, about a block down. Total walk time from Shangri-La: 5-10 mins.
We walked in the bar, about 5:30 pm or so, and were the only patrons. The atmosphere is very cozy, with nice appointments and a good Irish "feel." I ordered a draught Guinness for myself, and a Pina Colada for my girl.
We saw that they had a beautiful pool table for 20 RMB per hour, so we played pool and before we knew it the hour was up.
As far as the drinks go, the Pina Colada was pretty tasty, and the Guinness was poured into a full pint glass. The Guinness tasted a little funny, almost like it had Worcestershire sauce in it, but after a few swigs I didn't notice. I am American, and I have heard that Guinness actually licenses its recipe to other breweries in different regions to make it, and that their is minor variances in recipes and alcohol contents. I don't know if that is true or not, but while the Guinness was good, it didn't quite fully taste like what I get at Old Chicago.
At any rate, the bathrooms were pretty clean, with western style toilets, toilet paper, and a nice sink to wash your hands in.
After playing pool, we decided to check out the pizza. I told the bartender we wanted a pizza and she said "okay" and started to go to the kitchen. I managed to stop her, hoping to tell her we wanted a pepperoni pizza, but she said they only have one kind of pizza. She showed me a tent card with pictures of some delicious looking pizzas, like italian sausage, cheese, etc... but the only pizza they had, she said, was actually a "Taco Pizza." According to the tent card on the bar, it looked like it was a traditional taco pizza with taco sauce, olives, onions, tomatoes, cheddar cheese, etc... I personally don't like taco pizza, I am more of a pepperoni or cheese only guy. So, we passed on the pizza.
We decided to split in order to eat elsewhere, and then the next surprise came. The bar tab, for 2 Guinnesses, 1 Pina Colada, and one hour of pool was 175 RMB. I didn't pay attention to any prices other than the one hour of pool, but it turned out each pint of Guinness was 55 RMB. Pretty steep in my book. But, we paid the bill and left.
I would probably be happy to go back if it involved meeting some friends there, as the atmosphere is really nice, but because of the steep price of the drinks I would not go back just to drink. At the current exchange rate, 175 RMB is about $26, which is just too expensive for 2 beers, one pina colada, and an hour of pool. But that is just me, and I am a college student on a fixed income without a per diem. If I was a high-roller then I would probably go back more often for just the dark, woody feel of their friendly bar.
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21 of 22 people found the following review helpful
I have liked Tin Whistle since I got to Dalian and still find it to be "my bar". It is not as busy as it used to be, but things change.
The owner really tries to make it better and the new pool table is a good step in that direction. She had tried bringing singers to entertain the patrons on week-ends, but the upstairs neighbors would complain it was too loud. They live above a bar and find it noisy! Go figure!
The staff is very friendly and they have a nice selection of food to keep you satisfied, I love the "chips" and the veggie dumplings are always good and filling.
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Last updated: Sunday, 09 March 2008
19 of 20 people found the following review helpful
A Lovely bar, good service, nice folk.
Music not too loud but some good blues (Stevie Ray Vaughan and Eric Clapton). The only irishness about it is the guinness. The beer's cold and not too pricey.
In general, a good watering hole for those who don't feel like bopping. Good service.
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23 of 24 people found the following review helpful
I stopped in the "Whistle" lately after several months away. It's comfortable.
Nice pool table and not so much noise that you can't have a conversation with your friends. It has a neighborhood bar feel to it.
aileen
jim
