Very few places in Dublin truly transport you away from the regular Dublin experience into something new... The Meeting House has a transcendental effect on your senses as soon as you step through the doors and into the hallowed (or desecrated) grounds...
The Belly Of The Beast
I first stepped into the belly of the beast when it was a building site; I got a chance to have a chat with my friend and one of the most precociously talented artists residing in Ireland, Kin MX, who showed me around the space and gave me a little taste into what she was planning to do... I was excited... Very excited.
If you want to know what it is like to walk into the mind of an artist, walk into the belly of the beast, (which is what I'm calling the main floor of The Meeting House)... The entire place is covered in art; there is nowhere to point your eyes where there won't be art to be seen. There's the most beautiful century old stained glass piece that has been adorned by Kin MX hanging proudly on the North wall and you can't even get away from the art when you visit the bathrooms (right up there with The Liquor Rooms for most beautiful restrooms in Dublin)
Take a look at the ceiling and there's a solitary disco-ball spinning promises of what the night has in store. Mirrors line the ceiling, initially giving the impression that the room is endless but eventually revealing that the space you are in is a cosy and somehow small one (smaller than it seems, because it is huge). With the lights turned down low, it was and is so easy to forget you are in a public space; Karli and I just talked and laughed and ate and talked some more with Eva, Louis and Michael who (without even trying) became our friends on the evening despite also serving us up our grub!
Speaking of the grub... well the food is out of this world (which is fitting seeing as we are in the belly of the beast!) Being probably the only Burmese restaurant in Dublin, the Meeting House does things in its own unique way, meaning that dishes don't come in a traditional way; they're not tapas dishes either, although they are quite similar in terms of the size and style of the servings.
I would have gone for EVERYTHING but I am only human so I went for the prawn coconut curry, spicy pork ribs and the Asian sweet potatoes (which were the best I have had anywhere... SCOUTS HONOUR!), all served up on a table designed by Kin MX! I also treated myself to two delicious cocktails, the Zombie and the El Presidente, which were just delightful and highly recommended! On a school night too... so bold!
If you're looking for an alternative place, with alternative people, alternative food and not quite 'alternative music', there really is only one place to go; full of creative energy and nooks and crannies with surprises everywhere you look, you cannot go wrong with The Meeting House! Pop in and tell them I sent you x x x
I am Timi