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Donegan's Pub

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By Anatol Steven. 28.07.2011

Save to foursquare Laipu 2/4, RigaRīga, Latvia Web: www.donegans.lv
Working hours: Mon-Thu 11:00 - 01:00, Fri-Sat 11:00 - 02:00, Sun 11:00 - 01:00,

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Located on the corner of Šķūņu iela, one of Old Riga’s busiest cobblestone streets for pedestrians per minute, Donegan’s has quickly turned into a highly popular night spot, either for a tasty, filling meal and a few drinks before heading to the clubs or for spending an entire blurry evening at.

The pub has been created in the style with which we’re all familiar at Irish bars around the world – lots of Guinness posters, shamrocks, Irish brews, friendly English-speaking waitresses, and so forth. A choice of unpretentious seating ranges from leathery benches to stools you can shift towards whatever company looks interesting during the evening.
The free WiFi and coziness of the interior attract a steady run of customers during the day. But it’s from around 7pm or 8pm that the place really starts to light up. The waitresses bustle about carrying all kinds of fine-smelling meals while the guests begin to loosen up on their second Guinness.
Potato skins with cheese and “bacon” (Latvian-style – ham and pork fat) make a great pub snack to go with the beer, and the Caesar salad with salmon is tasty and not too wet. This is fun food, not classy dining, but the chef clearly knows what he’s doing.
As for the drinks, the Guinness on tap (€3.30) is excellent and refreshing on a summer night, but so too is the Leffe Blonde (€3.60) and the range of cheaper but no-less-delicious Latvian beers. Try one of each.
A mix of live music enlivens the evenings further, usually from Wednesdays to Saturdays, but it’s not only Irish-inspired hepcats making the handclapping, backslapping melodies; there are blues and rock’n’roll bands serving up music Canadian, Latvian, Russian and other styles too.
Unsurprisingly, late in the evening Donegan’s may lure its share of noisy young Brits and Danes who start acting foolish after the fifth glass. But up to that point, right from the time it opens for breakfast at 11am, it’s highly recommended.