It’s Standing Room Only At This Unique Quayside Café On Wednesday Evenings

James Fenton

It’s 7pm on Wednesday in Dublin City and while most of the nine-fivers have gone home, town is still awash with people roaming the streets.

Tourists have wrapped up their daytime activities and are now ‘window shopping’ the various pubs and cafés deciding where to wind down their evening. They’ve consulted the websites and checked their pocket guides but not many will have been directed towards this little haven on the outskirts of Temple Bar.

The vast windows of The Dwarf Jar are lightly petered by raindrops and it makes for the ideal people-watching spot as the evening’s entertainment is prepared. Men carrying all sorts of instruments climb up and down a wooden ladder which leads to a unique stage located high in the ceiling which all eyes will be fixed on in a few minutes time.

The aforementioned men are The Dwarf Jar Jazz Trio, namely Daniel Rorke on saxophone, Cormac O’Brien on bass and Shane O’Donovan on drums, who entertain an attentive audience every Wednesday night from around 8pm at the Wellington Quay venue.

The soulful music fills the room from its lofty perch as those who were clever enough to arrive early sit back and enjoy while others make do with standing. The tunes go on until about 11pm though so not everyone will stay the full night, meaning if you wait it out long enough a seat will soon become available.

There’s no shortage of treats to enjoy during the performance with a wide range of coffees and unusual teas on offer. A shelf next to the counter is filled with everything from Chocolate Strawberry flavour to Peanut Butter and Jelly and everything in between. The staff will even let you have a whiff to help you decide on your tipple for the evening.

Of course, the drinks aren’t limited to the non-alcoholic versions with plenty of people enjoying bottled beer and wine as they enjoy the show. The live jazz Wednesdays at The Dwarf Jar make for a nice change from the usual midweek outings of sitting in the corner of a pub with some football match or other on the TV distracting everyone from conversation. A whole host of cakes and desserts are on off too to keep your sweet tooth satisfied.

Great live music, soothing drinks in a relaxing setting and a whole host of cakes and desserts to keep your sweet tooth satisfied. What more would you want? A more than pleasant way to break up the week. Find out more here.