134) The Mercantile of Dame Street, D2

Bar, Hotel, Tavern, Restaurant, Venue, and Club, this place is a tourist trap extravaganza. Gastronomical prices on the pint. It’s an elaborate and cavernous institution with millions of mirrors and sprawling staircases. It was once a celebrated stationers and printers called ‘Wisdom Hely’s.’ In Ulysses, Bloom worked for Wisdom Hely’s at one point in his career hence the numerous Joyce memorabilia dotted throughout. Also, the name of their recently opened side-bar is named ‘Helys’ which has its own façade but is very much attached to the Mercantile. Perhaps its most popular feature is the sneaky little entrance around the back onto Dame Court and Dame Lane.

Post Covid-19 update: Rumour has it, The Mercantile/Hely’s is never to reopen its doors. Rumour also had it that it came into trouble once too often with the fuzz for late night lock-ins and lost its license to trade. R.I.P. 

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