Dublin's first audiophile bar: vinyl only, McIntosh amplification, Klipsch La Scala horns, and Irish craft beer on the taps.
Dave Parle and Stephen Manning of Hidden Agenda opened The Big Romance at 98 Parnell Street in 2019, converting a former Polish pub into Dublin's first audiophile listening bar. The Journal's profile says the room reminds people of a New York dive bar; the sound system says otherwise.
Vinyl plays through McIntosh amplification into Klipsch La Scala horns, and Fidelity Magazine made the pilgrimage just to hear them. DJs range from jazz and soul to Italo disco and ambient depending on the night.
Who would hate it? Anyone who wants to pick the music or shout over it. The records run the room.
A narrow room tuned so conversation hums alongside the music instead of fighting it. The Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs praises exactly that balance: serious sound at sociable volume. Booths up front, the decks holding court at the back.
The taps lean hard into Irish craft: Whiplash, Rascals, and Kinnegar hold regular lines, with guests like Cloudwater and To Øl rotating through. Limited run kegs from Irish micros land often enough to reward repeat visits.
Cocktails and natural leaning wines back the beer list. Skip nothing, but ask what just went on; the staff track the kegs like the DJs track the records.
Record collectors checking the runout grooves, craft beer drinkers off the northside, and dates that want music without a sound battle. Weekends fill early.