Décor: The Celt opens from the street into a high-ceilinged foyer that soon gives way to a long, thin seating area, decorated with plush booths and green slate tile. The high ceiling, while attractive and decorated with faux-old timey tiles, keeps the air conditioning at bay, making the front a wee bit muggy, while the center of the bar is a nice little ice box. The bar covers most of the length of The Celt, though on a busy night it seems to be constructed entirely of thirsty people.
There is no smoking in The Celt, even though it's completely separate from The Harp restaurant, but the smokers are welcome to congregate out front on the sidewalks where a friendly cop watches that you don't stray too far with your drink.
Drinks: Bring quarters, as every drink price seems to end in 25 cents. On tap are quintessential Irish pub suds like Guinness, Harp, and Smithwick's, while a whole array of whiskeys and other liquors line the back. A pint of Harp will run $5.25, which feels a little high for a no-frills bar, but Harp is an import. A pint of domestic Killians runs $5.25 as well, which goes against the transportative property of beer prices: the cost is directly proportional to the distance it traveled to get to your belly. Other pints hover around the $5 range, including Blue Moon and Shipyard.
The bar staff at The Celt does well under pressure, keeping track of everyone's wait time amid a crowded bar, and serving in a fair order (though waving money to get their attention works too).
Sounds: Like a lot of U.K.-themed bars around town, 1990's alt-rock plays a predominant role in setting the musical mood in The Celt. There's no jukebox, so just sit back and rest your song-picking finger.
Crowd: Though The Celt is new, it seems to have attracted a solid demographic: yuppies. Thanks to regular showings of British soccer games, The Celt also caters to downtown soccer fans.
Tip: Due to the restaurant-style of the table layout, huge booths meant for 12-15 people get easily snapped up by groups of three or four, causing the crowd to bottleneck in the middle of the bar. Share your partially empty table - you might make a friend, and you'll make the stroll the bathroom less twisty and more bladder-friendly.
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