It replaces the popular Crown and Lion pub…

It was a sad day when local favourite, the Byblos Hotel in Barsha Heights, closed its doors last summer, taking with it the treasured Crown and Lion pub. A British style ‘local’ for many in the surrounding areas, the closure of this traditional English pub left a legacy of big games on a big screen, quiz nights, live music, brickwork walls and stone tiled floors, roast dinners and big British breakfasts.

But the Barsha Heights hotel has been given a new lease of life and a new name, now operating as Social Hotel – and another local legend has taken up residency in place of the Crown and Lion. Popular Irish pub, Fibber Magee’s, has just opened its doors in Social Hotel, marking the second venue for the beloved boozer.

The new Fibber Magee’s in Barsha Heights has the same frills-free, welcoming feel of the original, with plenty of woods and exposed brickwork that replicate a traditional Irish pub. At the heart, a stage promises a regular roster of live music, which is backed by a super-sized screen, where you can catch all the live sporting action.

On the menu, you can expect all of your favourite pub dishes, as well as an array of pork items. The new venue is also a smoking-free pub, mirroring the Sheikh Zayed Road original, which recently made the decision to ban smoking indoors.

To celebrate the opening, they’ll have an all day, every day happy hour until June 23 – perfect for enjoying if you’ve got a couple of extra days off this week for Eid.

And what about the Crown and Lion?

When the Crown and Lion closed in Barsha Heights back in 2023, it teased that it wasn’t goodbye forever. “It’s an end of an era and a beginning of a new one … Stay tuned for the next chapter and thank you for your continued support,” an Instagram caption read.

And in recent weeks, the pub has unveiled exactly what that next chapter will be, unveiling Crown and Lion 2.0 will bring its beloved roasts, live music, and impressive array of brews to the ibis One Central – and will still be managed by Byblos Hospitality. Although an opening date hasn’t been given, the brand’s social media teases that it will be ‘very soon’. Stay tuned.

Images: @fibbermageesdxb