Dublin

The Best Pubs In Dublin

Delicious Creamy Pints Of Guinness in the Best Pubs in Dublin

Dublin has the best pubs in the world. No doubt about it. I've spent 30+ years drinking in them and here is my guide to the best bars in Dublin.

I've put together 7 pub crawls in Dublin for you to follow. One for every night of the week. They all have a different mood and vibe, but most importantly, these are real Dublin bars where locals drink, not tourist filled spots, no Temple Bar, no Brazen Head.

The Guinness Route: Pubs along the walk to the Guinness Storehouse
The Dublin Classic Pubs: The traditional classics in Dublin
The Camden Crawl: Where Dubliners go to party
The Whiskey Trail: Dublin's best whiskey bars
Cocktail Night: We have more than just Guinness these days
Irish Music Sessions: Our best music bars
Seaside Drinks: Sea views and lovely pints in a local seaside village

Do My Jet Lag Tour When You Land in Dublin

The Guinness Route

From the city to Guinness

You're probably going to the Guinness Storehouse while you are here. I'd recommend going at the beginning of your trip so you can learn about Guinness and understand why we love it so much. The Guinness Brewery is a 20 minute walk from the centre (Trinity College), so it's easy to work up a thirst as you walk! These pubs will help quench that thirst for you

The Lord Edward

The Lord Ed is my local pub in town. I lived close by and when Niall behind the bar would see me through the window as I ambled my way towards the pub, he'd start pouring my pint. That is service.

Dudleys

Dudleys is directly on the route to Guinness and they often have traditional music being played. Not for tourists, but for locals. Time your visit to enjoy some music along with your pint.

Harkins

Harkins is in the shadow of the Guinness Brewery. You'll be able to see the Gravity Bar. A fantastic local bar where they are well used to people arriving in with their Guinness bags fresh from the gift shop. The pint is delicious, the locals friendly and there's good photos to be taken from here of Guinness Brewery that most tourists miss.

The Gravity Bar at the Guinness Storehouse

The bar with the best view in all of Dublin. You have 360 degree views over all of Dublin. You can do the regular Guinness Storehouse tour which is self guided.

For a more personal experience, do the Connoisseur Experience which is special guided tour with private tastings. It's like the Business Class of Guinness.

The Classic Dublin Pubs

The Old Man Pubs

It's easy to find good pubs anywhere in Ireland, just look for Irish family names. These are the classic Dublin pubs, all 100+ years old with names like Bowes, Mulligan, Grogan, and McDaids. Known locally as Old Man Pubs. You'll even see on dating profiles "prefer old man pubs to clubs".

It's these pubs that all the Irish pubs around the world are modeled on. These places are all institutions for the appreciation of Guinness. If you see one, don't pass them by, order your pint, and consider how lucky you are to be drinking a delicious Guinness in Dublin right now.

Mulligan's

I spent too much of my Trinity student evenings here. If I had one last pint in my life to drink, it would be here in the dark wooden tones of Mulligans.

Stag's Head

Beautiful and perpetually busy. But it's beautiful and in a small alley. Tight quarters mean it's a great place to chat to the folks next to you.

Grogan's

Maybe the most classic of them all. During summer, Dubliners treat the Grogan's outside area like a second home, with the street atmosphere spilling onto surrounding streets

The Long Hall

Sitting by the window watching the street life, while having a pint on weekday afternoon in the Long Hall. This is life. A gorgeous bar. Always full of friendly Dubliners. It's a privilege to have a pint here.

The Dublin Pub Book

I just finished this book and it is superb. If you like Irish pubs, you'll want to get this book. The photos are stunning. Read about it here.

A superb book about Dublin Pubs. Order it here.

What To Do in Dublin

Now that you know where to drink, here's what to do in 2 days in Dublin.

The Camden Crawl

Where locals party

I love the old man pubs. I rarely venture beyond the pubs above, but sometimes you're in the mood for a party. Tourists go to Temple Bar, Irish people go to Camden Street. It's a 15 minute walk north of the tourist area and it's like there's an invisible border because it's all locals here. We call it the Camden Mile and it's full of bars & restaurants that are very lively. It's a late night spot too.

The Swan

This is not strictly on Camden Street, but you'll get thirsty on the 10 minute walk to Camden Street and the Swan is a gem of a bar. It has an excellent whiskey selection if you want to start off on the right note.

Whelan's

A legendary music venue in Ireland. Check if there is a gig on. Even if you don't know the artist, go. Every famous Irish performer learned their trade here.

Cassidy's of Camden Street

Cassidy's can be an old man pub, a party pub, a place to watch the game. On Wednesday it is traditional music night and I mean real traditional. Musicians playing for the love of the music and not for tourists.

Devitt's Of Camden Street

Devitt's has everything. There's always music on. Their large whiskey collection is lit up brightly behind the bar to tempt you into making bad decisions. The food is good too. A very professional staff, even the bouncers are friendly. Sometimes a younger crowd, but always welcoming. I always stop here.

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The Sitting Room at Delahunt

The Sitting Room is unexpected. I nearly don't want to ruin the surprise. Where Ryan's is raucous, this is sophisticated calm. If you prefer a quieter cocktail, you'll love it here.

Everywhere

Every second door on Camden Street is a pub. Stick your head in and see if you like the atmosphere. Flannery's is very late night, Anseo is hipster craft beer, Coppers, well Coppers is legendary in Ireland. It's the perfect conversation starter for anyone you meet on Camden Street "are you going to Coppers later?"

Dublin Pub Tours

If you'd rather focus on pints than directions, come on a guided Dublin pub tour.

I do private custom tours of the pubs I wrote about here. Hear the stories behind the pubs and a tour of Dublin as we walk between the,

If you prefer a group tour, I won't be offended. This group tour goes to the same type of pubs that I recommend here.

The Whiskey Trail

In search of liquid gold

I love my Guinness, but some nights you just want a few sips of some golden Irish whiskey. These are the best whiskey bars in Dublin. Far from the crowds. Curated and filtered, just like Irish Whiskey.

Drink it neat. That's the only way. None of that ice stuff here.

The Whiskey Trail. 1. Bowes 2. The Cellar Bar 3. Doheny & Nesbitt

The Irish Whiskey Museum

Start off by learning about Irish Whiskey. I like the museum because they teach you about whiskey itself and not just a brand. Do their tasting to kick things off. It's right in front of Trinity College so it's very easy to find.

Bowes

Close to Temple Bar, but miles better in quality. A small & narrow bar, tight but comfortable. Probably has the best whiskey selection per square foot in the city. A very social bar where you will get chatting to the people next to you. Unless you're lucky enough to snag the snug near the front door. If you get it, you may not leave.

Moss Lane

The whiskey trail takes you away from the main streets. Moss Lane is at the back of Trinity College on a nondescript street, but trust me here. Go in and one of the extremely friendly barmen will start chatting to you. Ask them for a recommendation. They know their whiskey stuff. Trust them.

The Cellar Bar, The Merrion Hotel

In the cellar of the Merrion, Dublin's most luxurious hotel, but not somewhere you'll just stumble upon. You have to know it's there. A discrete sign shows you the way. Whiskey always tastes better in a cellar. The Cellar Bar is small which means the whiskey selection is curated. Taste something you haven't heard of. It'll come at a price, but this is an experience you will remember.

Doheny & Nesbitt

After all that whiskey, you want to have fun. Whiskey doesn't have to be sipped in a library. You'll find that at 37 Dawson. They have six different bar spaces over four floors. Best of all, they are whiskey specialists and have more than 100 whiskies.

Cocktail Night

Shaken & Stirred

Mixologists in Dublin, the home of Guinness? What is the world coming to? But cocktails are here in a big way now. Visitors tend to stay in the posher Southside of town, but the first bar on my list is so good, it's worth the walk on the north side.

Bar 1661

When I sat at the bar, I was given a hard back book which turned out to be the drink menu. Too many choices. I quickly closed it and asked the mixologist for a recommendation. He interrupted his growing list of orders and asked me about my preferences. He cared. I tasted and nearly renounced Guinness on the spot. Nearly.

This is the best cocktail bar in Dublin. Venture north! Get a taxi to the next stop.

The Sidecar at The Westbury

I do like a hotel bar, especially in a five star hotel like the Westbury. Hopefully someone else is picking up the tab because it's not cheap but it's an experience as much as a drink. Art deco styling with impeccable service. Their mocktails are as good as their cocktails.

9 Below

Let's get back to more familiar surroundings on the south side of the city close to St Stephen's Green. 9 Below is in the top 3 of every best cocktails in Dublin list. No wooden bar stools here, it's all soft seating & low lighting. Very atmospheric. They have a movie theme which I think is distracting. But for ambience and cocktails, it's superb.

Peruke & Periwig

An atmospheric place that nearly feels like a private club. With vintage carpeting, furniture, and rich drapery, it feels like a different era. Small but it's full downstairs, look upstairs. And with excellent cocktails. You may stay here longer than expected.

Irish Music Sessions

Toe tapping fun

I'm changing format here. You don't bounce around music, you sit and enjoy. One small problem is musicians and venues are always changing, so you'll have to do a little bit of digging here yourself. I'll point you in the direction and you do some research for the days you're here. Fair enough?

The guidebooks say go to The Cobblestone for Irish traditional music. It's very crowded with tourists these days.

Tuesday: Go to the Ruby Sessions. Tickets go on sale two days before. 3 acoustic musicians. It could be Ed Sheeran, it could be a new Irish artist. You only know when they step on stage.

Read my what to do in Dublin on a Tuesday post for more Tuesday fun!

Wednesday: Cassidy's on Camden Street for a real traditional music session.

Thursday: Some real trad music in the Neptune on Abbey Street. Dudleys on Thomas Street do a good trad session.

Friday & Saturday: There's music everywhere! For bigger concerts, check out Whelans or Vicar Street. You'll find top Irish bands and well known international bands there too. Watching a gig with an Irish audience is a different level.

Sunday: I used to do a Trad Session tour on Sundays because that is when the really local bands played for a locals only crowd. They changed some of the times and venues, so I'm working on a new tour. I'll update this shortly.

Seaside Drinks

Sunny? Get out of town

On those days when it's too nice to be inside a bar, we go to the seaside. Malahide is just 30 minutes from the city by train.

Put on your shades and people watch as you sip drinks in the rare Irish sun. Fowlers, Gilbert & Wright & Gibneys beer garden are where I like to go.

There are absolutely no tourists here, just locals. You'll be looking up house prices on the train home because you will want to live here close to your new Irish friends you just made.

If this is your last night in Dublin, stay at the Grand in Malahide. It's close to airport and so much nicer than generic airport hotels

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Where Not To Go!!!

Temple Bar. Dublin's Biggest Tourist Trap
Temple Bar is the Times Square of Dublin. It's overpriced, made for & filled with tourists. It's Disney Dublin. Avoid!!!

The Brazen Head is just as bad. I shake my head when I see people posting their photos with pride at "Dublin's Oldest Bar". It's just marketing BS. You're not stepping back in time here. They have electricity. They sell gimmicky t-shirts.

The Hairy Lemon. This was a fabulous bar, I spent many nights here. But it has sold its soul and become a tourist bar. Sorry my old friend, it's you, not me.