It’s only fitting that Dublin, the most gregarious of cities, should be the unquestioned standard-bearer for the modest bar, isn’t it? As for the rest of the globe, although St Patrick’s Day serves as an occasion for people everywhere to wear green hats and brag to everyone who will listen about their distant Irish ancestors, it also serves as a reminder that everyone should experience Dublin’s pub culture at least once in their lives.
Each Dublin pub experience has its own distinct personality, ranging from sipping a calm afternoon pint at an old mahogany bar to reveling in the raucous buzz of an evening traditional music session. And, despite the fact that the city has some wonderful restaurants, museums, and galleries, the bar is where the city’s throbbing poetic heart can be discovered.
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The Cobblestone
The best Irish bar in Dublin for: live music
The Cobblestone is billed as “a drinking establishment with a music issue,” yet it is really a welcoming establishment that takes its music very seriously indeed. It’s certainly worth the trip out of the city center to the Cobblestone’s street corner home in the Smithfield neighborhood, especially in a city where musicians are proudly showing their art every night of the week.
This lively pub is built on a respect for Irish musical culture, with quality traditional music sessions in the bar played by superb musicians to a receptive and appreciative audience. Owner Tom Mulligan’s family has been playing Irish music for five generations, and the music is played in the pub by superb musicians.
The Cobblestone is located at 77 King Street North in Smithfield, Dublin, D07 TP22.
Davy Byrne’s pub
The best pub in Dublin for: literary geeks and history buffs
Despite the fact that the writer James Joyce resided in a variety of European locations including Paris, Zurich and Trieste, his writings were nearly always set in Dublin, and Davy Byrne’s tavern on Duke Street was one of the most vivid literary allusions to his homeland. Many of Joyce’s characters, including the primary protagonist of his masterwork Ullyses – Leopold Bloom – have stopped by the bar and had a ‘gorgonzola sandwich and glass of Burgundy,’ according to chapter 8.
Patrick Kavanagh and Brendan Behan were among the celebrities who attended the bar, but it is the Joyce connection that continues to be the most powerful – notably on Bloomsday, which is celebrated annually on June 16 and honors Joyce’s birthday.
Davy Byrne’s pub is located at 21 Duke Street in Dublin, Ireland (D02 K380).
The Brazen Head
The best pub in Dublin for those interested in history. The literary and historical luminaries who have quenched their thirst in Dublin’s pubs are legendary, albeit only a handful can claim Gulliver’s Travels author Jonathan Swift and renowned rebel Wolfe Tone as regulars.
You’ll see a large painted parchment over the Brazen Head’s entry on Lower Bridge Street stating that it (or at least some type of alehouse) dates back to 1198, despite the fact that the present structure was constructed as a coaching inn in 1754 as a coaching inn.
No matter how you look at it, this is a big old Dublin institution that, although frequently crowded with visitors, features a thriving beer garden and live music seven nights a week starting at 9pm.
The Brazen Head is located at 20 Lower Bridge Street in Usher’s Quay, Dublin, DO8 WC64.
Temple Bar
The best bar in Dublin for: checking something off your bucket list. Yes, it may be the most touristic of Dublin’s iconic pubs (and by a significant margin), and it will almost certainly be the most costly Guinness of your trip, but the Temple Bar bar is worth a visit just for the experience of visiting it.
The façade, with its brilliant red facade and green shrubbery draping over the windows, is nearly as showy as the cheerful inside, and you can expect a lively, music-filled environment any day of the week. Also available in Temple Bar is an extensive selection of rare whiskey, which boasts the greatest collection of rare whiskey in Ireland with over 450 different varieties to choose from.
Dublin, Ireland Dublin D02 N725 Temple Bar, 47-48 Temple Bar, Dublin, Ireland Dublin D02 N725
The Black Sheep
Craft beer is the best beer to drink at Dublin’s best bar. In spite of the ubiquitous presence of Guinness, Dublin has not been able to ward off the craft beer revolution that has occurred in recent years, and there are plenty of beer alternatives for those searching for something other than the nation’s favorite stout.
The Black Sheep, located at the northern end of Capel Street, is a craft beer haven, with approximately 20 different beers on tap and a plethora of other Irish and foreign kinds in their fridges.
The 3 percent Weights and Measures session IPA is an easy-drinking introduction to the Galway Bay brewery’s style, while the 8.5 percent West Coast DIPA Of Foam and Fury is robust, complex, and full of tropical overtones. Both beers are owned by Galway Bay.
The Black Sheep is located at 61 Capel Street in the Rotunda district of Dublin.
The Blue Light
The best pub in Dublin is the one with the best views. A little distance outside of the city centre, on the foothills of the Dublin Mountains, The Blue Light’s terrace provides panoramic views over the whole city, reaching as far out from the city as the hazy shape of the Howth Peninsula.
The name of the bar comes from smugglers who were seeking for a signal that the coast was clear so that they could safely dock illicit treasure such as rum, tobacco, wine, and brandy. The tavern has been in existence for more than 300 years.
Whether you’ve been hiking in the Wicklow Mountains or exploring the Wicklow Way, there’s no better place for a post-walk pint. The cinematic vistas are at their finest as the sun sets and the city lights begin to flicker on, which is exactly when you should go.
D18 PF72 The Blue Light is located in Barnacullia, Sandyford, Dublin 18, Ireland.
Toners
The best bar in Dublin is the one with a beer garden. Given the congested nature of the city’s narrow alleys, there isn’t much space for large beer gardens, but Toner’s on Baggot Street offers enough of space for a few drinks in the sun, as well as heaters for when the weather cools down.
Due to the bright red lettering spelling out ‘Toner’s Yard’ and the strands of dazzling fairy lights strung over the patio, it’s a popular place, so get there a bit early to ensure you get a table.
For a bar with such a beautiful outside environment, Toner’s also has one of Dublin’s coziest snugs, which is placed just within the front window, immediately inside the entrance.
139 Baggot Street Lower, Dublin 2, Ireland is the address for Toners.
