Pub culture in Ireland is alive and kicking, seven nights a week. Many city centre pubs have late licenses and open until the wee hours of the morning. So whether you're after a quiet drink or all night traditional music session, chances are you will find what you need in our list below.
Dublin is home to its fair share of music stars and celebrities. Many spring to the limelight from humble origins at local "live evenings" and can be seen for the first time at many of the live gigs around the city. With gigs ranging in price from 15 euro, a night out at an event can be a "cost effective" evening. If you decide to visit one of the pubs below, remember to search our restaurant offers section to find value for dining in the area you are visitng. Use our event guide to find an event of interest and make a night of it!
For the best live gigs visit Whelans; an old fashioned pub with bands playing almost nightly in the attached "music warehouse". Whelans is an intimate venue with a relatively small stage. There are good vantage points from the bar, the main floor area and from the balcony.
The Village is a new building at 26 Wexford Street. This pub/club is a sister venue of Whelans, the well known live music venue next door. The Village comprises over 1200 square metres of bars and entertainment space on three floors.
A striking wall frontage sets The Village apart on Wexford Street and inside the finish and fittings are to the highest standards with warm brick, natural wood floors, comfortable leather seating in matching colour tones and subtle lighting.
The Brazen Head is Dublin's oldest pub. Standing on the site of the original 12th century tavern, the present Brazen Head is an old coaching inn dating back to about 1688. This bar was once the meeting ground of Irish freedom fighters such as Wolfe Tone.
There is a late night bar on Thursday, Friday and Saturday with a live traditional music session most nights. Carvery lunch is served daily in the bar and the more formal Courthouse Restaurant serves an extensive menu of Irish and International dishes with specialities such as Irish fillet of beef, Dublin Bay Prawns, Traditional Irish Stew or Steak with Jameson Whiskey Sauce, to name but a few.
Johnnie's Fox's Pub dates back to the 18th century and is a traditional Irish pub in every sense. Located in the picturesque hills of Glencullen (20 minutes drive from Dublin), Johnnie Fox's offers live Irish music 7 nights a week (also on Saturday & Sunday afternoons from 3.30pm - 5.30pm). You can also see one of the top dancing troops in the country perform at their special dinner and show nights (Hooley Night).
Many believe that the staple of beer and stout drinkers in Dublin is Guinness. While it may be one of the best selling drinks, it is not the only one.
Visit The Porterhouse in Temple Bar, with live music and the largest selection of beers in town you will not be disappointed. The Porterhouse even brew their own selection of beers. The restaurant within the Porterhouse features a full menu of tasty food with a Caribbean/South American and African flavour. The PorterHouse features live music seven nights a week. There is a live trad session on Saturday afternoons and Sunday afternoon. The foreign beers include beers from Canada, USA, Mexico, Jamaica, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand ,China, Europe . Their own beers have quirky names like PlainPorter, Porterhouse Red, Temple Brau, An Brainblasta, Oyster Stout, Chiller.
The latest addition to The Porterhouse chain is located to the north of the city in Glasnevin. More of the excellent beers and environment of the main city centre pub....but on a smaller scale.
Messrs Maguire is situated on Burgh Quay, beside O'Connell Bridge in the heart of Dublin. The ground and first floors are designed to take advantage of the original Georgian ceilings while the "Dining Room" on the second floor is a top class restaurant. In the basement, the Corn Exchange Tavern contains a micro brewery producing Messrs Maguire's own range of premium ales, lagers and stouts.
The Ely is a split-level wine bar and café. Ely has over 80 great wines by the glass with prices ranging from 5 euro.
The dining area features plush seats and round wooden tables and floors and soft lavender lighting on the brick walls. The food is top class and The Ely serves great lunches and light dinners. The beef and lamb served in the restaurant comes from the family farm and there's an excellent homemade beef burger. The food is simple, casual, very tasty – and good value.
Dublin has more than its fair share of pubs and some of the older ones are still housed in the original buildings. Don't be surprised to find yourself drinking on the platform of a refurbished train station or the inside of a grain storage warehouse. There are also some spectauclaur theme bars.
The Odeon offers art deco elegance in spacious and airy surroundings and is filled with comfy sofas and armchairs. Its huge bar runs almost the entire length of the building. The Odeon is built in what used to be the Harcourt Street train station but the new, space-age tram that stops on the street outside its main door is the only sign of public transport around this old station now.
There's usually a mixed young/middle aged crowd at the Odeon and the "vibe" is especially lively at the weekend. The music and noise volume is generally pumped up as the night progresses - it can get very loud! The bar really comes into its own on Sunday afternoon when it becomes the ultimate chillout bar, with free newspapers, comfort food, re-runs of classic movies, and dim lighting to soothe those bruised retinas.
Cafe en Seine is a trendy superpub situated on Dawson Street just off Grafton Street and St Stephens Green. Cafe en Seine is spread over three floors each with its own bar. The ambience and style of the bar will transport you back to the decadence and glamour of 19th century Paris.
For a fun Friday / Saturday night head to Cafe en Seine where DJs play and the drinking and dancing does not stop till 2.30am.
SamSara is a funky oriental themed superpub situated on Dawson Street just off Grafton Street and St Stephens Green. At over 10,000 square feet, SamSara is one of the largest bars in the city. Decorated in a Moroccan theme, Sam Sara is excitingly atmospheric with Morocco furnishings, hand painted décor and mystical palms.
This bar comes alive at night with a DJ providing a mixture of dance, ambient and rock music. If you want to rub shoulders with Dublin's most fashionable and trendiest thirtysomethings, head to Samsara.
In 1915, a German uboat sank the Lusitania off the coast of Kerry, following this America joined World War 1. That ship had a sister, the Mauratania. Some of the elegant rooms of the Mauratania can now be found in The Oak Bar which is located in the city centre on Dame St.
In The Gravediggers (aka Kavanagh's) enjoy sitting on old benches in a truly old and traditional pub.
This is a well known dublin landmark, frequented by visitors and locals alike.
This is not an easy pub to find (it's located right beside Glasnevin cemetery ), but when you do, you'll see it has been worth the effort as it is a real Dublin treat. The Gravedigger's is a great pub with the simplest bar interior in the city and offers some of the cheapest pints in dublin.
Toast
is located in the heart of Rathmines, close to the centre of Dublin. It is fast gaining a reputation as a trendy lounge bar hangout. This pub is subtly lit with a high ceiling and plenty of couches and low tables. It serves very good food at reasonable prices. Try the Pepper Sauce Burger!
Resident dj's play from Thursday to Saturday night inclusive. With modern art on the walls and music playing subtly in the background, Toast is ideal for a relaxing drink and some good conversation. Or why not grab your pint and catch Premier League Football on the big screens.
The classic Dublin pub, dark, wooden and entirely unpretentious. Located in the city centre Mulligan's is a warm, unassuming pub in which young and old drink side by side. Still serves quite possibly the finest pint of Guinness in the city.
Flannery's in Temple Bar was established in 1840. The decor is an interesting mix of crackling fireplaces, old pictures on the walls, and shelves filled with local memorabilia. There's live Irish music daily.
The Palace Bar is decorated with local memorabilia, cartoons, and paintings that tell the story of Dublin through the years. The Guinness is good and the decor is classically simple.
Oliver St. John Gogarty is situated in the heart of Temple Bar and named after one of Ireland's literary greats. This pub is inviting in an old-world atmosphere sort of way, with shelves of empty bottles, and old barrels for seats. There are traditional music sessions most nights from 9 to 11pm.
