Irish pubs are iconic, and can be found in almost any major city across the world. The Irish capital, Dublin, is renowned for its nightlife and is ground zero for the beloved Irish pub. There are hundreds of pubs in Dublin, from elegant, old-world boozers to rowdy drinking dens. On my first visit to Dublin recently, I was so excited to experience the iconic Irish pub on home soil. I love a good pub – I’ve worked in hospitality marketing for nearly 10 years, and most of those have been spent working with pubs. We visited some of the oldest pubs in Dublin, tried the tourist haunts & some local favourites, tried Irish whiskey and gin, had a few hearty pub meals & heard traditional Irish music, live. Naturally, I had to try some Guinness, but I’m not a beer drinker – but David was in heaven. Apparently, it’s better in Ireland!

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We visited lots of Irish pubs in Dublin, but they all had a few things in common: 80% of the room was drinking Guinness, they always had dozens of local Irish whiskies and gin, there was often live music and they were all so warm and welcoming. If that’s not a recipe for great craic, I don’t know what is!

Read on for my list of the best pubs in Dublin!

The Palace Bar

An iconic Dublin pub that’s just as loved by locals as it is by tourists. The Palace Bar dates back to 1823 and has beautifully preserved interiors, including a jewel-box back room complete with a gorgeous stained glass ceiling. A hotspot for Irish literati in the 20th century, today you’ll find plenty of Irish accents here amongst a handful of tourists. It’s technically in Temple Bar, but sits apart on Fleet Street, a few blocks away from the touristy thoroughfare. We visited after spending the day in Glendalough, and we happened to meet some men from Glendalough sitting at the bar, who recommended we try the local Glendalough whiskey. There are so many local gins & whiskies in Ireland, you could try a different one at every pub you visit and still barely scratch the surface!

Palace Bar is a classic for a reason, and one I would definitely return to on my next trip to Dublin.

Toners

Famed for being the only pub in Dublin that poet W.B. Yeats deigned to drink at, Toners is one of the oldest pubs in Dublin, and a stylish one at that. Its second claim to fame, after Yeats, is its snug, which is regarded as the best in Dublin. We visited in June, but I can imagine how perfect it would be on a cold winter’s day! Toners was established in 1734, but has been licensed since 1818, which still makes it one of the oldest pubs in Dublin. It has an expansive beer garden, called Toner’s Yard, out the back, but I love the cozy interiors & rabbit warren of poky rooms, which look like they’re frozen in time.

Toners is on Baggot Street, a short walk from my next recommendation, O’Donoghue’s.

O’Donoghue’s

I was keen to hear some traditional Irish music at a pub in Dublin, which is how we found O’Donoghue’s. Also on Baggot St, and a short walk from Toner’s, it’s so worth dropping in for a drink or two at O’Donoghue’s to catch their live traditional music. Most afternoons & evenings, they have players on traditional Irish instruments like fiddles, tin whistles, bodhrans and uilleann pipes. What I loved about O’Donoghue’s was that the players sat at a table along the wall in the central courtyard, so they were really amongst the crowd. It had such a great atmosphere! O’Donoghue’s is renowned for having traditional Irish music, and popular Irish folk music band The Dubliners got their start here.

The Long Hall

A local favourite by reputation, it was also recommended to me by two Irish colleagues in the week before I left for Dublin – a must visit! Walking into The Long Hall is like stepping back in time to the 19th century, with perfectly preserved Victorian interiors. Think red leather banquettes, antique clocks and chandeliers, giving it a classy old-world atmosphere. Located on South Great George St, The Long Hall is outside Temple Bar & thus avoids being a total tourist trap. When we visited, most of the other patrons were Irish – and 100% of them were drinking Guinness!

The Stag’s Head

Another brilliant recommendation from my Irish colleague, The Stag’s Head on Dame Lane has beautiful Victorian interiors, with high ceilings, wood-panelled walls and stained glass windows that depict the pub life rather than a pious one. There’s been a pub here since the 1770s, and the pub you’ll find today has been this way since 1895. It was even one of Michael Collins’ favourite haunts during the War of Independence, due to it’s proximity to Dublin Castle (and it’s abundance of good craic, no doubt). This was our first stop when we arrived in Dublin, and it was the perfect warm welcome. The bartenders are friendly, it’s not jammed with tourists (it’s a few blocks from the heart of Temple Bar and you can find all the Irish classics on the menu – including the unlikely but perfect pairing of Guinness and oysters.

The Celt

North of the River Liffey and well away from the tourist crowds, The Celt was one of my favourite discoveries of the trip. It’s a traditional Irish pub, that is extremely popular with locals – I think we might have been the only tourists in there when we visited on a weekday evening. It looks small from the outside, but it has a cavernous interior once you pass through the quaint & poky front bar. We sat out the back, in a hall covered in Irish memorabilia and historical artifacts. We sat at the bar, had some traditional Irish pub grub & were even offered free pints of a new Irish dark ale which is trying to challenge Guinness – it wasn’t quite the same, but we appreciated the free pint all the same. This is a great spot to visit for a lively, casual traditional Irish pub without any of the crowds.

The Brazen Head

The Brazen Head is the oldest pub in Dublin, with a pub on this site dating back to 1198. The building you’ll find today is from 1754, and it feels every single one of those years in its poky, rabbit warren interior. It’s got a great little cobblestone courtyard out the front, but its worth sitting inside to soak up the atmosphere. This is a definitely a more touristy stop, but as it’s a bit on it’s own & outside Temple Bar, it’s not over-crowded. We stopped for lunch before we headed to the Guinness Storehouse, and had pub classics: fish & chips and Beef & Guinness stew.

The Temple Bar

I nearly forgot to put this one on the list! The Temple Bar is Dublin’s most famous and touristed pub, in the heart of the Temple Bar nightlife precinct. Yes, it’s extremely touristy – the only Irish accents are behind the bar. It’s full of Americans, Brits, Canadians and Australians, but it’s a cavernous old pub with room for live music, a bit of a dance floor and lots of fun. We visited The Temple Bar the day we arrived in Ireland, and I’m glad we did. It was a fun “welcome to Dublin” and kicked off our afternoon on the right note. I’m glad we visited it first, because after visiting the amazing other pubs on this list, that are far less touristy, I don’t think I would have enjoyed The Temple Bar as much. Go for a pint, have a good time & then get out of Temple Bar (the pub & the precinct).

Other Dublin pubs to try

I’ve already got a list of pubs in Dublin to try on my next visit!

• McDaid’s – for live music
• Kehoe’s – a popular one on Anne St South, it was overtaken by a wedding party when we were in the area
• The Cobblestone – out of the city in Smithfield, known for it’s traditional Irish music
• Johnny Fox’s Pub – a 25min drive from the city centre, it’s the highest pub in Ireland on top of Glencullen Mountain & comes very well regarded

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Have you been to Dublin? Are there any other pubs you’d recommend, in Dublin or in other parts of Ireland? Let me know in the comments!