Best pubs in Dublin
Rated by locals, not tourists.
40 pubs rated in Dublin
Dublin has more good pubs than any guidebook can cover, and plenty of bad pints hiding behind a famous name. This is the locals' shortlist — the rooms where the Guinness is poured properly, the snug is intact, and the session is worth staying for.
Every pub here is scored on the pint itself, the room, and the welcome — by people who actually drink in them. No sponsored rankings, no tourist-trap markups.
Dublin areas
- City Centre
- Stoneybatter
- Smithfield
- The Liberties
- Phibsborough
- Rathmines
- Temple Bar
Pubs in Dublin
Merrion RowO'Donoghue's
Birthplace of The Dubliners. Trad every night.
City Centre SouthThe Hairy Lemon
A Dublin classic on Stephen Street — great craic, live music & proper pub food.
South City CentreThe Swan Bar
York Street's perfect corner pub — famed Irish coffee & whiskey tastings.
Rody Boland's
A Victorian pub physically moved in 1994 — heritage fittings, mural & great pints.
Camden StreetDevitt's
Live trad 7 nights. The best session on Camden Street.
Temple BarThe Stag's Head
Dublin's finest Victorian pub, hidden in plain sight since 1895.
Ballinteer House
Ballinteer's relaxed local — pool table, great chowder, pastry café & late bar at weekends.
Camden StreetThe Bleeding Horse
Referenced by Joyce. Multi-room Camden Street pub since at least 1649.
Camden StreetCassidy's of Camden Street
A Camden Street anchor — live music, big outdoor space, great craic.
Kodiak
Rathmines' hottest bar — 4.7 stars, brilliant pizza, creative cocktails & great vibes.
FairviewGaffney's
Fairview's finest Victorian local — great Guinness, great prices, no pretension.
The Dropping Well
Historic Dodder-side gastropub — great food, sports & craic since 1847.
Dublin 2Doheny & Nesbitt
Where Dublin's political class drinks. Est. 1828.
Brickyard Gastropub
Dundrum's craft beer gastropub — rotating taps, great food & right by the Luas.
North City CentreBar Rua
Capel Street's creative cocktail bar — colourful, inclusive & lively.
City Centre SouthThe No Name Bar
No sign, no music — just exceptional cocktails in a Georgian gem on Fade Street.
Temple BarThe Workman's Club
Wellington Quay's indie music institution — pub downstairs, gigs upstairs, disco below.
North City CentreThe Grand Social
Dublin's indie arts and music venue — live gigs, comedy & events on Liffey Street.
North CityThe Church Café Bar
Arthur Guinness's wedding church, now Dublin's most dramatic bar.
North City CentreThe Lotts Café Bar
Dublin's smallest bar — steak on stone, legendary staff & homemade cooking.
City Centre SouthChaplin's
A solid Hawkins Street pub — sports, food & Con Houlihan on the wall.
The Foggy Dew
Temple Bar's best-kept secret — the finest free Sunday trad session.
North City CentreThe Oval Bar
A genuine 1916 pub — pour your own Guinness & outstanding feathered beef brisket.
Neary's
No TV, no music. Just gas lamps and great Guinness since 1887.
PortobelloThe Lower Deck
Canal-side Portobello local — weekend breakfasts & great Guinness by the water.
The Rathgar 108
Rathgar's craft beer gem — great snug, top taps & TVs off when sport ends.
Peruke & Periwig
Georgian-era cocktail theatre on Dawson Street. The best date-night bar in Dublin.
Peggy Kelly's
Harold's Cross's evening-sun beer garden pub — quiz Thursdays & a warm local welcome.
Birchall's
Ranelagh's most classic pub — best Guinness on the strip, open fire & Flann O'Brien's local.
StoneybatterOscar's Pub
A Stoneybatter local named for Oscar Wilde — trad sessions, fair prices & great craic.
Grand Canal DockToken
Dublin's arcade bar — retro games, karaoke, great vegan food & cocktails.
City Centre SouthMcDaid's
Behan's and Kavanagh's local — a literary giant on Harry Street since 1779.
Uncle Tom's Cabin
Newly revived Dundrum Road local — BBQ ribs, pool table & heated patio.
City Centre SouthPeadar Kearney's
The pub named after Ireland's national anthem poet — trad nightly on Dame Street.
ClontarfThe Pint
Clontarf Road's solid seaside local — live music, sports & craft beer.
Dublin 2Whelan's
Dublin's original live music venue since 1989.
SmithfieldFrank Ryan's
Dublin's most eccentric pub — great Guinness, stone-baked pizza & organised chaos.
The LibertiesMother Mac's
A tiny Victorian gem on Bride Street — Beamish, snugs & old Liberties soul.
GlasnevinHedigan's — The Brian Boru
Glasnevin's great Victorian pub — generous carvery, beer garden & Sunday sport.
ClontarfThe Yacht
Clontarf's seaside local — great food, bay views & live music on Saturdays.
Dublin pubs — FAQs
- Where is the best Guinness in Dublin?
- The best-rated pints in Dublin shift as locals score them, but the leaderboard on this site ranks every pub by its honest Guinness score — pour, settle and all.
- Which Dublin pubs have trad sessions?
- Filter the Dublin map for trad sessions to see which pubs have live traditional music on tonight and through the week.