Best pubs in Dublin for locals (and those who want to drink like one)

Why most tourists are drinking in the wrong pubs

Dublin has roughly 700 pubs. A first-time visitor, following instinct and Google Maps, usually ends up in Temple Bar — a compact grid of streets where the pubs are loud, the prices are punishing, and the experience has about as much to do with authentic Irish pub culture as a Disneyland castle has to do with a medieval fortress.

This guide is about the other Dublin — the Victorian boozers on side streets, the snug bars where regulars have been sitting on the same stool for decades, the places where the trad session is the musicians’ idea of a Tuesday night out, not a management-organised performance for tour groups. These pubs exist all over the city, most of them a five-minute walk from wherever you’re standing.

If you want the full context on why Temple Bar is worth skipping, read our honest Temple Bar guide. For a guided tour with a Dubliner who knows which pub to go to when, the traditional pub walking tour is excellent — a local guide takes you to three or four proper spots with the story behind each.

The essential list: Dublin’s finest local pubs

The Long Hall — South Great George’s Street

The single most recommended local pub in Dublin, and for good reason. The Victorian interior — carved mahogany, mirrors, high ceilings, a long counter that gives the pub its name — has been preserved almost perfectly since the 1880s. It gets genuinely busy on Friday evenings; come before 18:00 or after 21:00. No food, no music, excellent Guinness. This is the template against which every other Dublin pub is measured.

Pint of Guinness: approximately €6.50.

Mulligan’s — Poolbeg Street

Established in 1782 and famously cited as one of the best pints of Guinness in the city. JFK is said to have had a pint here, though the claim is made by roughly half the pubs in Ireland. What is true is that Mulligan’s has changed very little in a century, the bar staff are professional and quick, and the clientele runs from journalists from the nearby newsrooms to old-timers who have been coming since before you were born. Located just off the Liffey, a short walk from Trinity College.

The Stag’s Head — Dame Court

Tucked into a lane just off Dame Street, the Stag’s Head is perhaps the most photographed pub interior in Dublin — red tiles, a stag’s head mounted above the bar, gorgeous mosaic floor. It attracts a mix of locals and those in the know, and manages to stay true to itself despite the tourist footfall. Gets packed after 21:00 on weekends; for atmosphere without crush, go mid-afternoon.

Kehoe’s — South Anne Street

An almost unchanged Victorian pub steps from Grafton Street, which means it should be overrun with tourists but largely isn’t. The snugs at the back — small partitioned rooms that were originally designed for women, who were not allowed at the bar — are still intact and genuinely atmospheric. One of the few places in Dublin where the crush at the bar on a Friday feels celebratory rather than stressful.

The Cobblestone — Smithfield

The most important traditional music pub in Dublin, and the centre of a great deal of civic pride after a planning controversy in 2021 brought thousands to its streets in protest against a proposed development. Sessions happen most nights, starting around 21:30 — musicians arrive, sit in the corner, and play. No stage, no charge, no compulsion to drink particularly fast. The area around Smithfield is central Dublin but less visited than the south side; combine with the Jameson Distillery across the square.

Pint: approximately €6.00–€6.50.

Grogan’s Castle Lounge — William Street South

Technically on the edge of what some consider Temple Bar’s hinterland, Grogan’s belongs to a different world entirely. No music, no sport on screens, no food beyond toasted sandwiches. The walls are covered in paintings by artists who used to pay their tabs in work; some are now worth considerably more than the tab. A mix of writers, students, professionals, and people who have nowhere better to be. Excellent spot for a quiet afternoon drink.

Doheny & Nesbitt — Lower Baggot Street

Georgian Dublin’s favourite watering hole, positioned on Baggot Street among the government offices and law firms. The interior is a textbook Victorian snug pub — dark wood, partitioned spaces, a dignified atmosphere. At lunchtime it fills with barristers and civil servants; at 18:00 it fills with everyone else. Reliable Guinness, proper bar food.

The Palace Bar — Fleet Street

Steps from Temple Bar but a world away in feel. The Palace has been a Dublin institution since 1823 and was long the official off-duty pub of the Irish Times, whose offices were nearby. Nicely preserved interior, decent food, and a crowd that tends toward the forty-plus. Not the cheapest pint in the city — about €7.00 — but the surroundings justify it.

John Kavanagh’s “The Gravediggers” — Glasnevin

The most atmospheric pub in the city if you’re willing to leave the centre. Located next to the wall of Glasnevin Cemetery, The Gravediggers has been run by the same family since 1833. It’s a genuine local — regulars, occasional live music, no decoration that was bought for effect. Getting there requires a bus or taxi from the centre (about 20 minutes), but it fits perfectly with a morning at the cemetery or the nearby Botanic Gardens.

The Bernard Shaw — South Richmond Street

A different kind of local — part bar, part pizza place, part venue for art and music. Less traditional in feel but genuinely beloved by younger Dubliners. The outdoor area is one of the city’s better beer gardens. A good choice if you want a more relaxed, younger-skewing evening that isn’t the manufactured chaos of Temple Bar.

Neighbourhood by neighbourhood

South city centre (most accessible): The Long Hall, The Stag’s Head, Kehoe’s, and Grogan’s are all within a 10-minute walk of each other. This is the easiest crawl from the Trinity College area.

Northside: Mulligan’s is an easy walk from O’Connell Street; for a fuller northside evening, read about the pubs near O’Connell Street.

Smithfield and the Liberties: The Cobblestone in Smithfield; the pubs near the Liberties including the Brazen Head (Dublin’s oldest, though the claim is contested).

South Dublin / Baggot Street: Doheny & Nesbitt, Toner’s, O’Donoghue’s (where The Dubliners started their career — now touristy but still worth a look).

How to navigate a traditional session

If you find yourself in a pub with a traditional music session, a few points help. Musicians are generally unpaid and playing for pleasure; listen with respect and don’t talk over the music. Tips are appreciated but not expected. Don’t request songs — traditional music doesn’t work that way. The best sessions are improvisational, with musicians passing tunes between them; if you sit and actually listen, the music is extraordinary.

For a deeper guide to where to find sessions and what the etiquette actually is, read traditional music pubs. The private Irish musical pub tour pairs a local guide with three or four pubs and real session musicians; it is a genuinely good way to experience this if you only have one evening.

A note on the pub crawl

If you want a structured night out meeting other travellers, organised pub crawls are popular and can be fun. They typically cover four or five pubs over three or four hours, with drink deals at each stop. The quality varies; look for one run by a company with actual guides rather than just a list of pubs and a discount card. For the history-minded, the Dublin pub crawl guide covers the options honestly.

For serious trad music fans, the best evening out combines three of the pubs above with a visit to a proper session, covered in detail in our guide to traditional music pubs.

Practicalities

Pubs are cashless in most cases now, or at least card-friendly. Rounds are genuinely customary in Ireland — if you’re in a group, it’s expected that people take turns buying for the whole table. Refusing to buy a round is remembered. The pace is different from elsewhere: you’re not expected to hurry, the bar staff will not chase you out, and a slow pint is not a slow service problem — it is how a proper pint of Guinness is poured.

If you want to understand the pour itself, the Guinness Storehouse gives the official explanation. For where to drink the best pint in the city once you’ve had the lecture, the answer is almost always one of the pubs above, not the Gravity Bar.

For a complete plan that fits these pubs into a wider trip, see a Dublin 3-day itinerary.

Top experiences

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