Dublin Guide · Pubs

Top 10 Pubs in Dublin (Traditional + Worth Visiting)

Forget the Temple Bar tourist trail. After years of living in Dublin, these are the only ten pubs we'd send you to: the Victorian gems, the literary haunts, and the trad music institutions where the city's soul still lives. Click any pub name to visit its website. Every recommendation comes with the confidence of a local, not a guidebook.

The places we recommend to friends.

By Deborah NunezReporting from DublinUpdated June 2026

Quick Answer

Start at Kehoe's. Move to The Long Hall. Finish at The Cobblestone for a trad session. That is the perfect Dublin pub night, and it is a 15-minute walk from any hotel near St. Stephen's Green (more on how walkable Dublin actually is). Skip the Temple Bar pubs (with the single exception of The Palace Bar). The list below is the only Dublin pub shortlist you need.

If You Only Go to 3 Pubs

The Three-Pub Dublin Night

1.Kehoe's

Your first pint. The snug is the most authentic Dublin moment you'll have all trip. Saturday afternoon, no excuses.

2.Mulligan's

The best Guinness in Dublin. Two-part pour, served the same way since 1782. JFK drank here. So should you.

3.The Cobblestone

Live trad music, unamplified, in a packed front bar. Wednesday or Sunday at 9pm. This is the music tourists fly here for.

Best For Your Mood

Best for your first Dublin pint

Kehoe's snug → Saturday afternoon, no excuses

Best for traditional Irish music

The Cobblestone → Wednesday or Sunday, 8pm sharp

Best Guinness in the city

Mulligan's → 1782, two-part pour, end of debate

Best for atmosphere over hype

The Long Hall → Victorian, gas-lamp, no screens

Best for a quieter conversation

The Swan or The Stag's Head back room

Best summer evening pub

The Brazen Head courtyard or O'Donoghue's outdoor

Where to Be Careful

A Word on Temple Bar

Temple Bar the neighbourhood is fine in daylight: cobbled streets, vintage shops, the Irish Film Institute. Temple Bar the pub (the bright red one on the corner) is a €10-pint tourist trap with a banjo player on rotation. Walk through Temple Bar in the afternoon, then walk five minutes south to The Long Hall for the actual Dublin pub experience. The single exception inside Temple Bar is The Palace Bar, which sits on the edge and operates by a different ruleset entirely.

Our Recommendation

The Perfect Dublin Pub Night

5pm: Kehoe's on South Anne Street. Pint of Guinness. Find the snug or stand at the bar. 7pm: Walk three minutes to The Long Hall on South Great George's Street. Order another pint. Take in the Victorian mirrors. 8:30pm: Cab or 15-minute walk to The Cobblestone in Smithfield for the trad session. Sit close, don't talk. 11pm: Walk to Mulligan's for one last pint, properly poured.

Staying central makes this effortless. See the best areas to stay in Dublin for hotels within walking distance. Every pub on this list is a short walk or a €10 Free Now ride from one another, so you'll never need a car. Our guide to getting around the city covers late-night taxis and when to walk. Pair this pub night with our 3-day Dublin itinerary, dinner from our best restaurants in Dublin, and tomorrow's plan from our things to do in Dublin guide.

01

The Long Hall

South Great George's Street · Best Atmosphere

A Victorian jewel box. The ornate mirrors, carved wood, and gas-lamp atmosphere haven't changed since 1881. This is Dublin distilled into a single room.

Why We Love It: Order a Guinness and claim a spot by the bar. No screens, no music, just the hum of proper conversation. This is our go-to when friends visit.

What to Order

A pint of Guinness, full stop. If you want a chaser, ask for a Powers whiskey, neat. Stand at the bar like a local, not at a back table.

The trade-off: It is small and gets packed by 8pm on weekends. Go early evening or weekday afternoon.

Since: 1881

Vibe: Victorian

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02

Kehoe's

South Anne Street · Best for First-Time Visitors

The definitive Dublin pub. The snug is one of the last authentic ones in the city. The upstairs room is a secret most tourists never discover.

Why We Love It: Saturday afternoon in the snug with a pint of Smithwick's is peak Dublin. This is where we bring every American visitor first.

What to Order

A pint of Smithwick's (Ireland's red ale, an underrated classic) or a Guinness. If you want food, eat before. Kehoe's is for drinking, not dining.

The trade-off: The snug seats six and never empties. If it's full, take the upstairs room or stand at the bar. Either is excellent.

Feature: The Snug

Best: Saturday Afternoon

03

The Palace Bar

Fleet Street, Temple Bar · Best Whiskey Selection

The literary pub. Flann O'Brien, Patrick Kavanagh, and Brendan Behan all drank here. It's in Temple Bar but feels a world apart from the tourist circus.

Why We Love It: The upstairs whiskey bar is one of Dublin's best-kept secrets. The stained glass and mahogany feel untouched by time.

What to Order

Upstairs: a flight of three Irish whiskeys. Ask the bartender for Redbreast 12, Green Spot, and a single pot still you've never tried. Downstairs: a pint of Guinness.

The trade-off: The downstairs front bar can feel touristy by 8pm. The upstairs whiskey bar is the move every time.

Heritage: Literary

Secret: Upstairs Whiskey Bar

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04

Mulligan's

Poolbeg Street · Best Pint of Guinness

Serving since 1782. JFK drank here as a young journalist. The Guinness is widely considered the best pint in Dublin, a claim backed by over 240 years of practice.

Why We Love It: The best Guinness in Dublin is not a debate here. It's a fact. The back room is the quietest and most atmospheric spot.

What to Order

A pint of Guinness. Watch the two-part pour. Do not order anything else on your first round. This is the pour you remember.

The trade-off: It's a five-minute walk from O'Connell Bridge, just off the beaten track. Walk it. It is worth it.

Since: 1782

Famous For: Best Guinness

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05

Grogan's

South William Street · Best Casual Hangout

The artists' pub. Toasted ham-and-cheese sandwiches, great pints, and a crowd that skews creative. No pretension, just decades of authenticity.

Why We Love It: The toasted sandwich here is a Dublin institution. Pair it with a pint of plain and you're living right.

What to Order

The toasted ham and cheese (no other order, ever) and a pint of Guinness. Eat at the bar or out on the street if the sun's out.

The trade-off: Cash only at the food counter, last we checked. Bring a tenner.

Crowd: Creative

Must-Try: Toasted Sandwich

06

The Stag's Head

Dame Court · Best Victorian Interior

Hidden down Dame Court, this Victorian masterpiece features stained glass, mahogany, and a stag's head that has watched over Dublin since 1770.

Why We Love It: The architecture alone is worth the visit. The back room is quieter and perfect for a proper conversation over a pint.

What to Order

A pint of Guinness in the front bar to take in the room, then move to the back snug for a Hot Whiskey (Powers, hot water, cloves, lemon, sugar) on a winter night.

The trade-off: The alleyway entrance is easy to miss and the front bar fills fast at weekends. Go on a Tuesday.

Since: 1770

Style: Victorian Gothic

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07

The Cobblestone

Smithfield · Best Traditional Music

Dublin's finest traditional music pub. Live sessions every night in the front bar, and a dedicated venue upstairs. This is where the living tradition lives.

Why We Love It: Wednesday and Sunday sessions in the front bar are exceptional. Arrive early and sit close to the musicians. The music is never amplified.

What to Order

A pint of Guinness and silence. Order before the session starts at 9pm. Do not order at the bar mid-tune. The locals will look at you.

The trade-off: It is a 10-minute taxi from the city centre and the front bar holds maybe 40 people. Arrive by 8pm or you stand.

Music: Trad Sessions

Best Nights: Wed & Sun

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08

The Brazen Head

Bridge Street Lower · Worth It Despite the Hype

Ireland's oldest pub, dating to 1198. Yes, it's on the tourist trail. But the courtyard on a summer evening, with trad music drifting out, is genuinely magical.

Why We Love It: Embrace the 800 years of history. The courtyard is the play, especially on a warm evening with live music floating through the air.

What to Order

A pint of Guinness in the courtyard. The food is fine but go elsewhere for dinner. This is a drinks-and-history stop.

The trade-off: It is touristy. Go for the courtyard on a summer evening, skip it on a winter Saturday night.

Since: 1198

Claim: Ireland's Oldest

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09

The Swan

Aungier Street · Best Underrated Pub

An art deco gem from the 1940s that feels like a time capsule. The curved bar, the leather seating, and regulars who've been coming for decades.

Why We Love It: One of Dublin's most underrated pubs. The art deco interior is stunning, the crowd is interesting, and the pints are reliable.

What to Order

A pint of Guinness or a glass of Jameson on the rocks. Sit at the curved bar. Look up at the ceiling.

The trade-off: It is rarely busy, which is the whole point. If you want noise and crowds, go elsewhere.

Style: Art Deco

Era: 1940s

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10

O'Donoghue's

Merrion Row · Best Live Music Pub

Where The Dubliners started. The traditional music sessions here helped launch Ireland's folk revival, and the spirit endures every night.

Why We Love It: The outdoor area on a summer evening, with a live session drifting through the door, is quintessential Dublin at its finest.

What to Order

A pint of Guinness in the front bar where the music plays. If it's summer, take it out to the smoking area. The session carries through the door.

The trade-off: The front bar is loud and shoulder-to-shoulder. If you want a quiet pint, this is not it.

Heritage: The Dubliners

Feature: Live Music

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Common Mistakes to Avoid

Where Americans Get the Dublin Pub Scene Wrong

  • •Going to "Temple Bar" the pub. €10 pints, tour groups and a man on a banjo. The actual Dublin pub culture is a 5-minute walk south.
  • •Trying to do 8 pubs in a night. Three is the right number. Sit longer at each. That is how Dubliners actually drink.
  • •Talking during a trad session. Locals notice immediately. If the music starts, drop your voice or step outside.
  • •Asking for "Irish whiskey" generically. Ask for Powers, Redbreast 12, or Green Spot. The bartender will respect you instantly.
  • •Rushing the Guinness. A proper pour takes 119.5 seconds. If your pint arrives in 30, send it back.

Our Curation Method

How the Dublin edit is made

A short note on standards. Everything on this page has been visited, paid for, and re-checked. Nothing here is sponsored, and no hotel or restaurant can buy a place in our lists.

We've slept in every hotel we recommend

No press trips, no comped stays we don't disclose. Every five-star hotel in our Dublin edit has been booked, paid for, and re-checked within the last twelve months. If a room, a bar, or a bathroom has slipped, we say so.

We've eaten the meal, not read the menu

Restaurants only enter our Top 10 after two visits, at least one of them unannounced. Michelin stars are noted but not deferred to. A room that treats a party of two the way it treats a party of eight is what earns the ranking.

We report from Dublin, not from a desk

Deborah lives in Ireland. Guides are updated after each visit and each seasonal shift, not on an annual refresh schedule. When Patrick Guilbaud changes its Tuesday closure or the Shelbourne renovates a floor, the guide moves that week.

We tell you what to skip

A guide that recommends everything recommends nothing. Temple Bar at night, the standard Guinness Storehouse ticket, most Dame Street hotels: we name what an affluent American traveller should quietly avoid, and why.

Edited by Deborah Nunez, Founding Editor.Read the full editorial standard

Common questions

Dublin Pubs. Common Questions

Next Step

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