You’ll receive a great welcome in the convivial surrounds of The Duke pub in Dublin, being as it’s one of the most characteristically Irish bars in the capital. Named for its street, this pub has it all – a fine selection of local stouts, ales and whiskies, bartenders and waiting staff whose passion and friendliness is to plain to see, and an atmosphere which keeps regulars and visitors coming back time and again.
Situated right amid the action in Temple Bar, The Duke is recognisable for its popular street side terrace which gives patrons a cool atmosphere to sip drinks during the hotter months. This family friendly pub also offers a lunch and dinner menu for adults and kids alike, with the Irish stew especially praised as the chef’s signature dish. From a tourist perspective, this pub is perhaps most famous as the starting point of the Dublin Literary Pub Crawl, which ferries tour takers all over the show, its experienced guides pointing out the significance the local watering holes have in popular Irish writing.
High calibre hospitality awaits at The Bleeding Horse, whose reputation for good entertainment is well-deserved. Home to one of the few fully round bars in Dublin city centre, this pub is often packed and cheery of an evening. Regular entertainment consisting of modern and heritage music populates the weekend schedule, drawing in large and appreciative crowds. Sporting fans are also pleased at the comprehensive broadcasts of football, rugby and golf televised on the venue’s big screens.
As well as its reputation for keeping patrons thoroughly regaled and amused, the Bleeding Horse carries some undeniably great traits of hospitality. Those working the bar serve patrons briskly, all the while keeping a friendly face and cheeriness that any good pub features. The dinners and lunches here aren’t half bad either, with the selection spanning juicy steaks and burgers, curries and pork ribs to name just a few. Altogether this is a fine pub, whose ample efforts to please are met with happy crowds which appear evening after evening.
The Norseman pub, (formerly known as Farrington’s of Temple Bar), proudly displays the traditions of Ireland going back many years. Careful research has determined that a pub has been on this site for centuries – a tradition which is given great tribute by the hospitality presently offered. Fantastic pub meals at lunch and dinnertime range from pies to salads to fried fish, while regular entertainments and a good crowd serve to the place lively throughout the day and evening.
Praised highly for its atmosphere and warm welcome, The Norseman also offers a selection of deluxe en suite bedrooms for those visiting Dublin with the breakfast menu often providing the perfect start to any day. The excellent bar staff embody good hostmanship, tending to patrons and guests alike with genuine helpful friendliness. An impressive selection of good tipples, especially the cask aged whiskies offered, are a frequent source of compliments by guests.
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Sheehan’s Pub has a great reputation for plentiful reasons; one of the oldest, family-run pubs in Dublin, the place is among a small and treasured group of authentic bars having retained that status since its founding back in 1933. The generations of owners have each built upon the hospitality to the point that today, the pub offers a great selection of pub meals from pies to battered cod to sandwiches. Upstairs, the recently installed whisky and cocktail bar gives the adventurous ample purchase over some delectable, tasty wares.
At a mere short distance from Grafton St. and all its shopping entertainments, Sheehan’s is well-placed whether you’re after a quick lunch or a drink, or wish to remain longer during evenings. Sporting entertainment is regularly televised within, while special occasions see the bar raucously come alive as musicians regale patrons with a sublime mixture of modern popular tunes with classic Irish folk numbers.
The Palace Bar of Dublin enjoys a hard-won reputation for offering patrons a fine time, the bar having served a superb selection of drinks gladly for many a year now. These days the pub numbers among those to value highly Ireland’s legacy of alehouses; its nods to the old fashioned only too apparent with the old wooden kegs outside and dark finishes within. Certain things never change however, with the bar staff well-liked for their fine manners and swiftness in serving customers easily appreciated fine beers, wines and spirits.
As one of the greats of Temple Bar, this pub makes no bones about its superbly stored ales and local whiskies, which impress guests for their varied and tasty flavours. The pub’s interior offers a great atmosphere in which to drink – tall ceilings, dark wood finishes, and serene illumination make a few pints or drams here an experience to savour.
Proof positive that Irish hospitality lives on in force, Darkey Kelly’s has an atmosphere which ticks all the boxes insofar as good hostmanship is concerned. This lovely flag decorated pub has great ale on tap, scrumptious local whisky impressing patrons by the bottle full, and a regular roster of entertainments musical and raucous to keep the place at its liveliest. Stalwart in clinging to traditions, the music is old Irish folk with fiddles, accordions and vocals occupying a corner, with the crowd seldom unimpressed by the talent displayed.
Darkey Kelly’s is named for a suspected witch and serial killer tried and burned centuries ago in Dublin; the grisly story of whom the bartenders will gladly relay. Despite its namesake, the pub is up there with the genuinely warm and welcoming you’ll find. Situated at the popular Harding Hotel, many guests staying in the accommodation are made to feel right at home by the meals offered, which range from all day breakfasts to wholesome pub fare in perfect accompaniment to the delicious, well-stored cask ales on tap.
See also: Harding Hotel
Very few people who visit The Black Sheep leave disappointed – this lovely Dublin pub has the spirit of Irish courtesy close to heart. The range of good, honest pub food – including the bar’s own scrumptious chicken wings – and richly brewed craft ales means patrons are plentifully fed and watered, by bartenders and serving staff who epitomise friendliness and courtesy. The comfy seating and snug enclaves here make it perfect as a place to rest your feet between on a busy day, whether you live or are visiting Dublin.
Located on the corner of Capel Street, The Black Sheep is easily within reach of the city centre attractions of Dublin 1 and 2. Evenings see the place enliven, as crowds swell and conversation cascades – musical entertainments are frequent, especially during the summer months where Irish folk ditties can be heard lively from within. A particular favourite for regulars is the weekend steak nights, where proper local Angus meats accompany the beers in an accompaniment rich and juicy.
When you head to Kehoe’s, a blanket of history is draped upon you – tracing its roots back to Napoleonic times in 1803, this pub contains all sorts of memorabilia and artefacts from eras gone by. Photographs of Dublin’s famous figures, be they from arts, politics or elsewise, line the walls. Like many of the capital’s best and most spirited venues, this pub is situated right in Temple Bar, and is distinguished by its colourful flowered planters on the exterior.
This pub is almost always busy and boisterous compared with the photos here, which depict the traditional dark wood partitions, booths and lamp lit interior uncharacteristically serene. The talented serving staff manage to look after customers, remaining friendly and aware while the place heaves and pulses with activity and lively conversation. If it’s not the convivial atmosphere that keeps you here awhile, it’ll be the great drinks selection which sees the best local ales and whiskies pouring at all hours. Springtime sees Ireland’s rugby playing on the big screen, while talented musicians regale and impress guests on occasions like St. Patrick’s Day.
The Brian Boru is one of Dublin’s most favoured suburban haunts, and among the few pubs which harks back to the farthest antiquities of Ireland – Brian Boru being the most famous High King of the country, beginning a new dynasty and living to a ripe old age. While the pub bearing his name makes no such proud claims, more than a hint of glory permeates the interior – nowadays, succulent steak dinners accompany great ales, with the regulars certainly able to offer a history lesson demystifying Ireland’s kingly heritage.
Indeed, the pub’s atmosphere is comfortable and homely, with the family ownership running an altogether tight ship. Instantly recognisable by the icons and legendary mural of a mounted Brian on the exterior, you’ll find a number of tapestries within pointing to the past. Drinks wise we’ve some astounding whiskey – this pub was the very last to serve whiskey straight from the cask, and is quite the contender for beers too. The hospitality is rounded out well by a beer garden perfect for summers, and the scrumptious Sunday roasts served within.
A trip into J.W. Sweetman Craft Brewery is sure to impress, this pub being something of a unique curiosity in the city of Dublin. Little of the beer inside has to travel far, being as this pub’s microbrewery is situated just behind the bar. Superbly flavoursome and rich in texture, the varied strengths and types of ale offered at this cracking little boozer tend to immensely satisfy, while patrons also enjoy sampling the very respectable snacks and food also offered, while bartenders and servers alike zip about busily while losing none of their innate friendliness and cheer.
The fact the pub itself celebrates Ireland’s brewing tradition, and heritage generally, is shown off in marvellous style by the historical nights which see storytelling and folk yarns told to great interest and appeal. J.W. Sweetman’s impressive culinary selection ranges from battered cod to juicy steaks to the well-appreciated Irish Whiskey Chicken. Notably, the venue is also available for large scale catered functions such as funerals and wedding receptions, with spacious rooms perfect for any such gathering.