It’s Dublin pub round-up time again; this edition is in response to a frequently asked question we get on The Socials and via email: what pubs in town are handy for hosting an event? It could be a birthday celebration or a youth team end-of-season party at a single long table, a corporate event in a private room, or even a wedding celebration taking over some or all of the pub.
We’ve had the pleasure of attending nearly all of these events in pubs across the city, and have a few that we’d especially recommend if you’re planning a shindig. For a ‘traditional’ pub experience with a private room, The Stag’s Head frequently hosts weddings and family gatherings in their upstairs space, complete with beautiful decoration. The Old Spot also has a gorgeous room that fits the bill here, along with their excellent food. Taphouse in Ranelagh has ample party space, and weddings are not at all unusual for them. The Bull and Castle is another for festive fine food and drink.
For a less-formal event, The Cat and Cage has a lovely upstairs area (karaoke rooms included), and we love Rascals for parties of all sorts – a range of options are available in their flexible space, and there’s excellent pizza and beer at both. The Back Page is a frequent party spot for all ages, thanks to its range of video games (it’s worth noting it can be especially full of louder children’s voices during ‘Communion Season’) – and, again, karaoke – while Token is more of a corporate event space. BrewDog seems to get both the family events as well as work-related Mandated Fun parties, but with such a large space, it’s unsurprising. There is a less-used-these-days basement room at The Black Sheep that can still be booked, but for a more atmospheric subterranean space for events, we recommend Urban Brewing, with its arched vaults and wildly-underrated cheese plate.
Finally, there are plenty of pubs and bars that have space for more casual get-togethers and events with a bit of advance notice: MeMa’s, Drop Dead Twice, Hynes’ Bar, Kodiak (with bonus shuffleboard upstairs) and The Circular are all well worth investigating for a group evening out or afternoon pints with your Meetup crew.
In short, whether it’s a formal sit-down dinner or simply some group drinks after work, there’s a pub in Dublin with just the right space; book away!