We tend to avoid bigger crowds when out and about (and, frankly, we like to be home early – sleep is important!), but we recently made an exception to stop into PYE in Dundrum at what looked to be close to peak weekend action. Despite the crowds, the very professional and friendly staff managed to find our group a handy corner, and kept us fed and watered in the process.
But let’s back up – what kind of a place is PYE, and who is the target demographic?
It certainly leans more ‘gastro’ than ‘pub,’ but the overarching feeling about the place is ‘dog friendly‘ – there may be a more ‘elevated’ food selection than at many pubs around Dublin, but it’s the canine visitors (and their humans, often of a youngish variety) who are especially well catered-to. There is a vending machine with doggy treats and accessories, advantageously-placed water bowls and beds, plus plenty of little nooks and crannies for the more retiring pup. Given that PYE is from the same team behind The Barber’s Bar in Stoneybatter – a spot we love – this is no surprise. The scale, however is quite different.
PYE took over the former Eagle House pub in 2022, and converted it from a traditional pub into a series of drinking, dining and event spaces, both indoor and outdoor. It a sensible use of the space – a fair few of these more suburban pubs once served as drinking establishments, groceries, post offices and even morgues (often concurrently), but it’s difficult to make use of some of those massive buildings in anything close to their original 19th century layouts in a way that makes economic sense today. The renovation also included accessible toilets, something that is still not a given in every pub here, especially not those originally built in the 19th century.
And while it may feel a bit less spontaneous than your typical Old Man Pub where you simply walk in and head to the bar to order (not in a queue, thank you – we don’t do that here), it’s a fair evolution of the pub concept – there was still plenty of socialising over drinks on our visit, plus some adorable dogs as a bonus. It stands in contrast to our experience at Token, which has very much of an Enforced Corporate Fun vibe, and while there are clearly similar events hosted at PYE, the ‘feel’ of the place was still, overall, ‘pubby’ versus ‘event venue.’
Although the aggressively-modern pink-and-green colour scheme may not be to every taste, the name hearkens back to a previous Dundrum business – the PYE electronics business that used to be near this part of town, so there is a nod to local history. The extensive food menu offers something for everyone, even those with allergies, and the drink selection is more than respectable: Kinnegar, Whiplash, Hopfully and Trouble are all well-represented, and there are other rotating indie choices as well, plus Guinness, Beamish and the like. There’s also some Japanese whiskey if that’s your preference.
And while we are usually visiting Brickyard for their excellent beer selection and tasty food when down this way (though we fervently wish they also had a Northside outpost), PYE was well worth a side quest – we’d be in much more often if we were closer.
And while we can much more easily visit The Barber’s Bar when we need our Good Doggo fix, it’s nice to know we have options when in the wilds of South Dublin; PYE is certainly one to add to the Best Pubs for Dogs list.
Where: Main Street, Dundrum, D14 V9R3
Access from the city centre: Bus 14; Luas Green Line. You’re not walking unless you’re up for something close to 2 hours
Food: Everything from brunch to pizza, spice bags and snacks, with a welcome charcuterie board
Sport: All the big events, especially rugby; you are in South Dublin, after all…
TVs: Lots of screens, all around
Music: Party people in the house
Family-friendliness: Children welcome until 7 pm – there is a kids’ menu and many easy choices from the adult menus
Pub-crawl-ability: Low – Dundrum House is across the road, Brickyard is a shortish walk away, but it’s much more suburban out this way
Local sites of note: Dundrum Town Centre, Airfield Estate
Haunted: Might seem cursed to those allergic to colour and lights
Other notes: Many gluten-free options and step-free access
Socials: Instagram, Facebook, TikTok(!)
Part music venue, part dive bar, 
And while the formal stage at the back of the main floor makes it feel more venue than pub, it’s got a rather respectable beer lineup, including its own beer from Trouble, as well as the more-common Ambush. There is also a Kilkenny tap – it’s no longer so lesser-spotted around Dublin – and the other usual suspects.
But downstairs, where there are more seating and stage options, is where there’s a bit of a slightly eerie historic atmosphere; the stone walls, low lighting, cool temperature and quiet (during the afternoon – not, of course, so much at night during a gig) do suggest, even if it’s ever-so-slightly, The Unseen. We couldn’t find any good ghost stories, but they do put on some good Halloween shows, so it’s worth keeping an eye out for that, even if the folklore isn’t forthcoming.
While you’re unlikely to find us out and about at one of their 2 am events, in a city with an ever-shrinking number of creative and arts spaces for both emerging and established artists, it’s handy to have one with a real personality; being in a 300-ish year old building is a bonus.
In a small city like Dublin, it’s relatively easy to rally local beer nerds with a little bit of novelty – news travels quickly amongst our cohort – and whether it’s a new pub or, in this case, a bit of a throwback experience, it will be thoroughly investigated within days.
And while there is no beer engine option here, there is a 1960s tap box on the bar, set up to dispense Guinness at something closer to room temperature. Naturally, we’ve all had to give it a go. So much of Guinness culture is the theatre around its presentation and serving – the two-part pour (don’t get us started on that, nor on Splitting the G, except as a parody concept), letting it settle, the branded glassware all play a part. And there’s a special glass involved here if you order a pint from the tap box – the extra gold on the lettering is a nice touch.
And does it taste markedly different from ‘cold’ Guinness? Well…perhaps a bit, though it’s also a similar experience if you’re slowly sipping, and the beer has warmed up while you’ve taken your time over it. But as a bit of a change from the standard Guinness pint (also, it should be noted, very much available here, along with Changing Times, though we’ve 
This month’s Dublin pub round-up is one for which we’ve had more requests than just about any other topic – certainly, it out-ranks queries about basics like food (
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