Stoneybatter has an abundance of riches when it comes to pubs, with classics like The Glimmer Man, Walsh’s and L. Mulligan. Grocer, all within steps of one another – and that’s before you include other fantastic spots like Hynes’ Bar and The Barber’s Bar, just a bit further apart from those three. As a result, it’s taken an absolute age for us to get around to profiling The Belfry, despite it long being on the to-do list.
While the handsome, all-black-painted building has the kind of also-dark colours, subdued lighting and cosy reclaimed furniture that you might find in broadly similar pubs from Carroll Gardens to Dalston, The Belfry – like all its neighbours – feels very much part of the fabric of Stoneybatter. Indeed, one of the reasons we haven’t been able to write it up before now is that on previous attempts to visit, it was too crowded to get halfway-decent pictures; certainly not a bad ‘problem’ for a pub to have. And on every occasion, the lively crowd has been a great mix of locals of all ages, students from the nearby TUD campus and even Olds like us.
And the attractions are many: great support for local independent beers from the likes of Hope, Kinnegar, Trouble and The White Hag, as well as a notable cocktail list. For the more ‘traditional’ drinker, it’s possible to get Guinness, Beamish and Murphy’s, so if you’re one of those who enjoys doing the blind taste test of all three, The Belfry has you sorted. There’s also a wonderful little beer garden, and plenty of events that are very much rooted in the local community. It was an absolute oasis for this year’s instalment of the always-busy-but-great-vibes Stoneybatter Festival (yes, you could park your child inside for them to have a sit-down and a snack). This being Stoneybatter, there are always lots of dogs as well. It’s also important to point out that not only is there a main-floor toilet, it’s a properly-accessible one – something of a rarity in much of Dublin.
Our only other ‘complaint’ is that The Belfry tends to open later than some other pubs, so it’s not always handy for a quick weekend lunchtime pint. All the more incentive, really, to get there as they open to secure a comfy leather chair and a refreshing beverage…
Where: 37 Stoneybatter, Dublin, D07 X029
Access from the city centre: Buses 37, 39, 39A, 70, 83, 83A; Luas Red Line, 30ish minute walk
Food: Keep an eye on the socials for food trucks and pop-ups
Sport: More music-forward than sport-led
TVs: Well-hidden, if they are there
Music: More modern tunes; even the occasional rave for dogs
Family-friendliness: The hours are not particularly child-friendly, but everyone is welcome during the Stoneybatter Festival
Pub-crawl-ability: High – L. Mulligan. Grocer, The Glimmer Man, The Cobblestone, Hynes’ Bar, The Barber’s Bar & Bonobo are quite close; Fidelity isn’t too much further away
Local sites of note: The Lighthouse Cinema, Arbour Hill Cemetery, TUD Grangegorman
Haunted: Some of the décor does have the ‘haunted object’ look to it (in the best possible way) – perhaps a storytelling jumping-off point?
Other notes: Dogs are welcome, obviously, and the accessible toilet is important
Socials: Instagram, Facebook, TikTok
