Food

Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: PYE

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Inside PYEWe 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?

Dog rules for PYEIt 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.

Beer garden at PYEAnd 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.

Doggy wall at PYE - yes, very similar to its companion at The Barber's BarAnd 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(!)

Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: Doom Slice @ Pawn Shop

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Inside Pawn ShopIs it a pub, or is it a bar?

There are a fair few pubs in Dublin that don’t comfortably fit the ‘Irish pub’ stereotype – the dark wood, the photos and signs on the walls, the Guinness, perhaps a few auld fellas in permanent residence at the bar. But while there are many pubs in town that do follow this very broad template, especially Old Man Pubs, it’s never been anywhere nearly as identikit in local practice as the ‘overseas Oirish pub‘ you get from the likes of the Irish Pub Company, which have been marketed so effectively for decades.

But when a bar (pub?) does take an intentional step away from that globally-recognised experience, design-wise, what do we call it? And to whom does it cater? We’ll explore those questions this week with a visit to Doom Slice at Pawn Shop. Although on first glance it looks more ‘European hipster bar’ than ‘Irish pub,’ we’ll argue that it’s got clear DNA from both.

The taps at Pawn ShopThis Dame Street spot was formerly home to Berlin Bar, which was briefly notorious locally for flouting Covid restrictions and, unsurprisingly, subsequently losing their license. After several years of paperwork and renovation, Pawn Shop opened in its place. While not connected to the previous business, it did carry through something of a ‘European’ vibe, with carefully-curated spaces, upcycled furniture (including, of course, old pianos), electronic music of a particular type and a clear visual language. But it feels just as much ‘Irish pub’ when you look at (and behind) the bar – Guinness and Beamish, of course, but also a wider array of local independent beers: their own lager from Trouble, called Trouble at the Pawn Shop, plus Ambush and some rotating taps from Whiplash and Wicklow Wolf. We’ll give them a pass for the Neck Oil, given the other options. The staff, too, are clearly experienced at working in other local pubs – and we’d argue this is another element that sets Irish pubs apart from their counterparts elsewhere. Here, they seem equally ready to manage a stag do stumbling across from Temple Bar as they do making a much wider range of cocktails than one sees in most nearby places.

Pizza and a pint, on a pianoAnd while it’s *slightly* confusing where you need to go to order your slice of Detroit-style pizza by Doom Slice as there is an indoor hatch that might or might not be serving, plus an outdoor one, it’s easily sorted out. It is quite a tasty slice, it must be said, and it’s one of the cheaper options for food and a pint in Dublin (without the Instagram-driven queue for Bambino – why stand outside when you can sit inside with your slice and beer)?

This is, perhaps, why it’s much more fully-stocked with Young People than many other pubs, and there’s nothing wrong with that; while the overall crowd did skew a bit ‘younger’ than the places we typically frequent, we were by no means the only ‘Olds’ there (though that may be a different story late at night – they do stay open well beyond our bedtimes).

So, is it a bar or is it a pub?

In short, yes.

Where: 14 Dame Ln, Dublin 2, D02 XC91
Access from the city centre: In it
Food: Detroit-style pizza
Sport: Mostly not, only major events
TVs: Fairly hidden, but artistically framed
Music: Loud and electronic, in a good way
Family-friendliness: Daytime, perhaps…but not so much at night
Pub-crawl-ability: High – Porterhouse, all the Temple Bar tourist traps, Thomas Read’s/The Oak, The Christchurch, The Lord Edward, The Bull & Castle, The Brazen Head, or wander into The Liberties for spots like Dudley’s, The Thomas House, Lucky’s and more…
Haunted: A ghost? In *this* 19th century building?
Local sites of note: Olympia Theatre, Dublin Castle, Chester Beatty Library, Christchurch Cathedral, Dublinia
Other notes: Basement toilets
Socials: Instagram, Facebook

Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: Kavanagh’s

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The bar at Kavanagh'sWe’ve been rather remiss in not getting to Kavanagh’s in Stoneybatter before now, as we are not infrequently within no more than a 5-minute walk of this large corner pub. Schedules, however, had simply not aligned. But that changed with this past weekend’s edition of the wildly-successful Stoneybatter Festival, one of Dublin’s best annual events – a neighbourhood celebration of community, diversity, music and pets (among other festivities).

Part of the beer garden at Kavanagh'sWe took a break from the partying to relax indoors with some pints – the sun was ‘too bright’ for the youngest in our party – and to have a general nosey around the pub. Inside it’s every inch the Victorian/Edwardian pub – there are public and lounge bars that have separate outdoor entrances, but that are also connected inside via the stained-glass-adorned doors that (also) lead to the toilets – you’ll just need confidence walking through that you know where you’re going.

Upstairs at Kavanagh's, with the fireplaceBut as imposing as it looks outside, it’s pleasantly warren-like inside – there’s a semi-snug near the front on one side, and a variety of cosy spots on the other, including a tiled inset that seems to have appeared from the 1930s, while the rest of the bar remained in about 1901 (the date on the façade outside does seem to be accurate in this instance, even if that’s so rarely the case – looking at you, The Brazen Head). But there’s much more than simply the two main bars – there’s an entire function room/private bar upstairs that’s been hosting music, comedy and cabaret events. Again, it’s not especially notably signposted, so it’s more a case of simply wandering to the spot you’re looking for; there’s a lovely fireplace upstairs as a reward for your trek up.

But it’s the outdoor space that really stands out; another hidden sun trap, with some well-considered seating (both covered and uncovered), now hosting a pizza oven. It’s clear that no small effort has gone into this part of Kavanagh’s since its change of management over the winter, and one imagines that some of the interior bits that could do with a bit of a polish are next on the list.

Empty chairs at empty tablesThere aren’t any independent beer offerings (and no, Beavertown certainly doesn’t count nowadays), but it is possible to do the Big Three Stouts here for those who enjoy doing their blind Guinness/Murphy’s/Beamish tasting; we tend to prefer Beamish of the three, but all were in excellent shape. As an aside on the ‘comparing stouts’ point, this is a handy area for it – The Belfry is also a good spot for this activity, and we have an entire roundup of Best Pubs for Stout for those venturing further afield.

And while we are always partial to a pub that has local independent beer, there’s a lot to like at Kavanagh’s even in its absence (though we’d love to see at least one tap appear, especially when there are quite a few good alternatives in the immediate vicinity – maybe it’s coming?) – it’s very much a lovely traditional boozer that is still successfully catering to a mix of long-time locals, students and visitors.

We couldn’t find a good ghost story, but we hope it has one – it feels like the kind of pub that should be haunted by locals who never wanted to leave.

Where:1-2 Aughrim Street, Manor Street, Dublin
Access from the city centre: Buses 37, 39, 39A, 46A, 70, Luas Red Line, 30ish minute walk
Food: Pizza
Sport: All the major sports
TVs: Screens placed throughout the large pub
Music: A mix of 80s tunes on our visit
Family-friendliness: Kids fine during the usual times
Pub-crawl-ability: High – Hynes’ Bar, L. Mulligan. Grocer, The Glimmer Man, The Cobblestone, Delaney’s, The Belfry, Walsh’s, 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: There are definitely vibes here – that table in the corner must be haunted
Other notes: Main floor and upstairs toilets
Socials: Instagram

Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: The Bayside Inn

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Outside The Bayside InnIt’s true we have a tendency to stick to pubs that are north of the Liffey, but we rarely venture out into the true suburbs – we are usually still within reasonable walking distance of Dublin city centre. This week, however, we take a longish bus ride out to the wilds of Kilbarrack to visit The Bayside Inn.

Although Kilbarrack itself does date back to the medieval period in some form, it is almost certainly best-known now for its alter ego, Barrytown, in the works of Roddy Doyle. And while we’re very much Roddy Doyle fans, there’s not much about the pub that we’d call a direct callback to one of his novels (or any of the films thereof), but it’s very much the kind of local spot that seems to have simply grown out of its nearby surroundings.

The bar at The Bayside InnIndeed, The Bayside Inn is so ‘of this place’ that it sits in the car park in the shopping centre, next to the church – all of a thoroughly 1970s vintage. One gets the feeling that not much has changed in the internal décor since the doors opened in 1974 (per the painted gold letters on the half-glass doors. Some fairy lights have been added to the open rafters, and a taxidermied bear is observing proceedings from above, but beyond the TV screens, we doubt that much has been altered. It might not be a perfect time capsule from the 1970s, but it’s also not terribly far off. And while there may be very slight visual and architectural similarities to this particular vintage of ‘estate pubs’ on the Neighbouring Island, the feeling is still very much ‘neighbourhood Dublin pub’ – it doesn’t have a ‘locals only’ vibe, even if it does have plenty of regulars (which can, of course, be said of many estate pubs in Britain, even if that’s not the popular reputation).

A pint of beer from Hope at The Bayside InnAnd some things have changed with the times; there is good support for local independent beer here, with fresh selections from Hope, brewed under 2 km away at Howth Junction, on tap. Yes, there’s Guinness and all the other usual options, but it’s nice to see smaller local businesses giving each other a helping hand. We confess we’ve only made it up here when we’ve been visiting local friends (or doing a spot of cat-sitting), but we’ve always felt very welcome here, even as only occasional drop-ins.

With so many Dublin pubs working hard to maintain a late 19th century look and feel (even if they are thoroughly modern establishments), it’s refreshing to see a spot that is simply itself; The Bayside Inn wears its 1970s font and decoration with pride.

Where: Bayside Blvd N, Kilbarrack Lower, Dublin
Access from the city centre: Dart to Bayside, H3 bus – this would be well over a 2 hour walk from town
Food: Pizza (more of the frozen and reheated variety)
Sport: So much sport!
TVs: Screens visible throughout the pub – an ideal spot for a match when several are on
Music: Television sound on the most recent visit, but we’ve heard 80s faves in the past
Family-friendliness: Kids welcome at the usual times
Pub-crawl-ability: Low – there is a scattering of ‘nearby’ pubs like The Elphin Bar or The Racecourse Inn, but it would make for a tough pub crawl; otherwise, hop the bus or train further out to Howth for The Harbour Bar or The Bloody Stream
Local sites of note: The Lamb Chop, Sutton Park, Bull Island
Haunted: The old fireplace looks to have been rescued from an older establishment; perhaps it brought a spooky friend?
Other notes: Dogs welcome; main floor toilets
Socials: Facebook, Instagram

Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: The Vintage Inn

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Exterior of The Vintage Inn - imagine how beautiful it would be without the carsWe venture south of the Liffey again for two purposes: bagels and beer. Whilst our main goal on our visit to The Vintage Inn was more successful than the side quest, we found much more than we expected, in all of the best ways.

The Vintage Inn is a very near neighbour of The Merry Cobbler, but they are quite different establishments – both very ‘pubby’ in their own ways, but with different features and charms. A standout feature here is the beer garden, one that we will certainly include in our Best Pubs for the Sun list (though it’s possible we had our fill of sun for the summer a few weeks ago). But with a mix of cover and open air, it’s a fine spot in most weathers – beautifully decorated with a wide variety of seating options, plus the requisite giant Jenga that all beer gardens seem to have nowadays.

Beer garden at The Vintage Inn - this photo barely does it justice, it's a gorgeous spotInside, what could have been a tired 1970s-era renovation in a 19th century pub has been thoughtfully updated, keeping a bit of the old for camp and comfort, with a blend of fantastic local art, memorabilia and the finest Pride gear (not just in June, we are told, but all the year round, and it’s wonderful) well-placed on all the walls. It’s one of the most cleanly-designed pubs we’ve ever been in, but it still feels packed with personality – these aren’t the ‘hotel bar’ vibes you get from some spots that are just that bit (or rather more, in some cases) too over-designed, nor is it the ‘Oirish Pub’ kit of old signs and bits of hardware one finds (mostly) abroad. In short, it feels, friendly, inclusive and fun.

Bagel sandwich and book at The Vintage InnAnd there is truly something for everyone – sport, including an emphasis on women’s sport (FINALLY), is on various screens, there’s a monthly folk club, drag bingo and pub quizzes galore. But you’ve likely come to read about the bagels, and we wouldn’t leave you disappointed. Ireland is not generally known for its strong bagel game – see also: soft pretzels – so when one finds legitimately amazing bagel sandwiches, it would violate the social contract not to share the good news. Now available as part of the weekend brunch offering, the authentic bagels come courtesy of Fat Baby Bakes, and as former Brooklynites, we can vouch that these are the real deal, made all the more so by the perfect eggs, bacon and cheese from local producers (other toppings are available, but really, these are just as they should be).

Our one minor quibble is that the only independent beer on tap – at least on our visit – was from Galway Hooker and well…we’ve never liked Galway Hooker, their beers never seem to quite do it for us. It would be lovely to see another local rotating tap, but there is also the full Guinness/Murphy’s/Beamish trinity on offer, plus a variety of cocktails.

Even barring the beer, this is another case of ‘if this were our local, we’d be here all the time’ – but it’s also a pub with such a warm welcome (and such an outstanding beer garden) that we know we’ll be more purposeful about making the trip down in future, and not just for the bagels.Inside The Vintage Inn

Where: 74 Irishtown Road, Dublin 4
Access from the city centre: Buses C1, C2; Dart to Lansdowne Road; 40-ish minute walk
Food: Weekend brunch; keep an eye on the socials for more
Sport: Sport – not just of/for men!
TVs: Screens tastefully positioned, not overwhelming
Music: Great tunes from many eras
Family-friendliness: Kids welcome for brunch/before events at the Aviva
Pub-crawl-ability: Low-medium – The Merry Cobbler and Irishtown House are very close, with The Oarsman and The Yacht Tavern up the road in Ringsend; The Old Spot and The Bath Pub are not too far away.
Local sites of note: Aviva Stadium, Ringsend Park, Irishtown Stadium, Seán Moore Park (for Poolbeg Parkrun), Poolbeg Chimneys, Sandymount Strand
Haunted: No stories forthcoming, but we’d love to go to a Samhain/Halloween event here
Other notes: Dogs most welcome
Socials: Instagram, Facebook

Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: The Merry Cobbler

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Exterior of The Merry CobblerThis week, we make a trip not only south of the Liffey, but nearly into the heart of Dublin 4, with a visit to The Merry Cobbler.

While we are now happily Northside people, when we first moved to Dublin, we were initially deposited nearby – this area is, at least as stereotypes go, a land of rugby and Range Rovers, D4 accents and posh schools (though it is much more diverse than that generalisation would have one believe). The nearby Aviva Stadium can, at times, feel a world away from our now-neighbour, Croke Park, despite the venues being only a few kilometres apart. Irish pubs, though, can feel like great equalisers, and The Merry Cobbler is no exception.

A Wicklow Wolf at The Merry CobblerIt’s very much a neighbourhood spot, welcoming local families, game day regulars and guests – you can even stay in the pub. And while its renovation of the past decade means it’s got a bit more polished wood and stained glass than many of its counterparts on the other side of the river, it never feels snobby. There are some lovely snugs – again, more stained glass – and various different spaces to spread out around this large pub. Local independent beers are well-represented (from Trouble and Wicklow Wolf on this most recent visit, though we’ve also seen Hope in the past), but this is another spot where the stout enthusiast can do the full Guinness–Beamish–Murphy’s taste test.

There’s a lovely fireplace that’s worth a visit in the colder months, and a few outdoor seats next to the yarn-bombed bollards for fine weather – we will admit there’s much less traffic than we tend to get near some of our closer pubs that have Pavement Pints options.

Inside The Merry CobblerWe will eventually do a ‘Best Pubs for the Aviva’ roundup to complement our ‘Best Pubs for Croke Park‘ summary, but in the meantime, this is one to add to that list.

Where: 78-82 Irishtown Rd, Dublin 4
Access from the city centre: Buses C1, C2; Dart to Lansdowne Road; 40-ish minute walk
Food: Pub grub, pizza, weekend brunch and tasty desserts
Sport: Rugby (you are on the southside, after all), football…all the big sports
TVs: Many screens all around
Music: MOR pop hits of the 80s and 90s on our visit
Family-friendliness: Very family-friendly indeed
Pub-crawl-ability: Low-medium – The Vintage Inn and Irishtown House are very close, with The Oarsman and The Yacht Tavern up the road in Ringsend; The Old Spot and The Bath Pub are not too terribly far. While BrewDog is close as the crow files, actually getting there can be a challenge from here
Local sites of note: Aviva Stadium, Ringsend Park, Irishtown Stadium, Seán Moore Park (for Poolbeg Parkrun – you can get your New Year’s Day run in here), Poolbeg Chimneys, Sandymount Strand
Haunted: The church just steps away always looks a bit spooky
Other notes: Dogs welcome; main floor toilets but a few areas of differing floor heights around the pub
Socials: Instagram

Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: Token

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Exterior of Token: yes, it looks that corporate now This week, we are visiting more of an event venue than a pub, but needs must.

The subject of our profile is Token, relatively recently re-opened in a new location, some two years after closing in Smithfield to general consternation. As the name implies, it’s more of an arcade than a bar, with a mix of video games, pinball and suchlike.

But it wasn’t (quite) always like this; although we only hit the former location once or twice, it did seem that the balance tipped a bit more toward the ‘pub’ side before, whereas now that feeling is very much reversed. Token in its previous incarnation held a wide variety of events, from art-making to LGBTQ+ community gatherings (and everything in between). In short, it felt like a neighbourhood bar that offered something of an alternative to simply ‘sitting at the bar,’ though you could do that as well, if you preferred. This Token, however, feels very much more transactional, and much more, well, bro-y.

Inside TokenAnd it may be that this vibe is a direct result of this new space: surrounded by bland offices and corporate apartments, it now feels like an after work ‘enforced fun’ spot for company meetings. The prices certainly fall into the ‘someone else is paying’ category with an ambitiously-priced pint of Scraggy Bay on offer for €8.20 (and a service charge added to food orders, despite it being relatively difficult to find someone to take your payment when you want to leave, even at the bar).

A model shark at TokenAlthough it’s part of the same ownership group as The Back Page, it feels less like a pub in comparison to that one as well, though both have games on offer. Their other sister venue, The Bernard Shaw, has arguably also lost much of what made it unique when it moved locations some years ago, though it still hosts a number of handy neighbourhood activities and meetups.

Really, the main lesson learned is that we should have let the tween solve a Rubik’s Cube in under a minute for a free pint (for us) – it would have been a fair exchange for some game tokens. Still, there is a shark…

Where: Custom House Square, Unit 4 Mayor Street Lower, North Wall, Dublin 1, D01 DE47
Access from the city centre: Luas Red line, buses G1, G2, 14, 15, 27, 56A, 77A, 20-ish minute walk
Food: All-day breakfast, burgers, pizza, vegan bowls, snacks
Sport: Lots of sport
TVs: Many screens of varying sizes around the venue
Music: Aggressively ’80s on our visit
Family-friendliness: Kids welcome and busy spending money before 6 pm
Pub-crawl-ability: Low-medium – The Brew Dock, Urban Brewing, or head across the water to Dockers, Daphni or Brewdog, if you prefer…
Local sites of note: EPIC, Connolly Station, Grand Canal Dock, Bord Gáis Energy Theatre
Haunted: Presumably by poor choices made at work off-sites
Other notes: Another karaoke warning; main floor toilets
Socials: Instagram, Facebook

Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: Taphouse

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Exterior of TaphouseWhile we are patiently waiting for a new, independent-beer-focused pub to open in the near future (no pressure, lads!) here in Dublin, we did something unusual for us, and headed not just south of the Liffey, but even further down the Luas into the leafy environs of Ranelagh. But it was, as it turns out, a pleasant experience.

Our destination pub, Taphouse, is one last visited pre-Covid, possibly for a work event, and so the memory was a bit hazy. There were faint recollections of a reasonably-interesting beer selection, but not much more than that. We also had not made it back as it we are usually in the company of offspring when heading in this general direction, and had been given to understand that it was not especially welcoming to the youth. On the contrary, though – it was very laid-back indeed, at least of a weekend afternoon. And, happily, the beer selection was more than respectable for Dublin. We are always excited to see Rascals Sidekick on, but there were also options from Hope, Wicklow Wolf, Whiplash, Hopfully and Kinnegar, along with the usual Guinness and Beamish. By local standards at the moment, this is pretty exciting.

A pint of Whiplash with books behindThere was a strong cocktail game as well, and while we didn’t have time to sample the food, it did look rather more interesting than many other pub options…perhaps something we’ll revisit to consider adding to the Best Pubs for Food list in future. The décor is ‘fancy pub’ – dark wood, decorative ceilings and lots of un-sorted books that one presumes have come from house clear-outs, though that said, there are a few shelves worth digging into more deeply (and we are very much in favour of ‘more books’ as a pub feature, even if the initial impulse was purely window-dressing).

The upstairs sun deck (beer garden?) at TaphouseUpstairs there is a glorious sun deck, so rather than Pavement Pints, it’s a literally more elevated experience.

And yet, while some may shout ‘notions!’ at Taphouse for being a bit design-led, the food and drink options hold their own, and it still feels very much like a neighbourhood pub. There was a good mix of punters of all ages on our visit, from solo pint-with-a-book enthusiasts to groups getting a bit of sun with their Sunday roasts.

We won’t wait so long before our next visit.

Where: 60 Ranelagh, Dublin 6, D06 C9C6
Access from the city centre: Luas Green Line, buses 11,14, 15, 15B, 80, E1, E2; 30ish minute walk
Food: Small plates, Sunday roast, a cheese board (something not enough restaurants, much less pubs, do here)
Sport: The usual suspects
TVs: All over the place, though some areas are quieter than others
Music: Indie tunes, sport commentary
Family-friendliness: A fair few well-behaved kids at Sunday lunchtime, but likely more of a grown-up vibe
Pub-crawl-ability: Low-medium: Smyth’s Pub, The Hill or a walk to Kodiak in Rathmines
Local sites of note: Richard Crosbie monument, Stella Cinema
Haunted: Perhaps some haunted books? The Taphouse Middoth?
Other notes: Very dog-friendly; karaoke can happen
Socials: Instagram, Facebook

Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: Keavan’s Port

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Outside Keavan's PortIt’s finally happened.

We didn’t have time to get to a new pub over the bank holiday weekend – too busy smashing the Dublin City Half Marathon – and so, we’ve had to dig deep into our occasionally-regrettable photo archives to find what we had lying about. This can only mean one thing – it’s Spoons time.

Although as a rule we tend to avoid Wetherspoons – easily done as there aren’t so very many of them in Ireland – occasionally, needs must. The Spoons in question is Keavan’s Port on Camden Street, and, if we put the sight of the bouncers (and some punters) to one side and focus only on the complex itself, it’s a huge achievement, and well worth visiting simply to explore the building(s). Now both pub and hotel, for many years, the Georgian townhouses that make up the site were derelict, with little of the previous history visible or accessible. And the history is fascinating: these buildings have housed a convent, a boxing gym, a stained-glass workshop (some of them concurrently) as well as their original residential intent.

Stained glass art inside the SpoonsAnd the restoration work is truly wonderful – care has been taken throughout to honour the different eras and uses that have gone before, and there are explanatory panels and photos throughout the pub (if you keep an eye out). The attention to historical detail has been balanced out with accessibility measures – ramps, lifts and a variety of reasonably easy-to-navigate spaces, despite the multi-level, multi-space layout of the pub; it’s comparatively rare to find this much care given to these features in Dublin, even in many pub rebuilds.

And yet.

Despite the layers of local history, there is still a feeling that you could be in any Wetherspoons in, say, Loughborough. The ‘pub experience’ doesn’t feel local – it feels pre-packaged and generically, well, British. This is not inherently a bad thing – we love going to the UK to go pub-bothering there, especially if there’s good cask ale on. But the ones we tend to go to there (even if, as is so often the case there, part of a larger pubco) still feel like they have their own personalities and quirks. This may, of course, be very much self-selected, but a pub like Ye Old Mitre still feels like it has its own vibe, even if it’s part of the Fuller’s/Asahi empire, while the Spoons experience is much more akin to a global chain (especially when it comes to the always-underwhelming, presumably-microwaved food).

Pints at the Spoons - not the ones ordered, but the ones availableThe cask offering is also a point of contention here – as cask nerds, we’ve noted before the very small number of pubs in Dublin that have any cask ale at all – on any given day, the ones you are most likely to find in action at a non-Wetherspoons are single cask lines at The Porterhouse and Harty’s Bar, respectively (though we have it on very good authority that another beer engine will soon be regularly with us at A New Pub…watch this space), while The Black Sheep has neglected this of late. And, indeed, there are up to 5 beer engines at Keavan’s Port, but on the several occasions we’ve tried, a good 3 of them have been out of service (with the working ones being rather unremarkable Greene King beers), whilst on other visits, the beers had actively gone off and were nearly straight-up vinegar. To be fair, we know others have not had this experience here, and we seem to be particularly unlucky, but it’s always proved disappointing for us.

Finally, though, there is the other main Wetherspoons selling point: the cost. You will not find cheaper pints in the city – €2.60 for a Worthington’s Creamflow, or €4.50 for a Beamish are hard to beat, which is a not-unreasonable point. It would just be nice if the experience felt more like a real ‘Dublin’ one, but if price is the main issue, that may not be relevant to many punters.

A sign from the former chapel, still in situWhich, of course, leads us to the other reason we tend to not go there very much – it would be horrifying to the Young Adult member of the household to run into us at a place that is very much a usual haunt of His People; best to leave it to the Youth most of the time, but it is handy for a cheap pint before a gig nearby, and you can always make paper airplanes from the Wetherspoons magazine if you are so inclined. Just consider eating somewhere else beforehand…

Where: 1-5 Camden Street Upper, Dublin, IE D02 K854
Access from the city centre: Buses 9, 14, 15, 16, 27, 56A, 65B, 77A, 83, 140, 151, 15-ish minute walk
Food: Breakfast/lunch/dinner – the usual Wetherspoons options
Sport: All the sports
TVs: All over the place, though some areas are more subdued
Music: Quite a generic soundtrack of MOR tracks through the decades
Family-friendliness: There is the standard Spoons kids’ menu, but Camden Street can get rowdy at night
Pub-crawl-ability: High – Devitt’s, Anseo, Barebone, The Camden, Ryan’s of Camden Street, The Bleeding Horse, The Portobello Bar
Local sites of note: Whelan’s, Iveagh Gardens, St Stephen’s Green, National Concert Hall, Marsh’s Library, St Patrick’s Cathedral
Haunted: Definite ‘haunted object’ vibes in some sports
Other notes: One of only a few spots with truly accessible toilets throughout the building
Socials: N/A

Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: Best Pubs for Food

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Steak and a pint at BareboneBroadly speaking, it’s more common to find food (beyond crisps) in Irish pubs, compared to their counterparts in the UK. This is, of course, a huge generalisation – Old Man Pubs, in particular, tend not to have a food offering that isn’t of the pre-packaged variety*, and we’re all still recovering from the term ‘wet pubs’ as employed by the Irish government during the Covid lockdowns to indicate (effectively) pubs without kitchens.

But for those pubs here in Dublin that do serve food, there are a few loose categories: spots that offer a fairly typical pub grub lineup of burgers and wings, the usually-central pubs that have a more ‘touristy’ offering with Irish stew year-round, those that specialise in pizza, and then what we might call more of a ‘gastropub’ experience – plus a few outliers. But we’d argue that for the ‘gastropub’ category, it’s a subtly different sort of thing here; Irish ‘gastropubs’ still feel like pubs with top-notch food, whilst UK ones (often) seem more like restaurants that happen to be in an old pub building. Again, this is painting with broad strokes, but we argue the overall sense of that is accurate. As an aside, the gastropubs here tend to still have at least a few (and sometimes more) good local indie beer offerings, whilst ‘restaurants’ of equal calibre frequently just offer the same typical macro beers alongside their curated wine and spirits list – but we digress.

Dessert at The Bald EagleThis is a ‘best’ post, so we’ll focus on a few favourites for each of those broad categories mentioned above. For more-than-just-reliable pub grub – especially with kids – we love The Bald Eagle or The Cat & Cage (which also has surprisingly good tacos, as well as pizza); Dudley’s also has a very nice burger, though we find ourselves there more often just for drinks. Arthur’s holds the middle ground between pub grub and a tourist menu, as does The Hairy Lemon and O’Neill’s. The Porterhouse’s food menu is very firmly in the ‘tourist menu’ category, but its sister pub Tapped has what we might call ‘hipster pub grub,’ plus brunch on weekends (a topic we may return to more specifically in future, as it’s largely represented by The Botanic, Brickyard and a handful of others we have yet to visit). We can’t leave the ‘tourist friendly food’ topic without mentioning The Gravediggers – the general tapas approach is a nice touch, but there are a few dishes you typically otherwise only see in a place serving this many visitors (coddle, anyone? and yes, we know this will trigger the coddle enthusiasts).

Pizza and a pint at The CircularMoving on to pizza, it’s a shorter list, but there are a few pubs that are flying under the radar for their pizza. Rascals is the obvious standout for great beer and pizza at their brewpub, but there are others: Doyle’s Corner has QR codes to order in Vice from across the street (a vastly superior experience to queuing for a slice of Bambino’s to eat standing next to a busy road, for our money), but we think that the pizza at MeMa’s is quite underrated, while Bonobo and its sister pub Kodiak are both pizza stalwarts. For a ‘proper pub’ experience with excellent pizza, it’s tough to beat The Morris Bar – it’s a true hidden gem. The Circular and its relation, Lucky’s, both have tasty pizza as well.

Gargoyle friend at The Bull & CastleFinally, we move on to the pubs that we go to for special occasions, because the food is just that good, but that you can equally go to for simply a pint or some nibbles – airs and graces are not required. We love L. Mulligan. Grocer for their amazing food (suitable for all palates and needs – vegetarians and vegans are very welcome), and the drinks are just as carefully chosen. For the steak fan, The Bull & Castle is outstanding, and The Old Spot is another ‘event meal’ spot that caters to all sorts – there’s a very handy ‘nice’ kids’ menu, too. A recent entrant to the ‘foodie pub’ category is Barebone – it’s an ideal spot for a ‘nice’ meal before a show, but you can still pop in for a casual drink, and the same can be said for Caribou (though it does get crowded). The aforementioned Brickyard even has ‘gastropub’ in the full name, but there are no pretentions here, just good food and drink – once again, families are very welcome. And let’s not forget Juno’s transformation from Old Man Pub into an award-winning dining spot that still manages to keep the pre-event vibe welcoming before games or concerts at Croke Park.

And these are really just a few highlights – there are great pubs all over town with a wide variety of cuisines, not just standard ‘pub food’ – we’ll give special mention to Hynes’ Bar and The Barber’s Bar for their tasty Asian street food options – with new spots popping up all the time (so it seems of late), we feel this page may be a moving target…

*We’re leaving out Fidelity Studio as it has real ‘restaurant’ vibes – the food is excellent, but although connected to Fidelity’s bar, they are quite separate experiences.

**Though it’s worth noting that some do handy toasties – something we’ll save for a separate list.