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Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: Daphni

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Exterior of DaphniWelcome to 2026!

Normally, the first post of the month is one of our Best Pubs For… round-ups, but we’ll save standard operating procedure for February, once we’re all back into the groove of things. And so we profile a brand-new pub that opened just before the holidays: Daphni.

Located in the Bolands Mills* complex of recently-renovated historic buildings in Dublin’s Docklands, Daphni is another pub from the Animal Collective group that includes Bonobo, Kodiak and Caribou. Like Caribou, its name is a nod to musician and DJ Dan Snaith, who records under both the Caribou and Daphni monikers. Music is very much a key element of the Daphni experience, and it’s a very well-considered one: the selection is eclectic, but interesting, and at a good volume for conversation. As with spots like Fidelity and The Big Romance that are sonically-inclined, the sound system is another by Hatchett; we here are not cool enough to know how it all works behind the scenes, but the effect is very pleasing.

Inside Daphni

As at their sister bars, there is also a strong cocktail offering, and the staff were very attentive and knowledgeable – both table service and going to the bar seemed equally handy. The beer list is perhaps not as interesting as at some of those other spots so far – Bonobo, for example, gets the Tap Room Only offerings from Kinnegar, but on our visit, there was nothing along those lines (so far). There was, however, very fresh Ambush, Scraggy Bay and Rollover, which are always nice, but a little more in terms of variety would be most welcome, especially as there are so few places with any real choice nowadays. That said, the prices were very competitive for ‘in town’ – €7.20 or so for most pints. By contrast, our group had been at a more city-centre pub that shall remain nameless earlier and paid closer to a tenner a pint (and no, this wasn’t in Temple Bar) for their sole ‘craft’ offering, which also wasn’t in the best shape, to add insult to wallet-injury! So, finding some fresh and at least not-tourist-priced pints at Daphni was most welcome. One imagines that once they’ve been open a little bit longer (perhaps after January, given the growing popularity of Dry January), the tap lineup may become more varied.

More inside Daphni

But in any event, this area has been something of a wasteland in terms of decent pubs and bars, especially when looking for a spot to enjoy before or after a show at the Bord Gáis; the immediate options were more or less ‘Spoons or ‘Spoons (well, with a slightly longer walk to BrewDog, but…well). The Dockers Bar isn’t so far, but it can be full of a post-work crowd. And it’s true that this area was, in no small part, redeveloped to suit the local Google office, but the restoration has been reasonably thoughtful, and Daphni doesn’t give off the FAANG-only vibes that, say, the Brave Horse Tavern did in Seattle (though their wonderful pretzels and dip would be most welcome here – full disclosure: your fair scribe is an ex-Amazonian, key prefix being ‘ex’). That may also change as people return to work from the holidays, but on the whole, it was a very mixed and friendly crowd, in the best way.

A pint and menu at Daphni

It remains to be seen what the future food offering might be, but we’re big fans of Animal Collective’s track record for both pizza and smaller bar snacks, so hopes are high – it should make a vastly superior pre-theatre venue to anything currently in the area (once again, looking at you, ‘Spoons), and certainly a great spot for drinks after.

All told, a fine beginning, and we’re looking forward to more.

Where: Flour Mill, Bolands Mills, Dublin 4, D04 H5C6
Access from the city centre: Buses C1, C2 C3, C4, 15A, 15B, 52, 56A, 77A, 82; 25-ish minute walk
Food: Not yet
Sport: Music > Sport
TVs: Absent
Music: VIBES. Jazz, electronic…all good
Family-friendliness: Saw a few small folk on our early-evening visit
Pub-crawl-ability: Low-medium – The nearby ‘Spoons (The South Strand) isn’t too far, ditto BrewDog, but otherwise, it’s a bit of a further trip to the pubs of Ringsend or back toward The Docker’s Bar
Local sites of note: Grand Canal Dock, Bord Gáis Energy Theatre
Haunted: These lovely stone buildings need a ghost or two
Other notes: Basement toilets, but with a brand-new lift
Socials: Instagram

*They seem to officially have done away with the apostrophe in their corporate branding, but it does crop up in normal usage describing the site; one presumes this has something to do with how the legal entity was named vs labeling the buildings themselves, but who can say?

Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: The Hole in the Wall

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Exterior of The Hole in the WallStaying on a holiday theme, we venture out toward the Phoenix Park this week to visit The Hole in the Wall – a pub that may be better known for its Christmas decorations nowadays, but also one which has a much better claim toward being one of the oldest pubs in Dublin than a certain establishment that trades on this point. Ahem.

But first, the surroundings: the pub gets its unusual name from its proximity to the park, where in times past, British soldiers from the former Marlborough Barracks – now McKee Barracks – could avail of its drink through a literal ‘hole in the wall,’ and thus avoid leaving the Phoenix Park. The pub was known as The Blackhorse Tavern from the 1650s, and the core of the original building does seem to tally well with this sort of date. However, its claim to fame as ‘Europe’s Longest Pub’ is more recent; that’s a result of local cottages being knocked together to add on more and more space as it curves around the edge of the park. There’s also a shipping container coffee stall outside, and plenty of seating for better weather.

Christmas at The Hole in the WallInside, it can be absolutely packed at this time of year, both with decorations (similar to The Ginger Man) and with young visitors to Santa’s Grotto. The many and various rooms within the pub are quite narrow, so it can be a challenge to walk through if there’s a crowd, but it can be done – there are many small nooks and crannies and little benches to be found with a bit of looking around. The beer is mostly the usual suspects from Guinness and Heineken, at least on our visit; the tap for The Holer Pale Ale (previously brewed by Rascals?) was off, and so the only independent beer option was a bottled McCaffrey Irish Pale Ale from Brewmaster/Dundalk Bay Brewing Company, which was…fine. If we’re being nitpicky, it could use a bit of a spruce-up in the beer regard, but the decoration and speed of service with the large crowd was remarkable.

More decorations at The Hole in the WallBut The Hole in the Wall is a pub for life, not just for Christmas – there are also running and cycling clubs based here, and it’s a handy spot if you happen to be on this side of the Phoenix Park (though you’d have Nancy Hands – its sister bar – on the other end). Given how few truly ‘old’ pubs there are in Dublin, we’d love to see them lean into this aspect even more, but in an evidence-based way…we suspect there are some truly fascinating stories to be told here.

Where: Blackhorse Ave, Phoenix Park, Castleknock (part of Phoenix Park), Dublin 7, D07 V663
Access from the city centre: Buses 37, 38, 38A, 39, 39A, 70
Food: Pub grub
Sport: Major sports shown
TVs: A fair few around the pub
Music: Mostly MOR hits
Family-friendliness: Not just for Santa’s Grotto, but year-round at the usual times
Pub-crawl-ability: Low – Cumiskey’s Bar is nearby, but that’s about all in the immediate area; it’s a long way to Nancy Hands and Ryan’s of Parkgate Street on the other side of the Phoenix Park
Local sites of note: Phoenix Park, Dublin Zoo, Áras an Uachtaráin
Haunted: Could do with a good ghost story or two, given its age
Other notes: Dogs welcome
Socials: Instagram, Facebook

Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: The Hairy Lemon

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Upstairs at The Hairy Lemon: old signs and bikesWe’ve not always been fair to The Hairy Lemon.

In truth, until recently, we’d only visited it in a tourist capacity, long before moving to Dublin (see also: The Long Hall), and as a result, it felt less like a ‘local’ pub and more like one that catered purely to those here on brief trips. And while it certainly has a booming tourist trade, a more recent stop by made us realise that there’s more going on here, and that it can be well worth a drop in when we’re at Craft Central anyway. Uh, we are not infrequently ‘at Craft Central anyway’ – but that’s another story.

The bar at The Hairy LemonThe first point in its favour – for us, anyway – is its support for local independent beer: there are multiple Rye River taps, and they are all kept in excellent shape. Indeed, it has always felt like many of the more tourist-friendly pubs are missing a trick by not highlighting other Irish beers. Yes, people want their Guinness, but plenty of tourists also want to follow it up with something else that seems unique or exclusive to the area. The Hairy Lemon does a fine job of offering both experiences, and not just a token ‘extra’ tap – there’s not just a variety of styles from Rye River, but also Murphy’s and the rarer Murphy’s Red.

A terrible picture of the exterior of The Hairy LemonWhile it’s true that when in this general direction we are more often to be found at Caribou, with other beer options in a more ‘bar’ vibe setting, tourists (or anyone else) looking for more of an traditional pub feel are well catered to at The Hairy Lemon. And it comes by its ‘Irish pub’ bona fides honestly: the current all-yellow paintjob may be more recent, but it’s been a pub since at least the mid-19th century. The Hairy Lemon is named for one of Dublin’s many ‘characters’ – like Bang Bang (commemorated in both café and pub form, with Bang Bang in Phibsborough and Dudley’s in The Liberties), The Hairy Lemon was ‘known’ around town, and while he had no specific connection to the pub, it honours his memory, and, more broadly, that of the other long-gone Dublin ‘characters.’

And if on your visit to The Hairy Lemon it seems packed full of tourists at lunchtime, a wander upstairs can be blissfully calm; there are several pleasant nooks and crannies in which to sit with a quiet solo pint, even here in the middle of town.

Where: 41-42 Stephen Street Lower, Dublin 2
Access from the city centre: You are there
Food: Breakfast, pub grub, tourist faves, kids’ menu
Sport: Essentially all of them
TVs: Many all around the pub
Music: Fairly MOR tunes, at least on a weekday afternoon; live music in the evenings
Family-friendliness: Always a fair few kids during the day and evening and plenty of food for them
Pub-crawl-ability: High – Neary’s, Caribou, Bar Rua, The Long Hall, Grogan's, Peter's Pub, Sinnot's Bar and more are all nearby
Local sites of note: Gaiety Theatre, Craft Central (we said what we said), Little Museum of Dublin, George's Street Arcade, St Stephen's Green, Grafton Street
Haunted: An appalling lack of good ghost stories
Other notes: Still looks more or less the same as it did when The Commitments was filmed here
Socials: Instagram, Facebook

Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: Neary’s

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The famous hand-held lamps at Neary'sWhile The Flowing Tide serves as Northside Dublin’s premier theatrical pub, with its close associations with the neighbouring Abbey Theatre (and its short walk to The Gate), Neary’s takes on that role on the Southside for the Gaiety Theatre. Alas, though, one of the finest theatrical tales about Neary’s seems to be a bit of a myth. In Donal Fallon’s excellent new book, The Dublin Pub: A Social and Cultural History (a must-have for any pub nerd), the story of Alan Devlin storming offstage at the Gaiety during a production of HMS Pinafore* and demanding drink at Neary’s is only true…in part.

A glass of O'Hara's upstairs at Neary's

In reality, it seems Devlin only made it as far as Sinnott’s, just steps away…so while Neary’s have claimed the (delightful) story, it’s actually more accurately one that belongs to the whole street. But Neary’s has featured in other legendary activities, too – Nell McCafferty famously led a protest here in 1974, demanding that women be served pints (THINK OF THE CHILDREN), and a version of the story makes its way into the book as well; the good news is that once again, there’s more than a grain of truth here.

The main bar at Neary'sAnd it is, perhaps, fitting that Neary’s is a pub that attracts this kind of lore; its beautifully-maintained interior hearkens back to the 1880s – well, at least in the main bar downstairs – while upstairs, it’s a slightly more updated restaurant feel, but still elegantly understated. The working gas lamps and dumbwaiter inside are well-known historical features, but the literally hand-held lamps outside are iconic.

Despite its history and location next to the Gaiety, it doesn’t feel quite as ‘theatrical’ as The Flowing Tide – the subject of its own chapter in The Dublin Pub – but it wears its literary heritage very well indeed. Pints-wise (and yes, anyone of age can have those pints now), O’Hara’s is the independent option, with the usual Guinness as well. Our small quibble would be the unused/possibly not real hand pumps – regular readers know we feel A Way about cask ale – but they do seem part of the furniture here.

Of course, we’ve only scratched the surface here; Dublin’s pubs have so many fantastical stories – some more fact-based than others – and we cannot recommend Donal’s book highly enough. Consider this your call to action to pick up a copy if you have not already done so!

It’s an ideal read for an afternoon with a book and a solo pint.

Where: 1 Chatham Street
Access from the city centre: You are in it
Food: Sandwiches (toasties and more), salads, oysters
Sport: Not here
TVs: None at all
Music: Quiet jazz upstairs in the Lounge, occasional live sets
Family-friendliness: A surprisingly large number of babies and toddlers mid-afternoon
Pub-crawl-ability: High – The Hairy Lemon, Caribou, Bar Rua, The Long Hall, Grogan's, Peter's Pub, Sinnott's Bar and more are all within a short wander
Local sites of note: Gaiety Theatre, Craft Central (absolutely a landmark for the beer nerds), Little Museum of Dublin, George's Street Arcade, St Stephen's Green, Grafton Street
Haunted: There’s a story of a deceased punter…so perhaps!
Other notes: While there is the dreaded (by us) Changing Times Hazy IPA, there’s still the aforementioned O’Hara’s
Socials: Instagram, Facebook

 

*FWIW, your fair scribe has been in many productions of HMS Pinafore, and could easily step into essentially any role if need be, as long as some transposing down were a possibility for anything higher than mezzo. But Sir Joseph? Yes, could absolutely do it. And so could our sisters and our cousins and our aunts…

Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: The Portobello Bar

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Outside The Portobello PubAs regular readers know, we are always on the lookout for a pub with a good ghost story, whether it’s October or, really, any time. The pub in question we’re visiting this week doesn’t feel particularly spooky, but it does have an interesting history to go along with the ghost story, even if they aren’t perfectly well-connected. Without further ado, we make our way to The Portobello Bar.

The front bar at The Portobello BarWhile the ‘since 1793’ date is a little shaky, given the current building’s construction in the 1870s, it seems entirely plausible that there was, indeed, an inn or pub around here earlier. The Grand Canal’s proximity – just across a heavily-used road – supports the possibility of an earlier date, and it’s also what supplies our ghost story. Construction began on the Grand Canal in the late 18th century, and it was a key piece of infrastructure in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Our ghost – a ‘vengeful’ or ‘drunken’ lock-keeper (take your pick/why not both?) – is alleged to originate in the middle of the 19th century, forever haunting the lock just outside the pub. He’s even meant to be responsible for multiple deaths, appearing as a shapeshifting light-into-human-figure. As an aside, we don’t get enough shapeshifting ghostlore any more – there used to be a proud tradition of spooks turning into hay bales or cows and horses, and that seems to have vanished in modern ‘it happened to me stories’ – someone should get on that. But we digress…

But there was a very real tragedy just opposite the pub’s location in 1861, when a horse-drawn omnibus went off the nearby bridge into the canal, killing all the passengers as well as both horses. While ‘some’ attributed the accident to the spectral lock-keeper, it would be an interesting exercise to trace back the origin of that part of the story, especially since the current pub (or, at least, most of it) would have been built or re-built at least a good few years after the accident.

Back bar at The Portobello BarSo, ghosts aside, what is the pub like? Well…most definitely not creepy. If anything, it’s a bit too polished to feel at all like a liminal space. There are several very different sections of the pub with their own character, but none are especially dark or gloomy. The front is much more ‘pubby’ and the rear more of a restaurant or hotel bar vibe (the many large TV screens are part of what gives that impression), though it’s worth knowing that the back bar is where the sole local-craft-beer representative is; there’s a Rye River tap if you know where to look. Indeed, the food was very good – a step up from a lot of pub food, though the enormous portions are perhaps created more for tourists than locals. There’s also the usual Guinness – and Murphy’s – plus some Warsteiner.

Covered Pavement Pints area at The Portobello BarThere’s a covered outdoor space too, more Pavement Pints than beer garden, given the amount of traffic nearby, but you do get a view of the canal lock and the (haunted?) bridge. And even if you’re not into the ghostly folklore, The Portobello Bar does have other legitimate historical claims: back when it was called Davy’s, it was an important site during the Easter Rising in 1916, and that history is very much remembered in this pub.

We may not have seen the vengeful lock-keeper at The Portobello Bar, but we did have a good burger and pint. We’ll keep trying to find some good haunted Dublin pub stories…

Where: 33 South Richmond St, Dublin, IE D02 CF40
Access from the city centre: Buses 9, 15, 15A, 15B, 16, 83, 83A, 140; 25-ish minute walk
Food: Elevated pub grub, carvery, weekend brunch
Sport: All the sport, football especially
TVs: So many large screens in the back that it can feel a bit sports-bar-y
Music: DJs and live music at weekends
Family-friendliness: At the usual times
Pub-crawl-ability: High – Camden street is full of pubs and bars like The Bleeding Horse, Devitt’s, Teach Tábhairne Ag Teach, The Camden, Whelan’s, Anseo, Ryan’s of Camden Street…and the local ‘Spoon’s, Keavan’s Port
Local sites of note: Iveagh Gardens, St Stephen’s Green, National Concert Hall, St Kevin’s Park, Grand Canal
Haunted: Is it the lock-keeper? The tram passengers? The horses? Everything to play for here
Other notes: Main-floor toilets, though no specific disabled toilet
Socials: Facebook, Instagram

Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: The 1884

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Outside The 1884The 1884 is so called after the year that the GAA was founded, and it is very much a sporty pub. And while the GAA is the most-represented sporting genre on the walls and in the niches, there’s plenty of (association) football on the screens as well, especially on a weekend visit such as our recent one.

GAA decor in The 1884And like many pubs in the more suburban parts of Dublin, it’s absolutely enormous inside – indeed, somewhat barn-like. But it’s all very tidy, and there’s plenty of space to spread out. There are much-appreciated coat hooks under the bar, which really should be standard everywhere, but here we are. Only a few years ago, this pub was known as Grainger’s, and it had, well, a reputation, and although there are a few reminders of that era, it seemed generally ‘neighbourhood-pubby’ on our visit.

The beer garden at The 1884And while the beer selection is mostly the usual Guinness-and-Heineken-and-so-so-much-Rockshore (despite being listed as a stockist of Hope, brewed just a bit further north), there is also the lesser-spotted Kilkenny, which has been popping up here and there of late, and it’s a nice alternative. The real hidden gem of The 1884, though, is the enormous beer garden out back. Yes, there is a Pavement Pints option out front, right on the busy road, but if you head to the back, there is a wide range of covered and uncovered seating options.

Marino may not be much of a tourist destination (despite its legitimately interesting history from a city planning perspective, as well as its outstanding – and free – Casino Marino), but for the visitor looking for an almost-certainly tourist-free locals’ pub, The 1884 might be what they are looking for.

Where: 74 Malahide Road, Dublin 3, Marino, Dublin, IE D03 XW54
Access from the city centre: Buses 9, 13, 14, 15, 27A, 27B, 83, 123, 151
Food: Pub grub, wraps, crisps
Sport: All the sport, though mostly-GAA decor
TVs: Many screens all around the pub
Music: Live music at weekends
Family-friendliness: KEEP THEM SEATED
Pub-crawl-ability: Low – a longish walk to The Strand House and Gaffney’s, or toward The Ivy House and The Cat & Cage
Local sites of note: Casino Marino, Griffith Avenue, Bram Stoker’s birthplace, Fairview Park
Haunted: Perhaps only by talk of the previous pub…
Other notes: Main-floor toilets
Socials: Facebook, Instagram

Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: The Bernard Shaw

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Exterior of The Bernard Shaw

Despite walking past it multiple times a day most days, we’ve not had occasion to call in to The Bernard Shaw recently. This part of Dublin – the Phibsborough/Glasnevin border – is already well-served with great pubs like The Bald Eagle just across the canal, more food-forward spots like The Botanic around the corner, and world-renowned spots like The Gravediggers within a short walk. And so despite having an interesting selection of food vendors in its adjoining Eatyard, The Bernard Shaw is rarely top of mind as a spot for a quiet (or loud) drink or a family meal. True, they do have a drag brunch that we’ve heard is good fun, but the in-house food and drinks are always mentioned as not quite up to par for the neighbourhood, especially for the price.

And perhaps the fact that it doesn’t feel  much like, well, a pub is part of the issue; in its previous incarnation in Rathmines, it had a variety of spaces and programming options, but it still felt very much like a (rather scruffy) pub. However, that closed in 2019, and it moved to the current spot, a former Porterhouse location, not terribly long after. But much about the interior feels very much temporary: colourful cardboard dividers, upstairs and downstairs spaces closed off at some times and not others, and even the Eatyard itself is sometimes table service, sometimes walk-up, and it’s never entirely clear which is which or what is on offer when.

Inside one end of The Bernard ShawWhile it does have a theoretically reasonably interesting drinks lineup, like its fellow Bodytonic-managed bar, The Back Page, sometimes quite a few taps are not in working order – but again, other times, it’s all fine. But if all is present and correct, there are usually multiple Kinnegar choices, an Outcider tap and the more usual Guinness and Beamish, plus cocktails. Between the two locations, we tend to go to The Back Page more often: it has a more distinct identity as a spot for watching soccer and some more obscure sport, and the pizza is consistently pretty decent.

A beer on a table at The Bernard ShawIt is, of course, entirely possible that it’s simply aiming for a younger/cooler demographic, which is fair enough…though it does beg the question as to why there’s a mural of Peter Fonda on one side of the building…it’s not something that resonates with GenXers like us…are the younger Millennials into Easy Rider? We’ve been told it’s a ‘no’ from Gen Z: ‘…it’s no Taxi Driver.’

But we actually *do* quite enjoy some of the events that take place at The Bernard Shaw – there are handy record fairs, local community art markets and so on that are great to have in the neighbourhood; we may just go elsewhere for that ‘pub’ experience after. But with so many to choose from in this area, there’s absolutely something for everyone.

Where: Cross Guns Bridge, Dublin, D09 XW44
Access from the city centre: Buses 9, 40, 46A, 83, 140; Luas Green Line; 30ish minute walk
Food: Breakfast, lunch, dumplings, hot dogs
Sport: Big events shown: Rugby, football, etc
TVs: Scattered around
Music: The hipster music vibes are strong
Family-friendliness: Children around at the usual times
Pub-crawl-ability: High. Multiple options nearby: The Bald Eagle, The Brian Boru, Doyle's Corner, The Boh, The Hut and The Back Page in one direction, with The Botanic, The Gravediggers and The Tolka House in the other…
Local sites of note: Royal Canal Greenway, National Botanic Gardens, Glasnevin Cemetery, Mountjoy Prison, Dalymount Park
Haunted: Oddly, no ghosts obviously associated with the nearby Cross Guns Bridge
Other notes: Toilets are very much not accessible
Socials: Facebook, Instagram

Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: Jack O’Rourke’s

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A quick sideways glance at Jack O'Rourke's from the outsideWe know that we tend to be biased toward pubs on the north side of the Liffey, but this week, we travel (relatively) far into south Dublin – all the way to Blackrock and . Once a quiet fishing village with a sideline in early modern highway robbery, Blackrock is now one of the bougier parts of suburban Dublin, as evidenced by it now being labelled Blackrock Village (with a capital ‘V’). But given its handy coastal location and useful DART station, it’s no surprise that this area, with its mix of historic homes and railway development, would have become spot for both day-trippers and locals.

The bar at Jack O'Rourke'sAnd while the town Village centre is not huge, it has an excellent off-license in the form of Blackrock Cellar, as well as some other independent stores, though there is not a vast array of pubs. Happily, though Jack O’Rourke’s serves many constituencies very well indeed. The pub is beautifully decorated in a broadly high Victorian style, with plenty of stained glass and deep colours. Indeed, records suggest that there has been an inn or pub here since at least the 18th century, which fits well with tales of highwaymen and shipwrecks that are tied to Blackrock. But Jack O’Rourke’s is very much a family pub, now in its fourth generation under the care of the O’Rourkes, and its design and décor fit well with the ‘1897’ date on the façade.

Pints of Hope and Wicklow Wolf at Jack O'Rourke'sThere are some lovely little snugs and the pub also has a bit of a nautical bent – the seafront is right here, after all – but it’s very welcoming to all; the standard Guinness (and Beamish!) is on offer, and there is good support for independent offerings like Hope and Wicklow Wolf, as well as Legacy Cider – craft ciders are especially hard to find across Ireland, so this is a nice bonus for fans of the apple.

All told, it’s a real gem of a pub: something of a combination of the best aspects of an Old Man Pub, paired with a welcoming atmosphere for well-behaved children, good food, local beer and excellent service. Well worth the trip on the Dart!

Where: 15 Main St, Blackrock, Dublin, A94 HN66
Access from the city centre: Buses 4, 7, 7A, DART
Food: Pub grub
Sport: Major events shown
TVs: Scattered around the pub
Music: Fairly MOR soundtrack in the background, never too loud for easy conversation
Family-friendliness: Children welcome
Pub-crawl-ability: Low – local spots like The Blackrock and The Wicked Wolf are nearby, but it’s a small selection without travel further afield
Local sites of note: Frascati Shopping Centre, Blackrock Park, Blackrock Historic Baths
Haunted: There were two massive shipwrecks just off the coast here…
Other notes: Rock Shandy was invented here – iconic!
Socials: N/A

Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: Best Pubs for Kids

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Mac & cheese and a pint at Dudley'sIrish pubs are, broadly speaking, welcoming to all ages during the day and early evening – or, at least, they are more often than not, compared to pubs and pub-adjacent spaces in the UK or US (the never-ending ‘kids in taprooms’ debate there notwithstanding). Dublin has a wealth of pubs that are especially good at catering to families, whether it’s for a meal or just a relaxing pint for the adults and a Coke or Club Orange for the kids.

But it can be a bit confusing for the tourist; many especially family-welcoming spots may also have a ‘strictly over 21s’ sign outside (despite the legal drinking age being 18), which might seem at odds with the high chairs and kids’ meals on offer. In these instances, it’s not *actual children* with their parents who aren’t getting in. Rather, it’s all about The Youths – they can come back in unaccompanied once they’ve developed their frontal cortexes a bit more. Most, though not all, of these pubs tend to operate via a table service model, but you can also just go up to the bar as well.

So, if you’re looking for well-tested spots for the whole family, fear not – we’ve done years of research for you. Whether it’s a special occasion meal or more of a standard chicken-goujons-and-chips evening out, there are pubs that run the full spectrum. Let’s begin.

Light and wall paneling at JR Mahon'sIn the city centre, it might be useful to navigate by proximity to a few tourist attractions. If Temple Bar is on your list, but this is a family trip and not a stag or hen do, The Porterhouse gets you close to the action, albeit without as much messiness – there may even be a daytime trad session. It’s also a handy spot before or after a Vintage Tea Trips excursion, as the buses typically stop just outside. If, for some reason, you have children who desperately wanted to visit the NATIONAL WAX MUSEUM, JR Mahon’s is a useful spot, and it’s a short stroll from there to Trinity College or the National Gallery. Continuing in that direction – and toward the National Museum of Ireland (the archaeology one, with the bog bodies, of course), Doheny and Nesbitt and Kennedy’s are used to catering to families.

Further south – and closer to the Aviva, if you’re here for a match – The Old Spot is one of our favourite ‘special occasion’ pubs, and children are warmly welcomed. The Merry Cobbler is also a family-friendly location, and going all the way out to Dundrum on the Luas you’ll find The Brickyard, which is ideal with kids of all ages – but let’s head back toward the centre of town.

Dublinia is a great museum for kids, and there are quite a few pubs in this part of Dublin that are perfect after an afternoon of sightseeing-with-the-small-folk (and you may need to sit down for a while if they’ve also been marched through the Guinness Storehouse). The Christchurch Inn is one of many spots in The Liberties that work well, but there is also Molly’s Bar – we’ll come back to how handy Galway Bay pubs are for families in a moment – and Dudley’s, which also has a mac & cheese that is picky-kid tested and approved. If Kilmainham Gaol is on your itinerary, the nearby Old Royal Oak does a mean toastie, and you could take various buses from here to The Circular or Rascals – also on our S-tier list.

Outside Hynes' BarGoing north of the river, Nancy Hands is good for refreshing and dining after a trip to Dublin Zoo, and Stoneybatter is full of great pubs for all. Hynes’ Bar and The Barber’s Bar both have tasty Asian street food options that kids love, if you’ve exhausted the usual burger-or-goujons choices, and L. Mulligan. Grocer is also on our ‘special night out’ list for its fantastic food and warm welcome. If you’re looking for something before or after a film at The Lighthouse or a trip to Collins Barracks, Bonobo’s pizza works, and there are toasties at The King’s Inn – the little snugs are also cosy and can help keep smaller folk contained.

There are restaurants and pubs of all sorts on Capel Street, but we’ll highlight another Galway Bay pub here with The Black Sheep. All Galway Bay pubs have a standard kids’ menu – adding bacon to the mac & cheese is a nice touch – but The Black Sheep is especially nice as they also have board games, and are very close to a number of game and comic shops.

Holidays at The Cat & Cage - always great for all the familyIf you’ve brought the family to Croke Park for a game, or perhaps just the excellent museum and tour, you are spoiled for choice in Drumcondra and Phibsborough, presuming you can nudge everyone up or down the easy canal walk, or via the playground in Griffith Park. The Cat & Cage has another well-tested children’s menu, and the mac & cheese suppli are big hits. Fagan’s has the carvery, if that’s your thing, and The Botanic even has weekend brunch with slatherings of Nutella nowadays. The Bald Eagle is a favourite – kids love the action-figure décor as well as the food – and The Back Page’s arcade section is in regular circulation for all-ages parties.

To finish heading back toward the city centre, Urban Brewing is practically on top of EPIC and the Jeanie Johnston, and in case you’re doing some shopping near O’Connell Street, The Morris Bar has a great kids’ pizza as well as excellent grown-up versions, and TP Smith’s is an oasis of calm after hitting The Jervis Centre.

In summary, there’s no shortage of good pubs to go to, even with the kids in tow, but we do have some favourites from the list above. For great pizza, we love Rascals and The Morris Bar. For a chill weekend meal, it’s over to The Cat & Cage or The Bald Eagle, and for cask ale and food after comic book shopping, it’s The Black Sheep. Special occasions are all about L. Mulligan. Grocer or The Old Spot, and it’s worth keeping an eye on the seasonal events at Brickyard for all-ages menu fun (and great beer).

Looking for more Best Pubs For… ideas? WE GOT YOU.

Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: Kodiak

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A menu, candle and beer at KodiakThe recent run of warm weather has led to prioritising pubs with lovely beer gardens that we haven’t yet visited, and the news that the Animal Collective group – they of Bonobo and Caribou fame – will be opening another location soon(ish) in Bolands Mills* bumped a trip to Kodiak higher up on the list. And it does involve a bit of a ‘trip’ – not just south of the river, but south of Dublin city centre, too. And so, to leafy Rathmines.

For the uninitiated, Rathmines has something of a dual reputation as both ‘Flatland,’ with many of the large, 19th century homes subdivided, but it seems to have more recently become a destination close-in suburb for more well-to-do families, many of whom have reconstituted some of those homes; there is no shortage of trees, nor of high-end prams; comparisons to Park Slope in Brooklyn or Wandsworth in London would both be apt. Kodiak fits perfectly into this mix, with its great beer and cocktails, wide array of plants dotted throughout the bar and a mix of different seating areas, from long tables to cosy sofas and chairs with lots of antique lamps and the like. Yes, it would probably be just as ‘at home’ in London or New York, but it does have a distinctly local vibe, too.

A cosy corner at KodiakA recent BlueSky chat was a reminder that unlike the Neighbouring Island, we have few pubs that are a middle ground between Old Man Pubs, with a standard macro lineup (always Guinness, of course, plus Heineken or perhaps Carlsberg) and ‘hipster’ pubs with interesting craft beers…there’s no direct equivalent of a free house with a mix of standard macros, family brewery offerings on cask (sob) and local indies here in Ireland (with a very few exceptions – TP Smith’s is one that comes to mind). In most cases, if you want something other than Guinness, you need to find your closest local ‘hipster’ pub for more than a unique tap or two, if that. But arguably, perhaps as a result, Dublin’s ‘hipster’ pubs can feel a bit more inclusive than they might in San Francisco or Sarajevo – there’s always a broad mix of ages, genders and styles in places like Kodiak or its sister bars, whereas in similar pubs in some other places, not being a youngish white male with a beard and/or skateboard may make one stand out a bit.

But what makes Kodiak feel like ‘Dublin’ vs ‘Craftonia?’ Certainly, the staff are the first element – friendly and knowledgeable about the local beers, and happy to offer opinions (or make interesting cocktails). The art on the walls is very local and independent – this doesn’t feel like ‘old local maps’ at a Wetherspoons – and the vibe just feels, well, local.

Beer Ladies at KodiakIt’s also worth mentioning just how spacious Kodiak is – the main floor has two full bars, each with its own distinct feel (one darker, one brighter) and tap lineup, so for you beer nerds, check out both, and then there’s the large beer garden at the back. Then there’s even more upstairs (shuffleboard!) – hangout spaces that would be ideal for parties, and the well-designed toilets can be reached via lift or stairs. Indeed, simply by moving around different parts of the pub, you can switch up your experience of the place: start off with a chill solo pint in subdued lighting, then grab some sun with friends.

Finally, there’s that drinks selection we’ve already discussed, but Kodiak deserves a special nod for their fantastic canned and bottled selection; there’s a menu at each table, true, but the tall cases are next to, rather than behind, the bar, so it’s easy to take a proper look to see if there are new additions or special releases.

All told, it’s a shame it’s taken us this long to get to Kodiak – it’s a great spot, and a worthy addition to both the beer garden and craft beer lists.

Where: 304 Rathmines Rd Lower, Rathmines, Dublin, D06 W3Y1
Access from the city centre: Buses 14, 15, 15A, 15B, 65B, 83, 83A, 140, Luas Green Line and a walk from Ranelagh or a c. 40 minute walk
Food: Pizza
Sport: Music-forward, rather than sport-forward
TVs: More foliage than screens
Music: Lots of music the Youths like as well as GenX faves
Family-friendliness: Plenty of space for late-afternoon weekend pizza with the kids, but a grownup vibe later
Pub-crawl-ability: Low-medium – Rody Boland’s, Mother Reilly’s, Murphy’s, and Martin B Slattery’s are all local haunts, but not many other ‘destination’ pubs, and a bit of a walk into Ranelagh for more
Local sites of note: Stella Cinema, Cathal Brugha Barracks
Haunted: Not a creak or moan of note
Other notes: High on the ‘beer garden’ list; dog-friendly
Socials: Instagram

*Another Grindstone Café, from the team behind Brickyard, is also in the works at Bolands Mills