Dublin's bar scene is the most exported drinking culture in the world — every Irish pub from Tokyo to Buenos Aires owes something to the rooms below. The 10 here split between the centuries-old institutions (Mulligan's, since 1782; Kehoe's, since 1803) and the modern cocktail rooms that have emerged since 2010. Most are within a 15-minute walk of Trinity College.
Part of our 50 Best Bars in the World listThis article is one chapter in our larger global guide. See the full pillar with every featured city.
Read the world list
The 10 best bars in Dublin
01 · Dublin
Trinity
$
1782 · Historic pub
Operating since 1782. The Dublin pub that JFK called the best pint of Guinness in the world. Worn floors, dark wood, no music — just conversation.
Order: A pint of Guinness, room temperature
02 · Dublin
Trinity
$
1803 · Snugs
Operating since 1803. Original Victorian snugs (private wooden booths) survive intact. The Trinity College area's most beloved pub.
Order: A pint of plain in the snug
03 · Dublin
South Great George's Street
$
Victorian · Mirrored
One of Dublin's most beautiful interiors. Floor-to-ceiling Victorian mirrors, ornate ceiling, narrow long room.
Order: A pint of Guinness, looking at the mirrors
04 · Dublin
Baggot Street
$$
Politicos' pub
Where Dublin's politicians, journalists and economists drink. Two floors, original Victorian fittings, the most-mentioned pub in Irish political memoirs.
Order: A pint and an opinion on the news
05 · Dublin
St Stephen's Green
$$$
Hotel bar · 1824
Inside the Shelbourne Hotel. Horseshoe-shaped marble bar from 1824. The most elegant drink in Dublin.
Order: A martini at the marble bar
Weekly editorial
The bars worth going to, weekly.
One email per week. The bars our editors are recommending right now, across 60 cities worldwide.
Free. Unsubscribe anytime.
06 · Dublin
Smithfield
$
Trad music nightly
Traditional Irish music seven nights a week. The most authentic trad session in Dublin — locals play, tourists listen.
Order: A pint and the late session
07 · Dublin
Camden Street
$
Cocktails · Loud
Camden Street neighbourhood favourite. Cocktails punch above the casual format; mid-week DJ programming is genuine.
Order: Whatever's the bartender's seasonal pick
08 · Dublin
Temple Bar
$$
Speakeasy · 1920s
Through an unmarked black door in Temple Bar. 1920s-themed, reservations only, classics-led cocktail program. Dublin's reference cocktail bar.
Order: A French 75
09 · Dublin
Suffolk Street
$$
Basement · Reservations
Below the Vintage Cocktail Club's restaurant. Ireland's best-stocked spirits collection. Quieter and more focused than the Vintage upstairs.
Order: Their old fashioned variant
10 · Dublin
St Stephen's Green
$$
Hotel · Cocktails
The cocktail-led counterpart to the Horseshoe Bar inside the Shelbourne. Modern Irish cocktails using local botanicals and Irish whiskey.
Order: An Irish whiskey-led signature
More Dublin bars by categoryCocktail, live music, traditional pub — the full Dublin index.
See the full list
How to drink in Dublin like an Irish person
Pints come first; cocktails later. The historic pubs (Mulligan's, Kehoe's, The Long Hall) are best between 6 and 9 PM, when locals are doing post-work pints. The modern cocktail rooms (Vintage Cocktail Club, The Blind Pig) open later. Most pubs close by 11:30 PM weekdays, 12:30 AM weekends — Irish licensing law shapes the night.
