Dublin is the capital city of the Republic of Ireland, birthplace of Guinness and home to well over 500 watering holes. Whilst it might not be possible to make your way round them all in 1 night, here you can read about 5 of the best, if you’re only in town on a flying visit.

Quays

Quays is a busy, authentic Irish pub. Located in the heart of Temple Bar, it’s bustling at 6pm on a Friday night, with a live band playing traditional Irish folk music and covers of songs such as Zombie by The Cranberries at the front door, 1 man with a guitar and 1 with a tin whistle

It’s obvious that this bar is always bustling, as the workers behind the bar can be watched seamlessly pouring pints and combining gin and ice for multiple customers at once, without batting an eye.

The Temple Bar

The famous Temple Bar is worth the hype. This legendary locale has one of Irelands largest Whiskey Collections, 2 bars, a beer garden and a number of wee nooks and crannies to rest your legs. Music plays all day, everyday, and is performed by a variety of Irish musicians.

The Palace Bar

The Palace Bar was established in 1823. It sits just on the outskirts of the popular Temple Bar area of the city centre, but somehow feels like a world away from the lively tourist hotspot bars. This pub is unreservedly changeless and unwavering to its roots. The walls of The Palace Bar once proved a favourite for novelist Flann O’Brien and poet and novelist Patrick Kavanagh, and today still stands as a treasured locals pub.

O’Riordans Bar (Wellington Quay)

O’Riordans can be found in the same building as the Wellington Hotel Temple Bar. The reason this pub is making the list is because the same tin whistle player who had been playing in Quays (previously mentioned) was playing here. From the street, his tune could be heard, and just like the story of the Pied Piper, it was easy to be drawn in by the hypnotic sound. A highlight was his companion singing the irish folk song ‘The Rattlin Bog’.

Gravity Bar

To visit Gravity Bar, you need a ticket for visiting the Guiness Storehouse. For this reason, it’s no surprise that the most popular drink in Gravity Bar is Guiness. Infact, all there is on draught is Guiness, Guiness 0.0 and Hop House 13 Lager, which is brewed with Guiness Yeast. The Gravity Bar is designed to look like the head of a pint glass and offers unbeatable 360-degree views across Dublin.