Dublin Pubs – Temple Bar and Beyond

After all the Christmas and New Year festivities are out of the way, do we detox? Do we participate in Dry January? Do we heck. Instead we head to Dublin, pub capital of the world. Home of Guinness and whiskey and a thousand alcohol beverages in between. We have a packed sightseeing itinerary planned – after all, it is our first time in the city – but we make sure we make a little time to sample some of the famous Irish hospitality. These are the pubs in Dublin that drew us in, from Temple Bar to Baggott Street.

The Gingerman

Located just off Merrion Square, The Gingerman was one of the closest pubs in Dublin to our hotel, The Mont. In fact, we could see it’s frontage from our room, meaning it was a shoe-in for our first night in the city. We wasn’t prepared for the twinkling Christmas grotto that met us as we entered. Ireland largely observes Epiphany, recognising 6th January as the final day for Christmas decorations meaning that a lot of venues still had their Christmas trees up. But The Gingerman takes it to another level.

Mr Fletche is straight in with his first pint of Guinness, whereas I waver over a refreshing lager to begin with. Downstairs at The Gingerman is busy, but we find a table in the corner upstairs. It is less festive up here but we’re soon glowing from that first quickly downed drink. This time, it’s Guinness all round. Everyone’s right. It DOES taste different in Ireland.

It’s clear we’re going to need a little food to line our tummies. The Gingerman does a sharing platter which is similar to what we would offer up on a “defrosting-the-freezer-day”. Chicken wings. Potato wedges. Cocktail sausages. And onion rings. A little beige, but there’s enough food to feed a small army. A final drink and we’re done for the night. Bed beckons.

Doheny & Nesbitt

Located on Baggott Street, we returned two nights in a row to this classic traditional pub. On our first visit, we found a cosy little spot in one of the pub’s two snugs in the main front bar. After perusing the menu we decided to eat there on the following night, this time seated in the Back Bar with it’s Victorian replica bar and designated “Whiskey Corner”.

Doheny & Nesbitt offer a small menu with Irish comfort food classics. Which naturally means potatoes with everything. Mr Fletche has the Beef and Guinness stew, with Guinness bread; I opt for the Shepherd’s Pie, which comes with a double potato offering of a mountain of mash and a side of chips.

Sadly the addition of a screened terrace area meant I couldn’t get a decent photo of the front of the pub, so make do with a photo of my Shepherd’s Pie instead.

Toners

Over the road from Doheny & Nesbitt, and thus creating a small but perfectly formed pub crawl, is Toners. It’s corner location means that it stretches back further than the small red and black facade initially suggests. This is another Victorian pub that boasts a snug or two, high wooden bar stools, and enough newspaper clippings on the wall to keep us entertained. All sorts of famous literary peeps have supped a pint at Toners apparently. And Rory Guinness – an actual member of the Guinness family – has proclaimed this pub one of the very best places to sup a pint of the black stuff. The whiskey collection is also pretty impressive. Toner’s beer garden is also apparently one of the very best in Dublin, although not something we were prepared to test out in January.

The Porterhouse

The Porterhouse was the perfect place for food on our first afternoon, as we strolled back to Temple Bar from the Guinness Storehouse. It’s a microbrewery so does a good range of their own craft beers – good to have a wee break from the Black Stuff. There’s a decent pub grub menu; Mr Fletche had the bangers and mash whilst I opted for the steak sandwich.

Have you ever tried to take a photo of bangers and mash? Not photogenic. And so phallic that this blog may be marked NSFW. So here’s the pub interior instead.

Brazen Head

Located on Bridge Street and a handy stop after visiting Christ Church, there’s been a hostelry on this site since the late 12th century. The Brazen Head has been a favourite of many literary darlings through the years. Past customers have included James Joyce, Jonathan Swift, Van Morrison – and even Robin Hood.

Inside is a labyrinth of rooms. We manage to find a corner table in the busy front bar, but there’s an ample heated and covered courtyard. We don’t eat here, having already made evening plans but the food being brought out from the kitchen looks delicious. Naturally, there are potatoes. There’s a constant stream of tourists trickling in, all wanting to claim a drink at Dublin’s oldest pub. After all, if it’s good enough for Robin Hood…

Quays Bar

The Quays is one of the staple pubs in the Temple Bar area, and was our first taste of the live music that Dublin pubs are so famous for. It’s corner location and stunning tiled exterior makes it a very photogenic spot. In such a touristy area it still manages to feel authentic, and we really enjoyed the toe-tapping singalong duo cracking out a medley of fan favourites. We didn’t eat at the upstairs restaurant but it did crop up many times as a recommended place to dine. I could have happily spent hours perched on a stool, nursing a Guinness, moving on to whiskey, swaying along to Galway Girl and Whiskey In The Jar.

Temple Bar Pub

Probably the most iconic pub in Dublin, the Temple Bar Pub sits proudly on the corner of Temple Bar and Temple Lane South. With live music from 10:30am every day, this is a pub with a party atmosphere all day long. We popped in to dodge a rainstorm, and was lucky to grab one of the few remaining spots in the front bar. Drink in hand – this time a local red ale – we were able to hear the band, if not see them. We were amused at how many people popped in, snapped off a quick photo or a 30 second video and then left without stopping for a drink. Then again, at €8 a pint, and it’s one of the more expensive drinks in an already expensive city. I truly believe though that if you’re going to experience Dublin, then you can’t leave without experiencing the Temple Bar.

With over 700 pubs in Dublin, there’s no doubt we could visit multiple times and never visit the same pub twice. Which means another visit is definitely needed soon.

I hope this has given you some ideas if Dublin is on your citybreak wishlist!

Sláinte!

Of course, Dublin’s not ALL about the pubs. For more ideas about how to spend 48 hours in Dublin, you can read more here. And if you’re considering a Dublin City Pass, is it worth the money?