The Best Pubs in Dublin, According to Locals

There is something truly special about The Palace Bar. Small stools and communal tables mean that strangers become friends, giving up chairs and pushing tables together so that everyone has a place to be. Hardly a phone in sight, it’s a quintessential Irish pub that has maintained its ethos through the years. If we didn’t have people waiting on us, we would have sat there the rest of the evening sipping pints and soaking up all of Dublin we could.

Nestled among all the glitz and glam of Grafton Street and the surrounding area is Mary’s Bar & Hardware. Set to look like a hardware store where everything in the bar is actually for sale, the amount of students strolling in from Trinity College made it pretty noticeable later in the evening. Once inside, there were Dubliners of all ages hanging out at crowded tables, singing along to the live music and even playing card games. We sat next to two brothers who introduced us to Baby Guinness shots and insisted we sip up all of Ireland’s specialties.

A speakeasy with a door that reads only “VCC” in small letters, this spot came recommended by our friends at Mary’s Hardware. Reservations are highly suggested as space can fill up quickly, even if popping in only for a cocktail. The Vintage Cocktail Club menu takes imbibers through history via cocktails. Low lights, candles, and a roaring fire transport you back to the 1920s for a fully immersive experience.

Inside the College Green Hotel in Dublin is an experience not to be missed at The Mint Bar. While it used to be a bank vault, the designers did their best to create an exclusive, upscale experience. Sure, you can go for a pint of Guinness, but The Mint’s signature cocktail and mocktail creations are well-balanced and unique. Or, sip a classic cocktail amongst the classics, as the moody bar is decorated with books, a calling card of Dublin as it was home to great literary composers (like Jonathan Swift and James Joyce) as well as the famous Trinity College Library.

Recommended by one of our drivers and just about everyone else we met is The Hairy Lemon. However, there is nothing fancy about this place. A local watering hole with several bars and tables squeezed in throughout wherever they can fit, this pub is packed to the brim at all hours of the day and night, and it’s easy to see why. The traditional Irish fare is delicious, the drink menu is truly no-fuss and The Hairy Lemon is the perfect gathering place for a bit of laid-back fun.

One of Dublin’s traditional Irish pubs, The Bankers Bar is the perfect place to pull up a stool and have a pint (which takes 119.5 seconds to pour, and the bartenders will all tell you so!). It was one of the most welcoming places we stopped in Dublin, and it was absolutely packed to the brim with Dubliners of all ages. No frills, no fuss, kind patrons, bartenders who serve with a smile; it’s Irish hospitality at its finest.

Full of charm and character in the coolest way possible is The Long Hall. One of the oldest bars in Dublin, it still looks the part, as Victorian-era. There are antique clocks, elaborate carvings, and chandeliers that are mismatched, giving it so much character. Many of these things are rumored to have been unchanged since the late 1800s, and having a Jameson and ginger ale here is like stepping back in time. It has one of the most attentive bar staff, who are friendly and helpful, but this is a bar’s bar – peanuts and crisps only alongside tipples and drams.