Leinster
Dublin is where the Irish pub myth was written. Every one of the eight pubs below has been pouring for at least 100 years — Mulligan's since 1782, The Brazen Head since 1198 (contested but universally claimed). Skip Temple Bar for anything except a photo — the pubs on this list are where Dubliners actually drink.
Written by Séamus O'Byrne · Aug 23, 2026Updated August 23, 2026
Click any pin for the editorial, address + our Guinness score. Zoom in to see the walking distance between rounds — most of these are within a 4-minute walk.
#1 — guinness quality
8 Poolbeg St, Dublin 2
10
/10 Guinness
Best for: Best pint of Guinness in Dublin — near-universally agreed
James Joyce set part of "Counterparts" here. Two rooms, both wood-panelled, no music, no TV, no attempt to charm. The Guinness is the reason. Come early evening — after 8pm you'll queue for a stool.
Est. 1782 — pouring pints for 244 years
#2 — historic
51 South Great George's St, Dublin 2
9
/10 Guinness
Best for: Victorian interior — the most photographed pub in Dublin
Chandeliers, mahogany, cut glass, a long single room. The pour is careful, the crowd mixed. Weeknights hold a seat; weekends you'll stand.
Est. 1881 — pouring pints for 145 years
#3 — historic
9 South Anne St, Dublin 2
9
/10 Guinness
Best for: Literary crowd, upstairs snug
Upstairs is the old family living quarters, converted to seating with the original fittings intact. Downstairs stays traditional. Go upstairs early — it's the best snug in the city.
Est. 1803 — pouring pints for 223 years
#4 — literary
15 South William St, Dublin 2
9
/10 Guinness
Best for: Art on the walls, absolutely no music policy
The bar itself refuses to play music — enforced for decades. Artists show work on the walls in rotation. Toasted cheese sandwich is the only food.
#5 — historic
139 Baggot St Lower, Dublin 2
9
/10 Guinness
Best for: Yeats' only recorded pub visit + the best beer garden south of the Liffey
Yeats came here once, disliked it, left. The snugs, the timber, the huge back garden are all still original. Best summer evening pub in Dublin 2.
Est. 1817 — pouring pints for 209 years
#6 — historic
21 Fleet St, Temple Bar, Dublin 2
9
/10 Guinness
Best for: Journalist history — Irish Times offices next door for a century
Two rooms front + back, Victorian mirror over the bar, floor tiles worn through by 200 years of reporters. Skip the tourist pubs on Fleet St and go here.
Est. 1823 — pouring pints for 203 years
#7 — historic
5 Baggot St Lower, Dublin 2
9
/10 Guinness
Best for: Political + legal crowd — pre-Dáil pints
Two snugs at the front, long bar behind. TDs and barristers drink here. The upstairs room fills for rugby. Uniquely Dublin — nothing kitsch, no music, real pints.
Est. 1867 — pouring pints for 159 years
#8 — trad music
77 King St North, Smithfield, Dublin 7
8
/10 Guinness
Best for: Best trad session in Dublin, every night
A working musicians' pub. The front room's early-evening session (from 7pm) is where visiting fiddle players sit in. Serious about the music — don't chat over it.
Est. 1830 — pouring pints for 196 years
#9 — historic
20 Bridge St Lower, Dublin 8
7
/10 Guinness
Best for: Oldest pub in Ireland (claim) + trad music nightly
The 1198 date is contested but plausible — the current building is 17th century over medieval foundations. Trad session every night from 9:30pm. Tourist-heavy but the music is real.
Est. 1198 — pouring pints for 828 years
#10 — family friendly
2 Suffolk St, Dublin 2
7
/10 Guinness
Best for: Warren of rooms + solid pub carvery lunch
Multi-level, multi-bar, tourist-friendly but not a tourist trap. Best lunch stop in the city centre if you want a proper carvery + a pint in one sitting.
Solo or backpacking — hostels in Dublin start well below hotel rates and are still the fastest way to meet other travellers.
Hostels & private rooms in Dublin
Solo-friendlyHostelworld is the largest inventory — most properties list private twin rooms alongside dorms, so it works for couples + solo travellers alike. Free cancellation on flexible rates, verified reviews from people who actually stayed.
Browse Dublin hostelsSkip the taxi rank and lock in your fare before you land.
Pre-book a fixed-price transfer
Our pickDriver waits at arrivals with your name, tracks your flight, and the price you see is the price you pay. English-speaking, fixed price. No surge, no haggling at 2am.
Check transfer pricesRenting a car instead? Compare rentals with free cancellation.Mulligan's (8 Poolbeg St, Dublin 2). Best pint of Guinness in Dublin — near-universally agreed. Our Guinness quality score: 10/10.
2 pubs on this list run trad-music sessions: The Cobblestone, The Brazen Head. Most sessions start between 6pm and 9:30pm and are free to attend — buy a pint, listen.
The Brazen Head, established 1198. The 1198 date is contested but plausible — the current building is 17th century over medieval foundations.
Dublin Airport (DUB). Book fixed-price transfers before you land; the taxi queues at Irish airports can double your fare if it's a rugby weekend.
Weeknights (Tuesday to Thursday) — locals outnumber visitors, sessions are unforced, and you'll get a stool. Weekends fill fast from 8pm; St Patrick's Day + Guinness-brand event weeks are for tourists only.
10 — hand-picked from a longer shortlist. Every pub here has been visited; the Guinness scores are our own, published dated so you can hold us to them.