Ireland
The Bernard Shaw is one of a number of pubs catering to a youngish, trendyish crowd. There's a massive smoking area with a pool table, a dj booth, and decently priced if limited selection of beers.
Decent music nights, recent ones were Dubstep and a celebration of the Rio Carnival with drummers and cheep Brazilian beer. Usually packed at the weekend, always a laugh.
Richmond Street,
Dublin
The current 'in' place in Dublin city. Cool, without being trendy, energetic, without being raucous.
Some of the best live music venues are situated here, along with a great choice of bars.
Curiously the bars with Irish language names are the coolest. Solas (Light) has a recently opened beer garden upstairs and serves decent food during the day and a great selection of beers - try Murphy's stout instead of Guinness for a change.
Anseo (Here) also has a good selection of imported beers. Both bars have regular DJs playing alternative dance and funk vinyls from when before most of the customers were born. For the best kebabs in Dublin, Zaytoon is beside Anseo.
Other bars and venues worth a visit in the same spot are Whelans, The Village, Carnival and The Bleeding Horse. Not far from the latter is the recently refurbished Tripod venue and the impressive Odeon.
Tram: Harcourt station
Camden St./Wexford St.
The Smallest Pub in Dublin (officially known as the Dawson Lounge) can be found on Dawson Street, just past Grafton Street in the City Centre.
Go there at around 8 o'clock so you can guarantee yourself a place and avoid the herds of late-night workers coming for happy hour afterwards (they even have backrests on the walls to accommodate those without seats). Though really small (the area of the whole pub must be around ten metres squared), the pub is very cozy and serves the best Guinness I ever tasted, for a reasonable bargain of €3.80.
Definitely a good option, especially if you're with a big group of friends and feel like starting the night out with some drinks and good laughter.
Dawson Lounge, Dawson Street
Telephone: (+ 353) 1 671 0311
Email: dawsonlounge@thomasread.ie
www.dawsonlounge.ie/
Mon - Thurs 12.30 to 11.30
Fri-Sat 12.30-12.30 Sunday 4-11.00
FOOD Mon-sat 12-4.30
The Chester Beatty Library.
Dublin Castle,
Dublin 2,
Ireland
Tel: (+353 1) 407 0750
Fax: (+353 1) 407 0760
Email: info@cbl.ie
www.cbl.ie/
It's a pub in Dublin. My friend John tells me it is the oldest pub in Ireland. The music is so good and the ambience is priceless. What shall I say about the drinks? Guinness as usual.
The Brazen Head, 20 Bridge Street, Dublin 8.
Tel : 00 353 1677 9549
www.brazenhead.com/
I am a frequent business visitor to Dublin and have always been disappointed by the homogenised nightlife. There is a high gloss about the club habitués of Dublin yet these shiny people confuse sophistication with formality. The clubs and bars have no concept of edginess. However, on this most recent visit, I discovered Dublin’s best kept secret, Fresh and Clean. This an eccentric and at times unnerving experience where live art meets jazz meets champagne. This is an incredibly exciting club concept, which could change Dublin’s nightscape. Admission is 80 euros. Check it out.
Varying locations in city centre;
tel: +44 77901 853 216
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