Dublin is the city for drinking! With more than a thousand watering holes your options for a tipple are practically endless.

  • That said, it is worth noting that, again and as with any city, in the 'tourist-trap' areas prices can vary wildly for drinks. You will no doubt be spending some time in the atmospheric Temple Bar district so it is worth knowing that this is generally the most expensive area to drink in with prices in many of the pubs in the area increasing at half hour intervals throughout the night from 11pm, often leading to astronomical and frankly ridiculous prices.
  • Dublin is famous for Guinness and no trip to the Irish capital is complete without having a pint of the black stuff. But, if you were to become accustomed to Guinness you might soon realise subtle differences in pints in different pubs. Theories of 'good' and 'bad' pints have occupied Dubliners for decades but there is a general consensus that the best pint to be found in Dublin is a close-run thing between Grogan's on castle street, The Long Hall on George's street, The Stag's Head in Dame Lane and Mulligan's on Poolbeg Street. Yours truly can attest that they are all delicious and thankfully a 'bad' pint is a rarity, few and far between, throughout the city.
  • There is some local drinking etiquette to be observed also. The main one of these is the 'round-system' which is far too vast in its intricacies and variables to fully outline here but in essence it is simply that if you accept a drink from someone you should buy them one in return when the next drink is due, or at least offer to. This is a very Irish thing but it is very highly likely that you will quickly acquire some Irish drinking-buddies in a Dublin pub, the locals are famously friendly and love meeting people from distant lands.
  • There's a burgeoning craft beer revival happening in Ireland and Dublin is a focal-point in this revolution with many pubs dedicating valuable tap-space to new, locally produced beers which you should try while you are in town as often these can be seasonal or limited editions or may even only be available in one pub.
  • Join a Pub Crawl – we recommend the Backpacker Pub Crawl for a great value night-out. It's the original and longest running pub crawl in the city and visits 5 great authentic pubs & venues that the locals love. For just €12 you get a welcome Guinness, minimum 3 free shots, exclusive drink specials & deals and free entry to all venues including VIP nightclub entry (saving up to €20 on entry fees alone!). Fun-lovin' local guides and other night-life adventurers included and you can even return as many nights as you like absolutely free, it's a no-brainer.