41 Best Bars in Dublin, Ireland

With an exotic, Victorian-style interior, Neary's was once the haunt of music-hall artists and a certain literary set, including Brendan Behan. Join the actors from the adjacent Gaiety Theatre for a good pub lunch.

A cheerful, tourist-friendly hangout, O'Donoghue's has impromptu musical performances that often spill out onto the street.

One of the oldest pubs in the city, the Old Stand is named after the now demolished Old Stand at Lansdowne Road stadium, home to Irish rugby and football. The pub is renowned for great pints and fine steaks.

A lively bar that attracts all ages and nationalities, the Oliver St. John Gogarty overflows with patrons in summer. On most nights there's traditional Irish music upstairs.

Originally fronted by the infamous Dublin drag queen Panti and a cultural hot spot for the local LGBT community, this amusingly named gay bar has loud music at night but is pretty chilled-out during the day.

One of the few bars in Ireland to brew its own beer, their Plain Porter has won the best stout in the world award at the Brewing Industry International Awards (often referred to as the "Brewing Oscars") beating out the mighty Guinness. The tasteful interior is all dark woods and soft lighting.

One of Dublin's last remaining genuine late–Victorian era pubs, Ryan's has changed little since its last remodeling—in 1896. It's right near the entrance to Phoenix Park. The small restaurant upstairs does a mean steak.

There's a touch of Vegas about this landmark venue with the tables and chairs on tiered levels that look down on the stage. The Sugar Club has regular music and performance (some touted as burlesque) nights.

Though billed as a Victorian bar, Toner's actually goes back 200 years, with an original flagstone floor to prove its antiquity, as well as wooden drawers running up to the ceiling—a relic of the days when bars doubled as grocery shops. Oliver St. John Gogarty, who was the model for Buck Mulligan in James Joyce's Ulysses, accompanied W. B. Yeats here, in what was purportedly the latter's only visit to a pub.

Housed in a former workingman's club, this no-frills, hip spot specializes in indie club nights and attracts an artistic and hipster crowd. It has three floors of music and live gigs. Check the website for upcoming nights.

The sacrilege of bopping the night away in a former church might add a little spice at this mainstream weekend club. Nondancing churchgoers can check out the pub and restaurant upstairs.