Dublin is home to dozens if not hundreds of noteworthy pubs, bars, and clubs. Here however we have picked out a few of our favourites as we are in no doubt that you’ll have little difficulty in finding the rest upon arrival in Dublin!

Café en Seine
Based on a similar theme to London’s Café Paradisio, Café en Seine is reputedly the best pub in Dublin. Located on Dawson Street, Café en Seine is a large venue which is open well into the night and serves both good food and drink. Popular with the Dublin glitterati, its definitely worth a visit if you want to be seen.

Sam Sara Café Bar
Located just two doors up from Café en Seine on Dawson Street, Sam Sara is a trendy Moroccan themed bar which serves food during the day and by night offers visitors a friendly and relaxed pre club venue. Our personal favourite at Sam Sara has to be the cocktails, be sure to try the Long Island Iced Tea.

Copper Face Jacks
Especially popular with police, nurses, and firemen and guaranteed to be busy seven nights a week, Copper Face Jacks is a popular night club which is located on Harcourt Street, just off Stephens Green. Coppers is a very laid back club and is well worth a visit if you’re up for a traditional Irish welcome and a really good laugh, especially if you’re in Dublin during the week when other venues tend to be quieter. 

The Horseshoe Bar
Located in the Shelbourne Hotel on St. Stephens Green the Horseshoe is worth a visit if you want to experience an old Dublin bar. Despite the hotel having undergone extensive refurbishment the horseshoe has remained unchanged for decades, and is a firm favourite with the locals.

Reynards Night Club
Reynards is one of Dublin’s trendiest night clubs. It is located just off Molesworth Street in Dublin 2 and is reputedly one of the places to be seen, especially on a Saturday night. Being a late night venue it doesn’t get going till after midnight so pre-club drinks in one of the many other local bars are highly recommended. Also, as the dress code is strict remember to dress to impress.

Lillies Bordello
Like Reynards, Lillies is another must for those who wish to be seen. Lillies is located at the bottom of Grafton Street, next to the Porter House. With three levels of VIP lounges you’re sure to be rubbing shoulders with some of the biggest names in sport and entertainment including the likes of Westlife, Colin Farrell, and many a premiership footballer.

Porter House South
Located at the junction of Grafton Street and Nassau Street, and on the Ground Floor of Lillies Bordello the Porter House South is one of a chain of three Porter House pubs in Dublin. Renowned for their vast selection of beers including their very own which is produced in their on site micro brewery, the Porter House is a must for either the beer enthusiast or indeed anyone who wishes to enjoy a busy Dublin pub at its best.

O’Neills of Suffolk Street
A traditional Dublin Bar in every sense of the world O’Neills has changed very little in the past few decades. With a reputation for good pub food and a great pint of Guinness, O’Neills is worth a visit if you wish to experience a quieter, more traditional Irish bar with echoes of a bygone age.

Dakota
Located on South William Street, Dakota is very popular with Dublin’s hip twenty somethings. Not a huge venue, it offers comfortable half moon shaped leather couches which are ideal when meeting up with small groups of friends. The bar offers one of the best cocktail selections in Dublin, and a great range of bottled and draught beers are also available.

The Q Bar
A disco bar / club which is in an easy to find location on Dublin’s O’Connell Bridge, the Q Bar is a trendy modern venue which is set out on two levels with the bar upstairs and the club in the basement. Offering comfortable airplane style seats in the upstairs bar while the hippest tunes are played in the downstairs club, Q Bar offers visitors a great venue which gets going early and stays open till very late.

The Viper Rooms
The Viper Rooms is a small late night / early morning venue which is located on Aston Quay at the very edge of Temple Bar. A small venue that doesn’t open till midnight and stays open till after four, offering late night revellers a good venue in which to finish off the evening.

The Temple Bar Pub
As the name suggests the Temple Bar Pub is indeed located at the heart of Temple Bar, Dublin’s cultural quarter. A traditional Irish venue which is popular with both visitors and locals, the Temple Bar is a good venue in which to while away a Sunday afternoon, enjoying several pints of Guinness and watching Gaelic Football or Hurling on the big screen televisions.

Fitzsimons of Temple Bar
Fitzsimons is a popular pub, nightclub, restaurant, and Irish music venue which is located at the heart of Temple Bar on the banks of the River Liffey. The nightclub is open late seven nights a week, while the bar offers traditional Irish music. It also offers a large roof terrace which is ideal for smokers and offers views all over Dublin.

Pravda
Pravda is a trendy Russian themed bar which is Located on Liffey Street, on the north banks of the River Liffey. A relaxed venue where a drink doesn’t cost the earth, Pravda offers an amazing selection of spirits, especially vodkas, Pravda offers a relaxed environment in which to enjoy either early evening drinks or indeed to party the night away.

The George
Probably the most famous gay bar / nightclub in Dublin, the George is popular with both the gay and straight crowd alike. If over the top campness isn’t your thing your probably going to be better off in one of the other venues on the list. However if you have an open mind and are up for a warm welcome and a great laugh then the George, which as the name suggests is located on South Great Georges street is definitely worth a visit.

Club M
One of Dublin’s longest established night clubs, Club M is located in Blooms Hotel at the heart of Temple Bar in Dublin 2. A large venue which is open late into the night, Club M is ideal if your seeking a more traditional night club environment. Especially popular with Stag and Hen parties, Club M is especially busy at the weekend and as queues are long it is advisable to get there early.