Nightlife in Dublin

Storytelling and drinking; what better way to combine both than by starting your visit with a pub tour, accompanied by a pair of talented and charismatic actor-hosts. With song, soliloquy and plenty of schtick, they’ll amuse, entertain and possibly educate you too, with tales of Joyce, Beckett and Wilde. You’ll get a tour around the Dublin streets as well as, of course, nipping into some great pubs. If you can remember anything by the end of it, you might even win a T-shirt in the LPC quiz. €12.

Dublin Pub Crawl

James Joyce was a frequent visitor to this elegant 19th-century hostelry. It’s set over three floors with plentiful Victorian wood panelling, stained glass and, unsurprisingly, stags’ heads on walls, windows, and even the entrance mosaic. There’s entertainment every night of the week but, on a busy Friday or Saturday night, when there are traditional music sessions in the basement bar, you’ll probably find a few more stags spilling out onto the pavement. For more music, craft beer, and even a bit of Irish dancing, try the Cobblestone.
(77 North King Street).

Stag's Head

The experimental arm of the Guinness brewery opened last November. For a €6 fee, booked online, visitors can come and sample four new and experimental beers – strawberry porter, anyone? – and chat to the brewers about the process. Bar food is also available. For a full experience, visit Ireland’s most popular attraction, the Guinness Storehouse next door. You’ll get the chance to see the whole process from hop to glass, visit the advertising floor, with its speaking oyster, find out about the history of the harp, and of course get a taste of the black stuff in the Gravity bar, with views out to the Wicklow Mountains, where the all-important water comes from.

Open Gate Brewery

Depending on the time you arrive, you’ll see the mirrored horse or the queue first. Step in for velveteen booths, eccentric decor, subdued lighting, and more animals. For lunch or dinner, food is TexMex-meets-Mediterranean platters and sharing plates and, come the evening, excellent cocktails are in the mix – you can order your fave or let the friendly bar staff get creative. The queue bears a direct correlation to the DJs, and beyond the by-now buzzing bar area filling up with dancing hipsters, there’s a lovely whiskey bar out back if you’ve put your hip out.

37 Dawson Street

Eat, drink and be merry, from brunch through to the wee small hours, at this beautiful bar spread over three floors. The interior is a crazy mash-up – think Art Deco on speed – of mosaic flooring, gilded mirrors, wrought iron balconies and chandeliers, but the USP is sound; bistro-style food, the biggest drinks menu in Dublin, including cocktails, craft beers and 19 types of gin, as well as DJs from Wednesday through Saturday, and, with jazz on Sundays, you could easily spend the weekend here.

Café en Seine