Favorite Pub in Dublin

If you're looking for an authentic pub, try O'Donoghues near St. Stephen's square. I think it might be the oldest pub in Dublin (?)...the ceilings are old and funky, there's no bar menu (just beer), and the locals love it.

Searson's. Try the lamb.

On our trip last September, we’d rented an apartment, so had dinner there most nights.

One night, though, we had a combined dinner and a storytelling evening at the Brazen Head, recommended in the Rick Steves guidebook. The food was OK, not our best meal in Ireland, but the real attraction was the storyteller. We were packed in with a lot of other tourists, but it was still an Irish evening, https://www.irishfolktours.com/

For fantastic Irish traditional music, the top place is The Cobblestone, on the west side of Dublin. Take a taxi to get there. We didn’t go for dinner, and I’m not sure whether they have any food at all, but the music was not-to-be-missed!

Frank Ryan’s because it’s not a tourist trap. Not glamorous. Great Guinness pour.

Brannigans on Cathedral Street. local pub, great food and service.

My favorite pub for eating was O'Neills right across from the Molly Malone statue. It has a lot of choices. I usually got something at the sandwich bar which was good and reasonably priced.

The best trad session was O'Donaghues near St. Stephens (I think Sunday nights). Sadly, it was the best trad of my trip - many of the pubs out west now offer professionals (usually one or two musicians) seven nights a week rather than a true trad session featuring local amateurs.

O'Donoghues is good. Wander through Temple Bar and take your pick. The Dawson Lounge was an interesting little place near O'Donoghues.

I had lunch at Brannigans located at 9 Cathedral Street just off O'Connell St near the GPO. It seemed like a local place and the roast for lunch was excellent. I had a breakfast at O'Neills near the Molly Malone statue and it was decent. Both were on a Monday while I had a long layover in Dublin on the way to Amsterdam so were quiet.