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Anseo
Unpretentious, unaffected and incredibly popular, this cosy alternative bar - which is pronounced 'an- shuh' , the Irish for 'here' - is a favourite with those who live by the credo that to try too hard is far worse than not trying at all. Wearing cool like a loose garment, the punters thrive on the mix of chat and terrific DJs, who dig into virtually every crate to provide the soundtrack, whether it be Peggy Lee or Lee Perry.
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Auld Dubliner
Predominantly patronised by tourists, 'the Auld Foreigner', as locals have dubbed it, has a carefully manicured 'old-world' charm that has been preserved - or refined - after a couple of renovations. It's a reliable place for a singsong and a laugh, as long as you don't mind taking 15 minutes to get to and from the jax (toilet).
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Ba Mizu
Tucked away beside the grand entrance to Powerscourt Townhouse is one of the showiest feathers in South William St's well-plumed cap o' cool. Head downstairs to an intimate lobby dominated by a central square bar and surrounded by cosy nooks, perfect for ice breaking on first dates.
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Bailey
Perpetually popular with self-appointed shakers and movers - and a few frustrated office workers looking to shake and move - the Bailey has wall-mounted light boxes and comfortable seating, perfect for an evening schmooze, and outside gas braziers that allow you to sit on the pavement and observe the street life by day. It also does a mean trade in continental lunches.
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Bank
This architecturally dazzling bar occupies the site of a former Victorian bank and has opulent decoration, including a stained-glass ceiling, hand-carved plasterwork and mosaic-tiled floors to occupy your eyes while you wait for your pint of Guinness to settle. The atmosphere is conversational, and the bar staff are excellent.
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Banker's
A Friday-night improv club takes place in the basement of this bar near Trinity College. It has yet to establish itself as a success, but it's a good spot to watch wet-behind-the-ears wannabe comics go through their (often terrified) paces. And who said Schadenfreude wasn't fun?
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Belvedere
Some of Dublin's best comic talents have grouped together to create a comedy troupe that takes to the stage Sunday nights in the Belvedere. Some of their stuff is hilarious.
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Bia Bar
In the last couple of years, this trendy watering hole has become massively popular. We thought at first it was to do with the excellent music policy that has brought in some of the city's best DJs. Sure, that helped, but it's the huge beer garden at the back that really brings them in, for not only does it allow some al fresco drinking, but it's one of the few bars where you don't have to stand on the street to have a smoke.
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Bob's
This used to be known as Bad Bob's, but after a 2000 renovation the owners went on the straight and narrow, which in this case meant chasing the new money. It's a typical Dublin superpub, with three floors, bland modern decor, young groups and shirty security staff.
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Brogan's
Only a couple of doors down from the Olympia Theatre, this is a wonderful old-style bar where conversation - not loud music - is king. The beer is also pretty good.
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Bruxelles
Although it has largely shed its heavy metal and alternative skin, Bruxelles is still a raucous, fun place to hang out and there are different music areas. It's comparatively trendy on the ground floor, while downstairs is a great, loud and dingy rock bar with live music each weekend. Just outside, a bronze Phil Lynott is there to remind us of Bruxelles' impeccable rock credentials.
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Button Factory
Temple Bar's newest venue is a top-class joint for late-night clubbing (to ) that deserves a merit badge on two counts: firstly for offering something to the left of the usual Temple Bar cheese; and secondly for being swanky and carpeted. Great sound, big room, terrific spot.
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Café En Seine
A tidy jazz band for Sunday brunch and some Big Band Swing on Monday nights fill out the musical menu at one of Dublin's biggest and most wildly extravagant bars. The Belle Epoque decor make it easy to imagine that you're actually at one of F Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald's decadent parties.
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Carnival
A party atmosphere and a candle-lit, down-at-heel room with lots of cosy corners makes Dermot Doran's latest venture, Carnival, a great place to meet people. Don't expect to chat though - the music from those DJs playing everything from Magic Numbers to Kraftwerk (Thursday to Sunday) will drown out those witticisms.
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Comedy Dublin
Some of Dublin's best comic talents have grouped together to create a comedy troupe that takes to the stage Sunday nights in the Belvedere and Tuesday nights in Sheehan's. Some of their stuff is hilarious.
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Copper Face Jacks
Dublin's ultimate meat market packs them in and has a reputation for being the destination of choice for off-duty police officers, nurses and anyone looking to avoid music that didn't chart. Don't let the presence of the law put you off though. From what we've heard, they're the biggest miscreants of the lot, especially if there are nurses about!
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Dakota
Surprisingly chilled out for a superpub, Dakota is distinguished by dimmed lights, funky tunes, crafty cocktails and a slick modern layout. Unfortunately, we found the weekend bouncers to be goons, the beer patchy and the bar staff so frosty that if you stuck your tongue out at them it might stick.
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Davy Byrne's
The place where Leopold Bloom popped in for a Gorgonzola sandwich and a glass of burgundy. Davy Byrne's makes the most of its Joycean connection, but the contemporary version bears about as much resemblance to the boozer mentioned in Ulysses as it does a hole in the wall. It is popular with out-of-towners and gets especially packed on rugby weekends.
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Dawson Lounge
To see the smallest bar in Dublin, go through a small doorway, down a narrow flight of steps and into two tiny rooms that always seem to be filled with a couple of bedraggled drunks who look like they're hiding. Psst, here's a secret: a certain sunglassed lead singer of a certain ginormous Irish band is said to love unwinding in here from time to time.
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Dice Bar
Co-owned by Huey from the Fun Lovin' Criminals, the Dice Bar looks like something you might find on New York's Lower East Side. Its dodgy locale, black-and-red painted interior, dripping candles and stressed seating, combined with rocking DJs most nights, make it a magnet for Dublin's beautiful beatnik crowds. It has Guinness and local microbrews.
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Doheny & Nesbitt's
A standout, even in a city of wonderful pubs, Nesbitt's is equipped with antique snugs and is a favourite place for high-powered gossip among politicians and journalists; Leinster House is only a short stroll away.
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Dragon
High-concept, high-octane and simply loaded with attitude, the Dragon is the slightly trendier alternative to the long-established George down the street (George & the Dragon; get it?). But neon lighting, loud music and drunken couples slobbering all over each other do not a memorable bar make. Next.
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Eno Wines
A wine bar in a financial services centre sounds like a formula for insufferable pretentiousness, but this remarkable venture is unique to the city so we thought we'd give it a try - and we weren't disappointed. Basically, this is a wine-tasting centre where you buy a card for whatever amount you like and are then free to try any of the 60-plus wines that are available, deducting the cost of it from your card as you go along.
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Fallon's
Just west of the city centre, in the heart of medieval Dublin, this is a fabulously old-fashioned bar that has been serving a great pint of Guinness to a most discerning clientele since the end of the 17th century. Prize fighter Dan Donnelly, the only boxer ever to be knighted, was head bartender here in 1818. It's a genuine Irish bar filled with local Dubs.
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Floridita
Ernest Hemingway's favourite Havana bar is now a multinational chain, and the newest branch of the super-slick bar/club/restaurant opened in the distinctly uncool Irish Life Mall in 2007. Real live Cuban musicians provide the backbeat to a night of rum, cigars and Latin American cuisine.
