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Flowing Tide
This beautiful, atmospheric old pub is directly opposite the Abbey and is predictably very popular with theatre-goers - it can get swamped around , after the curtain comes down. They blend in with some no-bullshit locals who give the place a vital edge, and make it a great place for a drink and a natter.
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Front Lounge
The unofficially gay 'Flounge' is a sophisticated and friendly bar that is bright and airy during the week and positively mobbed on weekends. It's by no means an exclusive place, but its clientele is predominantly gay and preposterously handsome.
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George
The purple mother of Dublin's gay bars is a long-standing institution, having lived through the years when it was the only place in town where the gay crowd could, well, be gay. There are other places to go, but the George remains the best, if only for tradition's sake. Shirley's legendary Sunday night bingo is as popular as ever.
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Gill's
Just a stone's throw from Croke Park, this unashamedly old-fashioned boozer was one of Brendan Behan's favourites and the place where his friends chose to wake his passing when he died. If you're on your way to Croker for a match, or just want to try out a good old-style pub, there are few better.
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Glimmer Man
It's slightly out of the way, to the west of Smithfield, but this is a terrific neighbourhood bar that has benefited from the influx of foreign nationals to the area in recent years. In warm weather, the beer garden out the back is a great place to enjoy a pint.
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Globe
In 2007 the first of the city's wave of 'cool' bars changed hands after nearly 15 years of same ownership, and while the new crowd have promised not to mess with a winning formula, some change is inevitable, be it in the New York dive-style decor, the relaxed, friendly attitude or both. The bar doubles as the chill-out room for the excellent Rí Rá .
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Gravediggers (Aka Kavanagh's)
The gravediggers from the adjacent Glasnevin Cemetery had a secret serving hatch so that they could drink on the job - hence the pub's nickname. Founded in 1833 by one John Kavanagh and still in the family, this is one of the best pubs in Ireland, virtually unchanged in 150 years. In summer time the green of the square is full of drinkers basking in the sun, while inside the hardened locals ensure that ne'er a hint of sunshine disturbs some of the best Guinness in town. An absolute classic.
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Grogan's Castle Lounge
This place is known simply as Grogan's (after the original owner), and it is a city-centre institution. It has long been a favourite haunt of Dublin's alternative bohemian set, most of whom seem to be waiting for the 'inevitable' moment when they are finally recognised as geniuses. A peculiar quirk is that drinks are marginally cheaper in the area with a stone floor than in the carpeted lounge, even though they are served by the same bar!
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Ha'penny Bridge Inn
From Tuesday to Thursday you can hear some fairly funny comedians (as well as some truly awful ones) do their stuff in the upstairs room of this Temple Bar pub. Tuesday night's Battle of the Axe (tel:086 815 6987; www.battleoftheaxe.com), an improvisation night that features a lot of 'crowd participation' (read 'trading insults'), is the best of them.
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Hartigan's
This is about as spartan a bar as you'll find in the city, and is the daytime home to some serious drinkers, who appreciate the quiet, no-frills surroundings. In the evening it's popular with students from the medical faculty of University College Dublin (UCD).
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Hogan's
The basement of this popular bar is now home to Under The Stairs, a free club loosely run by local legend Billy Scurry and featuring a rotating mix of home-grown and visiting DJs. The emphasis is on soul, funk, hip hop and disco - all of which serves to keep the dancefloor going.
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Horseshoe Bar
The refurb of the Shelbourne has brought us a brand new Horseshoe Bar, a thoroughly modern version of the old one beloved of politicians, hacks and journalists, where many an important decision was made, celebrated and even regretted around the horseshoe-shaped bar.
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Ice Bar
Not to be confused with the Dice Bar: practise your elocution because the bars are worlds apart in every sense. Young, single 20-somethings with infinite disposable incomes come here to see and be seen, making this either the most sought-after destination in town or somewhere to avoid like a bad dose of plague. Flash your convertible beemer car keys at the door for speedy access.
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James Toner's
Toner's, with its stone floors and antique snugs, has changed little over the years and is the closest thing you'll get to a country pub in the heart of the city. The shelves and drawers are reminders that it once doubled as a grocery shop. The writer Oliver St John Gogarty once brought WB Yeats here, after the upper-class poet - who only lived around the corner - decided he wanted to visit a pub.
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Kehoe's
This is one of the most atmospheric pubs in the city centre and a favourite with all kinds of Dubliners. It has a beautiful Victorian bar, a wonderful snug, and plenty of other little nooks and crannies. Upstairs, drinks are served in what was once the publican's living room - and looks it!
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Kennedy's
Not to be confused with the adamantly old-fashioned pub of the same name on the quays, Kennedy's suitably sweaty and darkened basement is home to the Underground, which plays regular host to a rotating menu of top-class hip hop, techno and house, played by some of the best local and international DJs around. Very much for those in the know.
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Kennedy's
Not to be confused with the home of the terrific underground nightclub on Westland Row, this is a proper traditional pub where literally nothing has changed in 50 years, including some of the clientele. Tread softly and speak even quieter so as not to disturb the contemplative atmosphere of a bar that seems oblivious to what's happened to Dublin in the last 20 years.
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Kiely's
Fans of satirist Paul Howard's lovable D4 monster Ross O'Carroll Kelly will instantly recognise the favourite hangout of the rugby-loving southsider, where the fortunes of Drico, Shaggy and the Darce are discussed in earnest by hardbodies wrapped in a Leinster jersey…and that's just the girls. If you're going to the next-door Donnybrook Rugby Ground, this is the perfect pre- and post-match place to be.
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Laughter Lounge
This newly refurbished comedy theatre is the place to see those comics too famous for the smaller pub stages but not famous enough to sell out the city's bigger venues. Think comedians on the way up (or on the way down).
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Lillie's Bordello
Dublin's most prestigious nightclub is all about exclusivity - it claims greatness not so much by whom it caters to (Dublin's power brokers and visiting celebs) but by whom it refuses entry to (ie everyone else). And, just to prove that even when you've arrived there's always somewhere else to go, those on the inside really wish they could get into the ultra-VIP Jersey Lil's. Even if they let us in, we wouldn't stay - the music is rubbish.
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Long Hall
Luxuriating in full Victorian splendour, this is one of the city's most beautiful and best-loved pubs. Check out the ornate carvings in the woodwork behind the bar and the elegant chandeliers. The bartenders are experts at their craft, an increasingly rare attribute in Dublin these days.
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Market Bar
An architectural beauty, this giant redbrick and iron girder room that was once a Victorian sausage factory is now a large, breezy bar that stands as a far more preferable alternative to many of the city's superbars. Unlike virtually every other new pub in town, there's no music. It also does a roaring trade in Spanish-influenced pub grub .
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McDaid's
One of Dublin's best-known literary pubs, this classic boozer was Brendan Behan's 'local' (until he was barred) and it still oozes character. The pints are perfect, and best appreciated during the day when it's not full of our type. Thankfully, there's no music - just conversation and raucous laughter.
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Messrs Maguire
This über -bar and microbrewery is spread across three levels, connected by a truly imperious staircase, and is a disconcerting mix of young and old, intimate and brash. Its own beers are worth contemplating, but not on the weekend when the place is absolutely jammers.
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Morrison Bar
This is the north side's version of the Octagon Bar, only far more difficult to get into if you don't look the part. If you haven't spent a fortune on your outfit (or managed to fake it), forget it. You wouldn't have enjoyed the luxurious John Rocha-designed dark-oak and cream interior, the views over the Liffey, the suave and sophisticated clientele. Nah, you didn't miss much.
