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Searson's
What could easily be dismissed as yet another characterless superpub, with the warmth and ambience of a train station, is actually a pretty decent bar with the option of Old Man pub at the front and trendy, modern bar at the back. Something for everyone: at lunchtimes it's packed with office workers, weekend nights it's packed with the same crowd in jeans and designer shirts and, when the rugby's on, the Irish green.
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Shakespeare
This marvellous bar is a great example of the meeting of two very different worlds, in this case a traditional old Dublin bar and the Korean love of all things karaoke and contemporary. We can't think of a more successful and enjoyable example of Dublin's new multicultural identity.
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Sheehan's
Some of Dublin's best comic talents have grouped together to create a comedy troupe that takes to the stage Tuesday nights in Sheehan's. Some of their stuff is hilarious.
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Sin É
Phew. This quayside bar opened just in time, just before the essential ingredient of all great Dublin bars was abandoned in favour of whatever designer gimmickry was all the rage that month. Well done for remembering that ambience is the key, not fancy mirrors where pretentious gobshites can keep an eye on their oh-so-important look. It buzzes almost nightly with a terrific mix of students, professionals, the hip and the uncool. The DJs are uniformly excellent.
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Solas
Good DJs every night of the week are the primary attraction at this trendy little bar along trendy Wexford St; at weekends the music is loud and you'll most likely struggle to hear what's being said. Mid-week the place is quieter but you might find yourself stopping the conversation with a 'hold on a minute, I love this song!'
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South William
The city's hippest new bar has it all behind its huge glass frontage: top class music, great DJs, a downstairs club with a rotating list of guest DJs from all over, and even pies created by Troy Maguire from Lock's.
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Spirit
A veritable temple to hardcore clubbing and the New Age mantra of mind-body-spirit, this three-floored club belies its touchy-feely promos with an edginess that can sometimes verge on nasty - or maybe that's just the coke-fuelled paranoia that so many of the clubbers seem to display. Strictly for the hardened clubber.
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Stag's Head
Built in 1770 but remodelled in 1895, this pub has magnificent stained glass, chandeliers and marbled walls, elaborate carved wood and, of course, mounted stags' heads. It's probable that some of the fitters that worked on this pub would have also worked on churches in the area, so the stained-wood-and-polished-brass similarities are no accident. It can get crowded but it's worth it. The kitchen does a great line in tasty pub food if all that Guiness is making you dizzy.
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Swan
John Lynch's pub (known to all as the Swan) is home to two kinds of punter: the in-for-a-pint-and-a-chat tippler that doesn't venture far from the Victorian front bar; and the more animated younger person, who finds solace and music in the side bar. A beautiful marriage that works because neither troubles the other.
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Temple Bar
The most photographed pub façade in Dublin, perhaps the world, the Temple Bar (aka Flannery's) is smack bang in the middle of the tourist precinct and is usually choc-a-bloc with visitors. It's good craic though, and presses all the right buttons, with traditional musicians, a buzzy atmosphere and even a beer garden. It's also one of the most expensive pubs in Dublin.
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Thomas Read's
The clientele at this spacious and airy bar, spread across two levels, seems to favour a selection of wine and coffee over beer. During the day, it's a great place to relax and read a newspaper. For a more traditional setting its annexe, the Oak, is still a great place for a pint.
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Tripod
The name is still the same, but the one-time legendary dance club (in Dublin terms, anyway) has been resized and incorporated within the confines of John Reynold's newest entertainment venue, made up of three attached but separate rooms. The much smaller Pod is still home to club nights, ranging from Wednesday's indie faves at Antics to the always excellent dancefest that is Pogo (Saturday).
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Turk's Head
This superpub is decorated in two completely different styles - one really gaudy, the other a re-creation of LA circa 1930 - and is one of the oddest and most interesting in Temple Bar. It pulsates nightly with a young pumped-up crowd of mainly tourists, out to boogie to chart hits. Be mindful of hidden steps all over the place.
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Ukiyo
The basement rooms of this trendy sake bar can fit up to 10 people each for a night of singalong fun from the 30,000-odd songs on the menu (in a variety of languages).
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Voodoo Lounge
Run by the same crew as Dice Bar, the Voodoo Lounge is a long, dark bar with decadent, Gothic Louisiana-style decor, great service, a friendly atmosphere and loooo-uuud music, just the way the fun-lovin' crowd likes it.
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Welcome Inn
This musty, scruffy, wonderful bar has been a favourite with the city's college slackers for a couple of generations. They love the oversized lounge and its assorted cast of characters, which these days include groups of Spanish and Italian tourists looking to check out Dublin alcoholics up close.
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White Horse Inn
This excellent quayside bar has been reinvented in recent times as a cool spot for the clubby crowd, thanks largely to the A:M Club, an early morning party that starts at every Saturday for those who don't want to say goodnight just yet. At more sociable hours, the bar dances to a soulful, jazzy soundtrack Thursday to Saturday night.
