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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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Helix
Based in Dublin City University, the impressive Helix theatre hosts, among other things, a fantastic array of international operatic and classical recitals and performances. Check the website for details.
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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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Hub
The Arctic Monkeys, We Are Scientists and comedian Jimmy Carr have all graced the decks at the legendary rock-indie-electronic night Trashed on Tuesdays, hosted by Trev Radiator. Otherwise it's a mixed bag of indie hits and drinks promos for all and sundry.
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Hughes' Bar
Traditional purists love the nightly sessions at this pub, which by day caters to barristers, solicitors and their clients from the nearby Four Courts - all of whom probably need a pint, but for different reasons! Although the playing is very good, the atmosphere is a little lacking and the sessions can be a bit dead.
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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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International Bar
The upstairs room above this pub hosts three comedy nights a week. Monday night is Comedy Improv, the best of the lot, where the audience throws up subjects for the established comedians to work with. Wednesday night is Comedy Cellar, Ardal O'Hanlon's original creation, where blossoming talent is given the chance to find out if their material is up to scratch, and Thursday night is the International Comedy Club, hosted by Aidan Bishop.
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Irish Film Institute
The Irish Film Institute (IFI) has a couple of screens and shows classics and new art-house films, although we question some of their selections: weird and controversial can be a little tedious if the film is crap. The complex also has a bar, a café and a bookshop. Weekly or annual membership is required for some uncertified films that can only be screened as part of a 'club' - the only way to get around the censor's red pen. It's a great cinema, but sometimes it can be a little pretentious.
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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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JJ Smyth's
The best place in Dublin to hear good jazz is at this pub, located in an upstairs lounge where the stage is almost on top of the punters. Sunday's Pendulum Club, run by the Improvised Music Company, is a consistently good night. The intimacy of the place, coupled with the generally high standard of musicians performing here, make this a definite must for any fans of the genre.
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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 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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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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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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Lambert Puppet Theatre
You think Gameboy and Xbox have spoilt the magic of puppetry for your kids? Let the Lambert prove you wrong with its excellent performances, staged every Saturday (and daily at Christmas and Easter).
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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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Marlay Park
In recent years, this park in the south Dublin suburb of Rathfarnham has been transformed into a major outdoor venue for some fairly heavy-hitting international acts, with Daft Punk, Aerosmith and The Who just some of the acts who played here in 2007. But it also hosts slightly more muted affairs throughout the summer. The yearly Bud Rising festival takes place here too .
