Hi
I am staying next week near the Lansdowne Road stadium area of Ballsbridge/Sandymount (?) for a couple of nights mid week and wondered whether anyone could recommend any good pubs in this local area, where we may get a less expensive and more authentic experience than a pub in temple bar etc ?
Many Thanks
Edited by: shelster
Edited by: shelster
That's one of the poshest areas in Dublin - I'm not sure if there will be anything that's not expensive...
The Horseshow House on Merrion Road (across from the RDS) is a decent spot.
You could walk or catch a bus to Kiely's in Donnybrook which isn't far. As the first poster points out, Dublin 4 is amongst the priciest postcodes in the city so I'm not sure about cheap pints there but it will tend to be a more local crowd.
Away from Temple Bar but still in town, Keoghs off Grafton St (on South Anne St.) is not touristy and has a great atmosphere.
There's a decent selection of bars in Rathmines, and along the Camden/Aungier/Georges street roads (long hall is very nice bar on that stretch) and this has the advantage of ending in the templebar area which unfortunately is where you'l find the majority of late bars. If in temple bar the Palace is probably the most "real" one there, though the Czech inn upstairs shows the more modern irish pub scene (loads of eastern europeans + nicer beers)
If your looking for price check out this thread, most the offers (or equivalent ones) are still running.
My top five Dublin 4 pubs:
1) McCloskey's - Donnybrook
2) The Waterloo - Upper Baggot Street
3) The Wellington - Baggot Street Bridge
4) Sandymount House - Sandymount
5) Bellamy's - Ballsbridge
Some of the best pubs in the country are in Dublin 4 actually. There is a healthy respect for pub traditions like proper decor, low music volumes and a quality pint. I lived in the area until last year and the above are pubs I felt very at home in. McCloskey's is probably my favourite pub in Dublin, and if it's authenticity you're looking for, you could do a lot worse. This one is worth a journey (although it will only be a pleasant stroll through Herbert Park for you to get to it.
