Let’s start with some (un)necessary context. Linds’ adores Bruce Springsteen – arguably more than me. We have 4 pictures (all framed) of Bruce hung up in our bedroom at home, to the point that one of our visiting friends recently enquired as to whether “the man in all the pictures” was in fact Linds’ father. This love runs deep.
That’s why it was so exciting for Linds and I to have tickets to see our beloved Bruce Springsteen in Dublin when we were there in May. Even more exciting, was the news breaking on Twitter that there had been a sighting of The Boss the day before the gig, in a pub around 15 minutes’ walk from where we sat eating our lunch.
That’s how our afternoon pub crawl in Dublin started: as a desperate attempt to try and get coordinates on Bruce, so Linds could pin him down and finally get to look into those dreamy eyes once and for all.
I’m not sure what Linds would have done had she met Springsteen. Leapt on him? Broken down crying? Faint? What I do know is that our attempts to catch up with Bruce were in vain. Devastating as that is, what it did allow us was to enjoy one of the most satisfying pub crawls I’ve ever experienced. We were at it for about 8 hours and visited (to my memory) 7 brilliant pubs – dotted all around the city as we fervently attempted to get on Bruce’s tail. Though those attempts ended in failure, what it did do was allow us to get a flavour of the remarkable breadth, depth, and brilliance of Dublins’ world-famous pub scene.
So, to finish off my four part series reminiscing on our trip to Ireland, we want to furnish you keen pub-goers with a short guide on how to get the most out of your trip to Dublins’ boozers. Where to go, what to order, where to avoid and what to expect from your time in pub heaven:
- Set aside an afternoon: Dublin is a fascinating, historic city, and it’s easy to push “pub going” down the agenda in favour of spending as much of your day soaking in the atmosphere and sightseeing in the city. However, we would argue, an afternoon pub crawl through some of the city’s most historic pubs is perhaps the quintessential Dublin experience. Therefore, we recommend putting aside a whole afternoon (preferably a Friday or Saturday), and taking the time to visit 3-4 pubs in one go, as the activity itself.
- Avoid Temple Bar: Though you’ll find Temple Bar at the top of most TripAdvisor pages, we found the most authentic and interesting pub experiences were away from this area. Though it’s a wonderful place to party (think Soho in London), it’s super expensive and super busy to the point of claustrophobia (especially at weekends). Whilst we recommend taking a walk through Temple Bar to soak in its bouncing atmosphere, if you’re looking for a great pub experience, you’re better served elsewhere.
- Move beyond the Guinness: it’s so easy to fall into what I would call the Guinness vortex. In other words, the quality of the Guinness is so high and the experience of drinking it so evocative, it can be hard to see past ordering a Guinness whenever you park yourself in a Dublin pub. I’ll admit, I was probably ordering a pint of the black stuff in 75% of the pubs we frequented in Dublin, but I found some of the most exciting drinking experiences were to be had . Contrary to popular belief, Dublin is not a one drink city – and you’d be wise to explore some of the other local options – with alternative porters, red ales and whiskeys particularly recommended here.
- Tapas is the new dinner: rather than sit down for a huge Irish stew at a single place, we found it best to sample small plates or share a main at different pubs. Not only does it kill the hangover the next day, but more importantly gives you a great sense of the (surprisingly) huge variety of great food available in Dublin’s pubs.
- Talk to strangers: this is perhaps the single most important piece of advice we’d give anyone travelling to Dublin. Pubs in the city are primarily social spaces, and we found our best experiences were almost universally in the pubs where we got talking to the bar staff, locals or fellow tourists alike. Sharing stories, travelling experiences and comparing notes on the pubs we’d been to over a pint was truly amongst the greatest pleasures we sampled in Ireland.
