Bars...., Dublin

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Another interesting pub.. Bruxelles is located across the street from McDaids.. bet you don't know where that is either... Head up Grafton Street towards St Stephen's Green before you reach HMV turn right and the pub is on your right hand side. . if the sun is out they have tables and chairs to people watch... a lot of motor bike types drink in this pub. On the ground level you have tourists and locals with loud music and usually a band late Sunday afternoon. Downstairs you will find the bikers and all sorts of interesting people, definately not the norm. The pub has a great atmosphere and you will always find someone to chat to. I have to say it's one of my favourites. Late night music most nights. Great pub food.

Dress Code: Security men on the door. Won't allow you in with sneakers. Very casual.

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The Mezz is a nice pub with frequent live music events in the heart of Temple Bar. It is perhaps not among the most traditional pubs, but with its blend of pub and music club well visited. As I stayed in the River House Hotel (which is connected to the Mezz and has the same owners), it was my first choice for some evening entertainment. Live music is almost always playing with bands of different kind. If you are in urgent need for some Molly Malone or Fields of Athenry, there will surely be some band who plays it. Especially at St. Patrick’s day you will hear all the typical Irish songs. However, the repertoire of bands is not limited to this. You will hear a variety from self-written songs to some pub or Grunge classics. Prices are affordable (3,50 EUR being the standard price for most drinks), atmosphere nice – so there is no reason why not to consider it.

The Village on Wicklow St is a nice laidback bar which has live music on a regular basis and does pretty good food, especially during the day. Its not a place I'd make a destination but if you happen to be passing . . . .

That said they have had some good bands play there and the venue can hold 650. Heres a list from their website!

Scissor Sisters, Franz Ferdinand, Public Enemy, Interpol, Ray LaMontagne, Nightmares On Wax, Jose Gonzalez, Sufjan Stevens, The Magic Numbers, Badly Drawn Boy, Babyshambles, The Rapture,The Kooks, legends such as Jimmy Cliff, New York Dolls, and the late Arthur Lee, and also has attracted visits from Tony Bennett, Kiefer Sutherland, Mary Wilson, Morrissey to name but a few.

Dress Code: Casual

The Porter House bar is at the west end of Temple Bar. It is unique, not only in the design of the bar on five staggered floors, but also with home brewed stouts including their Oyster Stout, brewed with real oysters and not suitable for vegetarians!

This pub/restaurant is located in the Central Bank of Ireland's old building. The old bank used to store Ireland's gold in its vaults, but now the vaults provide private rooms for drinkers and party-goers. This was one of our favorite spots in the city for late-night drinking and gallivanting!

This pub located off Grafton street, very casual. Known as a country pub since you won't find many Dubliners in there but l doubt that. l am told the pint of guinness is good. The pub is over 200 years old and the front entrance used to be a grocery store selling bread and local groceries, upstairs was the living rooms and bedrooms. The bar still has that feel of a house and most of the original furniture remains there. There are several snugs in the bar which were used for women. In Ireland years ago, women were not allowed to drink in the main bar.
South Anne Street, off Grafton Street.

Dress Code: Anything goes.. but mostly casual.

This is a pretty typical brewpub to anyone who has been to one in the US. Has plenty of types of beers tilting not surprisingly since this is Ireland and the name to Porters and Stouts. All the beers are good and service was nice as they provide free wifi if you ask a bartender for a card. The bands they have are week cover bands but after a few good beers who cares. They do not play that loud and the place is spacious so can easily sit down and chat with people near you. I even ran into someone who I never met who happened to work for same company nine stories below me. There are a couple locations in the city and the one I went to is on Parliament Street on North edge of temple bar near the Liffey.

Dress Code: Jeans and shirt.

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This place has been a fixture in my two trips to Dublin. In 2004 Ken brought us here after a little tour of the area. We had a great time and enjoyed the atmosphere. Kathy and Tania even were interviewed by a French TV station regarding the coming (then) smoking ban in Dublin.

But it was the second trip that this pub shined. We found a home under the stairs there. Finding ourselves here both days in Dublin on this trip and in the same seats because we were so comfortable and it was so cold outside. Most of the pics will be of us under the stairs.

Dress Code: Casual