The Ultimate Dublin Pub Crawl

I’m sitting at the bar at Spitalfields Pub & Restaurant, eating a Parker House roll filled with oxtail. I’ve been in Dublin for just over an hour, and my stomach is bracing itself for a ruinous three days. The barman is regaling and refilling. Stories are pouring out of him like a beer tap of emotion. A funeral, his niece’s birthday, whether his brother will ever return from Thailand. I dip the roll into gravy and listen. In Dublin, the regularities of life sound like a blessing.

Living in London means that a flight to Dublin is quicker than most commutes. I’ve traveled for delicious, low-fiber food, yes. But also for Dubliners and their conviviality. In London, speaking to a stranger can feel akin to a provocation. Whereas here, silence is taken as a personal affront. It’s inside Dublin’s 750-odd pubs, I’m told by family and friends, that real camaraderie lies. So with my pockets reassuringly full of antacids, I set off to a few.

Where to Eat and Drink

One of their white bread toasties is just what you need to soak up a pint at Grogan’s Castle Lounge.

Grogan’s Castle LoungeOpens overlay

Central Dublin is a striking mix of Georgian architecture, Victorian public houses and €1-per-minute tanning salons. Grogan’s Castle Lounge is in the middle. It’s a carpeted den run by a gang of chipper lads, one of whom makes toasted sandwiches with the finesse of a pâtissier. If the black stuff that’s always pouring is the water of Dublin’s pubs, then basic white bread toasties are the cement. Some offer only cheese (cheddar) and ham (pink). Others offer gourmet extras like onion or tomato.

These hasty, homestyle meals fill holes in stomachs, but they’re also a ritual that make Dublin’s pubs feel like secondary homes. At Grogan’s, I see two dog owners introduce themselves to each other. One has a cup of tea delivered to her. The landlord slowly eats a biscuit behind the bar. It’s 11:21 p.m. No pub has ever felt so warm to me and everyone in it.

Bowe’s Lounge

The following day, I go to Bowe’s Lounge on Fleet Street, a hideaway soundtracked by the hum of oversharing. A windowless corridor with all kinds of beautiful separators and snugs, it’s made for diabolical gossiping. “Oh that’s an idea” a fella with his friends says looking at my toastie. The cheese is gooey, and we both demolish our sandwiches in a fit of greedy solidarity.

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My final stop, John Kavanagh The Gravediggers, is a bewitching cave. Open since 1833 and attached to a cemetery, you can mourn and celebrate the Dublin life you’ve never lived in here. The saloon doors constantly swing, and swaggering in like an outlaw returning from a successful heist is mandatory. Kavanaghs are still behind the bar, longtime locals are treated like family and I’m welcomed just like one of them.

I approach a dog called Maguire who’s being fed potato chips. His cheery owner, Frank, asks me a question: “It’s much better drinking in Dublin than London, isn’t it?” I wholeheartedly agree. I have a tall jar of Ireland’s finest, taking a purposefully long and sumptuous first sip. In a world of singular luxuries, nothing tastes as good as something you’ve had a thousand times before, done better. In Dublin that’s as simple as a conversation, a toastie and a pint.

Where to Stay in Dublin
By Adam Erace

The Shelbourne is a classic beauty—look no further than its Princess Grace Suite (pictured) for proof.

In the echelons of excellent hotel cities, Dublin is a sleeper hit. Whether 19th-century institutions with on-call piano players or eccentric boutiques with custom coffee blends, the capital has every traveler covered, and the hospitality is as genuine as you’ve heard.

The Shelbourne
Member of The Edit by Chase Travel

On a corner of St. Stephen’s Green Park, one of the city’s most beloved public parks, this 1824 landmark proudly wears its history with crystal chandeliers and doormen in top hats and tails—elegant details that are today best appreciated at any of its three ace cocktail bars.

The Westbury
Member of The Edit by Chase Travel

This 205-room grande dame offers the best of all worlds: It’s big but not too big, respectful of tradition but not bound by it. Take the afternoon tea, the hotel’s marquee experience, which now also touts a vegan menu.

The Mayson

Copper tubs, record players, midcentury-inspired mini fridges—this riverfront boutique is a counterpoint to the city’s more traditional offerings. Urban Warehouse Cosy Rooms sport wood accents and steel beam–framed windows, while maximalist Townhouse Suites combine floral, striped and geometric flourishes.

Lead photo courtesy of Grogan’s Castle Lounge.