Dublin Pubs at Christmas: Where to Drink, What to Book and When
A practical guide to Dublin's Christmas pub season, from the trad session strongholds of Temple Bar and Smithfield to the quiet snugs of Stoneybatter, with booking advice for the busiest weeks of December.
Staying close to the action
Where you sleep shapes the evening. Hotels in the Creative Quarter, between South Great George's Street and Exchequer Street, put you within five minutes of a dozen pubs and ten minutes from Trinity College, and are the best choice if the trip is built around nights out. Hotels near Heuston Station and Christchurch suit anyone arriving by train from the west and are a fifteen-minute walk from Thomas Street and The Liberties, where pubs stay open late with a local crowd.
Transport is straightforward: Dublin's tram and suburban rail run until around midnight, and taxis are easy to find outside the main pub districts after that. December weather is wet and rarely below freezing, so bring a waterproof coat rather than an umbrella for the walk between pubs. If you are booking for a group, reserve accommodation before you reserve the pub table — the first fortnight of December sells out first in every neighbourhood named here.
Before you book
What people ask before booking Temple Bar.
The city centre lights usually go on in late November, with Grafton Street and Henry Street decorated first. Treat the switch-on weekend as the start of the busy pub season and book accommodation for it well ahead, as city-centre hotels fill quickly.
Many city-centre pubs take group bookings in December and often require a deposit or a pre-ordered menu for parties of six or more. Pubs around Merrion Row, Baggot Street and Ranelagh are the most reliable for reservations; smaller traditional houses generally keep tables for walk-ins only.
Yes. Temple Bar drinks run several euros above the Dublin average year-round, and December adds queueing on Friday and Saturday nights. For better value with equal atmosphere, head to Capel Street, Stoneybatter or the pubs around Rathmines on the Luas Green Line.
Tuesday and Wednesday evenings in the first half of December are the calmest. Office parties cluster on Thursdays and Fridays, and the second and third Fridays of December are the busiest of the year. Lunchtime visits are reliable for walk-ins any day.
The Cobblestone in Smithfield is the best-known venue for traditional sessions and runs them through the Christmas season. The Palace Bar on Fleet Street and several pubs around Capel Street also host regular sessions; check each venue's own listings for December dates.
Trams and suburban rail generally run until around midnight, and taxis are plentiful outside the main pub districts afterwards. If your hotel is in the Creative Quarter or near Christchurch, most city-centre pubs are within a fifteen-minute walk.
Many city-centre pubs sell tickets for New Year's Eve, with entry charges that vary by venue, so confirm arrangements before travelling. Suburban pubs around Ranelagh and Stoneybatter are more likely to admit walk-ins, though they fill early.
December for atmosphere, but late November and early January offer the decorations with fewer crowds. Avoid the second and third weekends of December if you dislike queues, and expect wet weather throughout — a waterproof coat is more useful than an umbrella.
