7 Better Places to Drink Than Temple Bar By A Dubliner

Temple Barred

Coming to Dublin, home of the greatest pubs in the universe, and drinking in Temple Bar is like visiting Paris, walking straight past the Louvre, and crowding in to see a badly painted Mona Lisa knockoff in Le Fake Museum.

Why is Temple Bar So Famous ?

Because Temple Bar is in every (bad) Dublin guide ever written. You may also recognise it from such reels as "10 Things You Absolutely Must Do in Dublin" by a pouting influencer who landed in Dublin for the first time ten minutes ago.

Temple Bar is an absolute tourist trap devoid of Irish people. The last actual Dubliner who went there at night was looking for a fix when it was the sketchiest part of the city, right before the city said 'let's create Disney Dublin'.

What is Temple Bar?

There is a bar called The Temple Bar, but the whole area is called Temple Bar. If you're stumbling on cobblestones, you're in Temple Bar.

Oliver St John Gogarty is another well known tourist bar. Luckily the types of bars are easy to recognise by the warbling from worn out musicians singing Galway Girl for the 10th time today.

The Brazen Head

I include the Brazen Head in this too. I shake my head at the throngs of tourists scuttling past the nearby methadone clinic just because it's supposedly Dublin's oldest bar. Oh, the power of clever marketing

Will you have fun at these places? Yes you will! But if you like this kind of stuff, save yourself the cost of the flight and just go to any Ye Old Irish Bar in Times Square. Same fake Irish atmosphere, less jet lag.

7 Alternatives to Temple Bar

Here's 7 infinitely better areas to go instead of Temple Bar

1.Camden Street

Best for: A proper Dublin night out with plenty of options to bar hop

If I'm going for a bigger night out in the city centre, then I'll gravitate towards Camden Street. The Camden Mile is full of restaurants & bars. It has a more youthful crowd but there's people of all ages.

Devitt's bar is lively. Squeeze in and make new friends. Cassidys is a classic, another gorgeous old Dublin pub with music on most night. I love their Wednesday night trad sessions. O'Connells is getting back to very Dublin roots. Untouched in decades. Friendly staff though. If there's a bigger crowd of you, the Portobello bar is big and beautiful. If it's a sunny day, the entire workforce of Ireland congregates at The Barge on the canal.

2.Rathmines

Best for: A mix of dinner, drinks and cinema in a real Dublin village

Just across the canal from the Camden Street area is Rathmines. It's a 20 minute walk from St Stephen's Green so easy to get to with plenty of stops along the way if you get thirsty. Students and young professionals mix in this village, creating a buzz that is tolerated by the older characters in the long standing bars.

I absolutely love the Stella Cinema. Forget your sticky floored mall movieplex. This is more an elegant cocktail bar with swanky red velvet draped 1920s movie theater. Plan a night around a few hours here.

I eat at Mad Yolks for the name alone. Slattery's is the classic Dublin pub. Blackbird gets a younger crowd. Rathmines really does have a spot for everyone.

The food scene here is diverse, with some of Dublin's best casual dining spots tucked between the pubs. It's where locals actually spend their evenings, and you can feel that genuine Dublin atmosphere.

3.Ranelagh

Best for: Variety of quality food without the stuffiness

Ranelagh is the more mature older sibling to neighbouring Rathmines. Think cocktail bars with the Devlin's rooftop city views, minimalist coffee shops and proper Dublin pubs.

Ranelagh is where I suggest people actually stay. It's my favourite village within walking distance of the city. The food scene has everything from modern Irish to Asian cuisine. Perfect for an evening of bar and dining along leafy Victorian streets. Rathmines is very close so you can even mix both places for a night, although there's plenty in each for a night of their own.

4.Stoneybatter

Best for: Genuine local community atmosphere

In a rare foray to the Northside, head to Stoneybatter, Dublin's original hipster village. Old Dublin butcher shops and corner stores now sit beside natural wine bars and coffee roasteries, while traditional pubs share streets with craft beer spots.

Its tiny homes have been microscopically expanded to fit the little Fiadhs and Aoibheanns of the couples who are resisting the inevitable pull of the 'burbs.

The mix of young creatives and true Dubs gives Stoneybatter its uniqueness. Silent discos next to auld fellas discussing the Dubs football match.

The result is a proper Dublin community rather than a tourist attraction that is perfect for exploring.

5.D4

Best for: A civilized midweek pint and good gastropub food

In D4, Dublin's poshest postcode, even the pubs have to step up their game. Baggot Street is the central artery here, lined with spots that keep Ireland's ambassadors, lawyers and tech types well watered. There's something about watching suited professionals decompress over a perfectly poured Guinness in Dublin's fanciest neighborhood.

From Baggot Street, take a wander down Haddington Road to The Bath or The Old Spot, with an essential pit stop at Ryan's of Beggar's Bush. Or head the other direction up the Grand Canal to O'Brien's on Leeson Street.

It's near the Aviva Stadium so expect crowds enjoying pre-game pints when Ireland are play. If it's rugby, the fans can stroll home to their nearby pads. If it's football, the DART back to the Northside will be packed.

6.The Classic Dublin Pubs

Best for: Traditional pubs with character you can't build and the perfect pint of Guinness

I've already written about the classic Old Man Dublin pubs in my city tour. These are the pubs that every Irish pub in the world is modelled on. They're all in the city centre.

7.Seaside Villages

Best for: A relaxed evening of upmarket food and drinks with coastal views

You could do my Sea or Cliffs tours in the afternoon and stick around Howth or Dalkey for the evening. The tourists will have left the locals in peace by then and you'll enjoy a night in their company. These are wealthy areas, so you can be sure of quality food and refined pubs. Malahide is another beautiful seaside village. These villages will be quieter, don't come here if you're on a stag party. They're all on the DART line so easy to get back to town if you're staying there.

I Know You're Going To Ignore My Advice....

and go take your photo outside of The Temple Bar anyway. That's ok, send me a selfie! But do that and then very quickly move on to real Dublin pubs. You've no excuses now that you have an alternative for every day of the week.

Have Questions?

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