We spent 2 evenings here on our trip to Ireland. What a gem. Great music, friendly staff and good drinks. Such a great pub. read more

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The fish and chips were really good! The ambiance was cool too!! The next time I'm in the area I will go back for a pint!

Look, the place is bustling and the staff never stops moving. The food is fine, and the performing musicians solid. But if you stop and listen for a moment, you realize you are surrounded by tourists. There are NO Dubliners in this pub. It is a tourist site only. Not only that, but. They keep 3 grumpy Irish beer pullers behind the bar and then underpay non-Irish "employees" who run around and do all the heavy lifting and get paid nothing compared to the rest. PLEASE consider looking for a nice pub on a less busy corner with amazing music, Irish customers, and some solid food! read more

Nice place for some Irish music and food. It sure I'd call this authentic as most of the crowd were tourists, rather then locals, but we had a good time here, food was good. We went here twice cause at least we knew what we were getting. read more

If you want a true Irish Pub experience this is the place to come to. Live music and e food and wide variety of beers. We even met some fellow Texas Aggies while we were at the bar. It's always crowded so get there early or be prepared to wait. Our favorite pub in Ireland during our 15 day vacation !! Don't miss this Irish gem with loads of history dating to the 1700's. Jim and Janeen Kirby McKinney Texas read more

Darkey Kellys - Bar and senior bartender - Pubs Near Me - Dublin, D

We went on a Saturday night looking to eat some Irish food. Little did we know, there was a bridal shower party and live music. There was good food, fantastic ambiance, and pretty good service for how full this place was. The place was packed and they are a walk in only pub. The veggie burger came with great "chips," The draught beer selection was varied, local and cold. The live band played endless tunes reminiscent of Brit and Irish rockers. All in all, we had a great time, ate well, drank even better! read more

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Came here a few times because we really liked their wings. It was pretty good here. On top of that, there was live music every night from 6p - 9p. The service was different each time we came, though. The first time, it was fast and the server was friendly, quick and knowledgeable. He asked if we'd been there before, etc. The other time, the servers were slow, forgetful or just didn't see us because we were seated in the back? Who knows, really. Here's what we ordered (combining all the times we've been there): - Served with blue cheese dip, celery and pickled white radish - Tagliatelle Carbonara - Pasta tossed with bacon, mushroom, parmesan cream - Beef & Guinness Stew - Slow cooked beef in Guinness with carrots, celery, onion, mixed fresh herbs served with spring onion mash - Classic Burger - topped with jalepeno pepper relish, garlic mayo, bacon and melted Dubliner cheese, tomato, mixed leaves and chips The food is very good here. The love entertainment makes this place lively and fun. read more

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We were visiting in Dublin and stumbled upon this little place. Great fun! The beef stew here is fabulous!

The food and music are great! There is a small dance floor and I was lucky enough to see some young kids doing some Irish dancing

Darkey Kellys was one of the spots I was most excited to stop by for their fish and chips after seeing some photos here on yelp. It did not disappoint. A monster of a whole fish basically with a portion of perfect chips in a container off to the side. The vibe of the pub was very relaxed and joyful. There was a brilliant band performing off to one side and everyone seemed to be really enjoying it. This is a must spot to visit when in town, I'll definitely be coming back next time I'm in town! read more

Darkey Kellys - Pubs Near Me - Dublin, D

This was probably our favorite pub that we visited during our trip to Dublin! What initially attracted me to Darkey Kellys was their extensive whiskey and gin selection. They even offer several different whiskey flights. I believe they also have live music almost every night. We arrived right before 6, had our COVID certs checked and were seated immediately. The servers were so friendly, offering drink recommendations, asking where we were from, and even giving us suggestions on what we should do during our time in Dublin. I started off with the Dingle Gin and Tonic and it was quite refreshing. I love how Ireland serves gin and tonics in essentially extra-large wine glasses. For dinner, I ordered the fish and chips and it was fantastic! The batter on this fish was light, but super crispy and wasn't falling off at all. My boyfriend only had a bite of my fish and chips and still says Darkey Kellys was the best fish and chips we tried in Ireland, and we tried quite a few. Others at the table also got the Guinness stew and bangers and mash. Everyone said their food was delicious! My only regret is not coming back again before we left. read more

Darkey Kellys - Pubs Near Me - Dublin, D

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Great pub centrally located in center Dublin. We visited on a Thursday night and the place was hopping. Live music, beers flowing, and people laughing. How could one not pull up a chair and get a pour? We each ordered different items: wings, burgers, Guinness stew, and seafood chowder. We all ordered Guinness, however. Service was excellent as was the food. Simply perfect. Fortunately, we stayed at the Harding Hotel in the same building which led to a happy way to end the day. Glad we gave 'em a whirl. Go here. read more

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Had the lamb shank with root vegetables and mashed potatoes. Super good and flavorful!

Great place. Beef stew was simply outstanding. Staff and service is excellent. A true Irish pub just on the outskirts of the touristy Temple Bar area. Others are tourist traps -- not this one. Evening entertainment is top notch. This place checks all the bones. read more

Technically, the third pub we patronized since arriving in Dublin for our vacation, Darkey Kellys is a peach of one. If you're looking for a spot that has bands/musicians playing traditional Irish music, Darkey Kelly's has what you need in spades. Finding a spot at the bar, ordering a Guinness, and turning around to listen to the tunes amongst a packed crowd of patrons, this is an experience to have. Located in one of the oldest areas of Dublin City Centre apparently in the Temple Bar district, Darkey Kelly's is known for a discovery of budies under the brothel that an actual woman named Darkey Kelly ran in the 18th Century -- and possibly Ireland's first recorded serial killer. This kind of history is alluring enough to pay the pub a visit. If you're visiting or living in the area, reaching Darkey Kelly's is easy. In fact, most of the known pubs in the area are approximately five minutes walking from each other on cobblestone streets. Walking into Darkey Kelly's, you're immediately welcomed by Irish music being played by musicians before making your way to a table or one of the bar areas for a drink. There's a warmth and comfort to visiting Darkey Kelly's for a pint between the bartenders behind counter and patrons who are there from all over. It's a place to return repeatedly, without question. read more

Darkey Kellys - Pubs Near Me - Dublin, D

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Recommended by locals. Great vibes, food, and people watching. Put it on my Dublin guide.

The live traditional Irish music was a lot of fun. Food here isn't as good as others I've had during our Ireland holiday. The fish on the fish N chips had so much breading that I was unable to taste the fish underneath. The chips tasted stale and spuddy, like when I microwave fries the next day. The Guinness beef stew was fine but I wish the bowl had more stew and less mashed potato. Our bartender recommended the Rockshore cider, which was delicious. read more

Warned to arrive early. It's a Wednesday so we thought 6pm would work. Wrong. Fully seated and a one hour plus wait. We opted out but given the size of the crowd one thinks it's good. Would they again but need to get there earlier! read more

Best fish and chips I've ever had!! Friendly service too. I recommend highly. The pasta tagliatelle was fantastic as well. read more

Darkey Kellys - Fish and chips - Pubs Near Me - Dublin, D

Great live music and amazing service! Must do on your visit to Dublin!! It's right across a tourist spot, the Christ Church Cathedral, our tour guide recommended it and he was spot on with his recommendation! read more

We drank Guinness We both had the Guinness stew. Very good with lots of thick stew and a big pile of mashed potatoes under it. Great traditional music on a Sunday dinner time. We sat with a local we meet at a pub and we joined two actors from the touring group of West Side Story. Everyone at our table liked their food. The place has separate rooms so you can hear the music and talk to people around you. Great fun that way. Service was slow. Maybe because it was very busy. We had to grab someone when we wanted anything. But still I can recommend this place. read more

Great food and music. Very fun. A high point of visiting Dublin. Food and beverage service was good as well. Not too busy, but we were there early in the evening. read more

Excellent food Great drinks Service a bit off --- but did not deter ** yes, there are locals here !!! ( contrary to former reviews ) read more

A must visit. Food, libation, or both, Darkey Kellys will take care of you. This place is busy. We were a group of 2 and at sat at the bar. Darker Kellys Gin is a must try. We also had seafood chowder and beef stew. Both were large portions and delicious. There may have been some Teeling whisky and a Guiness, too. We stayed just to hear the live music and moved on. Perfect time. read more

Had a great time the food was fabulous ambience is amazing loved it the service Was first class read more

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The most Irish bar in all of Dublin in my opinion, live music featuring local artists who are authentically Irish. Fine selection of spirits and beer, did not eat there but did have a few drinks. Loved it! read more

Fantastic food. Great live music and a fun vibe. A little crazy when you walk in and sort of a free for all for seating but chill out and take it all in. A great place, for sure. read more

Local pub with fabulous beef and Guinness stew, plus good service and lovely atmosphere. We shared the entree and it was plenty for two. read more

Darkey Kellys - Pubs Near Me - Dublin, D

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The wings are amazing best I have ever had as nd the seafood chowder is out of this world great a must have

We specifically went to this pub because of the ratings and we were in search of the best fish and chips in Dublin. Well they are! Crispy breading on a large piece of flaky fish. The Beef and Guinness stew was also delicious. The meat was tender and served with Irish soda bread to soak up all the gravy. The mashed potatoes were real, not boxed. I had the Pornstar martini and it was very tasty! The service was good. We got there early enough to grab a good table. The ambiance is very typical Irish pub. The longer we were there the louder it got. read more

We went for the fish and chips and stayed for the live music. The place reminds me of an Irish pub you see in movies. The Irish music helps set the ambience too. It looks like they have live music daily at 8. The fish and chips were just what I expected. I Loved the breading texture on the fish. The chips (Fries) were not the best, but not the worst either. I did start with a tomato soup and it was delicious. It had small pieces of onion. Drinks are typical of a pub. The beer selection was good. Be aware that the staff is busy, so you will have to flag them down to pay. read more

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I came here on a weekday, while it was raining cats and dogs. To my surprise, the pub was still super crowded, and I had to stand a bit at the counter before finding a chair to sit for dinner. The live music was really good. I just loved the 3-person band, who used very uncommon acoustic instruments (not sure if the instruments were traditionally Irish). The servers at the bar were very nice and efficient. Seeing that I didn't have a chair, the older server actually went around asking for a chair for me to sit at the bar. Thanks a lot! I ordered a small dish of wings (5 EUR), but the portions were still generous. I also got a small bowl of soup and it was a big bowl too! Very generous in terms of foods! A Guiness to wash down the foods was just perfect for dinner. Before I left, the pub kept getting more crowded. So crowded that it was hard to watch the band from the back. Other than that, it was an awesome environment! read more

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My bf and I were on a mission to find really good Fish and Chips in Dublin. After a huge let down at another pub I did some research and found Darkey Kelly's. The fish portion was large, very fresh tasting, and the breading was 10/10. Very crispy without being too greasy. My bf got the beef and Guinness stew with was thick, rich, and very hearty. The server was pleasant and the drinks were great too. I would absolutely recommend this place to anyone! read more

The food is good. My daughter really liked the salmon. The service was slow, and it took us about 20 minutes to get our check after asking for it. read more

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We took a trip to Ireland and I did some goggle searching for good food. We took a chance on Darkey Kellys. The ambiance was so warm and inviting. It felt like we were amongst family and friends. We had the Guinness Stew and it was amazing!! We went back a second night after walking around and shopping all day. We took a cab back to Darkeys. We bought T shirts and had more stew. The music was great . Each night they were crazy busy, but they always got our drinks and food out with a smile. Thanks for an amazing experience! Love you guys and hope one day to return. read more

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Fantastic and attentive service, delicious food, lively atmosphere! We had the steak and Guinness stew. Both had their own flavorful gravy and huge portions. After we had a yummy dessert. read more

Darkey Kellys - Steak with mashed potatoes AND French fries, Guinness stew and mashed potatoes. - Pubs Near Me - Dublin, D

Lively pub but quick, attentive service. The fish & chips were great. We sat at the bar & even though the place was packed on a Sunday afternoon, our food arrived quickly. read more

Darkey Kellys - Fish and chips with smashed peas - Pubs Near Me - Dublin, D

Found on Yelp looking for a spot for dinner that had Guinness Stew for my bride. This place gets very busy I'm happy we arrived when we did as there were two seats open at the bar and that is it. Took forever to get our drink order in as with the 3 bar tenders struggled to get them to make eye contact to get their attention as with the music it's very loud inside. I love loud live music so that didn't bother me. My bride ordered the Guinness Stew and I opted for Baileys Cheese cake. The cheesecake I really enjoyed. The Guinness stew seemed to be too cold for my liking it was like warm at best. Seemed to taste sweeter than my cheesecake. The guy keeping the tables clean kept our area spotless. Wish the bar staff performed at this level and didn't seem to hate their jobs so much. Never seen a bar where the employees come across so serious. The patrons were all smiles it's a shame it wasn't contagious to the employees. read more

I was surprised how busy this bar was on a Thursday night. We were seated at the bar because it was full. We got our food and drinks pretty quick and it did not disappoint . 5 read more

Darkey Kellys - Espresso martini - love this drink! - Pubs Near Me - Dublin, D

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Ambiance is on point and good food. We tried the Fish & chips ( recommended by a local) and the Bangers & Mash...delicious! Service was also really good. read more