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Generator Dublin

3.7 (86 reviews)
Open Open 24 hours

Generator Dublin Photos

GENERATOR DUBLIN ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Moderate noise
Good for groups
Outdoor seating
Happy hour specials

Recommended Reviews - Generator Dublin

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My first experience where the chips were fresh not frozen and the burger was incredible.
Brendan W.

***This is a review of the food. Not the hostel's accommodation.*** If I had reviewed this place a month ago it would probably have been a 5. I have been here a couple of times since and have been underwhelmed to say the least. Inconsistency is my biggest pet hate. My first couple of burgers from Generator were fuc*ing amazing. The last couple of burgers and chips were mediocre in comparison. What let me down the last couple of visits were the bun on the burger [not sure if it was freshness or a different bun but it was not as good], the meat itself was not as incredible [still pretty good mind you but not to the standard I was used to which would have made me choose Generator over Bunsen for my burger fix]. My biggest annoyance? The chips/fries. The last visit this past weekend the poxy chips were frozen, not fresh. Nope. Nope. Nope. I can appreciate that you can run out of one thing or the other during busy periods but hey you know what you do? Tell people that you have run out of fresh chips. Another point to make was the state of their pizzas. The boyfriend was with me and ordered a pizza and this thing was far too thin and tasted like overcooked melba toast with cheese on top. Management, please take note. I like this place. I like the vibe and the staff are great [except for the very very grumpy person who was making my burger at the weekend, he needed a hug or a ride or something.] So I would like to return and I would like this experience to resemble my first couple of visits.

Chicken wrap and pulled pork sandwich. Excellent value lunch at €5.95 each (side salads included)
Karen C.

Yes, I'm reviewing a hostel in the neighbourhood I live in. Why? Because it's so much more than just dorm rooms and bunk beds for budget travellers! The Generator Hostel is a bar for late night drinks, a café for great value coffees and food and, most importantly, a space for many community events. They support and host many local events in Smithfield, including weekend markets where local vendors set up tables of wares. While I can't speak to the quality of accommodation here, I have stopped for a bite and a pint at their café/bar, and it's a great little spot. The roof above the café is made entirely of glass, so there's plenty of natural light. For lunch, they have about 5-6 meal options, all for around €6. I tried the chicken wrap and my partner had the pulled pork sandwich. Both dishes were very nice, come with side salads and were an excellent value. The crowd there wasn't just hostel guests either. There were people who work in the area on their lunch break, a few tourists, a few people meeting for coffee... a fairly eclectic mix. At the bar, they have O'Haras and 8 Degrees on tap for €5.50/pint - which I'll happily pay for a decent microbrew. Even if you're not staying at the hostel, it's worth popping your head in to see if there's anything going on!

Incrediblez
Rowena H.

Erm, what? The best burger I've ever eaten came from a Generator Hostel? I have some questions. 1) Why did the Berlin Generator not have this amazing option. And cool vibe. And salsa lessons. Etc. 2) How the f do you make a burger that amazing. It's genuinely confusing me, because this was honestly a perfect marriage of great beef, just the right amount of burger sauce, a few pickles, cheese, and gorgeous brioche buns. I almost finished a double. 3) Please can you open up shop next to my flat in Leeds so I can do nothing but eat burgers. 4) No, really, right next to my flat k. 5) Would it be weird to stay there just for more burger. I think you get the idea. Might have been a bit superlative here, but I really did love that meal.

Bar/Lobby Area
Ben L.

Located in the up and coming Smithfield neighborhood Dublin, I selected the Generator Hostel because of its great reviews and reasonable pricing. This was my first time staying in a hostel and I expected and overall no-frills experience. However, I was still left disappointed even with low expectations. The Generator has a very club-like feel with spacious bars, neon lighting, and trendy fixtures. The lobby and ground floor is the best feature of the Generator with a breakfast cafe, bar, internet computers, pool tables, and vending areas. As told by the staff, the Generator property is less than one year old. However the property feels much older and unkempt. There are floorboards loose throughout the property and the fixtures are worn. The guests room are where the property really shows wear. The location is was also a sticking point for me. On the positive side, it is close to the Luas tram stop, the Jameson Distillery, and some restaurants in Smithfield Square. However as far as most City Centre attractions, shops, and restaurants, it is about a 1.5 km walk to nearly everything. We stayed in a private room with an en suite bath. It was a room with two bunk beds to sleep four guests but we had it for just the two of us. The bunk beds were surprisingly comfortable with cozy linens and individual lighting for each cove. Other than the cozy beds, there were few positive notes about the guest rooms. The bathroom was by far the worst feature of the Generator. There was ZERO counter space to place any items down. The towels had to be retrieved from the front desk, even in the private rooms. No wash cloths were provided. there was also only two hooks to hang towels in the very bare bathroom. The shower was tiny and the tile was filthy. There was visible mold up the walls of the shower tiles. The floor of the shower was stainless steel which felt cold and dirty. The shower faucet was fussy and water pressure was weak. The water temperature was unpredictable and generally cold. I understand that this is a hostel but there was no place to set down items, not even a cabinet and certainly no closet to hang your clothes up. The staff at the Generator was somewhat friendly although guests are basically treated as numbers, not guests. You have to request just about every amenity from the front desk which let long waits at the counter. The staff essentially did the minimum job possible and was barely helpful most of the time. The did have laundry units available for guest use although it was very steep at 7 Euros per use. The daily breakfast was much more reasonable at 4 Euros. Overall, I wouldn't recommend staying at the Generator Hostel. Unless you favor a very-budget, no frills experience, the Generator Hostel is mostly a hassle. Our stay was not very comfortable and the location is inconvenient to most City Centre attractions.

joan r.

Clean and secure with good service during the day... the security is outstanding. Bring cash if you come in late. I came in at 2am and was told he only takes cash at night. Be prepared to pay €2 to rent a towel €6.50 to buy a lock for a footlocker and €3/6hrs for an electronic locker approximaty the same size. If you have regular size luggage be prepared to rent a private room. I chose this place for security. In that way they are outstanding in both service and location.

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Generator Dublin Reviews in Other Languages

Review Highlights - Generator Dublin

I've not spent any night in this generator hostel but I've been in the Berlin and London one and they are really cool.

Mentioned in 14 reviews

Read more highlights

La Catedral Studio & The Back Loft - Courtesy of http://www.lacatedralstudios.org/photo_gallery.htm

La Catedral Studio & The Back Loft

(4 reviews)

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Le Catedral's fuchsia pink door stands out like a ray of light in the midst of the more cheerless,…read moreindustrialized looking exteriors on St. Augustine Street. This intriguing mode of entry really roused my interest. Upon entry, ascend the white-washed walls laden with a whole conglomerate of paintings and photographs old and new. The Back Loft is a bright and roomy multi-disciplinary loft located at the back of La Catedral Studios. It is a multi-purpose space for the arts in a reclaimed Victorian industrial loft. Refurbished to a bare minimum to preserve the raw fabric of its past time charm, this inspired space is an unconventional artists' playground which embraces any art related project. The space may be hired for art exhibitions, live art events, theatre plays and rehearsals, workshops, intimate music gigs, dance, life drawing, photo shoots, film location and functions, to mention a few. The Back Loft is particularly open to experimentations and to adventurous site-specific work, to individual and collectives' curated projects and is an ideal springboard for emerging artists. I recently attended a photo exhibition here organized by a college friend who was able to get her hands on the venue relatively easily. Since its establishment in 2005, the Back Loft has played host to a great array of events independently curated by individuals and collectives. From what she said the studios offered a nurturing and supportive environment with 24 hr/7 day access, wi-fi, visibility on the studios' blog, kitchen and chill out space, free attendance at the back loft events, participation in an open studio event at Culture Night, negotiable rates for hire of the Back Loft and free access to the Back Loft for private use. I have attended a separate function here where I witnessed the use of one projector, one sound system (mixing desk and two speakers), two microphone stands, one microphone, one upright acoustic piano and a rack of gallery spotlights to further emphasise it's unique resourcefulness. From a punter's point of view the space's great natural light as a result of sky-lights running the length of the space and original pine timber flooring provide the ideal backdrop to witness pioneering artwork like no other.

The Good I saw a pretty kick ass indy play here in the…read morebeginning of December called "The Suitcase Milongurea" by Nicole Rouke and the smokin' sounds of Truly Divine. The space is a solid venue space to host an event. Big room, It has that NY city loft feel meets local messy artist space. Lots of cool local artists have their work displayed all around the gallery. The drawbacks Some of the a/v equipment wasn't working on my last visit there and the bathrooms need better maintenance, but other than that the venue is a chill hang out spot!

Dublin Castle - Dublin Castle_Sanju-12

Dublin Castle

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South Inner City

Its a easy experience to go through, beautiful castle with free lockers to store backpacks.read more

Dublin Castle was originally built in the early 1200s as a medieval fortress under the instruction…read moreof King John of England. For centuries, it was the headquarters of English (and eventually British) rule in Ireland. In 1684, a large fire destroyed a large portion of the castle. Instead of matching the original Gothic style, most of it was rebuilt using a Georgian style, similar to what you'd find in the French Palace of Versailles! It's quite the contrast. When you visit Dublin Castle, you can choose to explore it in two ways: with a self-guided tour to the state apartments or with a scheduled guided tour that visits the Viking Excavation, the Chapel Royal, and the State Apartments. When you first enter the courtyard, you'll immediately see the newer Georgian architecture in the neat red brick buildings surrounding the square. From the 13th century to the early 20th century, the castle was under British control. It served from being a royal palace and parliament to a prison. Dublin Castle was eventually handed over to General Michael Collins on the 16th of January in 1922. Collins was a soldier and a politician who lead the Irish people through their fight for Independence Dublin Castle plays a huge role in Ireland's history and a walk around the grounds is time well spent. Today the castle is a government complex and tourist attraction. Stroll through the famous Chester Beatty Library if time permits

Generator Dublin - hostels - Updated May 2026

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