This is a true speakeasy, which is really hard to come by. It's suggested to make a reservation…read morebecause they fill up quickly. We visited twice, and the first time was on a Wednesday night. They were able to accommodate us mid-week without a reservation, but Friday night we made one to come back. There were gobs of people waiting to get in so we're glad we did! The entrance is very non-descript. It's an ugly grey metal door with VCC randomly applied, so if you didn't know what was there it would look industrial. There is a door bell to the left of the door. Ring it a few times and someone will open the door and check you in. With reservations they do make you wait until exactly that time so don't be alarmed. Your table is already selected for you. The inside is loungy and very swanky. Both times we had extremely comfortable chairs. Service is immaculate. Their menu is massive, very well published and explained. Our servers were both able to explain exactly what the cocktail may taste like as some of the combos might blow your mind. I had the Dirty Wizard which sounds odd on based on ingredients but was delicious. I also had the Purple Pearl which was my perfect cocktail. My husband tried a few different whiskey concoctions and he was impressed by all of them. I highly recommend adding VCC to your Dublin itinerary!

We showed up without a reservation (I know, I know) and rang the bell. A nice young lady came down…read moreand took our phone number and said she would text us in about 15 minutes because we did not have a reservation. We decided to hang out a block away and waited for the text that ultimately never came. It was disappointing because had she just said they were full or a reservation was required we would have just left the Temple Bar area entirely but instead we stuck around wasting our evening.

This bar was incredible! The bartenders were so kind and made this intimate experience so fun…read more My husband and I learned about Irish moonshine and Bar 1661 is the place to go. This bar does a great job of creating unique and delicious drinks using Irish moonshine. Once we sat at the bar we were given welcome drinks which had a clarified liquor in it. My husband and I love clarified alcohol! It gives you the flavor of the alcohol but removes the sediments that give you a hangover. We don't find this too often since the process takes 24 hours. This was such a nice start to our experience. After our welcome drinks, I started off with the Belfast coffee, which is the most popular drink. We tried a handful of drinks. The menu has a dedicated page to each cocktail. If you need help, the bartenders are more than willing to help you. There are snacks if you need something with your drinks too.

First Impressions- was recommended this spot by one of my tour guides and ended up here with a girl…read moreI met on same tour. They are very popular and you should make reservations. We were lucky enough to get a table that was open but we only had 45 mins with it until the next reservation came in... they must have been late because the hostess let us stay for just over an hour. The Noms (drinks): we had 2-3 each and they were all so good. Way easier on the wallet than the drinks in NYC. Easily could have ended up paying $35 each but it was very reasonably priced. In conclusion: definitely a cute date night spot or a place to meet up with friends.. or a new friend. Try to make reservations if you can... if I had more time I would have liked to try some of the food menu items

The food was awesome. Started with a fried Brie and wings. Both were really good. Then roasted…read morechicken with a potato gratin was very good. And the fish & chips were some of the best!! We were a large group so orders were taken fast but food & drinks arrived slow. When the music started and the Celtic dancers came on it was a really fun happy time!!!

Had a nice time at Murray's it's close to our hotel and the food is really great. They have plenty…read moreof tvs and they are great for groups and couples. The service staff were attentive and it's a spot we will come back to.

We visited this bar yesterday as part of Cocktail Week…read more There was a mix up about seating and we ended up on the first floor where a member of staff was extremely rude and made us feel unwelcome. It's a real shame as the hostess on the ground floor was lovely and very helpful. It was clear that whilst trying to be classy and exclusive that the attitude actually being promoted in this bar is stuffy and elitist. Class comes from etiquette and your waitress showed none.

Great little hole in the wall. Dark & comfy, bartender very friendly. Only seats about 15 people…read morebut very cozy place for a drink.

A cozy speakeasy hidden away beneath an unassuming Italian restaurant serving bespoke cocktails,…read moresmall plates, pastas and more. It's a pretty small place and it feels very hidden so making a reservation is probably a good idea. How it works: walk downstairs (look for the neon sign that says "sshhh!") and GENTLY press the pig head on your left at the bottom to open the secret door. Our server was a gem and helped us navigate the extensive craft cocktail menu-I LOVED THE "breakfast of champions " and my wife enjoyed the noonin which was a bit of a riff on a margarita. We started with the creamy burratta with grilled pears and bread-heavenly and so fresh. For mains I got the pasta with beef and onions(yum!), but the standout was the braised short ribs with creamy mashed potatoes-amazing! -and at €30 a fantastic value. In fact everything was very reasonably priced and cocktails were only €15 each. Out entire bill was just €120-at least 50% less than a comparable meal at a quality restaurant in the US. Highly recommended (shhh!)

It feels a bit weird writing a public review of a secret spot...but I can't gatekeep this spot!…read more The Blind Pig Speakeasy was one of our favorite spots while in Ireland, and it ranks high on our list for several reasons! They are situated in the base of a sister restaurant, so from the main entrance the only give away is the neon "shhh" sign that sits over the stairway. Once at the base of the stairs an unassuming bookcase/shelf appears. This honestly got us, as we had no clue this was the entrance at first. We wandered around and into the bathrooms expecting some cool bathroom stall entrance. It wasn't until someone came out from behind the bookcase that we figured it out! We did let the "door" close and played with the art on the wall, including the bronze pig head, which turned out to be the hidden lever! Legit already wowed before entering! Upon entry, you are legit transported into a small speakeasy with a few high tops, a cozy bar and a small dining room beyond the second archway. The walls are stone, the lighting is dim and moody, the woods are heavy, and the vibes are immaculate! We sampled a few house-made cocktails, got an appetizer and a few main dishes. Spent a total of close to 2 hours, which is standard and actually timed. Which makes sense and I like, it keeps things moving, on time and allows plenty of time to soak it all in! The Jolly Roger and Espresso Martini were my cocktails for the night. There was a clear theme with both, as stout and espresso were highlights in both. For the app, we went with the fritto misto, which is a combination of fried cheese and veggies. Our mains were both pasta dishes. They were light and simple, yet complex and robust. They were tasty and impressive! Service was stellar from entry to exit. The host's, bartenders and our server were all top notch, friendly, helpful and a joy to interact with! Oh, I do highly recommend reservations! They are a small and very in demand spot, so trying to walk-in is a bit risky. Overall, we absolutely loved our evening at The Blind Pig! It was one of our best times and meals on our trip around Ireland...memorable for all the right reasons!

On point pizza and drinks. What can I say lads. It's fire. I can't say more. So good.read more

Maybe one of the swankiest bars in all of Dublin, with a friendly staff, to boot. The interior is…read moregorgeous and cozy, regardless of where you're sitting, and there's plenty of space to go around; which doesn't necessarily mean it doesn't get cramped during the busier hours. I'm not much of a beer drinker as I've always been more of a cocktails girl, but even then, the staff was able to find me the perfect beer on tap to satisfy my sweet tooth. In case you're interested, it was the Salted Caramel beer- porter or stout, I don't remember- by a company called 'White Hag.' A bit on the sweeter side, but it still retains a wonderful balance. And, yes, Guinness is all the rage here, too. Prices are fair, and probably the same everywhere, so the only thing that sets this place apart from the rest is the ambiance and the selection. And yes, I'd say they have some of the best.

A new bar in "Ireland's most cosmopolitan area"? Yes, and it's great…read more Snug but cool. Black walls with red neon. No wait, it really works. But the best bits are the range of draught beers from Ireland UK and Germany and a fab vinyl based sound system. The bar staff flip over the record and display what's playing in a special holder. A group of friends got together and brought to Dublin something they enjoyed on the continent: a proper stylish and modern cool bar with food and great sounds. The front area is well designed. It hides its smallish dimensions well but yet remains cosy. The back room has the biggest speakers but is a great area for small groups to enjoy the music (later, the speakers were not loud when I was there). But most of all its a place where you feel welcome and where they care that you are enjoying this great addition to the Dublin bar scene. It you are near you'd be mad to miss out!

Came here for a quick lunch…read more Beer: Five Lamps lager brewed locally in Dublin (the namesake landmark was close by). Golden color, crisp taste, not as hoppy or bitter as you might imagine, but good sweet grain taste, even a bit of honey/flowery residual taste. Chicken and veggie curry with rice and chips: a pleasant surprise. Portion size was decent for the price, and I'd not expect curry in a pub to have such complex taste of [peppery spiciness and savory flavor. It was cooked to a reasonable thickness as well so it went well with both the jasmine rice and the chips. My only wish would be that the chicken cubes could use some seasoning before cooking and maybe cooked for longer for more flavor and tenderness. Overall, a very enjoyable lunch experience.

Tonight we dined!! After a full day of touring and hiking across Northern Ireland (literally), we…read moresat down to reward ourselves with some hardy Irish food. Stumbling into this wonderfully low-key, hole-in-the-wall bar, we were greeted by a welcoming staff and ushered to a table. Promptly we ordered and promptly we were served cottage pie with chips, chicken strips with chips, beef and Guinness stew, and the roast beef plate with cabbage, puréed turnips, and gravy. All was delicious and all was destroyed by us. Afterward the waiter even hooked my little guy up with some fresh strawberry ice cream. All this cost right under €60, which is the cheapest meal we've had so far in Ireland. Overall, this is a great place that has a relaxed, down home pub atmosphere filled with kind staff located in a very unassuming area of Dublin. Enjoy!

In Dublin, Ireland right next to the Irish music museum. My tour was at 1:45pm & this bar was…read morebarely opening. The bartender was setting up the tables with coasters, lamps, the music wasn't turned on yet. After the second guest, she turned on the music. Those of us who were here for the tour told us to wait in the bar area & have a drink. The merch lady arrived, she had a small table by the front door. I ordered a whisky sour. It was alright. I can tell it was made in a rush. Idk the only cool thing about this place is that I met people from different countries talking about concerts and the love for music. I don't get it, the sun rises at 04:50am & it sets after 10pm. Noon would have been the perfect time to open because the Irish love to drink & smoke

I like Crowbar a lot…read more My first time here was not long after it had opened and I really liked the feel of the place. The music was chilled. The lighting the nice side of dim. Fast forward two years and I wonder why I've not been back here sooner. Same cool decor. Same cool lighting. We've always managed to get a seat here before we go into a gig in the Button Factory, handy. It's perfect for a pre-gig drink. You can even bring your drinks from Crowbar into the Button Factory. Just make sure you put it in a plastic cup first. They also stock Aspalls cider. Which is good and bad. Good cos it tastes great. Bad cost it tastes great. 5.5% great - yikes! Recommended.

Wandered into the Ruin Bar on our way back to the hotel after a night of enjoying Temple Bar…read moreDistrict, and were treated to a nice open bar/restaurant with amazing food and drinks. Way more chill than anything in the Temple Bar area. Food is served late so this is a great spot close to Trinity College. The atmosphere is laid back, the location is spacious, and the interior is super trendy - full of art and good vibes. They have a pool room and TVs to catch the latest game. The portions are large and reasonably priced - we shared everything. I'm super picky when it comes to fish so its not in my nature to order it, but since he wanted to try it, I gave in... turns out the seafood chowder was one of my faves. So much flavor!!! The goat cheese salad was the perfect accompaniment, and we couldn't leave without trying the curry fries. Now on to the cocktails...they have a great happy hour and the mixologist definitely knows how to shake up the perfect drink. I love when you can tell a bartender your favorite flavors and they mix you a custom libation! The entire staff was friendly and attentive. I highly recommend this spot and will gladly return next time I'm in Dublin.

Stumbled into this bar looking for a place to set our bags down and enjoy a pint since we have 6…read morehrs til we need to be at the airport to head back to London. The vibe is chill and relaxed, music is GREAT - soul, NYC hip hop, trip, downtempo - all the best. Glad we came in!