The Brazen Head
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We beat the lunch rush today, it did fill up quickly and as Ireland is going through a heatwave, (and many places without air conditioning) it did also fill up with body heat. We did get to enjoy our meal with friendly service and generous portions of food. In retrospect I should have tried the cabbage, but the name "Traditional Brazen Beef Stew" temped 3 of 5 of us. The flavor was amazing, the mashed potatoes were also better than other places we've tried, but the beef itself was tough and over cooked to the point I had to stop chewing and just spit it out on my napkin, or I would still be chewing it hours later. We all left many bits of the meat on our plates. (Not sure it was worth the price). My friends enjoyed their salad and bangers. I tasted both and I liked the salad but the bangers wasn't for me. It was amazing this pub has stood the passage of time.
The first time I visited the bouncer wouldn't let me in because my dress pants were too wrinkled. An unpleasant experience because other people were wearing similar pants and other people were wearing baseball caps which were not allowed on the dress code. It seems like the dress code is enforced differently depending on the person. Unfortunate as other than the bouncer the rest of the staff are courteous and pleasant. The food is delicious but pricy for the portion and area. I got the beef stew which was recommended It's also really hot at the bar area where I sat. I was sweating profusely and had to leave early. I'm not sure if they have an air conditioner or not. It was cool weather outside.
Ate at The Brazen Head today and sat at the bar with Keith and Anthony as our server. We had the Buttermilk Chicken Sandwich, wings and a side of chips. The chicken sandwich was spicy and flavorful. The wings were basic and the chips were actually fries. Nonetheless less the food was good and the service at the bar was great, very attentive and personable. We arrived at about 6:10 pm and stayed until 9:30 to listen to the live music which did not disappoint. Keith took the time to give us food and pub recommendations as well. This is a classy pub with good food, service and music.
The Brazen Head is such a classic Dublin stop and absolutely worth visiting for a pint. The atmosphere is historic for being the oldest pub in Ireland, cozy, and exactly what you hope for when grabbing beers in Dublin. It's definitely popular, but that adds to the energy. Grab your drinks at the bar and seat yourself at any open table. Amazing service and friendly staff. Great place to stop in, have a drink, and soak up the pub atmosphere.
Came here after a long day of exploring Dublin and had such a great, warm and hearty meal. The service was quick and the eating environment cozy. They are well known for their stew but I opted for the chicken sandwich and my friend the mussels this round. We did come early and were able to have no wait. Highly recommend this place and would love to visit again.
10/10 on ambiance, coziness, vibes, and overall feel. 7/10 on service 9/10 on food The hallway where you wait if you'd like a table is a bit small and crowded, but once you get inside, its worth it! The decorations were lovely, the vibe was warm and cozy, and the food was delicious. They were quite slow to take out order, and even slower to bring the drinks (our food arrived first). But once we got what we ordered, we were happy with the outcome. The chicken sandwich was crispy and juicy. The beer selection was nice. The prices were decent. Id definitely come back!
While in Dublin, we made it point to grab a pint at the famed Brazen Head, which is Dublin's oldest pub, dating back to 1198! The pub is unassuming from the exterior, at least given the classic architecture of the area...which is weird to say seeing as it is essentially a little castle! Once you walk through the arched doorway, you are in the thick of it from the beer garden to the two interior pub areas, which are distinctly different in vibe and energy! We popped into all areas, getting our pints and then enjoying them outside in the semi-covered beer garden! While we spent most of our time outdoors, we did experience the local music and group singalong inside, which was classic and almost storybook-esk! Servers were friendly and efficient. They constantly had a line, but made sure to speak to everyone and get those pints in hands as quick as possible! Overall, we absolutely loved The Brazen Head and would definitely recommend for those visiting Dublin!
We stopped in at the brazen Head for a quick lunch. We sat in the upstairs part of the pub, which was what I would call quaint, but a little less charming than the downstairs part. Part. We split a cottage pie and we were really glad we did. It was very large. Enjoyed that meal! And would return to eat here again!
Third visit to Brazen Head and in my humble opinion, this is a must visit spot which makes it crowded, resulting in slow service and not so amazing food. Recommend getting at drink at a minimum but lowering expectations for the meal. Perhaps get a small bite and save your appetite for somewhere more so know for their food? Overall, a must visit place/experience. read more
To eat and drink in one of the oldest pubs in Ireland was just the coolest. Thinking of the thousands of people who drank within those walls over the centuries was incredible. The service was really good as was the food and the drink. Delicious fish and chips, bangers and mash and one of the best chicken caesar salads I've had anywhere. It was fun to look at all the police and fire badges on the walls from all over the world. I found a few from MA and RI! If you find yourself in Dublin the Brazen head may be on the tourist trail but I really enjoyed my visit. read more
Well, the hours on Apple Maps are WRONG! They don't open until 12:00! Music on weekdays starts at 9:30PM! We were #3&4 through the doors. Seated quickly and served VERY NICELY BY CLAIRE!! I had bangers & mash, hubby had fish & chips. Both were lovely although mine was cold! Claire took it back to the kitchen and returned quickly with it piping hot!! Place has seating inside & out, but it is quite small overall. read more
The oldest pub in Dublin? How could I resist. Well, I didn't. lol. The charm is about as old school as it comes. I love it. But my favorite part is the fellowship that comes from sharing a pint with a big group of strangers. When we were there, local musicians played tunes to engage everyone. We sang. We laughed. We will be back! read more
1 year ago
Came here on the recommendation of my brother, who said it was the oldest pub in Dublin. The atmosphere is really cool. When you walk in there is a table top area where you can wait for your table. It looks like the restaurant may be two floors, but we were seated on the first floor. There was quite a line, but it went pretty quick-I think we waited about 15 minutes. To start we had buffalo wings, which were really good. I had the fish and chips which was pretty routine fish and chips but I did enjoy them. My hubby had the Guinness stew and it was really delicious and comes with mashed potatoes, which were also good. Service was OK. Couldn't find the server, some other server was helping us. I would def come back sans kids and enjoy the beer garden area more thoroughly lol read more
You can smell the history of this place from blocks away. Kinda nestled around more modern buildings now, but it sure preserves a traditional look. Upon walking in you are greeted by a courtyard where you could enjoy a pint or two. To the right is the bar entrance, and in the back is the restaurant entrance. We went for a traditional beef stew with a side of brown bread. The stew was incredible! Flavorful, tender, almost like a home cooked meal. Could've eaten a whole pot of it. In all honesty, you can skip the side of bread, as it was not really anything special for over €2 -- cold mold bread, two slices. Great butter though! Washed down the stew with a Guinness, of course, and managed to successfully split the G! Went for lunch on a Thursday and found sitting right away, but it was already getting crowded, so bring your patience if you're stopping by for dinner. read more
The wife, daughter and I stopped in to see what all of the fuss was about at brazen head pub. It's the oldest pub in Dublin maybe all of Ireland. Anyway we walked in, They have two separate bars an outside, seating area, and a dining room. All the folks were super friendly and the beer was absolutely delicious. We sat outside and drank our beer. It was a wonderful experience and one that I would definitely go back. Maybe try their food next time. read more
1 year ago
We All Had a Blast in Dublin This Place is Worth the Walk Loved the Staff Offering All the Recommendations read more
I could not have enjoyed this spot more. Getting word from our local guides that this is the oldest pub in Ireland, we knew we had to try it. Upon entry, you definitely get the feel of authentic Ireland. We first had dinner here and I can confidently state that our group all very much enjoyed their food. True to form with the rest of our Ireland dining experience, the portion sizes are generous and the flavors are hearty and delightful. Myself I enjoyed the cod. I hope you get to experience live music here. The bar space was a bit snug, fairly full when we arrived, but I felt this came to add to the charm and made the experience even more enjoyable. The night of our visit, a trio of musicians played classic Irish songs in the corner of the room, with no distance between them and the patrons. I could feel the heart and passion they played with that brought a tear to my eyes as I enjoyed a Guinness. read more
1 month ago
I get that if a tourist comes in you know they probably won't come again for a bit so pleasing them isn't high on the agenda. What you need to remember - is people who travel a lot get asked for recommendations of where to eat and I can tell you wholeheartedly this joint will not be one of them. This was our first meal in Ireland. Super excited. Ordered the stew. There were literally two carrots, one mushroom, a few slivers of onions and ONLY two very small chunks of beef. For 22 euros! The table next to us (locals or at least Irish) ordered the same thing and their serving was twice the size and the lady kept commenting on how much beef was in theirs. In addition, no sooner had we paid the check a girl came over and started cleaning our table and asked us to leave because other people were waiting to sit. WITHIN TWO MINUTES OF US PAYING. Are you kidding me?? We aren't ones to linger but my gosh give me a chance to digest for five minutes. Again, the point of this is please treat tourists as well as you treat locals. Definitely won't be recommending you to our travel groups. read more
When you see that an establishment has been open for over 800 years, you must go. And we were glad we did! We enjoyed seeing the place and thinking about its history. We had some good drinks and food. While the burger and seafood chowder were nothing out of the ordinary, they were a nice lunch. This place was packed at lunchtime on a Friday, and I'm sure it only gets more crowded as the day goes on! read more
1 year ago
Brazen Head was another place we wanted to go to well before we went to Dublin over Christmas. We went twice on our trip. First time was later in the evening to see the Irish sessions specifically. It was packed and we couldn't get in. The sessions only lasted till about 9:30, which was kind of strange. We decided to go the next day for dinner about 7pm and hang around for the music. Now the history of this place and ambiance are spectacular! It's so impressive. Service was very good. The food was not good at all. I had bangers and mash, which I've eaten many times. This was one of the worst versions I've ever eaten. 4 stars for the history and fact that I will come back. 2 stars for the food. Stick to the beers and music. read more
Food: the food was amazing, as seems to be fairly standard for pubs here. Filling, simple, well executed dishes. Special shout out to the sweet potato mash included in the bangers and mash- that was delicious. Ambiance: live music every night, but we struggled to find Irish music, rather than acoustic renditions of American Pop Service: Quick and kind The main con is knowing where to go when you first enter the establishment- you come into a tiny narrow hallway with no signage, no host stand, nada. It took us 5 minutes to find staff to get us a table. If it's seat yourself for food.. there was nothing posted indicating so read more
I loved it here! The place was very busy the night I went, but every staff member interaction I had was great. The hostess was super friendly and got us seated pretty quick even though the line for dinner looked long. Our waitress was attentive and very friendly. It was loud in the dining room but I absolutely loved the vibe. It was cozy and quaint. The food was absolutely delicious, and I loved my stew. A super fun and great place to check out when in Dublin! read more
1 year ago
Standard pub fare at this Irish pub which sets itself apart given ambiance and decor. Service was good however quick to get us out, and fish and chips were just "okay". Of course the Guinness was spot on! read more
Worth it for the history and ambiance alone. The food and service were fine. The door was open beside us and someone was smoking a cigarette outside that came right in, so that kinda sucked. Otherwise, our lunch was a good experience. read more
Final meal of nine nights across the island and I selected The Brazen Head. Yes, it's popular and it's popular because it's good. It's also Ireland's oldest pub (don't tell Sean's Pub in Athlone) dating back to 1198. It's charming and it's welcoming and thankfully, the live traditional Irish music was not that loud this evening. Sitting at the bar (otherwise, another 20 minutes in the queue for a table), I had a Guinness of course. And the bangers and mash which was a nice portion of sausages and mashed potatoes with some broccoli. My friend chose the smoked salmon salad and it looked very nice as well. Inside seating for dinner or outside seating for just drinks, the outside was also rather popular. I wouldn't miss it. [Round number review 2000 of 2024 - 176 in Republic of Ireland - 23022 overall] read more
The oldest continuously operating pub in Ireland and definitely worth a visit. We dropped in for a couple of drinks and some chips. It was noon and they'd just opened. There wasn't entertainment while we were there, but we enjoyed just being there. The bar staff was efficient... it as chatty as other pubs we visited but I get it...they're probably so sick of tourists. We did purchase a couple of t-shirts too and left satisfied with our visit. Worth the stop in for sure just to see the pub and experience it in person. read more
This is a must stop if you are pub crawler in Dublin. You can feel the age of this oldest pub in town and the history oozes from the walls. There were quite a few "reserved" tables and bar spots so finding a place to drink your Guinness can be challenging since it's such a popular tourist spot, but it's still worth it. The staff was also a little crabby (at least the guy who took our order) but it's probably because of all the tourists. read more
Yo' if you're in Dublin and you don't make a pit stop @ the oldest pub you messing up. This bar was way bigger than I thought. They have different rooms and a very spacious outdoor patio. The food was good, customer service could step it up a bit but I understand the wait time considering the amount of people that come to this place, it gets pretty packed. Worth making a pit stop! read more
27 days ago
11 months ago
We didn't have a reservation but ended up trying anyways and managed to get a table after about 10 minutes. I had the fish and chips which were okay, thick batter, nothing special. The others in my party had the beef stew and they said it was good! Was fun to go to once not sure if I would go back. read more
Finally made it to the oldest pub in Ireland. It definitely is a favorite of many as it was full at 2pm on a Thursday. I sat at the bar and got a pint of Guinness and ordered the fish and chips. The piece of fish was huge and plenty of chips. Great flavor and fun crowd. My bartender was attentive and quick even in such a busy place. read more
Ireland's oldest pub, founded in 1198, did not disappoint. There was live music that drew our attention and it was standing room only for the first 30 minutes until we joined some others at a cozy table in the center of the room. We enjoyed the Irish folk songs, guitar and fiddle, plus some wisecracks from the singer working the crowd. They serve up a proper Irish Coffee with Teelings Irish Whisky, plus tried a Rockshore Green Apple Cider that was crisp and sweet. Great vibe and lots of tourists from around the world having a good time together. read more
2 years ago
Had a blast at the brazen head and glad that my friends who are local made the call for us to come here. It's definitely a tourist destination but it's fun that even the locals will opt to bring their "out of towners" here. Claiming to be the oldest bar in Dublin, the locals will tell you it's really not but that's okay. Again, adds to the allure of the place. Brazen Head is naturally pretty busy as it's well known and on most peoples to do list. I'd recommend coming early. Also in order to get a table to dine you must have your entire party with you for them to seat you. Just worth noting as they were really firm on this. As far as the bar goes, if you are just coming for a drink you'll get seated pretty quick. A table to dine can take a little bit of time depending on how big your party is. The vibes are immaculate as it's so much fun here, a true Irish pub in every way. Loud banter, music, drinks flowing, it's a great spot to come, even if touristy. I also like to remind that touristy doesn't = bad. We actually had fabulous service and the food was delicious! Staff were friendly and definitely working their butts off. Our waiter was super darling and helpful. He didn't seem annoyed with all of our little requests and was super on top of things. I appreciated that with how busy it was they get food and drink out fast. Service was def 5 stars. The food was surprisingly super good! There were 5 of us and all of us loved our meals. Like loved loved. We had a variety too! From Guinness stew to fish and chips to chicken strips to Irish cabbage and a vegetarian style dish everything was really really good. I had the Guinness stew and was so happy I got that! It was flavorful, hearty, and made to perfection. They do Irish staples here right and honestly I'd definitely come back here for a meal again. Even my friends who are local commented that the food was spot on so I know they're cranking out classic Irish dishes here. Delicious! 5/5. The Brazen Head was a great Dublin experience and so happy my friends recommended it because we had an awesome time. read more
2 years ago
When I was in Dublin I was told by the cab driver to give this place a try. It's a bar that most locals go to and they serve food. We stopped in to give it a try. The place seems a little cramped but we found a place to sit. We were greeted by staff and given a menu. There were not many vegetarian options but we ordered the vegetarian stew and fries. We also ordered a pint of Guinness (when in Ireland), rockshore lager, and rye river. While we were waiting for our food we noticed other trying to order but they told them the kitchen was close. Which mean we were at the tail end of that timeframe. I thought it would be helpful to add there kitchen times so people knew. Our food came out and looked yummy. The stew was really good and the fries were crispy. I enjoyed the beer I ordered. Not a huge fan of Guinness but wanted to try it on draft. Overall, the experience was good. Staff were friendly and attentive. Beer was cold and food was hot. Definitely recommend when visiting and will be back when I visit again. read more
4 months ago
Highly recommend the Brazen Beef Stew! Portions were generous, the building is beautiful. Outdoor seating. It was busy when we visited but we were seated quickly and met with great service read more
1 year ago
As you may know this pub has the recognition of being the oldest pub in Dublin. It was a great stop and one of the many that we fit in on our trip. You can still walk into and enjoy a pint in the original pub which is extremely small. It gets very crowded with the majority of patrons being tourists. One of the first things we learned on day one was that none of the locals go to pubs in the city and specially Temple Bar area because they are a ripoff, but nonetheless some of these you have to at least see. The steamed mussels at Brazen Head were really good and would recommend an order for 2 people. Great friendly staff but service can be a bit of a challenge simply because of the volume of people that visit. read more
1 year ago
2 years ago
Brazen Head is the oldest pub in Dublin and was a recommendation by a ton of people to check this place out, so I definitely had to add this to the list to check out! The fish and chips were delicious and I'm so glad I had it here. My personal fave is still from a random market in Belfast -- nothing comes close to it, but this is def pretty good! My husband got a stew which he also liked. This place gets pretty packed even considering how big it was. There were tons of people here and the service was a bit on the slower side, but overall a fun place to check out. read more
It's not very often that you can eat at a restaurant that's older than your country. The feel was as if you travelled back in time to the medieval ages but with far better food. I had the Guinness Stew. I would highly recommend this to anyone who is wanting an authentic Irish dish. The meal was very filling & hearty. I paired this with a Bulmers Irish Cider to lighten the meal. read more
Interesting place because it's one of the oldest bars. Cool atmosphere with lots of different rooms. However, the customer service was sort of lacking and it wasn't exactly the best fish and chips I had in Dublin, AND around the bathrooms it smelled like rotten fish or sewage or something which did not sit well with me. I hope that they get inspected just in case. I don't know if they do that in Dublin or not but would definitely feel more comfortable. Great for pictures and definitely worth the stop because of the history but a little overrated to me. read more
1 year ago
By far the best Irish pub in Dublin. Had live music two of the three nights we went, I think we're a little early one night. Multiple bars, plenty of seating great atmosphere exactly what you're looking for in a pub! read more
This was our first dining stop on our visit to Ireland. They stake claim to being oldest pub in all of Ireland, established in the year 1198. This place reeks of history. It has both indoor and outdoor dining spaces. I had their fish & chips. Fish was OK, chips were dry. Best thing about the meal was the tartar sauce, which was very good. Service was adequate, prices were high. IMO, worth a visit to see this historic pub and have a pint or two, but you may want to consider eating elsewhere. read more
Given the marketing about being Ireland's Oldest Pub, established 1198, I really didn't know whether to expect a tourist trap or a legitimate pub that has earned the honor of being Ireland's oldest pub. I was pleased to discover that it is the latter. This place is just cool as can be. Small storefront overall, but it really goes deep with multiple smaller rooms and outside spaces. By having lots of smaller spaces it keeps its pub feel and level of intimacy. We were there at 2:00 in the afternoon and it was still packed with what looked like a combination of tourists and locals. We ended up inside near one of the bars. Our server was excellent, immediately getting our drink orders - local beer of course. We were just watching the crowd and went to take some pictures as our server returned with our beers and she offered to take our photos from a couple of angles. We then ordered our food which also came at the right pace. My wife had a goat cheese salad with grilled chicken. It was quite good size, fresh and had excellent flavor. I had Fish and Chips. The piece of fish was the largest piece of fried fish I have ever been served. And yet, it was crispy on the outside and done perfectly on the inside all the way through. The chips were typical. Of course there was malt vinegar on the table to season with. The check came at the right time and as with every restaurant on our 15-day trip, the payment was made on a handheld tableside. I continuously ask why in America the server still takes the credit card away to a central payment station at virtually every restaurant. Come on US restaurants, lets modernize and catch up to what European restaurants have been doing for at least 20 years. Final evaluation of The Brazen Head - I see no reason why it can't be around for another 827 years. read more
What do you do when you're a tourist in Ireland? Well, for starters it's mandatory to visit anything that says it's the oldest or longest running anything. That's why we found ourselves at the oldest pub in Ireland. Although the place was packed, they are efficient with their service, and in their labyrinth of a restaurant there's plenty of seating. In fact, we waited a max of 10 minutes for seating. Once seated our waitress took our order and placed it. Now, saying all that I have to say that we never felt unwelcome or rushed. The wait staff is very caring and accommodating. The food was scrumptious. We enjoyed the fish and chips, burgers, and the Guinness Stew. All was delicious and all was huge in size. Overall, even though this can seem like a gimmick, it's not a tourist trap in that context. It's actually quite a nice and pleasant place with a warm feel. I'd gladly get "trapped" here again. Enjoy. read more
More info about The Brazen Head
20 Bridge Street Lower
Dublin 8
Republic of Ireland
Thomas Street
Directions
(01) 679 5186
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http://www.brazenhead.com
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