Lovely unassuming pub in the heart of Smithfield, a minute walk away from the Lighthouse cinema. We visited on a Sunday evening and the place was busy! There was a reserved area of trad music players and they were playing some lovely tunes, although situated where they are, only one-third of the pub were able to hear them. Bartender was a friendly chap and promptly served us our Galway Hooker pints, looking slightly bemused when I ordered a dry martini and lemonade. He had to dust the bottle off! read more

The Cobblestone - Trad players in the pub! - Pubs Near Me - Smithfield, D

There is local Irish pub. We can hear the Irish music live every night. I think the customers were local people and also there were tourists. You can enjoy the Irish beer, whiskey and listening Irish music. read more

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When I anticipated a trip to Ireland, this is exactly what I had envisioned. A seemingly neighborhood pub with folks gathered around just playing music and singing odes. The bar staff was attentive and friendly, much more so that in the US. And the prices, while not posted were very reasonable. Especially being steps away from the Jameson tourist destination I went on two separate nights and it was packed both times. People either congregated close enough to see the musicians or towards the back for conversation. I have literally never been to a bar where it was sooo easy to meet strangers and nearly instantly connect, if even for a brief moment. The funny part was when I arrived home, my buddy regretfully said he forgot to tell me about this amazing pub he went to when he came to Dublin and he should have recommended it to me before I went overseas. The name? The Cobblestone. read more

When we walked in their must have been 8-10 people playing instruments and singing at the front of the pub, it was spectacular. One of the few spots in the city where we found people actually playing old Irish/Celtic music. The pub itself was wonderful, lots of character with movie and music posters from local groups and productions. It had the classical Irish homeliness to it. Another great thing was the pub was well sized, so my wife and I sat in the back and the music was great, but far enough away that we could hold a normal conversation. read more

Wow, what an absolutely fantastic little pub. When I think of Ireland, or a night out drinking with the Irish, this is exactly the type of place I imagined. Located just outside of city center and south of the river is this smashing little pub. When you first enter it's like wading through a tiny little sea of people, but completely worth having a go. To the immediate left of the front entrance is an area that is reserved for musicians only, and what a talented bunch of musicians we encountered. Violins, guitars, and flutes (one of which was 200 years old!), you get a true taste of authentic Irish music. The bartenders are also incredibly friendly, and the pints are among the best priced we encountered during our stay. At one point, a younger gentleman bartender asked for my order, to which I ordered a round. About 5 minutes passes and he comes back, asking for my order again. Just a moment later he returns and asks "Did I get you your last round?", to which I laughed and said he had not but it wasn't a problem at all. He felt awful, but they were slammed and we weren't upset at all. We had a laugh and a conversation and all was well. Overall, an outstanding little pub that I would 10/10 recommend to anyone visiting Dublin, and the winner of my first 5 star review! read more

I absolutely love The Cobblestone. I enjoyed listening to the live traditional Irish music while enjoying my pint of Guinness. I will definitely go back to the Cobblestone on my next trip to Dublin. read more

The Cobblestone - Pubs Near Me - Smithfield, D

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Best Irish bar I have ever been to! Musicians are always in the corner playing. I spent half of my time listening to music, and half of my time talking to friendly locals or travelers like myself who could not believe their good fortune on finding this amazing pub. I happened to walk in on the first night of my trip, and while I went to many pubs in my five days in Dublin I always carved out time each night to go back and enjoy the wonder of this piece of Ireland. I will be back to Dublin if only to make sure I can come back to this bar. Thank you Tom for your hospitality! read more

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Mr. Tom Mulligan has been running this place with tremendous accuracy. The music is fantastic as well as the big selection of musicians. Some people just go to The Cobblestones without knowing that they are in one of the most important places in Ireland within the traditional Irish Music Scene, which is a pity! I would say that Mr. Mulligan deserves an award or a big recognition for such a nice effort of putting together a great sanctuary for Musicians and Listeners. There is seven nights of trad sessions and for sure you will get quality. It will be useful if you check the program for the gigs on during every month at the back of the pub. The normal place for a drink, great for a pint and enjoyable night, it will get jammed and very busy. But what will an Irish pub will be without all this craic going on?? read more

What an institution. Easter Sunday and we went here because I was told the pints were good. I knew that it had a tradition for trad music so I was expecting that. What I was not expecting was the impromptu outbursts of solo singing sans music. The true Irish tradition. It was fantastic! I was so entertained to watch the hard drinking ruddy faces sing with such passion as the crowd sang along and applauded at the end. Girls from London and Manchester popped in as did other nationalities and I know that they must of had a blast - such great craic. read more

Diddley diddley dee!! I am pretty much convinced I was a Londonderry born Orangeman in my past life because I'm fairly allergic to Irish Ballads and Trad Music....... This seemingly problematic issue aside, I LOVE the Cobblestone. The atmosphere is wonderful. Probably the only time I am in the company of Irish trad musicians and don't feel the urge to put my fist through their bodhráns! On my pub crawl of Stoneybatter with my American friends we came here for them to hear some trad music and we had the best time. I had been here a few years back and had a vague recollection of the inside. This boozer is deceptively bigger than you think. Large smoking area and lots of nooks and crannys to hide away and have a quiet(ish) enough pint if you didn't want to listen to the music being played from different corners of the pub. What I like about this place is the musicians are the punters. They just come along with their chosen instrument and sit around and have a jamming session. Quite novel, unique and the most authentic way to see real Irish traditional musical talent. Great Guinness (although NO Heineken on draught but I will get over that).... Friendly enough staff. Very mixed crowd of people. The old skool, new skool and a few tourists but not on the level of Temple Bar which I LOATH and refuse to take any visitors there..... I will deffo be coming back with or without Americans! read more

On Monday my friend and I went to The Cobblestone and had fun getting drunk and spotting celebrity look-A-likes. We saw Nathan Lane, Adrian Brody and the owner of the pub has an uncanny resemblance to former president, Bill Clinton. To get a taste of Irish music, The Cobblestone is an obvious choice. One of the musicians gave out handfuls of "Happy Solstice" Cadbury chocolates, yum! (My mom always said "never take candy from a stranger!" but when you're drunk, food is food right?) A pint of Guinness was 4.20 and the bartender whipped up a pint of Guinness with blackcurrant, delicious! Live music starts around 9pm and it's a cash only bar. Enjoy! read more

If you ask anyone to list where the best Irish traditional music sessions in Dublin are, The Cobblestone is likely to top many such lists. There are some truly great musicians that play in The Cobblestone. There is guaranteed to be a session every night full of musicians from all walks of life who love Irish music. If you're lucky, you might catch some sean-nós dancing and singing as well. However, while I do think the caliber of musicians makes The Cobblestone *the* place for "pure drop" trad, I would argue that what sets this pub stand apart from others is the degree to which the venue values, respects, and encourages the spread of Irish trad music. In Dublin, there is no other pub that at some time or other holds classes in traditional music, dancing, Irish, and singing. There is no other pub that has monthly gigs from the Piper's Club (check out http://source.pipers.ie/ for some clips). There is no other pub whose owner (an awesome guy named Tom Mulligan) come from a family replete with trad musicians. The Cobblestone is an environment that really nurtures traditional musicians. I won't disparage Temple Bar. It features a particular flavor of traditional music that I think suits its purpose and can indeed often be entertaining/thrilling. Academically speaking--despite what most people will tell you--"pub sessions" are a relatively modern phenomenon. Yet, if you want to get as close as possible to pure traditional music making at home, a session at The Cobblestone can get you there (and will get you away from the touristy areas of Dublin). The front where the musicians sit gets a bit cramped. The front also gets pretty energetic. The front is a great place to be. People will be going in and out for a smoke, grabbing drinks, tapping their feet, bumping into you, and having a great time. If you're in Dublin and it's 9PM or so, instead of hanging around the center of town everyday, go to The Cobblestone. read more

Are you too tired to get the bus to Doolin? Too demoralized to go to yoga? Too broke to drink downtown? There IS a solution: The Cobblestone. More than once I've walked past Cobblestone on my way to the Elbow rooms and been seduced by the sound of fiddles tuning up at 5 pm. Invariably this means that instead of bending over an inflated rubber ball in beginners pilates I find myself seated at the bar, talking whiskey with a local, tapping my foot along to the reels of Sliabh Luachra and feeling unnecessarily sentimental about being Irish. Now that's an achievement. read more

Although not as awesome as the Crane in Galway, this was easily the most "traditional" Irish bar I ventured into while in Dublin. It had musicians in the corner playing some live Irish music. And, it was warm and homey, giving you a place to pause away from the music as well on the other side of the room if you wanted to converse a bit. It made me feel a bit like I stepped back in time or just to a smaller city. If you are on the younger side and traveling alone, however, you will feel a little bit out of place, as the crowd does seem to be more on the older locals side of life. Bottom line: Warm up a bit and have a pint. read more

A cheery, happy pub in the heart of Dublin's law district (think Chancery Lane in London), with a very organic, local feel, and some of the best traditional Irish folk music and dance I've ever seen. My friends and I were yearning to go to a 'session' whilst in Dublin -- a musical display of fiddle, 'whistle,' and voice, accompanied by Irish 'jigging.' Traditionally, pubs will offer this sort of thing twice or so per week, but The Cobblestone has it every single night! Talk about a lot of dancing. Persuaded by the raving reviews we found about this place (thanks, Yelpers!), we went a bit out of our way to the pub, from Temple Bar -- and I'm not at all sorry we did. The music was magnificent, the crowd friendly and lovely, and the drinks...eh, it's Dublin. But stick me with a pint of Guinness for €4.80 and a Bulmer's pear for €5, and I was set for the evening. It was a chilly night in the Irish capital, but the beautiful music and good company at The Cobblestone warmed me right up! (the booze probably didn't hurt, either) read more

I am soo disappointed in myself for not listening to the yelp reviews sooner. Our hotel was literally steps away from this place and I didn't head there until our last night in Dublin. Forget anything in temple bar district. Come out to Smithfield area and to the cobblestone. Amazing local neighborhood pub, trad irish music every single night, and they pour a fantastic pint. There was dual violinists playing the night we were there. Guys drinking pints and reading books in the back lol. It was a TRUE irish experience. Super friendly staff as well. If I ever am lucky enough to head back to Ireland this is my go to pub. read more

If you are looking for an amazing local pub with authentic Irish music this is it. We were able to watch local musicians play they rotate around as new musicians roll in so you never really know what your going to see. Great mix of people young, old everyone got alone and no issues. I can get credit but what else could one expect! read more

Mr. Tom Mulligan is THE MAN!! And he looks remarkably like Prez Clinton - but much taller - sooooo I was quite smitten :) Anyways, this bar is great! Filled with a mix of locals and tourists, and wonderful traditional Irish music. The beers are great! Its small, so don't be shocked by that. But if you are looking for a change of pace from the Temple Bar scene, you must come here. It's a little tricky to find, but it you are coming from Temple Bar, you can take Church Street and cross the river, and walk towards Smithfield /Old Jameson Factory. You'll pass the tram, the Generator Hostel (look for the courtyard with the enormous light fixtures), and a large market, and then Kind street is straight ahead from there. I will definintely be back on my next trip to Dublin!! Sláinte to Tom & The Cobblestone! read more

This may be my favorite bar in Dublin. I've been here a few times and the live music is awesome. Beer prices seem reasonable. They have an outdoor area in the back with a couple of rows of picnic tables that are usually packed when the weather is nice. They are also sheltered, so I imagine they may be packed a lot of the time. The atmosphere here is top notch and the beer prices are pretty decent. Highly recommend as much as I'd like to keep this place a secret - seems the cat is already out of the bag with this one. read more

I really love this place. It expresses what a traditional Irish pub should be-great pints, trad sessions and good atmosphere. I enjoy bringing my foreignstudents here, though most of them don't get the down to earth-ness of the place and lust after the bright lights and glitz of Temple Bar. But for those of us locals, it's a great place to chill, sip on a lovely Guinness (or any of the other local Dublin brews) and soak up the atmosphere and entertainment. read more

We felt like we stumbled onto a well kept secret when we arrived at the Cobblestone. The pub is just far away enough from the crazy of Dublin to attract regular Dubliners, and close enough to attract great shows. You get the feeling that there are many regulars, and that the neighborhood is still adjusting to becoming fashionable. We went on the advice of my cousin (who had taken us to the Comhaltas down the coast the night before) to just hang out and listen in on the evening's seisiún in the front room - lovely traditional music. After a fair bit of that we ended up popping into the back room (a small concert venue for visiting artists) to hear a kick-ass folk show in town from Portland. The staff was amazingly friendly, especially given the number of people vying for their attention, and the music was excellent. read more

The Cobblestone - Pubs Near Me - Smithfield, D

I had heard from everyone that Cobblestone was the "place to go" for trad music in Dublin. So i brought two friends and moseyed over to check it out. First off, this place is a little confusing to walk to. Make sure you know your directions before heading out. Second, my experience was bittersweet because they didn't actually play music like they were known for, and when they did it was only for a song or two. Third, angry old men staring at us. Not worth the trek or the hype. read more

This is where the tourists don't go. So....if you're a tourist, and you go here, don't ruin it! Live band, cheap drinks, local Irish folk. Downside: no food/kitchen! read more

This pub is one of my favorites: good Guinness, live traditional music every night, and good atmosphere. It's family-owned, and the owner and his sons are usually around and available for a chat. We always bring visitors here to get a taste of a traditional Irish pub. I almost don't want to Yelp about it because I want to keep it for myself. The back room also always has some events going on - from lectures on the role of women in the 1916 rising to live musicians, it has the range. All around great spot. read more

Small little bar in the heart of Smithfield. This place is the exact cliché of what you think of an Irish bar. Went there on a Tuesday night and there were live Irish music. The musicians were great. But I don't like places like that kinda darky, dirty bar. read more

The Cobblestone - Pubs Near Me - Smithfield, D

Great Pub in Dublin for Trad music, laid back crowd and awesome Guinness! Quite central in Smithfields too. GO here for a real Dublin/Irish experience. read more

Must stop point on your Dublin wanderings. Finish that tour of Jameson, come on by. Music, Irish Beer, and great atmosphere. Have a drink and sit a spell. You will be glad you did. read more

The Cobblestones makes Smithfield trendy and cool. Instead of just drawing in locals like the other neighbouring pubs, it attracts people from all over town. People come here for the live music. It's known for traditional Irish sessions. A group of Irish musicians will settle in the corner of the room and play the tin whistle, the flute, the bodhrán and the guitar. In between songs, they'll be drinking Guinness and having a laugh with the patrons of the pub. It's great fun being here and you forget that you're in the city. The atmosphere and decor remind you of an old country pub. Another great thing about this place is that it's easy to strike a conversation with strangers. The customers and staff are very friendly and most come here because they're interested in swapping stories. Without this pub, Smithfield would just be known for its knackers. read more

Like so many of the other reviewers have said, the chilled atmosphere here is its greatest asset. All ages can mix together and it is such a great laugh. The room out the back for the trad sessions is great and walking through to the bar you wonder how they have so much space in there when it doesn't look so big from the outside. A must for everyone who places feet on Irish soil to truly understand the meaning of "the craic". read more

Decent beer at a decent price.good folk music as well. Staff are friendly and so are the drinkers, get in early for a seat. read more

The Cobblestone - Pubs Near Me - Smithfield, D

Fun. Was able to bring our little one to enjoy the music. She'd been cooped up in her stroller and this was fun for her and us. read more

The Cobblestone - Having my pint with the parents - Pubs Near Me - Smithfield, D

If you want to feel as if you have spent your entire life living in Ireland, spend a night sitting at the bar at Cobblestone. I have never entered a more authentic Irish Pub in all of Ireland. The venue is small, but intimate. Every night local musicians travel to the bar to sit in what I like to describe as "the pit" and play through the night. There is no setlist for these musicians. They solely play what they feel is right in the moment. The musicians change as often as the music does. There are never two nights alike, making this an absolute treat to travelers wanting a true Irish experience. My Recommendation: Grab a beer and just listen. read more

Was a fairly quiet night when I was here so atmosphere was a little bit lacking. There was still live music, which is always nice and the group that were playing were excellent. On the night, bar staff were about as cold as the pub. Could be warmer! Will be back on a busier night! read more

The Cobblestone is a great Irish Music Bar. It has always been a great bar but now it is super popular with the 20 to 30 year old new yuppies that have moved in to the Smithfield area. This is a bad thing as their is usually a great atmosphere here although sometimes it is pretty packed! They do a good pint of Guinness and have a great selection of Dublin Brewing Company Beers! read more

This place was a journey to find.. but if your heading to the Old Jameson Distillery anyway, you might as well check it out. From the outside and by the looks of the deserted streets around, you know this is not a tourist area. As my boyfriend and I walked toward the entrance, you start to hear the music playing and people clapping and chattering away. It has a cozy feeling, you can find a nice spot to snuggle in and enjoy a good ol' irish beer. It was difficult to get a good seat by the band and it was only 4pm when we went, but still enjoyable. I miss it already... waiting for the day I will return to Dublin:) read more

Shhhhhhh still not known by many tourist. You will get traditional music at a pub not full of all the temple bar tourist scene. We were able to sit back and relax and have the true pub experincebh read more

In the front part of the bar we did not get a friendly atmosphere. I read that you shouldn't summon a bartender and you should wait for them to come to you. So I waited for at least 5 minutes before I was served and they weren't busy serving others. This is definitely a local place and my wife and I kind of got the stare down from them. We got there at the tail end of the music in the front part and it was good. Then we went to the back room where they had a monthly folk singing session. That was very cool. Everyone took turns singing traditional songs round robin style. This place is out of the way and not the friendliest so I'm not sure I'd recommend it to other tourists. read more

There is always a good excuse to have some craic here. Whether you bring friends visiting Dublin to enjoy a truly Irish atmosphere or just catching up with friends and Dubliners having some craft beers. Friendly staff, great beers, good vibes. read more

The worst kept secret in Dublin for authentic traditional music. its now in an up and coming area - not that it moved. "You never know who might be hanging about or popping in for a pint of stout" - some of Ireland's best musicians have played here and do drop by occasionally to listen. read more

Can't understand how anyone could give this place less than 5 stars...which explains is high rating. You really can't ask for much more in a pub - cozy, great live music, very inviting, and crowd that embraces both young and old, Irish and non-Irish. Biggest negative was the crowd around the live musicians - the price one pays for being provided free music from folks who clearly love the act of playing! Just forced us further back of the bar, which was great to sip a few pints and people watch anyway. This would be my hang out if I was fortunate enough to live in Dublin... read more