Fifteen real Dublin beer gardens, canalside terraces and rooftops, from a 1818 pub once frequented by Yeats to a mountainside pint with a view over the whole city, each with what to expect, what’s on tap, and whether dogs are welcome.
Toners Pub (139 Baggot Street Lower)
One of Dublin’s most beloved beer gardens, established in 1818 and once frequented by literary figures including Kavanagh and Yeats. Rory Guinness of the Guinness family is on record calling its pint one of the best in the city.
- Heated all year, used in winter and summer
- Neapolitan pizza alongside the pint list
- Historic pub dating to 1818
The Barge (42 Charlemont Street, Charlemont)
A three-floor canalside pub on the Grand Canal known for its sunny-day terrace and impromptu celebrations, now also running live music seven nights a week.
- Open daily, midday to 11.30pm/12.30am
- Canalside terrace on the Grand Canal
- Live music seven nights a week
The Bernard Shaw (Cross Guns Bridge, Drumcondra)
Part pub, part street-food market, part music venue, with a large covered beer garden known as The Beatyard, complete with a double-decker bus serving pizza and a DJ booth.
- Covered beer garden (works in Irish weather)
- Double-decker bus serving pizza
- Dog friendly outdoors
- DJ sets and live music
P. Mac’s (30 Stephen Street Lower)
A craft beer pub with 30 taps and candlelit snugs, sister bar to Cassidy’s, tucked on the corner of Digges Lane just off George’s Street.
- 30 taps of craft beer
- Candlelit snugs and board games
- Open daily from noon
Rascals Brewing Company (Inchicore)
Dublin’s most beloved independent craft brewery taproom, running up to 16 rotating taps of its own ales, stouts, IPAs and sours alongside a wood-fired pizza menu.
- Open Wednesday to Sunday
- Up to 16 rotating own-brewed taps
- Dog friendly
- Wood-fired pizza
O’Donoghue’s (15 Merrion Row)
One of Dublin’s most iconic pubs, a live-music institution on Merrion Row whose beer garden has hosted visitors ranging from The Dubliners to Dua Lipa.
- Live traditional Irish music sessions
- Historic Merrion Row pub
- Beer garden popular on fine evenings
Horse Show House (Ballsbridge)
A festival-style beer garden on Ballsbridge’s main street with capacity for upwards of 300, a retractable roof for covered areas, and a fully dog-friendly setup.
- Capacity for 300+
- Retractable roof for covered seating
- Dog friendly
- Screens for match days
BrewDog Dublin (Three Locks Square, Dublin Docklands)
BrewDog’s Docklands bar near Grand Canal Dock, with a rooftop garden, craft beer on tap, shuffleboard and live sport on the screens.
- Rooftop garden
- Dog friendly
- Shuffleboard and live sport screens
Hedigans The Brian Boru (5 Prospect Road, Glasnevin)
A pub with 200 years of history and a heated, retractable-roof outdoor garden where well-behaved dogs are welcome with water bowls provided.
- Retractable roof for all-weather use
- Dog friendly, water bowls provided
- Open daily, midday to 11.30pm/12.30am
Pye Bar (Dundrum)
A Dundrum beer garden built around its canine visitors as much as its beer list, with a doggy vending machine stocked with treats and bottled water on tap for dogs.
- Full bar with a wide beer range
- Dog friendly, doggy vending machine on site
- Water on tap for dogs
Urban Brewing (Custom House Quay, IFSC)
A brewery restaurant on Custom House Quay with an outdoor terrace that catches the sun most of the day, and the only part of the venue where dogs are welcome.
- Sunny terrace, open midday to 10pm in summer
- Dog friendly outdoor terrace only
- In-house brewed beer
The Harcourt Bar (Harcourt Street)
Billed as one of the largest all-weather beer gardens in Dublin 2, with a balcony and rockery area available for private hire, and a menu built for grazing: pizzas, tacos and sharing plates.
- One of the largest all-weather beer gardens in Dublin 2
- Wood-fired pizzas, tacos, sharing plates
- Balcony and rockery areas available for private hire
Murray’s Bar (O’Connell Street)
Part of the fabric of Dublin city since 1908, with a heated beer garden on the northside and a kitchen known for its beef and Guinness pie and seafood chowder.
- Heated beer garden
- Beef and Guinness pie, seafood chowder on the menu
- Dublin institution since 1908
Ryan’s Beggars Bush (Beggars Bush)
A buzzing spot for a beer garden pint after a match at the Aviva Stadium, contained and efficient with plenty of heaters for cooler evenings.
- Popular post-match spot near the Aviva Stadium
- Heaters for cooler evenings
- Efficient service, fair prices for the area
The Blue Light (Barnacullia, Sandyford)
A Dublin Mountains pub with a beer garden overlooking the whole city below, a bit of a trek to reach but consistently ranked among Dublin’s best views with a pint.
- Panoramic view over Dublin from the Dublin Mountains
- Known for a strong pint of Guinness
- Worth the trip out of the city centre
Try a Classic Irish Stout
Nearly every pub on this list pours a serious pint of Guinness, but if you want to compare an Irish stout at home first, we tasted Guinness Extra Stout, the bolder bottled version of the classic.
More Beer Travel
See also Best Beer Gardens in Bristol, Best Beer Gardens in Newcastle, Best Beer Tours in Dublin, and the Beer Cities hub for 100 more cities to drink your way through.
FAQ
Which Dublin beer garden is best for dogs?
Several are genuinely dog friendly, including The Bernard Shaw, Rascals Brewing, BrewDog Dublin, Hedigans The Brian Boru, Pye Bar and Horse Show House.
Which has the best view?
The Blue Light in the Dublin Mountains has a panoramic view over the whole city, though it’s a bit of a trek from the centre to get there.
Which works best in bad weather?
Hedigans The Brian Boru and The Bernard Shaw both have retractable or fully covered roofs over their gardens, so they hold up in typical Irish weather.
Also see: Best Beer Gardens in Munich, Best Beer Gardens in NYC, Best Beer Gardens in Manchester, Best Beer Gardens in Seattle, Best Beer Gardens in Amsterdam.
