Devitt's on Camden Street Lower is the south side Dublin trad institution, with live Irish music sessions seven nights a week and a regular musician's audience.
Tip: The Wednesday session is the longest-running, get there by 21:00 for a seat near the players. Order at the bar, food is decent and not the point.
Address: 78 Camden Street Lower, Dublin 2, D02 C642
The International Bar on Wicklow Street in Dublin hosts Ireland's oldest comedy club upstairs and a basement that runs blues and singer-songwriter nights cheaply.
Tip: The Comedy Cellar Tuesday and Thursday nights are the originals, pay at the door and bring cash, the upstairs has no card machine.
Drury Buildings on Drury Street in Dublin runs four floors of bar and restaurant with a retractable-roof terrace, the Creative Quarter's go-to outdoor cocktail room.
Tip: Ask for the upper terrace when you book, not the ground floor garden, the retractable roof closes when the rain starts and the view goes with it.
The Rooftop Bar at Anantara The Marker on Grand Canal Square in Dublin runs the city's only 360-degree terrace, from the Dublin Mountains to the Irish Sea.
Tip: Sunset slot 19:00 to 21:00 is the booking, the bar closes the terrace in wind or rain so call ahead in winter.
Sophie's at The Dean is the all-glass rooftop above Harcourt Street in Dublin, a 360-degree south-side view and a terrace bar running breakfast through cocktails.
Tip: The rooftop reopened in May 2026 after refurbishment, book direct on sophies.ie. The corner two-tops by the south-facing glass are the prize.
The Vintage Cocktail Club on Crown Alley in Temple Bar Dublin sits behind an unmarked black door, three floors of speakeasy rooms and a 1600s-rooted cocktail list.
Tip: Ring the bell, the door staff are looking for a booking name. The roof terrace is the prize on a dry night, request it on the reservation form.
Peruke & Periwig on Dawson Street in Dublin runs three floors of theatrical cocktail rooms, the Teased & Twirled menu downstairs and Velvet Tresses upstairs.
Tip: The first-floor Velvet Tresses room is the bookable cocktail experience, request the corner booth. The ground floor takes walk-ins for the standard menu.