Lost Lane opened in 2019 off Grafton Street in Dublin with a 320 capacity live music room and a Friday and Saturday club programme anchored by the Mother residency.
Tip: Use the Adam Court alley entrance off Grafton Street, not the Porterhouse door. Friday club nights pre-sell, do not chance a cold walk-in.
Address: Adams Court, Off Grafton Street, Dublin 2, D02 RP20
Whelan's on Wexford Street is the canonical Dublin live music room, three venues across the building running seven nights, with Hozier and Glen Hansard alumni.
Tip: The main venue is the upstairs room, not the front bar, ask at the door if you have a ticket. Sundays are the trad night and the bar pours till 01:00.
Vicar Street on Thomas Street in Dublin opened in 1998 and has hosted Bob Dylan, Adele and Ed Sheeran in a 1,500-standing Liberties room that touring artists prize.
Tip: The cabaret-table seated layout is the best one in the room, book direct on vicarstreet.com and pick the bottom tier for sightlines.
The Cobblestone in Smithfield Dublin is the Mulligan family trad pub The Guardian called Ireland's most famous traditional music room. Free nightly sessions.
Tip: The front bar session is free and starts at 19:00, you sit where the regulars say you sit. The Balcony TV gigs are in the back room and ticketed.
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.
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.