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Dublin city centre picks · By Anto Martin

MY DUBLIN.
YOUR ROUND.

Food, pubs, walks, sights and easy escapes. Places I’d actually send a mate. Proper Dublin, without the tourist-trap nonsense.

Explore the guide ↓Download PDF ↗

Picked by Anto Martin · Dublin tour guide & comedian
Independent picks. No paid placements.

Anto Martin shamrock and microphone logo
01 /

A proper pint.

Good craic, iconic stories and proper Dublin pubs.

Best for the craic

Merrion Row

O’Donoghue’s

Trad, packed and loud. The Dubliners’ old haunt. Proper Dublin night.

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Fishamble Street

Darkey Kelly’s

Live music every night and a great atmosphere.

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Marlborough Street

The Confession Box

Tiny, characterful and a proper Dublin pub.

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Iconic pubs

Bridge Street

The Brazen Head

Rebels and old Dublin. Robert Emmet and revolutionary stories.

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Duke Street

Davy Byrne’s

James Joyce and Ulysses. Dublin’s famous literary stop.

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Harry Street

McDaid’s

Behan, Kavanagh and Flann O’Brien. A legendary writers’ haunt.

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My quick picks

Marlborough Street

Unique stop

The Confession Box

A small pub with plenty of character.

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Worth the trip

Glasnevin

The Gravediggers (John Kavanagh’s)

Old-school Dublin beside the cemetery. Great Guinness, proper character, no nonsense.

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02 /

Get a feed.

Proper dinners, casual bites and something for the walk home.

€30+ · Proper dinner / night out

Poolbeg Street

The Vintage Kitchen

My pick for a proper dinner. Small, cosy, excellent. Book it.

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Christchurch

Bull & Castle

Irish beef, a great room, right by Christchurch. An easy recommendation.

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Aungier Street

BIGFAN

Loud, lively sharing plates. Modern Dublin and great craic.

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College Green

The Bank

Go for the room. Stay because the food is actually good.

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Chatham Street

Veggie

GLAS

Vegetarian — but a proper restaurant. Nobody’s being punished.

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Under €30 · Casual / local / good value

Dublin 1

Pickosito

Big flavour, good value. One of my picks for a cheap meal in town.

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Parliament Street

Zaytoon

Kebabs after pints. Basically part of the Dublin constitution.

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Christchurch

Leo Burdock

Old-school fish and chips. My pick is the Christchurch one.

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Wicklow Street

Veggie

Cornucopia

A vegetarian institution just off Grafton Street.

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Worth the trip

Glasnevin

The Gravediggers (John Kavanagh’s)

Go for the old-school Dublin pub. Stay for the coddle. One of the few food stops I’d tell you to leave the city centre for.

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Price bands and offers are from my guide, not fixed-price promises. Check current menus and offer terms before you order.

03 /

Walk it off.

Five self-guided walks. History, hidden corners and proper Dublin stories. Tap a walk to see the stops, then open each one in Maps.

01Women of Dublin~2 km · self-guided

  1. Hags with the Bags

    Two bronze Dublin women having a chat with their shopping bags. Officially Meeting Place. Dubliners had other ideas.

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  2. Rosie Hackett Bridge

    A stop for the story of trade unionist Rosie Hackett.

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  3. Countess Markievicz and Poppet statue

    Revolutionary, suffragist and politician — with her dog Poppet getting his own place on the statue.

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  4. Molly Malone statue

    Dublin’s famous fishmonger legend. We cannot prove she existed, but we gave her a statue anyway.

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02Rebels of 1916~5 km · self-guided

  1. Liberty Hall

    Start with James Connolly and the Irish Citizen Army.

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  2. General Post Office

    The headquarters of the Rising and the setting for the proclamation of the Irish Republic.

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  3. 14–17 Moore Street

    The rebels’ final headquarters after leaving the burning GPO.

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  4. Dublin City Hall

    An Irish Citizen Army garrison under Seán Connolly.

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  5. Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland

    Continue from the Green to RCSI, associated with Markievicz and Michael Mallin.

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  6. Mount Street Bridge

    Finish at the setting of one of the Rising’s fiercest battles.

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03Road to Irish Freedom~3 km · self-guided

  1. Parnell Monument

    The huge monument to the “Uncrowned King of Ireland” and Home Rule leader.

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  2. Jim Larkin statue

    The bronze figure with both arms raised. Workers’ rights, trade unions and the 1913 Lockout.

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  3. Daniel O’Connell Monument

    The Liberator and Catholic Emancipation.

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  4. Henry Grattan statue

    Opposite Trinity: a stop for the story of Ireland’s parliament before the Act of Union.

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  5. Thomas Davis statue

    Young Ireland poet and journalist. Culture, identity and a national movement.

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  6. Wolfe Tone statue

    Finish with the 1798 rebel and Irish republicanism.

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04Secret Green Dublin~2.5 km · self-guided

  1. St Stephen’s Green

    Start with the famous Victorian park in the middle of the city.

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  2. Huguenot Cemetery

    A tiny graveyard behind railings that thousands walk past without noticing. View from the street.

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  3. Iveagh Gardens

    The garden tourists miss: tucked behind the streets, with fountains, lawns and a small maze.

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  4. St Kevin’s Park

    A ruined church, old graves and a strangely peaceful corner just off busy Camden Street.

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  5. St Patrick’s Park

    Finish beneath the cathedral. Visiting the cathedral interior is optional.

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05Medieval & Macabre Dublin~2 km · self-guided

  1. Christ Church Cathedral

    Start in the heart of Viking and medieval Dublin. The walk takes in the exterior; admission inside is separate.

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  2. St Audoen’s Church

    A surviving piece of medieval Dublin. Look for the Lucky Stone inside if the church is open.

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  3. The Lucky Stone

    Inside St Audoen’s: an ancient stone tied to centuries of Dublin superstition. Check church access before going inside.

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  4. St Audoen’s Arch

    A stretch of medieval city wall and the surviving gateway.

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  5. St Michan’s Church

    Finish outside the historic church. Check current visitor access before planning an interior or crypt visit; this walk does not depend on entry.

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Distances are approximate, from the guide. Take the walks at your own pace. The outdoor routes are free to walk. Interior visits may need tickets; check opening and access before you go.

04 /

A bit of culture.

The best free museums and paid sights in Dublin city centre.

Top 5 free museums

Kildare Street

Free

National Museum of Ireland – Archaeology

Bog bodies, Vikings, Celtic gold and ancient Ireland done properly.

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Merrion Square

Free

National Gallery of Ireland

Great art, an easy visit and a good rainy-day stop.

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Collins Barracks

Free

National Museum of Ireland – Decorative Arts & History

Design, military history and much more than people expect.

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Kildare Street

Free exhibitions

National Library of Ireland

Free exhibitions and a good stop for Irish literary history.

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Top 5 paid sights

Dublin 8

Paid

Kilmainham Gaol

My best history attraction in Dublin. Book ahead.

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St James’s Gate

Paid

Guinness Storehouse

Touristy? Yes. Still worth doing once. Nearby: Teeling Whiskey Distillery.

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O’Connell Street

Paid

GPO Museum

My pick for the 1916 Rising and modern Irish history.

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St Stephen’s Green

Paid

Little Museum of Dublin

Small, funny and very Dublin.

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Special mention

Mary’s Abbey

National Leprechaun Museum

Irish folklore, myths and storytelling. Great if you want something a bit different.

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The Liberties

Teeling Whiskey Distillery

Handy if you’re already doing Guinness.

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05 /

Escape the city.

Four easy escapes and one proper full-day adventure. Go a little further.

Coastal escape

Howth

Get there: DART from the city centre.
Do: harbour and cliff walk.
Eat: Beshoff Bros for fish and chips.
Drink: The Bloody Stream, beside the station.

Howth Harbour ↗Beshoff Bros ↗The Bloody Stream ↗

Bray add-on: still got legs? Check the destination: if your DART runs to Bray or Greystones, stay on through the city and climb Bray Head.

Gardens + countryside

Powerscourt

Get there: the guide’s route is bus 44 to Enniskerry, then walk up to the estate. Check current services before travelling.
Do: Powerscourt House & Gardens.
Eat: Avoca at Powerscourt.
Extra: wander Enniskerry village.

Powerscourt House and Gardens ↗Avoca Powerscourt ↗

Have a car? Add Powerscourt Waterfall. It’s separate from the gardens, so drive or take a taxi.

Powerscourt Waterfall ↗

Dublin Mountains

Hell Fire Club

Best by: car or taxi.
Do: Montpelier Hill walk to the ruined Hell Fire Club.
Why go: big views over Dublin and one of the city’s strangest stories.
Extra: Massy’s Estate woodland if you have time.

Hell Fire Club ↗Massy’s Estate ↗

Best on a clear day. The view over Dublin is half the reason to do it.

Fancy a guide with a microphone?

Comedy, hosting and Dublin pub crawls. I do get paid sometimes.

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