Bars and Cafes in O'Connell Street and environs (Dublin)

Cobalt Café and Gallery

Just around the corner from O'Connell Street is the fashionable Cobalt Café. Located on the historic North Great Georges Street, the Cobalt is situated on the ground-floor of a converted Georgian house, and its relaxed atmosphere and picturesque surroundings make it a perfect spot for lunch. The café will be of particular interest to art lovers, as it regularly showcases new exhibitions by up-and-coming Irish artists. The James Joyce Centre, a museum devoted to Dublin's most famous novelist, is just across the street; and the Dublin Writers Museum is also a short stroll away. Perfect, then, for a quiet cultural afternoon.

Zanzibar

Yet another addition to the growing list of Dublin 'superpubs', the African-themed Zanzibar is big, brash, and prides itself on its exotic décor, which includes fully-grown palm trees. Particularly popular at weekends, the pub attracts a young, energetic crowd, who don't appear to mind the fact that they're packed like sardines into a box. Zanzibar is tacky but fun, and depending on your point of view, could be considered one of the best or one of the worst pubs in Dublin!

The Bachelor Inn

The Bachelor Inn is a pleasant traditional pub close to the quays that remains unconcerned with Dublin's rather disturbing trend for unnecessary bar refurbishment. It's not exactly a lively place, and the bar staff are known to be a little surly, but the Bachelor Inn is one of the few decent pubs in which you can have a quiet drink at the weekend. So, if you intend to savor the pleasantness of an authentic pub without the false make-up, then this is the place for you!

Gate Theatre

Hilton Edwards and Micheal MacLiammoir first founded the Gate Theater in 1928. It is housed in the annex of the magnificent Rotunda building on the top of O'Connell Street. The company generally produces a repertoire of classic Irish and international plays. Their acclaimed Beckett Festival played to packed houses in both London and New York. The Gate's splendid auditorium has recently been renovated and the charming curved bar is a very fine spot for a drink before and after the show.

Global Internet Cafe

The Global Cafe was the northside's first cyber cafe and is located in the heart of Dublin's shopping district. The cafe features twelve Pentium 200Mhz MMX PCs connected to the internet over a 128K leased-line, which apparently makes the Global the fastest cyber-café in Dublin. It also boasts an impressive lunch menu, and their cappuccinos, espressos and smoothies are certainly excellent.

Life

This fashionable and slickly-designed bar on two floors caters largely for trendy Dublin twenty-somethings, and it thankfully opens late at the weekends. With live DJs most nights, big comfy armchairs, stylishly mirrored ceilings and a highly charged atmosphere. Life is the ideal place to go in Dublin if you're looking for some excitement.

Welcome Inn

Despite its dingy interior, which boasts horrid flock wallpaper and formica counter tops, the Welcome Inn is one of the friendlier pubs on Dublin's north side. Attracting generally a young crowd, this unpretentious bar is the second home to many of the inner city's up and coming artists, writers and musicians, as well as a diverse range of often eccentric locals. The bar-staff have a reputation for being rather temperamental, but if you're polite to them, you'll be welcome, and will almost certainly come back. Don't be afraid.

Murky Blues

Previously known as the Charles Stewart Parnell, this northside Dublin pub is fast becoming a popular live music venue. With free live sessions every night, ranging from folk to traditional and country, this intimate venue is certainly worth a visit if you happen to find the south Dublin tourist trail a little inauthentic.

The Sackville Lounge

Just off O'Connell Street, this tiny and unpretentious pub is very popular with the Dublin theatre crowd and is the perfect place to join in or just eavesdrop on a passionate and often very heated conversation about the state of the arts, politics, and life in general. It's a no-frills bar, but the staff are good-humoured and the Guinness is great, too.

The Big Tree

Forever a student haunt, the Big Tree is a local pub split into several levels that features DJs playing contemporary chart music from Wednesday to Sunday. With a large video screen installed, it's also a very popular pub with local soccer fans.

Keating's

Formerly located on Mary Street (the interior was moved lock, stock and barrel around the corner!), Keating's is a traditional Dublin pub with a touch of class. Drawing a varied and often interesting crowd, the pub's three floors are connected by an impressive spiral staircase, which can take some negotiating if you're a little drunk. The music is loud but the atmosphere is friendly. Keating's also remains one of Dublin's few remaining "early houses", so if you're desperate for a drink at 7am, you know where to go.

Bond

Bond is a cool and funky new wine bar-cum-restaurant in the city centre, situated close to Connolly Station and O'Connell Street. Long wooden tables and white walls create a marvelous modern space with views across to the Custom House. Bond offers a short menu of contemporary and elegant meals, plus excellent desserts and coffee. The most outstanding feature however, is the basement wine bar, which offers a superb array of wines from around the world. The service is friendly and unobtrusive; Bond is well worth checking out.