Veer off Fade Street and make tracks up the rickety stairs to The Bar with No Name (really it has no name, so the locals have improvised). Rooms are interconnected and jammed full of mismatched furniture. After grabbing a cocktail or a pint of the black stuff at the bar, head to the always-full (and always cosy) outdoor terrace and set up for the night under the candy-cane striped canopy.

Something of a Gemini, Whelan’s is a traditional pub on one side – complete with snugs and fireside seating – and a music venue on the other. A bastion of gig culture, it has had everyone from Damien Rice to Glen Hansard take to the stage. For those looking to break into the music scene, Whelan’s is a great platform for new talent. Scan for bookers in the audience and have a few verses ready to go.

Just off Grafton Street, you’ll find Mary’s Bar and Hardware Store. Located on the same patch as the former Wicklow Hotel, this was once the watering hole Irish revolutionary leader Micheal Collins and members of the IRA during the Irish War of Independence. Today, the bar comes well stocked offering a wide range of beverages from ales to vodka and even poitin and a wide range of perishables from Flahavan’s porridge to Jacob’s cream crackers. Sink your teeth into some of our signature toasties partnered with a pint of Guinness or a cup of tea. For a something sweet, choose from a selection of 90s confectionery classics including Refreshers, Stingers, Mint Crisp, sherbet lemons and clove rocks. For a more substantial feed, pop to to the Wow burger franchise in the basement for some of the best fast-food in town.

A two-minute walk from the main thoroughfare, O’Connell Street Mulligans is a prime location for a quick pint. Originally a shebeen (unlicensed drinking venue) Mulligan’s has been a “legal” watering hole since 1782, making it one of the oldest premises in town. Bygone days saw dockers rubbing shoulders with the celebrities from the Theatre Royal across the street. Host to Judy Garland, Seamus Heaney, Con Houlihan, James Joyce and John F. Kennedy among its punters. As the story goes that John F. Kennedy visited the pub in the mid-1950s (when working a journalist with the Hearst Newspapers) to see Joyce’s favourite perch at the bar.

Since this Dublin pub opened in 1833, no singing or dancing has been allowed, and there’s never been a telephone or a TV installed. Nestled in a quiet square near the north city centre, its name derives from its proximity to Glasnevin Cemetery. A drop-in spot for funeral-goers and gravediggers, the local pub has hosted some notorious clientele during its 185 year history.

Established in 1850, Kennedy’s pub is steeped in literary tradition. Located on the doorstep of Trinity College, today’s customers stand where Wilde, Joyce, Beckett and Behan once stood. Formerly a grocers, a young Oscar Wilde earned his first shilling stacking shelves here on Saturday afternoon. Renowned for its hearty stews and an extensive menu of wines, whiskeys, craft stouts and ale, Kennedys is a great spot for a pint and a chat. Pop in at lunchtime for, when the atmosphere is lively but getting a seat is still a possibility.

James Joyce met his wife and muse Nora Barnacle here in 1904, while she was working as a chambermaid in what was Finn’s Hotel and he was a guest. As Victorian meet cutes go, this one’s a pretty special, proving to be a landmark moment in both Irish literary history and erotic correspondence alike. With good food and a central location, stop by for a romantic, sentimentalised take on Dublin of yesteryear.

A pub geared towards locals, Grogan’s is a great place to nurse a pint and take in Dublin city. Near Grafton Street, Dublin’s main shopping area, Grogan’s sits at the crossroads between George’s Street Arcade and the Powerscourt Centre. Outside seating is available and on a sunny day, crowds spill over into the streets. A very sociable pub with a cross-generational crowd, punters will chat across a broad array of topics from sport to art and, of course, Grogan’s renowned ham and cheese toasties.

Not to be confused with the wider Temple Bar Area, The Temple Bar is a must visit for those seeking out high-quality traditional music in the capital. Here you’ll find classic staples like “The Fields of Athenry” and “It’s a Long Way to Tipperary” on repeat, with a carefully selected gig list that ensures you get the primevplayers in town. Established in 1840, this busy bar is great craic; it’s jam-packed, making it figuratively and literally hard to leave.

Brimming with memorabilia and Victorian antiquities, The Long Hall is a snug pub filled with charm and character. Licensed since 1766, this is one of Dublin’s oldest and best-loved pubs. The interior, which comprises of polished dark wood, beveled glass and traditional snugs, dates from 1881. Over decades, politicians and playwrights have frequented The Long Hall; in 1982 Irish rock legend Phil Lynott recorded the video for his hit-song “Old Town” here. Attentive bartenders add to the atmosphere, but there’s no food menu – this is solely a place for drinking.

Located on the corner of the narrow Dame Lane, The Stag’s Head is quintessentially charming. Close to the Grafton street shopping district, the museum district, Dublin City Hall and Trinity College, The Stag’s Head has long associations with film and television. Educating Rita was taped here and more recently Penny Dreadful. Stag-themed stained-glass windows adorn the peripheries, and authentic Victorian finishings run through the pub. From the mahogany panelling to the mosaic marble tiles and of course a large stag’s head over the bar, this is probably Dublin’s best-preserved Victorian pub.

A craft-beer pub located on the corner of Digges Lane and Stephen Street Lower in Dublin 2, P Macs is always good fun. Play Cluedo or Connect Four as you snack on complimentary retro crisps like Wheelies and Snax. Pub grub comes in huge portions and Guinness is available on tap. The interior has a decidedly Brooklynite vibe, kitted with mismatched vintage furniture and a mid-90s indie playlist.