Temple Bar Unveiled: An Insider’s Guide to Dublin’s Iconic Neighborhood

Every city has an area renowned for its bars and nightlife, and Dublin is no exception. In a city known for pubs overflowing with guinness and talented musicians the Temple Bar District stands above the crowd. With the area attracting tourists from all over the world, it was only natural for me to visit myself.

The Temple Bar is filled with bars, pubs, restaurants, everything you need. It’s a pedestrianised area too so it’s safe to walk about without the fear of traffic. I was in Dublin for 48 hours and visited every day. Trying different bars and restaurants, giving each one a chance, but finding each one harder to leave as the evenings went on. Possibly the most famous of the bars in the Temple Bar District is aptly called The Temple Bar.

I had been chatting with the taxi driver from the airport, he had mixed feelings about the area. Yes, The Temple Bar is great and worth a visit, but the prices are extortionate for what you pay elsewhere. The prices of a Guinness here were approaching €10 a pint. Still, I wanted to decide for myself. My friend is a Dublin resident and had warned me about the price, but had also assured me it was a must-visit whilst I was here. So after a walk in the sun around St Stephens Green, it was decided it was time for our first pint in Dublin. A quick check of the map showed that the Temple Bar District would only be a short walk, so where better for my first real pint of Guinness.

On our way we passed a Quays Irish Pub and checked out the menu. We were a group of 9 on our trip so it made sense booking a table in advance. The food looked amazing and the location was perfect, so all in agreement we made a reservation. Just a few doors down we found the Temple Bar. Now from the direction I walked the first thing I found was the gift shop, offering various knick-knacks and the standard tourist stuff you’d find in a gift shop. This was probably one of the few times in my life I didn’t bother with a gift shop. I like it when heading to a museum or the majority of tourist attractions, but with a bar it just didn’t feel right. I feel like from a bar you should just take home memories (and maybe at a push a small hangover). 

Standing outside we saw other tourists posing outside the doors (yes we did the same). You could be forgiven for thinking it was multiple bars. Every entrance looks different, and inside it’s the same story. Small room with doors leading to the next, instead of just the one there was multiple bars to choose from. It’s a beautiful building, with the tiniest courtyard you have ever seen keeping the whole place cool. We would go from a room with low ceilings only to step into the next where it towered above. The bar was crowded, to the point you were constantly having to squeeze past someone just to move a metre. I was lucky enough to find a table just as the previous occupants were leaving, so I sat in the room with the statue and high ceiling. 

Here I was in the very heart of the Temple Bar. The atmosphere is electric, with everyone there purely to enjoy themselves. As is common with Dublin, there was live music in the corner playing. Patrons were singing along to songs such as “Belle of Belfast City” with pints of Guinness in their hands. I at this stage had opted for a Hop House 13, not the traditional stout but a lager, but still from the Guinness family though.

It’s hard to deny though that the atmosphere is enticing. And we found ourselves visiting a few times across our 48 hours in Dublin. Just the occasional pint to and from our next activity, but it almost draws you in whenever you walk past. The fact that all the entrances look like their own separate pubs almost tricks you into thinking it was somewhere new each time you walk in. Its almost enough to take the sting out of the prices, almost anyway. 

Tourist bars have always given me an heir of hesitancy. Often they use their influence to jack up the prices without reflecting that in the experience, coasting purely on name and reputation. And I’ll be perfectly honest I didn’t eat here, so I can’t vouch for the food. But Guinness always assures of its quality, and with the Storehouse just down the road you know it will be fresh. Coming into Dublin I had been making conversation with our Taxi Driver. They told us how during COVID only locals were able to visit, and naturally they didn’t to avoid the prices.

It’s hard to deny though that the atmosphere is enticing. And we found ourselves visiting a few times across our 48 hours in Dublin. Just the occasional pint to and from our next activity, but it almost draws you in whenever you walk past. The fact that all the entrances look like their own separate pubs almost tricks you into thinking it was somewhere new each time you walk in. Its almost enough to take the sting out of the prices, almost anyway. 

But beyond Temple Bar itself, the District is filled to the brim with bars and restaurants, all competing for your custom. I ate here both nights, the first night at the previously mentioned Quays Irish Pub. It’s quite a tight space, filled with as many tables as they could fit in. Despite us booking in advance I had to wait at the bar as our table was currently taken by a rather drunk hen party, with every girl interrupting one anothers speeches, whilst simultaneously insisting they start their own. 

I won’t lie, at this stage in the evening I was starting to get hangry. There was a TV displaying items from the menu, which only worked to make me hungrier. With one in every corner and another over the bar it was hard to avoid them. But the food did look so good it made me reluctant to leave so it’s a tactic that worked and eventually we were sat down. It was worth it though, I ordered a steak that had been cooked to perfection. Unfortunately by this time we were all knackered, so after paying the bill we called it a night.

Both! So there is a bar called Temple Bar in the Temple District. Temple Bar in particular is famous but very expensive. It’s a great experience but the district itself is so much fun it’s worth exploring and trying a few.

Yes, the temple district is full of amazing restaurants. I ate here on both nights of my stay. First at Quays which did mouth-watering traditional Irish dishes. The second night was at Roberta’s which offered amazing Italian fod along with cocktails.

I’d recommend heading to the Guinness Storehouse next! It was the highlight of my trip to Dublin. Alternatively you can head to Trinity College and the Book of Kells first and then come to the Temple District for lunch. If you want to book in advance you can do below using the widget from Get Your Guide. By booking through the link it won’t charge you any extra but I will receive a commission which helps support the blog.

Not all of them, but the vast majority will! So if you don’t like a singer then you can always head down the road and there’s plenty of choices.