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Just off Grafton Street, this cosy and recently refurbished pub has lost none of its original character. It’s usually busy, but there’s a large snug to hide away in, just beside the entrance. Close to Trinity College, it has a good mix of students and old pub characters.

This beautifully preserved pub has self-contained snugs – originally for “the ladies” – on each side of the counter. The decor is Victorian in every detail, from the mahogany partitions and sepia photographs to the brass match lighters fixed to the counter. Upstairs is a cosy restaurant which has won several awards.

Once a working-class drinking man’s pub (there were originally no chairs, since “real men” should stand as they drank), Mulligan’s has since attracted a mixed bag, including former US President John F Kennedy. It is still stark, but cosy nonetheless, and constantly busy. For literature buffs, it features in the writings of James Joyce. Perhaps the best Guinness in Ireland: try a pint and cast your vote.

Built in 1770, the Stag’s Head was refurbished in the opulent Victorian style, resembling a mix between a church and a mansion, with bottle-glass windows, mirrors reaching up to the high ceiling, a counter topped with Connemara marble, plus, of course, the scary antlered namesake on the wall. James Joyce also drank here, and it has featured in many films. A magnet for students, it tends to get lively. Good pub grub; but note it’s closed on Sundays.

This cosy Edwardian-style pub, backing onto the The Gaiety Theatre, is frequented by theatrical types, including, on occasion, Peter O’Toole. Writer Flann O’Brien used to have a tipple here too.

Backing onto Dublin Castle, this is very much a locals’ pub, although many visitors come to experience its evocative atmosphere. The decor includes chandeliers and a pendulum clock more than 200 years old.

Music and fun are the lifeblood of this pub, which fostered the popular balladiers, The Dubliners. Tap your feet on the Liscannor stone floor during an informal music session, or, if the sun’s shining, have a drink in the little courtyard out back.

This pub, in the heart of Viking Dublin, is the oldest in the city. The building dates from the 1750s, but some believe there has been a tavern on this site since before the Norman invasion in 1172. The courtyard is a lovely spot for trying out one of the best pints of Guinness in Dublin and listening to traditional music.

This building feels its age of 130 years, although Ned Doheny and Tom Nesbitt only set up the pub in the 1960s. Inside, a cosy snug and glass-panelled partitions create a perfect atmosphere for the lawyers, politicians and journalists who like to come here.

A watering hole and safe-house for Irish rebels such as Michael Collins, as well as literary figures such as Brendan Behan, the original building was demolished in the 1960s to make way for today’s bright, airy bar. Dress is informal but stylish.