With bar chains taking over the high street today, it seems as though you have to search long and hard to find the real thing; a pub that has character, soul and lots of stories (along with great drinks).
In Dublin though, your search for a real pub is much shorter as this city abounds with genuine pubs. One of the finest is Doheny & Nesbitt located on Baggot Street.
Walking into the pub, you're immediately transported into a past time. Doheny & Nesbitt's has stood on this spot since 1850 and although renovations have been done to ensure the pub serves good food and great pints, the original snugs (small wooden partitions designed to keep women out of sight of men in days of old) are still very present and fill the pub with real character.
If you're lucky enough to get into a snug (as this pub is always very busy) you'll still see, on the side, the small brass panels used to light matches for cigarettes. Although in this day and age, smoking is banned in pubs, the presence of these remnants of the past add great feeling and you're glad they're there.
The snugs add character, the longevity of the pub soul, but what about stories? Doheny & Nesbitt has its fair share of tales, attracting since it opened up, politicians, sports fans, literary figures and surrounding workers. The location of the pub attracts economists from the government and this has spurned a very quirky story about the pub, with journalists speaking of the "The Doheny & Nesbitt School of Economics" - a nod to the politicians and economists who ate and drank (and no doubt talked shop) in the pub in the late 80s, just before Ireland transformed into the Celtic Tiger. Not many pubs across the world can lay claim to a school of thought being named after it!
You can enjoy the best of both worlds' now as Doheny & Nesbitt have large screen televisions and a modern pub menu serving pies, bagels and sandwiches. You get to enjoy these modern conveniences though alongside the original counter, 19th century fittings, and some of the best creamy pints in Dublin - and some would argue, the world.
Doheny & Nesbitt
5 Baggot Street Lower
Dublin 2
Tel: +353 (0) 1 6762945
