Dublin’s best beer gardens

Located on Lower Baggot Street and established in 1734, Toners is one of Dublin’s oldest and most famous traditional pubs. Locals and tourists alike love the beer garden here: it’s roomy, beautifully lit and the atmosphere is always electric. Expect craft beers, an extensive cocktail list and plenty of Guinness. Feeling peckish? Toner’s serves up pizza from neighbouring restaurant Cirillo’s — once voted Europe’s best pizza! Toners is uncomplicated and friendly, making it the perfect spot to enjoy a few drinks in the sun. 

Boasting the “finest beer garden in Dublin”, The Old Orchard Inn is a local pub serving up great food and drinks. The beer garden is half covered in glass so you can feel maximum summer heat and skip the showers Ireland so often has to offer. The setting is peaceful and well decorated, with plenty of greenery and wooden decking. There’s a large cocktail menu too, with highlights including the Bramble (gin, lemon juice and blackberry liqueur), and the Disaronno Amaretto Sour. The food options are equally pleasing and the pub embraces al fresco dining. Options include seafood chowder and homemade bao buns, as well as pub classics like fish and chips. Save room for dessert and treat yourself to a knickerbocker glory — nobody’s judging!

A third generation family-run business that first opened in the 1940s, The Merrion Inn is a firm favourite among locals in the Dublin area looking to enjoy delicious food and drinks and a friendly, welcoming atmosphere. Home to one of the best beer gardens in Dublin, you need to visit this spot to soak up the vibes on a sunny day. Serving up an extensive a la carte menu of delicious locally and globally-inspired dishes, there’s something to suit all tastes and dietary requirements here. Offering daily fish and meat specials with all food prepared in-house using the very freshest locally-sourced ingredients that are in-season, you can expect nothing short of exceptional gastropub flavours here. Whether it’s pumpkin butternut squash risotto or a 10 oz grass-fed striploin steak, there’s something for everyone here.

Located in the Dublin suburb of Ballsbridge, The 51 Bar is a great spot to spend a relaxing afternoon enjoying some delicious food and drinks while soaking up the sun in one of Dublin’s best beer gardens. A popular sports bar, you can often find large crowds of sporting fans here catching the latest games, both big and small. Home to one of the largest collections of whiskeys in Dublin and a great range of rums, vodkas, gins, brandies, and liqueurs, alongside a wide range of draught and craft beers and wines, you’ll always find your perfect tipple. Plus, their delightful food menu offers a wide range of local and international favourites, with their delicious carvery served from Sunday to Friday and their varied and delicious bar menu served daily. The perfect place to relax and enjoy some time with friends, this is a great place to visit, whatever the weather.

A landmark pub located in Milltown, South Dublin, this traditional bar is the perfect place to enjoy the chilled out atmosphere of a Dublin beer garden. Having been renovated numerous times throughout the years to ensure patrons can enjoy modern facilities and a superior dining experience, The Dropping Well boasts a traditional yet contemporary feel that combines the historic yet modern feel of Dublin city. Housed within a classic building, established in 1847, The Dropping Well retains the authentic feel of an old-school Dublin pub while providing a comfortable dining experience within the cosy conservatory restaurant that offers beautiful views of the Dodder River. Menus are continually updated to reflect the changing seasons, making the very most of fresh, local produce with a variety of dishes that cater to all tastes and dietary requirements.

Offering all-day dining with great menus for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, The Goat Bar and Grill is the perfect place to enjoy a delicious bite to eat at any time of the day. The open and spacious beer garden is heated with a glass roof, making it the perfect place to enjoy al fresco dining whatever the weather. But there really is no better feeling than enjoying delicious food and drinks here when the sun is shining on those rare sunny days in the city. A Dublin favourite, located in the city suburb of Dundrum, you’re guaranteed a friendly local atmosphere dining here. Whether it’s their Creamy Kilmore Quay Seafood Chowder or their flavourful Mediterranean Falafel Buddha Bowl, their indulgent Southern Fried Buttermilk Chicken Burger or their Italian-inspired Homemade Lasagne Al Forno, there’s something to suit all tastes here.

Owned and operated by the nationwide Galway Bay Brewery, Bar Rua is one of our favourite Dublin City beer gardens that has something to suit everyone. A modern take on a traditional Irish pub located in the heart of the city on Clarendon Street, it is the perfect place to relax and soak up the sun in the heart of the city. With a wide selection of Irish craft beers and an extensive menu of cocktails, spirits, and wines to choose from, everyone can enjoy their favourite drink in the sun on the spacious, heated terrace. If you’re feeling peckish, you can enjoy a delicious array of dishes from their simple yet creative menu of pub grub favourites, with everything from beef, chicken, and veggie burgers to yellow lentil curry, Galway Bay Ostara stout stew to a hearty plate of bangers and mash served with onion gravy, mash, and crispy onions.

With a large heated outdoor area where guests can enjoy a fantastic selection of delicious food and drinks, The Gasworks Bar at the Grand Canal Hotel is a great place to relax on a sunny day in the city. One of the best Dublin bars for delicious food and drinks, you can indulge in a huge selection of beers from all around the world, with 16 on draft and a large array of bottled and canned options sourced from all across Europe. Lunch and dinner is served daily until 9:45 pm with everything from vegan-friendly jackfruit bao buns to a succulent 14 oz ribeye steak on the bone. Located just five minutes from the popular Aviva Stadium, The Gasworks is the perfect spot to soak up the matchday atmosphere before or after the match.

Boasting stunning sea views across the sparkling Dublin Bay from its prime location in the coastal suburb of Dún Laoghaire, the Parlour at Haddington House is the great place to enjoy a few pints while soaking up the sun on a summer day. Whether you call in to enjoy a delicious afternoon tea or stop by for some creative cocktails in the evening, this is a great spot for all occasions. When the sun shines, this becomes one of the busiest spots in Dun Laoghaire with people from all across Dublin and further afield calling in to enjoy a delicious bite to eat and a relaxing afternoon spent with friends. Elegant yet relaxed, the Parlour at Haddington House undoubtedly boasts one of the most incredible beer gardens you’re likely to find in the wider Dublin area.

A hugely popular bar and eatery located at the very heart of the city, Pygmalion is one of the best spots to relax and soak up the nightlife and atmosphere of Ireland’s capital city. The beer garden is lively and intimate with tables to suit groups of all sizes. Plus, there’s always room for walk-ins, so if you’re looking for the perfect place to enjoy an impromptu cocktail after a day exploring the city, then this is the perfect spot for you.

The menu here focuses on delicious Mediterranean, Modern European, and tapas dishes, with everything from pizzas to paninis and more. The pizzas were even voted Europe’s number one Michelin Guide Pizza, so you can rest-assured you’ll be enjoying the very highest quality here. However, what this spot is really known for is its creative cocktails. Whether you fancy the pink and fruity ‘Love Interest’, which comes with Tequila Rose, pink gin, lemon juice, strawberry purée, apple and cranberry juice, and vegan foam, or the Cucumber Spicy Margarita with spicy tequila, triple sec, lime and lemon juice, and cucumber-infused syrup, you’re sure to find a drink that tickles your fancy.