The Brazen Head
The Brazen Head
4.5
Monday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Wednesday
12:00 PM - 11:30 PM
Thursday
12:00 PM - 11:30 PM
Friday
12:00 PM - 11:30 PM
Saturday
12:00 PM - 11:30 PM
Sunday
12:00 PM - 11:30 PM
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About
Dublin's oldest pub is still kicking: a fun, friendly bar with lots of atmosphere.
Suggested duration
2-3 hours
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Address
How to get there
  • Smithfield • 4 min walk
  • Four Courts • 4 min walk
See what travelers are saying
  • MeMbro
    Bristol, United Kingdom782 contributions
    Great Irish stew
    Apparently the oldest Irish pub in Dublin, great atmosphere inside, very stylish and lively, with locals sipping their beer or bunching at any time of the day. I stayed outside, there is an ample space with wooden tables. Nice service. The menu has all the traditional Irish dishes. I went for the Irish Stew and it was really tasty.
    Visited November 2021
    Traveled solo
    Written November 4, 2021
  • syd21300
    Round Rock, Texas379 contributions
    Excellent food and drinks, even better atmosphere!
    While in Dublin, we enjoyed lunch at the Brazen Head following our Jameson distillery tour. I wasn’t sure what to expect, and definitely did not expect the food to be as good as it was. We tried a little bit of everything and of course had a couple Guinness as well as Jameson with Ginger Ale & lime (my new favorite drink thanks to the Jameson tour)! Service was attentive, beer was served perfectly, and everything we ordered for lunch was delicious.
    Visited December 2019
    Traveled with family
    Written January 7, 2020
  • ClaudiaE
    Turin, Italy5 contributions
    Funny and authentic experience!
    It's a very gorgeous pub, with a frendly and funny atmosphere. We arrived to have dinner and honestly the food is not very good, I would suggest to go for a beer after dinner, at 9 pm some musicians arrived and the show began! It was such a great experience, I think we were the only tourists in the room and we felt like home, singing with musicians and talking to people around. Music was great and we had a lot of fun!
    Visited February 2023
    Written February 6, 2023
  • Taylor S
    14 contributions
    I would give 0 stars if I could
    It looked like such a cool spot and there were good overall ratings online, so we decided to go here for dinner. As we walked in, we were excited by the overall aesthetic but that’s where the good comments end. DO NOT GO HERE. You will leave angry and frustrated. Two servers were helping our section and neither seemed to pay attention to when people were sitting down and wanted to order. One of them was Elena and she had zero warmth or personality. We both ordered Bangers & Mash - it came out quickly but it was absolutely lacklustre. The vegetables were underdone, not much gravy, potatoes were a bit bland and sausages were mediocre. Elena came to take away one plate, then the other server came to take the other and we informed him we would not be getting anything else and were just looking for the bill. Neither of the servers came back with our bill but we saw them go to other tables for bills/payment. We put our coats on to try to signal to them but still nothing. At our wits end we walked up to a server and said we wanted to pay - he got the machine for us and asked what we’d like to tip so he could put it into the machine. It felt like an extremely forward assumption to make since it’s not customary in Ireland to tip and they barely gave us service so why would we want to?? This was the worst restaurant experience we’ve had in Dublin. I repeat, DO NOT GO HERE.
    Visited September 2022
    Traveled as a couple
    Written September 8, 2022
  • Claire g
    Donabate, Ireland10 contributions
    Not for families
    We went into this pub the previous day in person to book a table for 6 adults and 6 children for dinner the following day and were told they don't take bookings and they would look after us when we arrived. Great! We arrived and sat down at the only available table in the outdoor section. The waitress that came to us for our order had absolutely no english and did not understand a very basic order, (fanta orange, lucozade, 7-up, Guinness). We had to point to pictures on a page to order or to the bottles/bar tap for the staff to understand what we wanted. Very very poor service in general. The staff seen uninterested to be efficient. Then we were told we could not have food in the outdoor space and then asked could we have a table inside, only to be asked if we had a booking. The person who asked was the same person we spoke to the previous day who told us we didn't need a booking. We were provided with a table after pointing out he said he would look after us. We were given menus. No kids menus. They wouldn't even do half portions for the children. We had to order adult portions and split them between 2 children ourselves. We even had to ask for extra plates. It was pure hassle. Please provide childrens menus or at the very least, provide half portions for children. If you can't do that, do not accept families. You are just ripping off people. An absolute joke. Its a tourist trap and really is disappointing. The food was nice but at this stage we just didn't enjoy it. We were too busy scraping mash potato from one plate to another and cutting burgers in half to feed our children. We went there because it was convenient for family members who were staying in a nearby hotel. As a Dublin person, I would not visit again. Sadly it was very underwhelming. The staff could have been so much more accommodating.
    Visited May 2022
    Written May 6, 2022
  • Bea H
    Hartford, Connecticut127 contributions
    Music Great but Way Too Crowded
    Granted, we were here during a busy weekend for the Sunday afternoon music session. There is indoor and outdoor seating, but you have to go inside the tiny bar to hear the music. The bar was so crowded and there didn’t seem to be control of how many came in. The musicians were top notch and I would have loved to stay longer but it was really uncomfortable due to the overcrowding.
    Visited May 2023
    Traveled with friends
    Written May 21, 2023
  • Nicky C
    14 contributions
    Very fun- worth a visit
    We visited on a Thursday afternoon and were lucky to be seated immediately even though it was quite busy. Staff was great, beer was cold, food was surprisingly very good! Cesar salad with chicken and bangers and mash both tasted good. Great old bar with many little rooms to it- fun to explore.
    Visited June 2023
    Traveled as a couple
    Written June 1, 2023
  • tiagovinagre97
    Aveiro, Portugal27 contributions
    Great Irish pub experience
    Great beef & Guiness stew, we recommend it! The staff is nice and the service is very fast. The irish coffee is also great. 2 Beef&Guiness stews, one pint, one coke and one irish coffee cost 55€. Nonetheless, if you do not have a reservation, you will need to fight for a table, as there is no organized waitlist, it's everyone on their one trying to take the table of someone getting up to leave. An important note is that we did have to "fight" for our table and we've arrived by 18h30!
    Visited August 2022
    Written August 21, 2022
  • Shaw
    1 contribution
    Disappointing
    It was busy for a Monday night Waited a long time long for our food and unfortunately it was not worth the wait. Bangers and mashed were served with boiled carrots and peas my husband only ate the meat I had a burger that was not great for $20! The fries were flavorless and burger was bland we were Very disappointed and wished we had gone somewhere else. The nice family we shared our table with were also very disappointed too. Won’t return or recommend
    Visited June 2023
    Traveled as a couple
    Written June 26, 2023
  • roundthaworld
    San Angelo, Texas335 contributions
    I wish it were better....
    I’d like to start by saying our expectations were high due to the reviews and several family friends raving that it was a must go to place. We also thought it was going to be a local authentic place by the reviews. That isn’t the case. It’s for tour groups. Be prepared that you will wait for a table. It’s crowded. We were a party of four and sat at a two top. It was difficult to get service. If you are going to need more than one drink order two at the same time. The food wasn’t memorable enough to recommend someone else to go to either. I will say the Guinness stew was the best of all our dishes. They said live music was starting but an hour later it didn’t. There wasn’t a band in sight.
    Visited January 2020
    Traveled with friends
    Written January 30, 2020
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
Popular mentions

4.5
1,456 reviews
Excellent
882
Very good
391
Average
99
Poor
40
Terrible
44

Taylor S
14 contributions
Sep 2022 • Couples
It looked like such a cool spot and there were good overall ratings online, so we decided to go here for dinner. As we walked in, we were excited by the overall aesthetic but that’s where the good comments end. DO NOT GO HERE. You will leave angry and frustrated.

Two servers were helping our section and neither seemed to pay attention to when people were sitting down and wanted to order. One of them was Elena and she had zero warmth or personality.

We both ordered Bangers & Mash - it came out quickly but it was absolutely lacklustre. The vegetables were underdone, not much gravy, potatoes were a bit bland and sausages were mediocre.

Elena came to take away one plate, then the other server came to take the other and we informed him we would not be getting anything else and were just looking for the bill. Neither of the servers came back with our bill but we saw them go to other tables for bills/payment. We put our coats on to try to signal to them but still nothing. At our wits end we walked up to a server and said we wanted to pay - he got the machine for us and asked what we’d like to tip so he could put it into the machine. It felt like an extremely forward assumption to make since it’s not customary in Ireland to tip and they barely gave us service so why would we want to??

This was the worst restaurant experience we’ve had in Dublin. I repeat, DO NOT GO HERE.
Written September 8, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Claire g
Donabate, Ireland10 contributions
May 2022
We went into this pub the previous day in person to book a table for 6 adults and 6 children for dinner the following day and were told they don't take bookings and they would look after us when we arrived. Great! We arrived and sat down at the only available table in the outdoor section. The waitress that came to us for our order had absolutely no english and did not understand a very basic order, (fanta orange, lucozade, 7-up, Guinness). We had to point to pictures on a page to order or to the bottles/bar tap for the staff to understand what we wanted. Very very poor service in general. The staff seen uninterested to be efficient. Then we were told we could not have food in the outdoor space and then asked could we have a table inside, only to be asked if we had a booking. The person who asked was the same person we spoke to the previous day who told us we didn't need a booking. We were provided with a table after pointing out he said he would look after us. We were given menus. No kids menus. They wouldn't even do half portions for the children. We had to order adult portions and split them between 2 children ourselves. We even had to ask for extra plates. It was pure hassle. Please provide childrens menus or at the very least, provide half portions for children. If you can't do that, do not accept families. You are just ripping off people. An absolute joke. Its a tourist trap and really is disappointing. The food was nice but at this stage we just didn't enjoy it. We were too busy scraping mash potato from one plate to another and cutting burgers in half to feed our children. We went there because it was convenient for family members who were staying in a nearby hotel. As a Dublin person, I would not visit again. Sadly it was very underwhelming. The staff could have been so much more accommodating.
Written May 6, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Bea H
Hartford, CT127 contributions
May 2023 • Friends
Granted, we were here during a busy weekend for the Sunday afternoon music session. There is indoor and outdoor seating, but you have to go inside the tiny bar to hear the music. The bar was so crowded and there didn’t seem to be control of how many came in. The musicians were top notch and I would have loved to stay longer but it was really uncomfortable due to the overcrowding.
Written May 21, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Nicky C
14 contributions
Jun 2023 • Couples
We visited on a Thursday afternoon and were lucky to be seated immediately even though it was quite busy. Staff was great, beer was cold, food was surprisingly very good! Cesar salad with chicken and bangers and mash both tasted good. Great old bar with many little rooms to it- fun to explore.
Written June 1, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

tiagovinagre97
Aveiro, Portugal27 contributions
Aug 2022
Great beef & Guiness stew, we recommend it! The staff is nice and the service is very fast. The irish coffee is also great. 2 Beef&Guiness stews, one pint, one coke and one irish coffee cost 55€.

Nonetheless, if you do not have a reservation, you will need to fight for a table, as there is no organized waitlist, it's everyone on their one trying to take the table of someone getting up to leave. An important note is that we did have to "fight" for our table and we've arrived by 18h30!
Written August 21, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Shaw
1 contribution
Jun 2023 • Couples
It was busy for a Monday night
Waited a long time long for our food and unfortunately it was not worth the wait. Bangers and mashed were served with boiled carrots and peas my husband only ate the meat I had a burger that was not great for $20!
The fries were flavorless and burger was bland we were
Very disappointed and wished we had gone somewhere else. The nice family we shared our table with were also very disappointed too. Won’t return or recommend
Written June 26, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

roundthaworld
San Angelo, TX335 contributions
Jan 2020 • Friends
I’d like to start by saying our expectations were high due to the reviews and several family friends raving that it was a must go to place. We also thought it was going to be a local authentic place by the reviews. That isn’t the case. It’s for tour groups. Be prepared that you will wait for a table. It’s crowded. We were a party of four and sat at a two top. It was difficult to get service. If you are going to need more than one drink order two at the same time. The food wasn’t memorable enough to recommend someone else to go to either. I will say the Guinness stew was the best of all our dishes. They said live music was starting but an hour later it didn’t. There wasn’t a band in sight.
Written January 31, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

tracey31972
Greater London, UK4 contributions
Feb 2022 • Couples
Thought we would stop in Dublins oldest pub for a quick one before heading back to our hotel but got totally side tracked by the warmest welcome we received by the staff and locals. We was lucky enough to arrive just in time for the pubs band to entertain us and entertain us they did! The atmosphere was just so warm and friendly we didn’t want to leave. It was our first time in Ireland and the experience we had with the staff, locals and that amazing little band is one we will never forget! We will definitely be back and highly recommend.
Written February 2, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

ERICBali
Hartlepool, UK55 contributions
Jul 2022 • Friends
Very touristy and poor food .
Five of us wanted to visit “The oldest pub in Dublin”.
We had five different meals .
The fish and chips was very disappointing.Chips scrappy and fish small .
The mussels were ok .
The sausage and mash was very poor,undercooked broccoli,very average sausage and a lack of gravy ,I requested more gravy which didn’t appear.
The bacon and cabbage again was very poor .
All in all a very disappointing lunch.
This has a restricted menu and should have been easy to produce,but the kitchen failed miserably.
E
Written July 19, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Shannon C
3 contributions
Aug 2022
The Guinness stew was tasty going down but pretty indigestable and the pub no older than many others in Dublin. No one was rude or dismissive, but neither were they exuding good Irish charm. So many great pubs in Dublin. This one may not be bad for other food, not sure.
Written August 29, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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The Brazen Head (Dublin) - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go

Frequently Asked Questions about The Brazen Head

The Brazen Head is open:
  • Mon - Mon 12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
  • Wed - Sun 12:00 PM - 11:30 PM
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We recommend booking The Brazen Head tours ahead of time to secure your spot. If you book with Tripadvisor, you can cancel up to 24 hours before your tour starts for a full refund. See all 7 The Brazen Head tours on Tripadvisor



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The Brazen Head Information

Excellent Reviews882
Very Good Reviews391
The Brazen Head Photos805