Dublin’s tribes

Dublin doesn’t really do neighbourhoods. You won’t find a Soho here, and anyone asking for directions to ‘downtown’ will draw looks of confusion as everything is central and easily walkable.

You’ll surely have heard of Temple Bar, a strip of restaurants, pubs and shops on the south bank of the River Liffey that’s Grand Central Station for tourists, but most locals give it a wide berth on weekends.

Instead, for nightlife, follow the students and hipsters towards Aungier Street and Wexford Street, where casual food joints (Dublin Pizza Company, Aungier Danger doughnut shop, Spanish restaurant Las Tapas de Lola) line up beside craft beer bars like Against the Grain and live music venue Whelan’s.

Nearby, The Liberties (also known as Dublin 8) is the city’s up-and-coming district, where street vendors selling from prams meet a young, urban set flitting between antique shops, hip cafes and transformative new arrivals like the Teeling Whiskey Distillery.

Grand Canal Dock is where U2 have their recording studio and the techies hang out (during the day, at least) – the European HQs of Facebook, Airbnb and Google are all nearby – and the food scene is improving all the time.

Finally, if your carriage turns into a pumpkin, head to Harcourt Street – a Georgian strip that flips into nightlife central after dark, thanks to cheesy clubs like Krystle and Copper Face Jacks (don’t say we didn’t warn you).