Having a game of Jenga in a Dublin is a recent enough phenomenon (unless you brought it yourself). This trend is mostly thanks to pubs like Cassidys Westmoreland street, Against the Grain, and The Thomas House, who pioneered the way. There’s now loads of bars offering people the chance to create their own competitive entertainment. You’ll hear the crash of the jenga, the shuffling of the scrabbles pieces, and the miserly shuffle of monopoly money all over Dublin pubs.
We’ve made a list of pubs that have a selection of board games. If you know of any more, comment at the end of the article and we’ll add them in.
The Lotts snug, Lower Liffey street
The Lotts snug makes the claim of being the smallest pub in Dublin. They’ve got some lovely Guinness, a nice atmosphere, and a fireplace to accompany your game of connect 4 or whatever you choose.
The Beerhouse, Capel street
You can enjoy any Irish craft beer for €4 on a Tuesday in the Beerhouse on Capel street (soon to change to Mondays). They’ve got a fireplace at the back, and a decent selection of games to play.
Cassidys, Westmoreland street
Cassidys may very well be the originator of this trend. When they opened they were offering a free pint of beer if you donated one of your old board games. Not a bad deal. It’s a very cool place with craft beers, all the standard drinks, and a very unique atmosphere.
P Macs, Stephens street
No surprises that P Macs is on this list, considering it’s the sister pub of Cassidys. We’ve seen people playing full games of monopoly in here. A hugely popular spot, and well deserving of the custom.
Blackbird, Rathmines
Blackbird is also a sister pub of Cassidys and P Macs. This is the biggest of the three. They boast a pool table as well as the board games. Maybe a pub olympics amongst your friends?
The Black Sheep, Capel street
They’ve got more games than are pictured here, and a huge selection of craft beers to sample. Why not get a beer bat and have a game of Buckaroo?
Against the Grain
Another originator of this trend, they’ve had board games since 2010. They’ve got over 100 craft beers for you to sample and there’s plenty of seating for a game or two.
The Brew Dock, Amiens street
The Brew Dock, sister pub to Black Sheep and Against the Grain, boasts a similar beer selection and atmosphere. It’s conveniently located right beside both Busáras and Connolly station. A good way to spend time waiting for transport.
Kennedys, Westland row
Kennedys of Westland Row have a brand new games room downstairs that comes fully equipped with board games, foosball, and table tennis. Sounds like a great way to kill a few hours.
The Back Page, Phibsboro
The Back Page is a very new sports bar in Phibsboro, and it’s worth traveling to if you don’t live in the area. It’s not just about watching, but also about taking part. They’ve got board games, table tennis, darts, and even a FIFA room.
Alfie Byrnes, Earlsfort terrace
Alfies is a spacious place with great good, great beer, and loads of entertainment. You can watch matches on their big projector screen, challenge friends to ping pong or pool, and master the fine art of Guess Who.
The Grand Social
The loft area. We’re not suggesting you play the games here, we just don’t have a photo of the downstairs.
As well as a selection of board games, they also have a fussball table in their beer garden. You can play along with pizza, and their €5 cocktails Sunday to Thursday.
Button and Coin
One of the newest entries to the list, Button and Coin have a very relaxed atmosphere and also have a pool table at the back.
MVP
They’ve got plenty of chess boards in MVP, and they even hold weekly competitions. Dog competitor optional.
