Sitting close to a roaring fire
So many Dublin pubs have fire places to cosy up beside. It’s just a matter of picking which one. 3 picks for us would be The Swan on Aungier Street which has loads of seating near it, The Lord Edward upstairs where the fire is the centre piece of the room and if you really want to stay toasty, McGrattans have seats worked into the frame around the fire.
A bowl of Coddle
If you’re looking for a hot food that resembles a stew but has more Dublin heritage, then a bowl of coddle is your only man. Slow cooked sausage, potatoe, bacon, and broth makes coddle a bona fide Dublin comfort food and will definitely warm you up. Try it in The Gravediggers, O’Sheas on Talbot Street, or The Hairy Lemon. Here’s a list of pubs doing coddle-link.
A Hot Whiskey
Powers is traditionally the whiskey of choice in a hot whiskey, so we’ve chosen a pub with a long long long association with the distiller. The Long Hall predates Powers by several years and has likely been serving the whiskey for its entire existence. Logically you should be able to say that The Long Hall have had long enough to create the best hot one around.
Getting under a blanket
Several pubs in the city have blankets for you to take outside, but I’m sure they wouldn’t mind you putting them to use indoors either. One pub that pops to mind is Peters Pub on Johnson Place. It’s a wonderfully simple old school pub where you can get a nice stout, wine, and they also do cheese boards.
Taking over the snug
If you’re looking for a bit of a group huddle for warmth type situation (at least in feeling rather than application) then finding yourself a nice snug during the winter can be a wonderful thing. Designed for privacy and access to the bar the snug is a wonderful traditional element of some Dublin pubs. 2 of our picks would would Doheny and Nesbitt’s snugs (there’s 4 of them) as you can get some warm food in them as well as your drink) and Kehoes of South Anne Street.
A bowl of Irish Stew
Much like coddle, a bowl of Irish stew can be heart lifting on a cold and rainy day. Several pubs pair it up with a pint of Guinness or suitable Irish craft beer. Might we suggest The Bankers on Dame Lane for a decent bowl. If you’re still not warm after that you can give a wee drop of whiskey, a selection of which they have in abundance. Ned O’Shea’s on Lower Bridge Street do a stew and Guinness combination and it’s really good value.
The Irish Coffee
You want the pep of the caffeine and the flavour of the coffee, but with a hint of creaminess and something sharper on the tongue. Luckily an Irishman in Shannon Airport in 1947 (if the stories are true) created the perfect drink for you. The Irish Coffee is an institution and many pubs do battle to see who can make the best. The setting is also part of the enjoyment of this drink. We might suggest 2 places for you to sample one. One old and one new. Kennedys of Westland Row are so committed to Irish coffees, they put it on their logo. And we really like the glass they serve it in. Bar 1661 on Little Britain Street off Capel Street look to be doing great things with their food and drinks. They call theirs ‘Belfast Coffees‘.
