Fancy a tipple in Malahide? Whether beer, wine, or spirits are your poison, we look at the five best pubs in Malahide for a delicious pint.
The city of Dublin has so much to offer to keep you entertained. But if you want a taste of a slower Dublin life, it has some fantastic suburbs to explore.
Take Malahide, for example. This affluent neighbourhood just northwest of the city offers great restaurants, beautiful beaches, and a renowned concert venue. This article, however, will focus on the area’s best drinking establishments.
From trendy hotel bars, to old-time favourites, we look at the best pubs in Malahide for a delicious pint.
Ireland Before You Die’s top tips for visiting the best pubs in Malahide for a delicious pint:
- Many of the below-listed pubs boast excellent food as well as drinks, though not all offer bookings. If this is the case, we recommend visiting during quieter times or preparing for a bit of a wait.
- If you fancy a meal in a restaurant as opposed to a bar, check out our picks of the best Malahide restaurants for all tastes.
- Malahide is about 16-17 km (about 10 mi) northwest of Dublin. The drive usually takes roughly 25-30 minutes, but can vary depending on traffic. You can also reach Malahide from Dublin by taking the Dart from Tara Street.
- Malahide Castle offers a series of concerts every summer, with some of the best local and international music legends gracing its stage. Check the schedule in advance and try to time your visit to coincide with one of these gigs.
5. The Grand Hotel Malahide – two for one
One of the top places to stay in Malahide, the Grand Hotel Malahide offers a two-for-one on the pub front.
Firstly, the sleek and stylish Matt Ryan Bar serves a menu of food and drinks befitting the surroundings.
Open from morning to night, early visitors can expect breakfast and lunch items like pastries, sandwiches, and salads, which in the evening give way to a range of local and international dishes.
Pair your meal with something from the extensive wine list, treat yourself to a delicious cocktail, or sup down a pint or two. Whichever option you choose, the Matt Ryan Bar has you covered.
The Grand Hotel Malahide also offers a second drinking option: the Griffon Bar. Found in a grand building dating back to 1845, the Griffon Bar offers more of a traditional pub feeling and is the perfect place for a nightcap.
Address: Grove Rd, Malahide, Co. Dublin, K36 XT65, Ireland
4. Gilbert & Wright – one of the best pubs in Malahide for cocktails
Gilbert & Wright opens seven days a week and is definitely one of the best pubs in Malahide for the partiers amongst you, especially on a Sunday, when live music takes over.
The bar is also popular with sports fans, showing the biggest Gaelic football, hurling, football (soccer), and rugby matches on two huge screens.
Gilbert & Wright is a cocktail drinker’s paradise, offering all the classics from margaritas and whiskey sours to sex on the beaches and French martinis. And if you fancy something that’s not on the menu, their experienced bartenders will quickly rustle it up.
Address: 1 Ross Lane, Malahide, Co. Dublin, Ireland
3. Fowler’s – a Malahide gastropub
Fowler’s has earned a reputation as much for the food on offer as for its drinks selection. Though the menu changes, visitors can expect a range of local and international dishes, including Irish stew and fish and chips for a taste of Ireland.
A favourite among local rugby fans, Fowler’s is often rammed during the 6 Nations and the Rugby World Cup, particularly when Ireland are playing. Fowler’s is not just a rugby pub, though; you’ll find most major sporting events live on its TV screens.
Fowler’s also offers a pretty decent pint of Guinness, as well as every other Irish drink under the sun, from lagers to whiskeys.
Address: 12 New St, Malahide, Co. Dublin, Ireland
RELATED: See where Malahide ranks on our list of the top 5 perfect day trips from Dublin on the DART line
2. Duffy’s – a Malahide mainstay
Duffy’s is another Malahide pub that prides itself on food as well as drinks. An extensive menu offers everything from homemade Guinness pie and braised lamb shank to vegetable curry and goat’s cheese salad.
This Malahide mainstay’s signature dishes are its roast beef and roast leg of lamb, available from 1 pm on Sundays and served with fresh vegetables and both mashed and roast potatoes.
Drinkers are spoilt for choice between local tipples and imported beers, all served through “the most modern and environmentally friendly beer cooling and dispensing system in Ireland”.
Should you fancy something a little different, make sure to check out the wine and cocktail menus.
Address: Main St, Malahide, Co. Dublin, Ireland
1. Gibney’s of Malahide – the best pub in Malahide for a delicious pint
Split into six distinct rooms, there is something for everyone at Gibney’s of Malahide. The front lounge offers that all-important first impression – one of cosiness and warmth.
Further exploration will take you to a sports bar, a beer garden with a huge screen, a wine room for wine tasting and other vinicultural ventures, a fireplace-lit kitchen, and the Well Bar, which houses one of three inter-connected wells in Malahide.
James Gibney opened the pub in 1937, and the Gibney family have been serving the good people of Malahide ever since. So you know they’re doing something right.
Address: 6 New St, Malahide, Co. Dublin, K36 HW67, Ireland
Notable mentions
The Old School House: You’ll find the Old School House in Swords, just a ten-minute drive away from Malahide. The downstairs bar offers a great pint of Guinness in front of big screens for live sporting events and live music between Thursday and Sunday.
Bar food is available in the bar, but the Old School House also boasts a restaurant specialising in locally sourced seafood and steak.
The Cock Tavern: The Cock Tavern is also in nearby Swords. This heritage pub sits on the site of an 18th-century coaching inn that played host to some of Ireland’s most notorious highwaymen.
Today, the pub serves an excellent drinks selection in the surroundings made homely by oak and pine beams, brick and granite walls, and wooden floors.
Your questions answered about the best pubs in Malahide for a delicious pint
If you still have questions about the best pubs in Malahide for a delicious pint, we’ve got you covered! In this section, we answer some of our readers’ most frequently asked questions about this topic, along with some that appear most often in online searches.
What is the most famous pub in Dublin?
Perhaps the most famous pub in Dublin is the Temple Bar pub in the area of the same name. Though often derided as an overpriced tourist trap by locals, its fame is indisputable, and it has become emblematic of the capital.
READ: Ireland Before You Die’s picks for the top 5 best bars in the Temple Bar area
What city in Ireland has the best pubs?
Many consider smaller towns like Kilkenny, Dingle, and Bundoran to have some of the best pubs in Ireland. Most cities in Ireland will offer a wide mixture to suit all tastes, from traditional, old-school pubs to modern cocktail bars.
What is Malahide known for?
Malahide is perhaps most well-known for its 12th-century castle, which is today one of the greater Dublin area’s most famous concert venues. Artists that have played at Malahide Castle include Radiohead, Neil Young, Prince, and De La Soul.
