Insider's Pick
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Shot by a City Insiders curator.
The Long Hall
★ 5.0(1 review)Bar
victorianhistoriclocal-crowd
About the Vibe
The Long Hall is Dublin's most intact Victorian pub jewel, a place where you'll feel like you've stepped back into the 1880s without any touristy pretense. The vast, train-station-like room with its red carpet, gold-leaf partitions, and beveled mirrors is genuinely stunning, and it's still packed with locals who come for the atmosphere as much as the pint. Skip the packaged snacks if they're there—this is a drinks-only experience, and the real draw is soaking in the history while sipping a proper Guinness in one of the most beautifully preserved pub interiors in Ireland.
Known For
- •Victorian interior design
- •gold leaf partitions
- •beveled mirrors
- •Guinness
Best For
sitting with a pinthistory loversatmospheric drinks
1 review
City InsidersEditorialApril 2, 2026
Dublin's Best-Preserved Victorian Pub Jewel
The Long Hall is a rare beast in Dublin's pub scene—a Victorian masterpiece that has survived with almost no changes since Patrick Dolan's 1881 refurbishment. The space is breathtaking: a vast, narrow hall with rich red carpeting split by an elaborate arched partition, ornate gold-leaf detailing, handcrafted mahogany woodwork, and mirrors that play tricks on your perception of the room's size. This wasn't a working-class pub; it was built for the commercial, class-conscious George's Street of the 1880s, and you can feel that ambition in every carved detail.
What makes The Long Hall special isn't just its looks—it's that it still functions as a real pub for Dubliners. Until 1951, women weren't allowed at the bar itself but were served through hatches in a back hallway (no longer part of the pub). Today, you'll find a mix of locals and those rare tourists who know better than to hit the Temple Bar trap. The lighting is warm and low, redolent of gaslight, and the large Victorian dispensers behind the bar once held port and brandy. There's no food beyond maybe some packaged snacks, and that's fine—this is about the experience, the history, and a perfectly poured pint in one of Ireland's most beautiful pub interiors.