Top 10 Great Places to Visit in Smithfield
Within the Dublin City Centre and the greater Dublin area, there are a number of mainstream and more niche attractions for tourists and residents, including Smithfield. Smithfield is one of the attractions in the Dublin City Centre that stands as its own area with a number of attractions worth visiting, and a history dating as far back as the 1600s. Here are the top ten great places to visit in Smithfield as follows below.
Top 10 Great Places to Visit in Smithfield – 1. The Cobblestone
Image: Ireland by Chance
The Cobblestone is among these recommended places to visit in Smithfield as a traditional Irish pub, featuring live music. It is a family run pub that belongs to the Mulligan family, who have been playing Irish music across five generations and run by Tom Mulligan. Aesthetically and in its other features, The Cobblestone has all the hallmarks of a traditional Irish pub, from its hardwood floors and assorted posters to its bar snacks of peanuts and crisps and clustered together beer taps.
These elements all come together to make an authentic experience of an Irish pub worth experiencing in Smithfield and arguably in Ireland as a whole.
Address: 77 King St N, Smithfield, Dublin, D07 TP22
Opening Hours: Mon – Thurs) 7 PM – 11:30 PM
Fri) 4 PM – 12:30 AM
Sat) 1:30 PM – 12:30 AM
Sun) 2 PM – 11 PM
Official Website: http://cobblestonepub.ie/
Top 10 Great Places to Visit in Smithfield – 2. Frank Ryan’s
Image: All the Food
What makes the pub Frank Ryan’s such a distinctive place within Smithfield is its atmosphere, pizzas, and pints. Frank Ryan’s is a dimly lit, ornate with music memorabilia pub that operates on the mantra of “giving a friendly welcome in a warm bar” free of over-the-top crowding and excess noise. The pizzas it has on offer are all woodfire baked and come in options like the house name Frank’s Pizza and the vegan La Rossa, for example.
The fact it is cited to have quality pints of Guinness and also plays host to live rock, blues, and trad music only adds to the merits of Frank Ryan’s for visiting.
Address: 5 Queen St, Smithfield, Dublin 7, D07 T227
Opening Hours: Mon – Thurs) 4 PM – 11:30 PM
Fri – Sat) 4 PM – 12:30 AM
Sun) 6 PM – 11:00 PM
Official Website: https://www.frankryans.com/
Top 10 Great Places to Visit in Smithfield – 3. Lighthouse Cinema
Image: Lighthouse Cinema
Pubs aside, Lighthouse Cinema is a quintessential place to visit in the Smithfield area. Besides its functionality as a movie theatre, Lighthouse Cinema also acts as a café on its ground floor for those who are looking for a bite and/or coffee to have and a bar with alcohol at its lower level. This movie theatre has created a reputation for itself as a cinema for independent cinema and cinema from acclaimed directors alike, even hosting film festivals like the Japanese Film Festival.
The reverence for film shown throughout the many parts of Lighthouse Cinema really shines through and is essential for all cinephiles to visit.
Address: Market St S, Smithfield, Dublin 7, D07 R6YE
Opening Hours: Mon – Sun) 11 AM – 11 PM
Official Website: https://www.lighthousecinema.ie/
Top 10 Great Places to Visit in Smithfield – 4. Jameson Distillery Bow St.
Image: Jameson Irish Whiskey
Back to the topic of alcohol, Jameson Distillery Bow St. is a place where the Jameson brand whiskey is made. Alongside touring the distillery itself, Jameson Distillery Bow St. offer visitors the opportunities to sample their whiskey, partake in cocktail creation classes, and to even bottle their very own Jameson whiskey bottles at varying prices. It also “stands as a monument to Irish Whiskey” and the history of its making and cultural impact on Ireland.
For connoisseurs of liquor or anyone with a passion for a part of Irish history, Jameson Distillery Bow St. earns its placement among this top ten great places to visit in Smithfield list.
Address: Bow St, Smithfield, Dublin 7, D07 N9VH
Opening Hours: Mon – Thurs) 10:30 AM – 6 PM
Fri) 10:30 AM – 7 PM
Sat) 10 AM – 7 PM
Sun) 12 PM – 6 PM
Official Website: https://www.jamesonwhiskey.com/en-ie/visit-our-distilleries/jameson-bow-street-distillery-tour/
Top 10 Great Places to Visit in Smithfield – 5. Token
Image: Trinity News
A place accessible to both gamers and non-gamers alike is Token. Why Token is accessible to both of these demographics is because of its recognisable mainstream names its arcade machines offer like Mortal Kombat, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and Space Invaders. Accompanying its arcade machines are pinball machines, the option for food both vegan and non-vegan alike, and the facility to have a drink whilst you eat and or play in Token.
Token is among the newer places in Smithfield and can satiate appetites for gaming, food, and alcohol, all in one place.
Address: 72-74 Queen St, Smithfield, Dublin 7
Opening Hours: Mon – Tues) CLOSED
Wed) 5 PM – 11 PM
Thur) 5 PM – 12 AM
Fri) 5 PM – 1 AM
Sat) 1 PM – 1 AM
Sun) 4 PM – 11 AM
Official Website: https://www.tokendublin.ie/
Top 10 Great Places to Visit in Smithfield – 6. Index
Image: Licklist
Within the nightlife accompanying the pubs within Smithfield is none other than Index. Index is a venue that specialises in electronic music with a varied array of DJs that play every Friday, Saturday and Sunday. A unique aspect of this place for a night out is its “No Phones & No Cameras” policy, implemented for the sake of full immersion in the music and being in the moment with everyone whilst dancing the night away.
This distinctive experience with electronic music Index cultivates is a “fun-loving, responsible, respectful and compassionate” community worth getting involved with.
Address: 39-40 Arran Quay, Smithfield, Dublin 7, D07 X76R
Opening Hours: Mon – Thurs) CLOSED
Fri – Sun) 10 PM – 3 AM
Official Website: http://indexdublin.com/
Top 10 Great Places to Visit in Smithfield – 7. SOUP 2
Image: The Irish Times
In terms of international cuisine, the Asian restaurant SOUP 2 is a great find for places to visit in Smithfield and dine in. SOUP 2 is an expansion to Smithfield from its original Dun Laoghaire location. Both are renowned for their “ramen, signature chicken and pork dishes, homemade noodles and wide range of delicious alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages.” They also have a number of options for vegan customers, including vegan ramen and teriyaki cauliflower wings as two things on offer.
SOUP 2 ultimately delivers a unique take on Asian food worth dining in amongst the places to visit in Smithfield.
Address: 44 – 47 King St N, Smithfield, Dublin, D07 Y7AA
Opening Hours: Mon) CLOSED
Tues – Thurs) 4 PM – 9 PM
Fri – Sat) 12 PM – 10 PM
Sun) 12 PM – 9 PM
Official Website: https://www.soupramen.ie/smithfield
Top 10 Great Places to Visit in Smithfield – 8. Proper Order Coffee
Image: Restaurant Guru
If you want to grab a coffee somewhere that isn’t a chain brand, then Proper Order Coffee is the cafe for you. With the slogan “Exceedingly Good Coffee”, Proper Order Coffee is a family business started by the married couple of Niall and Aliona Wynn, which serves coffee originating from all over Europe (including Square Mile). They also have their own in-house specials to serve their customers, such as their “Watermelon Drops” coffee and “Jazz Fruits” espresso as part of Proper Order Coffee’s menu.
To get your coffee fix and support local businesses, Proper Order Coffee is certainly somewhere you need to grab coffee when in Smithfield.
Address: 7 Haymarket, Smithfield, Dublin, D07 XW86
Opening Hours: Mon – Fri) 7 AM – 5 PM
Sat) 10 AM – 5 PM
Sun) CLOSED
Official Website: https://www.properordercoffeeco.com/
Top 10 Great Places to Visit in Smithfield – 9. Bonobo
Image: Twitter
Bonobo earns its place on this list because of its distinctive interior/exterior, woodfire pizzas, and its craft beer selection. Bonobo has both a ground floor and an upper floor with an outdoor patio ideal for a few summer-time pints under the sun, all in a decor of brick and wood reminiscent of a cabin out in the woods. This pub is the byproduct of the founders of the Galway hit Caribou, a well renowned craft beer bar in that area.
What Bonobo brings to Smithfield is the allure of a beer garden, craft beers, and food, which helps to round out an already varied area of pubs and restaurants.
Address: 119 Church Street Upper, Inns Quay, Dublin 7, D07 E128
Opening Hours: Mon – Thurs) 4 PM – 12 AM
Fri) 4 PM – 1 AM
Sat) 1 PM – 1 AM
Sun) 1 PM – 12 AM
Official Website: https://www.instagram.com/bonobo_smithfield/
(As of this time of writing, they are working on a new website and only have their official Instagram account available for updates in the meantime.)
Top 10 Great Places to Visit in Smithfield – 10. Dashi
Image: All The Food
Last, but certainly not least, Dashi is a cocktail bar from the owners of SOUP and SOUP 2 with its signature slogan proclaiming it as being “Dog Owned. People friendly.” Besides being a cocktail bar with a dog-themed cocktail menu, Dashi offers its clientele music nights throughout the week, including Hip-Hop, Rap, Jazz, House, Techno, and Disco nights throughout the week. It features classic choices common in cocktail bars like Whiskey Sour and Long Island Iced Tea, accompanying Dashi’s own house specials of the cocktails “Black Dog” and “Fetch” as part of their offerings.
Dashi’s signature blend of live music from a variety of genres and cocktails cements its position for this top ten distinctive places to visit in Smithfield.
Address: 44 – 47 King St N, Smithfield, Dublin, D07 Y7AA
Opening Hours: Mon) 6 PM – 3 AM
Tues) CLOSED
Wed – Sun) 6 PM – 3 AM
Official Website: https://www.dashi.ie/
Did you feel these choices represented all that Smithfield has to offer? What would you present alternatively if you disagree with any of the choices listed in this article? Be sure to sound off in the comments below!