The Cobblestone — Restaurant in Dublin

The Cobblestone Pub – Come for the Music, Stay for the Humanity

We came early for the live traditional music — and ended up staying for hours.

The music was everything we hoped for: raw, real, and magnetic. But what truly elevated our night was the people behind the bar and the feeling of being welcomed into something much bigger than a pub.

While waiting for the session to start, we had the chance to chat with the staff, which was not only fun but surprisingly educational. One bartender kindly clued me in on an important cultural lesson: never order a Black and Tan in Ireland. I had no idea the term refers to the British paramilitary forces sent to suppress Irish independence in the 1920s. It’s an understandably loaded phrase here — not something to casually say at the bar. Grateful for the gentle correction and the history lesson I’ll never forget.

I also walked away with newfound respect for Guinness and the subtle factors that influence its taste. Ever heard of invisible congealed milk solids? They can cling to a glass if it’s been used for an Irish coffee and not rinsed well, and they noticeably affect the pour. I’ll never look at a pint the same way again.

Special shoutout to Camille, the most intuitive bar server I’ve ever encountered. She’s French, and her quiet command of the room was impressive — kind, proactive, and deeply attuned. She encouraged the quieter guests to order without pressure and even offered water to someone who didn’t want a drink. No ego, no flash — just genuine hospitality. I watched her treat everyone with the same care.

We stayed for a few hours of music, and it felt like being part of a living tradition — not just a show. The Cobblestone has soul. If you’re visiting Dublin and want to feel something real, go early, grab a seat, and let the...

First time I went to the Cobblestone was 2 years ago; I went for the jam session with my fiddle. I don't play traditional Irish music so I wanted to sit in the back and try to figure out the tunes, but they kept telling me, "No, get in the circle. Sit closer", so I did. Eventually, it came around where it was my turn to chose the song we would play. I told everyone that I don't play Irish tunes but that I grew up in Louisiana and play Cajun music. They all cheered "go on, play a Cajun tune". It was great to hear the Irish embellishments added to the old Cajun song "J'etais a Bal". The owner was a big fella. He sat there in the circle with us and played the flute. At some point, he looked out into the bar at the patrons and noticed something that I had not. He set his flute down, walked into the crowd, grabbed a guy by his shirt and walked him to the door and set him outside on the street. He turned and came back to the circle, picked up his flute and continued the song. I was catching a boat the next day to France, so I had to wake up kind of early, so eventually I thanked everyone and prepared to leave. The owner set down his flute and said, "Hold on, come with me". I followed him around the bar wondering what was up. He turned and asked me, "What size T-shirt do you wear?". I told him Large and he walked into the office and came back with a Cobblestone shirt. This is the kind of experience you can have at the Cobblestone. Good drinks, good music and...

My Irish friend and I were in this pub and were shushed once because a set of musicians was playing traditional music. We were not louder than anyone else (including some Australians standing behind us), we just happened to be one South American and one Irish woman catching up. A bespectacled man with a bun behind the bar took exception to my explaining that I was no louder than anyone else and maybe they should consider managing a concert hall instead. When we asked to be served another drink he refused to serve us as we had been “rude”. We were never rude. We just stated the obvious: it’s a pub and people come to have a drink and an ole chat; the music is in the background. He claimed to attend a concert hall you have to pay a fee. My point was that I was paying for my drinks. He claimed we’d not ordered a drink in a while (not true: we ordered drinks from the only lady behind the bar). Bottom line? It’s easy to target two women, one of which is a foreigner (he never stopped serving or took exception to the decibels at which the Australian MEN were chatting). This is my first time in 24 years (probably the age of the barman) I’ve felt discriminated for my gender or my origin in this country. The Cobblestones can keep their racist and misogynistic drinks to themselves. Word of mouth...