The Dubliner Irish Pub — Restaurant in Boston

The Dubliner doesn’t whisper its presence, it announces itself. Sitting across from Boston’s hulking City Hall, the pub feels like a deliberate contrast, a beacon of warmth against the brutal concrete and empty plaza outside. When chef Aidan McGee opened the doors in 2022, he wasn’t looking to create just another place for pints. McGee brought with him a pedigree shaped in London’s Michelin-starred kitchens, and he used that experience to build a pub that respects tradition while refusing to serve the tired stereotypes of Irish food. The Dubliner has quickly become part of the city’s fabric, named Boston’s best Irish pub in 2023, and it is easy to see why.

The interior leans into history without feeling staged. There are antique Powers whiskey mirrors, salvaged Georgian fireplaces, tufted leather seating, and wallpaper rich enough to glow under the bar lights. It is a big space, more than 8,000 square feet, but it does not feel hollow. The pub side hums with chatter and clinking glasses, while the dining area slows things down and lets plates take center stage. On my visit, the staff pulled it all together. They weren’t just efficient, they were engaging, the kind of people who make you want to linger. At one point, our server told us about the night Ed Sheeran dropped in, a story that felt right at home in a place that thrives on music, pints, and easy laughter.

The food hit the notes I wanted. The pigs in a blanket came not as the dainty bites you expect, but as one hefty sausage wrapped in golden puff pastry, anchored by Coleman’s mustard that had just the right sting. The Guinness beef stew was the star, tender beef, carrots, potatoes, and a gravy so deep and rich it stayed with me all night. It was the kind of dish that reminds you why comfort food matters, especially in a city that spends half the year bracing against the cold. The Dubliner burger was less dramatic but no less satisfying, a sturdy brioche bun holding together onion rings, lettuce, tomato, house ketchup, and fries. It didn’t need to reinvent the wheel, it was simply done right.

And then there is the pint of Guinness. Boston loves to argue about who pours the best one, and The Dubliner makes a strong case. Creamy, balanced, pulled with care, it is the sort of pour that makes you lean back and decide you are in no rush to leave. That is the beauty of this place, it does not just feed you, it holds you. It is as much about the stew and beer as it is about the atmosphere, the stories, the sense that you have stumbled into a corner of Dublin transplanted into downtown Boston.

The Dubliner is more than a one-off stop, it is the kind of place you plan to revisit. Whether you are slipping in after work, catching live music on the weekend, or settling in for a Sunday roast, it has the bones of a pub that will last. In a city that sometimes feels like it forgets how to slow down, The Dubliner gets it right: hearty food, proper pints, and hospitality that feels earned, not forced. Walking back out into Government Center, you realize you have just left something rare, a bar that manages to feel like home even if it is your...

This restaurant is making at least a couple of mistakes that a lot of restaurants make these days, and it’s unfortunate.

1. I ordered the pigs in a blanket appetizer. Menu said it was $9. When we received the bill, I was charged $10. When I pointed this out to the server, who was a delightful young lady, she said that they updated prices in their computer but never updated it on the paper menu. She did not offer to honor the $9 price. I have seen this time and again from restaurants. So listen up Dubliner: when you update your prices in the computer, update them on the menu! The customers look at your menu, not your computer.

2. On the bill was $1.20 “hospitality charge.” I had no idea this would be charged, and I had no idea what it was for. When I inquired with the host, who was sitting at the bar by the way, he walked over to the host stand and pointed out a small sign that was sitting on top of it that apparently tells people about this hospitality charge. I briefly skimmed it, and it said something to the effect that this charge goes to cover restaurant operations, sanitization of glasses, etc. So Dubliner, understand this: if you’re going to charge a ridiculous charge like this, you’ve got to make it abundantly clear to the customers by putting it on the menu. Preferably, at the top, in large, brightly colored letters. This way, if customers are against this charge, they have the option of getting up and walking out. Putting it on a small sign that’s pushed to the side of a host stand that most people are not looking at is not helpful. And you know it. Besides, when we entered the restaurant, the host was at the bar and walked over to us to seat us. So we had no reason, to begin with, to even look at his host stand. Yes, I know it’s $1.20 and it’s a small amount of money, but I am talking principle here. Restaurant operations and sanitization of glasses should be something that you do as a normal part of your business without having to charge people for it.

So be cautious if you choose to visit this establishment. You may want to verify menu prices with your server and ask to have this hospitality charge removed if you feel so inspired to do so.

And Dubliner, do me a favor. Don’t reply to this review, giving me a laundry list of why you are right and I am wrong....

My last review was deleted so I’ll repost.

On 19th March, We spent the majority of the afternoon there. Had a three course meal, ordered multiple drinks, shots. We were enjoying ourselves and it was a chill atmosphere until about 6ish. The restaurant staff became noticeably stressed and our server disappeared for over 20mins. We could tell that the manager was trying to force everyone out. The server came back with the cheque stating ‘sorry guys I have to cash you out because…’ and couldn’t come up with an excuse. Turns out it was the wrong cheque so she disappeared again for a while. The same server who didn’t check on us the whole way through our meal…so much so that she acknowledged this at the end.

We had ordered 6 drinks prior to all this commotion but they never showed up. When the bill came the drinks were charged for. Obviously they had been forgotten about as the staff rushed around to clear tables and whispered to each other in the corner. Anyways, we were told we had to get out of the restaurant but that it was ok… we could move to the bar and that she would set us up with a space there. We get in to the main bar and it takes another 10mins for said drinks to arrive. No sooner does the beer touch the table and the bouncer starts telling us they are closed… drink up and get out! He continues to harass us over and over forcing us all to down our drinks. On google it says they are open until after midnight; no one warned us it was shutting, there was no last orders called. We were basically bullied out of there with no explanation.

Terrible customer service and never made to feel so unwelcome in an establishment in...