The Black Sheep
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Reviewed by eluvah from New York
4.06/5 rDev -7.3%
vibe: 3.75 | quality: 4.25 | service: 4 | selection: 4.25 | food: 3.5
4.06/5 rDev -7.3%
vibe: 3.75 | quality: 4.25 | service: 4 | selection: 4.25 | food: 3.5
Decent size place. Table and chairs were old and a bit uncomfortable. Place had only two women working but they did beat they could. Best selection of beers I encountered in Dublin. Had a couple of Saison DuPont from a bottle. I was getting tired of stouts. Food was ok. I would recommend visiting.
Jun 28, 2025
Reviewed by Gatch from Massachusetts
4.57/5 rDev +4.3%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.75
4.57/5 rDev +4.3%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.75
Great location a bit north of the river along a touristy yet tidy street that's pedestrian-friendly. Has that classic pub vibe but a more unique and modern tap list. Beers you likely can't find elsewhere in Dublin. Had an Irish Red from Galway which was pretty tasty. Young and attentive staff, a young and vibrant crowd, and the menu looked solid. A great stop for a pint!
Apr 07, 2024
Reviewed by metter98 from New York
4.19/5 rDev -4.3%
vibe: 4.25 | quality: 4 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.25 | food: 3.75
4.19/5 rDev -4.3%
vibe: 4.25 | quality: 4 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.25 | food: 3.75
Vibe: This place is located in Dublin 1, about a 5 minute walk north of the River Liffey. I stopped in around 1 pm on a weekday and there were about a dozen people here having lunch and a pint. The interior has an open and airy feel to it and has two separate, but connected rooms.
Quality: Beers were served at the proper temperature using a variety of glassware. I was impressed that when I ordered a bottle of a hefezeizen from Northern Ireland, they gave me a Schneider weizen glass to drink it in.
Service: I sat at the bar so service was quick. They had two bartenders working, which was more than enough to handle the people that were there at the time.
Selection: As the bar is owned by Galway Bay Brewery, they had all of their brewery's selections available, but there were also an extensive selection of beers from other breweries and a lengthy bottle list. I tried a couple of beers from their bottle list as well as a pint of Jarl from Fyne Ales on cask.
Food: I had their beef stew for lunch, which was pretty good and went well with the beer since it was made with Galway Bay Stout. A portion of the large bowl was occupied by a heaping pile of mashed potatoes.
Value: I found the prices to be reasonable compared to other bars in the area.
Jun 23, 2014Quality: Beers were served at the proper temperature using a variety of glassware. I was impressed that when I ordered a bottle of a hefezeizen from Northern Ireland, they gave me a Schneider weizen glass to drink it in.
Service: I sat at the bar so service was quick. They had two bartenders working, which was more than enough to handle the people that were there at the time.
Selection: As the bar is owned by Galway Bay Brewery, they had all of their brewery's selections available, but there were also an extensive selection of beers from other breweries and a lengthy bottle list. I tried a couple of beers from their bottle list as well as a pint of Jarl from Fyne Ales on cask.
Food: I had their beef stew for lunch, which was pretty good and went well with the beer since it was made with Galway Bay Stout. A portion of the large bowl was occupied by a heaping pile of mashed potatoes.
Value: I found the prices to be reasonable compared to other bars in the area.
Reviewed by bareju from Georgia
4.44/5 rDev +1.4%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5
4.44/5 rDev +1.4%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5
Went here last night, I will be visiting again. A lot. Great selection, good atmosphere. A good number of tables, comfortably noisy. I agree with all of the other points made by the other reviewer. However, the prices are pretty reasonable considering other pubs in Dublin and the quality of the beer served here. Seems to be on par with most prices in the American bars I've been to, around 5 euro for most pints and the 2/3 pints of the stronger beer. Compared to the bottle prices in off-licenses, the draft prices are a steal. A 500mL of Tap 6 costs 3.80 euro, and you can get it here on draft for 5? Pretty good in my book.
Nov 28, 2013
Reviewed by StJamesGate from New York
4.35/5 rDev -0.7%
vibe: 4.25 | quality: 4.25 | service: 4.25 | selection: 4.75 | food: 4
4.35/5 rDev -0.7%
vibe: 4.25 | quality: 4.25 | service: 4.25 | selection: 4.75 | food: 4
I was quite surprised there were no reviews for this place.
This is the second branch in Dublin for the Galway Bay Brewery (who run Against the Grain, and also Brew Dock by Connolly station) and the best craft beer option north of the river around O'Connell St.
Its decor is a cross between a saloon and library, unpretentious as far as gastropubs go, with lots of nooks and crannies. This attracts a young-ish mix of hipsters and local office workers with the occasional tourist, and fills up on weekends but not so much that you can't ever find a seat. Crucially, there is no TV.
The select is as good as it gets for Dublin. They regularly pour (in addition to their 4 house beers) 2 taps from Sierra Nevada including a seasonal, two from BrewDog, one from Flying Dog, several Irish craft and other imports which could include Crew from Germany, Brewfist from Italy, Golden Drak or Delirium Tremens. There are also three cask engines, with two usually on, though the selection here is less exciting, usually along the lines of London Pride or Mad Goose. There's a full range of bottles, too. A chalkboard keeps things straight.
Staff are usually hassled but glad to help when you catch them. The food is a half step past the usual burger with things like Asian noodle salad, and is not extortionate. Overall the place is quite buzzy, and gets maybe the highest average beer knowledge across the clientele, as opposed to the Bull & Castle, which gets plenty of beer geeks but also plenty of people there for the Sol specials.
The only complaint is pricing. Be prepared to pay upwards of 6 euro for a pint of BrewDog, 4 and change for a schooner (2/3 pint) of stronger imports, and even 5 or more for the own beers. The last point is especially galling when J W Sweetmans (the former Mssrs Maguire) charges only 4 for their house brews.
Still, this is the best of Galway Bay's pubs and a top 5 craft beer spot in Dublin.
Aug 16, 2013This is the second branch in Dublin for the Galway Bay Brewery (who run Against the Grain, and also Brew Dock by Connolly station) and the best craft beer option north of the river around O'Connell St.
Its decor is a cross between a saloon and library, unpretentious as far as gastropubs go, with lots of nooks and crannies. This attracts a young-ish mix of hipsters and local office workers with the occasional tourist, and fills up on weekends but not so much that you can't ever find a seat. Crucially, there is no TV.
The select is as good as it gets for Dublin. They regularly pour (in addition to their 4 house beers) 2 taps from Sierra Nevada including a seasonal, two from BrewDog, one from Flying Dog, several Irish craft and other imports which could include Crew from Germany, Brewfist from Italy, Golden Drak or Delirium Tremens. There are also three cask engines, with two usually on, though the selection here is less exciting, usually along the lines of London Pride or Mad Goose. There's a full range of bottles, too. A chalkboard keeps things straight.
Staff are usually hassled but glad to help when you catch them. The food is a half step past the usual burger with things like Asian noodle salad, and is not extortionate. Overall the place is quite buzzy, and gets maybe the highest average beer knowledge across the clientele, as opposed to the Bull & Castle, which gets plenty of beer geeks but also plenty of people there for the Sol specials.
The only complaint is pricing. Be prepared to pay upwards of 6 euro for a pint of BrewDog, 4 and change for a schooner (2/3 pint) of stronger imports, and even 5 or more for the own beers. The last point is especially galling when J W Sweetmans (the former Mssrs Maguire) charges only 4 for their house brews.
Still, this is the best of Galway Bay's pubs and a top 5 craft beer spot in Dublin.
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