Johnnie Fox’s Pub

We took a chance on this tourist pub in the Dublin mountains, and we’re so glad we did! Best pint of Guinness yet! Maybe it’s the altitude? ;)
We only had pints at the front bar, so can’t speak for much else, but I’d recommend a visit to anyone in the area, and I’d be happy to return.

Nothing like this old Irish pub for a good night. The highest pub in Dublin features incredible, huge plates of typical Irish grub, some hearty soda bread and craft lagers like no other. Plus, their Hooley Nights with Irish dancing and singing are something so special you can’t help but have a great time

10 out of 10 for the décor ! Very well done and very cosy and comfortable inside. Great for winter !!! … good atmosphere inside. The bar staff were grand but the rest of the staff there were atrocious for service. it seemed like most of them were trying to avoid eye contact so they didn’t have to accommodate us due to the fact they were mental busy.. Our meal was rushed. We weren’t checked in on.. Coming towards our main the waiter plonked down a «reserved» sign. as to get it ready for the next people coming in. talk about giving us a hint. They cleared our plates then without asking us for teas or coffees etc. Staff seemed friendly enough — just busy. So we asked for the bill to leave even though we probably would have stayed otherwise.
Food was lovely.. himself got beef and it was so tender it just fell apart in your mouth.. Very flavoursome also. I got battered cod and chips mushy peas. Peas were gorgeous. Fish was nice but a bit greasy there was no vinegar and I couldn’t for the life of me get anyones attention to ask for some so had to do without.
I probably would come back but maybe just for a drink and maybe try mid week.

Although 45 min from Dublin a private shuttle is available. It is the highest pub in Ireland. The seafood chowder is a meal in itself, served with 4 slices of delicious homemade brown bread. No music on Monday when we were there but entrees are good, somewhat expensive for pub food and served quickly.

Excellent seafood chowder. Delicious pork belly. Hearty Irish lamb stew. Good service and atmosphere.

Today my boyfriend said ‘get ready I pick you up in 5 and we go for a drive’. So I jumped in my jeans and stole his comfy hoodie. Let’s go !
After driving to the Dublin mountains, with the soft top of his car down, wind blowing through our hair, my boyfriend said ‘how about we go to Johnnie Fox’s? t’s the highest pub in Ireland’ he said.
1* For the direction: Google map knows exactly where it is. It must really be famous!
1* For the decoration outside: The pub is a museum. I kind of imagine it looked like this in 1798 when it first opened. There is an old car in front, an old telephone box, a wishing well (I threw a coin and made a wish), a few agricultural machines, and a big pot that helped cook the daily ration of food during the famine period (history is something but remains brings you to the reality of things. Shocking really). Outside you can also find benches, tables and barrels, a very interesting mix and match of furniture that make the entrance friendly.
1* For the decoration inside: The place has the same feel inside. A bar area as you come in and further a collection of tables and chairs, all different from one to the other. The walls are covered in pictures, extracts of newspapers, porcelain pots and cups, street signs, proverbs, memories of all kinds reminding us of all what happened over the past 217 years.
1* For the staff: We sat and asked for the menu. The staff was amicable and fast in serving us and bringing the bill. A smile goes a long way, both ways.
1* For the food: I had a fish & chips and my boyfriend got himself a burger. The portions were quite big and the food really filling and tasty. Really tasty ! The batter of my fish wasn’t too thick nor greasy, the chips weren’t too skinny nor hollow, the burger was well done, and the onions cooked on point. For desert, we ordered 3 scoops of vanilla pod icecream. We shared and that was delicious !
1* For the overall experience:
2 teas
1 burger
1 fish & chips
1 icecream (3 scoops)
Total: 40 euros
The portions were huge. The place is special and really enjoyable to walk around. The staff is nice. There is not a single hiccup. The price is generous, that’s true. But we got out having learned something about the Irish history. I would like to go back sometime definitely :)
If you’ve got a ride and some time to drive around, I recommend this place. Take your phone/​camera for you’ll want to take pictures ;)

Mixed feelings about this place. Food is good but service is another issue.
Jonnhy Fox apparently is one of those pubs where you need to wait to be seated. I’m OK with that. The problem is that no one let you know you need to wait. No signs. No receptionist. We just went inside and looked for a table. We found one at the very back of the place. The menus were at the table and you decided our orders. From this point things started to get annoying. The waiters kept ignoring us for 20 minutes. Ignoring, really. We waved at them profusely and they looked away. At some point I got up and asked one of them to take our order. She said no one seated us at the table and I needed to go to the front bar and talk to someone there. I told her there was no reservation sign at table but she insisted I should ask to be seated. Jesus. This super (not) cool old pub is really stuck in time — not only with the internal decoration.
Anyway, I went to the front bar and asked to talk to person responsible for the reservations. The person wasn’t there! I was told to talk to someone else instead. I found him and explained the situation. You have no idea how crunchy and unfriendly this guy was. He was really upset because we did not wait for him to give us a table. OMG. I was shocked how some people can make a fuss because of nothing. I showed him where we were seated and he spent like a 1 minute checking his notes — of course there was nothing in there, the table was free but he wanted to make me feel bad. I he did. He finally said «OK» without even look to my face.
I came back to my table and the waitress took ages to take our order and another 30 minutes to bring our mains. Terrible terrible service. The food was good but there awful service overshadowed the whole thing. Never coming back there again.

Great pub, interesting venue in the mountains.
To go to the Johnnie Fox´s Pub there are several options, by car, by shuttle bus (the pub itself offers this service, what in my opinion is very good to avoid problems with alcohol driving back home) or in my case cycling. It is only 15 km from the city center in the middle of the Dublin Mountains, on the way to Wicklow.
The food is good, Irish dishes served in good portions with a reasonable price. It was a surprise for me to have the option of seafood there, a bit far away from the sea, but I have to say, that it was a good platter with many seafood types.
Inside and outside the pub you can find a lot of things, a museum like. It is possible to sit outside in a mix of traditional backyard and beer garden, and enjoy the peace of the valley.
Good service, even dressed as a weirdo with all the cycling staff, the service there remain friendly and professional. I recommend you to try it if you haven’t been to the Johnnie Fox´s yet.

Das am höhesten gelegene Pub in Irland, das über 200 Jahre alt ist. Wow, möchte man da sagen! Das Pub ist vollgestopft mit Geschichte– hier entdeckt man an jeder Ecke und an jeder Wand irgendwas kurioses und geschichtsträchtiges. Es ist ein beliebter Touristenspot, das regelmäßig von Bussen angefahren wird. Aber es ist auf jeden Fall auch ein Besuch wert. Wir hatten zwar nicht reserviert, mussten aber nicht lange auf einen Tisch warten– würde aber empfehlen zu reservieren. Hier bekommt man in verschiedenen Räumen neben Irish Stew auch Braten, Burger oder Muscheln zu einem gar nicht allzu teuren Preis.

After many years in Dublin I finally hopped on the tourist trai and made my way to Johnnie Foxes… I wasn’t disappointed :) I had the lamb shank which was cooked to perfection accompanied by a hearty portion of mash and veg… Yum!

Every visitor to Ireland must experience the Johnnie Fox’s experience… This is an old Irish pub which it stoked away on the Dublin mountains, tour buses come here as well as a local bus route makes it accessible otherwise a car is needed. It has traditional Irish music and the food menu is a very hearty Irish line up, from stew to seafood specialities and all worthy of trying. Recent visit, game here and it was buzzing the place is always a flush with people, always a great atmosphere and such a blend of people, yep the tourists are here but there is also a great gathering of locals so this makes it awesome to mingle and yes, you do get a flavour for what good olé Irish hospitality really is. You can book for Hooley’s which is like a banquet style dinner room with traditional menu served up as well as live Irish entertainment so whether it be trad band, irish dancers, etc. The pub is rich with history, they have tons of memorabilia from the years so every corner is loaded with history, I learn soemthing new every time I visit. On a beautiful day, there is outdoor seating and you can check out the great rolling hills out from, perfect scenery and as Irish as it comes.

Although not a big fan of the quaintishly Irish take on a trad pub that is Johnnie Foxes, I can never fault the quality of the food from this fine establishment.
For a mountain bar, their seafood is as good and better than most you’ll find in Howth or Dun Laoghaire.
Last time I was here I got the crab claws and sea bass. Just properly yum and they looked fantastic too. Only reason is doesn’t get the famous 5 is that décor, it leaves me a little cold is all.

Not a nice atmosphere., Bar man was a waste of space, Drink too expensive, a total shot hole, the blue lion Is far superior.

If you are following the Operation Transformation group on RTE, could I cheekily suggest that you start your exercise régime by following the Wicklow Way trail. The first leg of it takes you from Marley Park Rathfarnham and you can finish at Johnny Fox’s pub. As a reward, treat yourself to a hearty feed and I would highly recommend a bowl of their wonderful chowder. It’s a gorgeous spot at this time of year with blazing warm fires and hardly a tourist in sight! But don’t be tempted to stay too long in front of that fire or you run the risk of ordering a pint of their creamy Guinness!

Great classic pub, had the mussel starter, the lamb shank, and the whiskey cake. Awesome meal one of the best I had in Ireland! Staff was great no complaints, they even let me take some peat brickette to take home. A must stop for anyone exploring the south side of Dublin.

JFP is a very famous Irish bar world wide. Its a regular stop for coach parties.
I’ve been in Dublin a few years and haven never made the trip.
It was much as I expected, busy, lots of memorabilia. However it was better than I thought it would be. Its over the top, but built up over a number of years rather than some of the bas that open ready made full of crap.
Decent selection of craft beers and the food look ok but we didn’t have any.
I liked It.

If you wake up on a rainy Sunday craving some delicious soda bread dipped in a warm wholesome chowder, I would definitely recommend J. Fox’s. On a sunny day the garden is the place to be with a cold beer and a beautiful view. On a gloomy Irish day, the cosy, rustic interior will make the rain worth it.
The staff could stand to be a bit friendlier but overall its a huge YES in my books.

La comida iba incluida en la excursión y el lugar era precioso. El servicio no estaba mal pero se hacen un lío con la cuenta en el caso de los grupos. Nosotros no teníamos la bebida incluida y para pagar nos contaron de más. Hay que tener paciencia y pedir en orden. Se marean con poco. Por los demás, todo bien.

Envie de découvrir un lieu complètement atypique à Dublin? Foncez au Johnnie Fox’s «famed as the higest pub in Ireland», autrement dit, le plus haut pub d’Irlande !
Un côté pub, un côté restaurant, c’est celui-​ci que l’on choisi pour commencer notre séjour à Dublin par un repas classique irlandais.
Au Johnnie Fox’s Pub, on entre, et on est tout de suite émerveillé par la décoration. Dans les différentes pièces sont entreposés tout plein de bibelot et autres babioles, et les murs sont plein de tableaux.
On peut facilement se balader dans la maison entière pour jouer les touristes, même si, d’après mon hôte, ce n’est pas tellement un endroit à touristes.
Au menu, pas de burger ni de fish and chips, mais des plats typiquement irlandais dont j’ai oublié les noms, et d’autres plats classiques. Mon entrée, croustillants de chèvre était parfaite pour commencer. L’agneau Irlandais était bien présenté dans son énorme plat que je n’ai pas pu finir. Pour terminer tout ça, le dessert framboises-​meringues-​chantilly était vraiment divin !
En résumé, c’est un bon restaurant, et un pub qui a l’air encore plus cool (en tout cas la bière que j’ai bu était bonne), tout ça dans un lieu avec un charme fou !

We went here while on a trip to Ireland for the shallowest of reasons. We have a dog called Johnny Fox and wanted to visit the pub of almost the same name. Seeing flyers in our hotel did not bode well for a non-​tourist trap vibe. However after we pulled in one cold winter lunchtime we experienced a great slice of Irish hospitality high in the Wicklow Mountains.
As has been mentioned in other reviews there is great reading on all of the walls. The beer was fantastic while we sampled the soup for lunch. Carrot and Butterbean was good but the Smoked Seafood chowder was really mind blowing. Throw in some fresh soda bread and butter and you have a great tasty lunch.
Great vibe, great food and drink and great service.
Thoroughly recommended.

Just what it says on the tin. Old fashioned cosy pub nestled into the mountains, perfect for a good feed after a hike (or feck it, even a drive up there). The views are lovely, the décor is gorgeous, and the food was really great. It’s probably not the cheapest, but it is what you would expect in an establishment frequented by so many tourists. It’s easy to discount it as just a tourist trap for that very reason, but actually after said hike on Saturday and arrival to a nice roaring fire and some piping hot comfort food, maybe they’re onto someting.

Great tourist place. From Dublin you get a ride up beautiful scenic mountains to Johnnie Fox’s — the view is AMAZING and the exterior of the pub shows real character.
The food was fantastic! For my group we had choices between soup and prawns, then duck or salmon, and then whiskey cake or cobbler. I had the prawns — which were mini prawns with thousand island dressing on them — they were delicious. I then had the salmon with hollandaise sauce — again it was finger licking good. Finally it was time for dessert and I chose the whiskey cake — I swear I cried because it was so delicious. Moist, and flavorful — it was perfect.
And it didn’t just end with the food!
Throughout the meal Irish music was playing and drinks were flowing and after dessert they put on a beautiful Irish dance show — it was just an altogether great time.
Only negatives for me — which are more of personal pet peeves — is that it being a heavily emphasized tourist attraction, it was EXTREMELY crowded. I was very clausterphobic at times and even left some of the show to escape some of boisterous crowd.
Over I’m a fan of this pub and would definitely reccommend it to anyone visiting Dublin.

Amazing, amazing staff. I wish I’d gotten her name (nickname «the wicked witch» for her huge laugh brimming with personality). They were fun and made sure we had a great time. We had some of the wait-​staff do the «After 8 challenge» (After 8 chocolate mint on your forehead, and with no hands wiggle it down to your mouth) and they had a blast playing with us.
Huge portions for your food. I ordered the filo shrimp which was a little salty but still very good (loved the aoli dip). I also ordered the chicken which was HUGE; tender and came with a side of steamed veggies and mashed potatoes.
Live music guy took requests and also added to our great time :)
Amazing craic & amazing service.

Un bar en las montanas que es muy bueno. Uno de los mejores Guinness en el mundo. Tiene mucho charitura. Tambien si fumes fumes en un auto bus antiguo. Me gusto tanto!

Ich war mit einem Kollegen auf Geschäftsreise in Dublin und wir wurden von unseren Geschäftspartnern eingeladen um mal ein ‘typisch Irisches Pub’ kennenzulernen. Es war ein phantastischer Abend in einer super Location (o.k., es waren vermutlich nicht allzuviele ‘echte Iren’ vor Ort) mit Guiness und gutem Essen.
Am besten war die Livemusik. Es war sehr spannend zu sehen wie viele Iren in der Lage sind bei Volksliedern mitzusingen.

Johnny Fox’s ist der Hammer. Wirlich gut. Essen ist für Irland auch relativ okay — preistechnisch gesehen! :)

Nanu? JFP ist noch nicht in Qype?
Dann wars das wohl mit dem Geheimtipp ;-)
Das Johnnie Foxens liegt in Glencullen, etwa 25 Min. mit dem Auto von Dublin entfernt. Es soll der höchst gelegene Pub Irlands sein.
In verschiedenen Gasträumen wird neben traditionell irischem Essen auch hervorragendes Seafood serviert. Wer nicht vorher reserviert hat (empfehlenswert), wartet an der Bar bis einer der fixen Kellner/​innen die zugewiesene ‘Startnummer’ lautstark verkündet. In einer Ecke der vorderen Bar im Eingangsbereich spielen irische Bands und alle, die den Text kennen, singen eifrig mit.
Am besten man bucht ‘Hooleys Nights’ mit Show and Dinner. In einem der Räume kann man dann beim Essen und Trinken den Line Dancer zusehen. Das ist schon ein Erlebnis!
Die Räume sind mit jeder Menge Schilder und Krimskrams zugepflastert. Eine echte Augenweide.
Mehr Infos auf

Excellent pub et leur biere et vraiment excellentte avec leur grand verre et leur harase connu vraoiment un endroit trankille ou on peut se retrouvais entre amis !!

Touristisch und voll mit Nicht-​Iren. Aber vielleicht gerade deshalb so bunt und spannend: Hier feiern alle, die mal irisch feiern wollen. Entweder im Pub, mit Live-​Musik, mit irischem Tanz oder einfach ruhig bei Kaminfeuer beim Dinner. Trotz der vielen Menschen ist der Service sehr gut, Preise sind moderat und das Essen gut. Obwohl es in den Dublin Mountains und damit ein Paar Meter weg vom Meer liegt, sind die Seafood-​Spezialitäten hier sehr zu empfehlen. Schön ist nebenbei auch der Parkplatz mit den vielen Oldtimern vor dem Pub.

Gutes Essen, gute Unterhaltung und rauchfrei. Wie muss es früher ausgesehen haben in diesen ehrwürdigen Räumen, als noch in den Pubs geraucht wurde. Heute treffen sich die Raucher auf der schönen Aussenterrasse und drinnen kann jeder die herrliche Deckendeko betrachten. Am meisten haben uns die hier auf dem Foto abgebildeten Pisspötte begeistert. Natürlich auch mit den dazugehörigen Wasserkaraffen. Hier kann ruhig mal die Kanalisation ausfallen — es ist genug Ausweichmaterial aus vergangenen Zeiten vorhanden.
Ich hatte das Vergnügen, eine Sing– und Tanzveranstaltung bei Johnnie zu erleben. Bier floss reichlich und die Stimmung im Saal war auf dem Höhepunkt. Da macht es auch nichts aus, dass man irgendwann in der Nacht halbschlafend mit dem Bus über eine halbstündige Fahrt wieder ins Hotel verbracht wurde. Die Anreise lohnt immer und ist jedem zu empfehlen.

Established in 1798, Johnnie Fox’s is one of the oldest pubs in Ireland. Renowned for being the highest pub in the country, we are nestled in the peaceful township of Glencullen and surrounded by the beautiful scenery and serenity of the Dublin Mountains. Johnnie Fox’s Pub is situated approximately 25 – 35 minutes drive from Dublin City centre.
Dieser Pub ist übrigens der am höchsten gelegene Pub Irelands. Ich glaube, es sind so rund 600 Meter ü.d.M.
Seine Popularität kann man auch an den riesigen Parkplätzen auf den umliegenden Wiesen ermessen.
Innen siehts ja aus wie in einem Museum, an den Wänden, auf dem Boden und in Vitrinen hängen und stehen die urigen Sammlerstück aus vergangenen Zeiten.
Man staune: Hier im Hochgebirge ist eine der Spezialitäten auf der Speisekarte? Na ???
Miesmuscheln !!!
Der Ausflug hat sich wirklich gelohnt, zumal die Anreise aus Dublin ja auch landschaftlich eindrucksvoll geplant wurde.

Wer mal in die Nähe von Dublin kommt, muss sich Johnny Fox’s Pub ansehen. Das ist eine Mischung aus Irischer Kneipe und Restaurant. Es gibt sehr gute Gerichte, viel Fisch und Meeresfrüchte und Rind.
Alles ist urig alt eingerichtet. Die Möbel und die Dekorationen sind echt alt. Auch vor dem Eingang stehen Oldtimer und ein historischer Doppeldecker-​Bus.
Später am Abend tritt noch eine Band oder Alleinunterhalter auf. Der gibt dann irische Songs zum besten und macht seine Witze mit den Gästen; alles in einer homorvollen weise, ohne jemanden bloß zustellen.