Blackbird

SUCH a cool place! I’ve only been once but really loved what was going on there. It’s decorated in a quirky but endearing way– funky lamps, old couches, and long wooden tables. They have many different beers to choose from so that’s always a nice find. It’s in Rathmines but not completely isolated from town, and the road leads to Camden so you can just make your way down. The crowd is quite hipster-​y, so if that’s not your cup of tea, I would choose another bar. I will definitely go back at some point!

Haha we use this pub as the final stop of a Run to Beer event each week. So you run for 4 km then have a beer as your reward. Might seem odd being healthy then drinking but everything in moderation right ;)
This is a great pub. Nice and big with the bar in the center. Good selection of beers and a very impressive outdoor area which I am pleased to say isn’t filled with smokers so i was well delighted with that.
On Wednesday nights it’s not even half full but I would guess it gets busy closer to the weekends. Nice

I read in a local magazine that this pub is perfect for a first date, and it is true, but not only to go on the first date, also for the second, to meet the friends, or for a night out with your work mates. The decoration is nice, warm, with candles and fire place, the atmosphere is great. The pub is cosy, with many different spaces: an outdoor space for smoker or for the days with good weather (they will come back, believe me), a room with a fire place and board games and a the big room with separate spaces.
The venue was renewed mid 2015, if you were before you´ll be surprise with all the changes there. Good beer selection, tap, cans and bottles (even gluten free beers). They have some food /​snacks to soak up the beer, in case you get hungry. The music is not bad.
And for the sport lovers: no worries, the pub is fully equipped with tv´s to follow up your favourite game.

Really cool place in one of the finest areas of the city. The music plus an amazing decoration makes this pub unique and funny for a few pints. Here you can find a huge selection of beers and food in a great atmosphere.

Always a great atmosphere in Blackbird. Great quirky décor and fantastic craft beers on tap. Decent crowd. Also the pizzas are delicious

If I had more of a inner hipster I would be in heaven when I walk into Blackbird. I believe it is owned by the same people who are in charge of P Macs in the city center. Like P Mac’s, the have a great selection of beer and games. The bar is pretty big including an outdoor section with heated seating.
I actually went to watch the rugby game here– although not your typical sports bar, they played the commentary over the music as well as had a half time BBQ. There are not that many TV’s so you may struggle to find a good vantage point on busier days however my party was about 12 people and we were comfortable and even had a table.
It’s a good neighbourhood bar for a few drinks but your I wouldn’t go here expecting the night of my life.

Hipsters R’ Us… Yes, down with the hipster trend this place has all the old school, random, mix-​matched, we’ve not tried but really have tried interior about itself! Lamp shades, we love lampshades so we?
Craft beers, ciders and stouts… A stash of board games available plus what’s great is the spacious outdoor but if weather isn’t on your side, there are some great little snug areas inside or with a group of people, no probs, they’ve a bunch of large desk seating laid on.
First time here and definitely think I’ll be back

Great selection of rotating craft beers and an outdoor patio for sunny days! The Blackbird does have a bit of a hipster vibe, but so does the modern craft beer scene in general so it shouldn’t be a shock. The staff are super friendly and happy to give suggestions and tasters if you’re undecided.
The décor is quirky and fun, with vintage toys adorning the ceiling and shelves. It’s actually quite a neat little collection, so even checking that out is entertaining.
At the moment, they don’t have a food menu per se; only 3 personal pizza options (and the pizza isn’t great). You can get a pizza and pint for € 10 any day of the week, though, so it’s still a good value option if you need something to soak up the beer!

Nobody actually knows what a Craft Beer really is.
I think a big group of Dublin lads went to Berlin and all they can really remember is we gotta have some of whatever those guys’s are having. Yeah like fuck this Heinieken shit. And fuck Guiness too.
All we really know is that Craft Beers go better with heavy bass over the speakers. Especially with Groove Pop songs like Royals by Lorde or Hozier’s Take Me To Church. You know, those songs that are real chill but also a pop song that you can kind of dance to.
Craft Beers are so much more than just beers. They’re an excuse to talk about childish things while appearing refined. eg. Hey I’m a young up and coming aspirational business professional and I have a flat on Adelaide Road. Yet I also love Manga and and Star wars. And I’m thinking of reading some Terry Pratchett now that he’s dead.
I mean I like Star Wars because of it’s cultural impact but my favourite space epic is Contact because it’s about real astrology. Also did you know that in Interstellar, Matthew McCaunaghay’s explanation of black holes is a complete rip off of the way Sam Neill did it in Event Horizon?
Oh Blackbird is a really good place to go to watch football actually. I forgot to mention that

This is a gem of a pub! I went here for a few drinks a few weeks back and it has such a laid back vibe with an old style feel, eclectic furniture and funky lampshades.
There were board games to play which added to the quirky retro vibe. Only sorry I don’t have more time to spend here

Favorite pub while on holiday in Dublin. Great, eclectic collection of stuff in the pub to look at, including Star Wars replica toys hanging from the ceiling. Nice outside patio for the smokers, too. Bar staff friendly and attentive.

The place looks fine. Outside is much better looking than inside. The design of this place, Iam sorry to say, untasteful, you can see the gothic revival elements and at the same time game elements, like ducks or robots.
it’s really dark in the stairs, so if you drinking or you can’t see proper, you better go to the accessible toilet on the ground floor.
I actually have no idea about the food there, but they have pizza for 7,50 or 10 if you are buying pizza with beer.
The staff, weeeel, some are nice, some just so impolite, unbelievable, I have never seen staff like that in any places in Dublin.
Would I come back? Yes I might. But it wouldn’t be my favourite place.

I’m a big fan of Blackbird, in Rathmines.
On a fine day, walking out of town, it’s lovely to hear the buzz in the beer garden, and it’s always packed with all kinds, regardless of the time or the day.
The interior is a collision of shabby chic and QOTSA/​Star Wars memorabilia, with various kinds of chairs (with varying levels of support, that said) and tables.
It’d be a lovely place to take a date — there are boards games and sweets, and cheap pizza (cheap because it’s frozen mind you). Plenty to keep you occupied.
Overall, the atmosphere is really intimate and warm. Good selection of craft beers and a really nice malbec. Nice staff and a really lovely local.

Called in here a little while ago with 2 friends on a girly night out. I’d read the reviews and heard it was «hipster», the definition of which had escaped me this far. If I had any doubt what hipster means, now I know.
I loved this place. Really loved the décor and the eccentric details like the Star Wars ships hanging over the bar. We sat in the enclosed middle area and it was private while allowing us to look around us.
As a social smoker (the shame), the smoking garden is great, enclosed and open areas and positioned to catch the evening sunshine.
We shared two pizzas between the 3 of us and they were damn tasty. I was expecting a run of the mill thin base type that is usually found in pubs and was pleasantly surprised to be served piping hot soft doughy pizza with lots of spicy toppings (pepperoni) including sliced peppers and the pepperoni.
I believe there is a beer and pizza deal but none of us were drinking beer.
My only complaint (and considering we had wine and pizza I shouldn’t really have one) is that the area leading to the toilets is very badly lit. Unfortunately I tend to be a wee bit accident prone and this area actually made me nervous. Please put another light there to make the stairs safer!

I’m giving a way a little secret here, but I’ve been enjoying Blackbird immensely recently as a sneaky place to watch the football with a few friends.
Since we’re usually the only people in the bar watching the game, we usually get great seats!
Sure, you’re knee deep in hipsters, but hipsters bring great craft beers, a decent whiskey selection and a fun atmosphere.
I’ll take that any day.
If you drink up a hunger, there’s pizzas to be had and the music is always pretty solid too.
If fresh air is your thing, there’s a cosy heated smoking section outside.
Great for midweek drinks unless there’s football on, in which case stay away, we need the seats ;)

Pretty cool bar with some good craft beers. The décor is really cool, the music is interesting but mostly nice and gets blent in as background. They also give out crisps? That was the first time I see that.
I came here for a drink in the evening so it wasn’t too crowded, but I’d love to come back sometimes when it’s crowded.

This is my local, Blackbird.
Ok, sometimes the music is a bit loud. And once they forgot our pizza.
But you know what, pizza and beer night has become a bit of a habit with us. We share a pizza, have one or two pints and play games on the iPad (Smallworlds, Ticket to Ride).
Once a week almost and I really look forward to it. The pizza is good. The beer is great. The staff are lovely. The music is always excellent. The toilets are clean. Décor is nice and a seat can usually be got.
Vive la Blackbird. I’m so glad it’s here.

Its funky, laid back, fun and cool… very very hipster. it trys a bit to hard I think — but hey it still works !!!. but whatever about the layout and décor… there is ALWAYS good atmosphere and its always busy… even mid-​week… fantastic smoking area to !
great crowd that goes ! (even if they are a bit «too cool for school:-P») :-)

So I only stopped in here really quickly for the one drink the other day, and I must say I’m well jell of people that live around the area.
As many others have pointed out before, it’s a very funky, very well thought through pub. There are quirky details everywhere, from the Simpsons ice bucket to the hanging battleships behind the bar.
I liked the area in the middle that’s been made into a kind of room by dividing it from the rest with windows and doors. Good for a good session with your mates if you wanted your own little area.
I can’t comment on the beer /​food situ as I had a quick glass of wine (which wasn’t good to be honest), and was outa there. I will be back to try the rest though, and am looking forward to it too.

I’m a big fan of P-​Macs so I was looking forward to coming to Blackbird to see what its like.
From the outside it looks pretty normal, with the recent redecoration from the ill fated Rathmines Inn making it look pretty smart. However inside its a pretty funky crazy place.
We have weird tables, cabinets with star wars, ducks on the wall and even a bed lying around.
There’s even a sub area and a nice big outside area. GREAT!
The beer selection is good, maybe not as good as other bars of this ilk, but I am guessing this will improve.
No Food yet, but from the pizza ovens on the bar I reckon there will be soon.
Music was good, a good indie mix nothing chartwise here! great.
The only problem I had was the need to play the music at ridiculous levels. Now I like music and I listen to it loud, but up by the windows we couldn’t hear ourselves speak. Just as we got used the current level of noise it seems to ramp up a level! Until at the end we left just to get away from it.
What does this bar want to be? A place for people to sit and chat and have nice drinks. Hence the massive tables and chairs. Or do you want it to be a nightclub? in which case get rid of some tables make a dance floor and ramp up the music.
Seriously Bar Manager TURN IT DOWN! It was 9pm on a Thursday.