I'm a big fan of bars where you can go for a few beverages without the doormen looking you up and down before being permitting entry. Over the weekend you want to be able to have a few drinks in a relaxed atmosphere where there's a bit of craic and good music. I generally tend to visit the same places over and over again using the aul 'if it ain't broke don't fix it approach'. So whenever I do stray from my faves, I tend to set the bar very high, hoping that the leap of faith will be worth it.

Having heard about Dice Bar in Smithfield a few years ago, I'd always meant to pay it a visit but had never had the chance. While Dice Bar featured on the site before in our list of ten places with the highest hipster density in Dublin, the fact of the matter is that it's just a really great bar. For me, the sign of a good pub is a wide range of age groups within, and Dice Bar is just that. It acts as a local for Smithfield residents as well as a destination spot for people in pursuit of good tunes and tasty craft beers.

The atmosphere within is perfect, no airs or graces here. I mean, sure, there's plenty of bearded men and excessive tattoos, but there's also a whole lot of Joe soaps who've popped in for a couple of scoops with their mates. They have music from 9pm 'til late on the weekends with no cover charge and the place is usually rammed, with throngs of people perched outside drinking their pints and queues out the door of people trying to get in. After just one date, it seems that Dice Bar has wangled its way into my favourites.