Don't expect your Guinness to be poured in a hurry. It really does take time

You pay in Dublin pubs as you do in Britain - order drinks at the bar and pay for each round of drinks

Most great Dublin pubs are south of the river but don't neglect the north

Don't just stick to the tourist pubs of Temple Bar - there's a fascinating range of pubs in Dublin

Explore the surprisingly wide range of Irish whiskeys on offer

There's more than a thousand pubs to choose from on a Dublin city break. Forget the ersatz Irish pubs all over the world, this is the real deal.

Live music, banter and conversation, theatre, great food and pint after pint of Guinness will all be a feature of any Dublin city break.

A Dublin pub will follow the same approach as British pubs - order your drinks at the bar and pay for them round by round - these are not fancy Continental-style cafes. Actually, they're loads more fun and amongst the friendliest places on the planet.

Dublin's top pubs

There's such a choice of Dublin pubs that it's hard to pick our favourites but these are all worth seeking out on a city break to Dublin:

An Real Bocht (Charlemont Street) - for traditional Irish music
O'Dwyer's (Lower Mount Street) - for conversation and good food.
Ryan's (Parkgate Street) - Victorian fittings and good conversation.
Davy Byrnes (Duke Street) - for Ulysses fans.
Brazen Head (Lower Bridge Street) - great atmosphere and live music.

Dublin pubs south of the river

The Dawson Lounge - found on Dawson Street, near to the St Stephen's Green end, and is reputedly the 'Smallest Pub in Dublin'. It's easy to miss, being so small and with only the one door, but it can fit in 20 on a good day. It's also cheap by Dublin standards.

Doheny & Nesbitts - founded in 1850 on Baggot Street, it's a popular pub with politicians, journalists and, believe it or not, economists. It's near to government buildings and it's said much of Ireland's economic growth was planned in what journalists call the 'Doheny and Nesbitt School of Economics'.

O'Donoghue's - home of traditional Irish music. Noisy at night and seats are at a premium. O'Donoghue's has been a shrine to Irish folk music for generations. The walls have photographs of musicians who have played there over the decades. Sunday mornings to the early afternoon are a special time. Great staff, fantastic pints.

O'Neills - famous pub, near to Trinity College, not related to the many O'Neill's pubs found across Britain. It's been a pub for 300 years and is located on the exact spot that the Vikings had their Dublin parliament over a 1,000 years ago.

Messrs Maguire - it's hard to find a more central location overlooking O'Connell Bridge on Burgh Quay. Spread over four floors of early 19th century design, Messrs Maguire is a pub, brewery, cafe and restaurant. This is the place to head for wonderful real ales.

Oliver St John Gogarty - hard to miss in Temple Bar, it's a late 19th century style bar named after the famous Irish Poet, Playwright and Surgeon.

The Long Hall - it's on George Street and is, well, a long hall. It can get packed and is lively with conversation and is very lively as a result. The toilets are small which can mean queues.

Keoghs - like Davy Byrne's, mentioned in Ulysses. It has a snug and a bell to call for pints while the upstairs bar is highly rated by local drinking experts. A piano means there's often a crowd singing pub songs if someone can be found to play it.

McDaid's - just off Grafton Street and where Brendan Behan and other literary characters used to drink. The perfect place for a break from shopping with an intimate main bar. It can get packed, particularly at weekends.

Mulligans - it's said to serve what is unquestionably the best pint of Guinness anywhere in the world. Quite a claim. Also famed for the friendliness and professionalism of the staff. James Joyce and John F Kennedy have drunk here, but not together.

The Porterhouse - easy to find in Temple Bar, this brew pub serves a range of exclusive beers: three stouts, three ales and three lagers, many of them international award winners. And there are occasional one-off beers too.

Dublin pubs north of the River

Sackville Lounge - a small, intimate and relaxing pub on Sackville Place, just off O'Connell Street. Highly praised for its pints with staff that are friendly and helpful.

Slattery's - in Capel Street, Slattery's was quaint and a bit of a rockers' bar. A refurbishment has transformed it into a modern style bar with fashionable fittings such as leather couches. The prices are reasonable for Dublin and the service is friendly.