This is a great pub with very good food and and an awesome environment. We had Guinness stew and fish n chips and both were great. They had live music as well. The staff was great too. It was crowded and we had to wait for a table but it was well worth the wait. read more

A fine example of an Irish bar. The place was packed so I sat at the bar for dinner. The live band drew quite the crowd, but the true performer was Paul behind the bar. Watching him made me dizzy. He went a mile a minute but took care of each person quickly and accurately. I had the bangers and mash which was quite delicious! I would highly recommend this place. More importantly, ask for Paul at the bar he was the main entertainment! read more

Great atmosphere all the staff was super friendly especially Mo and Shane. I got the fish and chips and loved it. I never ever eat fish so kudos to them. I sat at the bar but they serve the full menu at the bar too. Would definitely go again. read more

Darkey Kellys - Pubs Near Me - Dublin, D

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Fantastic place. Go here if you want to experience Dublin. Brilliant staff, food, drink and entertainment. Go. Go, Go. read more

Darkey Kellys - Pubs Near Me - Dublin, D

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Perfect end to a 2 week holiday through Ireland. One of the top 2 fish dinners I had on the trip and the best fries! Yes, I ate fish/chips multiple times throughout the last two week!!! The side salad was also delicious. We have noticed the side salads in Ireland are so good. They are more than an afterthought as they typically are in the States. My husband had bangers and mash for the first time and was almost licking his bowl clean. The music, wow. The band was just phenomenal. We stayed after dinner for a couple drinks to enjoy more of their music. The 1 star deduction was from the flying bugs and dirty bathrooms. Yes, I am a tough reviewer! It makes my 5 star reviews more meaningful. read more

Stopped here on first night in Dublin. Great band playing, attentive friendly service, nice Beamish beer went well with amazing lamb shank. OMG, ten days later and I am still thinking about that meal. Get in there! read more

My favorite pub in Dublin. In house over 200 Irish whiskeys. Lots of beers on tap.the service was great. Nice 70/30 split. 70 locals and 30 tourists. read more

We had a fantastic time. Great live music. Very good food and friendly people. Will definitely come back.

Amazing food, great traditional atmosphere and beautiful decor. The waitress was helpful and very nice. It's a nice stop if you're at the St. Patrick's or the Dublinia. Recommended. read more

Darkey Kellys - Chicken and chorizo Penne and the Guinness Beef Stew! - Pubs Near Me - Dublin, D

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Stopped in for dinner while in Dublin with my wife. Great pint of Guinness. Food was GREAT!

Hands down the best fish & chips we've had in Ireland! Great music and atmosphere, too! Make sure you meet Joe if you're there. read more

Darkey Kellys - Fish & chips - the best in Ireland! - Pubs Near Me - Dublin, D

Amazing authentic Irish food and live entertainment! It has a warm and cozy feel. The service was prompt and friendly. Overall a wonderful Irish experience that I'm so glad we were able to enjoy on our trip. Excellent! read more

We visited this restaurant at the last day of our tour and it was really good. It was a Sunday and an impro band was playing. The perfect ending. We ordered some starter, the fish and chips and a pasta dish. The staff was friendly and helpful. All extra wishes and changes of our order were no problem. The drinks were very affordable, maybe a little bit too small for my taste but the drink menu was really good with plenty of choices. The food was delivered quick and every time there was a staff member around in case of any wishes. On a short trip to Dublin you definitely don't want to miss this place. read more

The food deserves five stars! There were four of us and we had, fish and chips, hamburger, bangers and mash, and beef stew. The sauce for the bangers and stew was delicious. We would certainly recommend the stew from here! Prices were pretty reasonable for the amount of food received. read more

Grabbed a nice lunch after a long morning walking around Dublin. Of course, a perfect pour of Guinness, and exceptional Fish & Chips, with a batter that was refreshingly light. I imagine this place gets quite busy at night. Love the vibe of this place! read more

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My husband and I spent a great evening here. I would return and recommend to anyone who is visiting Dublin. Staff were inviting and friendly. Quaint pub with excellent food, beer, and service. The music was fabulous, from the session to the band, all was wonderful here! Beef stew was very good with mashed potatoes and vegetables. Worth the walk! read more

Great lunch! Fish and chips were delicious and as shown. We also enjoyed salmon and prawn open face, bangers and mash, as well as BLT chicken. Clean, friendly and near our next stop Guinness. Cheers! read more

Amazing atmosphere with live music, attentive staff, and delicious food. Got the Beef and Guinness Stew and it was to die for.

Wow! Fantastic pub! Great selections of beer on tab. The whiskey specials that are offered are incredible. The food is amazing. You have to get the fish and chips. read more

Stumbled across Darkey Kelly's after a visit to St Patrick's today - what a gem! Best fish & chips so far, delicious pasta carbonara, extensive local tap list, competitive pricing....all plus comfortable surroundings accented by live authentic Irish musicians. If we hadn't needed to hurry to our next destination, I seriously would have considered spending the whole afternoon here! Don't pass it by! read more

Darkey Kellys - Fabulous fish & chips - Pubs Near Me - Dublin, D

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If you are looking for a decent place to stay in Dublin that is central and inexpensive, you may find yourself at the Harding hotel (located directly across from Christ Church) - you'd be lucky to end up here. Just a stone's throw from temple bar The Harding is in a part of town is much less rowdy, yet still lively enough (and central enough) to draw a crowd; it also happens to host one of the more fun local bars in central Dublin, Darkey Kellys. Darkey's was our first stop on many a night for food, and for a comfortable place to have a few beers without feeling like we were overpaying (all the pubs in Temple Bar charge a fortune for drinks, beers here were 1-2 euro less than pubs that were nearby). It certainly didn't hurt that we were staying in the hotel and could eat and drink without having to start a tab, or, if we felt like it bring dinner right back to the comfort of our room. Because Darkey's is the house bar they will happily charge anything you'd like to your room, which was actually really nice on the nights we were beat from walking all day, or just felt like taking food to go (especially if we didn't have cash on us, and couldn't be bothered opening ANOTHER debit card tab). The ambiance was what you would expect of a pub in Dublin; it had a large bar that looked like it had seen its share of people over the years, was dimly light even during the day, and offered live music nightly - exactly what you would want from a proper Irish establishment. They did have a yard in the back that they called a "beer garden", but it was really just a place to drink your pint outside; not knocking it at all, the space was lovely and full of locals ranging from old timers to students from Trinity (Darkey's was always full with a diverse crowd), I just wouldn't call it a beer garden (beer yard maybe?). The alley behind the beer yard and hotel (leading to a beat up looking hostel), was an old Viking trail (not useful to you, but interesting none the less) - Quick tip, if you do end up coming here/staying in the hotel, this alley leads to a dead end that is a bit creepy, avoid it at night. The tap lineup was extensive and covered a nice range of beers from imports like Franziskaner (German Weiss beer 5.0%abv) and Tennents (classic Scottish beer, 4.0%abv), to local favorites like Five Lamps Porter (red, rich porter 4.8%abv) and Franciscan Well Friar Weisse (my personal local fav, 4.7%abv, a must try if you're in Ireland); just make sure to read the beer menu, as either side of the bar has different taps and you'll undoubtedly miss half of them if you aren't careful. The food was simple but very tasty, we ended up splitting the house burger almost daily for lunch as it was big enough for two (ask for the garlic mayo on the side, it makes baller dipping sauce for the fries). Like most pubs in Ireland, this place seems much more concerned about what's in your glass than what's on your plate; while the food was good (especially compared to other pubs we visited in Ireland), you got the feeling this place cared way more about the beer selection than food options - interesting considering how decent the food actually was. Great place to grab a reasonably priced pint in an awesome part of town, this place is perfect for starting your night or for taking a breather from the mayhem that can be (and most often is) Temple Bar, highly recommended. read more

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The staff is great and the chicken wings are some of the best. Good beer, good music and great place to hang out.

Disappointed since this restaurant had overall good reviews on yelp. Went here and tried the bangers and mash. SALTY is an understatement. The gravy was definitely from a can & smothered the sausages & potatoes. Potatoes were not creamy. It was inedible. So disappointing!! My brother did not like his stew either--beef was very rough & covered in the same awful gravy. My other family members enjoyed their fish & chips. Giving it 2 stars instead of 1 star because the fish was good. Place is very expensive too!! - for example 9 euros for a beer (most places are 5 euros). MUCH BETTER places around. Strongly don't recommend this place. read more

From its illustrious beginnings as an 18th Century brothel to its current function as a trad Irish pub, Darkey Kellys has always promised an interesting evening. Mine was quite interesting, that's for sure. There were no prostitutes to be seen (thankfully, not really my scene right there) but there were certainly some interesting conversations floating around (aka absolute disaster of a first date!) Probably not the best place to go on a date, Darkey Kellys is more a pub to head to if you have a nice group of friends with you or want to chat to some old guy at the bar, but them's the breaks. The bartenders will remember your drink of choice, so the service is great in that respect. The outside area is quite interestingly situated between a hostel on one side and the hotel on the other. It would be a pleasant place for a sunny Sunday arvo bevvie. They have some great trad music here, so if you can pull up a seat inside you'll be grand for an evening. But I really must reiterate a piece of advice I picked up from my experience here - don't take a potential partner on a date to a brothel, or anywhere that has ever been a brothel. It doesn't bode well for the future of that relationship! And that's all I'll say about that. read more

Absolutely fantasic. Wonderful service and perfect atmosphere. Mo is the BEST!!! Uncle John knows his fish!! We had fish and chips...the Batter was Spot on perfect and the fish flaky! The Mountain burger lived up to its name! Enough for 2 to share!! read more

The best seafood chowder I have ever had!!!!!!! It was so cheap and you get an overwhelming amount of seafood and mussels. The staff is super friendly and I am in love with the live music. read more

The biggest plus for Darkey Kelley's was that it was downstairs from my hotel (The Harding). The space is fairly large, yet cozy and comfortable - but lacks the authenticity you find at other Dublin pubs. I never ate, but they had a great selection of beers on draft. The service was friendly, yet a little distant, even on a night where it was rather quiet. I did like Darkey Kelleys but its difficult to compare it more favorably when so many of the other Dublin Pubs I visited were overflowing with life and character. It is a great place to grab a drink, before you head out and explore what else Dublin has in store for you. read more

Darkey Kellys is a great pub, the people here are so friendly, drinks are good and the food is tasty! We were staying at the attached Harding Hotel and stopped down to the pub on several occasions. Cheers to Padhraig, the best bar man in all of Dublin! He is very knowledgeable, not only of Gins and Beers, but of all of Ireland. If you are looking to try a new drink, tell Padhraig your likes and dislikes and he'll whip up a drink you are sure to love. The nightly entertainment is also very original and they sound great! Be sure to stop by on Thursdays for free BBQ with your brew! Such a great deal! read more

Really good food, Guinness and amazing selection of Irish Whiskey.. We tried the soup, Guinness and also a flight of really really good Irish Whiskey. We will go back to this place for sure when we are back in Dublin. The bartender was great, helpful and just an all around nice person. Overall really like the place. read more

If you're looking for quality seafood chowder, you've found the right place! I will be dreaming of this seafood chowder until my dying days. Typical Irish pub, but the beer selection was a nice surprise. Not too far from Christ church where you can ring the bells. Has live music which is always appreciated. read more

Great little pub. Waited here between church tours since it's conveniently close to Christ Church. Food looked good but did not eat

Grrrrreat fish and chips. Towards the end I demolished the shit out of the fried fish and ended up with way more battered chips from the dough (get it? get it?). I also had my first Bulmers here. I didn't understand the bartender at first but realized he was trying to tell me that if I was alright with having it served straight from the tap than from the bottle. Of course I would! What a good chap. I had a lot of fun eating here, and even ended up striking up a short but sweet conversation with the other bartender who was manning the end near me. He even took the time to look at my credit card and repeatedly call me by my name. Such a simple gesture, but it meant a lot, especially as a tourist. Come here for the food instead of being roped into the Temple Bar restaurants. It's slightly off the beaten path so you'll get better service. read more

Perfect pub for a bite to eat, a pint of draft and Some live Irish music. The staff was very accommodating and friendly, even with our party of twenty. The Fish & Chips was best in Dublin!! read more

Very good place. Friendly staff. Great draft beer options. Great fish and chips. Come early though. The place gets very busy!!!

Awesome fish and chips! The batter is light and fluffy and not greasy, reminds me of tempura batter. Hubby had a burger and it was actually much better than he was expecting. Live Irish music. They could use more servers. Only one guy was really good and he was busting his butt trying to do everything for everyone. I'd come back for the fish and chips if in the area, they were that good. Close but far enough from temple bar scene to not be crazy also. read more

We chose this place because of the good yelp reviews and ate there twice during our four day visit to Dublin. They had Irish bands playing both nights and normally I don't like really noisy restaurants, but we liked the music here. It was loud, but not too loud. We had the same waiter both times we were there and he remembered us. The food was very good. We tried the salmon, beef stew, fish and chips, and bangers and mash. They had a large selection of excellent beers. Extremely enjoyable! read more

Food was excellent. Large beer, whiskey, and gin selection. Music was pretty good. Loud atmosphere if you're into that.

Love this place. We stopped in one night after dinner for drinks and enjoyed the traditional Irish music. Came back a few nights later for dinner in the pub. The fish and chips were fresh and it was a large portion. Also had the Irish stew it was thick and dark made with Guinness. Yum. read more

Darkey Kellys - Fish & Chips - Pubs Near Me - Dublin, D

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Spent my last night in Dublin here, had a live band that played Irish music, wanted as last night fish and chips. All were excellent. Talked with a friend of the owner, made me felt like I was welcomed, from County Kerry. Good music, good pints, lovely women, good food, good company. Is there any more? Yea, don't think so. read more

So we came here for the drinks and entertainment. Live music was so much fun! It was an authentic Irish group complete with flute and Irish bagpipes. The champion league finals were playing on the tv. A regular called Joyce was great fun to sit next to. I'd come back in a heartbeat. read more