Beer Republic
  • Home
  • Irish Beer
  • Podcasts
  • UK Beer
  • US Beer
  • Submit a story
  • About
  • Contact
No Result
View All Result
Beer Republic
  • Home
  • Irish Beer
  • Podcasts
  • UK Beer
  • US Beer
  • Submit a story
  • About
  • Contact
No Result
View All Result
Beer Republic
No Result
View All Result

Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: Bonobo

Lisa Grimm by Lisa Grimm
13 July 2023
in Irish Beer
Reading Time: 5 mins read
Home Irish Beer
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Bonobo: candles, beer and a menuWhile I very much consider Underdog the only ‘true’ craft beer bar in town, we do have some pubs here in Dublin that reside comfortably in Craftonia, and this week, we’re heading to one of those: Bonobo.

Bonobo is part of what seems like an ever-growing team of bars with animal-themed names – Caribou in Galway, Impala in Cork, and the recently-opened Jackal in Navan, with another sister bar in Dublin, Kodiak, in Rathmines (which I keep going past on the Luas when it is not open – I must remedy this). However, as is usually the case when something is aimed at people who are Much Cooler than I am, the names are less about animals and more to do with electronic music (which, to be clear, is a thing I like, but my close familiarity with any artists ended around 1997, unless you count Philip Glass, or people sampling anonymous numbers stations).

Couch inside BonoboThis introduction may sound like I’m being a bit snarky about it, but in fact, I absolutely love the atmosphere at Bonobo – the weird-old-religious-books-and-jazz-records aesthetic is something I am very much here for, and the different areas of the bar each have a slightly different vibe. I’ve seen the odd complaint on local Reddit that it’s ‘snobby’ but I’ve never personally found that to be the case; I’ve always had a warm welcome. Granted, it’s possible that being a purple-haired woman who knows all the breweries on tap may mean I am already among the elect, but there are plenty of ‘normal’ beers on tap – no difficult entrance exam is required.

Adorable cactus and thumb-printed glass at BonoboI’ve also heard someone refer to it as ‘one of those IPA bars,’ which is an interesting if worrying linguistic development – it’s bad enough that ‘craft’ meant everything and nothing, and now ‘IPA’ seems to be heading the same way. And, in any case, it’s hardly accurate – Bonobo always has a range of styles on tap (often a fair few sours of late), with the likes of Trouble, Kinnegar and Third Barrel representing the Irish contingent, and plenty of Spanish (as in actually from Spain, unlike Madri) and Scandinavian options most of the time as well. Again, there is no shortage of Guinness/Hop House 13/Madri if that’s of interest to someone in your party, along with some quite interesting cocktails – most tastes seem to be catered to.

Also inside Bonobo - a fireplaceThere is also quite tasty pizza – unless you are a monster who refuses to eat pizza with sauce, but I suspect that is unique to my smaller child. And while some may sniff and/or roll eyes at just how Instagrammable Bonobo is, with its candles, plants and vintage lamps, I think it’s quite charming, and I certainly won’t complain at how much better my low-effort photos look there, nor am I the only weirdo photographing my beer.

Plant, pint & lamp at BonoboIt’s true that I may occasionally feel like the oldest person there – not something I mind, incidentally – I (mostly) attribute that to the proximity of the TUD Grangegorman campus – I will have to put this assumption to the test by finally getting over to Kodiak; clearly, I need to head south of the river, for science…

Where: Bonobo, 119 Church Street Upper, Inns Quay, Dublin 7, D07 E128
Access from the city centre: Buses 9, 37, 70. 83, 140, 145, 155, C2, C3, Luas Green Line, 20ish minute walk
Food: Pizza & flatbread
Sport: Not really that kind of thing
TVs: I have never noticed any, but it’s possible some are hiding
Music: Typically very GenX-friendly, even if it’s really for their GenZ offspring and/or younger Millennials
Family-friendliness: Depends on the time of day, but I’ve certainly seen the hipster babies and have taken my own smaller offspring for pizza
Pub-crawl-ability: High – it’s essentially in between Underdog and L. Mulligan. Grocer, with The King’s Inn, The Cobblestone, Bar 1661, Fidelity and many more within a short walk
Local sites of note: Smithfield, St Michan’s Church, Collins Barracks, TUD Grangegorman
Haunted: Maybe some haunted paintings? Definitely a spot for that kind of thing
Other notes: Plenty of board games available to borrow for a session, lots of doggos, outdoor deck

Previous Post

Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: The King’s Inn

Next Post

OoO, a Beer Club!

Lisa Grimm

Lisa Grimm

DAM@Novartis. Nat'l Library of Ireland Board. Beer judge & beer history podcaster @beerladiespod . Retired archaeologist/archivist. Runner. Geek mom. She/her.

Related Stories

edit post
Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: The Old Spot thumbnail
Irish Beer

Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: The Old Spot

28 September 2023
edit post
My first Oktoberfest by Simon Says Beer thumbnail
Irish Beer

My first Oktoberfest by Simon Says Beer

23 September 2023
edit post
Irish tastebuds are becoming more discerning - #DrinkLessDrinkBetter thumbnail
Brewery news

Irish tastebuds are becoming more discerning – #DrinkLessDrinkBetter

18 September 2023
Next Post
edit post
OoO, a Beer Club! thumbnail

OoO, a Beer Club!

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

I agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy.

This weeks most viewed posts

  • edit post
    NEW IN STOCK: 5 Litre Mini Kegs thumbnail

    NEW IN STOCK: 5 Litre Mini Kegs

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Pearse Lyons Brewery – Dundalk

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • 2021 World Beer Awards Results

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Low Carb Beers, are they any use?

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Culture Night in Baile Bhuirne: 22nd September

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0

Our Site Your Story

© 2023 Beerrepublic.ie

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Irish Beer
  • Podcasts
  • UK Craft Beer
  • US Craft Beer
  • About
  • Submit a story
  • Contact
  • Login

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. Visit our Privacy and Cookie Policy.