The Black Sheep

Absolutely fantastic experience – 5 stars without a doubt ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ We came in as a group of eight plus our dogs and they kindly let us all sit inside, which already made our day. The food was incredible: we had burgers and some hot dishes. Special mention to the Cashel blue cheese burger – rich, creamy and full of flavour. The chowder was also excellent, really hearty and packed with fish, and the Irish stew was delicious and comforting. On top of that, the service was outstanding. My father-in-law accidentally spilled half a Guinness on himself, and the guy who seemed to be in charge was absolutely brilliant – he helped him dry off, laughed it off with good humour and even brought him half a Guinness on the house to make up for it. They are a 10/10 for food quality, choice and service. Super dog-friendly, super welcoming and genuinely kind staff. Highly, highly recommended – we’ll definitely be back!

Went for dinner and must say food is a bit on the expensive side but nice environment. They also have a selection of board games!

This is a good to place if you would like to play board games or share hobbies with some friends. You can book a table and enjoy the afternoon playing games. The have two levels. The staff is very nice and polite. There is a variety of board games available at the pub. They have very nice own crafted beer.

Priscila ita amazing. Helps choose my beer in the middle of many different styles. Thanks so much for u attention and care about costumers. Btw amazing cider

Hands down the best fish and chips I've ever had. The portions are huge! And it was a real piece of flaky tasty fish - not just a flat piece of deep fried batter. If you're in Dublin - go here!

Nice enough pub with a decent beer selection. Was very crowded when I went there and a bit too loud for my liking, but it was Halloween, so probably a bit more lively than usual. Did not try the food.

Simply amazed me in a few seconds right after my bbq arrived which actually was fish and chips.. never seen such big fried fish and it really went well with their draft beers! Best choice i made this week!

Excellent food, great selection of craft beers. Professional service. Good music and a very cosy atmosphere, although the bar can accomodate large groups.

First, great music. Second, great beer. Third, great food. We stopped in on a dreary late afternoon after visiting the Tenement Museum at Henrietta street. The Beef Stew and Mac & Cheese was just what we needed! The Beef Stew was super flavorful, dark in color, nice bite sized chunks of beef (and plenty of them), and then a mound (!) of mashed potatoes on top. It was divine! The Mac & Cheese with pulled pork had a sweet-ish profile. Homemade Mac & Cheese is the base, and then pulled pork (in a BBQ sauce) is layered on top. THEN they sprinkle cheese over the whole thing to give it a nice crunchy top. They have beer flights ("taster trays") of the draft beer, plus cans available and even "casks" (which isn't on tap, and once opened needs to be drunk!) Last, the folks who work here are really nice and they seem to attract a very nice clientele. Plus there are games. This seems like a pretty special place all around.

Conveniently located across from Outhouse. Cozy vibe with board games, if you wish. Nice reliable pub fare menu. Halloumi Fries: Loving the squeaky cheese center and crispy exterior. Perfect if you want a firmer snacking appetizer experience than mozzarella sticks. Very rich though, so come hungry if you're gonna get this in addition to a meal. Beef and Stout Stew: Lots of nice stewy liquid to go with the mashed potatoes. The beef itself was moderately tender. Not tough, though not fall apart. Some great flavors. Fish and Chips: Pretty standard. Crispy fish batter, flaky interior. Crispy chips and fluffy potato inside. The mushy peas where a bit too grainy and not that mushy actually.

First pub stop in Dublin and we were very excited. The Black Sheep was just a few blocks from our hotel and it was well worth the early evening stroll. This is a really beautiful bar with lots of beer choices. I had an incredible sour. Service at The Black Sheep is outstanding! There were only a couple of bartenders, since it was still fairly early and not that busy. Not to mention this was Christmas day and lots of places were closed. The bartenders were so nice and helpful to us. We were planning to go back, but simply ran out of time. Will definitely visit on our next trip.

Terrific service and cool relaxed vibe. Great neighborhood place to grab delicious drinks. We were too late for food bit the cocktails were creative and the brews were plentiful

A large group of us stopped in here for lunch. It was good. Service was attentive. Seems like a nice place to go for an evening out with friends.

Service was a little slow but I think they were understaffed for the crowd. They worked really hard. I had the ham and cheese. I liked it. The ham was a bit of a thick cut which I prefer.

Not too large, this pub is comfortable and seems to be a favorite with locals. A group near us was playing a competitive card game. We came to enjoy the large selection of craft beers. With large windows, it was bright and sunny during our stop. We chose to sit on a sofa by the window. This is not the 'dark wood, leather seat, lots of nooks' pub you expect to find in Ireland. This is a light, updated, streamlined interior without all the collectibles and curiosities on the walls you would find in the more traditional pub. To add to this contrast, there are a couple boxes of games you can choose to play, on a shelf by the bathrooms. There are a lot of bars in Dublin where you can find that old world pub charm. This bar is about craft beer and a younger crowd. If you like to try new beer, give this place a try. The staff were efficient and the beer is good.

Loved this hidden gem. And they had gluten free beers! Even one on tap! So I was excited. I'm not a stout girl but I tried the draft bc it was the only GF on tap. I quickly moved onto the IPA which was more my style. Happy to have choices though! My friends and I enjoyed playing a movie trivia game while we sipped and laughed. I'd come back.

Loved it! Pleasant service, excellent beers and cosy atmosphere! Great metal when we first got there, but not imposing. It became our local pub for the week, even tho i live on the other side of the river. Enjoy!

I love it here! One of the Galway Bay Brewery pubs (which is always a winner with me), this is a regular spot of mine! Great selection of beers here, and they change them around so you get to try something different here, and the lads are great for suggestions too! The food is decent but the selection is not great, which is why it missed out on a five star rating from me. Saying that, the burger and wings are really tasty and I think the chips here are the biggest I've ever had, really chunky and fluffy! My favourite thing about here though is the comfy, relaxed vibe. The music is never too loud and there's always a nice mix of people, you'd feel just as comfortable having a cuppa here as you would having a pint! There's some board games if you feel like having a game of Jenga or Connect4 but I'd recommend curling up on the sofa for a pint and a chat!

It's like walking into a German tavern. Large tables to enjoy your drink or food on. A few board games lurking about too. I like the net style curtains on the windows, again it gives it that very continental bar feel to it. A lovely comfy couch is in there too that some nimble footed customers nabbed before us - darn you! The lighting is mellow and the atmosphere is upbeat with plenty of laidback professionals enjoying the choice of beer and whiskey. As Vicky L said, no TV which is great so you actually have to talk or relax and soak in the vibe of the spot. Very friendly bar staff. I did not try the food this time. The loo holder is so annoying though. You know those holders that the loo roll pokes through a hole? And you have to pull it out which is actually very hard to do hence them having spare roll on the shelf above the loo. Why waste your money on those things. Just get a old finished loo holder... If it ain't broke don't fix it!

Always a great place to enjoy craft beer. If you like Galway Bay beers, that's the place. Food is also ok and I really like that creatives beers ads on the walls. They had this boards games as well, good to have a good laugh with friends. The only thing is that every time I go there at night the place is packed. And very noisy. But, yeah, I go there for the beer

+ Great Space! + Cool Peeps! + Extensive Craft Beer Selections! + Yummy Eats! + Nice Ambiance! + Good Beats! = I'll be Baa Baa Baack!

There is local pub. I went to there on Monday evening, but there was a lot people! If you like a beer, I recommend this place! Because there has a lot of menu about beers. Foods is not bad. I ordered the stake burger. Chips was good.

This is a nice bar in the up and up and up and upcoming deadliest area in town, Capel St. It's always cosy, candlelit at nighttime, and has a nice crowd. Lots has been said before about the craft beer selection, so if you're into that buzz, definitely give it a visit. The food is also top notch. Nice, good value and good quality comfort pub grub. The only thing that I would say about this place is that it can be a bit 'cliquey'. People tend to sit in groups, quietly, with not much standing or mixing. So it's grand for a quiet drink, but if you're looking for somewhere with a bitta craic, you might need to move on elsewhere. All in all though, great pub for what it offers.

Another of Galway Brewing's pubs, the Black Sheep is our local go-to for a beer. No matter what time you go, it never seems too quiet, or too packed. Don't get me wrong - it can sometimes be impossible to find a seat, but you're never mashed together so tightly you can't lift your beer to your lips. I especially like the feel of the "library" side of the pub. Being a brew pub, it goes without saying that beer is their specialty here. They consistently feature new beers on their rotating taps, so it's an excuse for us to pop in every couple weeks or so. The staff know their stuff, so ask for a recommendation. Don't worry if you're not beer-savvy. Not only are the staff super friendly and approachable, they're always happy to give you a free taste of anything if you're not sure. The food is quite decent for pub food. They have all the usual suspects - wings, chicken fingers, burgers, fish & chips... exactly the type of food you crave with a pint. The other week, however, I had a lovely roasted pumpkin & goat's cheese salad that was a nice surprise! I definitely recommend Black Sheep!

TL;DR: This is my favorite pub in Dublin. The selection of beers (and some ciders) is amazing, and the staff is always glad to help you choose something new if you're in an adventuring mood (I for one, tend to gravitate towards the excelent crafted Galway Bay brews). The food is quite nice for pub-standard, and the Black Sheep Burger will get you ready for a few hours of pint-turning. The music is never so loud that you need to raise your voice to talk to someone sitting at your table, you have board games and a fußball downstairs, all free of charge, of course. I will be returning soon to claim my free Galway Bay beer, after filling up my loyalty card :D ... don't look at me like that, I can stop anytime I want!

It was great to be back having a pint of Buried At Sea again. The team at the Black Sheep are doing all they can to follow the guidelines and still keep a good atmosphere. Staff were super friendly and attentive. The beer isn't bad either!! Hopefully next time I can spend more than 90 minutes hanging out.

Love love love this craft beer pub right in the city centre! My favourite is the "something Weiss" wheat beer, yummy. It was my second time to the pub and had food this time round. The €15 3 course set menu was a steal, especially since the main course, if ordered a la carte, is on average €13 already! We had the mussels and goat cheese salad (not together!) to start, fish and chips and beef stew for mains, and a lovely lemon custardy thingy to finish it off. The food was all excellent, simple but tasty. I wasn't a big fan of the beef stew - the meat was just not as tender as it should be (although I'm pretty sure it's not horse!) I will be back... many times!

"Craft Beer haven" What a wonderful selection of bottled and draft beers - both imported and domestic. Its great to see simewhere like this in Dublin and much better than the Porterhouse for example. It is slightly expensive but all in all worth it.

We came for lunch, so early that we had to hang around until they opened at noon! Very friendly and helpful staff, willing to let me taste several beers before choosing one, good food, decent music, excellent wi-fi (important for a traveller, perhaps not for everyone). I'd gladly return, if only I didn't live thousands of miles away!

The Black Sheep, one of the pubs in Dublin serve craft beer at a reasonable price that I had yet to visit. A mysterious notion, craft beer at a reasonable price you say? It's a pricey enough pastime to have, I recently paid 14.45 EUR for two craft beers at another establishment in this fair city of ours. There are many pubs that have jumped on the craft beer bandwagon and while The Black Sheep don't exactly sell at wholesale prices, it is reasonable. It also has a great range of craft beer selection to choose from. I ordered a pint of the Punk IPA, a real hoppy favourite of mine. And the standard of the pint on draught here was excellent. My partner went for the Sierra Nevada on draught and he loved it. The place is stocked well with a mix-match of tables and chairs. I can just about imagine the oldsie worldsie pub it probably used to be, but I like it's current re-incarnation. And it has wifi, which I really appreciated as I had reached my monthly mobile allocation. Win! The Black Sheep does food too and does it well. I went for the Carbonara and it was excellent. Very tasty and not heavy. There was loads of it too. My partner had the fish & chips, he raved about the batter on the fish. The only complaint I had for this first visit was the only table available on the main level was right beside the corner door and boy was the wind cold when the door was open - brrrr. We will be back, especially as we have Unlimited cards for the nearby cinema. Pre-movie grub is a definite. Excellent.

I'm a big big fan of Galway Bay Brewery bars and this one doesn't disappointed. They've a fantastic craft beer range with a ton of rotating taps to suit everyone. Beers range through all different styles and come from both Ireland and abroad - a big A+ The food menu is the same as most of their other bars. While I haven't tasted it directly from their kitchen, I've tried it from their other kitchens and it's pretty solid. Their 1KG bucket of wings is UNREAL! Staff are really knowledgable about the beers and can recommend a great one easily. Very fast with service at the bar and super friendly too. The bar consists of an upstairs with plenty of seating and a down stairs with bar stools, a few tables and a pool table. There are lots of boardgames to get stuck into too! My only criticism is that the bar area itself is a little small and cramped while ordering. However it doesn't ruin the experience and there's not much they can do about it. They get to you pretty quickly while you're waiting so it's not too much of a problem. So go check it out and have a pint for me! ;)

The Black Sheep is one of the best bars in the city and certainly is up there for consideration as the best bar in Dublin. It's not surprising as it comes from the Cottage group who run such fine establishments as Against the grain and the Salthouse. They boast no less than 4 Cask ale hand pumps making this like a traditional British pub, apart from the fact it's nothing like one. It's far more modern and, well not unique but certainly rare. Jenga boards abound as well as other board games and if you like, you can even play with your food because your thick cut chips are served as a jenga tower. Oh and the food itself is fantastic. The quality of the beer is perfection and since Andrew, who set up Against the grain works here, you know the staff take their job seriously. No TV and soft music mean that this is somewhere to relax and have a chat with only the background noise of other people yapping, or yelping away. Don't forget to check out their latest project when it opens this month. Formerly Kate's cottage by Busaras, it will now be known as The Brew Dock.

Yay!!! Another cool place to go to on Capel Street. Between Pantibar, Musashi, Brother Hubbard, Outhouse and now this place I think I may MOVE to Capel Street! Can you overdose on gastro pubs? If they are full of a-holes, yes. But thankfully my favourite gastro pubs in Dublin have that nice mix of trendies and locals. I think the key to this is to locate it in a working class area. You will get that mix of locals and newbies which seems to balance out L Mulligan Grocers in Stoneybatter so well. Locate a gastro pub on the likes of Camden Street [cough cough - where am I talking about] and you get a tonne of a-holes and a bad atmosphere. I've been here a few times and each time I have had good draft speciality beers and really well made burgers and chips. Friendly staff, good food, good beer and great atmosphere. The beer menu is VAST, with quite a few of these on draft which is great! I'm a beer monster, so this really excites me. My first time here I was chatted up by a guy. Makes a nice change to be in a straight bar and not to be chatted up by a woman. Not that I'm a magnet for randy woman but you know what I mean, it was just nice to be somewhere that this was a perfectly normal thing to happen. Like it should be in every bar in this city. We're getting there though mind you.... It does seem to attract the gays. A nice mix of peeps. Looking forward to my next little outing....

This is one of the Galway Bay Brewery craft beer bars. What that means is that there is a great selection of great drinks, a little on the pricier side, but of such good quality that it is certainly worth it. And as with the Galway Bay Brewery bars, there is food available too which is generally decent while being slightly expensive. So its quality drinks and quality food, and you pay a little more for that (and it's worth it). Of all the Galway Bay Brewery bars in Dublin, this is probably the best, and in general it's a runner for the best craft beer bar in the city. Staff are consistently helpful and pleasant. Decor is quite a bit more reserved than other craft beer places, with thankfully none of the extreme darkness, excessively loud music or contrived indoor graffiti that marks other city centre places of this type. The only issue is that for some reason the acoustics in the upstairs (group floor) level seem strangely reflective, making this quite a loud location when it's busy (which it always is on weekend evenings). Also no tv screens: it's good to know that there are places like this for people who aren't sports-fans when a match is on.

Another craft beer pub. These places are popping up all over. The continuing gentrification of Dublin is killing the city. It goes like this - Take an old pub. Pull out all the nice old wood and brass fixtures. Paint the walls grey and put mismatching crappy tables and chairs. Add board games. There's nothing for anyone in these places. The food was OK. I had a falafel sandwich and sweet potato and lemon soup. Reasonably priced.

Ok, so 'I'm a fan' ....but definitely not when it comes to the food. Me + friend shared some nachos, which were A-OK, the sauces on top of the nachos were squeezed straight from the bottle. Do not expect fresh guac or salsa in this place. So on to the main affair, my turkey burger. I would give this burger a rating of one star! And I'm being generous here. When I order a turkey burger, I would expect, a piece of turkey breast....or even minced turkey. But not two huge breaded and fried pieces of turkey straight from frozen. My favourite part of the burger was the lettuce and tomato. meh I should have ordered a salad instead! The fries...I did not even touch them. I think thick cut fries (and these were the size of potatoes) are vile. Even my friend (who is a guy and never picky with his food especially man food) remarked on the fries that they were way too big and too potato-eey. But.....lesson learnt....next time I go (And I shall go back for sure), I will make sure my belly is already filled. I do love the atmosphere here (very relaxed, very hipster chic though) and the extensive list of beers. And the games. Ooh we had some fun pretending we were 12 again.

Just the perfect place to spend a food paddy's day ! Large choice of beers, free wifi, good vibes, cool music Really enjoyed my time there :)

The Black Sheep is part of the Galway Bay Brewery's ever-expanding empire of craft beer pubs, and it maintains the high standards synonymous with their other outlets. Hidden up at the end of Capel Street that has yet to undergo major gentrification, the Black Sheep offers a ridiculous array of draught and bottled craft beer, a superb selection of premium whiskeys, and a consistently top-notch lunch. It also helps that the workers are dead sound (Galway Bay seem to put a lot into training the staff in their outlets) and they are always on hand with a recommendation as to precisely which ale will perfectly offset the flavours in your stew or sandwich. I've yet to experience this establishment after office hours (although I hear it is a popular post-cinema spot), but for me the Black Sheep is a consistently terrific option for lunch. If you're due back at work in the afternoon, however, be careful: some of their beers pack a punch, and that pale ale you're quaffing might carry an 8.0% ABV that'll send you spinning off your seat. If the Black Sheep has a flaw, it's that it feels a bit like an identikit Galway Bay Brewery bar (their set-up is very similar to their sister outlets Against the Grain and Brew Dock). Then again, why dick around with a winning formula?

Yet another update on my review, luckily after a few bad months things began to get back on track. The beer selection actually improved after my last review. This includes some recent additions to their own brand, Galway Bay, among them a "table" beer for €4 a pint. Happy days! The service also got better again, and actually some of the staff members are extremely amicable besides being more attentive and quick. On this point I think they're perfect. I still miss some stuff from the old food menu but at least now the food served is of a good standard, no more of the overly greasy stuff, burnt fries and flat flavourless burgers. The kitchen also doesn't take ages to send out food anymore, even with a lot of orders. So why am I not giving it a 5 stars review again? Well, as of late it's still getting somewhat crowded and a bit too noisy with groups that get hold of big tables. This ruins a bit the ambiance, as you get 3 or 4 of these groups most nights, and sometimes there's no free tables or even room at all. But it's still my favourite watering hole on a Friday after work :)

The problem with the JI visa is that nice young Irish people go to America, get indoctrinated into the self-righteous craft brew scene and instead of calling it out on its crap they attempt to transport this toxic bar model back to Ireland. To clarify, the food is totally fine and the drink is totally fine but the whole approach - short snappy service and the vaguely bored and patronizing attitude of the bar staff has now become a theme rather than a hiccup. And forgive me, but there's sublime irony to being scoffed at for ordering a pint of Guinness that's made 500 yards away and instead upsold to a 7 euro "micro-brew" that has been flown 8170 kilometres from Sierra Nevada's multi-million dollar operation in California. Can this please stop now? Do we really need another Irish identity crisis a la Celtic Tiger before we figure out that this American model of cultural entitlement isn't really us? Can we have micro-brew beer without the macro-ego attitude?

Another GBB bar with a decent selection of craft beers and cider. Anytime I've been here it's always v busy. Haven't eaten here at all but I believe the food is pretty good. I like their old spinny... Pint o'milk anyone??

I am almost reluctant to recommend the Black Sheep as I don't want to risk it tipping over into being "too busy"! As someone already mentioned, there is always a nice buzz here, but you can still get a seat. The extensive list of beers means you will always want to go back for more - and I am dying to give the big arrow a spin to choose something more unusual. Yesterday was my first time eating at the Black Sheep. I ordered calamari, himself had wings, and we shared a portion of the thickest chunkiest chips I've had in a while. The service was excellent: quick, attentive and unobtrusive. The menu is really good value, delivers on descriptions, and the side salad with the calamari was properly tasty, not just a wilted afterthought!

Working in the city centre means you are spoiled for choice for after work drinks and my colleagues are crazy about the Black Sheep so we tend to end up there a lot. It's a nice big spacious bar and they allow you to reserve sections which is a big plus in my book. They also stock hundreds of craft beers and if this is your bag, you will be in heaven. I'm not really a beer drinker but I've tried a few in here and they can be hit and miss. I don't think I've ever chosen the same beer in consecutive rounds. So, I stick to whiskey and everything is grand. They have a good choice of spirits too and I love that they stock a good range of Irish gins, whiskeys etc. The food is fine, nothing special. Huge portions of pub grub that will fill you but you won't be wowed by the flavours. The female staff members are very friendly and take time to explain your drink options to you. The male staff member when I was last there just barked at us for not making our food order at the same time ( Our party were all arriving from work at different times and we didn't know if all were going to eat so it was staggered and those of us who arrived first were hungry!). One of my colleagues asked for change when paying for her food and the barman handed her back a fiver. When she explained that she wanted small change rather than a note he asked her why in an aggressive tone. She explained that she needed it for the bus and he rolled his eyes! Ugh! I'm sure I'll be back as my workmates love it but the staff could be a little friendlier.

All the Galway Bay bars are fairly samey, but this one is probably my favourite. Usually better music and the beer selection is always good. Last time I was in here I got Trouble Brewing Owl Day Pale Stout. Probably the nicest most interesting beer I have tasted in a long time; looks amber, like a pale ale but tastes like coffee and chocolate like a stout with a lovely hoppy aftertaste. it was weird. I wasn't sure if I liked it. had to keep drinking before I decided it was my favourite beer. Black Sheep is a nice place to drink and the food is good (just like the other Galway Bay bars). I highly recomend the chicken wings. They come in buckets.

All the craft beer and cider makes me a happy happy girl! There was also a pokestop outside so we could drink pints and get some balls. We had food here which was average at best. I had the GF burger and my boyfriend had the veggie burger. Great selection of beer and cider and great music. Staff was super nice and helpful!

Is that typical Irish pub? A lot of beer. A lot of (very) young people and nice and worm atmosphere. We order (1 kg!!!) of wings - big enough for two old guys after working day and the traditional "fish & chips" - not bad at all. We didn't order any desert as we were full

Just far away enough from the riff-raffiness of Temple Bar to lend a measure of ease (no sleaze), featuring stellar Galway Bay beers and guesties too, a pleasing interior - - an oasis of cool tones and super suds, with lots of price-worthy eateries nearby. #1 on my list in Dublin for brew.

Hurrah for Craft Beers! This is another Tap on the Craft Beers bar! The Black Sheep joins the likes of Against the Grain (which is it's sister pub), L. Mulligans, Bull & Castle, The Porterhouse chain and Mess'r Maguires in the craft beer market. These pubs specialise in supplying you with a vast range of beers from a variety of Craft Brewers. The Black Sheep boasts 23 craft beers on tap, with (currently) 2 on cask. So with it opening on the 1st of Feb I decided to go and sample a 'few'. The pub is at the junction between Capel St and Parnell St, which as one random punter said to me 'Is great for one after going to the CineWorld Cinema'. I must admit it is good for that but it might be a bit far away for me to make it a regular haunt. The venue, beers & staff would definitely make me want to come back time and again. Opening night was done with "No fanfare, no PR gimmicks, no minor celebrities" as they said on their Twitter feed and yet on a cold Wednesday night the place was already busy when I got there at 6:30 and was 'no seats left' by 8pm. Now I know it was the first night, but is that not a great response to a new venture? The staff were great, even the green around the gills new guy, and my minor glitch with the food was quickly fixed. As with Against the Grain there was no T.V. to be seen as the music wasn't too bad or too loud! The clientèle was quite varied going on their accents and were all willing to engage in banter regarding the new beers and the barmen kept up with them. Well recommended for a quite sit-down with a decent beer, or a Sat evening sampling a few different one's! I will be back.... that Wet Hop at 6.7% is calling me (c:

Great place for craft beers from all over the world. Has a set 3 course menu for 15 euro and a beer of the month for 4 euro. Has board games and a good atmosphere. I usually go here before or after (or both) when I go to see a movie at the nearby Cineworld.

Great pub in an area of town lacking in decent boozers. The model of the simple but high-quality craft beer pub devised by the people behind the Galway Bay Brewery is certainly working (just look at the monumental success Against the Grain has had over the past year), and The Black Sheep is in the same vein: more than twenty draught beers, over 100 bottled offerings, a handful of decent wines, and a small, locally-sourced menu of simple but tasty food - all served by friendly staff who are passionate about their products. As Reuben said in his review, a big draw for beer-lovers are the four cask hand pumps. A year ago I would have said putting 4 hand pumps in a Dublin pub was a crazy idea, as cask ale was just not popular enough - indeed, landlords had a tough time trying to shift one cask of ale before it began to spoil (casks have a shelf-life of 3-5 days once tapped), so trying to get through 4 would have been unrealistic. Now, however, I'm delighted to see people actively seeking out cask beer (it can be bloody fantastic - try it if you haven't already!), and being able to have a decent choice of casks - all in good condition - is just brilliant. The choice of other beers (from the keg) at the Sheep is also top-notch: two offerings from the highly-rated Brewdog, a Belgian Tripel (coming in at a tasty 9%), and a whole host of Irish craft ales, stouts, porters, and lagers. It must be said that all this doesn't come cheaply (don't be expecting any change from your fiver, folks), but I think we're slowly turning a corner in Ireland and realising that instead of slamming down six pints of piss and getting rowdy, it's often far more satisfying to invest a similar amount of cash in three pints of the highest quality and to have a good bit of pub-banter.

Finally, after several days in Dublin was I able to find the craft beer bars. The Black Sheep fits this model and if you have a desire to avoid the big 3 (Guinness, Heineken, Coors Light) then you should come here. We rolled in for lunch prior to our Jameson tour and I almost didn't want to leave. Our bartender was quite pleasant, knowledgeable about beers and was good to talk to. I drank selections from the Galway Brewery and I was happy to taste hops after so many consecutive days of stout. We split the goat cheese spinach quesadillas and their house chips. I was a fan of both of these items and I would certainly head back to try more of their menu items. I recommend this place because it's one of the shepherds bringing the craft beer into a macrobrew dominated city.

As pubs go, this is a nice place. So why did I only give it 3 stars? I suppose it's because they've gotten some of the small things wrong. They messed up on the kind of things that wouldn't cause mention in a bad pub, but I expect better of this place! I recently attended this establishment for some grub. We were left to wait for a long time, understandable given we went on a paddy's week Friday, but we ended up waiting an hour for food. Maybe they were surprised a boatload of people wanted food alongside their drink, since food just makes getting drunk harder... Upon our food arriving, 1 dish was missing. This sort of thing does happen, but again, it's a bit careless. It was fixed quickly. The food itself was mostly good quality and served in big portions. The one downer was a watery chicken curry. A bum note which could have been avoided/ When we got our bill, the price was off by 20 quid, overcharging us in a few ways, they fixed this and apologised but it all adds up to a general lack of care. The place itself is big. That's not exactly a good thing. Big tables make hearing people sitting across the table a strain. There's also a noisy atmosphere which makes talking even harder. They have a downstairs which is hard to find and harder to navigate, and with no bar, you have to walk back upstairs each round. That said, their beer is good, this is their selling point and the reason everyone goes, so if that's why you want to go, do, but the beer is all that makes the place interesting.

Fast becoming my favourite pub in Dublin, hard to get a seat on a Weekend night but that's just a sign of a great pub in Dublin. Still a good buzz mid-week for a few quiet drinks and a chat over scrabble. The Burgers are delicious.

The Blacksheep is a great place to go for a casual bite to eat and to find tasty, interesting beers. I particularly like their sharing food. The chicken wings are yum and have a nice kick to them and their homemade chips are unreal. At €8 and €4 respectively these together make for a cheap shared meal between two. Keeping the food cheap lets you save more money to spend on the pricier than usual booze! I always enjoy a good peruse through the beer menu. They have lots of different types from IPAs to fruit beers to a 32% proof beer (that's sixty-something euro!!!). Ha! The staff are always happy to give recommendations too if you ask them.

Pre-cinema early meal here last week with a friend. I don't drink beer so the seemingly extensive range was lost on me but I plan to go back with my husband so he can try some! Food was really nice, I just went for wings and fries, portion was so enormous I couldn't finish it! Delicious chunky chips - really nicely seasoned and spicy wings with blue cheese dip on the side. Friend had a mixed platter that had some wings, chicken tender type things, onion rings and fries. 2 glasses of pretty decent Pinot Grigio each and we were all set: I will go back and try more food from the menu but I hope they do something about the service! Despite not being overly busy the waistress didn't come near our table, we had to go to the bar to get menus, order, and finally caught her to order a second glass of wine when the food arrived!

Really sound staff, really good food, same great beers as the sister pubs. I like the layout of this place, lots of seating around but small enough to feel cosy. I sat at the bar, which wasn't the most comfortable or nice area of the place but I didn't mind too much. As with the others, you can charge your phone behind the bar with no hassle which is SUCH a useful idea. I'll be back!

Love the Black Sheep, went for the first time just before Christmas. Great food and an amazing choice of craft beers. Went back for new years and once again had a great experience. The thing about the black sheep is it has a great atmosphere, great beer and pretty good food as well. There is also a quieter area in the basement if you want a quiet chat somewhere. The Fish and Chips are great here as well!