First, a disclaimer: Obviously in the four years I have lived in Dublin, I haven't visited all the pubs. The ones listed here are therefore the best in my experience.

(1) Mulligans, near Tara Street station

This is a slightly scruffy pub, the frontage is nothing special and the bar is not out of the ordinary. They don't serve hot meals, and you won't find live music every night. Why is it in the top ten? Quite simply Mulligans serve the best pint of Guinness in Dublin (and by extension the world). Some people may disagree, and tell you that the best pint in Dublin is served at the Guinness brewery but you have to bear in mind that the barman in Mulligans has been studying the fine art of pouring Guinness for nigh on thirty years.

(2) Messrs. Maguire's

Messrs. Maguire's is a vast pub. It has three floors above ground and two below, a large kitchen and restaurant style seating. Being such a large pub, it also has its own microbrewery, making beers that cannot be had anywhere else in the world. Plain is a stout very similar in taste to Guinness, Rusty is a smooth ale, not dissimilar to Kilkenny and Yankee is a light lager. The best of all though is Extra. This is a stout with double the hops used in brewing as compared to a standard stout - and the flavour is extraordinary. Think Guinness with a dark chocolate aftertaste. They also do great food, and have a carvery lunch Saturday and Sunday.

(3) Oliver St. John Gogharty's

Known to Dublinners as "Sinjons", this is probably the best pub in "Temple Bar", Dublin's bohemian district. The pub has three floors - a main bar on the ground floor, a live music bar on the first floor and a restaurant serving good Irish classics on the second. However, its prime location and reputation mean that it gets very packed - probably best avoided on a Saturday night.

(4) The Thing Mote

The thing Mote is near the bottom end of Grafton street and yet, despite being near this enormously busy thoroughfare it still manages to be an island of calm. It also has one of the most beautiful interiors of any building I have seen - the carved hardwood ceiling panels are exquisite. They do a nice soup and sandwich lunch which is a welcome break from shopping - but be warned, you might not want to go back to the fray.

(5) The Merchant O'Shea

This is further up the Liffey, near the turn to Dublin castle. It has two distinguishing characteristics - the beautiful painted exterior depicting a street scene from ancient Dublin and the fantastic Ceili that take place there on most nights. If you want a night you'll remember for a very long time, go to the Merchant O'Shea on a Saturday night.

(6) The Gravediggers

Try as you might, you won't find a pub called The Gravedigger in the phone book. This is because it is actually called Kavanagh's, but it's location by Glasnevin cemetery means that it has always been known to locals as the gravediggers. This is well worth the trip if you are visiting the cemetery or botanical gardens, and the quality of the pint of Guinness is nearly the equal of Mulligans.

(7) The Merrion Inn

This pub is situated in the posher end of town, in Ballsbridge and it reflects that very well. The walls are decorated with original works by some of Dublin's better contemporary artists and the general decor matches this very well. The menu is limited but all the dishes are excellent (in fact this pub is listed in the Egon Ronay guide).