Roddy Bolands, Dublin

Native Dubliners tend to dismiss Roddy Bolands as a "culchie pub". A culchie, for those not familiar with the lingo, is an Irish person who had the misfortune of being born in "the country"—a vague expanse basically covering anywhere that isn't Dublin. Modeled on the raucous late-night craic factories that abound in provincial Irish towns, it's true that Roddy's crowd is largely made up of non-Dubs, but the unselfconscious lack of sophistication of its widely-drawn clientèle is also its strength. The music is cheese flavored, the atmosphere rowdy, pints flow late into the night, and impromptu table-dancing is not uncommon. Fun is highly probable, though it's fair to say fans of pretension, cocktails and cutting-edge tunes need not apply. – Gareth Thornton