Guinness Open Gate Brewery in Dublin

Excellent ambient and very good recommendation from Daniel!! Good point and good beers

A great taproom, with a good vibe and fantastic food. We had corn "ribs", and some super delicious chicken bites. The beer was good too, but we missed out on some of the more unusual ones.

Was a fantastic little stop off. Emma Penny made it that much better with her kindness, knowledge and attentiveness. So much appreciated when these little moments in time are what make your experience in a new place.

The place is really nice! The beers are excellent and there is a lot of choice. The waiters are very pleasant, and the tapas are delicious and piping hot. The inranchine are great, I highly recommend them! 🍺✨

This. Was. Epic. What a great tour-capped off by the beautiful scenery in the bar up top. Really enjoyed ourselves here! Definitely worth the price. And Hop House 13 on tap was a very pleasant surprise!

This was a bucket list visit, and was grand. The information on each floor was easy to understand and visually quite interesting. Making your way to the top floor, the 7th, was the real payoff. A fresh pint of Guinness, and a 360° view of the Dublin from the top! It was quite busy at the top, and nowhere to sit whatsoever - as every space was filled.

Very cool location and even smoked beer (I'm Bavarian 😁) as an Oktoberfest special

If you’re in Dublin, the Guinness Open Gate Brewery is absolutely worth a visit — especially for beer lovers and curious travelers. It’s a more intimate, experimental counterpart to the usual Guinness tours, and it offers something unique. The setting is strong — tucked into The Liberties area, it feels part of the fabric of the city but also offers escape from the usual tourist trails. On arrival, you get a sense that this is a place driven by craft and passion. The ambiance is relaxed, the lighting and décor well matched to the brewing surroundings, and the space bridges indoor comfort with outdoor touches when the weather allows. What makes it special is the idea behind it: this is where Guinness experiments — small batch creations, limited runs, beers you won’t see elsewhere. The tasting paddles are a highlight, giving you breadth without overwhelming you. You feel like you’re getting a backstage pass to the brewer’s workshop. That said, it’s not perfect. The food, while good, can be a little pricey compared to what you’re getting. And because it’s an experimental space, some beers you hope for may not always be available — that’s part of the charm, but worth noting. When the place gets busy, service can also slow down, though staff are generally friendly and helpful. This isn’t a full-scale brewery tour in the traditional sense. It’s more of a taproom and experimental brewery experience rather than a big industrial walk-through. Many people see it as a nice complement to the Guinness Storehouse rather than a replacement. Overall, if you’re in Dublin and want something beyond the standard tourist stops, Guinness Open Gate is a must-see. It feels authentic, creative, and rewarding. Especially during Christmas time, the atmosphere is particularly cozy and magical.

What is this pub? Guinness is no longer owned by the original family but by Diageo, the spirits giant. Diageo, however, is not an entity without values; it is a multinational, yes, but their approach is less digital and more analog. And so Diageo opened this pub, in the old chairs of the Guinness brewery, and here they are conducting a test market operation. They create beers in a "microbrewery" that are Guinness... but they aren't! They are experiments, and based on sales and customers, they will decide whether to produce them for the various markets. I don't know if I made myself clear. I drank a Guinness, and after all this rant, you'll tell me, yes, but it's still Guinness; no, it was the first Guinness recipe and it was different from today's. Less creamy and more angular, it was indeed a different beer. Then I drank the last recipe produced by the creator of Guinness in the late 18th century Arthur's Last Ale. It's claimed to be a reproduction of the last batch of beer produced by Guinness before it became an exclusively porter brewery in the late 18th century. The aroma isn't much to reveal, but the flavor emerges with the sticky toffee typical of Scotch ale. It's only 5% ABV, but it's more intense, almost like a barley wine. The flavor finishes with a touch of burnt caramel. A very faint hint of green leaf is all the hops, presumably English, have to say. As historic beers go, it's accessible and pleasant. They also have some food, but I haven't tried the food. The atmosphere is super cool, and I'd honestly go back every time I go to Dublin.

Arriving 25 Sept 2025 for our 30th anniversary! So excited to be finally visiting! Will there be Guinness nitro coffee … ? (I hope so)