Alcohol-free nights out in Dublin

For a chill, games night with incredible food, head to Board on Clanbrassil Street. Pick a game from their lengthy menu of classics like Catan, Articulate and Hungry Hungry Hippos while munching down on a deliciously cheesy pizza and throwing back one of their many alcohol-free drink options. (Board now serves alcoholic drinks, too.) And if one game piques your interest, you can buy a copy there to bring home for future game nights. They also host events like speed dating, chess tournaments, and quiz and bingo nights. 

Fans of vintage Pac Man and Donkey Kong will be in seventh heaven at Token. After closing its doors in Smithfield, the games bar has brought its classic arcade games and pinball machines to a new home in the IFSC. While Token does serve alcohol, they also have a range of zero percent options behind the bar, from beers like Weihenstephaner Helles to a selection of mocktails. It’s also one of the best spots in town for vegan diner food, including their vegan Big Mac and plant-based chilli fries.

Or bring your booze-free gaming to The Back Page in Phibsborough, where you'll find ping-pong, pool and table football alongside a mocktail menu that includes a zero-percent gin and tonic, Aperol spritz, whiskey sour and mojito. There are alcoholic drinks, pizza and chicken wings on offer, too.

If you like to challenge your friends to a game of darts on a night out, you can go beyond the traditional cork board hidden in the back of the pub at Flight Club Dublin on Dawson Street. This darts bar has upped the ante with a variety of social dart games. Aim for a bullseye with their Flight Star mocktail in hand while you split some snacks with your competitors. 

If you want to work off a bit of excess energy, head to the Axe Club by Connolly Station. You’ll get to throw axes against a target while the music blares in the background. It’s a strictly no-alcohol venue, but they serve Two Fifty Square coffee and non-alcoholic beer from Wicklow Wolf.   

Media captionSip mocktails over pizza and games at Board.

Set neatly on the Quays is The Music Café, where you’ll often find a musician performing on the tiny stage and baristas whipping up coffees into the evening – it’s open until 10.30pm on Fridays and Saturdays and 8pm otherwise. If you’d prefer a cup of tea, head over the river to the Tea Garden on Ormond Quay, an oriental-inspired tearoom where you can try out over 40 varieties of tea while relaxing on comfortable mats and pillows on the floor. 

Sure, the city has its share of multiplex cinemas, but there are multiple unique and independent cinemas with exceptional programming and great food for a fun night out. At the over 100-year-old Stella Cinema in Rathmines you can take in a new release or a classic film while reclining on a swish armchair, a couch, or even a bed, while nibbling on snacks like kimchi fries and Oreo milkshakes.  

As well as a schedule of new movies, the Light House Cinema in Smithfield hosts frequent special events, like all-night franchise marathons and themed seasons for genre fans. They also run a monthly Cinema Book Club, where screenings of films adapted from books are discussed in the (excellent) café afterwards. Serious cinephiles flock to the Irish Film Institute in Temple Bar, where frequent guest talks and festivals run alongside arthouse screenings and indie new releases. Plus, the onsite café is great value for money and is open until 9.30pm.   

Media captionEnjoy a movie in style in the Stella Cinema or the Light House Cinema.

The days of non-drinkers being stuck with lukewarm soft drinks are no more. Loads of Dublin pubs have a great selection of non-alcoholic drinks on offer, like Dockers on Sir John Rogerson's Quay. Much like their extensive menu of alcoholic beverages, their list of zero-percent options is also pretty impressive, with everything from non-alcoholic beers to cocktails and spirits. You can pair your drink with one of their delicious chorizo and mozzarella pizza rolls.

If you're in the mood for a night out in a smart bar but don't fancy an alcoholic drink, give Lemon and Duke on Duke Lane Upper a go. Take a seat at the luxe dark wood bar and order from their long list of mocktails, including a Grapefruit Nojito and Peach Tea Bellini.

Escape rooms have popped up all over Dublin, each with their own niche. Every room is themed at Escape Dublin on Aungier Street, so you might find yourself trying to crack the code in a Witchcraft and Wizardry school, or working alongside Sherlock Holmes. At Adventure Rooms Dublin you have an hour to solve the puzzles in six themed rooms, which can each accommodate two to seven people. There’s even the Escape Boats in Grand Canal Dock, where floating on the water adds an extra element of adventure. 

It may not be a traditional escape room, but World of Illusion in Temple Bar will definitely help you escape reality for an hour or two. The three-storey building contains over 70 mind-bending illusions and interactive exhibits that will have you questioning the laws of physics. Feel weightless in the gravity-defying room, lose yourself in the infinity mirror or challenge your senses in the vortex tunnel. All the illusions make for great photo ops.

Media captionDefy gravity at the World of Illusion.

Not all museums close their doors in the evening. The National Gallery of Ireland is open until 8.30pm on Thursdays, often with evening events on offer, and the National Museum of Ireland, Kildare Street is open until 8.30pm on Thursdays during the summer. It’s also worth keeping an eye out for First Fridays at the Museum of Literature Ireland where, on the first Friday of every month, the museum hosts an evening of live music and readings until 9pm. Admission is free from 6pm. The Chester Beatty is open until 8pm on Wednesdays when there are often special talks and events. 

You could also catch a play or a concert in one of Dublin’s theatres and venues, from the touring shows in the Bord Gáis Energy Theatre to the quirkier productions in the Abbey. Don’t forget the smaller theatres too, like the trio of stages in Temple Bar – Smock Alley, Project Arts Centre and The New Theatre – as well as the Viking Theatre in Clontarf. 

Media captionEnjoy exhibitions and events after hours at the National Gallery of Ireland and the Chester Beatty.

If you fancy crafting your own masterpiece, spend an evening at the Dublin Pottery Painting Studio over in Smithfield. Pick a item you'd like to paint, whether it's a cute vase or pretty teapot, and then get started on your design. There's an artist on standby in case you need any help but this is a time to let your creativity run wild. The studio will glaze and fire your piece in their own kiln for collection in two to six weeks. These evening sessions are BYOB, so it's easy to make it an alcohol-free event.

Meanwhile, This Must Be The Place has enough creative workshops to fill your month's calendar. Alongside activities where you can get your hands dirty like candle painting and sculpting, they also host spoken word and beginner DJ workshops. 

Head out of the city centre and you'll find plenty of high-octane activities to keep you occupied in the evening. There’s a real retro feel to the bowling alley at ALSAA Sports Centre, which was founded in 1963 by a group of Aer Lingus employees (hence the location out by Dublin Airport). It’s a popular spot with the city’s bowling leagues, so, don’t feel inadequate if everyone around you is bowling strikes. There’s a more modern atmosphere at the Leisureplex, where the lights are dimmed but the pins are illuminated in neon. They have locations at Tallaght, Coolock, and Blanchardstown, where you can also squeeze in a game of Q-Zar laser tag.  

Media captionGo for a strike at the Leisureplex.

If you want to try your hand at rock climbing, head out to Awesome Walls in Finglas, one of the largest indoor climbing centres in Europe. Newbies can learn the ropes with an instructor but more experienced climbers are free to roam the bouldering and lead walls on their own. In Dundrum, Rainforest Adventure Golf is a popular date spot in the evenings and it’s all indoors, so you can play throughout the year. You can try your hand at hurling, Gaelic football and handball at Experience Gaelic Games in Drumcondra to get a taste of Ireland’s traditional games and build up a sweat in the process.  

Take a walk

Want to see more of the city and its surrounds? Here are some of the best walks and cycles in Dublin.