Quick answer: The Animal Collective runs four bars in Dublin: Caribou on Stephen Street Lower, Daphni at Bolands Mills, Bonobo in Smithfield and Kodiak in Rathmines. All four do craft beer and proper cocktails, and Bonobo and Kodiak add wood-fired pizza. Dermo, who runs Dublin 360, rates every one of them. Caribou and Daphni are his absolute favourites, super friendly staff in all locations and vibe that matches the city of Dublin.
Shane Clifford, Hugh O’Farrell and Declan Murphy started the group in 2016. Each bar looks different, but you know you’re in one of theirs: a strong craft beer list with plenty of Irish breweries, cocktails made with care, and good staff. All the Food singled out the service across every one of their venues, and we’d agree.
The four Animal Collective bars in Dublin
Caribou (Dermo’s pick)
Where: 30 Stephen Street Lower, Dublin 2 (in the Drury Court Hotel building, where P Mac’s used to be)
Caribou opened in Galway in 2016 and moved to Dublin in 2024, taking over the old P Mac’s. The room looks like it was furnished from a very good flea market: old wooden tables, leather seats, 1970s lamps, art on every wall, candles, plants and fresh flowers. The bright front room suits a group. The low-lit nooks at the back are better for two.
It’s also the group’s only bar with a full kitchen instead of pizza. Expect steak frites, a fish sandwich and roasts at the weekend. The Times found the Sunday roast filling the place within an hour of service, so get there early or book. The beer list leans on Irish breweries, and the cocktails are some of the best on this side of town. All the Food picked out the Paloma and a clarified rhubarb sour.
Instagram: @caribou_dublin
Daphni (Dermo’s pick)
Where: Flour Mill, Bolands Mills, Grand Canal Dock, Dublin 4
The newest bar in the group opened at the end of 2025 in the basement of the Flour Mill at Bolands Mills. It’s a big room built around music. There’s a Hatchett sound system and an eclectic soundtrack, played at a level where you can still hear each other. Studio O’Connor did the interiors. You get table service and strong cocktails, and the crowd is a real mix.
It’s a few minutes’ walk from the Bord Gáis Energy Theatre, which makes it our first suggestion for a drink before or after a show. Daphni doesn’t serve food, so eat before you arrive. A new restaurant is due to open next door, so watch this space. Like Caribou, it’s named after the musician Dan Snaith, who records under both names.
Instagram: @daphni_dublin · Bolands Mills traders
Bonobo
Where: 119 Church Street Upper, Smithfield, Dublin 7
Bonobo was the group’s first Dublin bar. Inside there are candles, plants, vintage lamps, a fireplace and sofas. Out the back is a large heated beer garden, and dogs are welcome.
The kitchen does Neapolitan-style pizza from a wood-fired oven; the potato and pancetta, and the truffle with orange zest, are its signatures. The taps rotate, and Bonobo gets some of Kinnegar’s Tap Room Only beers, which you won’t often see outside the brewery. If you’d rather not have beer, there’s a tequila and mezcal list and a short cocktail menu.
Instagram: @bonobo_smithfield
Kodiak
Where: 304 Rathmines Road Lower, Dublin 6 (the old Copan)
Kodiak calls itself a neighbourhood bar, but it’s a big one. High ceilings and lots of plants make it bright, there are long tables for groups, an upstairs area looks down on the main floor, and there’s a heated beer garden. Dogs are welcome here too.
Beer is the reason to come. All the Food rates it as arguably the best bar beer list in the country, with rotating taps, sours and a long list of cans and bottles. There are cocktails as well, and individual sourdough pizzas to soak it all up.
Instagram: @kodiak_rathmines
Which one to pick
For Sunday lunch or a proper dinner with your drinks, go to Caribou. Daphni is the one for a night built around music, or a drink before the theatre. If you want a beer garden, a pizza and somewhere the dog can come too, Bonobo and Kodiak both fit, and if beer is the main event, Kodiak wins.
The group has two bars outside Dublin. Jackal is on Market Square in Navan and does pizza and craft beer. Impala, on Liberty Street in Cork, is a retro 1960s beach-bar style cocktail and craft bar in a former pharmacy.
Getting there
Caribou is just off George’s Street, a couple of minutes from Grafton Street and St Stephen’s Green. Daphni is next to Grand Canal Dock DART station. Bonobo is a short walk from the Smithfield stop on the Luas Red Line. For Kodiak, buses from the city centre run along Rathmines Road, or you can walk out over the canal at Portobello.
Check our live bus, train and Luas times before you set off, and our getting around Dublin guide for Leap cards and fares. Staying over? Browse our places to stay in Dublin.
More bars we like
If the Animal Collective bars are your kind of place, our hipster bars in Dublin guide has more independent spots, and our self-guided craft beer crawls take in the best beer bars. For cocktails, see our best cocktail bars in Dublin, and for more pizza, our Dublin pizza guide. Opening times and menus change, so check each bar’s Instagram before you go.
Animal Collective bars: FAQs
Which bars does the Animal Collective own in Dublin?
Four: Caribou on Stephen Street Lower, Daphni at Bolands Mills in Grand Canal Dock, Bonobo on Church Street in Smithfield and Kodiak on Rathmines Road Lower. The group also runs Jackal in Navan and Impala in Cork.
Who owns Caribou in Dublin?
The Animal Collective, the group Shane Clifford, Hugh O’Farrell and Declan Murphy set up in 2016. Caribou started in Galway and moved to Stephen Street Lower in Dublin 2 in 2024, into the old P Mac’s.
Do the Animal Collective bars serve food?
Caribou has a full bar kitchen, with steak frites, a fish sandwich and roasts at the weekend. Bonobo and Kodiak do wood-fired pizza. Daphni is a drinks bar with no food, though a new restaurant is on the way next door.
Are Bonobo and Kodiak dog-friendly?
Yes. Both welcome dogs, and both have heated beer gardens.
Where is Daphni bar in Dublin?
In the basement of the Flour Mill at Bolands Mills, Grand Canal Dock, Dublin 4. It is a short walk from the Bord Gáis Energy Theatre and next to Grand Canal Dock DART station.
Which Animal Collective bar is best for craft beer?
Kodiak in Rathmines. All the Food rates its list as arguably the best bar beer list in the country, with rotating taps, sours and a big can and bottle range. Bonobo’s rotating taps are well worth a look too.
Photos via Wikimedia Commons: David Kernan (CC BY 4.0); David Morris (CC0); William Murphy (CC BY-SA 2.0).
