Fitz’s Pub runs a live traditional session every night of the year, a policy it brands #trad365. Doolin has four session pubs, and on any given evening you could land in any of them and hear good music; what Fitz’s guarantees is that there will be music, which matters if you’ve driven the Burren all day and have one shot at it. Sessions usually start around 9pm. Come a bit before that for a seat near the fire, especially in summer.
Fitz’s is part of Hotel Doolin, and it shows: this is the newest and most comfortable of the village’s session pubs, a big modern room of polished panelling, natural stone and an open fire, with a large bar at the front and an expansive restaurant behind. Purists who want their trad in a creaky, low-ceilinged snug will prefer Gus O’Connor’s, which has been pouring since 1832. If you’d rather a warm seat, a proper dinner and reliable music under one roof, Fitz’s is the better call.
The music
You’ll hear the usual session line-up: fiddles, flutes, concertinas, tin whistles and bodhráns trading reels, jigs and the odd slow air. Nothing is staged or set-listed; musicians drift in, settle into a corner, and one tune leads to the next. Listeners are welcome to sit close and say nothing, which is the correct etiquette. If you play and want to join, read the room first and wait to be waved in.
Food and drink
The pub brews its own beer: Dooliner, a creamy, lightly hopped Irish red ale, alongside a Dooliner lager, both made with Irish ingredients. Behind the bar are over 100 whiskeys (ask for the ‘whiskey bible’), Irish craft beers, cocktails and a short list of organic wines.
The kitchen is better than it needs to be for a music pub. It commits to sourcing 90% of its ingredients within 90 miles, and names its suppliers: Michael Connell’s lobster, Flaggy Shore oysters, St Tola’s goat’s cheese, Burren smoked salmon, with salads and herbs from its own garden and the nearby Moyhill Community Garden. Bread and desserts are made in-house. Expect local seafood and meats with proper vegetarian and vegan options. Food runs from 12:30pm to 9pm Monday to Thursday and to 9:30pm on Friday and Saturday.
One honest warning: several of the big Cliffs of Moher tour companies stop here, and at lunchtime the queue can run past half an hour. If you’re tight on time, skip the midday slot and come for the evening, when the buses have gone and the music starts.
The hotel behind it all is Ireland’s first certified carbon-neutral hotel and has the Green Awards to back the claim, which is why the sourcing is local and the recycling is taken seriously, rather than just mentioned.
Practical information
| Service | Details |
|---|---|
| Bar hours | Mon–Thu 12pm–11.30pm; Fri–Sat 12pm–12.30am (seasonal variations possible) |
| Food served | Mon–Thu 12.30pm–9pm; Fri–Sat 12.30pm–9.30pm |
| Music | Live trad every night, usually from around 9pm |
| Parking | Free on-site |
| Wi-Fi | Free throughout |
| Reservations | First come, first served; not required for the bar or sessions |
| Admission | Free entry; pay for food and drink |
| Accessibility | Ground-floor bar and restaurant, step-free |
| Contact | +353 65 707 1111 |
Around Doolin
The village is compact and walkable, with other session pubs a short stroll away. From here you can reach the Cliffs of Moher in about 25 minutes by car, or take a ferry from Doolin Pier to the Aran Islands (book ahead in summer; crossings fill and bad weather cancels them). For walking, the Burren Way threads the limestone pavements inland, Aillwee Cave sits up the road with its birds-of-prey centre, and the Black Head coastal loop runs out to the lighthouse.