We're a bit too small for that but nonetheless certain fine drinking emporiums might fall under your radar and this is where Bar Secrets Dublin by Pol O'Conghaile, an independent deck-of-cards guide to the contemporary drinking scene in Dublin comes into its own. Cleverly written, insightful and genuinely useful, it runs the whole gamut from the Dylan to McDaids and beyond, identifying the best places for a pre-club pint (the Market Bar), Art Nouveau interiors (Cafe En Seine) and posh cocktails (The Octagon). It's a great gift for friends from abroad but natives will enjoy it too and as the publishers point out, at 7.95 it's cheaper than a Martini.