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Dublin, Ireland is of course famous for being the home of Guinness. It’s also home to several whiskey distilleries. Dublin‘s drinking culture is known around the world. While for many that’s as simple as a pint or a dram, there are also several great Dublin cocktail bars where you can get quality mixed drinks. Some have unique atmospheres that go beyond the traditional Irish pub. Here are the best cocktail bars in Dublin, including speakeasies, hotel bars, historic bars, and trendy bars.
The Best Cocktail Bars in Dublin
Bar 1661
Bar 1661 (website) bills itself as being “Staunchly Irish & Fiercely Independent,” which gives you a sense of what’s in store at the best place for cocktails in Dublin. It has been voted Ireland’s Bar of the Year, and rightfully so.
The corner spot with lots of windows & wood floors is a destination for those looking for craft cocktails, especially ones made with the Irish moonshine known as poitín.
Poitín is front and center in the Bar 1661 cocktail menu. The bar is named after the year that poitín was banned in Ireland. Obviously, it’s now allowed, and those looking for great Dublin cocktails are thankful for that.
Bar 1661 is a straightforward cocktail bar, with decor that’s just enough to be cool, but without any gimmicks. Chill music, including live blues on Mondays, allows for good conversation. The cocktails are the stars of the show.
Book your hotel in Dublin now!The Irish-focused cocktails are stunning. Bar 1661’s menu is a lovely book that’s filled with unique cocktail recipes, including some that have been barrel-aged. Each drink is labeled with a particular notable year relating to the drink.
They also offer cheese plates, meat plates, and other snacks, including oysters. Visitors to the Dublin cocktail bar are welcomed with a drink such as clarified milk punch.
With such an expansive drinks menu, everyone will find their own favorites, but I have a few personal highlights of the Bar 1661 cocktail menu.
The Black Gate (1759) is made from Mad March Hare poitín, rum, roasted dandelion, tonka, bitter, Tokaji, Guinness, and burnt sugar cream, making for an intensely flavored cocktail that works as a tasty dessert, but yet is not too sweet.
Paperwork (1760) contains Teeling poitín, Valentia Island vermouth, Kinsale Atlantic Dry Mead, Off the Cuffe Marmalade Citrus bitters, lavender, and soda. It’s a light and refreshing drink.
The Gibney (1785) is a stunning barrel-aged cocktail made from Redbreast 12, rum, pineapple, black cardamom, aromatised wine, and oloroso. It’s smooth, with a nice little finishing kick from the barrel and the cardamom.
If you’re looking for the most unique & best cocktail bar in Dublin, be sure to visit Bar 1661.
Address: 1-5 Green St, Rotunda, Dublin, D07 YT6H, Ireland (map)
Vintage Cocktail Club Dublin
Vintage Cocktail Club (website) is a speakeasy in Dublin’s Temple Bar. For the most part, if you want to avoid tourists & crowded bars, don’t go to Temple Bar. Vintage Cocktail Bar is a notable exception. Since the bar’s opening in 2012, it has won many awards for being one of the best cocktail bars in Dublin.
The Dubin speakeasy requires reservations, as there are no walk-ins. There are multiple seatings per night. Upon arrival, ring the buzzer to get in. Be patient, as it might take the hosts a little bit to welcome you.
After being let in, visitors then head upstairs into a dark parlor with candles, red fabric and leather chairs, ornate wallpaper, and photos of tasteful nudes from long ago. The music matches the decor, with retro styles such as jazz and swing that fit the era, but with modern beats to connect the bar with the modern age.
Vintage Cocktail Club has a huge menu of cocktails through the years. The menu includes classic cocktails, plus then also spins on them. There are also their own craft cocktail creations and signature serves.
The speakeasy cocktail bar also has a food menu. The brownie is great and pairs well with certain cocktails.
I had the See’ye T’Amaro, Jameson’s Gate Schooner, and Professor Molly, all of which were quite nice drinks.
Should you wish to have an even deeper cocktail experience, Vintage Cocktail Club also offers cocktail-making masterclasses for groups.
Address: 15 Crown Alley, Temple Bar, Dublin 2, D02 E229, Ireland (map)
The Sidecar
For the most part, Dublin isn’t a fancy city, but there are a few places of opulence. The Sidecar at the Westbury Hotel (website) is one such nice cocktail bar.
Hidden upstairs deep within the hotel, The Sidecar is inspired by the cocktail bars of the 1920s & 1930s. It has won several awards including Best Hotel Bar at The Irish Craft Cocktail Awards 2018 and Best Cocktail Bar at the Sunday Business Post Gold Star Awards 2019.
Every element of The Sidecar has been considered, from the Art Deco stylings to the bartenders in white jackets.
The cocktail menu is called “Of Tall Tales and Cocktails.” It included the stories of some famous cocktails through the ages, along with modern updated takes on each drink. The Once Upon a Paris Bar is inspired by the sidecar.
There is also a huge gin and tonic menu, as well as a martini trolley offering tableside martinis.
The Sidecar reminds me a lot of the American Bar in London as far as both the atmosphere and the prices. There’s a definite tourist tax for being in an opulent hotel bar, but it’s a nice place & still has some of the best cocktails in Dublin. The drinks also come with some bar snacks and complimentary prosecco, which helps take the sting out of the bill.
Address: The Westbury, Balfe St, Dublin, Ireland (map)
Peruke & Periwig
Peruke & Periwig (website) is a quirky Dublin bar that feels much older than it is. The cozy bar has lots of wood, leather, old signs, and wigs. Yes, wigs.
The drinks are music-inspired, such as the Whiskey in the Jar, a take on an old fashioned. There is also a food menu featuring modern Irish dishes.
As with Vintage Cocktail Club, Peruke & Periwig is owned by the Press Up Hospitality Group. The Press Up Group owns dozens of properties in Ireland, including several themed cocktail bars in the Dublin city center such as The Lucky Duck Pub & Cocktail Rooms.
When I spoke with other Dublin bartenders, I got the impression that the group isn’t particularly popular for a variety of reasons, including their monopolization of nightlife & less-than-original concepts. That’s not to say that they don’t operate several nice cocktail bars, but these aren’t small independent businesses if you care about that sort of thing.
Address: 31 Dawson St, Dublin 2, D02 DR58, Ireland (map)
Roe & Co Distillery Power House Bar
Roe & Co (website) is a Dublin distillery that’s located inside the old power station for Guinness. The distillery offers tours, tastings, and cocktail classes.
The tours end inside the beautiful Roe & Co Distillery cocktail bar in the center of the station. Here you can drink right where the whiskey was made.
The Roe & Co Power House Bar cocktail menu includes their whiskies of course, but there are other spirits available as well. Some drinks are collaborations with other local businesses.
Large windows line each side of the cocktail bar in Dublin’s famed neighborhood known as The Liberties. The windows on one side look into the distillery, while the windows on the other side look into the expanse of the former power station. As a result, it’s one of the most unique bars in Dublin.
Address: 92 James St, The Liberties, Dublin 8, D08 YYW9, Ireland (map)
Fidelity Bar
Fidelity Bar (website) is a beautiful combination of a craft beer bar & cocktail bar located on the north side of the Liffey. It’s a collaboration between The Big Romance & Whiplash.
It’s a cool Dublin bar with a clean design featuring a long bar, green booths, dark wood, & metal fittings. The bar features DJs playing a mix of chill r&b, soul, & funk. Unlike some bars where the music can be overwhelming, Fidelity Bar has a great sound system that’s set at a reasonable level. It might be the best setup you’ll find in any bar. They self-describe themselves as an audiophile bar, and it shows.
In addition to a selection of 18 beer taps & 6 wine taps from their beautifully designed system, Fidelity Bar also serves banging cocktails.
The Mango Groove has a nice spicy kick with the mango & is made from Fernando Rosa’s Mango Groove, a mango spirit from Brazil. Fidelity Bar is the only bar in Dublin that has it. In addition to house cocktails, they also make classic cocktails.
I didn’t have the black pepper and basil margarita, but if you’re sitting at the bar and one gets made, it smells amazing.
Address: 79 Queen St, Smithfield, Dublin 7, D07 DW3R, Ireland (map)
The Big Romance
As referenced above, The Big Romance (website) is another great cocktail bar in Dublin that also has craft beer, cocktails, and music, all executed well. Plus pizza.
Like Fidelity Bar, a lot of people go there for the beer, but the cocktails are also excellent.
Address: 98 Parnell St, Rotunda, Dublin, D01 T2T3, Ireland (map)
Dublin’s Victorian Bars
In addition to the cool cocktail bars in Dublin mentioned above, the city is also home to 16 Victorian pubs. While some of these pubs are best for basic, traditional drinks, some also offer great cocktails. Learn more about Victorian pubs in Dublin.
Here are some great Dublin tours & other things to see & do in the city.
If you’re looking for a place to stay after drinking cocktails, check out these Dublin hotels.
