Dublin's Best Cocktail Bars

This is one of Dublin’s most unique cocktail experiences.

The French-inspired venue is styled like Madame de Pompadour’s ‘dirty den’ (ooh-er), with quilted red booths and seating, fringed bar tables, gilded gold portraits, red drapes, velvet furniture and dark wood – it’s a sight to behold, and one that may be a nice and cosy welcome after celebrating. The three-storey Georgian townhouse has a wood-panelled ground-floor bar and up the winding staircase is the ‘salon’, where delicious meals are served. The drinks menu is a throwback to the 1800s, and travels through time to today – particular favourites are the Tequila Mockingbird, Smells Like Teen Spirits and even Wrecking Ball, in honour of everyone’s favourite, angelic singer, Miley Cyrus…

Dublin’s burning (not really) thanks to the Fire Restaurant and Lounge.

Set in the St Stephen’s Green and Dawson Street vicinity – this is one of Dublin’s most rated restaurant and cocktail bars. The vaulted ceilings and stained glass windows provide the perfect backdrop to your weekend, and the lounge is a sleek, white and modern take on the traditional cocktail bar. The drinks menu is enough to make you hungry, with offerings like the Toast and Jam, Monk’s Milkshake and Organic Bloody Mary on the cards. Luckily enough, it’s also a fine-dining restaurant…

Named after an Irish street rhymer, Zozimus is a stylish cocktail bar where you can get classic and signature cocktails (including ones made with pineapple rum), as well as rare Irish Whiskey! You can also get tasty pasta and pizza dishes, delicious desserts and bar snacks. Zoziumus Bar is just a 12 minutes’ walk from the famous Temple Bar and is situated on Anne’s Lane, where you will find the iconic umbrella structure, which poses a fab photo opportunity and looks beautiful at night.

There’s something in the waters in Dublin – and that’s vintage bars.

But, this isn’t just any late-night bar, this is 37 Dawson Street. This opulent space embraces all things old-school, and is a stylish and well thought-out mish mash of antiques, custom-made furniture, fireplaces and moose heads. If Moulin Rouge had gone to Dublin and got drunk – this would have been the result. Every one of the many bars has a spectacular cocktail list on their resume, and whiskey also plays a big part in the foundations. Just past the eclectic whirlwind and to the back of the building is the Whiskey Bar, a step back in time – it even has a fringed bar… The bar has a hand-picked list of 37 different whiskies to choose from, all served in crystal glass and under the expert advice of the bartenders.

Café en Seine, Jameson’s former Bar of the Year, has a history that would make your mother blush.

Well, the building’s history would… After the Irish Rebellion of 1798, French prisoners of war were kept here – one of those was a six foot tall Amazonian woman, the supposed inspiration of the Statue of Liberty. It then had its time as a brothel, dressmakers, surgery and home of the Irish government. The interior reflects its past (not as a brothel), and is styled on the turn-of-the-century France, with glass lanterns, cast-iron features, a Louis XIV bust, grand piano and French Hotel lift running through the building. We’ve not even touched on the signature cocktails – from the Chocolate Old Fashioned, to the Aviation and Ulysses – and the craft beers on tap. We’ll see you there.

Feel like you’ve just stepped into the 1920s with this fabulous vintage speakeasy style bar where you can have cocktails by candlelight. You’ll find this awesome cocktail bar behind a black door that simply says ‘VCC’, but don’t be fooled by the basic outside. This amazing bar is set over 3 floors (including a roof terrace) and has gorgeous 1920s décor and a roaring fire. The cocktail menu tells you which decade your cocktail was popular in, meaning you can really pretend that you’ve just stepped back in time. Food wise, they offer a selection of small plates and sharing platters, cocktail and a cheese board anyone?

Before we get started, this isn’t your average drugstore – you can’t pick up an emergency pack of Paracetamol.

Set in George Street, this building has a huge history, once a pharmacy (would you believe) that was the first to research and sell the medicinal powers of cocoa. This place is now one of Dublin’s most exclusive cocktail bars, set in a dark and mysterious basement – it even has a touch of illegality to it – with exposed brickwork and atmospheric lighting. The cocktails are crafty and creative, some also pay homage to the venue’s past life – including Penicillin and Martin’s Pick Me Up (perfect for your weekend…) – and some to Ireland’s party capital, with drinks such as The Bon Vivant of Dublin 8 and Alcock & Browne. Maybe stop on the way and get that Paracetamol for the morning after…

If you’re bored of your usual cocktails, then this is the place for you. The Curious Mister, that’s just a stone’s throw from Temple Bar, boasts a range of weird and wonderful cocktails such as chamomile/honey, apple/celery, lemongrass, red pepper and even mushroom (you’d have to be a fungi to give that a try)! Their cocktail list is designed to delight all of the 5 taste profiles: sweet, sour, salty, bitter and umami. The inside of this stylish cocktail bar is super boujee with its gorgeous floral-patterned wallpaper and cute table lamps, giving it an incredibly elegant ambience. Have we piqued your curiosity?

If this sort of thing is right up your sleeve, we've got even more info on our Dublin nightlife guide. Or, you can go straight to booking this awesome weekend and enquire on our hen weekends page.