Best Cocktail Bars in Dublin for Poitín, Classics and Creative Drinks

Best Cocktail Bars in Dublin for Poitín, Classics and Creative Drinks

Guide: Cocktail Bars with a Point of View

Dublin’s cocktail rooms express themselves through poitín, hidden townhouse bars, art-deco cinema glamour and precise hotel service. These ten bars earn their place through distinctive drinks, current schedules and a clear sense of occasion.

• BAR 1661BAR 1661 puts Irish poitín at the center of a modern drinks program rather than treating it as novelty. The signature Belfast Coffee, long native-spirit list and energetic service make this the city's essential contemporary cocktail stop.
• Peruke & PeriwigThree narrow townhouse floors turn Peruke & Periwig into a theatrical series of rooms above a street-level bar. Its elaborate house drinks lean playful and aromatic, making it better for a booked date than a rushed pre-dinner round.
• Vintage Cocktail ClubAn unmarked Crown Alley door opens onto several dim, vintage-styled floors and a small roof terrace. VCC's extensive house list and table service reward reservations, while timed seatings keep this from becoming an all-night base.
• The SidecarThe Westbury's art-deco hotel bar brings martinis to the table on a dedicated trolley and builds its current menu around Dublin stories. Precise service, deep armchairs and hotel pricing make it a polished occasion drink.
• The Blind PigThis underground speakeasy pairs spirit-forward house drinks with seated table service and live blues or jazz every night. The disguised entrance is playful, but the serious drinks program and music calendar give the room substance.
• The Bar With No NameA wooden snail above the Fade Street doorway still marks this first-floor bar, where a townhouse interior opens onto a busy terrace. Cocktails share attention with DJs and weekend crowds, so choose an afternoon for conversation.
• The Collins ClubThe Leinster's basement cocktail club uses theatrical presentation and a polished late-night room beneath the hotel. Drinks are ambitious and premium-priced, making this a deliberate booking rather than a casual Docklands-area pint.
• Stella Cocktail ClubA restored 1920s ballroom above Stella Cinema retains its art-deco detailing, large street window and original spring-loaded dance floor. Cinema-inspired drinks, table service and an over-21 policy make it a composed Rathmines destination.
• The Sitting Room at DelahuntAbove Delahunt's restaurant, this drawing-room bar surrounds a marble fireplace with armchairs, chandeliers and a short house cocktail list. The restrained scale and five-night schedule favor a reserved pre-dinner drink or quiet nightcap.
• The Lucky DuckThe restored Victorian corner pub keeps casual drinking downstairs while its upper rooms add seated cocktail service, original fireplaces and richer decoration. This split personality lets groups choose between a quick pint and a more deliberate round.

Reviewed by RGuide Editorial · Venue details checked August 2026