Dublin’s 10 best whiskey bars
Whiskey Reserve’s sumptuous tasting room
Dublin’s historic pubs offer a whiskey-drinking experience like no other, but the city is also home to a clutch of cocktail bars that are reimagining the spirits scene in Ireland. By Gordon Thomson
Dublin’s relationship with whiskey runs deeper than memory. The city still shelters the kind of pubs where time slows – wood-panelled, unhurried, quietly proud of their shelves. Yet alongside them stand a new generation of bars, redefining how Irish whiskey is served and understood. Between the snug and the speakeasy, the pint and the cocktail coupe, Dublin now offers a spectrum of experience: from heritage houses that keep the old spirit alive to innovators who distil it anew. These ten bars (my current favourites, listed in no particular order) show the city at its most spirited – with past and present sharing the same glass.
1. Bar 1661
Belfast coffee
Bar 1661 isn’t just a cool bar – it’s a declaration of independence. Named for the year poitín (illicit moonshine) was banned, it celebrates the country’s native distilling culture with real swagger. The mixologists here – more alchemists than bartenders – reimagine Irish whiskey with reverence and rebellion in equal measure, most notably in a cocktail list that has changed how Dublin drinks.
The Belfast Coffee, which sets the tone, is legend: Bán Poitín, cold brew, and cream. It’s familiar but redefined. The Mother Fluffer, blending Dingle Single Malt with toasted marshmallow and chocolate bitters, shows just how versatile Irish whiskey can be.
Bar 1661: creative cocktails in a cool, convivial setting
For something simpler, the Redbreast 12 year old Old Fashioned gives tradition a lighter touch. Bar 1661 isn’t about imitation; it’s a confident re-imagining of Irish whiskey for a contemporary palate. Kitted out with booths, banquettes and snugs, it’s a stylish joint, but not in the least bit sniffy. Ireland’s best cocktail bar? You’d be hard pressed to beat it.
(1–5 Green St, Dublin 7)
2. The Wild Duck
Wild Duck’s ghoulish main bar
The Wild Duck is Dublin’s great raconteur – theatrical, generous, unashamedly flamboyant, befitting its location on a lively corner next to the Olympia theatre. Beneath its riot of lamps, stuffed mannequins and countless other quirky curios – many on a Halloween and punky horror theme – the whiskey shelves gleam like a well-loved library.
Inside the capacious and quirky bar, the lighting glows reddy-green, the woodwork is well worn, and the shelves are stocked with reliable Irish names: Green Spot, Redbreast, Powers Three Swallow, Teeling Single Grain.
Wild Duck: punky and peculiar (in a good way)
Staff are relaxed and welcoming – whiskey here is part of the conversation, not the performance. Try a Writers Tears Manhattan or simply a neat Egans Single Malt. The atmosphere bridges the old Dublin pub and the modern cocktail bar, with a side order of the Rocky Horror Show. The Wild Duck is relaxed, social, and built for easy enjoyment.
(17/20 Sycamore St, Temple Bar)
3. John Fallon’s “The Capstan Bar”
One of Dublin’s best snugs
Established in 1619, John Fallon’s is one of the city’s oldest pubs, situated in the historic Liberties district (once home to 40 distilleries) and still looks the part: low ceilings, a single glowing hearth, vintage ephemera and shelves lined with good Irish whiskey. Around seventy bottles are on hand, from Powers John’s Lane and Bushmills 21 year old to smaller distilleries like Waterford and Dingle.
John Fallon’s pour a great pint
There’s no ceremony, no playlist, just conversation and quiet respect for the craft (plus some killer toasties on the side). Order a Redbreast 15 year old, find a seat near the fire, or in the snug near the entrance, and you’ll see why this place has lasted so long.
(129 The Coombe, Dublin 8)
4. The Long Hall
The Long Hall: Bruce Springsteen not pictured
A Victorian jewel box in crimson and mahogany, The Long Hall feels unchanged by time – and its whiskey list follows suit. Decked out in dark wood, etched mirrors, this is a bar that could tell a thousand stories, some of them no doubt involving one of its most celebrated regulars, rock star Bruce Springsteen, who is known to drop in for a pint when he’s in town.
Its whiskey list mirrors its décor – classic, familiar, well kept. You’ll find Powers Gold Label and John’s Lane (the latter a personal favourite), Jameson Crested, Green Spot and Yellow Spot, all poured by barstaff happy to chat and share recommendations (this led me to my first tantalising taste of Writers Tears Copper Pot).
This isn’t a whiskey library; it’s a proper pub off the main drag, made for steady, satisfying pints and measured drams. The charm is in its consistency – a bar that has understood its purpose for more than two centuries.
(51 South Great George’s St, Dublin 2)
5. The Whiskey Reserve
2000 bottles and a baby grand: drinking in style at Whiskey Reserve
Part high-end whiskey shop, part classy tasting emporium, the gorgeous Whiskey Reserve is where serious Irish whiskey drinkers go to lose an afternoon amid the mayhem of Temple Bar. Among its 2000-plus of bottles (the biggest collection in the country) the Irish contingent stands out: Redbreast 27 year old, Midleton Very Rare, Teeling Brabazon Series, and small-batch releases from Killowen, Glendalough and Hinch.
The staff know their craft and can guide you through Ireland’s single-pot-still and single-malt traditions with authority. Tasting flights are the best way to explore, offering a fun and structured introduction to the country’s most expressive spirits. On my visit, I sat at the beautiful tasting room bar and sampled four great drams as part of the Taste of Ireland flight (40 euros): Fercullen 15 year old, Sexton Single Malt, Roe & Coe 14 year old single grain, Redbreast Single Pot PX. This is Dublin’s most indulgent whiskey experience, and all the better for it.
(17/18 Temple Lane South, Temple Bar)
6. The Palace Bar
A Dublin stalwart
A Dublin landmark since 1823, The Palace Bar remains a meeting place for journalists, whiskey enthusiasts and writers and poets alike (Patrick Kavanagh described it as the “most wonderful temple of art” and he was not wrong). The ground-floor bar hums with gentle conversation; upstairs, the Whiskey Palace (open evenings only) offers a more expansive whiskey-drinking experience.
Their range spans Irish whiskey’s finest expressions – Redbreast 21 year old, Green Spot, Powers John’s Lane, Midleton Barry Crockett – but pride of place goes to the bar’s own Palace Bar 12 year old Single Malt, finished in Port, PX Sherry and Moscatel casks. A glass here feels like a connection to Dublin’s long romance with whiskey.
(21 Fleet St, Temple Bar)
7. John Kavanagh “Gravediggers”
Old school drinking heaven
Off the beaten track on the road to the airport, and next to the walls of Glasnevin Cemetery, “Gravediggers” has been run by the same Kavanagh family for seven generations, and their easy charm makes this historic and homely place a joy to visit. It’s one of the few truly local pubs left untouched by fashion – no music, no screens, just conversation and pints (and the city’s best bowl of ‘coddle’ – a delicious Irish soup-cum-stew made with sausage and cabbage) .
Choose from the public bar, which has a beguiling, understated simplicity that speaks of centuries long gone, and the dining room (where hearty Irish fare is served up at cosy booths) and which has a bustling but pleasingly modest character.
The timeless interior of the main bar at Gravediggers
The whiskey list is compact but well chosen: Powers Three Swallow, Bushmills 10 year old, Redbreast 12 year old, and an occasional bottle from Dingle or Teeling. Every pour feels earned, and the setting gives it a particular austere gravity – a quiet reminder of how Dublin really drinks.
(1 Prospect Square, Glasnevin)
8. The Rag Trader
The shelves shimmer with a classic Irish selection at The Rag Trader
Once a textile warehouse, The Rag Trader now weaves Irish whiskey into something sleek and contemporary – albeit with a dash of prohibition-era speakeasy – on the city’s hip, indie-forward Drury Street. The shelves feature Teeling Single Malt, Glendalough Double Barrel, Dingle Batch 5 year old, and Powers John’s Lane, each poured with unshowy precision.
With a kooky front parlour room, plenty nooks, and a lovely break-out bar area beneath an ancient set of old medicine cabinets, it’s made for clandestine sipping.
Old world charm in the front parlour
The cocktail list is quietly impressive: the Trader’s Old Fashioned, made with Redbreast 12 year old and chocolate bitters, is smooth and deliberate; the Drury Lane Sour, combining Jameson Black Barrel with lemon and honey, balances sweetness and spice perfectly. Going neat? Dunville’s Very Rare Single Malt is a top-shelf treat. Rag Trader is simply a terrific bar on Dublin’s hottest street, and a place that treats whiskey seriously without making it solemn.
(39 Drury St, Dublin 2)
9. J.T. Pim’s
Elegant sipping and creative cocktails at J.T Pim’s
Bright and sociable, and handily located just across from The Rag Trader, J.T. Pim’s walks the line between bar and brasserie (and has the banquettes to prove it). Its Irish selection includes Jameson Black Barrel, Pearse 5 year old, Method and Madness single grain (a delight), and Redbreast 15 year old, along with the occasional small-batch surprise.
Method and Madness - a fine discovery
Cocktails are a strength here: the South Great Old Fashioned, built on Powers Gold Label with a spiced syrup, feels classic and balanced. The Smoky Highball, using Teeling Blackpitts Peated with soda and citrus, adds a gentle edge. It’s relaxed, welcoming, with great good, and perfectly pitched for anyone rediscovering Irish whiskey.
(4 South Great George’s St, Dublin 2)
10. Bowe’s Lounge Bar
Bowe’s is where troubles melt away
Just off Fleet Street, Bowe’s offers a calm contrast to Temple Bar’s bustle. It’s all polished wood, soft light and easy conversation – a classic old school boozer. The whiskey list is fully Irish – Redbreast Lustau Edition, Midleton Very Rare, Powers John’s Lane, and a rotating cast from Dingle and West Cork.
There’s nothing self-conscious here, only good service and well-kept bottles. A final glass at Bowe’s with a pint of the black stuff feels like closing a good book: satisfying, grounded, and quietly memorable.
(31 Fleet St, Dublin 2)
With thanks to Gráinne Lawlor at Flavour Trails for an enlightening tour of some of these pubs with exquisite food and whiskey pairings
