Conversation-friendly. Easy to leave. Drinks under €20. Ten bars our editors keep recommending when readers ask where to take a first date.
First dates are the highest-stakes hospitality test in the city. The room has to be quiet enough to hear each other but full enough that a long silence does not feel cavernous. The drink list has to give a reader who does not drink a graceful out. The exit has to be easy. Our editors have spent the past year vetting Dublin's cocktail rooms specifically for this question — where do you take someone you might not see again, but might see for the next twenty years?
Where the editors take a first date in Dublin
The first six picks below are the editors' default — the rooms we send a friend to first when they ask. Each is followed by a recommendation we have ordered ourselves at least three times. Click any bar name to read the full review, signature drink notes, neighbourhood guide and how to book.
The Virgin Mary, in Capel Street, the virgin mary sour arrives in a coupe and the bar staff move at the right pace. Conversation here travels well. The acoustics are tuned for two people leaning in, not eight people leaning out, which is exactly what a first date needs. Editors' rating in our database: 4.6 of 5.
Vintage Cocktail Club, in Temple Bar, the room is what it should be — quiet without being precious, busy without being a queue. Conversation here travels well. The acoustics are tuned for two people leaning in, not eight people leaning out, which is exactly what a first date needs. Editors' rating in our database: 4.7 of 5.
Peruke & Periwig, in Saint Stephen's Green, the door is unmarked enough to feel discovered and known enough to be reliable. Conversation here travels well. The acoustics are tuned for two people leaning in, not eight people leaning out, which is exactly what a first date needs. Editors' rating in our database: 4.7 of 5.
The Library Bar at Central Hotel, in Saint Stephen's Green, the library manhattan is on the menu year-round for a reason and the bartenders pour with intent. Conversation here travels well. The acoustics are tuned for two people leaning in, not eight people leaning out, which is exactly what a first date needs. Editors' rating in our database: 4.7 of 5.
At The Blind Pig Speakeasy in Temple Bar, the room is what it should be — quiet without being precious, busy without being a queue. Pick a corner two-top and order across the menu — the staff are unfussed, the room is dim enough that you can read each other but bright enough that you can read the menu. Editors' rating in our database: 4.7 of 5.
At Grayson in Saint Stephen's Green, the grayson old fashioned is on the menu year-round for a reason and the bartenders pour with intent. Pick a corner two-top and order across the menu — the staff are unfussed, the room is dim enough that you can read each other but bright enough that you can read the menu. Editors' rating in our database: 4.6 of 5.
Order: Grayson Old Fashioned
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These last four are the editors' deeper-cut picks. Smaller rooms, more specific energy. If the first six feel obvious to you — meaning you have already been — start here.
The Liquor Rooms, in Temple Bar, the liquor rooms old fashioned is on the menu year-round for a reason and the bartenders pour with intent. Pick a corner two-top and order across the menu — the staff are unfussed, the room is dim enough that you can read each other but bright enough that you can read the menu. Editors' rating in our database: 4.6 of 5.
In Saint Stephen's Green, No Name Bar the door is unmarked enough to feel discovered and known enough to be reliable. Pick a corner two-top and order across the menu — the staff are unfussed, the room is dim enough that you can read each other but bright enough that you can read the menu. Editors' rating in our database: 4.6 of 5.
The Horseshoe Bar at The Shelbourne, in Saint Stephen's Green, the door is unmarked enough to feel discovered and known enough to be reliable. Easy to leave gracefully if it is not working. Easy to extend if it is. The exit has a quiet street, not a queue. Editors' rating in our database: 4.7 of 5.
At The Cellar Bar at Merrion Hotel in Saint Stephen's Green, the cellar manhattan is on the menu year-round for a reason and the bartenders pour with intent. Conversation here travels well. The acoustics are tuned for two people leaning in, not eight people leaning out, which is exactly what a first date needs. Editors' rating in our database: 4.7 of 5.
Order: Cellar Manhattan
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More Cocktail Bars in DublinThe full editor-curated list of Cocktail Bars in Dublin, with neighbourhood notes and signature-drink picks.
If you are reading this article, you are probably between the booking confirmation and the actual date. Three rules. Book the table — walking in with a reservation says you put thought in. Pick the bar nearest to public transport, not the one with the best view. And keep dinner reservations elsewhere; if the conversation works, you are going to want a second venue.
If you are between stages: our companion Dublin guidesFrom first-date picks to anniversary rooms - every occasion in Dublin our editors cover, cross-linked.
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