Editorial
Dublin whisky bars are the world's best place to drink Irish whiskey.
The Dingle Whiskey Bar sits above Porterhouse on Nassau Street with more than 150 whiskeys behind the bar, Irish, Scotch and beyond. Tuesday nights bring a 7pm tasting class for anyone wanting to learn rather than just drink. The Irish Times and DublinTown both rate it. Best on a quiet weeknight when you can work along the back bar with a barman who knows the stock.
The Palace Bar has held Fleet Street since 1823, a Victorian room with a stained-glass skylight and the ghosts of Flann O'Brien and Patrick Kavanagh at the back. It bottles its own whiskey and keeps a deep shelf besides. Trad sessions and tourists both turn up. Best in the afternoon before it fills, with a glass of the house bottling and the day's paper.
J.W. Sweetman brews its own on Burgh Quay, a four-floor pub over the Liffey with the microbrewery behind the bar. The whiskey list is decent, but the house beers are the reason to climb in. Open from 10:30am most days. Best for an early pint poured yards from where it was made, before the after-work crowd takes the place over.
Sophie's tops the Dean Hotel on Harcourt Street, a glass-walled rooftop with long views over the city. The whiskey and cocktail list runs alongside wood-fired pizza and a busy brunch. Note the rooftop has been under refresh into 2026, so check before you climb. Best at sunset on a clear evening, when the terrace earns its reputation and the kitchen keeps the plates coming.
Quay 14 fronts the Morrison Hotel on Ormond Quay, a Liffey-side cocktail bar with whiskey and local craft beer alongside the mixed drinks. It trades smart-casual rather than spit-and-sawdust, which suits a calmer night. Best for a quiet first drink before crossing the river into Temple Bar, when you want a seat, a view of the water and a barman with time.
The Celt on Talbot Street is a proper trad pub north of the river, with live Irish music seven nights from 9pm and two bands going at weekends. The whiskey shelf is honest, the stew and Guinness hearty, and the craic genuine rather than staged. Best midweek when the music room has space, before the weekend fills every bench. Food runs until 10pm.
The Auld Dubliner anchors a corner of Temple Bar, which usually means tourist prices, but the whiskey range and nightly music earn it a place. Open late Wednesday to Saturday, food and Irish standards through the day. Best in the early evening before the stag parties land, when you can hear the band and the staff have a minute to point you up the shelf.
The Vintage Cocktail Club hides behind an unmarked door on Crown Alley in Temple Bar, ring the bell to get in. Open since 2012, all 1920s styling and proper cocktails, with whiskey worked into the list. Reserve at weekends, it fills fast. Best for a pre-show drink early in the evening, when the rooms are calm and the bartenders can take a request seriously.
The Old Storehouse on Crown Alley runs live trad from 3pm to close, every day, across three bars from a quiet snug to a loud main room. Walk-ins only, no bookings. The whiskey is fine, the music is the draw. Best on a weekday afternoon for a pint and a session with room to sit, before the weekend turns Temple Bar into a scrum.
Bowe's on Fleet Street has poured since 1880 and stocks more than 250 whiskeys from Ireland, Scotland, Japan and the United States. The Victorian snug stays quiet while Temple Bar fills up. Open daily.
The bars above are where Dublin actually drinks whiskey, with back-bar shelves that have depth, staff who know what they are pouring, and lists that go well beyond the usual blends.
Tom Callahan covers pubs and bars across the UK and Ireland for barsforkings, with a value-conscious eye and little patience for anything overpriced or over-styled.
The Dingle Whiskey Bar on Nassau Street keeps more than 150 whiskeys and runs a tasting class on Tuesday nights at 7pm for anyone who wants to learn the shelf rather than just drink it.
The Celt on Talbot Street and The Old Storehouse on Crown Alley both run live Irish sessions nightly. The Celt starts at 9pm, the Old Storehouse from 3pm to close.
The Palace Bar on Fleet Street dates to 1823, a Victorian room under a stained-glass skylight that once drew Flann O'Brien and Patrick Kavanagh. It bottles its own whiskey too.