13 of the best wine bars in Dublin

A petite wine bar serving French-inspired small plates and a selection of wines by the bottle or glass. A menu of picky bits like dips, cheeseboards and charcuterie, with one perfectly formed dessert. The bread is knockout, which is unsurprising as L.P.R is owned by the husband and wife team who run the Artybaker bakery empire. ⁠The name translates as The Little Fox, and was inspired by a chance encounter the couple had one night while they were walking home from town and encountered a young fox on their ramble. Opened a couple of weeks back, the spot is a hit with locals, when we were there on a Thursday night it was absolutely heaving. This is unsurprising, as it's a great way to spend an evening, grabbing a couple of glasses and grabbing a plate or two when the stomach rumbles. ⁠

In the summertime (or indeed when the sun is shining), it's hard to fault Drury Street for the atmosphere. Smack bang in the centre of it is Loose Canon, a dinky dual-aspect spot that sells natty wine by the glass and some of the best toasties in the city. While you can grab a glass and enjoy it anywhere on the street, if you secure a window seat, or the much-coveted bench out the front, you'll think long and hard about leaving it. You'll feel awful continental with an orange organic wine in your paw and a young buck sourdough toastie in the other. 

Laying claim to be Dublin's oldest wine bar, La Cave certainly oozes authenticity and atmosphere. As the name might suggest it's set deep underground on South Anne Street, and the low ceilings can be picked out by table lamps and candles. With a propensity for French wines, there are over 350 wines to choose from and 40 that are available by the glass. It's a cosy spot tucked away off Grafton Street, perfect for romantic nights and long chats over a glass of something delicious.

An OG of the Dublin wine and nibbles scene, The Wine Cellar at F&Bs has been running for nearly two decades. Once you get past the incredible store (come food lovers dream), heading downstairs is a world away from busy Exchequer Street. It's a big atmospheric space which is invariably all of a buzz no matter what time you head in, with waiters rushing past with Italian classics. They have an incredible wine list that will keep everyone happy, with a lovely mix of classics and handpicked bright young things. They also do €1 corkage Sun-Tues on any bottle purchased upstairs, coming in at €10 Wednesday to Saturday. 

Settings don't get much better than the Georgian townhouse splendour of Ely Wine Bar, with its soft lighting, gentle music, and laid-back warming ambience. Whether it's a date night or a group night, the kind team are able to cater to it all. There are over 400 wines to choose from (plenty of options by the glass) that will please most discerning guests, there's also a small but perfectly formed menu of small plates to nibble from if the feeling takes you. The team also host secret wine pairing sessions every couple of weeks, for those looking to learn a little bit more about what's in their glass. 

The lil sis of cult-favourite Fish Shop, it's a welcome addition for fans of the new wave of Dublin wine bars, this refreshing opener is what the city has been crying out for without even realising. Inside, it resembles the local haunt that you stumble upon on your Spanish holiday and return to every day, working your way through the menu with a smattering of shoddy español. Eyes for detail, owners Peter Hogan and Jumoke Akintola have recreated their very own slice of Spain with Bar Pez- Spanish for fish bar. Small plates are the order of the day, read from the chalk on the blackboard above the kitchen. Unsurprisingly given the team’s proclivity to the underwater realm, it’s mainly fish-based. Much has been talked about the wine list in this place, cleverly grouped based on the wines’ terroir, by ‘oceans’ ‘rivers’ ‘Mountains’, ‘Hills & Plains’ with Burgundy deservingly receiving its very own section.