25 of the best wine bars in Ireland

After a slow and shy start, Ireland’s modern wine bar scene is having a heyday. What was once a conservative customer base strongly influenced by classic European culture is now brave and adventurous, looking for new experiences, new knowledge, new wine styles, regions, varietals and techniques. Bolstered by the confidence of our food culture, many of today’s wine bars now offer a viable alternative to the pub as somewhere casual to share a drink and perhaps a small plate or two rather than being simply restaurants with a good by-the-glass selection. We look at some of the best across the country reflecting 25 years of evolution, with a few early outliers that are still going strong.

From a rural grocery store to a dreamy terrace and a city-centre cellar, our wine expert picks some of her favourites...

Aoife Carrigy's favourite wine bars Daróg owner Zsolt Lukács. Photo: Ciarán MacChoncarraige 64 Wine La Cave Wine Bar MacCurtain Wine Cellar The Cellar at Fallon & Byrne After a slow and shy start, Ireland’s modern wine bar scene is having a heyday. What was once a conservative customer base strongly influenced by classic European culture is now brave and adventurous, looking for new experiences, new knowledge, new wine styles, regions, varietals and techniques.

Bolstered by the confidence of our food culture, many of today’s wine bars now offer a viable alternative to the pub as somewhere casual to share a drink and perhaps a small plate or two rather than being simply restaurants with a good by-the-glass selection. We look at some of the best across the country reflecting 25 years of evolution, with a few early outliers that are still going strong. Is this Ireland’s oldest wine bar? Manning’s has sold wine by the glass since the 1970s when Val Manning paired Irish Wine Geese wines with his curated Irish food offering.

Val’s niece, Laura Manning, and her husband, Andrew Heath, are proud to be “continuing the tradition of stocking a diverse range of wines that people are surprised to find in a rural grocery store cum wine bar”, with well-priced wines by the glass and €8 corkage for anything from their extensive retail selection. manning.