Hipster Bars in Dublin: 10 Independent Picks

Away from the snugs and the stout, Dublin has a strong run of independent bars: craft beer taprooms, natural wine counters, vinyl listening rooms and cocktail bars built around poitín. These are 10 hipster bars in Dublin that locals actually drink in, from Capel Street and Smithfield on the northside to Drury Street, the Liberties and Rathmines.

Worth knowing before you go

Poitín spent centuries as an illegal moonshine and is now back on Dublin cocktail menus. Bar 1661 takes its name from the year it was banned.
A few of these bars are related. Fidelity is a joint venture between The Big Romance and Whiplash brewery, and The Sackville Lounge is the sister bar of Bar 1661.
Vintage Cocktail Club opened behind a black door in Temple Bar in 2012. It has since moved to Powerscourt Townhouse on South William Street, so ignore any listing that still sends you to Crown Alley.

How we picked

We chose independent bars that Dublin press and drinkers rate for their drinks, their character or both, and left out chains and the big tourist pubs. Every bar on the list was trading when we last checked.

Hipster bars in Dublin: the quick list

Bar 1661 (Green Street, Dublin 7, near the top of Capel Street): poitín cocktails and the Belfast Coffee
The Big Romance (Parnell Street, Dublin 1): vinyl-only listening bar with craft beer
Fidelity (Smithfield, Dublin 7): audiophile bar and Whiplash beer
The Sackville Lounge (Sackville Place, Dublin 1, off O’Connell Street): cocktails in a pub that dates from 1914
Loose Canon (Drury Street, Dublin 2): natural wine, Irish cheese and toasties
The Black Sheep (Capel Street, Dublin 1): Galway Bay beers, guest taps and board games
Vintage Cocktail Club (Powerscourt Townhouse, Dublin 2, off Grafton Street): speakeasy cocktails behind a black door
Notions (Francis Street, Dublin 8, the Liberties): natural wine and small plates after dark
Kodiak (Rathmines, Dublin 6, about 25 minutes’ walk from St Stephen’s Green): craft beer, pizza and a big beer garden
No Name Bar (Fade Street, Dublin 2): the unsigned bar under the wooden snail

1. Bar 1661

Dave Mulligan opened Bar 1661 in 2019 to put poitín, Ireland’s native spirit, at the centre of a cocktail list, and named it after the year the drink was outlawed. The bar works with small Irish producers and has won a run of awards, including Ireland’s Bar of the Year in 2025. The Belfast Coffee is the house signature and a good first order.

Known for: Poitín cocktails, including the Belfast Coffee
Where: 1 to 5 Green Street, Dublin 7
Good to know: Tables can be booked through the bar’s website, which is worth doing for a group or a weekend night.
Website: bar1661.ie

2. The Big Romance

The promoters behind Hidden Agenda opened The Big Romance on Parnell Street in November 2018, and it is often called Dublin’s first audiophile listening bar. Staff play records from the bar’s own collection on a sound system built by Toby Hatchett in Cork, and DJs play vinyl only. The music is the point, but the volume still lets you talk. About a dozen taps lean on Irish craft beer, with several from Whiplash, alongside cocktails and natural wine.

Known for: Vinyl-only listening bar with craft beer
Where: 98 Parnell Street, Dublin 1, D01 T2T3
Good to know: Weekends fill up early, so arrive in good time if you want a booth. Entry is free except for special events.
Website: thebigromance.ie

3. Fidelity

The Big Romance and Whiplash brewery teamed up in 2022 to open Fidelity in Smithfield, with another custom Hatchett sound system. Whiplash beers fill most of the taps, with a rotating list from breweries around the world plus cocktails and a large selection of wines. The later addition, Fidelity Studio, is a music venue and the home of Sister7, which serves Asian-inspired small plates.

Known for: Audiophile bar and Whiplash beer
Where: 79 Queen Street, Smithfield, Dublin 7, D07 DW3R
Good to know: Check the What’s On page before you go, as DJ nights in the Studio change the mood of the place.
Website: fidelitybar.ie

4. The Sackville Lounge

The Sackville Lounge first opened in 1914 and spent most of its life as a small, traditional pub off O’Connell Street. The Bar 1661 team took it over and reopened it as a cocktail bar in April 2025. It is a tiny room, painted black, and the drinks lean towards classics done well, such as the Sackville Martini, along with one of the better Irish coffees in town.

Known for: Classic cocktails and Irish coffee in an old pub
Where: 16 Sackville Place, Dublin 1
Good to know: Walk-ins are welcome, and seats can also be booked through the bar’s website.
Website: thesackvillelounge.com

5. Loose Canon

Loose Canon opened on Drury Street in 2018 and did a lot to bring natural wine to a wider Dublin crowd. It is a small cheese and wine shop with marble counters, a few high stools and benches outside. The by-the-glass list changes often, and the food is simple: cheese and charcuterie boards and the toasties people queue for.

Known for: Natural wine, Irish cheese and toasties
Where: 29 Drury Street, Dublin 2
Good to know: There are no bookings and only a handful of seats, so go at a quiet time if you want one.
Website: loosecanon.ie

6. The Black Sheep

Galway Bay Brewery runs The Black Sheep on the corner of Capel Street and Parnell Street. The brewery’s own beers sit alongside around 20 taps of Irish and international guests, a big bottle list and a cask corner. Mismatched furniture and a shelf of board games make it an easy place to spend an afternoon, and the kitchen serves food every day.

Known for: Galway Bay beers, guest taps and board games
Where: 61 Capel Street, Dublin 1
Good to know: Tables can be booked online, which helps for a group.
Website: galwaybaybrewery.com

7. Vintage Cocktail Club

VCC opened in 2012 behind an unmarked black door on Crown Alley and was one of Dublin’s first speakeasy-style bars. It now lives in Powerscourt Townhouse on South William Street, a few steps from Grafton Street. The candlelit, vintage-styled bar takes up the ground and first floors, and a Punch House and Whiskey Caverns in the basement serve punch by the bowl in bookable rooms. The menu is long, so let the bartenders steer you.

Known for: Speakeasy cocktails behind a black door
Where: Powerscourt Townhouse Centre, 59 William Street South, Dublin 2, D02 DC83
Good to know: Look for the black door marked VCC at number 59 and ring the bell. Booking ahead is the safest bet at weekends.
Website: vintagecocktailclub.com

8. Notions

By day this is Two Pups café on Francis Street. In the evening the same room turns into Notions, a natural wine bar and small-plates restaurant with fairy lights and old rugs. The wine list is sorted by style and mood rather than by grape, the menu changes with the seasons and has plenty for vegetarians, and walk-ins are welcome if you only want a glass and a snack.

Known for: Natural wine and small plates after dark
Where: 74 Francis Street, The Liberties, Dublin 8
Good to know: Notions only runs on evenings when the café has closed, so check its days on the website before you head over.
Website: twopupscoffee.com

9. Kodiak

Kodiak comes from the Animal Collective group behind Bonobo in Smithfield. It is a big, bright, plant-filled bar with two separate bars on the ground floor, one darker and one brighter, each with its own taps. Expect craft beer from Ireland and abroad, cocktails, a good whiskey list, wood-fired pizza and a large beer garden.

Known for: Craft beer, cocktails, pizza and a big beer garden
Where: 304 Rathmines Road Lower, Rathmines, Dublin 6, D06 W3Y1
Good to know: It’s dog-friendly, and the beer garden is the draw on a dry day. It’s a short walk south across the canal from Portobello.

10. No Name Bar

There’s no sign, only a wooden snail hanging over a doorway on Fade Street, which is why the bar calls itself Dublin’s worst-kept secret. Up the stairs are big rooms in an old townhouse with mismatched sofas, fairy lights, an open fire and a covered terrace. Cocktails are the main order, and it gets loud and busy once the DJ starts.

Known for: The unsigned bar under the wooden snail
Where: 3 Fade Street, Dublin 2
Good to know: Arrive early to grab a sofa, because it fills up fast later in the evening.
Website: noname.bar

Plan the rest of your night

The northside four (Bar 1661, The Big Romance, The Black Sheep and Fidelity) are all within a short walk of each other around Capel Street, Parnell Street and Smithfield, so they make an easy evening on their own. On the southside, Loose Canon, No Name Bar and VCC sit a few minutes apart around Drury Street and South William Street.

Opening hours, menus and booking rules change, so check each bar’s own website before you go. Information checked November 2026.

Top 10 Hipster Bars in Dublin: Craft Beer, Cocktails and Natural Wine