Amy Austin on Drury Street in Dublin, the Drury Street Car Park wine bar with sixteen taps and a Bib Gourmand small-plates menu, the south side's go-to bottle bar.
Food program: Tapas-style small plates with charcuterie
Tip: Dog-friendly; walk-ins Monday to Thursday from 17:00, Friday and Saturday from 12:30. Back banquette sits four for late.
Address: Unit 1, Dublin 2
Note on Fenian Street in Dublin 2, a tiny bistro and wine bar opened in 2022 with a sixty-plus bottle list of natural wines and grower champagnes, modern European cooking.
Signature pour: Beaujolais cru by the glass
Wine focus: Natural French wines, Loire and Beaujolais focus
Food: Snacks and one nightly small plate
Tip: Small room four minutes from Pearse Street Station; arrive early Friday and Saturday. Team will recommend a glass from the largely natural list.
Ely Wine Bar on Ely Place in Dublin 2, Erik and Michelle Robson's wine room since 1999, an Old World list and Robson family organic Irish beef from Co Clare.
Signature pour: Old World Burgundy by the glass
Wine focus: Hundred-bottle Old World list, biodynamic emphasis
Food: Organic Irish meat from the family farm
Tip: Two rooms; the basement is wine, the ground floor is the bar. Lunch by-the-glass is the value play.
Fade Street Social in Dublin 2, Dylan McGrath's three-room gastro bar over a Fade Street courtyard, a Mediterranean wine list and small-plates dinner.
Signature pour: Spanish Garnacha by the glass
Wine focus: Mediterranean and modern New World list
Food: Gastro bar small plates and steaks
Tip: Roof terrace opens summer only. The Tapas Bar room is the walk-in option; the restaurant room books two weeks ahead.
Etto on Merrion Row in Dublin 2, a Bib Gourmand Italian-leaning wine bar with the best by-the-glass list south of the Liffey and a kitchen that backs it up.
Signature pour: Sicilian Frappato by the glass
Wine focus: Italian by the glass and bottle
Food: Italian crudo, hand-rolled pasta, small plates
Tip: Counter seats face the open kitchen; book through the website not OpenTable. Closed Sunday and Monday.
Loose Canon on Drury Street in Dublin 2, a low-intervention wine bar pouring small-grower European bottles and toasted-cheese flatbreads, the southside reference.
Signature pour: Whatever Riesling is on the by-the-glass list this week
Wine focus: Natural and low-intervention European wines
Food: Toasted cheese and charcuterie
Tip: Twenty-five seats; book the back stools online. The toasted-cheese flatbread is the only menu item, two varieties weekly.
Piglet Wine Bar on Cow's Lane in Temple Bar, an Italian-leaning wine bar from Enrico Fantasia of Grape Circus, cicchetti and small plates with European organic wines.
Signature pour: Sicilian skin-contact white by the glass
Wine focus: European natural wines, Italian-leaning
Food: Italian cicchetti, cheese, salumi
Tip: Walk-in for small plates; bookings from 17:30 require a minimum three dishes per person. Counter seats face the kitchen.
Note on Fenian Street in Dublin 2, a tiny bistro and wine bar opened in 2022 with a sixty-plus bottle list of natural wines and grower champagnes, modern European cooking.
Signature pour: Beaujolais cru by the glass
Wine focus: Natural French wines, Loire and Beaujolais focus
Food: Snacks and one nightly small plate
Tip: Small room four minutes from Pearse Street Station; arrive early Friday and Saturday. Team will recommend a glass from the largely natural list.
Ely Wine Bar on Ely Place in Dublin 2, Erik and Michelle Robson's wine room since 1999, an Old World list and Robson family organic Irish beef from Co Clare.
Signature pour: Old World Burgundy by the glass
Wine focus: Hundred-bottle Old World list, biodynamic emphasis
Food: Organic Irish meat from the family farm
Tip: Two rooms; the basement is wine, the ground floor is the bar. Lunch by-the-glass is the value play.
Fade Street Social in Dublin 2, Dylan McGrath's three-room gastro bar over a Fade Street courtyard, a Mediterranean wine list and small-plates dinner.
Signature pour: Spanish Garnacha by the glass
Wine focus: Mediterranean and modern New World list
Food: Gastro bar small plates and steaks
Tip: Roof terrace opens summer only. The Tapas Bar room is the walk-in option; the restaurant room books two weeks ahead.
Etto on Merrion Row in Dublin 2, a Bib Gourmand Italian-leaning wine bar with the best by-the-glass list south of the Liffey and a kitchen that backs it up.
Signature pour: Sicilian Frappato by the glass
Wine focus: Italian by the glass and bottle
Food: Italian crudo, hand-rolled pasta, small plates
Tip: Counter seats face the open kitchen; book through the website not OpenTable. Closed Sunday and Monday.
Loose Canon on Drury Street in Dublin 2, a low-intervention wine bar pouring small-grower European bottles and toasted-cheese flatbreads, the southside reference.
Signature pour: Whatever Riesling is on the by-the-glass list this week
Wine focus: Natural and low-intervention European wines
Food: Toasted cheese and charcuterie
Tip: Twenty-five seats; book the back stools online. The toasted-cheese flatbread is the only menu item, two varieties weekly.
