Cocktails, wine bars and dives: drinking in Kilkenny for grown-ups.
Cocktail bars, wine bars, dive bars and gastropubs: drinking in Kilkenny for grown-ups.
Kyteler's Inn on St Kieran's Street traces brewing roots to 1324 and curates over 90 Irish whiskey expressions, traditional music nightly in high season.
Signature drink: Kyteler's own-brand Irish whiskey
Food: Full Irish pub food menu
Langton's Bar on John Street is a Kilkenny institution, winner of Best Gastro Pub Kilkenny 2025, with a large whiskey list and live music every night.
Signature drink: Guinness and Smithwick's Red Ale
Food: Full Irish pub menu until 21:00
Matt The Millers on John Street is a live music pub with good food, the Kilkenny Red Ale beef pie a fitting local signature in a converted mill building.
Signature drink: Smithwick's Original Red Ale
Food: Full Irish pub food noon to 20:30
Paris Texas on High Street is Kilkenny's BBQ and whiskey specialist, a family-run pub since 1996 with National Irish Pub of the Year recognition.
Signature drink: National Irish Pub of the Year whiskey selection
Food: Full BBQ menu with wood smoker
Billy Byrnes on John Street Upper is a Kilkenny social institution, a no-frills gastro bar with Smithwick's on tap that feels more local than tourist.
Signature drink: Guinness and local craft ales
Food: Fresh local food daily
The bar at the Smithwick's Experience pours a complimentary Smithwick's Red Ale at the end of every tour on the city's 13th-century brewing site.
Signature drink: Smithwick's Original Red Ale on draft
Food: No food; complimentary pint with tour
Rive Gauche on The Parade is Kilkenny's closest dedicated wine bar, a handsome room of exposed brick with seasonal Irish plates and a natural wine list.
Signature drink: Natural wine by the glass
Food: Seasonal Irish sharing plates
Louie's on Patrick Street is a Parisian-inspired cafe bar with natural wines, small plates from Thursday to Saturday, and leather banquettes from noon.
Signature drink: Natural wine by the glass
Food: Small plates Thursday through Saturday evenings
Zuni Bar on Patrick Street runs a better cocktail programme than its hotel-bar status suggests, a solid choice for a pre-dinner drink in the city centre.
Signature drink: Seasonal cocktails with Irish spirits
Food: Full hotel menu available
Cleere's on Parliament Street has hosted Kilkenny's longest-running trad session every Monday since 1989 alongside a 100-seat theatre for national acts.
Signature drink: Pint of Guinness
Food: Snacks and pizzas
Petronella Bar on Butterslip Lane is a medieval building with seasonal cocktails and natural wines, the most atmospheric bar in Kilkenny's hidden alleyways.
Signature drink: Natural wine by the glass
Food: Full modern Irish seasonal menu
Paris Texas at 92 High Street pairs American whiskey and local spirits with a smokehouse food menu in one of Kilkenny's most awarded pub bars.
Signature drink: New Orleans-style cocktails
Food: Full BBQ smokehouse menu
Rinuccini's bar at 1 The Parade draws on the family's 12,000-bottle Italian wine cellar, the best Italian wine by the glass in Kilkenny since 1989.
Signature drink: Italian Aperol Spritz or Negroni
Food: Full Italian dining
The Yard Cafe on St Kieran's Street serves organic coffee with plant milks, vegan lunch plates, and homemade cakes in a relaxed community-minded setting.
Signature drink: Organic coffee with almond or soy milk
Food: Vegan and vegetarian food
Wildflower at Butler Gallery serves plant-based bowls, vegan raw cakes, and botanical teas in a walled gallery garden with genuine dietary inclusivity.
Signature drink: Botanical teas and natural wine
Food: Plant-forward lunch and bakes