Dublin's best late night bars

With its only signage being three stickers spelling out VCC on a black door, the Vintage Cocktail Club is pretty nondescript from the outside. But once you’re inside, this Temple Bar cocktail joint has a sumptuous boudoir feel, with tasselled lampshades and plenty of candlelit corners where you can sip an Old Fashioned in style. There’s a cool rooftop terrace, too. It’s strictly for those over the age of 23, and you’ll need to book in advance.

Media captionSip your drink in style at the Vintage Cocktail Club.

The area around Wexford Street isn’t short of a late night bar or two, but Opium is one of the swankier options. Spread over three floors, Opium is the place to be if you want to burn the midnight oil, with live DJs, theme nights and a cocktail menu with an Asian influence – think kiwi sake and a tropical Old Fashioned. On warmer days, the roof is retracted in their Botanical Garden, so you can enjoy cocktails under the summer sky.

Set up in the style of a 1920s speakeasy, you won’t know the exact location of the Blind Pig until you book a table. All you need to know is that it’s in Dublin’s city centre and the staff turn out some of the best cocktails in town. One of their bartenders is even a previous Diageo World Class Ireland Winner, you can be confident that whatever you order will be whipped up to perfection. While their menu of classics is solid, like their award-winning margarita, it’s worth trying their more creative concoctions, with ingredients like hedgerow tinctures and herbal shrubs.

Open until 2.30am on Fridays and Saturdays, 4 Dame Lane is a buzzing bar right in the middle of the city. Inside, there are plenty of sleek leather booths along the exposed brick walls, which are lined with old record covers. But there are also bar stools and barrels outside on Dame Lane itself, where you can watch the city come to life. 

Media captionEnjoy a drink as you watch the world go by.

There’s a bit of an old world vibe when you first walk into Peruke and Periwig, with antique medicine cabinets and old barrister wigs (known as perukes, hence the name) on display. This is a bar that feels a little like a tardis, with different rooms to be found on each level, one with thick brocade drapes and velvet banquettes, another with a wall lined with overstuffed bookshelves. The mixologists here know their stuff, and you’ll often see theatrical skills using smoke and fire behind the bar.

Media captionEnjoy the atmosphere and cocktails at Peruke & Periwig.

With a Parisian café feel by day and a cocktail bar vibe at night, Café en Seine brings a continental flair to Dawson Street. There are five different bars over three floors, all of which overlook the atrium with glass-panelled ceilings and art nouveau lanterns. You can dance until 2.30am on Friday and Saturday, and they offer a chilled out jazz brunch on Sunday afternoons.

While there are cosy fireside tables inside, the airy conservatory and giant garden out the back means that House has one of the most stylish outdoor bars in Dublin. Jasmine flowers creep over the trellises and there are plant pots wherever you turn, but the blankets over each chair keep you toasty, whatever the weather is doing. There’s often live music or a DJ at the weekends, along with an Instagram-friendly cocktail menu. House stays open until 2.30am Thursday through Sunday, and dinner is served until 10pm.

Take a bite of the Big Apple at NoLIta on South Great George's Street. Named after the North Little Italy neighbourhood of New York, this bustling spot is equal parts Italian-American restaurant and cocktail bar. Sit at the illuminated glass bar with a 'Fly Me to the Moon' cocktail, dig into arancini and aubergine parmigiana in one the leather booths or soak up the last of the sunshine in the garden terrace with a glass of vino. And you can stay long after the sun has gone down – NoLIta is open until 2.30am on Fridays and Saturdays.

As well as the extensive cocktail menu available in its numerous lounges and rooms, 37 Dawson Street (open until 2.30am most nights) has a whiskey bar with 37 Irish whiskeys to choose from, each served in a heavy crystal glass. Your tipple will often be accompanied by the sounds of the baby grand piano or a live DJ, and they regularly hold theme nights, too. They also offer a cocktail masterclass, so you can learn how to make your own creations at home.

Media captionEnjoy a late one at 37 Dawson Street.

Cheers to that

If your perfect night out in Dublin includes an impressive menu of creative cocktails, book into the city's finest cocktail bars.