Bar Pez
Kevin St, Dublin; barpez.ie
This small premises on Kevin Street is from the people behind the Fish Shop in Stoneybatter and the Beach House restaurant in Tramore, Co Waterford, so it should be no surprise that both the food and the wines are superb. Read our review here.
Brut Wine Bar
Drumcondra, Dublin; instagram.com/brutwinebardrumcondra
Nelly’s Café in Drumcondra transforms into Brut Wine Bar on Friday and Saturday evenings, offering small bites and interesting wines.
Daróg
56 Dominick Street Lower, Galway; 091-565 813, winebar.com
The wine list is as sharp as the food at this Galway wine bar-cum-restaurant, run by Zsolt Lukács (ex-Aniar sommelier) and his wife Edel McMahon. Read our review here.
Éan
Druid Lane, Galway; eangalway.com
From Enda McEvoy of the late, lamented Loam in Galway, Éan is a bakery and casual lunch place that at night becomes a creative restaurant and friendly wine bar, with a great selection of natural and organic wines.
Fallon & Byrne
11-17 Exchequer Street, Dublin 2; Fallonandbyrne.com
A long-established food shop and restaurant upstairs, their wine cellar offers 300 different bottles as well as beers and cocktails, and a great selection of food from the Italian-focused menu.
Frae
93 High Street, Holywood, Co Down, BT18 9AQ; +44 28-95788143, fraedining.com
Chef Shaun Tinman’s fun and creative menu is complemented by an excellent natural wine list in Frae, located in Holywood, Co Down, just a few miles from Belfast.
Frank’s
Camden St, Dublin; instagram.com/franksdublin
A wine shop and casual wine bar serving low-intervention wines and light snacks around a friendly communal table. Read our review here.
Infused Cocktail and Wine Bar
Westport, Co Mayo; infused.ie
With charming sommelier Nick Fajours (previously of Knockranny House) behind this venture, an interesting wine list is no surprise. There’s also plenty of emphasis on cocktails, with old classics and more inventive creations.
Le Petit Renard
6 Sundrive Rd, Crumlin, Dublin 12; instagram.com/lprwinebar
A great addition to the neighbourhood scene in Kimmage, with a menu focused on small snacks and a great selection of wines by the glass.
Little Washer
Glasnevin, Dublin; thewasherwoman.ie/littlewasher
A spin-off from Elaine Murphy’s Washerwoman restaurant next door, Little Washer offers pizzas, pasta and small plates, as well as an extensive wine list.
Mr Magpie
Ballsbridge, Dublin; instagram.com/mistermagpiecoffee
A coffee shop by day, just opposite the RDS, Mr Magpie turns into a wine bar with small plates on Friday and Saturday nights.
Prim’s
Kinsale, Cork; instagram.com/primsbookshop
Here’s a change from all the cafes that turn into wine bars – a bookshop that turns into a wine bar. Thursday through Sunday from 5pm the bar is open, with an interesting variety of sherries and good selection of wines.
September
3 Bath Place, Blackrock, Co Dublin; 086-0507591, instagram.com/september.dublin
This Blackrock wine bar by night, cafe by day offers communal tables, as well as more intimate options. The wine list is well chosen and the small plates delicious. Read our review here.
The Black Pig
Kinsale, Co Cork; theblackpigwinebar.com/
More than 100 wines by the glass (and 250 by the bottle) plus a broad food menu with an emphasis on local seafood.
Two Faced
Montague St, Dublin; instagram.com/twofaceddublin
On Montague Street in Dublin, this tiny, oh-so-cool space offers coffee, breakfast and lunch, then 40 different wines and sharing plates of food later in the evening.
Union
11, The Mall, Waterford; unionbar.ie
The wine list in this Waterford city spot is exceptional – which is hardly surprising, as Morgan VanderKamer, president of the Irish Guild of Sommeliers, co-owns it. Her partner, Stephen McArdle, ensures the food is equally impressive.
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