With Christmas literally around the corner, and decorations lining the high streets of every city – it’s only a matter of time before you start heading out for the obligatory holiday drinks.
Dublin is filled to the brim with ideal venues for every type of night out, whether you’re after a chilled evening with a glass of wine or you’re geared up for shots all night long, Goss.ie has you covered.
Here’s our list of Dublin’s top venues to visit for a drink this Christmas…
For a cheeky craft beer
Against The Grain
Against The Grain is the ideal place for the craft beer connoisseur.
Owned by the Galway Bay Brewery, the venue often gets rare beers that aren’t available anywhere else in Ireland.
From ale to cider, to porter and wheat beer, Against The Grain has it all and they’re always trying out new recipes.
Another draw is the monthly Against The Brain quiz they do which should be extra fun around Christmas.
The Porterhouse Templebar
A Dublin institution at this stage, The Porterhouse opened in 1996 making it the first brewery pub in the land.
The Templebar hotspot claims to have the largest selection of world beers Ireland has to offer and has live music 7 nights a week -including trad sessions on the weekends.
The Porterhouse brew locally and if you’re really interested, you can even take a virtual tour of the place on their website.
J.W. Sweetman
This place is great for hardcore craft beer lovers as they brew the beer on the premises.
Patrons can book a tour of the brewery and learn how the good stuff is made and can be treated to a “Brewmaster’s Dinner” to see how the beers go with food.
Sweetman’s also has the big advantage of being huge, with 3 floors and a top floor that can be booked for reservations.
For a glass of prosecco
Lillie’s Bordello
If you’re feeling uber posh and seriously classy this Christmas – Lillie’s is the place for you.
Renowned as one of Dublin’s top celeb hot spots, it’s great for a night out which will have to involve some proseccos.
The venue also boasts Lillie’s Laboratory, Ireland’s first micro-distillery with live distillations Thursday through Sunday – don’t mind if we do.
Buck Whaleys
Another central Dublin hotspot, Buck Whaleys, is located on the always classy Leeson Street.
The venue’s VIP Boudoir Suite was voted the best VIP area by INDUBLIN magazine and you may even spot a few famous faces with Michael Fassbender and Idris Elba spotted partying the night away before.
Bucks also boasts a fantastic outdoor terrace and a piano bar open every Friday and Saturday, in case you weren’t already convinced to to go for a few.
Krystle
Another celebrity hotspot in Dublin, just about famous face who has graced our shores has partied in Krystle.
Most recently, One Direction were spotted on the Harcourt Street club and local stars like Andy Quirke and the Irish rugby team can be spotted in there.
Best of all, it’s just a stone’s throw away from other well known nightclubs like Coppers and Diceys if you’re in the mood for some travel.
Grafton Lounge
If you don’t feel like going to an actual pub, but you’d love a glass of bubbly and a chat then Grafton Lounge is the perfect choice.
With classy surroundings, central location and an outside area, you can chill for the night if you grab yourself a table.
At least it can be the place to warm up before you go clubbing.
For a relaxing glass of wine
La Cave
Dublin’s oldest and original wine bar, the South Anne Street hotspot received Certificate of Excellence award from TripAdvisor last year.
La Cave has a massive 350 wines available and a rather impressive 40 wines by the glass.
If you’re feeling generous (and you should be because it’s Christmas) you can also get a gift voucher for the venue for all those wine lovers in your life.
Dublin Wine Rooms
As well as boasting a fantastic wine bar, Dublin Wine Rooms also has a great restaurant plus cheese and charcuterie boards.
You can try up to 48 different wines on their state-of-the-art enomatic wine tasting systems in a glass, half glass or taster measure.
The dining room can also also be booked for private rooms so it’s the perfect location for your 2015 Christmas party.
Fallon and Byrne
As well as having a wine cellar, Fallon and Byrne also serves as a restuarant and cafe.
The Dun Laoghaire venue has wines from all over the world and serves them with nibbles that make them taste even better.
If you fancy getting out of the hustle and bustle of the city – this is the place for you.
For Christmas Shots
Copper Face Jacks
Coppers is an Irish institution, and we all know you’ll end up there some night over the holidays.
It’s not just a place for Dubs, in fact – country men are just as at home in the famous Harcourt Street Venue.
If you’re looking for somewhere to dance the night away till you can’t remember your own name – this is the venue for you.
DTwo
A stone’s throw away from Coppers, DTwo’s is another popular Harcourt Hotspot.
While the dancefloor isn’t the biggest, the beer garden more than makes up for it.
It’s the perfect spot if you’re planning to hit a few places on the same night.
The Palace
Where twenty-somethings go to fulfill their dreams – but end up crashing and burning (bring some tissues).
While this place may be over 20s on the weekends, it feels like you’re among the youngest partiers in the country.
Feeling old? Want to recapture the glory days of your begone youth? The Palace is the place for you…
