Have a Date this Weekend? Here Are Our Top 15 Dublin Bars to Make Your Evening Perfect!

Dating can be overwhelming, especially the first date.

Building up the courage to ask someone out, choosing the right spot to meet, and making a good impression to help your date feel relaxed is always a challenge.

Therefore, we're taking the stress out of finding the right bar for that first uncomfortable meeting in Dublin city.

Dublin is full of loud bars; for that reason, it can be challenging to have a decent conversation and understand what each of you is saying.

Let's face it; noisy bars are not always the most romantic places to go.

So why not make it as easy and stress-free as possible for you both?

For that reason, we have put together a list of the top 15 bars in Dublin for a first date, and hopefully, impress them so much they want to meet you again.

So take a look, and if you have any exceptional first date bar suggestions, we'd love to hear about them. Drop us a comment below.

Farrier & Draper - South William Street

Set in the very trendy and fashionable South William street, Farrier and Draper is a lovely, dimly lit cocktail bar that will set the tone for a great evening.

What to expect

Farrier & Draper is a stylish environment that has couches and multiple cosy areas for you both to get comfortable on your date. If you like listening to soft electronica music which isn't too loud, then you're all set. Although the music does get a little louder into the evening, hopefully at that stage, the conversation will be in full swing, and you might want to stay out longer and enjoy it.

You can visit "Farrier & Drapers" website here.

You can find Farrier & Draper on Google maps here.

The Black Sheep - Capel Street

The Black sheep on Capel street is one of those lesser-known gems in the City Centre. A craft beer pub with tasty pub grub and friendly people.

What to expect

The Black Sheep expertly serves quality beers set within a comfortable atmosphere. Again, the music isn't too loud to prevent you from having a conversation with your date, and if you're both having a great time, you can have a game of Jenga. If you're a fan of beer, try their Delirium Tremens from Belgium. Voted the best beer in the world! We can vouch for that.

You can visit the Black Sheep's Facebook page here.

You can find the Black Sheep's location here.

The Blue light - Barnacullia

Forget Jonnie Fox's, this pub in the Dublin mountains offers one of the best views of the city, especially while having a drink with your date and setting a romantic scene.

What to expect

On a Summer's day, the only option you want to choose is to sit outside.

On a chilly evening, it gives you the chance to be a perfect gentleman, offering your jacket or going one further and putting your arm around your date to keep them warm when the sun goes down. You're guaranteed to set the tone with this great pub in this stunning location. And they pull a nice pint of Guinness too.

You can visit "The Blue Light's" website here.

You can find "The Blue Light's" location here.

The Gin Palace - Abbey Street

The Gin Palace boasts the largest selection of Gins in Dublin. So, if you and your date are partial to a Gin cocktail, this is the spot for you.

What to expect

The Gin Palace has a brilliant, lively atmosphere, perfect for a relaxed evening of getting to know each other and is only one minute walk from O'Connell street, so it's straightforward to find. They also do some delectable food, so if you're looking to have a casual meal with some seriously tasty Gin cocktails, the palace might hit the spot.

You can visit "The Gin Palace's" website here.

You can find The Gin Palace's location here.

Zozimus - Anne's Lane

These guys are smack bang in the middle of the highly Instagram worthy "umbrella street". The very cool Zozimus bar and restaurant is quite the popular spot in Dublin these days. You could find yourself rubbing shoulders with a ton of different celebrities. This glamorous location is the best place to go to impress your date but showing them you took the time to pick somewhere different and with that little something extra.

What to expect

Zozimus is the Don of cocktail making. I can't say I've had a lousy cocktail here. Their service is excellent, and if you like a bit of "Alfresco" drinking, you can book a spot on their outdoor terrace together to look out of on the umbrellas while soaking in the atmosphere and sound of the tunes indoors.

You can visit the Zozimus website here.

You can find the location for Zozimus here.

J.T. Pims - South Great Georges Street

Another fab bar on our list that's a cosy and warm spot with comfortable seating, music just loud enough to converse over, and amazing cocktails is J.T. Pims on South Great Georges Street. This dark, cosy bar is a perfect little spot to get to know each other.

What to expect

The friendly staff are happy to concoct cocktails with flavours to your taste on the fly if you're a little picky with your drinks; you are sure to get served a cocktail you will enjoy here. If the night is going well and you both want to head somewhere else later, there are loads of bars and clubs very close by.

You can visit J.T. Pims website here.

You can find J.T. Pims here.

The Church - St Mary's Street

A historic and stunning bar that's very popular with tourists and locals alike, directly down to how stunning the venue is. The Church has a ton of seats inside and outside, giving you a very relaxed atmosphere for a date. Being so spectacular makes The Church a talking point to help get the conversation rolling.

What to expect

This place is loud, simply because its a church and its designed to hold sound, so there is loads of background noise. The positive is if there are any uncomfortable silences between you they will be drowned out by the music, so you can't go wrong really. Serving an array of excellent alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, The Church also dishes out an exceptional food menu if you are out to wine and dine.

You can visit the Church's website here.

You can find the Church's location here.

4 Dame Lane - Dame Lane

Dame Lane is a funky spot with fresh interiors with great vinyl covers all over the walls, so you know the music is going to be good.

The Church

What to expect

If you and your date are really into your music, this will be a great place to meet and chat about which album cover is your favourite, giving you an immediate conversation starter. Later on, it turns into a late-night music bar upstairs, but early on in the evening, it's a great place to meet and have a drink together at the bar. Probably not the best place to stay for the entire evening on a first date, but there are plenty of bars close by to move on to later in the evening.

You can visit 4 Dame Lane's website here.

You can find 4 Dame Lane's location here.

House Dublin - Leeson Street

House Dublin on Leeson Street located on the south side of Dublin, is a fantastic haunt to organise a drink date. It's a personal favourite as the "Glasshouse" bar is stunning, craft-fully designed around a home garden based around the theme of being in your "home away from home". It's bright, it's summery, the barmen produce drinks that show skill, and you will not be disappointed. So if you or your date are partial to a boast-post on Instagram, House is the place to be.

What to expect

House Dublin is a great little spot to relax and chat. The outdoor terrace designed is part of the "Glasshouse" theme so you can still relax and feel like you're in your back garden. If your date is going well, you can don the dancing shoes and hit the Red Room close by for a bop.

You can visit House Dublin's website here.

You can find house Dublin's location here.

Opium - Wexford Street

Maybe one of Dublin's most loved venues, Opium is a lot of fun as it hosts a bar, nightclub, garden terrace and an Asian restaurant, so there's plenty of options for you to plan your date in this classic venue.

What to expect

Situated on Wexford street, this pub used to be the Village, which was a popular music venue and is right beside the historic Whelan's pub and venue. You can also hit their Asian themed nightclub well into the early hours of the morning if your date is in full swing.

You can visit Opium's website here.

You can find Opium's location here.

The Bank - Dame Street

A historic and gorgeous bar right in the centre of Dublin. The Bank on College Street is a fantastic place to meet for a drink. It's relatively relaxed, but historical and different to all the other bars on this list because of its Victorian style interior.

What to expect

If your date hasn't been here before, you are bound to impress them with your choice of location. There is nothing overly surprising in terms of the drinks selection, but the interior is worth it. It's not high on the romantic scale either, but if you want to keep it casual and with minimal pressure, in a relaxed and busy bar, this is the place to go.

You can visit The Banks website here.

You can find the Banks location here.

The Beer Market - Christchurch

This bustling pub is just outside the city limits, and just round the corner from Christchurch Cathedral. It has an impressive selection of beers if you and your date are into craft beers or foreign beers.

What to expect

They have vast seating areas with some exceptional views of Thomas street over their three floors. The accommodating and friendly staff don't mind telling you about their fantastic beer specials. If you're going for a less romantic and more laidback, relaxed vibe, this is undoubtedly the spot for you to meet up and get your night off to a good start.

You can visit "The Beer Markets" Facebook page here.

You can find "The Beer Market's" location here.

Peruke & Periwig - Dawson's Street

Another excellent bar and restaurant for a date is "Peruke and Periwig"! This old Victorian style bar on the ever-popular Dawson Street is dark and lit by candlelight, with bookshelves and Victorian portrait paintings along the wall. Although their interior is old in style, their cocktail and food menu is most definitely not.

What to expect

Their cocktail menu is delicious, so their food has to be of the same standard. Sitting in the old Victorian chairs adds a touch of class, which brings a pleasant atmosphere to the bar. By picking this bar for your date, you can chat and be comfortable enough to enjoy each other's company over some refreshing cocktails.

You can visit Peruke & Periwig's website here.

You can find Peruke & Periwig's location here.

The Grand Social - Lower Liffey Street

The Grand Social on Lower Liffey Street is located right across the Ha'penny Bridge and is one of Dublin's most popular music venues. The bar itself is a pretty cool place to bring a date, especially if you're into rock or alternative music.

What to expect

The fact that it's right beside one of Dublin's signature landmarks means no-one is going to get lost trying to find it. The bar downstairs which is called "The Ballroom" is dimly lit, cosy and can be easy to talk to someone if you meet up early before the music kicks off. They have an outstanding selection of tasty Belgian beers and some delightful wines too.

You can visit The Grand Social's website here.

You can find The Grand Social here.

La Cave wine bar - South Anne's Street

This tiny, underground French wine bar is a Dublin institution churning out amazing French cuisine and beautiful wines from all over the world for many years. It's also the oldest wine bar in Dublin with very unique with retro French memorabilia on the walls and over 350 wines to get tasting.

What to expect

You and your date can get lost in a corner and taste different wines from all over the world to your heart's content. It's always wine o'clock at the La Cave. It's quiet, and there are no distractions, so you can stay entirely focused on your date and make sure you can talk freely and enjoy each others company. The staff are super friendly and will give you tons of recommendations for different wines, and if you want to share a snack, they also serve a splendid cheese board, you both can share. On a side-note; bring chewing gum, if all goes well you could be going in for the kiss.

You can visit La Cave's website here.

You find La Cave's location here.

All that's required now is to pick which bar to meet your date.

You certainly won't go wrong any of these bars on our list.

Finally, if you need more idea's for romantic things to do in Dublin that doesn't necessarily involve alcohol, check out our guide for 10 of the most romantic things you can do with your loved on this weekend here.