Low light, good drinks and somewhere to talk: the Kilkenny bars we would pick for a night for two.
Last checked 14 November 2026. No bar paid to be included.
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Hotel cocktail bar
Best City Bar in Leinster, Irish Bar and Cocktail Awards 2026
The bar at the Hibernian Hotel, in a handsome old building in the city centre. In June 2026 it was named Best City Bar in Leinster at the Irish Bar and Cocktail Awards.
📍 Hibernian Hotel, 1 Ormonde Street, Kilkenny
Restaurant and bar
Tucked into a medieval building on Butter Slip Lane, one of Kilkenny's narrow old alleyways, with seasonal cocktails and natural wines.
📍 Butter Slip Lane, Kilkenny
🕒 Fri and Sat noon to 3pm (OpenStreetMap; check before you go)
Cocktail bar
Known locally for its cocktails, with a terraced garden out the back for warmer evenings.
📍 John Street, Kilkenny
Wine bar and restaurant
A French-inspired wine bar and restaurant on The Parade, looking up to the castle, with a covered terrace that is one of the best outdoor seats in town.
📍 2 The Parade, Kilkenny
Hotel cocktail bar
The bar at the Zuni boutique hotel on Patrick Street, with a seasonal cocktail list using Irish spirits. A good pick for a drink before dinner.
📍 26 Patrick Street, Kilkenny
Tap a pin for the bar. Numbers match the list.
Start with Hibernian Bar, Petronella, Bridie's Bar, Rive Gauche and Zuni. Our full list has 5 bars.
This guide is written by the team at M.AD Agency. We run Cocktail Week, the ten-day cocktail festival held town by town across the UK and Ireland, including Dublin and Cork. Since 2022 we have taken it to more than 20 towns and cities and worked with hundreds of bars. We put this guide together from our own research and trusted local guides, including Visit Kilkenny.
No bar paid to be included and nobody can buy a place. We check the guide regularly as bars open, change and close.
Our nearest Cocktail Weeks
Run a bar in Kilkenny that should be here? Get in touch at hello@cocktail-week.com and tell us about it.
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