Dublin and Belfast’s bar scenes are booming with specialised nights, DJs and rooftop views to enjoy this season …
“Club Floritz is about giving our guests more on a Saturday night,” explains Anthony Remedy, DJ at the helm of a new in-the-know experience at Floritz, Dublin 2, where Saturday bookings are on the rise, even before December begins. “Floritz is already a beautifully designed restaurant with a menu that would turn heads in New York or London as easily as Dublin.” There are versions of these chic soirées internationally, at Zuma in London, for example, catering to the same sort of audience: those who appreciate staying in one venue that offers everything.
Remedy says, “The room is gorgeous – that’s a massive part of Floritz – but it’s only one element. Guests are ordering from arguably the best Asian menu in the country, using ingredients like Irish Wagyu, organic Claire Island salmon, Balfego tuna or Lambay Island lobster. Then there’s the creative cocktail list, which again sits a cut above. Around 10pm, I start DJ’ing; I can play across the board, from contemporary electronic house to pop hits or ’90s throwbacks. It’s proper Saturday night music.” Remedy describes the audience as those who frequented popular Dublin haunts such as The Kitchen, The POD and Krystle in their heyday. “They still love going out but quality food, seats and table service are higher up in the pecking order than being in a packed pub or club. It’s also not as noisy, so conversation is not strained. But it still can be a late night, open until 4am.”
The Guinness Storehouse, Dublin 8
By day, the Guinness Storehouse’s “My Goodness! It’s Christmas” season offers seven floors of magic: in the evening, the new Christmas Nights at Gravity is a collaborative experience, ideal for get-togethers with friends or colleagues (on December 14, 20, 21). There’s also a new cocktail menu (with a distinctive Guinness twist) curated by Love Tempo. They have been designed to complement BIGFAN’s dishes including the appetising 1759 cones filled with crispy aromatic duck and chilli oil. As for the music, participating DJs include sets from Ricky Chong, Claire Beck, Stephen Manning and Kelly-Anne Byrne. @homeofguinness
The team behind Kaldero (and Bahay) are launching Chez Spice every Friday and Saturday in the stunning Kaldero basement. The space will flip from Asian restaurant after the final service into a new home for house music and proper late-night energy. The Bahay crew are no strangers to throwing unforgettable parties, having left their mark at festivals and venues across the city. Expect a rotating line-up of local DJ talent delivering vinyl-only selectors straight from chef (and DJ) Richie’s personal collection. The atmosphere? Intimate and curated. Think killer cocktails (including a dedicated Chez Spice menu), wine on tap, Filipino beers, and a welcoming buzz backed up by a serious Void sound system. @kalderodublin
A new addition to South William Street officially opening on December 6, it promises a lively late-night vibe every Thursday to Saturday night. Housed within Powerscourt Townhouse Centre, it’s a chance to party like it’s 1774 – the club is named after Michael Stapleton, an Irish stuccodore. The venue spans two floors, with striking décor including tiered timber detailing and a rotating exhibition of artworks by Irish artists. Bartenders Michele Lentini and Alessandro Caputo are responsible for the inventive cocktail menu. You can register for the guestlist online. @the_stapleton
The Rooftop and Terrace, Anantara The Marker Dublin 2
The Winter Edit here guarantees views and tunes on its wrap-around terrace, from Thursdays to Sundays. If you love a small plates menu paired with great wines, this is for you. Guests can choose from three, four or five tasting plates with highlights including organic Cashel Blue cheese with red onion purée and flamed sourdough, warm Cáis na Tíre tarts with apple and walnut or triple Rose Brie with garlic and demi-baguette. To avoid disappointment at this hotspot, it’s best to book ahead. @therooftopbardublin
This newly designed space will appeal to live music fans who don’t want to sacrifice style or comfort. One of two private members clubs with the 1878, enjoy fast-track entry to concerts and impressive pre-show hospitality with a tasty menu and curated list of wines and seasonal cocktails. Doors open early so that you can unwind and ease into the night, hassle-free. This isn’t, however, a velvet-rope VIP zone: it’s a exlusive club that’s inclusive, elevated and full of personality. With so many gigs coming up, you’ll find us here. @thestudioat3arena
The Tokyo Jazz Joints, Rattlebag, Belfast
Over the last three years, The Tokyo Jazz Joints events at Rattlebag in Belfast have become one of the city’s most distinctive nights. Described as deep-listening experiences inspired by Japan’s jazz ‘kissa’ café culture, music is sacred here – phones are put away and people are encouraged to listen intentionally. The events are a collaboration between Rattlebag and photographer, writer and DJ Philip Arneill, who lived in Japan for 20 years and has published a coffee table book, featuring photos of Japanese jazz joints. Don’t miss an accompanying exhibition ‘iro iro’ until December 4.
Arneill explains, “It still amazes me that people come and listen to really obscure jazz in a dark room with a load of strangers, which is essentially what a jazz kissa café is. At the last event, I played an absolutely wild Charles Mingus track that was 25 minutes long. It’s incredible that people sit in silence for that length of time and lose themselves in this amazing music. What’s fascinating is that it’s not even necessarily people who are heavily into jazz who come along too. Immersive listening taps in, I think, to this digital fatigue that people have now. They want something tangible: a place where you have permission not to talk, or post, and to switch off and not be on a screen. In many ways, it’s a radical act in our overstimulated, multi-tasking, distracted world.” @rattlebag.belfast
This impossibly glam bar and its late night club downstairs, Rudi, gives off a Hotel Costes vibe attracting the city’s cool girls. More established but no less enjoyable is Berts Jazz Bar where the line-up of music is complemented by a new cocktail menu, inspired by some of the world’s greatest jazz cities. In keeping with the rise of the sober curious movement, Berts has put significant focus on its non-alcoholic cocktails. Sixty6 is another great late-night venue above The National with a roof garden open on Friday and Saturday. Stay in the new Moxy Belfast if visiting for a party night over the festive season. @margotbelfast