Bar 1661 in Dublin was named ‘Bar of the Year’ at the 2025 Irish Bar of the Year Awards, also winning the awards for ‘Best Cocktail Bar of the Year’ and ‘Innovative Bar of the Year.’
The bar, which opened in 2019, focuses on inventive cocktails dedicated to the revival of poitín, with a menu celebrating local community heroes.
The awards, organised by Ashville Media Group, were hosted at the Clayton Hotel in Dublin with 1,000 entries from more than 300 establishments.
Other winners included The Rooftop Bar & Terrace for ‘5-Star Hotel Bar of the Year’ and The Blue Haven Kinsale for ‘Bar Food of the Year.’
- BAR OF THE YEAR: BAR 1661, Co Dublin
- PEOPLE’S CHOICE: Mc Hughs Bar, Co Leitrim, Leinster: Left Bank, Co Kilkenny, Dublin: The George, Co Dublin, Munster: Costigans Pub, Co Cork, Connacht / Ulster: Mc Hughs Bar, Co Leitrim.
- 5-STAR HOTEL BAR OF THE YEAR: Gold: The Rooftop Bar & Terrace, Marker Hotel, Co Dublin; Silver: Prince of Wales Bar at Ashford Castle, Co Mayo; Bronze: The Guinness Bar at Cashel Palace Hotel, Co Tipperary
- BAR FOOD OF THE YEAR: Gold: The Blue Haven Kinsale, Co Cork; Silver: Blake’s Bar Galway, Co Galway; Bronze: Moody Cafe Vin, Co Cork
- BAR MANAGER OF THE YEAR: Gold: Darren Geraghty, Hawksmoor Restaurant, Co Dublin; Silver: Ashley O’Reilly, voco The Club, Co Kildare; Bronze: Akram Bendjeddou, Paladar, Co Cork
- BEST BAR TO WATCH THE MATCH: Gold: Searsons of Baggot Street, Co Dublin; Silver: Slattery’s of Beggars Bush, Co Dublin; Bronze: Woolshed Baa & Grill, Co Cork
- BEST DESIGNED BAR / BEST INSIDE SPACE: Gold: Pig’s Lane, Co Kerry; Silver: K Sixty Seven Bar and Grill, Co Dublin; Bronze: Laura’s Restaurant @ Old Fashioned Sam’s, Co Dublin
- BEST LIVE ENTERTAINMENT BAR: Gold: Canty’s Bar, Co Cork; Silver: Backstage Bar at Gleneagle Hotel, Co Kerry; Bronze: Dwyers of Cork, Co Cork
- BEST NEWCOMER: Gold: The Monks Well, Co Clare; Silver: Ciss Maddens, Co Dublin; Bronze: Pitch Ireland, Co Dublin
- BEST WINE BAR: Gold: Old Brennans Wine House, Co Cork; Silver: Old Town Wine Bar, Co Dublin; Bronze: Flannery’s Bistro, Co Mayo
- CITY BAR OF THE YEAR: Gold: Garavan’s Bar, Co Galway; Silver: Disndat, Co Dublin; Bronze: r.i.o.t., Co Dublin
- COCKTAIL BAR OF THE YEAR: Gold: BAR 1661, Co Dublin; Silver: Cask, Co Cork; Bronze: Pig’s Lane, Co Kerry
- COCKTAIL BARTENDER OF THE YEAR: Gold: David Taylor, Sackville Lounge, Co Dublin; Silver: Maroje Milosevic, The Sidecar, Co Dublin; Bronze: Luka Breskovac, Collins Club, Co Dublin
- CRAFT BAR OF THE YEAR: Gold: Mo Chara, Co Louth; Silver: Franciscan Well Brewpub, Co Cork; Bronze: Revolution Craft Beer & Whiskey Bar, Co Waterford
- GAIL COTTER SPECIAL RECOGNITION AWARD
- Patrick McGowan Sr., McGowans Group
- GASTRO BAR OF THE YEAR: Gold: Arthur Mayne’s, Co Cork; Silver: JP Clarke’s, Co Clare; Bronze: Left Bank, Co Kilkenny
- GIN BAR OF THE YEAR: Gold: 101 Limerick, Co Limerick; Silver: Conor’s Bar & Lounge at Castle Leslie Estate, Co.Monaghan; Bronze: Tigh Nora, Co Galway
- HOTEL BAR OF THE YEAR: Gold: Cask, Co Cork; Silver: Inchydoney Island Lodge & Spa, Co Cork; Bronze: NORTH at The Address Connolly, Co Dublin
- HOTEL COCKTAIL BAR OF THE YEAR: Gold: The Sidecar, Westbury, Co Dublin; Silver: The Collins Club, The Leinster, Co Dublin; Bronze: Brownes at Great Southern Killarney, Co Kerry
- INNOVATIVE BAR OF THE YEAR: Gold: BAR 1661, Co Dublin; Silver: Flight Club Dublin, Co Dublin; Bronze: Soho Bar, Venue & Space, Co Dublin
- LATE BAR / NIGHTCLUB OF THE YEAR: Gold: 37 Dawson Street, Co Dublin; Silver: 4 Dame Lane, Co Dublin; Bronze: The Front Door Pub Group,
- LOCAL BAR OF THE YEAR: Gold: The Laurels Clondalkin, Co Dublin; Silver: Molloy’s Pub Dublin, Co Dublin
- Bronze – Peggys Bar & Restaurant, Co Galway
- OUTSIDE SPACE OF THE YEAR: Gold: The Anglers Cork, Co Cork; Silver: House Dublin, Co Dublin; Bronze: J.M. Reidy’s, Co Kerry
- OUTSTANDING CUSTOMER SERVICE AWARD: Gold: Lock 13 Brewpub, Co Kildare; Silver: Paladar, Co Cork; Bronze: The Hideout Pub, Co Kildare
- PUB GROUP OF THE YEAR
- Sponsored by Redmond Fine FoodsWinner – Cork Heritage Pubs
- RESTAURANT BAR OF THE YEAR: Gold: The Gables Foxrock, Co Dublin; Silver: The Grayson, Co Dublin; Bronze: The Brooklyn, Co Dublin
- TOURIST BAR OF THE YEAR: Gold: The Quays Bar Temple Bar, Co Dublin; Silver: The Locke Bar, Co Limerick; Bronze: An Púcán, Co Galway
- TRADITIONAL BAR OF THE YEAR: Gold: The Porter House, Co Mayo; Silver: The Becks, Co Meath; Bronze: Francie Sheahan’s Bar, Co Kerry
- VISITOR ATTRACTION OF THE YEAR: Gold: Celtic Nights Dinner & Show, Co Dublin; Silver: Durty Nellys, Co Clare; Bronze: Rascals Brewing Co, Co Dublin
- WHISKEY BAR OF THE YEAR: Gold: Mother Macs Public House, Co Limerick; Silver: The Horseshoe Bar, The Shelbourne Hotel, Co Dublin; Bronze: Sonny Molloy’s Irish Whiskey Bar, Co Galway
