Daróg Wine Bar

The story

Crafted with passion, served with love

A Small Oak Tree with Deep Roots

Daróg — Irish for small oak tree — opened in July 2023 on Lower Dominick Street, brought to life by husband-and-wife team Zsolt and Edel Lukács. The name fits. What they have built is compact, quietly rooted, and shaped by a clear sense of purpose: good wine, honest food, and the kind of conversation that comes with both.

The Irish Times summed it up well: "Delicious food and a clever wine list at this small gem with a mighty heart."

The People Behind It

Zsolt Lukács spent over a decade as sommelier at the Michelin-starred Aniar in Galway before opening Daróg. In 2025, he was named MICHELIN Sommelier of the Year for Great Britain and Ireland — recognition that reflects the precision and care he brings to the wine list. His focus is on small artisan producers working organically and biodynamically, wines selected as much for the story behind them as for what's in the glass. The Wine Spectator Award of Excellence, also received in 2025, underlines how seriously that list is taken beyond Ireland.

Edel Lukács brings over fifteen years of design and marketing experience to the space. She curates the Gallery Wall — original artwork by local artists, all available for purchase — and weaves the Irish language into the bar's identity through signage, menus, and the warm fáilte that greets every guest.

In the kitchen, Head Chef Stiofán Feeney is a Connemara native whose career has taken him from The Savoy in London and the Sacher Hotel in Vienna to Aniar in Galway and Ballynahinch Castle. His cooking is grounded in the west of Ireland — precise, seasonal, and closely connected to local producers and west coast ingredients.

What's on the Plate and in the Glass

The menu is built around seasonal Irish small plates, charcuterie, and carefully curated meat and cheese boards. The kitchen works closely with local producers, which means the menu shifts regularly to follow what is fresh and in season. For parties of five or more, a Seasonal Sharing Menu is available — dishes chosen on the day based on what's at its best.

The wine list spans modern and classic styles, with an extensive selection available by the glass through the Coravin system. Daróg has earned Best Wine Experience in Ireland at the Food & Wine Awards, Best Sustainable Wine List from Star Wine List, and recognition from Georgina Campbell as Wine Experience of the Year — a consistent thread of acknowledgement for what Zsolt has built here.

Turas Fíona and the Wider Programme

Beyond the regular menu, Daróg runs Turas Fíona — Irish for wine journey — a talk-and-tasting series that brings international winemakers and wine writers to Lower Dominick Street. Past events have featured producers from Alsace, Burgundy, the Mosel, Tenerife, and Hungary. It is the kind of programme that reflects a bar confident enough in its audience to go deep.

The MICHELIN Bib Gourmand, held since 2025, places Daróg among Ireland's most compelling places to eat and drink well without formality. The space is intimate, the team is small, and the attention to detail — in wine, food, art, and language — is anything but.