A night to remember; inside Ireland's best late bar, 37 Dawson Street

A giant golden gorilla, two flamingos and an elk wearing glasses walk into a bar.

Well, not quite. They’re actually already in the bar.

“Dawson the Gorilla was purchased pre-COVID,” explains 37 Dawson St’s general manager Paul Williams. “I got told there was a delivery coming and a 16-wheeler reversed down the laneway. Since then, he's been at the focal point in the front window.”

Sitting proudly as he watches the world go by, Dawson has become the bar's mascot. He's somewhat of a local landmark too, thanks to his tendency to dress up for special occasions.

“The costumes started with putting a paddy cap on him for St Patrick's Day,” Williams says. "Then I just blew the marketing budget for the next two years buying costumes for him.”

Paul Williams at 37 Dawson Street on October 2nd, 2025. Copyright Abigail Ring/ hotpress.com

You'll also catch the famous ape donning cupid wings on Valentine’s day, and a rugger shirt when the Six Nations comes along.

Dawson is one of many eclectic animal-themed decorations purchased by owner Alan Clancy on his travels, but the charming decor - a mix of Alice in Wonderland, safari and modern art - is just part of what has made 37 Late Bar of the Year three times on the bounce.

It’s the afternoon, and opening time isn’t for another hour. Still, Williams has been in since the morning prepping the venue.

Staff, snazzily dressed in the signature red and black uniforms, are bustling about, stocking the bars and making sure every last detail is in check.

“We’re always looking forward, reviewing, and trying to see where we can fill in the gaps,” Williams says. “We are watching our standards all the time, from staff, to cleanliness, to music, to drink service. We’re always upping our game and being reactive to what's happening.”

He knows the place inside out, having worked his way up the ranks.

37 Dawson Street on October 2nd, 2025. Copyright Abigail Ring/ hotpress.com

37 rolls with the times. It might be the best late bar - but it’s not just a late bar. They offer a number of experiences and activities, including wine and whiskey tasting, as well as cocktail masterclasses.

“Groups of friends are looking for something different,” Williams says. “We even do zero-zero cocktail masterclasses now, because people are conscious of what they put in their bodies, and zero-zero is becoming a bigger trend.

“For whiskey tastings we usually do three Irish, one American, one Scotch, and we will sit you down and we will talk you through the process and the differences.

“But we're all about ‘Yes is the answer, what's the question?’ So if you want to put in two American whiskeys, we'll tailor it to you.

“The same with our cocktails. We don't have a cocktail menu because we want to talk to you. We ask you what your favourite flavours are. We can still do espresso martinis, spritzs and whiskey sours, but we can elevate it to suit you.

“The bartenders and the floor staff are the menus.”

Williams takes immense pride in the 46 members of staff who keep this massive venue, its multiple floors and bars, running smoothly each night.

“It's rewarding, professionally and personally,” he smiles. “I fell in love with it, really. And I think that's the best way to describe my relationship with 37. I treat it like it's my own.

“I’ve seen people start as bartenders or bar backs and go on to open their own bars in New York. I’ve seen people using 37 as a tool to make sure they've got money coming for their families, or to give them the freedom to do college.

“The staff believe in what we're doing. We hire based on personality, the skillset will come later.”

People come from far and wide for a lauded 37 espresso martini. We can’t tell you the secret recipe, but we will say that they live up to the hype.

“The bars are set up for speed and volume,” Williams says, “so we can do espresso martinis quite quickly without sacrificing the quality.”

37 Dawson Street on October 2nd, 2025. Copyright Abigail Ring/ hotpress.com

A nightclub is nothing without the music. With the help of an impressive PA system, the team is monitoring the vibe throughout the day, changing the tunes and raising the volume the busier it gets.

“Different demographics come in on Tuesday than will come in on Thursday, so our DJs play to the crowd,” Williams says.

“Our audience changes all the time, but we have always been strictly over 23s  - so we get a really nice millennial crowd in as well.”

It’s a known haunt for the famous too. They’ve had everyone from the Scottish Parliament, Rory McIlroy and Bill Clinton, and the Minnesota Vikings (not all at the same time, though that’d be some party) come in for a drink.

But there’s no favouritism here. Whether you’ve booked a private event in one of the swanky upstairs bars, or are having a boogie on the dancefloor, the service will always be of the same high standard. It’s no surprise that 37 is nearly booked out for Christmas parties.

“It's the space and the uniqueness of it,” Williams says, explaining the appeal. “We're not a sit-down restaurant. People can be seen to have fun and that's what we do best - we allow people to have fun.

37 Dawson Street on October 2nd, 2025. Copyright Abigail Ring/ hotpress.com

Their work away from Dawson Street, both online and at major events like the Irish Open, has also helped 37 stand out.

Most recently, their partnership with Diageo brought them down to Electric Picnic, where they set up a 37 pop-up bar behind the Smirnoff Stage. And it was like being in Dublin - the staff were suited up, the espresso martinis were flowing, and there was even a mini Dawson brought down to round it all off.

They’re just some examples that have helped 37 win Digital Innovator of the Year for Dublin, following the work of Marketing Head Lisa Doyle and her team

“We’ll just sit down here and brainstorm ideas,” she explains. “We have a big Halloween theme coming up, we’re doing cocktails and a big promo around it. At Christmas we’ll do the same.

“We’re always reacting and offering something different. We want to stay on top of trends.”

They took things up a notch with a CGI video that let Dawson the Gorilla unleash his inner King Kong.

“He’s practically part of the building’s identity,” Doyle says. “So I thought, why not have him jump out and climb it? The CGI video blew up online — it was all about building real connections with people, both on and offline.”

 

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Experience the unique atmosphere and exceptional service for yourself by popping into 37 Dawson Street. Open 4pm - 2:30am from Tuesday to Friday, 12pm-2:30am on Saturday and 4pm - 1am on Sunday.

• Visit 37dawsonstreet.ie for more information.