Acting Deputy Editor Sarah Finnan pays a visit to Peruke & Periwig to try their new Mad Tea Party cocktail menu.
When I first moved to Dublin back in 2018, I did very little exploring, instead trusting recommendations that friends or housemates had given me. I went to the places they knew and loved and admittedly, I sort of fell into a rhythm of returning to those same spots without ever branching out.
That might explain why, even after five+ years of living in the capital, and despite it being one of the city’s most loved haunts, this was my first time at Peruke & Periwig.
A multi-floor Victorian cocktail bar and lounge on Dawson Street, it exudes the same glamour and intimacy as a speakeasy. Its exterior is subtle, blending in with its surroundings rather than competing with more in-your-face displays (namely the giant, gold gorilla in the window of 37 Dawson Street, just a few steps away). However, behind a relatively humdrum pub front lies one of the city’s best drinking establishments.
On the ground floor, there’s a traditional walk-in neighbourhood pub – a great choice for a casual pint. The first and second floor parlours are slightly more grown-up with plush red velvet interiors, soft lighting and seats pushed close together as if anticipating secretive conversations, not to be overheard. I won’t say this place encourages mischief, but it’s definitely a fitting setting for it.
Popcorn with a small mountain of parmesan atop it, a welcome cocktail in a fancy glass and a lovely friend greeted me upon arrival. The trifecta. I’m emotional at the best of times, but the bouquet of flowers she pulled from her bag as a small tribute to my late dog (who sadly passed away last month) almost pushed me over the edge.
When we were in college, Tuesday drinks were a regular occurrence. The Roisin Dubh’s silent disco was a Galway rite of passage, and you could find us on the dance floor (or in its famed photo booth) most weeks. These days, mid-week plans are fewer and further between, and the thrill of being out on a school night was not lost on us.
Unsure of what exactly we were in the mood for, we perused the menu and tried to narrow our choices down. The new Mad Tea Party cocktail offering – inspired by the wonderfully weird world of Alice in Wonderland – is extensive. Both of us were totally mute as we read it; multitasking is not our strong suit.
Blending theatrical storytelling with innovative mixology, the menu was designed by general manager Larissa Wilson and showcases a diverse range of flavour profiles and techniques. Each drink celebrates creativity as much as technical excellence, with highlights including smoky mezcal serves to tropical indulgences, Japanese-inspired cocktails and bold Irish spirit interpretations.
I went with The Vanishing Act, a mixture of tequila, blue curacao, agave syrup, grapefruit juice and Sol beer. A departure from my usual order (a spicy margarita, if you’re wondering), I thought I’d try something new. Visually, it was exactly what you’d expect to find at a Mad Hatter cocktail party and the flavour profiles actually worked surprisingly well together too – each element complementing the other.
Drawn to something more tropical, my friend tried Sentence First, a Campari, tamarind and cardamom aperitif, finished with sparkling Prosecco for fizz. It came with a playing card clamped to the side, which really amped up the theatricality of the experience.
An hour of chit-chat later, we paused for breath – and ordered two more cocktails. This time, I tried The Looking Glass. Described as “a vibrant reflection of Wonderland’s most curious portal”, it was another brightly coloured drink made with vodka, shiso, purple yam, watermelon and rosemary. Admittedly, it was a little sweet for me but refreshing all the same.
Five Minutes To Tea (my friend’s second order) proved to be the favourite of the night. Topped with a delicate matcha pandan foam, it was citrusy, smooth and almost too beautiful to drink. The shimmering dust on the side of the glass made us feel like Midas as we transferred greeny-gold flecks to everything we touched afterward.
Looking around, I was surprised to see how busy the place was – especially on a Tuesday evening, post-August bank holiday weekend. Groups of people milled in and out as we sat there, congregating at different tables and sharing stories over eye-catching drinks. Some were on dates, some were work colleagues or old friends; all of them seemed to be having fun.
At the risk of sounding like an old man giving a ‘back in my day’ speech, it was really nice to see.
As the clock neared 9, we decided it was probably time to head home. By that point, all news, gossip and updates had been exchanged. We’d talked about upcoming plans, vowed to get something else in the diary soon and I left feeling considerably lighter than I had when I first arrived. It had been a pretty tough week, so to have an excuse to forget it all (if even just for a few hours), was very welcome. Sometimes all you need to put the world to rights is a couple of cocktails and an hour of therapy with a pal.
I’ll most certainly be back.
The Mad Tea Party menu is available exclusively on the upstairs floors of Peruke & Periwig. Booking is recommended.
Top tip: If you don’t live in Dublin and plan on coming up for your next girls’ night – but don’t want to spend an arm and a leg on accommodation – you can’t go wrong with the Travelodge PLUS on Townsend Street. I spent a balmy summer eve there a couple of weeks ago, right in the thick of the heat wave, and it was honestly the best night’s sleep I’d gotten in a while (air con and black-out curtains for the win).
It’s centrally located, relatively cheap (by Dublin standards anyway) and crucially, is right around the corner from Volumes Café, where you’ll find some of the best bagels around. Prices start from €169.
