Daróg's Zsolt Lukács, Winner of this Year's Michelin Sommelier Award

Portrait Nathalie Marquez Courtney

It’s hard to believe Galway wine bar Daróg opened in July 2023, given the rake of national and international awards and accolades that this tight team have garnered since, including Best Sustainable Wine List for their focus on small winemakers using organic, biodynamic and low-intervention practices and, just this week, the Michelin Sommelier Special Award for co-owner Zsolt Lukács.

Zsolt spent 12 years as sommelier across the road in the Michelin-starred Aniar, where he first worked with Daróg’s head chef (and fellow Hungarian) Attila Galambos, and met his wife (and now co-owner) Edel McMahon-Lukács. 

Translating from the Irish for ‘small oak tree’, this small but mighty wine bar packs a lot of culture inside the art-lined walls that Edel curates to showcase and sell local talent. Attila and sous chef Chloe produce unforgettable food from the tiniest of kitchens, while out front, Zsolt and Iseult pour over 30 wines by the glass (thanks, Coravin!) complemented by weekly changing blackboard wine specials, and a monthly Fíon Focus flight to spotlight diverse grape varieties and winemaking talent from beyond the beaten track.

Zsolt says he fell in love with wine through discovering its “incredible diversity of grapes and styles and regions”, and is happiest when “making people excited and introducing them to new wine while they are having a relaxed time”. With their Fíon Focus wine flights, they “try to give customers a glimpse into what certain countries can do’”, whether that’s Slovenia with its Celtic winemaking roots and varied terroir from Mediterranean coasts to Alpine mountains and fertile plains, or the diversity and value that modern South African wines offer.

Not surprisingly, his advice for anyone choosing wine this winter is to "go outside your comfort zone … there’s so much more than your regular fashionable grapes - wherever you go, there’s something interesting to discover”.

Click below for an exclusive recipe from Daróg, along with Zsolt's recommended wine pairing:

Recipe: Darog’s Crispy Poltenta Cake with Cáis

The perfect accompaniment to a glass of festive bubbles, these moreish and creamy polenta cakes are sure to be a hit.

Galway Now | The Best of the WestGalway Now