Wining and Dining in Dublin

Dublin is a great place to eat out.

You probably won’t be surprised to learn that Dublin has a pretty good selection of bars and restaurants and selecting just a few is a difficult task. This is most certainly not a comprehensive list of venues, but here is a selection of our favourites.

Let us begin with that most important institution: the full Irish breakfast!

1.- Breakfast, Lunch or Coffee

These places are not only recommended for their Irish breakfasts or brunches: they are amongst a myriad of cafes in the city where to also enjoy a cake and a cup of Irish tea to keep you going through the day.

Top Two:

  • Hatch and Sons - 15 St Stephen's Green, Dublin Southside, Dublin

  • Dolce Sicily - 43 Dawson St, Dublin 2

If it’s a traditional Irish breakfast you are after, we could recommend no other than Hatch and Sons. Located underneath the Little Museum at St Stephen's Green, (one of the finest parks in Dublin) they have what we believe is the best breakfast in town. They are famous for their brunches. One of the things you may discover is that there is such a thing as a “family breakfast”, it is easy to find three generations reading the Sunday paper (that’s why the have so many supplements) gathering around the table. They all will have a slight variation of their breakfast (a poached egg here, a fried egg there) but it is a very tender scene to see the sharing of supplements while they treat themselves at slow pace with a genuine breakfast experience. Ah, and their coffee is really really good! There is a saying that one should start the day as a king, have lunch as a prince and dinner like a peasant. Well, Hatch and Sons is the king of breakfasts in town.

You might be more into the the ‘prince’ side of cafes, enjoy a proper cake and a cup of coffee during the day. Dolce Sicily, just a few meters away from Hatch and Sons, is the place for desserts in Dublin’s Fair City. The place it pure Italy. They are famous for their Sicilian Cannelloni but it is their cakes what makes this place an amazing experience, not to mention their amazing coffee. In a place like this, the original Italian pastry, a cake a day keeps the doctor away!

More:

  • The Fumbally - Fumbally Lane, Dublin 8.

  • Sister Sadie - 46 Harrington St. in Dublin 8

  • The Cake Cafe - The Daintree Building, 8 Pleasants Pl, Dublin

  • 3fe - 32 Grand Canal Street Lower, Dublin 2

  • Queen of Tarts - Cow's Ln, Dame St, Dublin 2

  • The Phoenix Café - Ashtown Castle, Nunciature Rd, Phoenix Park, Dublin 8, Co. IE

  • Brother Hubbard - 153 Capel St, Dublin 1

  • The Bretzel Bakery & Cafe - 1A Lennox St, Dublin

  • Lemon Crêpe & Coffee Co. - 60 Dawson St, Dublin 2

  • Pepper Pot - Powerscourt Centre, Powerscourt Town House Centre, South William St, Dublin 2

 

2.- Fish and chips

Fish and chips is something that all my visiting friends wanted to try and considered as typically Irish. The traditional way to each fish and chips is in the street, sitting on a park bench or in any sun-trapped spot of the city. Locals like to add loads of salt and loads of vinegar. I personally prefer them with loads of lemon. Ah, and remember to ask for tartar sauce: delicious!

There are two typical places for fish and chips is Dublin:

  • Leo Burdock - 2 Werburgh St, Christchurch, Dublin 2, Co. Dublin

  • Beshoff Bros - 12 Harbour Rd, Howth, Co. Dublin

Leo Burdock has traditionally been the place to have fish and chips in the city. Located just outside Christ Church, you can kill two birds with the same stone and have them in the ground of the aforementioned church. I remember the first time I went there having scampi served in newspaper papers. I thought for a moment they were just photocopies or some other sort of promotional feature, but no, they were real, just the day before paper with a page for the fish and a page for the chips. The first thing that surprised me was the queue outside, very very long, but once I got my portion it was certainly worth it.

The other traditional chipper of Dublin is not in the city centre but in the seaside town of Howth, just 9 miles away from Dublin’s GPO, it easily accessed via the dart, a sort of metro that doesn’t go underground and that more or less follows the coast of Dublin Bay. Beshoff Bros is a must for fish and chips lovers, again recognizable by a queue outside unless you go first thing on a Tuesday Morning. If going during the day, I would recommend having an “Oh My Cod”, consisting of cheaply priced battered goujons of fresh cod and chips. It is have price than a normal portion of fish and chips and, although a bit smaller, it is more than sufficient to fill you up. The tradition in Howth is to eat the fish and chips sitting at the beginning of the pier and then go for a walk to help with the digestion until the lighthouse at the end of the pier.

Both places have recently opened new spaces in city centre locations, (eg: Beshoff in71 Dame St, Dublin 2 or Leo Burdock in Liffey St.) but if possible I would recommend going to the original spots.

If it is a fancier version of fish and chips what you are after, you could always take a dart to Howth and have them there rather than going to the chipper and sitting on the pier wall, you could relax on a table, with knife and fork and ideally a pint of Guinness.. There are plenty of restaurants that have fish'n'chips on their menu:

  • Catch 22 - 28 South Anne Street, Dublin 2

  • Bloom Brasserie - 11 Upper Baggot St, Dublin 4

  • Fish Shack Cafe - 1 Martello Terrace, Sandycove, Co. Dublin

  • Abbey Tavern - 28 Abbey St, Howth, Co. Dublin

  • King Sitric - E Pier, Howth, Co. Dublin

  • Crabby Jo's - 14 West Pier, Howth, Co. Dublin

  • The Brass Monkey - 12 W Pier, Howth, Co. Dublin

  • Aqua - 1 West Pier, Howth, Dublin 13

  • The Oar House - W Pier, Howth, Co. Dublin

  • Beshoffs The Market - 17-18 W Pier, Howth, Co. Dublin

  • The Purty Kitchen - 3-5 Old Dunleary Rd, Monkstown, Co. Dublin

3.- Take Away

But fish and chips are not the only take away options that the city has to offer. We have the whole wide world cuisine at our feet.

  • Umi Falafel 13 Dame St, Dublin 2

  • Zaytoon - 14 - 15 Parliament St, Dublin 2

There is no competition. Umi Falafel is the place to get the finest falafel in Dublin, perhaps anywhere. Other than their main falafel sandwiches, various middle eastern salads and sides are on offer.

A small place in Dame Street, they are very well know for their take aways. It is not only that their service is very quick but most importantly that the quality and freshness of their Lebanese falafel wrap with spiced potato wedges is simply fabulous. All their food is vegetarian and vegan but we would recommend this place to absolute everybody, even if you are the most dedicated meat lover, you will not resist to this middle eastern cuisine gem.

Another great place for take away food is Zaytoon, their speciality being their Persian kebabs. Located in the heart of Temple Bar, a part of Dublin city that will appeal both to art lovers during the day wanting to try amazing Persian Cuisine and party goers during the night looking for a donner kebab after the last orders. Try their fish kebab, delicious!

4.- Traditional Irish Pubs

There are currently over 750 pubs in Dublin! Yep, seven hundred and fifty. So, here are just a few that we can recommend you try while you are in Dublin.

Top Two:

  • The Long Hall - 51 South Great George's Street, Dublin 2

  • Mulligan's - 8 Poolbeg St, Dublin 2, Co. Dublin City

The Long Hall is located in South Great George’s Street. This the old style bar is easily recognizable because of its red and white canopy, it is supposed to be the place the have the best guinness in town. The experience is almost like a travel in time, no tv, no music, just a (very comfortable) stool, haunting atmosphere, friendly staff and a pint of the black stuff in front of you. That’s all you need. No doubt the place is Bruce Springsteen favourite pub, he religiously come here for a pint, and it is quite often mind you, he seems to be coming to Dublin almost every year.

We would recommend to go during the day, we couldn’t recommend anything else for a quiet pint!

Mulligans is a rustic, old style Dublin pub. It is renowned for the quality of its pint of Guinness making it the perfect next stop if you have enjoyed a meal next door.

The pub has a rich history of over 200 years and has hosted famous guest such as James Joyce, John F Kennedy and Judy Garland.

Stepping into Mulligans is like stepping back in time. This is a no-nonsense 18th century establishment. The pub is deceptively large and has multiple rooms and plenty of seating.

Sit by the bar and chat with the colourful cast of regulars who frequent this watering hole.

You will find Mulligans on Poolbeg St. Around a 15 minute walk from The Convention Centre.

But there is more! Our recommendation would be to have a pint on each of the following pubs... not necessarily the same day, but these place range from the traditional pint of Guinness to all the more fashionable craft beers of which Ireland is so proud.

More:

  • Whelan's - 25 Wexford St, Dublin 2 is the venue for live music in Dublin.

  • Grogans - 15 South William Street, Dublin 2

  • Devitts Pub - 78 Lower Camden St, Dublin 2, Co. Dublin City

  • McDaids - 3 Harry St, Dublin 2

  • Kehoe's - 9 South Anne Street, Dublin 2

  • Mulligan's - 8 Poolbeg St, Dublin 2, Co. Dublin City

  • Arthur's Pub - 28 Thomas St, Dublin

  • The Brazen Head - 20 Lower Bridge St, Dublin 8

  • Lord Edward - 23, Werburgh St, Christchurch Place, Dublin 8

  • The Palace Bar - 1 Fleet St, Dublin 2

  • Toners - 139 Baggot Street Lower, Dublin 2

  • John Kavanagh - 1 Prospect Square, Dublin 9

  • The Flowing Tide - 9 Lower Abbey St, Dublin, Co. Dublin City

5.- Pubs with Food

Although traditionally a pub was place for enjoy a pint and conversation, some of them have very fine food on offer

Top Two:

  • The Ferryman Hotel - 35 Sir John Rogerson Quay, Dublin

  • The Bernard Shaw - 11-12 Richmond St S, Dublin 2

The Ferryman is Located on Sir John Rogerson’s Quay across the river from the Convention Centre, The Ferryman is comprised of two restored Georgian buildings on the banks of the River Liffey. This one is just a four minute walk from the Dublin Convention Centre.

It is a traditional, old style Dublin pub with that old world feel. There are three individual bars in this pub, each with its own charm. The main bar greets you as you enter from Sir John Rogerson’s Quay. It is a traditional style bar decked out with all manner of memorabilia from a time past.

Down the stair is the Cellar Bar, steeped in tradition and adorned authentic décor, this bar is lovely and cosy. The third bar is call the Living Room. Slightly more grand in terms of décor, this bar feels very rich and comfortable. It harks back to the Georgian roots of the building.

The Ferryman serves a lunchtime menu from 12:00pm - 2:30pm. The food is traditional Irish fare. You absolutely must try the Beef and Guinness Pie.

The pub is located around the corner from both Google and Facebook HQ’s so it is frequented by staff of both companies on a regular basis. You can be sure to find some tech conversation going on here.
 

The Bernard Shaw. This place was hipster before hipster was a thing!  Don’t be put off by the graffiti on the walls outside or the relatively small front bar. Venture all the way inside to discover the hidden gem that awaits you. Once you are inside it is actually a surprisingly big pub and it is absolutely brimming with character.

It’s difficult to describe it. Niall Harbison of LovinDublin described it as “an eclectic mix of a Berlin nightclub, old Dublin bar, Amsterdam coffee shop with an outdoor art gallery thrown in for the craic”.

Lunch is served up by a team of mad Italians who bring even more character to the place (if that’s possible). The food is simple but of an exceptionally high standard. Make sure you try the soup.

Out the back of the pub there are more surprises. Since the 2004 smoking ban, Dublin pubs have been steadily improving their outdoor areas. This beer garden is one of the best. It’s a huge space punctuated by The Big Blue Bus with is a double decker bus parked the back of the beer garden which has been converted into restaurant serving fantastic pizza.

This one is a little further away so, you will need to take a taxi or the 15A or 15B bus.

More:

  • O’Reilly’s - Tara Street Station, 2 Poolbeg St, Dublin 2

  • Beer Market - 13 High St, Dublin 8

  • The Brew Dock - 1 Amiens Street, Dublin 1

  • Against the Grain - 11 Wexford St, Dublin 2

  • The Ferryman Hotel - 35 Sir John Rogerson Quay, Dublin

  • Harbourmaster Restaurant & Bar - 1 Custom House Quay, I.F.S.C., Dublin 1

  • Ryan's & F.X.BUCKLEY Steakhouse - 28 Parkgate St, Dublin 8

  • L. Mulligan Grocer - 18 Stoneybatter, Dublin 7

  • The Bank on College Green - 20 College Green, Dublin 2

  • Irish Film Institute - 6 Eustace St, Dublin 2

  • JW Sweetmans - 2 Burgh Quay, Dublin 2

  • Market Bar - 14A Fade St, Dublin 2

6.- Casual Restaurants

Dublin has many restaurants to eat in a casual way. Camden Street is not short of places to eat. Within a couple of hundred meters you have arguably Dublin’s best burger joint in Bunsen, Brazilian cuisine at Sabor Brazil, The very funky Green Nineteen, some of the best kebabs around in Zaytoon and of course the awesome Camden Exchange.

Top Two:

  • Vintage Kitchen - 7 Poolbeg St, Dublin 2

  • Neon (Asian Street Food) - 17 Camden Street, Dublin 2, Dublin

Right next door to the Mulligans pub you will find The Vintage Kitchen

A restaurant with an excellent reputation. One of the most happening spots in Dublin right now. The Vintage Kitchen operates a BYOW (Bring your own Wine) policy and does not charge any corkage fee.

Expect a relaxed and casual atmosphere at this restaurant with exceptionally high quality Irish Fare.

The staff are friendly and welcoming which adds to the homely feeling you get when visiting this restaurant.

A lovely feature of this eatery, is the old school vinyl record player which serenades patrons with a variety of music. If you have something from your own record collection at home, bring it along. They will usually be happy to give it a play.

Neon delivers delicious Asian street food while also offering exceptional value for money. The setting is cosy with a long table and benches running down the middle of the restaurant.

Service is always quick and friendly. There is a choice or wines as well as craft beers on office. The best part is the free dessert. In Neon you are given an ice-cream cone with your meal. Once you are finishing the main course you can then go and pull your very own Ice-cream.

Of course you can walk to Camden St but, it’s around 3km from the Dublin Convention Centre so, you make want to try a taxi or bus. The 15A or 15B will get you there.

More:

  • Hanoi Hanoi - 100, 102 Capel St, Dublin 1

  • Silk Road Café - Chester Beatty Library, Castle St, Dublin

  • Musashi - 15 Capel St, Dublin 1

  • Green Nineteen - 19 Camden Street Lower, Dublin 2

  • Fallon & Byrne (downstairs) - 11-17 Exchequer St, Dublin 2

  • KC Peaches Cafe and Catering - 28-29 Nassau St, Dublin 2

  • Dunne and Crescenzi - 16 Frederick St S, Dublin

  • Saba - 22 Baggot Street Upper, Dublin 4

  • Las Tapas De Lola - 12 Wexford St, Dublin 2

  • Zakura Noodle & Sushi Restaurant - 13 Wexford St, Dublin 2, Dublin

  • Carluccio's - 52 Dawson St, Dublin 2

  • Salamanca - 1 Andrew Street, Dublin 2

7.- Vegetarian Eateries

Like most cities, it's pretty easy to eat out as a vegetarian in Dublin. You don't have to look too far for great food and almost all places will have at least one vegetarian option available.

As the already mentioned Umi Falafel in the take away section, some of the best places to dine out with an exclusive or extensive vegetarian menu are:

Top Two:

  • Cornucopia

  • Yamayori izakaya

Cornucopia is Dublin's most recognisable vegetarian eatery, particularly good for breakfasts and lunches. In the morning you can get a huge, hot cooked and fresh veggie breakfast followed by an extensive lunch menu which includes freshly made soups, salads and main courses. Worth a visit while in Dublin if you're a vegetarian, the place is quite casual, so drop in anytime.

For dinner we recommend Yamayori Izakaya. While not a dedicated vegetarian menu, there is an extensive range of veggie japanese dishes on offer. From sushi to their unique veggie burger it's definitely worth planning a night within a group in this vibrant restaurant.

More:

  • HappyFood - YogaHub, 27 Camden Place, Dublin

  • Blazing Salads - 42 Drury St, Dublin 2

  • Sprout & C0. - 5 Mount Street Lower, Dublin 2

  • Govindas - 4 Aungier St, Dublin 2

  • 777 (dinner) - Castle House, South Great George's Street, Dublin 7

8.- More Formal Restaurants for Foodies

A little more expensive but probably worth it.

Top Two:

  • Fallon & Byrne (Upstairs) - 11-17 Exchequer St, Dublin 2

  • Coppinger Row, Coppinger Row, Dublin 2

A bit hard to find this one. Fallon & Byrne from outside looks like a supermarket: a bit of a posh supermarket where sometimes I wonder if I am in a food museum, In no other place can I find brown peppers or black tomatoes. Then, on one side of the supermarket is this cafe/deli where they serve really amazing cheapily priced food. But it is really upstairs where lays the treasure of this place. I don’t know why, but the first time I was at Fallon & Byrne I thought I was in the Titanic. The atmosphere, the furniture, their wooden floors, the waiters, and most importantly, the food. Classic! Timeless! Just wonderful!

Coppinger Row is (funnily enough) located at Coppinger Row, a pedestrian street just beside Powerscourt. If you wish you can sit outside and dine al fresco with a fine glass of wine in one hand and great food on the other. Their mediterranean style food is excellent and really well priced considering its quality. This is a place you could come any time during the day, Their brunch is well known in the area, their lunches are fabulous and the dinner great too. It is one of those place you find hard to choose from the menu because they are look great.

We recommend choosing something from their specials board. It is probably something you haven’t tried before (at least that’s the my case) and most likely just perfect!

It is the only place in Dublin where I was able to find a “bombón” coffee, which is made with condensed milk. That brought memories from my past all right. Delicious!

More:

  • Winding Stair - 40 Lower Ormond Quay, Dublin 1

  • L'Gueuleton - 1 Fade St, Dublin 2

  • Forest Avenue - 8 Sussex Terrace, Dublin, Ireland

  • Camden Kitchen - 3A, Camden Market, Grantham St, Dublin 8

  • Delahunt - 39, Camden Street Lower, Dublin 2

  • ely wine bar -  22 Ely Pl, Dublin

  • 101 Talbot - 100-102 Talbot St, Dublin 1

  • The Pigs Ear - 4 Nassau St, Dublin 2

  • Chez Max - 1 Palace St, Dublin 2

  • Il Baccaro - Meeting House Square, Dublin

  • Il Posto - 10 St Stephen's Green, Dublin 2

9.- Cocktail Bars

Our top two recommendations for Cocktails bar in Dublin caters both for the “exclusive” and the “underground”.

Top Two:

  • Vintage Cocktail Club - 15 Crown Alley, Temple Bar, Dublin 2

  • The Blind Pig - 18 Suffolk St, Dublin 2

Vintage Cocktail Club is super and is proud of calling themselves Dublin’s “exclusive” cocktail and dining experience. They are located in the heart of Dublin city.

They cater for the refined audiences and it is recommended for intimate gathering. A favourite spot for a gathering of glamorous ladies for a fun filled cocktail & brunch extravaganza, this joint will not fail to appeal.

“Underground” Cocktail Bar The Blind Pig quotes punk rock band Dead Kennedy’s Jello Biafra and his “FOR EVERY PROHIBITION YOU CREATE, YOU ALSO CREATE AN UNDERGROUND”, as it is named after the police who turned a blind eye to the liquor rooms of the 1920s prohibition era. The place couldn’t be cooler,  they even have live music and have rooms for private events.

More:

  • Drury Buildings - 55 Drury St, Dublin 2

  • Fade Street Social - 6 Fade St, Dublin 2

  • Sophie's - 33 Harcourt Street, Dublin

  • ely bar & brasserie - CHQ Building ISFC, Georges Dock, Dublin 1, Co. Dublin

  • The Marker Hotel Dublin - Grand Canal Square, Docklands, Dublin 2

  • The Woollen Mills - 42 Ormond Quay Lower, Dublin 1

10.- Very very formal (for very very special occasions)

Sometimes good isn’t good enough. Sometimes classy needs to be outdone and new bars need to be reached. Sometimes, you need something extra special. Enter the world of fine dining.

  • Sabor Brazil - 71 Camden Street Lower, Dublin 2

  • Chapter One - 18-19 Parnell Square N, Dublin 1

Sabor Brazil is one of those elegant places you might think twice about before venturing into their door because of price. I consider eating experience in a place like this as “an investment”. Your memories will bring you back to this place. It is not about eating food and leaving: no. This is an experience that will live with you for the rest of your life. A bit like buying a ticket for your favourite musical act, it might look a bit overpriced at first glance, but the the memories come back every time you listen to your already favourite tracks. Priceless.

We would recommend their tasting menu, consisting of non-sharing 7 courses. Be warned that it is 100 euros per person, which is typically the price of a top of the range concert. If you have something special to celebrate or someone to impress go to Brazil, its taste will be with you ever after.

Chapter One is a Michelin Star awarded restaurant located in the basement of the Writer’s Museum at the top of O’Connell Street. Again, you might need a special occasion to venture yourself into this A1 exceptional experience, but once you are, you are in. As a former home of John Jameson, it retains authentic granite walls and sash windows and has been carefully and stylishly renovated to create a wonderfully sumptuous and comfortable restaurant. And the food just speaks by itself.

Recommended for the pre-theatre menu if you are going to the nearby Gate Theatre.

 

See them on a map: https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=14wcG-3h-BQiKvZFU7v9jPcV3AdU

 

Photo credits: 
Image 1: http://www.pauloconnell.photography/ 
Image 2: http://www.theferrymantownhouse.ie/gallery.php?pageid=3&g=14
Image 3: https://cloud.lovindublin.com/images/uploads/2014/03/Screen-Shot-2014-03-06-at-09.51.42.png
Image 4: http://sublounge.ie/
Image 5: http://www.neon17.ie/gallery.html