A guide by apicus
A gastropub just off Grafton Street. Bright and modern design make this refurbished pub a pleasure to while away the hours. Food is excellent - try the sea bass on asparagrus risotto - and good value. There’s decent pints of Guinness and a very good wine list. One negative, food is not served after 8pm.
4 Chatham Road, Dublin 2; tel: 00 353 1 679 2909
Authentic Italian restaurant. It sells truly excellent slices of pizza for takeaway. (Very) fast food without the guilt of inflating the profits of some evil multinational purveyor of junk food.
Chatham Street, just off Grafton Street, round the corner from HMV; tel: 670-5630
Part of the Italian quarter on a newly developed pedestrian lane called Blooms Lane opposite the Millennium Bridge. Great selection of Italian wines. Food's not bad. Lively but easy going.
Blooms Lane, Dublin 1
This spacious bar is in a former sausage factory. Bench seating makes it great for large groups of people to talk, as there is no TV or loud music. The amazing, tapas-style food is reasonably priced and excellent for both carnivores and vegetarians. The bar attracts locals and not too many tourists.
14a Fade Street, just a few minutes east of Grafton Street
This is one of the last and (in my opinion) one of the best traditional Dublin pubs. Tucked away down an alley off Dame Street, it is characterised by dim lighting and pints of excellent Guinness lined up along the bar. It does food (of the traditional variety), there's a good crowd and it has a small snug but you have to get there early to get a seat.
Dame Court, off Dame Street
Howth is 25 minutes on the DART from the City. It is a working fishing harbour, and on the (wet) Sunday we visited, had a farmers' market, as well as two fishmongers and an awful lot of boats. Of the pubs, I'd recommend the Bloody Stream for its fantastic local seafood - try the chowder - and a great pint. Despite the good food, it isn't expensive or pretentious. Just good beer, and good food in nice surroundings. Best of all, it is underneath the DART station, so you can keep checking when the next one's due. We prolonged our stay by about 2 hours this way, in twenty minute intervals. Howth is a good option for a Sunday afternoon, if you want a break from the City. (Try The Abbot as well)
14 West Pier (just below the DART station), Howth;
tel: 01 839 5076;
www.thebloodystream.com
It isn’t that long ago that the idea of global cuisine in Ireland barely extended further than sweet’n’sour chicken balls and lasagne. The recent economic boom has coincided with an explosion of gastronomic choice, and this city-centre food hall led the way to the current cappuccino-and-panini culture. It may be a bit overcrowded and chaotic, but that’s part of the charm. And the variety of authentically prepared international food and drink at reasonable prices make it the perfect touchdown spot for footsore sightseers and shoppers with a taste for the exotic.
Location: Entrances on Middle Abbey Street and Liffey Street, Dublin 1.
The real 'left bank' of Dublin. It is everything that Temple Bar aspires to be, mixing art and music with Dublin's finest pubs on one stretch of street. Whelan’s for the best live music and gigs. Carnival for alternative entertainment. Solas for relaxed chat and music. Cassidy’s where Bill Clinton had a pint of Murphys. Ryan’s for some of the best pints in Dublin. The Bleeding Horse, one of the oldest pubs in Dublin. Flannery’s where the country people create a piece of the west in the city. Plus numerous eateries with cuisine from around the world, furniture, fashion and art dealers. What more could you want from a weekend in Dublin?
At the tram station on Stephen's Green take a right away from the Green and you are there.
Seafood restaurant and food emporium serving up the tastiest Irish fare imaginable. Also, reasonably priced.
59 Glasthule Rd, Sandycove, Co Dublin
The cheapest way to travel from Dublin Airport to the city centre is on Dublin Bus routes 41, 41B & 16A (continues to southern suburbs). Adult fares from Eur1.80 one-way.
Timetables, route and fare information: www.dublinbus.ie
The best way to get in to Dublin is on the Airlink. And if you're in Dublin for a weekend, buy a Rambler ticket for 3 days for 10.50euro. Bargain.
