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Slightly outside the city centre but near several hotels this tiny Greek-Med cafe has some of the best Greek food in Dublin. On paper the menu isn't innovative, but the standards are cooked to near perfection. In addition there is a Bring Your Own policy with no corkage fee (and the excellent Louis Albrouze wine shops a few doors down)
129 Upper Lesson Street, Ballsbridge, Dublin 4
+353 1 668 9793
www.keshkcafe.ie
Google map: tinyurl.com/yzj8edc
Excellent value for money and good location with an airport bus stop 50m down the road. Situated in a quiet residential area.
It is a clean and definitely quirky place. The reception hall is Louis XIV style, and the bedroom was like I am used to from Novotel. New, really comfy and well decorated.
You can have breakfast in house, but there is a nice little cafe just around the corner.
The only downside was a faulty flatscreen LCD TV (a few lines were missing on the screen), but not an issue as we were out all the time.
Two minutes walk away from St. Stephen's Green and five minutes to Grafton Street for shopping. The National Museum and Merrion Square (Oscar Wilde) are 15 minutes' walk away.
+353 1 6622002
24 Lower Leeson Street
Dublin 2
Ireland
www.leesoninndowntown.com/
Google map: tinyurl.com/yzumqrl
Am not affiliated with either establishment, but heartily endorse the Nuthouse in Killester (very nice food, varied menu, v. friendly proprietor, good portions). And also the Sand Bar in Clontarf if you want a quality takeaway pizza (but hate pizza chains).
They're very different places, but both excel in their field.
Nuthouse: www.dublintourist.com/details/the_nuthouse.shtml
Sand bar: www.dublintourist.com/details/sand_bar.shtml
I'm kind of a bum when travelling: I like to do all the free things, because they're free. You should spend money on the plane ticket, and that is all. Also, free things are the things the locals do, and so give you more of a feel for the place.
Anyway, the Hugh Lane is awesome, and admission to the gallery is completely free. Some great modern art. It also, amusingly, houses the (reconstructed) studio of Francis Bacon, with all its contents in disarray.
Here's a list of other FREE things/places in Dublin to see:
www.ruba.com/guide/Jessica_Colley/Top_FREE_Things_To_Do_in_Dublin
From the sloping mountains to the curve of the bay, the whole patchwork of Dublin's roofs, towers and spires is spread before you as you sip your complimentary pint of the black stuff in the Gravity Bar on the 7th storey of the Guinness Storehouse. As you ascend the building, the tour introduces you to the four ingredients in Guinness - hops, water, barley, yeast - and to 250 years of brewing and cask making traditions. I loved the exhibition of 1930s paintings of the Guinness toucan, ostrich and carthorse used to spread the message that "Guinness is good for you", nursing mothers, tired travellers and all.
guinness.com
Guinness Storehouse, St. James's Gate, Dublin 8, Ireland
tinyurl.com/kw9euu
First built in 1904, this renovated pint-shaped factory building homes a showcase of the history behind the internationally renowned Guinness brand.
During the visit you will know more about the beer's ingredients, the brewery process, the Guinness family, the original site's lease document, the brand and advertising (Pelican, etc...), the Guinness book of records and other curious facts like the barrel-making process or ancient Guinness ships for transportation.
And at the end of the tour, there's nothing better than downing a good old pint at their Gravity Bar! Located at the top of the building, the nearly 360 degrees view from it is awesome and definitely a highlight of the tour.
As you can imagine, it's a really popular site for tourists and is now more branding-led now it's not owned by the Guinness family any more. A bit pricey, yes, but slightly cheaper if you book online, and definitely worth going if you also consider Guinness to be one of the biggest Irish icons to date.
Also, if you're in the area for a while, why not pop into the old prison? It's at a stone's throw from the factory and was a hidden gem of my Dublin visit.
www.guinness-storehouse.com
Open 7 days a week from 9.30am – 5pm (last admission is at 5pm).
Late opening during July and August until 7pm (last admission is at 7pm).
Some great places are to be found on/just off this street. For food you have the Maison des Gourmets and the Bistro, both in Castle Market, as well as the Port House for tapas.
For a good pint in a unique pub, check out Grogan's. An arty, down-at-heel pub frequented by those in the 25 - 85 age group, good conversation and a nice pint are guaranteed. If you're feeling peckish, they do ham and cheese toasties.
Another great pub is Peter's pub at the end of the road. Recently refurbished but thankfully left looking the same as always, only better! Great barmen.
For something a little more modern, try the South William. Three floors, funky music, cool people, great pies! It's a late bar too which means you can drink away until 2am or so.
From Dame Street, head up Georges Street and turn left just before Dunnes Stores. Then take the right at Butler's Chocolate Cafe.
From Grafton Street, go down Wicklow Street, at the side of Brown Thomas and turn left at Butlers Chocolate Cafe.
In general the Temple Bar area is to be avoided but there are a few exceptions:
The Larder on Parliament Street - good food, reasonably priced, nice atmosphere.
Gruel, Dame Street - laid back place with very tasty hearty food.
Pintxo's, Eustace Street - good value tapas bar, right in the centre of Temple Bar.
Boccaccios ice-cream parlour - authentic Italian gelato. Not cheap but delicious.
There are a number of decent places very near the Temple Bar area:
Byblos, Andrew Street - delicious Lebanese food at good prices.
Havana Tapas, Georges Street - great value, good mojitos.
Yamamori Sushi, Ha'penny Bridge - huge portions of good Japanese food.
SoHo, Georges Street - good selection of classic dishes at reasonable prices. Good for a group as there is something to suit everyone.
The Port House, South William Street: Dark, intimate, romantic tapas spot. No reservations taken. Put your name down and head to Grogan's across the way for a pint.
Fallon and Byrne: Those on a budget should forget the (very good) expensive restaurant upstairs, grab what you want at the hot counter in the food hall and bring it downstairs to the wine cellar where they have lots of wines by the glass. Alternatively, order the fish stew from the wine cellar menu.
For lunch:
Cafe Odessa, Dame Lane - my fave spot for brunch in the city.
Queen of tarts, Cows Lane - have the potato and red onion tart. Yum. Try to resist the cakes and pastries.
Avoca food hall, Suffolk Street - go down to the basement where they have a great selection of Irish food to eat in and take away.
Nude, Suffolk Street - owned by Bonos brother, good spot for a pit stop.
Dunne & Crescenzi, South Frederick Street - authentic Italian food and great capuccinos which are strangely hard to find in the city.
La Maison des Gourmets, Castle Market: cute French cafe tucked away in a side street between the Powerscourt Centre and Georges Arcade. Great croissants.
Suburbs:
The Cheese Pantry, Upper Drumcondra Road: If you are staying in the area, pop in here for a pie.
Anderson's Creperie, Carlingford Rd, Drumcondra: All day breakfast crepe. Just what the doctor ordered.
Jo Burger, Rathmines: Delicious giant sized burgers.
Outside the city:
Johnnie Foxes, Dublin Mountains: Yes, it's touristy but you'll hear plenty of Dublin accents. A perfect place for a pint on your way back from a Wicklow hike. To stick to the budget, have the seafood chowder and a bowl of mussels to share.
You could easily get the wrong impression of Dublin by concentrating your drinking in the wrong places! Temple Bar in general is to be avoided for lots of reasons but there are fantastic bars and pubs in the city.
If you want the authentic pub experience in the city centre, check out Neary's in Chatham Street, McDaid's just off Grafton Street or John Mulligan's in Poolbeg Street. Proper pubs with good pints.
The Smithfield area is full of great pubs: for traditional Irish music (proper sessions) try the Cobblestone or Hughes's where there is trad every night. Also in that area, Walsh's in Stoneybatter is a great pub with a traditional bar and lounge and a great pint of Guinness. Smithfield is easily reached from the centre via the Luas or short taxi ride (€6 or so).
Staying in Smithfield, Ryan's in Queen Street is a strange little pub with an interesting and eclectic crowd on weekend evenings. Across the road is the Dice Bar, a cool spot which plays very very loud funky music if you're in the mood.
Another funky bar with great music and good-looking punters is the South William in South William St. Also along those lines is Solas or The Village in Wexford St. Across the road is more grungy Anseo, a great friendly little place with DJs every night. Check out also the George Bernard Shaw, just up the road in South Richmond Street.
For clubbing, the Pod in Harcourt Street is still going strong and you could also check out the Twisted Pepper down on Abbey Street.
Unless you want to drink an awful pint of Guinness for which you will pay through the nose while listening to a very contrived music session, don't go to the Oliver St. John Gogarty in Temple Bar. The fact that no Irish people do should tell you all you need to know. There's nothing traditional or authentic about most places in that area but that doesn't stop them being packed to the rafters so it all depends what you're after.
Lebanese restaurant in Dublin city centre. For the best value, choose a selection of starters to create your own mezze. Everything is tasty but especially the hummus and falafel and anything with lamb.
Andrew Street, Dublin 2
Simon's place is a throwback of a cafe, reminiscent of a time where not every inch of Dublin was dedicated to profit maximisation. You can get coffee, tea, juice, a sandwich, salad, some homemade soup and a bun, and that’s it. Oh and toast if you get there before 12.
The coffee is good, the hot chocolate strong, the sandwiches fair, the soup middling. The cinnamon buns are meant to be delicious, but as I hate cinnamon I didn't try them.
The ambiance, however, is brilliant. The wall are utterly covered in posters advertising gigs (often serving to show you what you've missed), the music is eclectic but relaxed, the customers the eclectic but relaxed and the staff lovely.
Part of the George Street Arcade
An indoor gourmet organic food market in Newmarket in Dublin with a wonderful clubby atmosphere, amazing hot food stalls, organic fruit and veg, friendly cafe, chat, organic and fair trade clothes, etc. Open Thursdays 2-8pm and (best day) Saturdays 9.30am-4.30pm.
Newmarket, Dublin 8
See www.dublinfood.coop
A cosy little cafe serving all manner of tarts (sweet and savoury), cakes, muffins, scones, and pastries, all home-made. Delicious, filling, and reasonably priced. Great for breakfast, lunch or afternoon tea.
Dame St, Dublin 2 - or there's another branch round the corner on Cows Lane
www.queenoftarts.ie/
These are part of Dublin Bus' regular services, which means regular prices. Most people use the Airlink or Aircoach services, which are about €6 and €10 respectively. But these buses will bring you to the city centre for about €2. Downside is that the 16A isn't direct to the city centre - you'll take a detour through a few Dublin suburbs. But depending on traffic, you'll be at O'Connell Street in about half an hour to 45 mins. The 746 is better - it takes the same route as the Airlink, the only difference being that it can stop to pick up passengers along the way. It's also infrequent - every hour on the hour. I've often had to rush through the airport to try and catch it! The 16A is more frequent, about 3 or 4 per hour. You'll need exact change for these buses.
At the far left-hand side of the bus terminals in front of the airport.
I recently ran in the Dublin City Marathon and I spent a lot of time in Fitzwilliam Square and had a walk around Merrion Square. The buildings are amazing - you can walk through Merrion Square where there's a statue of Oscar Wilde and it's only a few minutes walk from Trinity College. I recommend that anybody visiting Dublin has a stroll around or takes a horse-drawn carriage ride, I really liked the history. I also stayed in one of the buildings.
www.dublintourist.com/walks_around_dublin/the_georgian_district.shtml
www.fitzwilliamtownhouse.com
Creepy crypt with real mummies. Used to be able to shake hands with one of them. Tour guide is as mad as a brush. Very cool.
Church Street, Dublin 7
Guide to Dublin with pretty handy maps section and directory too.
These hotels used to be Jury's hotels - they are around for another three years before they are turned into apartments. In the meantime they are found under 'D4 hotels'. Great location and a lot cheaper then before. I am staying here a lot.
To get from Dublin airport to the city centre most people buy a ticket for the Airlink bus which costs €6 one way or €10 return for adults.
A good tip is to buy a Family ticket which costs €10. This is available from the counter just inside the door of the airport. This ticket gives two adults and up to four kids unlimited travel on all Dublin bus services for 24 hours.
This can be used on the Airlink - I always use it when my partner and I go to Dublin and then use it to go around Dublin.
This is a fab little Cuban place in Ballsbridge. We took our children there early evening and the waiter was delightful, couldn't do enough to make us comfortable and well fed, and the other diners were graciously accommodating of the added fuss. Far more important - the food was fantastic, authentic Cuban grub, and the service duly attentive; and to boot the tab was very reasonable.
11 Ballsbridge Terrace, Dublin 4
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