http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/ Welcome to Been there. Your tips on the places you know - that you love, live in or have just visited - are what make this guide. http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/25783 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/25783 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/24302
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]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/24302 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/22248
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.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/22248 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/22244 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/22244 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/22130
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.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/22130 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/21428 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/21428 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/21424 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/21424 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/20076 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/20076 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/19389
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.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/19389 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/19154 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/19154 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/18745 I'm recommending it on the strength that it is the best place to drink outside in central Dublin, legally.

On a Thursday and more so on a Friday there will be literally thousands of people, students, office slaves and more, sitting in the sun drinking. Drinks can be bought at the bar- 4 cans of larger for €8 - or more often brought in. Sometimes there's cricket on, and you can laze and look at that, or the stunning Berkley Library full of studying students, all wishing they were down on the grass next to you.

Other activities might include an impromptu kick about, impromptu sing-a-long, frisbee game, streaker and other studenty type activities.
Food and other drinks available and there's a very limited selection of beers and stouts on tap, but buying drink in there seems against the whole spirit of the thing.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/18745 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/18408 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/18408 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/17372 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/17372 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/12968 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/12968 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/12967 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/12967 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/12964 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/12964 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/12116 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/12116 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/11784
Great value early bird menu between 6-8pm. Often quiet, but fills up on the weekends.

No bookings taken.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/11784 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/10881 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/10881 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/10830
Tea and coffee in our room would have been good, instead of out of a machine, in a polystyrene cup that we had to go down 3 flights of stairs, (no lift), to get.

A full Irish breakfast does not consist of a plate of rubbery scrambled egg with a couple of bits of toasts. There was fruit scones and croissants on offer, but fresh not stale would have been really nice. To sum it up, we will NOT be stayimg there again!]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/10830