Awesome vegetarian restaurant with brilliant delicious food and a great atmosphere. Very good value and friendly staff. They are a Dublin institution.

www.cornucopia.ie
19-20 Wicklow St, Dublin 2, Ireland
+353 1 677 7583
Google map: bit.ly/Z5DJyn

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In one of the early scenes in the film 'Once', Glen and Marketa are seen chatting over a cup of tea in the window of Simon's Place Coffee Shop on George's Street. Later they cross the street to Waltons music shop. The café is located within George's Street Arcade, one of Dublin's oldest indoor markets, dating back to 1894. Simon's Place attracts a bohemian mix of artists, students and musicians and is always at its busiest during lunchtime hours - it's not unusual for queues to spill out the door. The café prides itself on its freshly made soups and thickly cut ‘doorstep’ salad sandwiches - get here early if you plan to dine-in for a bite.

22, South Great George's Street, Dublin 2
+353 1 679 7821
Google map: bit.ly/XqR1Eb

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A buzzy, busy spot in Dublin for lunch or dinner. With main courses around €10, and starters at around €4, it's great for those on a careful budget. I had that day's "selection of daily pinchos" (pinchos are a kind of tapas), which turned out to be a plate of black pudding, chorizo and sausage and green leaves. It was scrumptious.
The cocktail list (€9 each) includes a very good mojito crammed with mint leaves.
You can't book before 6pm, so expect to queue because it's a popular place. We left our telephone number with a member of staff and went off to a nearby pub. After twenty minutes she called to say a table was available. Nothing was too much trouble.

www.green19.ie
19 Camden Street Lower, Dublin 2, Ireland
+353 (1) 478 9626
Opening Hours:
Mon-Sat 10am-11pm
Sunday Midday-10pm
Google map: bit.ly/RAQYHw

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South William Street's Clement & Pekoe is a veritable Aladdin's cave of loose leaf tea and coffee. The black tea caddies and art deco chandeliers certainly lend an air of eastern promise and decadence, but it's the carefully selected teas and coffee beans that really elevate Clement and Pekoe above the competition.
The owners are husband and wife team Dairine Keogh and Simon Cummins and they pride themselves on sourcing the finest pickings from around the globe whether it's leaves, blends, herbs, tisanes or freshly roasted single origin beans.
Choose from their selection of Black Tea, Green Tea, White Tea, Fruit Tisane, Herbal, Oolong, Puerh and Rooibos and they'll be only delighted to advise you on the best combinations to suit your taste and brew your chosen tea exactly to your liking. When the sun is shining, grab a seat out front on their picnic bench and enjoy one of their cooling iced teas including: Turkish apple, mango, or finest Ceylon tea, all served with ice, lemon and fresh mint. Oh and don't pass up on their delicious scones.

www.clementandpekoe.com/
50 William St S Dublin 2, Ireland
+353(0)87 637 0123
Google map: bit.ly/KW9XZ4

* Fiona is our Been there local for Dublin. You can follow her tips here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/travellers/FionaHilliard and read her profile here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/trails/been-there-locals.jsp. She also has her own blog: www.traveledits.com

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Capel Street is having a bit of a moment, and it's places like the recently opened Brother Hubbard that are playing a central role in this new found trendiness. Don't be fooled by the clean lines and utilitarian styling of Brother Hubbard, already this café is becoming as famous for the friendly manner of owners Garrett Fitzgerald
and James Boland as it is for its delicious cakes, coffee and tea.
Tuck into their freshly baked cinnamon and walnut rolls, oven-warm scones and chocolate brownies. Alternatively, you won't feel guilty about trying one of their wheat- and dairy-free seed slices. The coffee is Has Bean, provided by Dublin’s 3FE, while the tea comes from none other than Wall & Keogh.

brotherhubbard.ie/
153 Capel Street, Dublin 1
+353 (0)1 441 1112
Google map: bit.ly/KW9Jku

* Fiona is our Been there local for Dublin. You can follow her tips here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/travellers/FionaHilliard and read her profile here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/trails/been-there-locals.jsp. She also has her own blog: www.traveledits.com

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Portobello's Wall & Keogh lay dormant for 40 years. But it was tea that revived this former painting and decorating shop. Big glass jars full of pungent, organic loose leaf tea.
From the chilled out beats on the sound system to the interesting, eclectic furnishings, these days owner Oliver T. Cunningham likes to keep things cool and classy.
Tea is something of an art form at Wall & Keogh. They take their time over blends, the whole infusion process can last between three to 15 minutes - the perfect excuse to sit back and have a game of chess or just enjoy the background music, most probably mixed by owner Oliver himself. It's that kind of place.
A large pot of tea will set you back €4 and homemade cakes include rocky road, lemon slice, banana cake and brownies.
Should your tea break run into a lazy lunch, (it happens) there's sushi on standby to sate your appetite. And another thing, when the weather is fine, you can take your picnic out back and bask in the sun-dappled canal bank location.

www.wallandkeogh.com/
45 Richmond Street South, Portbello, Dublin 2
+353 (0)1 475 9052
Google map: bit.ly/MnyQtj

* Fiona is our Been there local for Dublin. You can follow her tips here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/travellers/FionaHilliard and read her profile here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/trails/been-there-locals.jsp. She also has her own blog: www.traveledits.com

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Although Dublin’s dramatic coastline can be reached within a few minutes of the city centre, the slower pace of life makes it seem like it could be a million miles away.
I suggest a trip to scenic Howth and the village of Malahide on the north side or the equally pretty Dalkey and Killiney on the south side of the city. If you like seafood, indulge in Dublin Bay’s finest in King Sitric restaurant in Howth or Guinea Pig in Dalkey village. Advanced booking is recommended.

www.kingsitric.com/
East Pier, Howth, Co. Dublin, Rep. of Ireland.
(+353 1) 832 5235
Google map: bit.ly/K6D4Zs

www.guineapig.dalkey.info/
17 Railway Road Dalkey, dalkey, Co. Dublin, Ireland
+353(0)1 285 9055
Google map: bit.ly/IXsYa8
* Fiona is our Been there local for Dublin. You can follow her tips here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/travellers/FionaHilliard and read her profile here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/trails/been-there-locals.jsp. She also has her own blog: www.traveledits.com

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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

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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.

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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.

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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

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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

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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

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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/

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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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I stayed around Baggot Street a few weeks ago. A great location, there are great pubs and restaurants and it's just a few minutes' walk from Trinity College.

I can recommend Dohney & Nesbitts pub, a very traditional pub and great fun and then across the street is Toner Pub, different crowd, but again traditional. Stayed in Baggot Court Townhouse and then for a change moved to Fitzwilliam Square and stayed at Fitzwilliam Townhouse, great places to stay, Georgian buildings and, most of all, good value.

www.baggotcourt.com
www.visitdublin.com (see bars)
www.fitzwilliamtownhouse.com
www.bangcafe.ie

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Great little burger bar on the Rathmines Road, great selection of organic meats, three different types of veggie burger and great imaginative and tasty options for the garnish.

There's a DJ booth in the corner and the crowd is young and hip. Alcohol is available and they have a great South African beer. Costs around €12.50 a burger and €5 a beer so not cheap, but is good value. Open quite late on the weekends.

Rathmines Road,
Dublin 6
www.joburger.ie/

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Charlies popped up a few years ago as a sort of fast food Chinese restaurant and there are now three or four of them about the centre of town. The food is standard Dublin prices, or in other words a bit more than it should be, and is all right if you get it when the place is quiet. Other than that stay the hell away from them. It's a magnet for the drunk and serves up the vilest food when it gets busy. I've been ill the last two times I've eaten there, and won't be returning.

The main problem is that for the same money you could get a decent enough meal elsewhere.

Around Temple Bar

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It's an hilarious Dublin guide filled with serious tips.

www.hidden-dublin.com

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Fish and chips in Clontarf. I've lived here three years, and have scoured half the city for fish and chips in crunchy batter. They excel. They also do pretty hot fish cakes.

It's 30 yards from the sea. Go for a walk along the seafront first, afterwards, or even during!

Vernon Avenue. Directions: Next to the Spar in Clontarf village, North Dublin.

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