Dining in Dublin, Ireland

Traditional Irish Fare...found in Dublin city centre. Elephant and Castle
No trip to Ireland is complete without sampling some ofRestaurant, Bruno's (Eustace Street) The Quay's Bar
our traditional Irish fare. I actually can't think of a betterRestaurant, Luigi Malones (Cecilia Street), Mexico to
way to get your day off to an excellent start otherRome (East Essex Street), La Med (East Essex
than with a mouth watering, filling Irish breakfast. ThisStreet) and Eden Restaurant (Sycamore Street).
breakfast can contain almost anything once its friedNearly all of our Dublin Hotels have great restaurants
but the most common ingredients include bacon, (orserving varied menus, so maybe you'd like to stop in
rashers as they're fondly known in Ireland), sausages,for the night. If not, the hotels concierge team will be
egg's that are fried or even boiled, black and whiteonly too glad to point you in the direction of nice
pudding and tomatoes. This meal will actually keep yourestaurants nearby and if you're lucky, they might even
going for the rest of the day!go and book a table for you!
Irish cuisine usually consists of simple meat dishes andHow much?...
boiled root vegetables such as potato, carrot, turnip,Eating out and tasting the traditional dishes is all part of
and parsnip. The meal may be accompanied by aany holiday experience but beware, scrumptious food
sauce or gravy, but most of the time these arecan come at a price with a three course meal costing
non-existent resulting in dishes that are really easy toanything from 50 euro a head and sometimes more in
make.the popular tourist areas.
One of these dishes is the traditional Irish Stew -For those of you travelling Ireland on a shoestring
probably Ireland's most renowned dish and when youbudget, I'd advise you to go to a restaurant that has an
eat this filling dish, it's more than likely you'll not haveearly bird menu. This is usually served between 5pm -
any room for dessert! It's a really tasty and satisfying7pm and is the same high quality food that you'd get
dish and is served in the majority of pubs andfrom the normal menu just cheaper! With the early bird
restaurants.you can enjoy a fantastic meal for about 25 euro! This
By tradition, it's made from either meltingly tenderisedis also a good option if you intend on catching a show
meat like lamb or mutton but recently, beef hasat the theatre or simply want an early night.
become a very popular ingredient too. There are a lotMost bed & breakfast's, guest houses and hotels
of variations when it comes to the ingredients but ainclude breakfast in the rate but if you fancy having
majority of the time, plumb onions, parsley and slicedbreakfast elsewhere the cost is generally about 10 to
carrots are all used and mixed into the delicious tasty15 euro- depending on what you have. A traditional
juices. It's a perfect dish for that cold winter's day - it'llbreakfast is considerably more expensive than the
warm you up in no time at all!continental option.
Bacon and Cabbage, served together with simpleA lot of restaurants have lunch menus and most pubs
boiled potatoes is another classic example of Irishserves generous lunch portions costing about 10 to 20
traditional cooking. Head to the Merchant O' Shea's,euro. Dublin also has loads of cafes, sandwich bars
Merchants Quay Dublin 8, where you're sure to get aand delis so the choice of where to dine is up to you!
big portion of this meal! Many chefs like to dress thisIn general, lunches tend to be cheaper than dinner but
dish up but you can be assured of a truly traditional,sometimes a lot more filling.
almost home cooked one here!For even cheaper food again or food on the go, you
Seafood is not as popular as one might expect, butcan always opt for fast food, as Dublin is certainly not
smoked salmon, oysters, and mussels are all favorites.short of fast food joints like McDonalds and Burger
Smoked Salmon with brown bread is another popularKing and Eddie Rockets, or our home-grown chain,
dish that comes highly recommended - the quality ofSuperMacs. Many convenience stores sell baguettes,
seafood in Ireland is outstanding!potato wedges and chicken wings etc so you'll never
Coddle is another popular dish that is only to be foundbe hungry when in Dublin!
in Dublin. Coddle is made from pork sausages, rashers,Although tipping is not essential, it is common courtesy
sliced onions and potatoes and it's then cooked in ato leave a tip of about 10%. In some of the more
stock. It is normally consumed with a good pint of theexpensive restaurants, a service charge maybe
black stuff! What more could you ask for!included - look out for the small print on menus.
Dublin restaurants...Beverages...
Restaurants are expensive. Some say this is due toIreland is renowned throughout the world for its wide
real estate prices so high in the city hence priceyselection of alcoholic drinks - most obviously being
restaurants prevail. Having said that though the diningGuinness - the black stuff! Why not pay a visit to the
scene in Dublin is booming! In fact some of the mostGuinness storehouse to see how it's made! Other
atmospheric restaurants in the world are to be found instouts you might like to sample include Murphy's and
Dublin!Beamish, which are brewed in Cork and Kilkenny Irish
Like many large European cities, Dublin is packed full ofStout. And you really can't forget about Irelands
delightful, buzzing restaurants! Each restaurant is uniquesmooth whiskeys! Paddy, Jameson and Bushmills are
in that it has its own specialities, some focus on givingall popular exports. Not a fan of whiskey? Baileys is a
traditional Irish food a twist while others take onpopular light and creamy liqueur that tastes even
international dishes! Whatever restaurant you head tobetter when on the rocks!
though, you're sure to find a few appetizing dishesNo room for dessert after a great feed of Irish grub?
that'll suit everyone.Why not try our famed Irish Coffee! This is simply
Dublin has expanded its range of restaurants recentlymade by putting a shot of Irish whiskey into a glass, a
so now you can choose to dine in Indian, Chinese,spoon of instant coffee and a spoon and a half of
Italian, American, French and many more internationalsugar and then add hot boiling water. Stir this mixture
restaurants that you'll find scattered throughout the city.up so that the sugar has completely dissolved. Then
If it's a great fish dish your looking for, Dublin'spour a finger-sized amount of fresh whipped cream on
restaurants can boast the best catch! As Dublintop! Delicious!
located on the east coast, you also have an excellentBon Appetite - or as we say in Ireland 'Slainte'...
unlimited choice of seafood dishes from lobsters,So you've your itinerary made out - Trinity, the Book of
plaice, wild salmon, oysters and more. The Lobster PotKells, the Spire - all you've to decide now is where to
in Ballsbridge is a particular favourite of mine. It's thedine! Don't be shy when it comes to ordering - its not
perfect spot to get succulent food and great serviceeveryday you get to taste Traditional Irish Stew or eat
and is just a 20-minute walk from Grafton Street.salted bacon with sweet cabbage so make the most
Best Location...of your time here and live like the Irish!
I think its fair to say that the best selection and quantityYou'll be overwhelmed by the hospitality and the
of restaurants can be found in Dublin's city centre.service you'll receive in the restaurants - if you're
Areas like Temple Bar, O Connell Street, Graftondisappointed though, please don't be shy and ask to
Street, and even Baggot Street are all full withsee the manager who'll see that the rest of your night
wonderful restaurants and charming pubs that serveis trouble free! Now everyone raise your glasses and
tasty meals.bon appetite - or as they say in Ireland, Slainte!
These are some of our favourites and all can be