Restaurants in Dublin
The dining scene in Dublin is booming and has improved
considerably over the past few years and much like other
international cuisine hot-spots, good food can be pricey. For less
formal dining, there are plenty of charming eateries for visitors
to sample not only international dishes but also good old
home-cooked Irish fare.
Irish cuisine consists of simple meat dishes, usually paired
with boiled root vegetables such as turnip, carrot, parsnip and an
Irish favourite, potatoes. Other popular dishes include mutton and
beef stews, often cooked with Guinness, as well as tripe, meat and
blood puddings, and sausages.
A new trend in Celtic cuisine, known as 'modern Irish' has
become increasingly popular and can be described as French cuisine
infused with the natural flavours of the Irish countryside and
coastal waters. The cobblestone streets of Temple Bar district, as
well as the Trinity College area, offer a wonderful selection of
eateries where visitors can whet their appetites.
| Abbey Tavern |
$$$$$ | International |
Renowned for its traditional music ballad sessions, this 16th
century tavern, complete with blazing fires, original stone walls
and gas lights, features a wonderful restaurant upstairs. The menu
changes on a seasonal basis but features such culinary delights as
crepes fruits de mer (seafood crepes), roast duckling with
ginger and pineapple, or spinach and ricotta tortellini. After the
meal, guests can enjoy the live entertainment downstairs in the
form of some tradition Irish music. Open for dinner Monday to
Saturday from 7pm to 11pm. Bookings are recommended and credit
cards accepted.
Address: Abbey St., Howth, Northern Suburbs
Telephone: (0)1 839 0307
The iconic Café Mao has been a firm favourite with
Dubliners since its opening a few years back and is frequented by
anyone who's in the mood for a little Asian flair. The exposed
kitchen lines an entire wall, and the rest of the space is wide
open which makes this an excellent environment for people watchers.
The menu comprises everyone's favourite Asian dishes, such as Thai
fish cakes,
nasi goreng, chicken hoisin and salmon ramen, to
name a few. Everything on the menu is delicious and it is hard to
go wrong when dining here. Open daily for lunch and dinner.
Reservations recommended.
Address: 2 - 3 Chatham Row
Telephone: (0)1 670 4899
| Nosh |
$$$$$ | International |
This trendy laid-back restaurant is highly popular with
Dubliners for a tasty weekend brunch where club sandwiches, soups
and salads are the order of the day. Dinners are slightly more
exotic with Nosh offering some wonderfully different dishes such as
grilled filet of plaice with crabmeat. Open Tuesdays to Sundays
from noon until 10pm. Closed on Mondays. Reservations
recommended.
Address: 111 Coliemore Rd, Dalkey
Telephone: (0)1 284 0666
| Jacob's Ladder |
$$$$$ | Local |
Offering wonderful views of Trinity College, Jacob's Ladder
serves some of Dublin's finest Irish fare, from a rich prawn bisque
with sautéed spinach for starters to a roast loin of wild
boar with a
tarte fine of red onions. The food and service
here are excellent. And there is also a good range of vegetarian
dishes on the menu. Open Tuesday to Friday for lunch and dinner.
Saturday dinner only, closed on Sunday and Monday. Reservations
recommended.
Address: 4 - 5 Nassau St
Telephone: (0)1 670 3865
| L'Ecrivain |
$$$$$ | French |
One of Dublin's finest restaurants, L'Ecrivain offers diners a
relaxed and unpretentious experience. Chef Derry Clarke's food is
absolutely mouth-watering, from his seared wild Irish venison loin
with caramelized pear, or seared Bere Island scallops with lobster
strudel. Menu prices are changed regularly and are extortionate but
L'Ecrivain gives guests the opportunity to sample some of its
dishes in the form of a two-course lunch menu at a more reasonable
price. Open Monday to Friday for lunch and dinner. Saturday dinner
only, closed Sunday. Reservations essential.
Address: 109 Lower Baggot St, Fitzwilliam Square
Telephone: (0)1 661 1919
| The Wicked Chef |
$$$$$ | Café |
This affordable neighbourhood eatery serves some of the most
humble Irish cuisine Dublin has to offer. It's a firm favourite
packed with locals who come to enjoy its flagship dish of Irish
stew cooked in Guinness as well as its 'Dublin Coddle', among other
local specialties. Open Sunday to Friday for lunch and dinner.
Saturday dinner only. Reservations recommended.
Address: 73 Meath St
Telephone: (0)1 416 3472
| The Bad Ass Café |
$$$$$ | American |
This loud and busy restaurant has been a much-loved eatery with
Dublin's locals for over 20 years. The menu serves old favourites
such as burgers, pasta, steaks and salads, appealing to just about
everyone. This quirky restaurant, where orders are clipped to a
wire before being whizzed off to the kitchen, is known as the place
where Sinead O'Connor used to wait tables. Open daily from 11.30am
until late.
Address: 9-11 Crown Alley
Telephone: (0)1 671 2596
| Tante Zoé’s |
$$$$$ | Cajun |
Located in Dublin's very own French Quarter, Tante Zoé's
serves some of the finest Creole and Cajun cuisine this side of the
Mississippi. With cosy and colourful décor, calypso music
and warm hearty meals, this restaurant does not disappoint. Try the
fresh fillet of pan-fried seabass served with a coconut lime and
chilli sauce, or the Dooky gumbo, a hearty Cajun stew with whiskey
salami, Kabonossi sausage, chicken, pork & beef. Open Monday to
Sunday. Closed Sunday lunch. Bookings recommended.
Address: 1 Crow Street, Temple Bar
E-mail: reservations@tantezoes.com
Telephone: 01 679 4407
| Yamamori Noodles |
$$$$$ | Japanese |
Popular at lunchtime, Yamamori Noodles has a casual yet lively
atmosphere with an exciting menu to boot. Prices range from bargain
to complete over indulgence and meals like chile chicken ramen or
the
yamamori yaki soba with its mound of wok-fried noodles
piled high with prawns, squid, chicken, and roast pork won't break
the bank. Open daily for lunch and dinner. Reservations only for
parties of four or more.
Address: 71 - 72 S. Great George's St
Telephone: (0)1 475 5001
This aptly named restaurant situated in the Trinity College area
offers around 30 types of juices and smoothies. With a wonderfully
light and airy décor and such a diverse and exciting menu,
most guests at Juice probably wouldn't even notice that it's a
vegetarian restaurant. Brunches include pancakes and French toast
with fresh fruit and maple syrup, while the rest of the day can be
spent sampling dips such as hummus, tapenade and roasted carrot
pâté with crudités. Open daily for lunch and
dinner. Reservations are recommended.
Address: 73 - 83 S. Great Georges St
Telephone: (0)1 475 7856
| Yamamori Sushi |
$$$$$ | Japanese |
With its long wooden bench tables, stone pillars, clean lines
and light, airy atmosphere, this spacious eatery lends itself
perfectly to the ritualistic art of eating sushi. A favourite with
locals and tourists alike, Yamamori Sushi is one of Dublin's
favourite Asian restaurants, and for very good reason. Feast on
Karubi beef, salmon teriyaki and Yamamori Ramen, which is made up
of char-grilled chicken, king prawns and char shu with crispy tofu,
egg, wakame, menma and spring onion in a chicken and pork stock.
Open daily for lunch and dinner. Reservations recommended.
Address: 38 - 39 Lower Ormand Quay
Telephone: (0)1 872 0003
One of Dublin's most popular eateries, One Pico has becoming
something of an institution in dining out in Dublin. Thus multi
award winning restaurant serves delicious local fare including
organic smoked salmon with pickled cucumber, remoulade and herb
crème freche, and a firm favourite on the menu, the fillet
of Irish Hereford Beef served with a white onion puree, parmesan
fondue and crispy tempura onion. Open Monday to Saturday for lunch
and dinner. Reservations essential.
Address: 5 - 6 Molesworth Place Schoolhouse Lane
E-mail: eamonnoreilly@ireland.com
Telephone: 01 676 0300
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