Dublin Restaurants

With the Irish food revolution long over and won, Dublin now has a city full of fabulous, hip, and suavely sophisticated restaurants. More realistic rents have seen a new cohort of experimental eateries crop up alongside award-winning Euro-toques and their sous-chefs who continue to come up with new and glorious ways to abuse your waistline. Instead of just spuds, glorious spuds, you’ll find delicious new entries to New Irish cuisine like roast scallops with spiced pork belly and cauliflower au gratin topped with a daring caper-and-raisin sauce or sautéed rabbit loin with Clonakilty black pudding. Okay, there’s a good chance spuds will still appear on your menu—and most likely offered in several different ways.

As for lunches or munchies on the run, there are scores of independent cafés serving excellent coffee, and often good sandwiches. Other eateries, borrowing trends from all around the world, serve inexpensive pizzas, focaccia, pitas, tacos, and wraps (which are fast gaining in popularity over the sandwich).

Dubliners dine later than the rest of Ireland. They stay up later, too, and reservations are usually not booked before 6:30 or 7 pm and up to around 10 pm. Lunch is generally served from 12:30 to 2:30. Pubs often serve food through the day—until 8:30 or 9 pm. Most pubs are family-friendly and welcome children until 7 pm. The Irish are an informal bunch, so smart-casual dress is typical.

Sort by: 59 Recommendations {{numTotalPoiResults}} {{ (numTotalPoiResults===1)?'Recommendation':'Recommendations' }} 0 Recommendations
CLEAR ALL Area Search CLEAR ALL
Loading...
  • 1. Bastible

    $$$ | Dublin West

    Even with its location in a relatively unfashionable corner of the city, this high-end bistro has the natives traveling miles to get a treasured table. The five-course set menu manages to be daring and traditional at the same time, with game and fish transformed in particularly ingenious ways. The decor is warm and woody and avoids even a hint of stuffiness, but the food is the star here, with Nordic-type snacks to begin, and mains like the shockingly good black sole with parsley velouté and collard greens. 

    111 S. Circular Rd., Dublin, Co. Dublin, 8, Ireland
    01-473--7409

    Known For

    • Trendy crowd
    • Booking up
    • Ample wines by the glass, pairings offered

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Closed Sun.--Tues. No lunch
  • 2. Cake Café

    $ | Southside

    At this dreamy little cafe, local, organic, and seasonal are the words to live by, where you can chow down on simple savory and sweet delights, all made with a loving, homey touch. The plant-filled courtyard is also the perfect summer spot for a daytime glass of prosecco and small bites. The surprising eggs and soldiers with roast tomatoes and shallots is a typically delicious dish. Save room for the delicate tarts and moist sugar-dusted sponges. Ask about the fun cooking classes: they're the talk of the town.

    Dublin, Co. Dublin, Dublin 2, Ireland
    01-478–9394

    Known For

    • Pitch-perfect cakes
    • Personal touches
    • Slow-food philosophy

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Closed Sun. No dinner
  • 3. Chapter One by Mickael Viljanen

    $$$$ | Dublin North

    When Michelin-starred chef Mickael Viljanen partnered up with this venerable Dublin dining institution, great things were expected. We weren't disappointed. This wonderful, culture-vulture favorite gets its name from its location, downstairs in the vaulted, stone-wall basement of the Dublin Writers Museum; the natural stone-and-wood setting makes it cozily cavelike. The daringly modern French, four-course, set dinner menu is the talk of the town and W. B. Yeats himself would have loved the roast pigeon, brussels sprouts, pear, offal tart all with sauce perigourdine. The only downside is the place is so popular you have to book well in advance.

    18–19 Parnell Sq., Dublin, Co. Dublin, Dublin 1, Ireland
    01-873–2266

    Known For

    • Polite and attentive staff
    • Offers chef's table experience
    • Flawless food and service

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Closed Sun. and Mon. No lunch Sat., Reservations essential
  • 4. Dunne and Crescenzi

    $ | Southside

    The unpretentious brilliance of this husband-and-wife restaurant and deli just off Nassau Street is what makes the classy little Italian joint so popular. The menu is extensive but simple: panini, a horde of antipasti, a few choice pasta specials, and some evening meat dishes and desserts. The all-Italian kitchen staff work wonders with high-quality imported ingredients. The gnocchi with a slow-cooked ragù of Gilligan's Hereford Irish beef makes a great lunch. A couple of long tables are perfect for groups, and the hundreds of bottles of wine on shelves cover every inch of the walls. 

    14 S. Fredrick St., Dublin, Co. Dublin, Dublin 2, Ireland
    01-677–3815

    Known For

    • Italian wine cellar
    • Killer antipasti
    • Great for large groups
  • 5. Fallon & Byrne

    $$$ | Southside

    This fresh, one-stop shop for everything organic and delicious in Dublin combines a huge deli with a cozy cellar wine bar and expansive second-floor French brasserie. Located on the top floor of a beautiful old telephone exchange building, the high-ceiling, light-filled dining room is always bustling. The menu covers everything from burgers to loin of rabbit, but the Wicklow pork belly, celeriac, and Savoy cabbage are typical. Leave room for the lemon-ricotta cheesecake. You can pick up a bottle of wine in the wine cellar and enjoy it for a small corkage fee.

    11–17 Exchequer St., Dublin, Co. Dublin, Dublin 2, Ireland
    01-472–1010

    Known For

    • Hearty brasserie menu
    • Bustling city-center vibe
    • Elegant dining room

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Reservations essential
  • Recommended Fodor’s Video

  • 6. Fish Shop

    $$ | Dublin North

    Irish seafood is finally getting the royal treatment it deserves at this simple but brilliant new eatery in the old market, Smithfield district. The award-winning kitchen serves inventive treasures like whipped hake and dillisk (native seaweed) on sourdough, but don't expect a choice in seafood: you're served a three-course menu focused on what was caught that morning. Salvaged school chairs and tables give it a very casual feel, and the place prides itself on its no-fuss, friendly staff. The twice-fried chips are rumored to be some of the best in a city that really does love deep-frying its spuds.

    6 Queen St., Dublin, Co. Dublin, 7, Ireland
    01-430--8594

    Known For

    • Elevated fish-and-chips
    • Fun, casual atmosphere
    • Local oysters

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Closed Sun. and Mon. No lunch Wed. and Thurs.
  • 7. Forest Avenue

    $$$$ | Georgian Dublin

    Named after the street in Queens where chef-owner Sandy Wyer grew up, Forest Avenue is a star on the Dublin food stage. The menu is a five-course taster, and while choice is limited, quality and value are off the charts. The open kitchen gives the place a lively vibe and Sandy and her Irish husband, John, are only too willing to discuss each dish with interested guests. A floor-to-ceiling glass frontage allows the light to flood in across the elegant white-brick walls. Try the confit cod with pumpkin and crab velouté. They do a cheaper three-course lunch menu Thursday to Saturday.

    8 Sussex Terr., Dublin, Co. Dublin, 4, Ireland
    01-667–8337

    Known For

    • Warm, friendly vibe
    • Daring tasting menu
    • Pairing wine with food

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Closed Sun.–Tues. No lunch Wed.
  • 8. Grano

    $ | Dublin North

    Owner Roberto Mungo brings his brand of simple Calabrian cooking to this classy little Italian, family-run joint in hip Stoneybatter. There are touches of other Italian regions on the menu, but standouts are Calabrian classics like deep-fried aubergine with tomato, mozzarella, and green pesto and baked mackerel with potatoes, herbs, red pepper cream, and asparagus. The wonderful nibbles menu (each for around €5) is perfect for a quick bite.

    5 Norseman Ct., Manor St., Dublin, Co. Dublin, Dublin 7, Ireland
    01-538--2003

    Known For

    • Great value
    • Delicious small bites
    • Genuine Italian cooking
  • 9. Hen's Teeth

    $$ | The Liberties

    This effortlessly cool, award-winning eatery slots neatly into the gallery/shop that makes up the rest of the Hen's Teeth empire. Located in the working-class Blackpitts area of the Liberties, the atmosphere is diner casual, while the food is a tapas-inspired trip into small-plate adventure. Try the smoked duck salad with chicory, blackberries and deep-fried cheese cubes, or the ceviche of sea bream with watermelon and cucumber. 

    Blackpits, Dublin, Co. Dublin, Dublin 8, Ireland
    01-561--3036

    Known For

    • DJs on weekends
    • Sunday roast dinners
    • Fun cocktails

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Closed Mon. and Tues.
  • 10. Kimchi Hop House

    $ | Dublin North

    A unique Korean-Japanese standout in the slew of cheap and cheerful Chinese eateries on Parnell Street (the closest Dublin comes to a Chinatown), Hop House is a restaurant and pub in one. Part of the old Shakespeare pub has been transformed into one of the friendliest, best-value restaurants in the city. The dining room is bright and busy, with little table buzzers for service and the sounds of music spilling over from the bar next door. Traditional Korean specialties like kimchi are augmented with a large selection of sushi rolls, including the mouthwatering crunch roll with king-prawn tempura, cucumber, crab stick, and teriyaki sauce.

    160 Parnell St., Dublin, Co. Dublin, Dublin 1, Ireland
    01-872–8318

    Known For

    • Superb bulgogi bokkumbap
    • Can get busy
    • Option to eat in beer garden
  • 11. L. Mulligan Grocer

    $$ | Dublin North

    This gem of an old Dublin boozer—which was once also the local grocer—has been turned into a gastropub and world-beer emporium, without losing too much of its real Dublin feel. It's the perfect spot for a quick pint of ale and a plate of black pudding (with pear relish and red chard) if you don't feel like a full sit-down meal. Microbrewery beers are hard to come by in Ireland, so the wide selection of small-label ales, lagers, and stouts is reason enough to make the trip to the evocatively named village of Stoneybatter on the Northside. The menu doesn't fuss around with too many choices, but the potted crab with sourdough soldiers is a great starter and the rib-eye steak with whiskey butter and twice-cooked chips is the pick of the hearty mains.

    18 Stoneybatter, Dublin, Co. Dublin, Dublin 7, Ireland
    01-670–9889

    Known For

    • Huge beer selection
    • Popularity with hipsters
    • Welcoming, friendly staff

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: No lunch weekdays
  • 12. Mackenzie's

    $

    Located on the Grand Canal Basin which connects the River Liffey and the Grand Canal, this popular new spot features an upturned rowboat on the ceiling, a nod to its location between these two iconic bodies of water. An open kitchen lines the back wall of the restaurant, and features a copper wood-fired pizza oven. The fare is classic American, with generous pancake platters, cheeseburgers, pizzas, sundaes, and giant cookies all designed to encourage lively, casual gatherings and sharing. The bar is a lively spot for after-work drinks and the outdoor terrace overlooking the canal is the place to be for weekend brunch, a fairly new concept and dining category in this city.

    6 Hanover Quay, Dublin, Co. Dublin, D2, Ireland
    01-533--7566

    Known For

    • Bright and stylish dining room
    • Delicious waffles with buttermilk-fried chicken
    • Close to Bord Gáis Energy Theatre so great for pre-theater drinks and dinner
  • 13. Mae

    $$$$ | Dublin South

    Located upstairs at the wonderful French Paradox wine shop, this cozy new restaurant sees celebrated local chef Grainne O'Keefe work her magic on the best of Irish produce. The fixed-price tasting menu changes with the seasons, moving from starters like aubergine tart with goat cheese and pickled walnut to meat courses like Iberico pork, with anchovy, dates, and confit potato. 

    53 Shelbourne Rd., Dublin, Co. Dublin, Dublin 4, Ireland
    01-231--3903

    Known For

    • Great wine selection
    • Celebrated chef
    • Cozy vibe

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Closed Sun. and Mon. No lunch.
  • 14. Musashi Noodles and Sushi Bar

    $ | Dublin North

    This hot sushi bar on suddenly hip Capel Street has given birth to sister restaurants around the city because it finally made the Japanese staple affordable. Japanese owned and run, the restaurant serves fresh and flavorful dishes—all the sushi standards you'd expect but better than anything else in the city. The interior is simple and unfussy: a long, narrow room with dark wood floors and rows of pinewood tables and seats dotted with red cushions. They also do a mean tempura and gyoza for those who don't fancy raw fish. 

    15 Capel St., Dublin, Co. Dublin, Dublin 1, Ireland
    01-532–8068

    Known For

    • Attentive and friendly staff
    • Excellent ramen
    • BYOB with a very fair €6 corkage charge
  • 15. Nightmarket

    $$ | Southside

    "Street food" is a painfully abused term in the dining world, but this downstairs Thai joint in the heart of Ranelagh has the authentic flavors and spice of a Bangkok noodle stall. The narrow dining area is beautifully tiled in simple colors and packs out quickly with locals and visitors. The Capmoo (pork scratchings with green chili relish) is a stunning starter, and the Hor Mok Talay (red seafood curry with coconut milk, prawn, egg, and Thai sweet basil) a favorite main. Finish with the zesty lychee cheesecake with fresh mint.

    120 Ranelagh, Dublin, Co. Dublin, Dublin 6, Ireland
    01-538--5200

    Known For

    • Best Thai in the city
    • Inventive street food
    • Filling up quickly

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Closed Mon. No lunch Tues.--Fri.
  • 16. One Pico

    $$$$ | Southside

    Chef-owner Eamonn O'Reilly cuts quite a dash, but it's his sophisticated, daring, contemporary cuisine that tends to seduce visitors to his little restaurant tucked away in a quiet lane only a few minutes from Stephen's Green. As is usual with Dublin's luxe eateries, the fixed-price lunch and pre-theater menus offer great value. Try the incredible scallop ceviche to start. Dishes such as pigeon with chicory, salsify, and baked celeriac puree demonstrate the mix of traditional and cutting-edge cuisine. 

    5–6 Molesworth Pl., Dublin, Co. Dublin, Dublin 2, Ireland
    01-676–0300

    Known For

    • Gregarious chef-host
    • Daring ingredient combinations
    • Passion-fruit soufflé

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Closed Sun., Reservations essential
  • 17. Restaurant Patrick Guilbaud

    $$$$ | Georgian Dublin

    Also known as "Dublin's finest restaurant," this Michelin-starred place on the ground floor of the Merrion Hotel boasts a menu described as French, but chef Guillaume Lebrun's genius lies in his occasional daring use of traditional Irish ingredients—so often taken for granted—to create the unexpected. The ambience is just as delicious, if you're into lofty, minimalist dining rooms and Irish modern art (the Roderic O'Conors and Louis le Brocquys are all from the owner's private collection). The best dishes are flawless, such as the roast red leg partridge. Follow that, if you can, with the assiette au chocolat (a tray of five hot and cold chocolate desserts). Nearly as impressive are the 70-page wine list, the view of the Merrion's manicured gardens, and the two-course lunch special. Soaring white vaults and white walls won't make you feel warm and cozy, but you can always go somewhere else for that.

    21 Upper Merrion St., Dublin, Co. Dublin, Dublin 2, Ireland
    01-676–4192

    Known For

    • Award-winning chef
    • Annagassan blue lobster
    • Irish modern art collection

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Closed Sun. and Mon., Reservations essential
  • 18. The Fumbally

    $ | Dublin West

    Opened by a group of friends, the Fumbally started out with a market stall but quickly became the vanguard of true slow food in Dublin, finding its roots in a spacious, light-filled space smack in the middle of the Liberties area, the heart of the old city. Menus are simple but clever, with the Fumbally eggs, lightly scrambled with Gubeen cheese and sautéed kale, a classic. The pulled porchetta sandwich with overnight fennel and caper mayo is another favorite. A focus on local produce and a warm, unpretentious vibe make it a great place to while away an afternoon.

    Fumbally La., Dublin, Co. Dublin, Dublin 8, Ireland
    01-592--8732

    Known For

    • Fun lunch specials
    • Pleasant, friendly staff
    • Can get busy

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Closed Mon. No dinner
  • 19. The Greenhouse

    $$$$ | Southside

    The elegant dining room of this Michelin-starred restaurant is a touch posh, with turquoise velvet seats and white tablecloths, but the food of one of Ireland's hottest and most creative chefs, County Clare man Mikael Viljanen, deserves its stage. The four-course, fixed-price menu is proud of its French influences, but constantly surprises with starters like a whipped foie gras topped with Granny Smith apple gel, walnut, and smoked eel. For a main try the sole with miso, cauliflower, roasted yeast, and winter truffle. The rhubarb blancmange with ginger is a thrilling dessert. The lunch menu is surprisingly good value.

    21 Dawson St., Dublin, Co. Dublin, Dublin 2, Ireland
    01-676--7015

    Known For

    • Michelin star
    • Creative twists on French classics
    • Luxurious lunches

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Closed Sun. and Mon.
  • 20. Variety Jones

    $$$$ | Dublin West

    Unassuming Thomas Street is the last place you'd expect to find a Michelin-starred restaurant, but that's exactly where celebrated chef Keelann Higgs set up shop. Inside, you're greeted by the smell of wood smoke, and the narrow dining room is dominated by an open kitchen where cooking is done over a blazing fire. The menu is short and prix fixe, so you select five to seven dishes. Choosing is the only problem when faced with starters like salt-baked celeriac with grilled cabbage, stout, lardo, and an aged cheddar mousse. The pearl barley risotto with soft egg and crispy shallots is another standout. Finish with the blood orange cake with lemon curd and vanilla creme fraiche. Note: Does not offer a vegetarian menu or dairy-free options. 

    78 Thomas St., Dublin, Co. Dublin, Dublin 8, Ireland
    01-516--2470

    Known For

    • Open-fire cooking
    • Great wine list
    • Creative takes on classic dishes

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Closed Sun. and Mon. No lunch.

No Restaurants Results

Please try a broader search, or expore these popular suggestions:

There are no results for {{ strDestName}} Restaurants in the searched map area with the above filters. Please try a different area on the map, or broaden your search with these popular suggestions:

Recommended Fodor’s Video