Where to eat in Dublin

An Explanation of our dining guide, eat leafcan be found here. This week we take you to Dublin, the capital of Ireland that has long since brushed aside the island’s misguided reputation for bland dining.

Make it quick

Fish and chips (thick fries) are an Irish classic and Dublin is full of ‘chippers’, or chip shops, luring locals with their aroma of fried fish and vinegar. Look for an upscale version of the classic at Fish Shop, a laid-back spot in the Smithfield neighborhood. Here, the upgrade includes the chance to eat locally caught, lightly beer-battered fish along with a cold glass of white wine.

hold the meat

If “will travel for sublime hummusdescribes, take a trip to Shouk, a vegetable restaurant in Drumcondra, north Dublin. It’ll be hard to resist the Middle East Fest, a tasting menu of the restaurant’s popular dishes, or you can create your own vegetarian feast with dishes like a whole grilled smoked aubergine (aubergine) with tahini and pomegranate seeds, or a whole cabbage baked in a wood-fired oven with chopped Medjool dates and walnuts.

See and be seen

The 5th floor of a city center parking lot might seem like an unusual spot for a see-and-be-seen restaurant, but this unexpected quality is part of what makes Allta so unique. This rooftop restaurant offers two set menus at different prices: a gourmet menu and a tasting menu. The cooking, much over an open fire, is just as stimulating as the atmosphere in this candlelit space. After dinner, visit the art gallery next door, Glovebox, which also serves cocktails.

If it ain’t broken

Since opening in 2013, Etto has wooed critics, locals and visitors alike. This intimate restaurant and wine bar just off Merrion Row in the heart of Dublin is a lovely place to watch the city go by. The food is unfussy but sophisticated; Try the hake chorizo ​​croquettes or the mussels with nduja and don’t miss the legendary dessert of red wine plums and vanilla mascarpone.

munchies

When a burger is a must and nothing but a burger will do, turn to Dash, a burger joint with two locations in Dublin. Known for smash burgers and fries, this is the place for crunchy crusts and melted American cheese that can cure almost any hangover. Try the Double Smash Chipotle Cheeseburger, a smoky and flavorful burger on a toasted potato bun alongside not-too-thin fries.

Start me

If carbs are your reason to get up in the morning, no trip to Dublin would be complete without a visit to Scéal Bakery. Browsing the bakery’s Instagram feed beforehand to narrow down the menu options. The Gubbeen ham and cheese croissant highlights premium Irish ingredients, while the Demerara sugar Kouign Amann satisfies any sweet tooth. Focaccia slices and bread loaves (ranging from farmhouse sourdough to sesame and miso sourdough) are also available.

you must know someone

The website of Liath, a restaurant in the seaside village of Blackrock, lists a date and time when the next group of reservations will be released. This gourmet restaurant with two Michelin stars is in high demand for its seasonal menus, including dishes like chili-glazed suckling pig rib. There’s also a cancellation list for those hoping to get lucky and snag a spot at the last minute.

Under the radar

Courtesy of Forest Avenue Deli and Wine Bar

Locals are lining up for the sourdough bread being baked at the Forest Avenue Deli and Wine Bar, which had a strict limit of one loaf per customer during the height of the pandemic. The out-of-town crowd can join in the fun with a reservation at the wine bar, where affordable glasses of wine are served alongside fresh oysters and salted butter sourdough. Dishes are meant for sharing, and you’ll be surrounded by mostly local accents as you savor trout rillette and aged coppa.

dollar stretcher

Courtesy of Lee’s Charming Noodles

When you need to stretch the dollar (or euro), nothing fills the belly quite like pasta. If you have €10 to spend in Dublin, check out the hand-pulled noodles at Lee’s Charming Noodles on Parnell Street. Follow the local example and add a dash of homemade chilli oil to your bowl.

One for the feed

When a plate arrives at Bastible, a modern restaurant in the Portobello district, the natural reaction is to stop and take it all in. You don’t need good photography skills to capture the sculptural and colorful plates at this modern but satisfying restaurant, serving a set menu of petit fours. And trust us: you’ll want the complement – a plate of Irish farmhouse cheese completes the experience.

In the street

Some visitors travel to Dublin without ever realizing that the Irish capital is by the sea. One of the city’s true culinary delights is alfresco dining with ocean views, and El Milagro, a taco truck in Malahide Marina, offers just that. Opened by a Mexico City family, El Milagro is quickly gaining a reputation for succulents Made brisket tacos and Mexican soft drinks. Hop on the DART train to Malahide, just north of Dublin city center, and feast on tacos in the salty sea air.