Dublin travel guide — where to stay, what to do, and where to eat in Dublin, Leinster, Ireland.
Dublin's food scene has been transformed in the past decade from a cliché of pub grub and soggy chips into one of Europe's most exciting small capitals for eating. Irish produce — Castletownbere crab, Wicklow lamb, Carlingford oysters, Clonakilty black pudding — anchors both fine-dining tasting menus and packed neighbourhood bistros. The city has two Michelin-starred restaurants, a thriving casual dining scene along Camden Street and South William Street, and a growing number of multicultural eateries reflecting the city's diverse new population.
Must-try dishes
Iconic dishes that define Dublin.
Top restaurants
Handpicked picks for the best dining experiences.
Restaurant Patrick Guilbaud
Housed in a Georgian townhouse beside the Merrion Hotel, this is the benchmark for fine dining in Ireland, run by chef Guillaume Lebrun on classical French lines built around Irish ingredients. The art collection on the walls is as serious as the kitchen — pieces by major 20th-century Irish painters hang throughout the dining room.
Known for: Ireland's only 2-Michelin-star restaurant; finest Irish produce with classical French technique
21 Merrion Street Upper, Dublin 2, D02 Ireland
The Winding Stair
Set over a narrow, book-lined staircase on the north quays, The Winding Stair pairs Liffey views with a straightforward menu that leans on named Irish producers — Castletownbere fishermen, Connemara farms, Carlingford oyster beds. It is a reliable, unfussy choice for a solo traveler wanting good Irish food without fine-dining formality.
Known for: Bookshop café turned acclaimed restaurant; seasonal Irish produce with Liffey views
40 Lower Ormond Quay, Dublin 1, D01 K4D4, Ireland
Uno Más
A small, high-energy dining room on Aungier Street serving Spanish tapas built for sharing, with a natural-wine list that changes constantly. Portions are genuinely tapas-sized, so solo diners should expect to order three to four dishes for a full meal.
Known for: Dublin's best Spanish tapas; small space, big flavours, natural wines
6 Aungier Street, Dublin 2, D02 Ireland
Boxty House
A Temple Bar institution built entirely around the boxty, the traditional Irish potato pancake, served with fillings from smoked salmon to Irish stew. It sits squarely in the tourist zone, so the room is busy and the menu leans traditional over adventurous, but it delivers exactly what a first-time visitor is looking for.
Known for: Dedicated to the Irish potato pancake tradition; reliable introduction to traditional Irish cooking
20–21 Temple Bar, Dublin 2, D02 VW57, Ireland
Leo Burdock's
A tiny takeaway counter just below Christ Church Cathedral that has served fried fish and chips since 1913. There is no seating at the original Werburgh Street shop — food is wrapped for takeaway, and the nearby Cathedral steps and Dubh Linn Garden are the classic spots to eat it.
Known for: Dublin's oldest and most famous chipper, open since 1913; takeaway only from the original Werburgh Street location
2 Werburgh Street, Dublin 8, D08 Ireland
Pickle
Pickle reworks regional Indian dishes using Irish meat and produce — Wicklow lamb in the raan, Irish dairy in the dal makhani — in a lively Camden Street dining room. It holds a Michelin Bib Gourmand and books out weeks in advance, so this is a plan-ahead reservation rather than a same-week option.
Known for: Irish-sourced Indian cuisine; Michelin Bib Gourmand; consistently booked weeks out
43 Camden Street Lower, Dublin 2, D02 Ireland
The Pig's Ear
Spread across a narrow Georgian townhouse directly across from Trinity College's railings, The Pig's Ear serves confident modern Irish cooking with a wine list longer than the menu. Upper-floor tables get views over Nassau Street and the college grounds.
Known for: Three floors above Nassau Street opposite Trinity College; creative Irish cooking with excellent wine list
4 Nassau Street, Dublin 2, D02 Ireland
Dax Restaurant
Set in the basement of a Georgian townhouse near Fitzwilliam Square, Dax pairs classical French technique with one of Dublin's deepest wine cellars — the dining room itself is built around the cave-like wine storage. It suits a slower, wine-focused evening more than a quick meal.
Known for: Intimate French-Irish fine dining in a wine cave setting; one of Dublin's best wine cellars
23 Pembroke Street Upper, Dublin 2, D02 Ireland
Restaurants by cuisine
Browse picks grouped by cuisine type.
Brasserie
Fallon & Byrne
Fallon & Byrne combines a ground-floor deli and food hall with an upstairs brasserie and a basement wine cellar bar. A solo traveler can build a picnic from the deli counter for a park lunch, or sit down upstairs for a full brasserie meal — both work well without a reservation on weekdays.
Known for: Upscale food hall with restaurant, wine cellar, deli counter, and bakery — great for picnic supplies
11–17 Exchequer Street, Dublin 2, D02 Ireland
The Woollen Mills
The Woollen Mills sits directly on the Liffey quays across from the Ha'penny Bridge, serving a broad, crowd-pleasing menu across several floors. It is less precious than its neighbour The Winding Stair and takes walk-ins more readily, making it a dependable fallback when other bookings fall through.
Known for: Lively riverside brasserie with Liffey views; good value and accessible menu; popular with all ages
42 Lower Ormond Quay, Dublin 1, D01 K4D4, Ireland
Italian
Etto
A narrow, closely-packed dining room near St Stephen's Green where the kitchen builds a short, seasonal menu around whatever local producers deliver that morning. The lunch menu in particular is one of the best-value Bib Gourmand meals in the city.
Known for: Small Italian-influenced bistro; Michelin Bib Gourmand; exceptional value at lunch
18 Merrion Row, Dublin 2, D02 A316, Ireland
Bottega Toffoli
A handful of tables squeezed into a single room a short walk from Christ Church Cathedral, run by an Italian owner-chef who bakes bread and makes pasta by hand daily. There is no website booking system — reservations are taken over the phone, and the blackboard menu changes with what is fresh that day.
Known for: Tiny owner-run Italian gem near Christ Church; open kitchen, blackboard menu, no online booking
34 Castle Street, Dublin 8, Ireland
Modern Irish
Glovers Alley
Set on the first floor of the Fitzwilliam Hotel with wraparound windows over St Stephen's Green, Glovers Alley pairs formal service with a tasting menu built on Irish beef, seafood, and game. The kitchen changed leadership in 2026, so ask when booking whether the tasting menu structure has shifted.
Known for: Michelin-starred dining above the Fitzwilliam Hotel overlooking St Stephen's Green; relaunched with a new head chef in 2026
The Fitzwilliam Hotel, 128 St Stephen's Green, Dublin 2, D02 FD73, Ireland
Delahunt
Delahunt occupies a beautifully preserved Victorian grocer's shopfront on Camden Street, pairing original tiled floors and shelving with a short, seasonal Irish menu. The attached cocktail bar stays open later than the kitchen, so it works well for a pre- or post-dinner drink even without a table booking.
Known for: Victorian grocery store conversion; cosy seasonal Irish bistro; excellent desserts
39 Camden Street Lower, Dublin 2, D02 Ireland
All
Meet Me in the Morning
A small Portobello café on the Grand Canal known equally for its brunch plates and its specialty coffee program, roasted and batch-brewed in house. The queue moves quickly even at its busiest, since the kitchen is efficient and there is a steady flow of takeaway orders alongside sit-down tables.
Known for: Neighbourhood brunch café on the canal; excellent specialty coffee and weekend queues that move fast
50 Richmond Street South, Portobello, Dublin 8, D08 Ireland
European
Bastible
A narrow dining room set in a former grocer's shop, built around a wood-fired oven and a tightly seasonal set menu. The kitchen has held a Michelin star since 2022 while keeping prices closer to a neighbourhood bistro than a formal fine-dining room.
Known for: Michelin-starred neighbourhood restaurant in a converted Victorian shopfront; seasonal Irish menu changing with produce availability
111 South Circular Road, Dublin 8, D08 RW2K, Ireland
Irish Whiskey And Bar Snacks
Teeling Whiskey Distillery Bar
Teeling opened in 2015 as the first new whiskey distillery in Dublin in over a century, and its bar sits right beside the working stills in the Liberties. Bar snacks are simple but the whiskey list is deep, with flights that let a solo visitor compare single malts side by side without committing to a full bottle.
Known for: First new distillery in Dublin in 125 years; small-batch whiskeys, knowledgeable bar staff
13–17 Newmarket, The Liberties, Dublin 8, D08 KD91, Ireland
Japanese
Matsukawa Sushi
An eight-seat counter in Smithfield where a single chef prepares an Edomae-style omakase course piece-by-piece in front of diners. Fish is flown in and the menu shifts with the season, so no two visits serve exactly the same sequence.
Known for: Ireland's first dedicated omakase restaurant; eight-seat counter facing the chef
8 Queen Street, Smithfield, Dublin 7, D07 Y683, Ireland
Live
Mister S
A compact Camden Street dining room built entirely around a charcoal-and-wood grill, where steaks, whole fish, and vegetables all pick up the same smoky char. The short, ingredient-led menu changes with what local producers supply that week.
Known for: Everything cooked over a bespoke charcoal-and-wood grill; a Michelin Guide-listed neighbourhood favourite
32 Camden Street Lower, Dublin 2, D02 P029, Ireland
Middle Eastern
Brother Hubbard
A bright, all-day café on Capel Street built around Middle Eastern-influenced brunch plates — shakshuka, za'atar flatbreads, cardamom French toast — rather than a standard Irish fry-up. Weekend mornings draw a genuine local queue, not just tourists.
Known for: Dublin's favourite brunch spot; Middle Eastern-influenced all-day café beloved by locals
153 Capel Street, Dublin 7, D07 Ireland
Nordic
The Greenhouse
Chef Mikael Viljanen's Dawson Street dining room applies Scandinavian methods — fermentation, smoking, foraged garnishes like sea buckthorn — to premium Irish ingredients such as lobster and aged beef. It has held a Michelin star since 2013 and is one of the harder reservations in the city to get on short notice.
Known for: 1-Michelin-star; Finnish chef Mikael Viljanen applies Nordic technique to premier Irish produce
Dawson Street, Dublin 2, D02 Ireland
Seafood
The Fish Shop
The Fish Shop began life as a fishmonger's counter and still buys directly from day boats, chalking up whatever comes in that morning. The room is small and simple — a handful of tables around an open kitchen — with a menu that changes daily based on the catch.
Known for: Small neighbourhood seafood restaurant with chalkboard menu based on daily catch; Michelin Bib Gourmand
6 Queen Street, Smithfield, Dublin 7, D07 Ireland
Steakhouse
Fire Restaurant
Fire occupies part of the Mansion House, the official residence of Dublin's Lord Mayor, giving the steakhouse a genuinely grand setting of chandeliers and high ceilings rarely found in a restaurant this accessible. The focus is straightforward: dry-aged Irish beef, simply grilled.
Known for: Grand dining room inside the Lord Mayor's Mansion House; top Irish beef, formal atmosphere
Mansion House, Dawson Street, Dublin 2, D02 YC40, Ireland
Vegan
Sova Vegan Butcher
A small Pleasants Street restaurant that pioneered vegan 'butchery' in Dublin, curing and smoking its own plant-based meats in house. The lunch menu is lighter and cheaper than dinner, making it an easy stop between sightseeing in Portobello.
Known for: Dublin's most acclaimed vegan restaurant; 100% plant-based menu with house-crafted mock meats
51 Pleasants Street, Dublin 8, D08 EF24, Ireland
Food tours & tastings in Dublin
Eat your way through Dublin with a guide.
Browse food experiences in DublinWe may earn a commission from bookings made through these links.
Street food
Local flavours at affordable prices.
Food markets
Where locals shop and graze.
Dún Laoghaire Farmers Market
Hours: Thursday 09:00–15:00
Temple Bar Food Market
Hours: Saturday 10:00–16:30
Howth Harbour Market
Hours: Saturday–Sunday 10:00–17:00
Dining etiquette & tips
Navigate the local food scene confidently.
Lunch specials (set menus €15–€25 / ~$16.50–$27.50) at upscale restaurants offer far better value than dinner — book via the restaurant website or OpenTable
Many pubs serve food until 21:00; kitchens close early by European standards — aim to be seated by 19:30 for dinner in a pub
Early-bird menus (typically 17:30–18:30) at fine-dining restaurants are common and can save 20–30% versus à la carte dinner
Tipping: 10–15% is standard at restaurants with table service; not expected at counter service or pubs
Vegetarian and vegan options are widely available in Dublin, particularly in the D2/D8 café scene. Halal restaurants are concentrated around Moore Street and Parnell Street (Dublin 1). Coeliac-friendly and gluten-free options are increasingly common at mid-range restaurants.
Food budget guide
What to expect at different price points.
| Level | Price | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Budget | $5-15/meal | Street food, local eateries, and simple restaurants. |
| Mid-range | $15-40/meal | Sit-down restaurants with good service and varied menus. |
| Upscale | $40+/meal | Fine dining, international cuisine, and premium experiences. |