Where to eat in Dublin
Dublin eats well on simple food: Irish stew, seafood, soda bread, a full Irish breakfast and a pint with it all. The best meals are in pubs, small restaurants and cafes rather than on the main tourist streets. Eat a hearty lunch, order the fish, and book dinner on weekends.
The short answer
- Best area to eat
- The south city center around Dame Street and Georges Street for variety, and Smithfield for local places.
- Order this
- Irish stew, seafood chowder and a full Irish breakfast, with a pint of stout.
- When to eat
- Lunch from 12, dinner from 6pm. Pubs serve food until about 9pm.
- Book or walk in
- Book Friday and Saturday dinner. Pubs and cafes take walk-ins.
- Tipping
- Round up or leave about 10 per cent in a restaurant. Tipping in pubs is not expected.
What to eat in Dublin
- Irish stewSlow-cooked lamb or beef with potato, carrot and onion in a thick broth. Pubs serve it in winter and all year.
- Seafood chowderA creamy soup of fish and shellfish, served with brown soda bread.
- Full Irish breakfastEggs, rashers, sausages, black and white pudding and toast, a long breakfast that carries you to dinner.
- Fish and chipsBattered fish and chips, eaten from paper. A Dublin institution.
- BoxtyA potato pancake with a savory filling, found in some traditional restaurants.
- CoddleA dish of sausages, bacon and potatoes stewed in broth, a Dublin dish for cold weather.
Where to eat in Dublin, by neighborhood
South city center
Restaurants, cafes and pubs around Dame Street, Georges Street and Grafton Street. Varied and busy.
Temple Bar
Pubs and a Saturday food market. Choose carefully, as many restaurants cater to visitors.
Smithfield and Stoneybatter
Independent cafes and local pubs on the north side, with fewer tourists.
Merrion Square and Baggot Street
Finer dining in the Georgian streets, and lunch spots for office workers.
Places worth a booking or a queue
-
The Brazen Head
€€Pub · Merchants Quay
OrderIrish stew
One of Dublin's oldest pubs, with live music and food served until 9pm each evening.
- Book
- Walk in, book for a group
Confirmed open: brazenhead.com
-
Chapter One
€€€€Restaurant · Parnell Square
OrderThe tasting menu
A fine dining restaurant in the cellar of the Dublin Writers Museum.
- Book
- Book ahead
Confirmed open: chapteronerestaurant.com
-
Bewley's Grafton Street
€Cafe · Grafton Street
OrderBreakfast or a sticky bun
A Dublin cafe institution, with stained glass windows and a long history on Grafton Street.
- Book
- Walk in
Confirmed open: bewleys.com
-
Leo Burdock
€Fish and chips · Werburgh Street
OrderCod and chips
A long-running Dublin fish and chip shop, eaten from paper in the street or the nearby park.
- Book
- Walk in, takeaway
Confirmed open: leoburdock.com
Food markets in Dublin
- Temple Bar Food MarketIrish producers, cheeses, breads and street food on Meeting House Square. Come for lunch.Saturdays, about 9:30am to 3:30pmSource: dublincity.ie
How Dublin eats
- Meal timesLunch from 12 and dinner from 6pm. Pubs stop serving food around 9pm.
- Pub foodYou order at the bar, and the food comes to your table. You pay when you order.
- TippingRound up or leave about 10 per cent in a restaurant. Not expected for a pint.
- BreakfastA full Irish breakfast is large. Many people share one or skip lunch.
Signs of a place to walk past
A tourist menu with photographs of every dish.
A Temple Bar restaurant with a tout at the door.
A pub where the food menu is longer than the drinks list.
Eating in Dublin: questions people ask
What food is Dublin known for?
Irish stew, seafood chowder, soda bread, a full Irish breakfast and fish and chips.
Where should I eat in Dublin?
The south city center for variety, Smithfield for local places and a pub for stew.
Is food expensive in Dublin?
Moderate to pricey in restaurants. Pub lunches, cafes and fish and chips are the cheaper options.
Do I need to book in Dublin?
On Friday and Saturday evenings, yes, for popular restaurants. Pubs and cafes take walk-ins.
What is a full Irish breakfast?
Eggs, bacon rashers, sausages, black and white pudding, tomato and toast, served with tea.