Dublin, the capital of Ireland, is a city full of history, and is also known as one of the best music cities in Europe for buskers and music enthusiasts. Dublin is often associated with having a Guinness and eating finger food at a pub.
Although it is true that the pub scene is huge in Dublin, Dublin also has a lot to offer when it comes to food. With a wide variety of pubs and restaurants, Dublin offers everything you would want to eat, from traditional dishes to cuisine of the world and delicious desserts.
If you only have a day free in Dublin, take a walking food tour that will introduce you to the hidden gems in Dublin.
1. Best Traditional Irish Food to Eat in Dublin
There are quite a few traditional dishes in Ireland, which you will find at some of the best restaurants and cafés in Dublin. Following are some of the locals’ favourites.
1.1 Seafood Chowder
Dublin being located right by the sea, it is no surprise that traditional dishes would include seafood. Chowder is essentially a creamy soup with pieces of fish like cod and salmon. It can be served as an appetiser or as the main dish and is typically served with brown bread and butter. This is the perfect dish to have on a cold rainy day in Dublin!
One of the best places to get chowder in Dublin is Bar Rua. Portions are big, the food is delicious and the ambiance, typically Irish. If you are looking to have chowder outside of Dublin, Howth is a great coastal town to get seafood!
Bar Rua
32 Clarendon St, Dublin 2, D02 HX66, Ireland
1.2 Traditional Irish Breakfast
An Irish Breakfast is an absolute must-eat while in Dublin. A traditional breakfast comprises sausages, black and white pudding, beans in tomato sauce, bacon, mushrooms and tomatoes.
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It is usually served with toasts and butter and some tea or coffee. Sometimes, it is accompanied by potatoes as well. It is a dish that is so loved by people that you can find it in lots of pubs around the city. Some places even serve it all day long!
The Irish breakfast was originally created for farm workers to ensure they would have enough energy to work all day. Going for an Irish Breakfast is a great date idea for couples in Dublin and will give you all the energy you need to visit the city!
1.3 Irish Stew
Stew is a dish that played a big part in Ireland’s history. It is common knowledge that Ireland has gone through some tough times.
In particular, the 19th Century came with economic difficulty and mass poverty. To survive during these difficult times, Irish people had to become creative with food. This is how stews, made with just a few ingredients, came around.
At the time, a stew was made with potatoes and mutton. Mutton is sheep meat and was known to be a bit stiff. Cooking it in as a stew for hours was one way to make this cheap meat a bit more tender.
Of course, the recipe for Irish Stew has evolved and is now prepared with lamb or beef with carrots, potatoes, and onions. Leftover Irish stew pot pies are pretty good too! Stew is easy to find in Dublin but some of the best places to try it include O’Neills Pub and the Brazen Head.
O’Neills Pub & Kitchen
2 Suffolk St, Dublin 2, D02 KX03, Ireland
The Brazen Head
20 Lower Bridge St, Usher’s Quay, Dublin, D08 WC64, Ireland
2. Fast Food in Dublin for a Quick Snack
Most tourists who come to Ireland only stay a couple of days in Dublin before heading to new adventures in the country. There are lots of places in Dublin where you can get a quick bite to fit into your schedule. However, there are only a few that you really shouldn’t miss when visiting the capital.
2.1 Traditional Fish and Chips
Fish and Chips is to Dublin what a steak and fries is to France: a statement. Actually, you will find fish and chips, pretty much anywhere in the city whether that be at a pub, at a restaurant or even as take away!
Fish and chips is simply a piece of cod fish that is coated in batter and fried. It is accompanied with fries, which Irish people call “chips”. It is usually served with a tartare sauce which is a white sauce with herbs and some lemon.
A couple of places that serve good fish and chips are Beshoff Bros on Dame Street, and Catch 22 near Grafton Street. Dame Street is one of the main avenues of Dublin and runs from Trinity college to Dublin City Hall.
Grafton Street is another famous shopping street in South Dublin known for having buskers performing live music everyday. By heading to Beshoff Bros or Catch 22, you will be immersed in the city both through the food and the atmosphere!
Beshoff Bros
71 Dame St, Temple Bar, Dublin 2, D02 YH90, Ireland (Reopening soon)
Catch-22
32 Clarendon St, Dublin 2, D02 HX66, Ireland
2.2 A bag of Chips (yes, more chips!)
Put like this, it might seem like a weird idea to just have a “bag of chips”. However, chipper chips are a statement in Ireland and even more so in Dublin!
The chips (understand “fries”) are traditionally served in a bag, in a newspaper wrap or in a box and topped with salt and vinegar. Sometimes, they are served with a mix of spices as well.
One famous place that serves bags of chips is Burdock’s. It is a favourite from Dublin locals and has also been visited by celebrities which you might have heard of such as Bruce Springsteen, Tom Cruise and U2. For a bit much crunchiness, you can order your chips with “crispy bits”.
An alternative to the traditional bag of chips is chilli fries. Chilli fries are fries topped with mince meat, sauce, cheese and red beans. Some of the best chilli fries in Dublin can be found at WowBurger.
Leo Burdock
4 Crown Alley, Temple Bar, Dublin 2, D02 YH05, Ireland
WowBurger
8 Wicklow St, Dublin 2, D02 AX90, Ireland
2.3 Better Burgers
Of course, if we are talking fast food, we need to mention burgers. Although it is not necessary to explain what a burger is, there are definitely a couple of places in Dublin that are worth mentioning and that serve some of the best burgers in the city! These include Bunsen and WowBurgers. Both are located in the city centre and close to some of the main landmarks in Dublin.
WowBurger
Dollard & Co Building, 2-5 Wellington Quay, Temple Bar, D02 PK72, Ireland
Bunsen Temple Bar
22 Essex St E, Temple Bar, Dublin, D02 NA09, Ireland
3. Cuisine of the World
Dublin offers a wide range of international cuisine both in restaurants and as a takeaway. Whether you want to try Thai food, Japanese food, Mexican food, or Turk food, you will find it in Dublin. Some of our favourites include the following:
- Neon Asian Street Food: With free ice cream and generous delicious Thai food, you cannot go wrong here! Located at 17 Camden Street Lower, Saint Kevin’s, Dublin, D02 TX94, Ireland.
- Hasu Japanese & Thai: For amazing sushi and rolls. The Rainbow rolls are to die for and the restaurant is available on Deliveroo. Located at IE Co, 14 Malahide Rd, Clontarf, Dublin, 3, Ireland.
4. Dublin for Anyone with a Sweet Tooth
While visiting Dublin, there is no doubt that you will want to grab a little comforting snack at some point!
4.1 Bubble Waffles
Bubble waffles are quickly becoming one of people’s favourite treats all over the world and it’s no different in Dublin. Bubble waffles are waffles shaped into a cone with bubbles of batter instead of the usual squares in the waffle.
They are stuffed with the ice cream of your choice, flakes, candy and whipped cream. In Dublin, you will find a bubble waffle place in Temple Bar under Merchant’s Arch.
Only Bubble Waffle & Bubble Tea
2 Merchant’s Arch, Temple Bar, Dublin 1, D02 TD39, Ireland
4.2 Chocolate bombs
If you are looking for a more distinguished dessert, The Ivy Dublin on Dawson Street makes some of the best chocolate bombs in the city! The chocolate bomb is stuffed with ice cream, caramel, caramel bites, and lays on a bed of vanilla custard. It will delight anyone with a sweet tooth!
The Ivy Dublin
13-17 Dawson St, Dublin, D02 TF98, Ireland
About The Writers, Marie and Eric
We are Eric and Marie, a travel and expat couple with 9-5 jobs! As we work full time, we travel on a budget and with time restrictions. On our blog and social media, we help you make the most out of your travels so you can maximise your budget and still *travel as you want*. We do a mix of cheap, mid-range and luxurious travel to make our dream travels happen on our budget! Find us at our blog: brbymary.com or on Instagram at @twolostexplorers or on Tiktok @twolostexplorers
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