Dublin Area —
Top Restaurants
Photos show an assortment of Dublin restaurants: (clockwise from upper left) Gallaghers Boxty House, Shanahans On teh Green, Cafe Leon, Trocadero, and Bewleys.
It was my aim to focus on the "Top 10" Restaurants in a cross-section of price categories, but Dublin has so many good choices, especially for evening meals, that I had to expand my "Top 10" to the "Top 15+"! My list is presented alphabetically since all of these are special in different ways.
Abbey Tavern, Abbey St., Howth (tel. 839-0307). The menu choice is limited (fresh Irish salmon or corned beef and cabbage) but the food is delicious and the traditional Irish music is top class - a blend of fiddles, concertinas, tin whistles, pipes, spoons and lots of hand-clapping. It's well worth the trip to Howth, a Dublin seaport suburb. Web site: www.abbeytavern.ie
Bewley’s Café, 78/79 Grafton St., Dublin 1 (tel. 01-635-5470) is a Dublin landmark dating to 1840 and a favorite gathering place for Dubliners. Although it closed its original format in 2004, it reopened with continued popularity in 2005. It still has many familiar features, such as its signature coffee roaster on the ground floor, Harry Clarke stained glass windows, and the lunchtime theatre. Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Web site: http://bewleys.com
Bleu Bistro Moderne, Joshua House, Dawson St., Dublin 2 (tel. 676-7015). Owned by one of Dublin's hottest chefs, this small shopfront restaurant is ideally located – next to the Lord Mayor's Mansion House. The décor is simply stylish – black marble tables, leather chairs and banquettes, teak woods, smoked glass windows, and one single blue light. The menu offers traditional and contemporary dishes, from gourmet fish and chips with pea and basil puree, to cannelloni of wild mushrooms, asparagus and parmesan cheese. The pre-theatre early bird menu offers excellent value. Open for lunch and dinner except Sunday. Web site: www.bleu.ie
Café Léon, 33 Exchequer St., Dublin 2 (tel. 01-670-7238), is a real find for moderately priced evening meals in Dublin. It is one of three Léons in the city centre, known for their French provincial décor and pastries (also located at 14-15 Trinity St. and 17 Wicklow St.), but this location also serves excellent bistro-style dinners. Entrees range from veal liver and duck confit to chicken saltimbocca, sirloin steak and seafood as well as creative vegetarian dishes. Open seven days from morning till 10 or 11 p.m.
Chanze, 7 St. Andrew St. (tel. 679-2988), is known for Cantonese and Szechaun dishes, as well as an "all you can eat" Chinese Buffet, served from 5:30 p.m. to midnight each evening.
Dunne & Cresenzi , 14 S. Frederick St. (tel. 677-3815). As the name implies, Ireland meets Italy at this shopfront restaurant/deli and wine bar centrally located between Trinity College and St. Stephen's Green. Ingredients are imported from Italy including parma ham, salamis, cheeses, wines, olives, risotto rice, pasta, oils, vinegars, The menu features open sandwiches, antipasti, and more. Open for lunch and dinner except Sunday. Web site: www.dunneandcrescenzi.com
Fallon & Byrne, 11-17 Exchequer St., Dublin 2 (tel. 472-1000). Modeling itself on Dean & deLuca of New York, this three-level epicurean enclave presents a gourmet food market on the main floor, restaurant on the 1st floor, and wine cellar/bistro in the basement. With the market on site, ingredients at the restaurant are always fresh, with items such as white onion and truffle soup, Italian Perle caviar, roast Mediterranean vegetables, Carlingford Lough oysters, free-range corn-fed chicken, dry-aged filet of beef, milk-poached pork belly, and a vegetarian tart of blue cheese, mushroom and leek. All dietary needs are catered for. Open daily for lunch and dinner. Web site: www.fallonandbyrne.com
Fire, Dawson St., Dublin 2 (tel. 01-676-7200). Sitting amid gardens adjacent to the Lord Mayor's Mansion House, this trendy indoor/outdoor restaurant enjoys one of the best locations in town — on a busy street yet set back within gated grounds. It is a popular choice for a stylish business clientele and visitors seeking a pricey full-service meal. The dinner menu features European cuisine, and the pre- and post-theatre menus offer very good value. Closed Sunday. Web site: www.mansionhouse.ie/fire.aspx
Gallagher's Boxty House, 20-21 Temple Bar (tel. 677-2762), specializes in Irish dishes, especially boxty (potato pancakes rolled up with various meat and vegetable fillings). It is located in the midst of Temple Bar. Web site: www.boxtyhouse.ie
King Sitric, East Pier, Howth (tel. 832-5235). Located on the harborfront in a suburb north of the city, this long-established restaurant is synonymous with great seafood including lobsters from the tank. Reservations are a must. Web site: www.kingsitric.ie
Little Caesars, 4/5 Chatham House, Balfe St., Dublin 2 (tel. 01-671-8714), is a dependable and moderately-priced Italian restaurant in the heart of the city, off Grafton St. and opposite the Westbury Hotel. The pizzas and pastas are made to order, and the salads are sumptuous. Other branches are on Chatham St., College Green, Harcourt St and in the suburbs. Open daily for lunch and dinner. Web site: www.littlecaesars.ie
Marco Pierre White Steakhouse & Grill, 51 Dawson St. (tel. 01-677-1155), is part of the "Fitzers" group, along with the Chatham Brasserie on Chatham St. and Frankie’s Italian Bar & Grill in Temple Bar. This restaurant, patterned after a London restaurant of the same name, aims to provide “affordable glamour” and top class food, with a menu of cooked-to-order steaks (using Hereford beef) and local seafood. It’s located across from the Lord Mayor's Mansion House, with indoor-outdoor seating. Web site: www.marcopierrewhite.ie
Pasta Fresca, 3/4 Chatham St. (tel. 679-2402). If you crave pasta, pizza, or other Italian dishes, this busy trattoria is the real thing, located just off Grafton Street.. It's always busy, with indoor and outdoor seating; no reservations accepted. Web site: www.pastafresca.ie
The Restaurant & Marks & Spencer, Grafton St., Dublin 2 (tel. 01-679-7855). Although the last place we expected to find a good dinner was atop a department store, Marks & Spencer’s rooftop restaurant is a real find. The atmosphere is bright and airy (with an outdoor terrace overlooking Grafton Street), with an open kitchen, and the menu is simple but first-rate (5 oz. steak cooked to order, grilled free-range chicken, salmon fish cakes, burgers, roast of the day, fresh seafood, pastas – all at moderate prices). It is so busy that many menu items can get sold out by 7 p.m. (closing time is 8 p.m.) including a fresh asparagus soup which we tried to order two nights in a row, but it was always unavailable due to demand. The seafood items also go fast. So, it is a real gem of a restaurant, but it can also be disappointing if you have your heart set on a certain item. Go early. No reservations. Web site: www.marksandspencer.com
Restaurant Patrick Guilbaud, 21 Upr. Merrion St., (tel. 603-0600) has merited two Michelin stars. for its top class French cuisine. It may taste like Paris but it fits well into a modern Irish setting overlooking the gardens of the new Merrion Hotel. Web site: www.restaurantpatrickguilbaud.ie
Roly's Bistro, 7 Ballsbridge Terrace (tel. 668-2611). Located one block from the American Embassy in the Ballsbridge section of the city, this trendy restaurant is known for fresh food prepared with finesse and served with enthusiasm - all at moderate prices. Web site: www.rolysbistro.ie
Shanahans on the Green, 119 St. Stephen’s Green (tel. 407-0939). Owned by an Irish-American, this posh restaurant is housed in a 250-year-old Georgian townhouse with a décor of 18th century plasterwork and antiques, and a bar that displays memorabilia from US presidents including the famous JFK rocking chair. The menu features certified Angus Irish beef (including a half-dozen types of steaks) and fresh Irish seafood, all cooked to order. Prices are high but so is the quality and service. Open for dinner only each night and for lunch on Friday. Web site: www.shanahans.ie
Trocadero, 3 St. Andrew St. (tel. 677-5545), considered the "Sardi's" of Dublin, this place has a theatrical decor, early-bird and late-night menus, and is known for its steaks. Web site: www.trocadero.ie
Venu Brasserie, Anne’s Lane., Dublin 2 (tel. 670-6755), is an “in” spot for young Dubliners, (run by Charles Guilbaud, son of the famous Patrick Guilbaud of Michelin 2-star fame). The setting is cool and chic (in a basement, reachable by glass lift) with open-plan seating, lots of mirrors, huge plants, black tile floors, modern art, indirect lighting, and a high ceiling (magnifying the conversation sounds). The menu is moderately priced (although side salads and veggies cost extra) with emphasis on fresh seafood (including lobster) and steaks, precisely cooked to order. Service is swift and helpful, and the food is delicious (from the crusty bread basket to the main courses, served on uniquely-shaped rectangular plates with “Venu” logos). Dine early to avoid the higher noise levels of a crowded dining room. Open daily for lunch and dinner. Web site: www.venu.ie
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