What better excuse than St Patrick’s Day to revisit my recent trip to Dublin? Never mind the green beer – I spent three days with a local foodie.
1. Fallon & Byrne
My pal Yetti is Dublin born and bred, and took me straight to one of her go-to faves, Fallon & Byrne in Exchequer Street. It has a posh restaurant upstairs, but downstairs, you can choose a bottle from one of many stacked around the walls and order from a light-bites menu. Delish! Super Miss Sue occupies a fab corner at one end of Drury Street, and has yumbo fish and chips, while on a sunny day, if you can find a seat, lunch on the terrace at The Woollen Mills Eating House just across the Ha’penny Bridge is a brilliant spot for wining and dining.
2. Forest Avenue
This would count as a hidden gem in my book. A 30-minute stroll from downtown Dublin, you could almost walk past this Sussex Terrace restaurant. And, in fact, if you did, M O’Brien’s pub next door is a pretty good option –but oh, what a treat you’d be missing if you slide by Forest Avenue. It’s very well-priced (by Dublin standards anyway) and the Sunday-brunch set menu was darn near perfect. It’s an intimate neighbourhood sort of place – like the Engine Room in Auckland or Capitol in Wellington.
Attention all chocoholics: Cocoa Atelier’s macarons are a must-eat.
3. Avoca
If you’re in the market for a modern, Irish woollen throw, then Avoca in Suffolk Street is the place to go. It’s a mini department store with a bright modern interior and a great café on the top floor. This busy, light-filled room is the perfect resting stop for a weary Grafton Street shopper. I can thoroughly recommend the raspberry scones and why not have a wee glass of prosecco while you’re there? In the basement, you can buy food to go and somewhere in between the two, you can buy store-brand jewellery, books and, in my case, the perfect summer top at 50% off.
Just add crackers … Renowned foodie haunt Sheridans tickles every cheese-lover’s fancy.
4. The Dean
Most people head to the Guinness Storehouse for the tour, pint and much-lauded view, but for a way more stylish vista, try the Dean Hotel in Harcourt Street, less than a 10-minute walk from the CBD. The rooms here are really something else – with a record player and albums in each one – and range from a pod that’s relatively economical to a suite where you could have a rock ’n’ roll party. But you don’t need to stay here to have a good time. The restaurant on the rooftop, Sophie’s, is an absolute eye-opener. This glass box atop the hotel is divine at sunset, and the crispy thin pizzas do not hurt the wallet and definitely delight the palate.
5. Fab food trail
If you’re stuck for time, I could not recommend highly enough a Fabulous Food Trail walk with the lovely Eveleen Coyle. We met at the Saturday Temple Bar Market and over the next three hours, we talked to many a foodie, including chocolatiers (at Cocoa Atelier) and cheesemongers (Sheridans). Plus, we met Irish glove maker Paula Rowan and dipped into Parfumarija, Dublin’s “home of hidden scent”. Eveleen also took me to The Swan pub on Aungier Street, which features a bust of pub owner and rugby champion Sean Lynch (no relation), who played for the Lions when they beat the All Blacks here in 1971 and is obviously pretty pleased with himself. I was somewhat more taken with Eveleen’s tip that The Pepper Pot café inside the Powerscourt Centre has Dublin’s best scones.
