Eating & Drinking in Dublin

We were only in Dublin for about 36 hours during our recent trip to Ireland (not nearly long enough!), but we made the most of eating (& drinking)

Chipper

Our first taste of true Irish fish & chips was at Beshoff Bros following our awesome walking tour. Liam recommended this this local fast casual chain (they have four locations around Dublin) for their pretty standard chipper food: fried fish. French fries (or chips as they call them across the pond). That’s pretty much it! Why mess with a good thing? Next time, we’re adding Leo Burdock Fish & Chips to our agenda – they’ve been around since 1913!

Cleaver East

Our first night in Dublin, we were jet lagged & tired & ended up soaking wet so we decided just to skip dinner (hello, hungry!). So with only one true night to eat, we knew we wanted it to be good. When we wandered by Cleaver East on our walking tour, Liam told us that it was by a Michelin star rated chef & located in a hotel owned by Bono, so we figured they must be doing something right. We made a reservation that evening. Located on the quiet end of Temple Bar, they serve a variety of Irish & European dishes. They’re known for their #pornburger (yes, the hashtag is in the name), but sadly they only serve it at lunch. B & I enjoyed the red pepper & tomato soup, goat cheese panna cotta, pan fried hake, duck breast & a dessert of Irish cheeses. The atmosphere was great, the food was solid although service got a little slow when they got busy, & it didn’t feel at all like a hotel restaurant. While not the best meal of our trip, it was a solid B+. I’d be intrigued to try their Not Afternoon Tea.

If you’re looking for a solid dinner recommendation in Dublin, may I suggest Green Nineteen? We originally had planned on going there for dinner & while swapping stories with a friend who was in town at the same time, confirmed that we probably should have kept our original plans! The Winding Stair was also recommended to us by a few people.

Micro Brews in a Guinness City

Perhaps the best thing about Cleaver East is that it’s located right next door to Porterhouse, Dublin’s first (& one of the only) microbreweries. With nearly a dozen of their own beers on draft, plus an extensive list of bottles (including a weekly special imported from the U.S.!) this was such a great hidden gem in a city obsessed with Guinness. We enjoyed a sampler of Plain Porter (stout), Temple Brau (lager) & Hop Head (IPA) while sitting at the bar, chatting with locals – we were two of only a handful of tourists in the place. Live music started cranking around 10am & we were just turning in as the place really got hopping. When we go back to Dublin, we’ll definitely be hitting Porterhouse again.

Coffee

I knew visiting Ireland would be rough for the coffee addict in me – they drink more tea per capita than any other country in the world. But there were a few solid espresso bars around town that keep me on my caffeine buzz. One of my favorites was Butlers Chocolate Cafe, where my flat white came with a homemade chocolate. Insomnia Coffee – Ireland’s answer to Starbucks – also seemed popular around Dublin. And, of course, there were Starbucks in Dublin. But I resisted the urge to go there!

Have you been to Dublin? Where was your favorite place to eat or drink?