A friendly welcome awaits at the Porterhouse in North Dublin, which has made its name offering guests delicious craft ales and locally sourced cuisine. The pub’s environment is warm within its bright white Art Deco styled building, with live DJs and bands playing regularly to pleased guests enjoying the warmly radiant cheer inside. With seating plentiful and the atmosphere lively and social, on weekends regulars from across Dublin pop in to drink, eat and catch up in good company.
Visitors to Ireland won’t be disappointed either – a traditional atmosphere permeates the entire pub, and attentive bar staff keep service brisk and courteous. The food menu sees great Irish ingredients and traditional meals alongside universal pub favourites, whilst the more adventurous at heart will stray from the beers and spirits present to sample the authentically prepared cocktails the barman is such a genius at preparing. With long tables and seating plentiful, groups will be more than happy – while the service is prompt, attentive and indefatigably Irish.
A wonderful time can be had in The Porterhouse in Central Dublin – this stalwart pub can be found in Nassau Street, close by the historic educational establishment of Trinity College. The venue itself has undergone transformations over the decades, with its bar reputed to be the longest in the whole of Dublin. At other times it has been a restaurant, before being acquired by the Porterhouse company who – true to form – returned it to heritage roots as a pub serving great Irish ales and spirits.
Regular live entertainments enliven the atmosphere nightly, as regulars and visitors alike flock back to converse and enjoy themselves in an atmosphere that is at once social, friendly and convivial. As well as the many real ales, there’s plenty of food on the menu too comprised of traditional pub fare with an Irish twist – local fresh caught fish and seafood, plus veggies from Dublin’s surrounding country farms. Those not too keen on the local beers and spirits will be pleased to hear that the bar staff are experienced ‘mixologists’ capable of whipping together a tasty cocktail with only the best ingredients.
Visiting Taylors Three Rock, you’ll be impressed by the hospitality and good cheer which permeates this large pub. It’s a lovely entertainment venue located close by the M50 just south of Dublin, with access by road to either the vibrant city centre or the tranquil countryside possible with ease. Frequent live – and lively – entertainments imbue this hearty place with atmosphere: Irish cabaret, live music, great comedy and more get underway during the hotel’s keynote Irish Nights, which are a prime reason to attend.
Popular with wedding receptions, hen and stag nights plus groups of people simply after a great time amid Dublin’s scenic outskirts, Taylors Three Rock is recognisable for its colossal, traditional thatched rooftop and whitewashed exterior walls. Patrons also enjoy the sing-along shows, plus the formidable selection of proper pub grub, from succulent Angus steaks to a delicious old-fashioned lamb casserole. Rather uniquely for an Irish pub, beer is placed in large pitchers suitable for sharing and plentiful pouring. Wines, spirits and other drinks are available too, with guests greatly enjoying the venue’s raucously sociable atmosphere in large numbers.
A meal in Matt The Thresher is certain to get your taste buds tingling in anticipation, while the stalwart traditional atmosphere is a definite winner with any seafood enthusiast. Sea catches comprise the majority of the bountiful selection here, and meals are served in a brightly lit, airy but relaxing environment which just a touch of the contemporary about it. Old style lamps curl inwards, while tall ceilings and displays of champagne lend a touch of class as servers impeccably tend to whatever desires patrons might have.
On the menu there’s a formidable selection of fresh caught dishes, many of which mention the location they were harvested. Particular favourites include the Carlingford Oysters and the homemade seafood pate, while unique offerings such as the sublimely baked tuna burger and the delightful combination of crustaceans in the steaming shellfish pot tantalizing for their rich juiciness. To finish, diners often opt for the lovely Irish cheeseboard that perfectly caps off so many of these nautically sourced inventions.
When you head to Murray’s Bar, you’ll be enveloped in an atmosphere which recalls the glorious maritime and industrial yesteryear of Dublin. Something of a rite of passage for its atmosphere, often described as a step back in time by patrons, the pub has entertained guests and quenched thirsts for over a century since the original landlady – Grandma Murray – set the place up. Although so much of the old remains, the venue’s big screen telly and frequent live entertainments (inclusive of traditional Irish dancing) act more as a tasteful juxtaposition of the modern than an eclipse of heritage.
Describing its prices as ‘recession-busting’, Murray’s isn’t shy to offer some of the best value food and generous portions in all of Temple Bar. All sorts of burgers and pies, plus chargrilled chicken and beef, populate the menu while the more adventurous can try out some favourites originating from further afield, like Thai green curry. The drinks list is as expansive as you’d expect; Irish whiskies and beers are the strong suit, while wines and other spirits are likewise available.
Dublin’s Millstone Restaurant is within sight of the city’s heart, located as it is on Dame Street. Although a splendid situation is a fine feature, the real allure of the place is its unique atmosphere. Almost homely for its domestic stairway and picture graced walls, this venue holds its own thanks to its comprehensive selection of Irish meats and steaks, while those eager to continue on through nearby Temple Bar will find its early bird menu’s reasonable pricing a temptation.
Service is uniformly excellent, with waiting staff breezily courteous and efficient while the wines list encompasses everyday favourites and famed vintages alike. Also popular for wedding and group bookings, Millstone Restaurant has a reputation for great hospitality – a devoted coterie of regulars attesting to its strong formula. Quite a few guests aptly consider the place to be a somewhat gourmet counterpart to a good pub, which is apt: burgers, fish and chips, and Heresford steak all feature, cooked with just that bit of extra, appreciated finesse. Continental cuisine meanwhile includes the venue’s much-appreciated and thoroughly delicious roulé d’agneau.
Pichet brings a splendid combination to the dining table; chefs painstakingly trained in French and Irish cuisine for years, plus a menu the embodiment of choice and good taste. The atmosphere is decisively classy and tasteful with a set of signature bright, curvaceously comfortable blue seats lending an unusual uniqueness to the black and white chequered floors. Meals here commonly begin with a glass of Moet – a perfect, characteristic introduction to the culinary delights which follow, with food such as beef carpaccio is ever the popular follow-on.
Popular for business functions for its catering clout and excellent pricing, Pichet has also proven its worth among ordinary diners, with generous servings of sea bass and chicken capped off with desserts spanning the tastiest cakes and mousses. While the menu is, as a principle, reasonably priced for such a gourmand venue, guests often find themselves tempted by the impressive wines selection, the thoughtfulness underpinning each dish priming patron’s curiosity for dessert. The courteous, passionate servers and chefs are likewise a highlight, blending courtesy with fine service.
Popping over to Peploe’s Wine Bistro for a meal might be one of the best decisions you make in Dublin, the restaurant being revered for its fabulous atmosphere and mouth-watering meals. A wall graced in a giant mural depicts hospitality – it is in the evening that the scene unfolding within the room begins to mimic the artwork. This wine bistro’s excels: French prestige bottles ranging to exclusive prices are complimented by less expensive options from around the continent.
The kitchen itself is charged with the task of pairing these supple beverages with the perfect food accompaniments. A particular favourite is the early bird menu, which sees very reasonably priced delights like roast Irish venison and duck’s leg with croquettes grace many a patron’s taste buds. The tour de force continues with real Irish sirloin steak, and desserts that include Peploe’s own special chocolate fondant. Presentation is impeccable, with components of each meal perched perfectly upon plates in a manner that impresses.
Eating out at Dublin’s Pearl Brasserie is an experience to say the least. A modern atmosphere of light wood is ceiling lit, complete with a well-equipped bar meets a delectable selection of art. It is in this fantastic ambiance where starters served include local fresh caught crab meat and Dungarvan oysters, with foie gras for those desiring true sumptuousness. Mains meanwhile are broad and diverse, from cod graced with lemon butter and almonds, to shrimp with crisp veggies, to juicy venison dashed with scrumptious sherry.
Finishes are just as delectable: yoghurt pannacotta graced with fruits, while ice cream tartelettes with pralines, and of course the perennially delicious Irish cheeseboard. Throughout your dining experience, a formidable wines list is present – those looking to splash out will find the vintages selection worthy of perusal. The food presentation is all too impressive – cascades of vegetables and sauces conferring an impression of true gourmet, while the waiting staff combine efficiency with courtesy in a manner befitting the locality.
Dining at One Pico is an experience hard to forget, being as this highly reputed restaurant is a common point for well-informed diners to stop off. The food is almost entirely sourced from the locality, with the prices impressive compared with other restaurants of similar calibre. Simply put, the One Pico chefs are supremely talented with many guests surprised at receiving such mouth-watering renditions of seafood, steak fillets and other dishes.
Although decidedly Irish in tone and gourmet in presentation, One Pico devotes much of its menu to continental flavours. Undiscerning except when it comes to offering deliciousness, the risottos and Bordelaise Jus, gnocchi, venison and other delights are prepared in a manner uniquely tantalizing. Sweets are expansive and intriguing, being as they range between cakes dashed with purpose made sauce and icing sugar. Wines, Irish whiskies and soft drinks abound too, while the attentive, friendly servers are sure to mention any specials on request.
