Fallon and Byrne Restaurant showcases real Irishness in an unabashed fashion, situated on the top floor of three that comprise the much-loved Fallon & Byrne building. Downstairs, both floors are devoted to two things accomplished in equally convincing fashion – the wine cellar, with casks of the best, draws many while the food hall, with its fresh delights available to devour inside or to go. Where hospitality is concerned however it’s the restaurant that really completes the picture, with events and weddings in particular seeing the place come alive in a union of splendour and finesse.
Locally-sourced foods are offered in a lovely atmosphere, helped tremendously by the tall windows admitting so much light to the dining area. Chirpy and polite servers accept your order promptly, while the menu selection varies from traditional favourites like oysters and Irish stew, to all-time classics such as Wexford lamb and Irish Angus beef. Vegans and vegetarians will be pleased to discover their own dedicated menu, while the perfect sparkle is brought by the festive menus offered through each December.
Gallagher’s Boxty House lets discerning diners choose however they like; slowly and deliberately from the long list of drinks, meals and sides that comprise the menu – or speedily from the at-a-glance two-course menu so popular with diners wanting filling up without fuss and for a reasonable price. It’s the Boxty’s love of natural, local ingredients that bring so many flocking back time and again, with stews and fresh Guinness brews comprising the favourites.
Friendly and skilful servers bring meals out promptly, while the superb situation right in the midst of Temple Bar makes stopping off here before or after your day or evening on the town easy. The strong selection of traditional and not-so-traditional dinners – including Gallagher’s own famous chilli with yoghurt – ready selection of cocktails for those so inclined, and lunch menu for tourists wanting a break between milling round the many sights Dublin has on offer completes The Boxty House superbly. Simply put, this venue is a real contender eager to form part of your culinary purview in Dublin.
The Pig’s Ear Restaurant is a lovely example of a restaurant always aspiring to ever-greater heights; it winning a Michelin award in 2009, then retaining it ever since. The combination of an adeptly trained and experienced staff is completed by the seamless marriage of good, old fashioned Irish grub. A gently contemporary feel wrapped in understatement comprises the manner and atmosphere where food is served. For those wanting to order simply, an impressive 2-course selection is present, while the more deliberative can examine the many starters, mains and puddings ably prepared daily.
Desserts are particular strong points, with the restaurant’s signature cheesecake – sprinkled generously with Hob Nobs – always well-loved. The venue’s famed cheesecake in a jar is always delightful, while the Irish cheese plate for those less sugar-inclined is second to none. Factor in the thorough friendliness and welcoming of those working there, and The Pig’s Ear really looks like a gem that anyone would gladly park in of an evening or lunchtime.
The Temple Bar is a historic pub smack dab in the middle of Dublin’s thriving nightlife district, Temple Bar. As much an institution as the area from which it gained its name, The Temple Bar pub offers beautiful surroundings of a traditional Irish pub complete with wooden panels and seats, mosaics, paintings and historic photographs. More than 450 varieties of Irish, Scottish and other whiskies are stocked, while the foods offered range from delicious fresh caught local oysters, scrumptious sandwiches, and cheese plates.
Guinness is the commonest compliment to the food on offer at the Temple Bar pub, which has for 160 years hosted people in Dublin living locally or visiting from places all around the world. The atmosphere, food and drinks selection is complimented by live entertainment every night from local Irish musicians, making the atmosphere lively, convivial and quintessentially Irish. With the city centre and all its sights and sounds quite literally at the doorstep, it’s scarcely any wonder this pub consistently attracts so many people.
Punjabi by Nature Indian Restaurant & Takeaway brings the spicy, exotic delights of India to Dublin city centre, with the eatery’s professional chefs ably preparing a staggeringly sensuous variety of curries graced with the most aromatic of seasonings. Coupled with a vast choice of side orders including all-time favourites like onion bhajis and poppadums, and we see that the Punjabi by Nature restaurant is a winner for fans of Indian cuisine in Dublin.
Service quality is superb, with attentive staff eagerly bringing food out piping hot ready to be savoured. An impressive dessert menu including exquisite baked treats and Indian ice cream tops off the impressive selection. Punjabi has been serving meals to Dubliners for over 15 years, its sustained success in part thanks to the selection of exotic herbs, spices, vegetables and meats being sourced locally from the most reputed outlets. Atmospherically the venue shines, it being a weekend favourite among local residents and tourists alike graced by colour and low-key, relaxing lighting.
Avoca Café is a restaurant in Dublin which offers a delightful range of choice, its premises spread across two floors with two distinct cafés bringing some delicious foods to the table within the wider Avoca retail store. Polite staff and cooking excellence make simple basic favourites like roast chicken feel fresh and new, assisted as they are by seasonings and a buzzing atmosphere which offers relief from the shopping and boundless bustle going on lower down the same building and outside in Dublin’s ever-busy city centre.
If you’re just passing by and looking for a snack or a cheeky dessert on the sly, you’ll be pleased to know that Avoca offers a delightful range of cakes and buns freshly baked on the day, together with appetizers and coffee just brewed. Soups are likewise popular, with the variety impressing the many hundreds of people who pop by every week to sample the cuisine offered by cooks and servers who are unfailingly courteous and accommodating every time.
Mexico to Rome offers up an intriguing variety of juxtaposed culinary delights, the recipes originating from the Central American nation of Mexico, blissfully juxtaposed with the Italian foods which have been perennially popular for people eating out for decades. Located a stone’s throw from the legend that is the Temple Bar pub, Mexico to Rome manages to largely depart from the treasures of traditional Irish cuisine whilst preserving the innate hospitality and courtesy that underlines any good visit to Dublin.
Meat and vegetarian dishes span the popular and the unusual form the restaurant’s menu, with burritos, tacos and enchiladas forming the Mexican side while pizzas, lasagnes and other pasta dishes keep the Italian element well-populated. Drinks range from freshly made coffee and tea, to the iconic Dublin pint of Guinness, with the venue’s wines selection popular of an evening. To top it off, diehard traditionalists will be pleased to know that old school favourites like fish and chips and locally sourced sirloin steaks are readily available too.
Ever-popular, ever-frequented, Brasserie Sixty6 is a pinnacle of Dublin classiness that keeps discerning diners’ taste buds eager. Often booked to capacity during summer, this world beating venue offers traditional Irish meals with unbeaten comprehension: seafood and fish meals are exquisitely complimented by steaks of beef and gammon, with the mouth-watering, all-embracing choice an impressive trait in itself. Together with wine, whisky and soft drinks, this venue proudly offers a strikingly wide cocktail range, the drinks mixed there and then by the Sixty6’s bartender.
The atmosphere in Brasserie Sixty6 could be described as artful and stylish, flanking guests with portraiture and mood lighting as city life rushes by outside. Optimally located close to St. Stephen’s Green and Temple Bar, tourists eager for a sustenance stopover will appreciate the scrumptious brunch options, generous portion sizes and delightful all-day desserts which include cakes and mousses. Open 7 days a week, this restaurant’s superbly courteous servers and trained cooks make eating here a true experience.
Within House Dublin, you’ll feel at home while simultaneously luxuriating in a premise which is just that extra bit special. On the surface, it’s a presentable Georgian townhouse much like many hotels in city centre Dublin – behind the doors however, we’ve a multi-faceted place of hospitality where a bar boasting a colossal wine selection and seating, discreet yet classy nightclub, skylight garden patio and dozens of fine bedrooms congregate to from an unforgettable time.
The venue also has a restaurant, whose lunches and dinners combine Mediterranean flavours with fish and crustaceans brought in from the Irish coastline. Though comprising a mere 15 rooms, House Dublin’s reputation for hospitality – be it from celebrating match goers or simply those on a night out, or tourists who happen by – means guests are in for a treat. The rooms are well-decorated with big beds, WiFi and en suites, while quieter types will love perusing the venue’s library for a fittingly Irish holiday read.
The Coachman’s Inn Restaurant is located just north of Dublin Airport, making this country situated premise a prime place to bid a fond hello or farewell to Ireland and its culture of hospitality and homely cuisine. This large pub offers great quality dining in a good old fashioned atmosphere, with high beams and dark wooden panelling conveying a traditional mood. The food ranges from pub favourites such as fish and chips and chicken wings, to continental speciality dishes such as Italian lasagnes and fancily crafted dessert gateaus.
Perfect in close driving distance to the airport, the impression diners get of the Coachman’s Inn – with its old stone and mortar walls and flamboyant exterior bouquets – is one of warmth and tradition. Sure enough, those serving food receive particular compliment, with the pub particularly pretty during summertime when the outdoor beer garden is brimming with activity. This restaurant is also a perfect place to stop heading in or out of Dublin city, situated at the gateway to the countryside as it is.
