Best Restaurants in Dublin

 

Here at WhatSheWears.ie, we love to eat out. No, we’re not restaurant reviewers (we are partial to the odd Instagram food snap though) and love a nice cocktail, finding a bar with a great buzz, discovering new places to eat in great surroundings and returning to those eateries that remain firm favourites.

We were set this task by the team at Dublintown.ie (the website that keeps us in the loop of all that Dublin city has to offer), to name our Favourite Restaurants and duly accepted the challenge.

It’s all to do with Dine in Dublin which runs from 25 February – 3 March and showcases heaps of offers from city centre eateries. There’s even 20% savings off a la carte menus! To find out who is offering what see dineindublin.ie

Here’s what’s on our favourites list.

Best Place for Healthy Options

It’s got to be Avoca. Whether you go for a sit-in or take away salad (downstairs) or full lunch in the upstairs restaurant, the offer of soups, salads, mains and desserts is always homemade and top notch. Plus you can browse Irish homewares, clothes and books in the rest of the shop once you’re finished.

Best Place to Bring your Mother for Lunch

If it’s not Avoca then a real treat is Afternoon Tea in the Four Seasons Hotel. At €35 a serving, it’s more than enough finger sandwiches, scones with Irish clotted cream and a full menu of teas to share between two. The setting itself is plush which really makes for a glamorous get-together.

Best Restaurant for cocktails

Best place for cocktails in Dublin has to be the Vintage Cocktail Club. Cool cocktails in a kitsch setting. We’ve raved about this place for dinner and brunch before. Booking is advisable as it’s VERY popular.

Best Place for a First Date

The Port House, South William Street. Dark, candlelit and cave-like, The Port House serves great tapas and wine is a cosy atmosphere. Plus the music on their website reminds me of lots of great nights out in Madrid.

Friendliest Staff

WhiteFriar Grill. The staff here are superb and the food (brunch or dinner) is delicious too.

Best Party Restaurant

777. This Mexican bar cum restaurant looks like it came straight out of NYC – it’s got funky decor, fantastic food, friendly staff and a great buzz about it. Oh and the cocktails are to die for!

Best Brunch

My favourite place for brunch is The Lennox (on Lennox Street in Portobello) who is opening another Lennox restaurant in the former Nonna Valentina’s along the Canal. Strictly speaking it’s not in Dublin City Centre, so I’d easily settle for Eggs Benedict in M&S Rooftop Restaurant. Breakfast or brunch is erved ‘til 12pm every day, except Sunday when it’s ’til 1pm andEggs Bene is only €5.58 during Dine in Dublin week !

Best Hipster Hangout

I abhor the word hipster but would think that this is Fade Street Social. Run by Master Chef Dylan McGrath, this place is THE place to be seen in and the food is pretty good too. Plus Dylan is giving any groups of 2 that dine at Fade Street Social on the 25 Euro menu a 20 euro voucher for Rustic Stone or Brasserie Sixty6.

Best Pizza Slice

Steps of Rome is an old style Italian eatery serving authentic pizza, pasta, coffee and wine like something out of a real Roman osteria. For a quick bite to eat and a glass of vino with a friend, this joint is perfect.

Best Place to Eat with Friends

Eden bar & grill on South William Street. This suggestion came in from one of our readers – “Had a fab get together with girlfriends there. Could see it being great for the morning after!” Orla.

Best for Sandwiches

Simon’s Place is a cafe and an old Dublin institution where you’ll find friends huddling over big mugs of tea and strangers sipping coffee and reading the paper –and all of them sharing the same long table. Sandwiches here are wholesome and filling – I can safely say that they serve the tastiest tuna sandwich in Dublin (with just right amounts of lettuce, tomatoes and mayo). Their cinnamon rolls are delicious too.

Best Take Away Salad

This was a tossup (forgive the pun) between Avoca and Blazing Salads and seeing as the former has already been mentioned it goes to Blazing Salads. Hummus, gluten free salads and soups – this place is healthy with a capital H and draws in the crowds at lunchtime. Take away only.

Best Cheap Eats

The newly opened BITE Canteen is cheap as chips but sometimes you just feel like having actual chips, as in good old fashioned Fish & Chips and Beshoffs is the best in Dublin to get them. Served in a newspaper.

Best Coffee

Butlers Chocolates. The “best” thing about getting your coffee in Butlers is the free chocolate that goes with it. They also serve a mean Soya Chai Tea Latte.

So that’s us. What about you, what’s your favourite place to eat in Dublin?

Photo: Dublintown.ie

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