It’s impossible not to enjoy the craic when in Dublin. The Irish capital simply has that x factor, one which inspires jollity, frivolity and frolics. And while it’s a steadying pint of Guinness which most seek out as the first thing to pass their lips in the city, Dublin’s food scene is fast becoming its premier attraction, with everything from fine dining to street food satisfying hungry visitors nightly. So, if you’re planning a trip here with food at the forefront of your agenda, you’ll be in need of a little guidance to make the most of every mouthful. This is what you need; our 5 IDEAL foodie things to do in Dublin.
TAKE A TASTING TOUR OR TWO
Yep, we realise we said ‘foodie’, but a visit to Dublin wouldn’t be complete without a trip to the Guinness Storehouse, so it’s here we shall head. This is the ultimate brewery experience, telling the tale of Ireland’s famous beer, with brewing tips, tastings and a rooftop bar. And now the whistle is wet, a saunter along to the The Irish Whiskey Museum certainly will keep the train in motion. This interactive, ultra-modern whiskey tour offers the chance to learn about (and of course taste) Ireland’s favourite liquor – the uisce beatha, water of life, or as we know it, whiskey. Pack some precautionary paracetamol, we think.
REVEL IN THE FLOURISHING RESTAURANT SCENE
In recent years Dublin’s restaurant scene has exploded in popularity, ambition and scope. Not that there’s anything wrong with a pub lunch of traditional Irish stew with a side of colcannon and soda bread, but these days the options are limitless and infinitely globe spanning. And that’s never a bad thing. Fine dining is now given a big billing in the city, with Michelin recognising 60 restaurants, including 2 starred Patrick Guiband and four one starred establishments. That’s not to say it’s all starched white table cloths, silver service, Francophile flourishes and you having to sell a kidney to afford a bite. Nope, some of our favourites are also some of the most reasonable.
If you’ve got time and the tummy space, check out Bastible (named after the cooking pot which used to sit proudly in the centre of every Irish dinner table) who cook modern fare using local ingredients only when they’re on song with the season. Their sibling restaurant Clanbrassil House in Merchant’s Quay is equally good, with their hash browns already achieving cult status in the city. If you’re keen on a blowout, then the Greenhouse is the hottest ticket in town.
Read: 9 IDEAL things to do in Carrick-On-Shannon, Ireland
SAMPLE THE BEST OF IRELAND’S SEAFOOD
As an island, Ireland’s sea bounty is reliably top notch. From wonderfully plump native oysters and mussels to Dublin Bay prawns and fresh wild Atlantic salmon, all the way to gorgeous lobsters, if you’re after a fish supper, then Ireland certainly delivers one. However, you don’t have to travel to Wild Atlantic Way to sample the country’s best seafood; Dublin dishes up fresh fish from around the Ireland which will have you joyously ‘crying cockles and mussels alive alive oh’ through the streets of Dublin.
For fish’n’chips elevated a fair few levels skywards, try out Fish Shop on Benburb street. Or, enjoy Irish oysters, Lambay Island crab claws and some serious seafood from the island’s coast at the Klaw, a crabshack in the city. Or, get a dose of a dozen oysters at the Temple Bar Food Market, which brings us to our next point….
TEMPLE BAR FOOD MARKET
No visit to any city would be complete without a trip to the local market and Temple Bar Food Market is Dublin’s premier experience of this kind. Every Saturday between 10am and 4:30pm, Meeting House Square transforms into a foodie mecca to rival London’s Borough or La Bourqeria in Barca. Though perhaps not as expansive as those two, Temple more than makes up for its lack of quantity with some serious quality. The roughly twenty vendors dish up food focused on the seasonal and local, with Irish cheeses and artisanal charcuterie the pick of the bunch. Come hungry, leave with your hands full.
TAKE A COOKING CLASS
After having so many others cook for you, it’d be good to take something back with you when you leave Dublin, not in terms of souvenirs but rather skills. Fortunately, the Irish capital offers a whole host of cracking cooking classes in Dublin, which are an excellent cultural experience, as well as being sociable and most importantly, highly informative. Want to learn how to cook boxty the proper way, know the optimum proving time for soda bread, the correct way to slice spring onions for champ and the differences between white and black pudding? Well, all those nuggets and many more are just waiting to be learned.
