The Best Restaurants in Dublin for Foodies
Best Restaurants in Dublin, Ireland
Dublin is full of incredible sights, sounds, and of course, whiskey and beer! But it is full of fabulous restaurants that cater to every visitors’ tastes. Having recently visited Dublin for a weekend foodie getaway, I tried several restaurants for lunch and dinner and found some of the best food I’ve tried, period. So if you’re travelling to Dublin and want a few restaurant ideas here are my Top 5 restaurants to visit in Dublin.
WILDE - The Glitz and Glamour of the 1920’s with delicious food and cocktails to boot
Located on the 2nd floor of the luxury hotel The Westbury in the heart of the city centre and named after the famed Irish poet and playwright Oscar Wilde, WILDE is a restaurant that first of all entices you through its sheer beauty.
As the great poet once said, “beauty is the only thing that time cannot harm” and WILDE is certainly easy on the eye, doing a fabulous job of bringing back the timeless beauty and glamour of the 1920’s through its ornate soft light fixtures to its plush green leather banquettes, inviting marble fireplace and its use of flecks of gold and gloss to give the whole space a real charming elegance.
The menu is very appealing and starters include Thornhill duck breast, carrot & ginger, cranberry jus & nut crumble, and Dublin Bay & tiger prawn cocktail with a classic Marie Rose. I highly recommend the Dill cured Irish salmon and the Persian salad. The mains are equally as appealing and the Grilled lamb cutlets with Middle Eastern spices and the John Stone Rib Eye steak are definite highlights from the menu.
This is a fabulous fine-dining restaurant right in the heart of the city centre that will Make sure you order Irish Coffees at the end of the meal for a great show and spectacle.
Book your table at Wilde, Dublin.
Doolally - Indian food with lots of razzle and dazzle.
This brand new Indian restaurant captures your eye first, it’s absolutely gorgeous and filled with colonial era memorabilia and artwork that really makes the whole restaurant feel like a giant centre-piece. The leather banquettes and booths are ultra comfy and the stylish bar shimmers with brass and green marble.
Their signature cocktails feature Indian twists and are delicious and perfect for kicking off proceedings.
The food itself is fabulous and offers an eclectic range of Indian dishes with their own twists alongside the classic favourites. Try the Tasting Plate to sample a few of their most loved starters including Onion Bhaji, Medu Vada, Lamb Galouti & Prawn Masala.
The Kheema Pav and Beetroot Shikampuri are also a must try for those that want to try something a little different to what you’d find in a typical Indian restaurant. The mains are great too and feature some of the classics such as Chicken Tikka Masala, Paneer Makhni, Saag Gosht and Lamb Rogan Josh. Make sure you save room for dessert as the Orange Saffron Layer Cake is divine!
Bison Bar & Bar - Wholesome BBQ food done the right way.
Bison BBQ & Bar have perfected the art of BBQ and are serving customers with the best BBQ food in Dublin. With a Head Chef inspired by his travels across Memphis and an American smoker that couldn’t even fit through the door, the restaurant serves up American classics including Pulled Pork Hush Puppies, St. Louis Style Pork Ribs, Smoked Beef Brisket, BBQ Chicken Wings, and much, much more.
The Tasting Platter is great as it gives you a little bit of everything but make sure you get the Cornbread as it is out of this world.
There’s a great selection of cocktails and beers to please everyone and I recommend their Hard Lemonade if you’re after something a little different.
This is a place that’s all about the food and you’re guaranteed to leave happy and content, which is how BBQ food should make you feel, every time.
Reserve your table at Bison Bar and BBQ.
Gallaghers Boxty House - Traditional Irish fair in the centre of the action
Boxty is a traditional Irish potato pancake containing a mixture of mashed and grated potatoes, making it part pancake, part hash brown and Gallaghers Boxty House is THE place to try boxty pancakes. Located in the heart of the iconic Temple Bar, it’s super cosy and full of Irish charm and the servers are extremely friendly and happy to talk through the menu.
There’s a range of delicious sounding dishes to choose from with many featuring the humble boxty pancake in some form including Chicken Boxty - a Fillet of Free-range Irish Chicken wrapped in a Boxty Pancake with a Smoked Bacon & Leek Cream Sauce, and the Roast Vegetables Boxty Dumplings - Roasted Vegetables tossed with Boxty Dumplings in a Roasted Red Pepper & Garlic Sauce.
Gallaghers Boxty House is definitely a place to stop by when you visit Temple Bar which you will inevitably do and make sure to try their Boxty Pancake Fries, you won’t regret it!
Reserve your table at Gallaghers Boxty House.
Hawthorn - Fabulous food in a gorgeous and stylish setting
Located in the four star Croke Park Hotel, The Hawthorn is beautifully designed with stylish light fixtures, vibrant coloured walls and comfy banquettes. Dine on the beautifully designed terrace and sample a few of their fabulous cocktails whilst looking out across the adjacent river.
The menu offers a good selection of contemporary European and international dishes that use the best organic product that Ireland has to offer. The Pan Seared Scallops with mango, bonito, dashi and Seared Duck Breast with charred orange, plum, cucumber, black kale are both recommended.
The Belmullet Rack of Lamb and the 10oz Dry Aged Beef Striploin are also delicious and of great sized portions. Make sure you leave room for dessert, the Tiramisu and Summer Berry Pavlova are to die for!
So there’s top 5 restaurants to try in Dublin. If you get to visit any of them do let me know!
What are your favourite restaurants in Dublin?
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