DublinChow's Profile
Ireland - First visit must eats
Kai Cafe in Galway and Anair in Galway are two new places that are great.
Out of the Blue, Doyles, Murphys Ice Cream and coffee, Global Village in Dingle - lots of rubbish in Dingle but also the best collection of good food in a small town in Ireland. Plus the scenery of the peninsula makes a great foodie holiday.
Thats the Leinster Hurling Final on July 8th and should be a packed Croke Park, a great day out! Ticketmaster.ie is the usual way for the public sale of GAA tickets. Don't know if you can purchase outside Ireland, maybe your hotel would do it or try when you arrive - there are tickemaster outlets in the city centre.
Have a Sunday Brunch before you walk up to Croke Park - the stadium is brilliant but no foodie paradise! Lennox Cafe, Odessa, Brown Thomas are good spots for brunch. You staying in city centre?
Upscale Dublin or Ireland restaurants in general
Two new places at the forefront of creative Irish cooking:
The chef at anair in galway spent time at noma in copenhagen and is bringing the same philosophy to the west.
The chef at Gregans Castle hotel, mickael viljanen, tipped for a star last year, has moved to the newly-opened Greenhouse in Dublin and getting excellent reviews. A star or two there in the future.
Cork, Dublin, Inverness, Edinburgh, Newcastle
Don't go to Kinsale for lunch, good food but same-y, for something different but Irish - def try Crawford Gallery and the Pigs Ear in Dublin or newly opened The Greenhouse in Dublin (that chef is taking Irish food to new places) has foodies salivating and great reviews!
http://www.bestofbridgestone.com/blog/greenhouse
shelbourne or merrion for afternoon tea in dublin?
The Merrion is my favourite Dublin hotel. It's the glorious Georgian building (birthplace of Wellington incidentally) and the Irish art collection. Compared to other branded hotels where you could be in any city in the world, you are undoubtedly in Ireland at the Merrion. They have an 'Art-Tea' thing they do where the dishes take inspiration from paintings on the wall - haven't tried it but sounds interesting.
The Shelbourne is a close second for me and an old Dublin classic - poor old Countess Markiewicz should have taken over the Shelbourne rather than the College of Surgeons in Easter 1916 cos the British soldiers ran across the Green up to the roof of the hotel and could pin them down from there. Its been dolled up somewhat and is all contemporary Marriott style and glamour now - if you like that mixed in with history then it's for you.
I'm not one for afternoon tea and I'd imagine the London hotels mentioned on the boards here would do an English classic best. Please report back and tell us what you thought of the hotel you picked.
Need tips for upcoming Ireland trip
You're spoilt in Galway, small town but relatively great food offerings: three places in Galway I've heard about lately are Ard Bia cafe, Kai cafe and a place I haven't been to: Anair restaurant whose chef Enda McEvoy received 'Chef of the year 2011' in Ireland - check it out on the web, looks great and a friend who's opinion I trust raves about it. If you're lucky, it'll stop raining.
As for Cork, Nash 19, the Crawford Gallery Cafe and Cafe Paradiso are all great. Cafe Paradiso is one of the best veggie restaurants on this side of the Atlantic. The English Market is good fun: sure, it has all the usual mainstream stuff but also local cheeses, terrines and charcuterie, great seafood, organic veggies, and pigs feet for the local crubeens! Try a spiced beef roll there in the stall opposite O'Connell's fishmonger.
In Kinsale its the Fishy Fishy, the Lemon Leaf cafe and Max's that I would recommend. The Fishy is resting on its laurels a bit and some items are fairly pedestrian but I've had some of my best fish meals there. The little cafe he has does great fish and chips too.
In Kenmare, avoid the Park Hotel, €9.50 for a cappuccino and a mince pie, ahh Celtic Tiger where are you now?
Seeking Destination Restaurants in Ireland
Cliff House Hotel in Ardmore, Co Waterford is an excellent hotel in a great location on the water with its michelin-starred restaurant a bonus.
Chapter One in Dublin is a Modern Irish gem and their chef's table in the kitchen is a must on a fine dining Irish trip!
What has changed in recent times is the surge in value dining around Dublin and the rest of the country - especially the Michelin Bib Gourmand establishments and the many cafes and pubs upping their food game.
Ballymaloe is an icon in the scene here and if you like the experience of country house hospitality, it's not to be missed. The other hotels in 'the Blue Book' are a treat too with Gregan's Castle in Co Clare and Rathmullen House in Donegal two of my favourites.
Slow running
No problems here in Dublin...but then the good ol' IMF is looking after us now
Herbs and spices in Dublin?
Ahh yes Tesco stalks the land here also. Supermarkets are getting better all the time I find and Superquinn and Marks and Spencer are good here.
For small independents try Fallon&Byrne, Evergreen and Listons in the city. Get Fresh in Rathfarnham has every ingredient under the sun, Cavistons, Mortons, Donnybrook Fair, are good too plus the farmers markets at the weekend.
Dublin Bakery
Cakes and Co in Blackrock will design a cool cake but they know how to charge!
Also, nearer is Valentino Bakery in Grand Canal.
And finally, Google have loads of bakeries!
Eating in Dublin with children
The food scene in Dublin is vibrant and of excellent quality although like anywhere else it has its many faults and I certainly wouldn't be recommending pub lunches. Apart from a few exceptions, they're hopeless.
As well as the restaurant in Bewleys and Elephant and Castle, I would recommend: The Silk Road Cafe in the Chester Beatty Library, Avoca Cafe on Suffolk St, Simon's Place for sandwiches, Dunne & Crescenzi for decent italian food and coffee, Odessa's brunch, Gourmet burger kitchen (2 in Dublin 2),Green Nineteen on Camden St near another good choice the Cake Cafe,the cafes in the 'Italian Quarter' on the north quays. Also, a new pop-up restaurant Crackbird on Crane Lane which kids should enjoy - kind of upscale KFC with louder music! There's more, certainly in the suburbs inc the weekend markets esp Dun Laoghaire, any decent guidebook will help you out.
Dublin Foodies to the rescue - thanks in advance
Hi, Rathgar has Bijou which is lovely; or Eatery 120 and the Wild Goose Grill are both good and near the Triangle in Ranelagh.
www.thewildgoosegrill.ie/
www.bijourathgar.ie
www.eatery120.ie/
I'd recommend them all, it's really down to personal taste which one you'd prefer.
Dillingers and the Butcher Grill both in Ranelagh are more casual but both good also.
Ireland
Don't know much about B&Bs but from my limited experience they vary from hopeless to excellent, so take time to research your options. What about self catering if there's a few of you? there's some good deals out there and you can buy some of our beautiful ingredients and do your own thing too.
For a 20 day trip why not break it into two or three - staying in Cork city, West Cork and Dingle itself. It would take hours to drive between these places otherwise.
Cork city is small and very manageable with fine foodie spots like the English Market, Cafe Paradiso, Crawford Gallery. And a drive out to Ballymaloe House Hotel, visiting the distillery at Midleton the same day. I love rural west Cork - try Baltimore, Schull, have a google and see what takes your fancy, west cork is full of great little cafes and pubs and excellent artisan food producers you can visit.
Dingle and its peninsula is a world of its own! Stunning scenery and the Blasket Islands to visit too, great pubs and restaurants in Dingle (An Canteen, Out of the Blue, The Chart House, Dick Macs pub), although not cheap you generally get 'country' portions. So jealous, Enjoy!
Dublin
Well if you're not on a budget, the best foodie destination has to be the new 'chef's table' at Chapter One. We call it modern Irish but may be too 'french' for you.
Also, The Cliff Town House is newly opened in a lovely building on stephens green. There are more, problem is that anything high-end is generally Michelin-starred, classical and french inspired.
The Pig's Ear is a great choice, modern Irish and definitely french in technique and inspiration.
For more casual stuff, L Mulligan in stoneybatter and Juniors in Sandymount are very popular with the Dubs at the moment, the recently opened Butcher Grill in Ranelagh is great; these aren't quite city centre but near enough.
In the city, Fallon & Byrne for their downstairs wine bar, Avoca cafe for the scones, the cafe on top floor of Brown Thomas dept store does a pretty good Irish breakfast, i always tell visitors to see the Merrion Hotel, lovely building and traditional Irish done really well in the Cellar Bar. Bon Crubeen on Talbot St is new, a friend was there at the weekend and raved about it.
I wouldn't bother with Millstone, you won't find one Irish person in it - popular with American tourists :)
Check out these places' websites and shout if you need more advice.
Dublin - vegetarian friendly suggestions
Denis Cotter of the all-vegetarian Cafe Paradiso in Cork provides the veggie options for Dillingers in Ranelagh(near the centre of Dublin) so that has to be a must. Also, for the special night out you can't beat Pearl Brasserie and their excellent vegetarian options.
Dublin: Need recs for 3 dinners & 3 lunches
Well patricko has given you a great rundown of the good places in town and i agree with them all!
So here are a few good pubs: Davy Byrnes, The Stags Head and The Long Hall for the traditional and for modern try The Market bar, Hogans and the No Name near it(look out for doormen at an unmarked doorway) for a trendy, 'of the moment' place.
CORK, IRELAND: Best places to shop for food / eat for a student @ UC CORK!
Well, i'm not a local as I live in Dublin but the best place to shop for food in Cork, if not the entire country, is the English Market. The cheapest places for a student are probably the discount retailers. Two very different experiences :)
Am afraid I don't know the scene well enough to recommend cheap eats although there are good casual places (ie sandwiches) in the market and the farmgate cafe upstairs isnt expensive and has great Irish grub.
Cork City, Ireland - Dinner Options
Serious flooding in the city has knocked out a few restaurants most notably Cafe Paradiso which is a real pity and maybe your hotel! A friend recommended Les Gourmandises for formal french but i always went to cafe paradiso when visiting - hope it recovers! And i think Augustines closed down recently.
Dublin dining near Abbey Theatre
Ahh yes coming close to christmas there! For convenience to the Abbey try out the Winding Stair for modern irish on the quays or for casual italian the 'italian quarter' on blooms lane off ormond quay, there's an enoteca there cant remember its name. Both are a short stroll to the theatre.
Harwood Arms, London
Thanks to everyone here who have recommended the Harwood. On a flying visit to London to visit the brother who lives nearby and never heard of it, we had to try it. As our table was delayed and not ready for us, we happily ordered drinks at the bar to wait a while. We asked someone if we could hang our coats up, only to be told they don't have anywhere, mmm funny, but we drank on with our overcoats on our laps. We ordered the venison chipolatas from the very appetizing bar menu as a nibble while we waited but were too busy nattering to notice that they never materialised. Shown to our table and ordered our food. Oops, after a few minutes we have no more venison special, never mind we said, lets have something else. Few mins later, thats off too. Ok we'll choose x, come back again, sorry we just gave out the last starter special. Not to worry, is our wine on the way? O yes, i'll get it now. Five mins later: That's not what we ordered but we'll have it anyway. Smashing affordable wine list with great tasting notes too. Oh and here come the venison chipolatas: someone doesn't want them, do you? Absolutely! They were delicious. Our partridge platter for two starter arrived and blew us away. Cooked five ways, it easily matched anything done in a fine dining restaurant and bettered lots that i've tasted. The partridge tea sang, the little kiev breast was crispy on the outside, moist and flavoured inside with marjoram butter, great little retro idea. Rissoles on liquorice, confit leg and an exquisite moose. Little chunks of pickled pear and celeriac coleslaw sat alongside on the wooden platter to cut through all that richness. What a piece of craftsmanship, an ode to autumn of a different kind!
My main of braised mutton was meltingly soft and unctous on a bed of purple sprouting peppered with caperberries (the big ones) a great idea, again giving balance we thought to the rich meat. And to cap it all, the so friendly staff arranged a platter of all the deserts for us by way of apology for messing up our orders. What delights on that plate! The last of the season scottish raspberries with buttermilk pudding was a stunner and the bourbon biscuits brought us right back to childhood. Couldn't fault anything. The service was off last Saturday but the dumb waiter lift was broken and confusion reigned. Happily we took everything well and this was rewarded by the charming staff who thanked us for our good humoured patience and comped the bar drinks and the desert plate. We had a memorable night, one of the best meals in a looong time. Go here if you haven't already. Bring your british-and-irish-food-doubting friends. Not a tomato, asparagus or red pepper in sight. The menu oozes autumn and winter: chestnuts, cauliflower, berkshire ceps, partridge, fallow deer, apples, pear, squash, parsnip, pheasant, ginger, quince. This is what the food of these islands can achieve. The Harwood Arms is a gem. Shout it from the rooftops.
HELP ME CHOOSE IN DUBLIN
If you want more fine dining, definitely go to Thorntons and i would prefer Pearl Brasserie over Peploe's (ask for a booth at Pearl). Bang is what i would call modern bistro and done very well, one of the places to be seen in the city, although i haven't been in ages. Other more accessible places price wise are La maison, Pichet and Chez Max. All part of the new bistro scene offering value using more interesting (and very irish) ingredients such as ham hock, mackerel, good beef etc
HELP ME CHOOSE IN DUBLIN
You have excellent choices there - Chapter One is a well-loved institution here and should be done then I'd nominate the Winding Stair as its food is more modern irish. The Cellar bar in the Merrion Hotel for a lunch with traditional irish menu and take a walk thru the public area in the hotel too, great irish art, a particularly irish place in a historic building. Check out Bentley's oyster bar and grill too - celebrity chef with a great food philosophy, lovely irish seafood. Avoca Cafe on suffolk st for tea and scones, downstairs in Fallon &Byrne for a glass of wine and cheese plate, saturday morning food market in temple bar and don't miss the old Dublin pubs - McDaids beside your hotel being the first, others are the Stags Head or the Long Hall. And a stroll along Grafton St, under its Christmas lights, back to your hotel, magic.
Staying at Dromoland Castle in Ireland, need great restaurant recs near there
Haven't heard of any! Unless there's some undiscovered gem in Newmarket or even Ennis that the hotel can point you towards. Dromoland is a fine place but out of the way a bit.
Dublin lunch and dinner tips?
The Porterhouse is I think the only brew-pub in Dublin - great Oyster stout!
The other suggestions here are good (esp Vaughans in Terenure)- do a trip to Howth or Dun laoghaire on a fine day. Also Avoca Cafe has an irish slant but trying to get something you can't find in New York will be difficult if not impossible.
Ireland: Bellina & Ennis
Check out The Ice House hotel in Ballina, haven't been but heard great things from friends who stayed there in May and it recently won a regional Best restaurant award.
Ireland and Northern Ireland Good Eats Recommedations
Thanks for the tips, a few i hadn't heard of and must get to Dingle to try An Canteen. Loved your quip about the misplaced apostrophe's!
Need experienced advice Dublin restaurant 40th birthday, coming from Chicago
All those places are very good.
I would say that the new bistro scene (Louie's and Pichet amongst others) although great is not special enough for you.
I suggest my favourite Pearl Brasserie around the corner from the Shelbourne as the place. The decor is lovely, the food is excellent, the atmosphere friendly. Cocktail at the bar before dinner and pint of Guiness after in Doheny&Nesbitt up the road. You have to ask for a booth for your dinner - they are probably the most romantic tables in Ireland.
check out the gallery on their website http://www.pearl-brasserie.com/gallery.htm
and
http://www.ireland-guide.com/award/restaurant_of_the_year_2009.1800.html
Best Midrange in Dublin?
Check out Green Nineteen, Gruel, Fallon & Byrne, The Cake Cafe, Avoca Cafe, Juniors, Gourmet Burger Kitchen, Sheeben Chic, Cafe Fresh: they're all good, green nineteen and gruel being my favourites, use google.ie for your searches. It's hard to limit yourself in Dublin to 'Modern Irish', most are Mediterranean or Asian or Irish/British, maybe even in the same menu! Also, check out cheapeats.ie
