This post may contain affiliate links wherein I earn a small commission if you purchase or subscribe to a product from one of my links (at no extra cost to you!). Read my full Privacy Policy here.
If there’s one thing I love about visiting a capital city, it’s the food. Dublin is such a great city for any foodie to visit, whether you’re in search of quintessential Irish eats or seeking out unique international dishes and treats.
If you’re visiting Ireland, you’re likely going to transit through Dublin at some point. I highly recommend spending a few full days exploring the sights of the city while also checking out the food scene. Yes, you’ll absolutely want to duck into a few pubs and order up some hearty Beef & Guinness Stew, piping hot fish and chips, or creamy seafood chowder. But it’s also worth noting that Dublin has quite an eclectic food landscape with every type of cuisine imaginable.
Dublin is also incredibly walkable, making it easy to hop around from place to place. You could create your own DIY food tour in areas like The Temple Bar, or take a curated food tour like this one. There’s something for everyone!
Must-Try Restaurants in Dublin
Here is a list of what I think are some must-try restaurants in Dublin, Ireland, along with tasty dishes or items to order at each place.
Bakeology Treats
Website | 43 Meath St, Saint Catherine’s, Dublin, D08 VF76, Ireland
While not serving typical Irish fare, Bakeology is a cute little Argentine bakery located in The Liberties neighborhood of Dublin and they serve the most delicious empanadas! Pick up a couple of jamon and cheese and you won’t regret it. I wish I could eat here daily!
Bakeology also has many different sweets and alfajores cookies to choose from (affectionately nicknamed “alfies”). The double chocolate filled with passion fruit is decadent and delightful.
The Landmark
Website | 1 Kevin Street Lower, Portobello, Dublin, D08 DX2A, Ireland
For me, nothing beats a cozy pub when traveling in the British Isles and The Landmark definitely fits the bill. Their Beef & Guinness stew is worth a visit alone, served piping hot in a hearty bread bowl. You will want to scrape every last bit out of that bread bowl!
And who doesn’t love a good fish and chips meal – especially when you get nice, thick-cut chips. The standout for me is actually their mushy peas, which can be served very bland at most places. Not here! Even though I’m not a fan of green peas, I was surprised to find their mushy peas fully of flavor. I even dipped my chips in them.
Gallagher’s Boxty House
Website | 20-21, Temple Bar, Dublin 2, D02 ET66, Ireland
Boxty, an Irish potato pancake, is a must-try Irish food when visiting Ireland. Made with a combination of shredded raw potato and mashed potatoes, boxty can come in thick patty form or in the case of Gallagher’s, almost crepe-like with delicious, savory toppings piled high.
If you’re a steak lover, you’ve got to try the Gaelic boxty, topped with tender Irish beef fillet, roasted cherry tomatoes, fried onions and a creamy pepper mushroom gravy. If chicken is more your style, the Spice Boxty packs a huge punch of flavor! The Spice Boxty is a take on the Irish Spice Bag and comes topped with crispy fried chicken, peppers, and onions with a bold curry sauce.
I also highly recommend the sticky toffee pudding for something sweet – one of my favorite desserts in the world.
Murphy’s Ice Cream
Website | 27 Wicklow St, Dublin 2, D02 WN51, Ireland
Murphy’s Ice Cream was founded in Dingle but they have several shops on the island, including in Dublin. For something extra Irish, you’ve got to try the Irish brown bread flavor, filled with little bits of caramelized brown bread. And don’t sleep on a scoop of their ultra creamy butterscotch. It’s heavenly.
Murphy’s makes their ice cream with milk exclusively from the rare and indigenous breed of Kerry cow. Their ice cream is top quality and a must-try when in Ireland.
The Fish Shop
Website | 76 Benburb St, Smithfield, Dublin, D07 X3PN, Ireland
Ireland is a fabulous destination for seafood lovers and The Fish Shop in the Smithfield neighborhood of Dublin does an excellent job showcasing a variety of fresh seafood with a lovely curated wine menu.
Start your meal off here with a few small bites reminiscent of Spanish tapas or pintxos. I recommend a couple of Gildas (the OG of Basque pintxos), an order of squid (or crab) on toast, fresh oysters, and the cockles with sherry and chorizo.
For mains, you can’t go wrong with fried fish – either in sandwich or fish and chips form. The batter on the fish and chips is light and well-seasoned and their thick chips are perfect! And they know how to do a good tartar sauce to please mayo-haters like myself.
Do take note that The Fish Shop is a very tiny, cozy spot with maybe 10 to 15 seats total. Reservations are a must, even for lunch.
Coke Lane Pizza
Website | 78 Meath St, The Liberties, Dublin, D08 A318, Ireland
Coke Lane Pizza is slinging delicious Neapolitan-style pizzas in the back of a funky bar called Lucky’s in The Liberties neighborhood. While the loud bar scene at Lucky’s is not my vibe, the pizza is stellar!
For something spicy, I recommend the Luciano – a Margherita pizza with ventricina salami, fresh chilli & chilli-infused Irish honey. The Ryan’s pizza is also a winner, which is a Margherita pizza topped with roast chicken, smoked bacon, rocket, Caesar drizzle, and parmesan. Pizzas are 10″ in size and pretty thin, meaning you can absolutely eat an entire pizza to yourself in one sitting.
Figure out how to work in all these delicious eats with my Ireland itinerary: One-Week Ireland Itinerary for First-Timers
Big Fan
Website | 16 Aungier St, Dublin, D02 X044, Ireland
If you’re looking for a break from pub food and want to experience a different international cuisine, you will definitely want to wander over to Big Fan – a Michelin-recommended modern Chinese restaurant.
Big Fan excels at dumplings and some must-try items here are the wagyu cheeseburger jaozi and the pork snowflake dumplings. I was a little skeptical of a cheeseburger dumpling, but trust me – it works. This is one dish you might want to order multiples of!
And forget chicken wings. Have you ever had duck wings? Think rich duck meat fried until extra crispy with zesty flavors of Chinese-five spice. Get them!
The Cheeky Piglet
Website | Fumbally Square, Fumbally Ln, The Liberties, Dublin 8, Ireland
The Cheeky Piglet in The Liberties neighborhood of Dublin is an amazing spot to experience your first Irish breakfast! Irish breakfast is a must-try when visiting Ireland. Similar to an English breakfast, a full Irish adds in black and white puddings, along with some form of potato. It’s a hearty meal packed with lots of protein!
My Irish breakfast at The Cheeky Piglet consisted of toast, a fried egg, Irish streaky bacon, baked beans, sausages, hash browns, grilled tomato and the most adventurous components of all – black and white pudding. Don’t be afraid to try the puddings – they are actually really delicious.
They also have a tasty Brekkie Bap if that’s more your speed, layered with house-made sausage, bacon, egg, and cheese.
BrewDog Outpost
Website | Three Locks Square, 4, Grand Canal Dock, Dublin 2, D02 E5R7, Ireland
While you won’t find any traditional Irish fare at the BrewDog Outpost, it’s a cool spot located in the Docklands for beer lovers to visit and those who enjoy good brewpub grub. We always like to get their pizzas (the Spicy Meaty is our favorite) and the wings are delicious too! And when the weather is nice, the views from the patio are prime.
Being big craft beer fans, we’re always on the hunt for the best beer when we travel. We visited BrewDog a few times in London as well, so we make it a point to seek out their pubs if there’s one in the area. Their beer is really good and is definitely tailored more to our style (like American IPAs). It’s a great stop when you need a break from drinking Guinness.
Boojum
Website | Multiple Locations
Okay, hear me out. Burritos in Ireland! Burritos probably aren’t on your Irish food bucket list, but there’s nothing that hits like a burrito after a day of sipping Irish whiskey and Guinness. Or, if you’ve spent a long day on a bus tour and just want something quick to take back to your hotel for the evening, a Boojum burrito will hit the spot.
Boojum is essentially the Chipotle of Ireland where you get to choose your rice, beans, meats, and toppings from a burrito bar (bowls are also available). Will it be the best burrito you’ve ever had? Probably not (unless, of course, you’ve never eaten a burrito in California – then I could understand). But it’s most definitely satisfying when you need a handheld meal.
The Morrison
Website | Ormond Quay Lower, North City, Dublin, D01 K5X5, Ireland
The Morrison is on this list specifically for their Gentlemen’s Afternoon Tea offering. It’s so unique! Tailored “more for the guys,” the Gentlemen’s Afternoon Tea features items like savory scones, pork sausage, and steak and beef sliders, accompanied by an ice cold beer.
Of course, anyone can order the Gentlemen’s Tea (not just men) but I appreciate having an option to make dragging your husband along to afternoon tea a lot more appealing!
Hot tea is also offered, along with a few sweet treats like whiskey chocolate truffles and a salted caramel & honeycomb pot.
I have also tried the Fancy Pants Afternoon Tea and I have to say, it wasn’t my favorite. Come here for the Gents Tea instead.
Guinness Open Gate Brewery
Website | 53 James St, St. James’s Gate, Dublin 8, Ireland
Did you know there’s a spot in Dublin where you can get experimental beers made by Guinness? Not only is this fun space made for an exploration of new beers, they also happen to have a pretty fab Guinness, vanilla and caramel panna cotta with honeycomb and berries. I never thought I’d be raving about panna cotta from a taproom, but here I am. It pairs well with beer too!
Baily Bites at Kish (Howth)
Website | d13, 8 W Pier, Howth, Dublin, D13 R7Y5, Ireland
Just outside of Dublin City is the charming little fishing village of Howth, where I 100% recommend you visit if you’re a seafood lover. Stop in to Baily Bites at Kish (my favorite foodie spot in Ireland), which serves the best seafood chowder I’ve ever had! Their chowder is packed with flavor, super creamy, and loaded with chunks of delicious and fresh seafood.
Baily Bites also takes the cake on having some of the best fish & chips in the world – particularly with their smoked hake. Smoked fish introduced us to a whole new flavor profile for fish and chips and the batter was perfectly crisp (not to mention they have delicious chips).
You can also get fresh oysters here as well. When in Ireland, I highly recommend oysters on the half shell and this is just one of the amazing spots to slurp them up!
King Sitric (Howth)
Website | 6 E Pier, Howth, Dublin, D13 F5C6, Ireland
Also in Howth is the popular King Sitric where you can devour gorgeous crab claws swimming in garlic butter. These sweet crab claws are indeed worthy of expanding the waistline for – delicate and rich, complemented well by a plate full of melted garlic butter and a glass of crisp white wine.
Fun Fact: If you’re following in the footsteps Anthony Bourdain, he ate here during his travels to Ireland!
Dublin is surprisingly a great foodie city and there are so many more restaurants and pubs that I’d love to pay a visit to! (Seriously, you should see the amount of pins on my Google map).
Whether it’s to try traditional Irish fare or broaden your horizons with international eats, Dublin has it all. If you’ve been to Dublin before, what restaurants would you suggest adding to this list?
Pin it!
Leave a Reply