Unsurprisingly, there’s a lot more to Dublin’s restaurant scene than Irish pubs and a pint of Guinness. As cosmopolitan and eclectic as any major city, there are few cuisines you can’t track down on these streets. And therein lies the stickiest of dining problems.
In a world – or city – full of fantastic options, where on earth will you eat without feeling the sinking pit of FOMO hit your stomach as you hit the ‘gram and see far tastier looking plates just a street away?
Thankfully, we’ve got you covered. From the best vegan restaurants in Dublin to the tastiest steakhouse. We’ve lined up a Chinese and Indian too – to keep things global. And, of course, we’ve found eateries that are doing devilishly decadent things with Irish produce too. Tuck in…
Breakfast
City break breakfasts fall into two categories. All-in feasts that tide you over ’til dinner or snack-and-go options that get you off and exploring without the lengthy post breakfast food hangover.
We’ve rounded up Dublin’s best breakfast venues that’ll keep your options open – and ensure you’re well-fed, whatever your plans.
Urbanity
If you can’t even face breakfast before you’ve had your morning coffee, skip along to Urbanity in Smithfield.
They roast their beans in small batches and coffee is their speciality – so you’re not going to be facing anything approaching a bleak and watery blend here. But they’re not just slinging the slickest beans. The menu’s chockfull of seasonal produce, chef’s specials and it’s all set in a Scandi inspired cafe that’s industrial but welcoming.
Breakfast is served until noon – a trio of options that’s appetising enough – but we’re all about Urbanity’s all-day breakfasts. An ever changing feast of a menu that’ll have foodies salivating. Expect sourdough, organic eggs and homemade granola to not just tick those buzzword boxes but run rampant on your tastebuds too.
It’s A Trap
Being vegan in Dublin is a whole lot easier thanks to It’s A Trap.
A cafe and shop in one location means you can drop in for a latte or hot chocolate and grab some snacks for your day in the city. The menu’s pretty simple – the best ones usually are – think toasties, cakes, wraps and pastries. That said, the monster breakfast burrito is a winner if you’re in need of something more robust.
The Vanilla Pod
There’s really only one place to go in Dublin for a Full Irish – and that’s The Vanilla Pod. Though, the very extensive breakfast menu may well see you plumping for something else instead.
Bacon laden French toast, fluffy buttermilk scones and the flakiest hot croissants will all be assaulting your senses with a dopamine hit that only the freshest waft of home baked goods can bring. Survive the carb temptation and your Full Irish will come fully loaded with egg, bacon, sausages, black and white Pudding, mushrooms, tomato and toast. There’s nothing Dublin can throw at you that you can’t handle after devouring this monster of a breakfast.
Lunch
If you’ve been rummaging around in Dublin’s best bits since dawn, your weary legs will be after a nice sit down and some fuel to see them through until dinner. Yes, you could grab a sandwich and plough on to your next destination, but how will that planned whiskey tour of Dublin play out if you’ve not lined your stomach beforehand?
Drop in to these lunch spots and you’ll be ready to sample the city’s finest – whatever that may be.
Govindas
This is an Indian restaurant in Dublin with a difference. The grab and go style menu is entirely vegetarian – with a more than generous helping of vegan options to tuck in to. Great for any travellers in your party with plant-based leanings, food intolerances or just a craving for some tasty Indian food. We’re a big fan of Govindas for a few reasons.
The meals are reasonably priced – particularly by Dublin standards. For €8 you’ll get a plate packed with rice, dahl and a mix of three of the daily specials. It’s labelled as a ‘small plate’ on the menu – but in reality it’s more than enough for a hearty lunch.
Orbzii tip: Vegan diners – just mention to the staff that you’re vegan and they’ll point out the dishes available on the day. Don’t miss the dessert menu. The cocoa peanut butter cake is the one.
Fade Street Social
The lunch menus at Fade Street Social are small – but perfectly formed. The chefs here love putting Irish produce to good use, often with more than a smidgen of flair and creativity. We’ll trot out the pulled pork croissant as an example.
On paper, that combo just shouldn’t work, but trust us, it does. Menus vary from mid-week to weekends – so time your Dublin trip well if you want to be in with a chance of trying the milk bar crack pie. Which again really does sound dubious. Order it and thank us later. Whenever you visit, get your hands on one of their wood fired sourdough pizzas – their cocktails aren’t a bad shout either.
Xi’an Street Food
The best thing about travelling is breaking the long-established food rules. Cake for breakfast, breakfast for dinner and just about anything you want, wherever you want for lunch. With that in mind, Xi’an Street Food is our goto place for an exotic lunch.
Grab some takeaway noodles and head for a nearby park. Nothing says you’re on holiday more than an authentic bowl of biang biang noodles eaten on a bench. Jolly japes aside, Xi’an is among the top chinese restaurants in Dublin. Watch your food being made to order and rest assured this isn’t an MSG and food colourings kind of place. Real food done well.
Orbzii tip: If you’re planning to explore beyond Dublin, Xian Street Food have restaurants in Galway and Tuam too. Ideal if the menu has left you wanting more.
Dinner
For dinner, well we’d highly recommend nipping to any of the restaurants we steered you towards for lunch. But we’ve also got a couple more recommendations up our foodie sleeves – just in case.
Veginity
This restaurant likes to mix things up. Which makes it a tad difficult to recommend a dish. What we can tell you is that Veginity is one of the few 100% vegan restaurants in Dublin.
What’s more, they’ve bucked the vegan junk food trend and pitched their dishes as street food meets fine dining. Which, for us, had us booking a table straight away. Anyone can pile a Portobello, lettuce and some condiments into a bun – but gourmet vegan cooking is a rare find. Book a table and sample the theme of the month.
Orbzii tip: Sweet tooth? Order some of Veginity’s doughnuts and cakes. Choosing between the strawberry cheesecake flavour donut and the peanut butter and jelly flavour is too tricky – so it’s best to sample both.
Featherblade
If the Dublin restaurant scene has a shining star, many would say it’s Featherblade. A steakhouse that serves a small menu at mid-range prices doesn’t sound groundbreaking. And it isn’t. They simply serve good food at good prices – and sometimes that’s all you want when surrounded by a sea of unfamiliar restaurants and cuisines. It’s also the ideal pit stop on a Dublin stag do. But that’s for another time.
You’ll now realise this isn’t a place to find anything approaching a hipster plate of smashed avo and quinoa. Strictly carnivores only and you’ll really have to be in love with steak to eat here. Even the chips are cooked in beef dripping …
