Must-see restaurants in County Dublin

  • Exterior of Etto, Merrion Row

    Etto

    Dublin

    Award-winning restaurant and wine bar that does contemporary versions of classic Italian cuisine. All the ingredients are fresh, the presentation is…

  • Exterior of Banyi restaurant, Temple Bar

    Banyi Japanese Dining

    Temple Bar

    This compact restaurant in the heart of Temple Bar has arguably the best Japanese cuisine in Dublin. The rolls are divine, and the sushi as good as any…

  • Restaurant Patrick Guilbaud

    Dublin

    This Michelin two-star is understandably considered the best in the country by its devotees, who proclaim Guillaume Lebrun's French haute cuisine the most…

  • Assassination Custard

    Dublin

    It doesn't look like much, but this is one of the tastiest treats in town. The small menu changes daily – think roasted cauliflower with toasted dukkah,…

  • Michael's

    Dublin

    Sure, it's a little bit of a trek from the city centre. But a trip to Michael's is well worth the effort – this is probably the best seafood in the city…

  • Clanbrassil House

    Dublin

    With an emphasis on family-style sharing plates, this intimate restaurant consistently turns out exquisite dishes, cooked on a charcoal grill. Think rib…

  • Da Mimmo's

    Dublin

    The son of the original owners converted what was once a traditional fish-and-chip shop into this sit-down restaurant, now serving some of the best…

  • House

    County Dublin

    A wonderful spot on the main street leading away from the harbour where you can feast on dishes such as squash and potato gnocchi or wild Wicklow venison…

  • The setting inside Coburg Brasserie

    Coburg Brasserie

    Dublin

    The French-inspired, seafood-leaning cuisine at this revamped hotel brasserie puts the emphasis on shellfish: the all-day menu offers oysters, mussels and…

  • Farmer Brown's

    Dublin

    The hicky-chic decor and mismatched furniture won't be to everyone's liking, but there's no disagreement about the food, which makes this spot our choice…

  • Juniors Deli & Cafe

    Dublin

    Cramped and easily mistaken for any old cafe, Juniors is hardly ordinary. Designed to imitate a New York deli, the food (Italian-influenced, all locally…

  • Manifesto

    Dublin

    A table at this tiny Italian joint, which has a loyal legion of fans, is worth the wait. Pizzas are expertly charred with carefully curated toppings like…

  • Select Stores

    County Dublin

    This long-established food emporium has been transformed into a one-stop shop for all things good for you: the award-winning kitchen rolls out veggie…

  • Dillingers' American-style diner interior

    Dillinger's

    Dublin

    This trendy American-style diner is small, so expect a wait if you want to go for the (excellent) weekend brunch. It’s worth it just to taste the amazing…

  • Legit facade

    Legit Coffee Co

    Dublin

    A rare trendy spot in the middle of one of Dublin’s most traditional streets, Legit is full of stripped-down wood, speciality teas and strong espressos. A…

  • Bunsen

    Temple Bar

    The tag line says Straight Up Burgers, but Bunsen serves only the tastiest, most succulent lumps of prime beef cooked to perfection and served between two…

  • Kinara

    Dublin

    Connoisseurs of the various cuisines of South Asia can distinguish between Indian and Pakistani fare; this exceptional restaurant specialising in the…

  • Chameleon

    Temple Bar

    Friendly and full of character, Chameleon is draped in exotic fabrics and serves renditions of Indonesian classics such as satay, gado gado and nasi…

  • Greedy Goose

    County Dublin

    The menu at this pleasant restaurant overlooking the marina has dishes from all over the globe: take your pick from Thai crab cakes, chana masala, wild…

  • Unicorn

    Dublin

    Saturday lunch at this Italian restaurant in a laneway off Merrion Row is a tradition for Dublin’s media types, socialites, politicos and their cronies…

  • Chophouse

    Dublin

    This fine sprawling bar is a terrific gastropub where the focus is on juicy cuts of steak, but reluctant carnivores also have a choice of fish, chicken or…

  • Elephant & Castle

    Temple Bar

    If it’s massive New York–style sandwiches or sticky chicken wings you’re after, this bustling upmarket diner – a long-time presence in Temple Bar – is…

  • Butcher Grill

    Dublin

    No surprise that this terrific spot specialises in meat, which is locally sourced and cooked to perfection in its wood-smoked grill. From venison to a…

  • Ely Wine Bar

    Dublin

    Scrummy organic burgers, nine-hour braised beef cheek and perfectly charred steaks are all on the menu in this basement restaurant. Meals are prepared…

  • Stella Diner

    Dublin

    Unsurprisingly, American comfort food is at the heart of this stylish spot, where diners tuck into hot dogs and burgers from red-leather booths. If you…

  • Magpie Inn

    County Dublin

    The main strength of the excellent menu here is, obviously, seafood, including a range of mouth-watering lunch options such as fresh Galway mussels…

  • Cleaver East

    Temple Bar

    Michelin-starred chef Oliver Dunne has brought his cooking chops to bear in Cleaver East, where the decor (think New York brasserie but with cleavers…

  • Paulie's Pizza

    Dublin

    At the heart of this lovely, occasionally boisterous restaurant is a Neapolitan pizza oven, used to create some of the best pizzas in town. Margheritas,…

  • Al Vesuvio

    Temple Bar

    Pizzas – with (rosse) or without (bianche) cheese – and pastas are the speciality at this vaulted basement restaurant that is like a rustic piece of the…

  • Gaillot et Gray

    Dublin

    Mon dieu, a French pizzeria? Gilles Gaillot and his wife Emma Gray have combined the forces of Emmental cheese and pizza (biscuit-thin sourdough bases) to…

  • Fumbally

    Dublin

    A bright, airy warehouse cafe that serves healthy breakfasts, salads and sandwiches – while the occasional guitarist strums away in the corner. Its…

  • Angler’s Rest

    Dublin

    This lovely pub in the Strawberry Beds, 6km west of the city centre in forested countryside, has a decent menu of bar food specialising in seafood – fish…

  • Queen of Tarts

    Temple Bar

    This cute little cake shop does a fine line in tarts, meringues, crumbles, cookies and brownies, not to mention a decent breakfast: the smoked bacon and…

  • Roberta's

    Temple Bar

    Inside this austere-looking protected building lies a beautiful red-brick restaurant with some of the most atmospheric views you can get in Dublin while…

  • Klaw

    Temple Bar

    There's nothing sophisticated about this crab-shack-style place except the food: Irish oysters served naked, dressed or torched; Lambay Island crab claws…

  • Ely Bar & Grill

    Dublin

    Scrummy homemade burgers, bangers and mash, and perfectly charred steaks are some of the meals served in this converted tobacco warehouse in the…

  • Oar House

    County Dublin

    A feast-o-fish – of the locally caught variety – is what the menu is all about at this restaurant. While this might be par for the course in a fishing…

  • 1837 Bar & Brasserie

    Dublin

    This lunchtime brasserie serves tasty dishes, from really fresh oysters to an insanely good Guinness burger, with skin-on fries and red-onion chutney. The…

  • Dax

    Dublin

    Olivier Meisonnave's posh-rustic basement restaurant, named after his hometown north of Biarritz, is popular with serious foodies. They come for the…

  • Little Mike's

    Dublin

    At Little Mike's, opened in 2019, you can sit at the counter for a few glasses of wine and some smaller plates of the seafood that Michael's, its sister…