Our Favourites
You don’t have to look very far in Ireland for a bit of craic! But Dublin in particular has a fantastic social scene, excellent food and beautiful places to explore.
Here are a selection of places we love….
Everything is saved together in this google map
Dinner
Uno Mas $$$- reservation recommended
Delahunt $$$- reservation recommended
Pichet $$$- reservation recommended
Etto $$- reservation recommended
Mister S $$
The Woolen Mills $$- kid friendly, lunch too!
Pi Georges St $$- kid friendly
Brother Hubbard $$- Capel street- kid friendly
Isabelle’s $$- kid friendly
The Chophouse $$- Kid friendly. Tell them Laura & Paul Doyle sent you!
Lunch / Brunch
l’Gueleton- for people watching
The Pepper Pot, Powerscourt center- for atmosphere
Sophies, The Dean Hotel- great views!
Alma- trendy food, trendy neighborhood
Cinnamon- kid friendly
Queen of Tarts- best for sweet treats, kid friendly
Little Bird, coffee & yoga- vegetarian, kid friendly
Canal Bank Cafe- kid friendly, great for those staying at The Clayton Hotel, Burlington rd.
Pubs
Devitts- live music every night upstairs
Kehoes- great pub grub here too
Hogans- lively, especially on a weekend
Grogans- a traditional locals pub
The Long Hall- established in 1766, an iconic Victorian Dublin pub
McCaffereys at The Barge- large pub, good food and best on a Sunday night or a sunny day.
M.O’Briens- Great for a quick pint for those staying at The Clayton Hotel, Burlington rd.
*worth noting, almost every pub in Dublin is a vibe.
Hotels
If staying in Dublin before/after the wedding. (But here is the info for wedding accommodation.)
The Westbury *****
The Shelbourne *****
Conrad *****
The Alex ****
The Devlin **** just outside centre, in a cool Dublin suberb. Get the LUAS into city centre or 22min walk.
The Clayton, Burlington Rd **** Has parking, great for those of you who rented a car!
Pembroke Townhouse **** Dog friendly
Fun to Visit
St Stephens Green Park- gorgeous city center park with playground
Iveagh Gardens- beautiful city gardens
Kilmainham Gaol- tour must be reserved ahead of time, usually a month wait!
Museums & Galleries
RHA Margadh Restaurant is excellent here.
All permanent collections are free to visit!
Shopping
Grafton Street & surrounding area
Brown Thomas- luxury department store
Georges Street Arcade- Quirky & unique
Irish Design Shop- Contemporary, beautiful Irish designed goods
Kid friendly activities
Viking Splash Tour - A fun tour of the city on land and river in a Viking themed bus boat. Kids love it! Reservation required.
Phoenix park refreshing long walk to look at deer. Bike rental at main entrance.
Lastly, Temple Bar, an iconic neighborhood of cobble stone streets in central Dublin. Locals tend to avoid the touristy mayhem, but a pint at The Palace Bar or a cocktail at The Clarence Hotel is always lovely. Check out the The Library Project, a gorgeous art book store too.
Day Trips just outside Dublin
Powerscourt House & Gardens and Enniskerry Village, Co. Wicklow- You will need a car to drive out here, about a 45min drive. Have lunch in Avoca at Powerscourt and stroll around Enniskerry village after.
Malahide A lovely north Co.Dublin seaside suburb. You can get the DART here from the city centre. Visit Malahide Castle, stroll the picturesque village, have some pub food and a pint in Gibneys.
Howth is a village on the Howth Peninsula, north east of central Dublin. You can get the DART here from the city centre. The Howth cliff walk is spectacular and we recommend lunch at Octopussy or grab a fish & chips at Leo Burdocks. *Would not recommend the cliff walk for small kids, can be narrow & steep.
Dun Laoghaire This coastal suburb of south Dublin is popular for strolls on the East Pier, and locally caught fish and chips. You can take the DART from the city centre to Dun Laoghaire stop. Get a ‘99 ice cream cone’ at Teddy’s, eat at Fish Shack Sandycove or lunch at Bibi’s.
Walking distance from Dun Laoghaire or one DART stop further at Sandycove/Glasthule is The 40ft, a popular spot for sea swimming.
Vico baths Another place to take a dip in the Irish sea surrounded by stunning scenery. Its a popular thing to do in Dublin and highly recommend it during good weather! *It can be choppy here, so take care if not a seasoned swimmer. You can get the DART to Dalkey or drive, but check out Dalkey village while your there. An affluent south Dublin suburb, it’s absolutely beautiful!
Johnnie Foxes A traditional Irish pub in the Dublin mountains that hosts live Irish music, hooley nights and good food. It would require a car to get here but It’s worth the drive for the scenery! Always great atmosphere and fun.
