The Dublin 100 Guide

01-12

Breakfast

01
The Place To Meet Your Artsy Mate Who Also Happens To Be An Early Bird 

The Fumbally
The Liberties

An OG breakfast meets brunch meets lunch spot, The Fumbally opened in 2012 and served as a post recession beacon of hope that quickly became a cornerstone of the city, and may have been solely responsible for regenerating the area. Luca and Aisling judiciously spread the message to the people of Ireland that yes, we too can have ethereal spaces where anything is possible. They run a circular kitchen meaning no single chef is the boss and all have the chance to collaborate creatively. Ethos is at the core here with all bread baked in house along with their penchant for fermentation. Fuel up on Tuscan beans before taking a yoga class next door in the Fumbally Stables. Go here to feel something. 

Order: The Tuscan Beans – €14.50

02
The Old Reliable When You’re Too Hungover To Find The Hottest New Brunch Spot

Brother Hubbard
Ranelagh, South Circular Road, Arnotts, and Capel Street

Similar to The Fumbally above, Brother Hubbard have been on the scene since 2012 and have gone from strength to strength from their humble beginnings, and had a strong hand in regenerating Capel Street. Inspired by the Middle East, you’ll find classic warming breakfast dishes like Turkish Eggs Menemen, Pulled Pork Benedict, seasonal vegan plates, and Middle Eastern inspired granolas. Their coffee and treat game is strong too so be sure to grab a Cinnamon & Walnut Scroll to go on the way out. 

Order: The Turkish Eggs Menemen – €14.95

03
The Spot For The Brunch Averse Friend

Alma
Portobello

There is always one person in the group who claims that they’re not super into brunch, and usually this just means they haven’t yet been introduced to Alma. Alma is a family run Portobello spot doing local Irish produce with Argentinian flavours, and once the Dulce De Leche pancakes hit that table all that “I’ll just have coffee” carry on tends to evaporate fairly quickly. Even the sensible orders are dangerous here: Harissa Eggs, Choripan Argento, Ragu on Toast, all of it with a kind of confidence that makes you immediately start eyeing up everyone’s plate. Bring your brunch naysayer mates here, Alma’s guaranteed to turn them into brunch fiends.

Order: Dulce de Leche Pancakes and a flat white, then keep your fork close – €18.50

04
The Place To Go For A Blissful Brunch In The Sun

Slice
Stoneybatter

Stoneybatter must be on some sort of beatnik fault line, attracting the coolest cats from near and far. And with cool people, come great brunch spots. And tell us folks, is there anything better than brunch in the sun? Located on Manor Place, just off Manor Street, Slice’s outdoor seating is in the most perfect afternoon sun trap – when the sun decides to shine that is. It also helps that their food is banging, and their coffee is some of the best in the area. Be sure to pick up a sweet treat on the way out, you can thank us later. 

Order: Spiced Irish Sausage Scramble – €15.50

05
The Breakfast Spot When You’re Not A Breakfast Person But Are A Caffeine Person

Brew Lab
Aungier Street

Brew Lab isn’t your average coffee shop – it’s a playground for people who take their beans seriously. A mecca for coffee nerds if you will. They are the professors and we are their diligent bean pupils. Led by coffee sweethearts Arvind and Renata, Brewlab is their caffeinated emporium that they finally opened after competing in countless coffee competitions for Ireland. With two different stations dedicated to each espresso and filter, Brew Lab offers countless options at each bar serving up to 16 different varieties of coffee at a time. Wowza. Put that in your portafilter and brew it. 

Order: Try their Paragon brew for a real deal experience – €15

06
The Place To Go When You Need Your Brunch Spot To Not Be Super Brunchy

Two Boys Brew
Phibsborough

Let’s be honest, brunch at times can be overrated. In some places it feel like a swizz, the chefs are as hungover as you, and Anthony Bourdain has declared Hollandaise sauce to be lethal, and not in a Dublin kind of way. Luckily, Two Boys Brew is a cafe first and foremost (it’s in the name), that happens to do really great breakfast and brunch. Inspired by the cafe scene in Melbourne, Kevin Roche and Taurean Coughlan brought the Australian dream to Phibsborough way back in 2016 and have enjoyed unwavering success ever since. It’s perpetually busy, for a good reason. Come for the coffee, stay for the food.

Order: Avo Toast – €16

07
The Place To Go When You Need The Scandi Vibes To Be As Fresh As The Bagels

Volume[s]
George’s Quay

Recently opened right by Tara Street Station, Volume[s] is a space crafted around design, food, coffee and community. Opened by the team behind As One coffee shop, this is quickly becoming the best bagel spot in the city. Their house made scallion cream cheese with candied bacon bagel will knock any glimmer of hangover you had right out of you. Also on the menu is another nod to NYC with their take on a BEC (that’s bacon, egg, and cheese to you). The vibes are immaculate, and their coffee is just as good as the food, which they take very seriously indeed.

Order: Tomato & Chilli Crisp Bagel – €12

08
The Place To Go For The Most Heart Warming Breakkie With Unmatched Views

Happy Out x Together:Academy
Dún Laoghaire

Set in the iconic Dún Laoghaire Baths building, Happy Out works with Together Academy – a social enterprise that provides young adults with Down syndrome to get certified training, and hands on work experience. It’s the most heart warming little café because of this and the building is practically inches from the sea, meaning that in nice weather, a seat outside is one of the most coveted in the county. For breakfast they serve up the usual suspects like granola, porridge, avocado on toast, along with a pretty decent toastie selection. Get your arse on the DART and go here if you need cheering up, or if the weather is a cracker. 

Order: Breakfast Bap with Black Pudding – €10.50

09 
The Place To Go When You Want To Cosplay Being A Dublin 8 Resident

Bibi’s
Portobello

Bibi’s is one of those places that can have you briefly reconsidering your entire personality. Like maybe you should start buying high-end trendy olive oil with, keep flowers in jam jars, or have people over for espressos instead of pints. Bibi’s call their fare neighbourhood food, which sounds harmless until you realise it’s actually one of the more persuasive lifestyle arguments in the city. The Turkish Eggs v Squash Eggs debate has basically become Dublin brunch lore at this stage, with loyalists on both sides willing to argue their case like it’s county rivalry. Sixteen years on and people are still deeply committed to their order, which says enough.

Order: The Turkish Eggs – €15.50

10
The Place To Go When You’ve Woken Up On The Wrong Side Of The Bed And Have A Big Grumpy Head On Ya

Two Pups
Francis Street & Fairview

There are mornings when coffee alone is simply not going to save you, and that’s where Two Pups earns it keep. The Fairview menu is full of breakfast items that will actively get you back on speaking terms with the day. Think Breakfast Burritos, Egg Buns, Miso Butter Eggs on Toast, Porridge, and Hash Browns with enough sauce and carry on to make a bad morning feel reversible. The coffee is still banging, but this is very much a breakfast place first.

Order: The Breakfast Burrito and Chipotle Bacon Hash Browns if you’re in a heap – €19.90

11
The Place To Go For The OG Irish Breakfast In Dublin

Brendan’s
Mary’s Lane

Brendan O’Brien opened this now legendary café on the corner of Mary’s Lane and George’s Hill in 1985, back when the market across the road was properly heaving. The city has changed, the market has changed, the price of everything has changed, but Brendan is still doing old reliables: Full Irish Breakfasts in small, medium, or large, market veg where possible, and a sausage sandwich on batch bread that tastes like the Dublin your dad always bangs on about. None of that fancy brunch shite, just a proper old school feed in a space that has zero interest in avocados. Brendan’s is a cornerstone of the city and a full on religious experience.

Order: The Large Breakfast with a pot of builder’s tea – €15.00

12
The Breakfast Spot for True Food Nerds

Vada
Stoneybatter

This buzzy little café on North Brunswick street where Stoneybatter, Smithfield, and Grangegorman all collide, started its life as a breakfast-meets-lunch spot with queues snaking around the corner. Owners Sarah Boland and Hannah O’Donnell came from Ballymaloe and Kai respectively, bringing serious skills to the table. With a strong focus on seasonal, inventive dishes and a zero waste approach to food, they found themselves on the Michelin Guide less than six months after they started to serve evening meals.

For breakfast, you’ll always find their morning bowl, breakfast sandwich, and mushroom toast, plus rotating monthly specials. In the past we’ve seen Brunch Tacos, Dillisk Donut Eggs Benedict, and Pickled Mussels on Toast. Their sweet treat game is on fire (Gochujang Caramel Cookie Sambo anyone?) as is their Roasted Brown coffee.

Order: The Breakfast Sandwich – €15

21-40

Lunch

21
The Place To Go When You Pull A Ferris Bueller From Work

Assassination Custard
Kevin Street Lower

This tiny restaurant that refuses to open for dinner has reached legendary status. It’s elusive, it’s unpolished, and completely on their own terms, which is quite frankly, the definition of restaurant punk rock in our books. Their hand-written menu changes daily depending on what produce they can get their hands on, which is the way restaurants should be. The whole cooking-the-same-dishes-year-in year-out is a crazy concept. I digress. 

Assassination Custard is the type of place where if you work normal banking hours, like most people in the modern world, you’ll need to pull a full blown Ferris Bueller from work. Fuck it, make a day out of it, visit the Wax Museum after, or take a trip on the Viking Splash. 

Live a little. 

Order: The whole menu if you can

22
The Place To Go When You Don’t Mind Queuing With The Rest Of Dublin

Bambino
Stephen Street Lower

Never have we ever seen anything like Bambino in this little old town we call home. It’s been open for (at the time of writing) almost four years now, and the queues still haven’t died down. Dublin is one to get on a trend (remember how ubiquitous burritos were circa 2010? And how can we forget the doughnut bubble?) and we are currently going through our pizza slice era. The oh-so-hip pizza paradise is polarising for Dubliners, but you’ve got to admit, they do a good slice, when you finally get to the top of the queue. 

Order: The Hot Pep – €6.50

23
The Place To Go For An Actual Decent Roast – Carverys, Be Gone!

Caribou
Stephen Street Lower

When the people behind Bonobo and Kodiak took over the former beloved P’Macs space, people were devastated, but quickly forgot about it once Caribou moved in. Sure, we were expecting the cocktails to be fire, and the beer to be crafty, but we never expected their food to be that good. On the weekends, they offer a couple of options for their roast, with their flagship McLoughlin’s beef that comes with all the trimmings. We’re talking miso glazed carrots, mash, roasties, stuffing, tenderstem broccoli, celeriac puree, Guinness gravy, and Yorkshire puddings. Their veggie version subs out beef for celeriac steak, and they have a rotating third option.

If roasts aren’t your buzz, their other menu items are insanely good. Their Nashville Chicken Burger is one of the best chicken burgers in the city. Honestly everything these guys put out is solid. There are no reservations, so be prepared to have a back up plan if they’re full.

Order: McLoughlin’s Beef Roast – €28

24
The Place To Go When You Need To Be Enveloped By Focaccia

Amuri by Day
Chatham Row

Amuri by Day is the sister deli of Amuri Restaurant that lies above them, who serve traditional Sicilian street food in their quaint little cafe on Chatham Row. They whip up some of the best sandwiches in the city, and their signature focaccia with mortadella, straciatella, pistachio sauce, and scamorza is a sight to behold. Not limited to sambos, they also serve buttery pastries, cannoli, cheeses, cured meats, and probably the best arancini in the city. Make it your business to go here for lunch.

Order: The Mortadella – €13

25
The Place To When You Need The Sunday Of All Sundays

Mamó
Howth

Howth is a beaut – especially when the the grian is ag taitneamh. When this rarity occurs, hop on the DART to have the Sunday of all Sundays. Go for a dip! Do the cliff walk! Do neither! Drink Pints! But to complete the Sunday of dreams, make sure you head to Mamó. Open for lunch and dinner on Sundays, be sure to order the cod chip, and for the rest – let Jess the wonderful co-owner guide you through the menu. You can thank us later.

Order: The Cod Chip – €9, and whatever else Jess recommends

26
The Place To Go When All You Want Is A NYC Bodega Sambo But The Orange Mussolini Is Giving You The Travel Ick

Pig & Heifer
Pearse Street

Pig & Heifer have been feeding Dubliners since 1996 – which, in hospitality years, is basically forever – a true modern-day miracle in this climate. Inspired by proper New York Delis, this place has a perpetual lunch time queue which is no wonder as it’s probably the closest thing we have to Katz Deli on these shores. It’s brash, it’s loud, and has enough energy to shake up your lunch chakras. Their sambos are hearty, filling, and delicious, and pretty much what lunch dreams are made of. The type of sandwich that will scratch the itch when you miss the New York City food scene, but yer man with the horrendous wig and terrible disposition is giving you the travel ick.

Order: The New York Reuben – €9.95

27
The Place To Go When You Need A Stark Reminder That Irish Produce Is The GOAT

Tír Deli 
Hatch Street Upper

If you’re looking for a sandwich stuffed with the top tier (not even going to remotely apologise for that one) ingredients this country has to offer, Tír Deli on Hatch Street is yer man. They take food sourcing and supplier relationships to the next level, with a focus on three things: nature, culture, and flavour.

Self proclaimed sandwich scholars, there are no wrong answers on their menu. But, if you were to ask us, we love The Beef, with smoke roasted wagyu beef (off to a great start here folks), red onion jam, cheddar, horseradish mayo, salt and vinegar crisps, on toasted bread from Oak Smoke Bakery. Tír is not just a sandwich shop, it’s an Irish produce fever dream – the kind of place you go when you want to be fed properly and reminded why our ingredients hit different.

Order: The Beef – €11.75

28
The Place That’s Worth The Pilgrimage

La Cocina Cuevas
The Naul

Sometimes you just need to jump in your car and head out of the city, yano, to get away from it all and ”touch grass” as they say. And what better excuse for a spontaneous trip than the quest for delicious eats. La Cocina Cuevas is the último taco trail. If you tried telling anyone not from Dublin that some of, if not the, best Californian-Mexican tacos can be found in North County Dublin just shy of the Meath border, directly off a narrow regional road, and oh yeah on a farm, they would think it to be some sort of hoax. But a hoax it is not. La Cocina Cuevas is the prize at the end of a voyage and the experience so wholesome and uniquely Dublin that you’d swear it was like going to Lourdes or climbing Croke Patrick. This particular expedition is for people who worship food in all its forms, no matter how far you need to travel.

Order: Baja Style Prawn Tacos – €14

29
The Place To Go When You’re Hanging Out Of Your Arse And Need The Ultimate Cure

Bunsen
Temple Bar, Dame Street, South Anne Street, Wexford Street, Baggot St Upper, Phibsborough, Ranelagh…

There is nothing more comforting than a well made cheeseburger. A pillowly bun, gooey cheese, a juicy beef patty, zingy pickles, and a creamy burger sauce. Ooooh baby. And Bunsen cook up some of the best in the city. With locations all over the place, it’s likely you’re not too far from one. So when you’re absolutely hanging out of your arse on a work day, Bunsen is the ultimate treat lunch that will melt your hangover blues away with each bite.

Order: Cheeseburger and Shoe String Fries – €15.40

30
The Place To Go When You’re Hanging Out Of Your Arse But Also A Vegan

The Saucy Cow
Temple Bar

There comes a time when perhaps you had a few too many pinteens the night before and have a bit of a sore head, and you are vegan. The only thing that you need in these moments is something filling, delicious AF, and propa greasy to set you straight. Down the cobbled Crane Lane in Temple Bar – you know the one that has the permanent Merry Christmas signage – you’ll find the vegan mecca of Dublin otherwise known as The Saucy Cow. Roisin Lalor’s elevated junk food menu will sort you right out. Top tip – bring a few pals so you can order a rake of their fun sides.

Order: The Buckfast BBQ Burger & Salt and Chilli Hashbrowns – €25.70

31 
The Place To Go For The Most Unassuming Slash Best Sunday Lunch In The City

Margadh RHA
Ely Place

Look, we’ve always loved Margadh RHA. From the funky setting in the art gallery right up to their consistently killer tasting menus. But as soon as Cathal Leonard, ex head chef of Potager in Skerries joined the team, it gave us an excuse to dine again. On Sundays they do a set menu for €54, and for mains there’s generally a fish plate and some sort of larger roast for two to share. If you are looking for a lazy Sunday lunch where you go all out and treat yourself, this is the place folks, this is the place.

Order: The Sunday set menu with a glass of Barbera Superiore – €67

32
The Place To Go When Only A Hot Bowl Of Ramen Can Undo What The Weather Has Done

Nomo
Charlotte Way

There are days in Dublin when you come in off the street feeling half-drowned and personally attacked by the weather. It’s on those days that Nomo makes immediate emotional sense. Their whole thing is ramen: rich chicken broths, vegan bowls, crispy karaage, and buns, all done with the kind of care that earns silence at the table for the first few minutes. The OG bowl starts with a creamy chicken broth simmered for eight plus hours, and even the vegan options are taken seriously, rather than treated like a side quest. It’s walk-ins only, which somehow suits the mood. You don’t really plan a trip to Nomo. You end up there because life has pushed you in the direction of noodles.

Order: The OG Ramen – €17.50

33
The Place That’s So Good They Named It Twice

Dosa Dosa
Rialto & Grand Canal Street Lower

Dosa Dosa is what happens when a place knows exactly what it is and refuses to sand off the edges for anyone. Founded by Karthik Thiru to bring authentic South Indian food to Dublin, it built its name first as a food truck and now runs both a Grand Canal Street food spot as well as a Rialto restaurant. The Dosas come with Sambar and Chutneys, there’s Kothu Parotta, Kathi Rolls, and all the things that smash boring lunches out of the park. Best of all, the food tastes like itself. It is not performing some watered down version of South Indian cooking for a local market, and that is exactly why people get a little evangelical about it afterwards.

Order: Gunpowder Potato Masala Dosa – €12

34
The Place To Go When You Need To Feel Smug About Lunch

Tang
Abbey Street, Cumberland Place, Dawson Street, Windmill Lane

One-upmanship shows up in a lot of aspects of our lives, whether it’s your mate bragging about getting the newest sneaker drop or the number of really ugly toys they have added to their collection this month. Lunch is no exception to this sort of behaviour. Tang gives you all the material you need to put your friends’ very mundane lunches to shame.

They focus on food that is made with local produce while also making sure the food still feels like a treat, and we loudly give them a bualadh bos for it. You can find an assortment of Middle Eastern flavours and food like shakshuka, warm flatbreads, Moroccan lamb and hearty salad options that will deliver immense satisfaction.

Tang also have environmental and social commitments that will give you another reason to be pleased with yourself. Imagine having the chance to walk out of a restaurant not only feeling pretty good about what you just consumed, but also morally superior too.

Order: Moroccan Lamb Flatbread & an All About Kombucha – €13.70

35
The Place To Go When You Want To Feel Like Anthony Bourdain And Obama In Hanoi Sitting On Those Little Plastic Chairs

Aobaba
Capel Street

Food with the power to transform not only your environment but even who you are exists all over the big, wide world. But in our city of Dublin, Capel Street has a Vietnamese spot quietly tucked away that starts the process with a trip to the ATM.

After that, squeeze into a room where the tables are close together and catch a quick glance of someone else’s bowl of steaming hot bowl of pho; they seem considerably happier than you while you wait in line to order yours.

The magic is in the handmade Vietnamese-style noodles, bun cha, bánh cuốn, bún bò Huế, and house-made spring rolls, which make the whole Bourdain-and-Obama fantasy feel much more real and tangible. We love the fact that they didn’t have to use painfully evident marketing to make you feel like you are in Vietnam. The smell of the broth, herbs and steam in the room do the job itself and take you away from central Dublin and to somewhere much hotter and unfamiliar.

Order: A big bowl of Pho, full stop – €13.50

36
The Place To Go When You Want To Escape From The City

The Commons at MoLI
Stephen’s Green

It’s never a bad thing to want to unplug from all the hustle and bustle that daily life throws your way. But there’s a lunch spot that we know that offers something closer to a genuine disappearance from your stresses.

The Commons at Moli sits just off St Stephen’s Green. What makes it special is not just it being a delightful café, which serves solid sandwiches, coffee and baked goods, but also the stunning outdoor garden behind MoLI, where you can take a seat and enjoy a little greenery and a sense of tranquillity.

We know people come here not just for a pause, but to remember life isn’t all screens and people asking you whether you “have a quick minute”, or if you can “circle back”. Life isn’t all that bad, friend; you just need some cake, a coffee and a seat under a tree.

Order: The Grilled Chicken Flatbread and a Carrot & Walnut Cake if you’re avoiding you’re desk – €17.50

37
The Place To Go When You Plan Your Workweek Around Whatever Is In The Sourdough

F.X. Buckley Hatch
Pembroke Street Lower

We put a lot of emphasis on having a good lunch every day, but too often, by the time you return to your desk what you had has quickly vanished from your mind. A disappointing salad here, a flavourless box of noodles there and a roll with a filling that could be described as “mush”.

The Hatch at F.X. Buckley’s Victualler & Grocer seems determined to rid us of this problem, with sandwiches put together by the expert butchers who know good ingredients like the backs of their hands. From Monday to Friday, they crank out a selection of daily sandwiches with locally sourced fillings that will have you creating whole reminders in your Google Calendar for which one lands on which day. These include roast chicken, pulled beef, maple-glazed ham, roast pork porchetta, and braised brisket. The reminder pop-up may say “all-hands sync”, but in your heart it says porchetta.

Order: The Friday Braised Beef if you’ve timed your week right – €10.95, or €13.95 with soup if you’re giving yourself over to it completely.

38
The Place For When Sunday Lunch Meets Dim Sum And They Make Love

Good World
George’s Street

Good World is one of those George’s Street stalwarts that rewards knowing what to ask for. Some people sit down and start politely leafing through the English menu, but those in the know ask for the dim sum menu straight away. That’s where the place really wakes up: Char Siu Puffs, Cheung Fun, Har Gow, Xiao Long Bao – basically the sort of lunch that starts with “we’ll just get a few bits” and ends with the whole table steaming nicely in front of you. It’s busy, a little noisy, and all the better for it. God bless those paper tablecloths. Never change Good World.

Order: Ask for the Dim Sum Menu immediately and order Har Gow, Steamed Meat Soup Buns and the Char Siu Buns – €19.90

39
The Fancy Sunday Lunch Spot With The Best Bang For Your Buck

Mongoose
Thomas Street

The recently opened Mongoose is open for five sittings across Sunday to Tuesday, filling the Variety Jones shaped hole on Thomas Street when they’re not open. If you’re looking for a Michelin level lunch for a fraction of the price and where you won’t need to be rolled out, Mongoose is your guy. Starters go between €9 and €11.50, generous pasta plates average at €17, and their most expensive (single portion) main is a piddly €20, making Mongoose the off peak lunch of all lunches. Sittings are tight, but service is quick, meaning you can spend more of your lazy Sundays in the pub.

Order: Ox Tongue & the Parmesan Anglotti – €25

40
The Place To Go When You’re Down To Your Last Tenner

Asia Market
Drury Street

Like many citizens living in this beautiful city, there will come a day when you take a look at your bank account and proceed to drop into the fetal position upon seeing what is remaining. In the event of this very common emergency, and when you need to feed your stomach that won’t break your bank, look no further than Asia Market on Drury Street. They have a stunning hot counter serving different kinds of buns containing a wide range of Asian flavours for you to pick from. When you are finished with chowing down you can then do a little lap of the shelves for snacks, drinks, and whatever else your remaining coins will stretch to. Not going to lie, it feels like you’ve somehow beaten the city at its own game with this cheat code.

Order: Two savouries and one dessert bun – €4.30

41
The Place To Go When You Want To Touch Grass, (But Not Enough To Leave The Luas Green Line)

The Overends Kitchen
Dundrum

Overends kitchen in Dundrum is what happens when “farm to fork” is not vague marketing slop designed to convince you to purchase an overpriced salad. It sits beside the Airfield Estate, only a quick hop away on the Luas Green Line, and has a very easy philosophy to understand: grow Irish produce and share it with the Dublin community.

They literally have a Jersey herd on the estate, which you can even see being milked, should your flat white require a backstory. The menu also has salads harvested by the garden team, daily sandwiches, wraps and pastries baked on the premises. The same milk is used to make their ice creams too.

For those of you who want to indulge the fantasy of living in the countryside without having to, you know, buy wellies or a car, well this is the perfect place. Grab that Leap Card and make the trek.

Order: The selection of salads + Jersey Ice Cream Sundae – €25.30

42-69

Dinner

42
The Place To Take Your Mate Who’s Obsessed With Mood Lighting

Comet
Joshua Lane off Dawson Street

Comet made serious waves in the Dublin food scene when it opened, and was a solid fixture on everyone’s “must-go” list. And for a good reason. Their menu leans more on the bistro side of things with their Roasted Quail on Toast quickly cementing itself as a signature dish of the city. Their wine list is exciting – plenty of carefully selected bottles, with an impressive wine-by-the-glass list that rotates regularly. The dining room is one of the cosiest / romantic in the city, with the lighting at a level of dimness that your friend who absolutely hates The Big Light will appreciate. 

Order: Roasted Quail on Toast – €34

43
The Place To Book If It Was Your Last Day On Earth

Uno Mas
Aungier Street

When it comes to Dublin’s best restaurants, Uno Mas is on every list home and abroad, bar none, and for good reason. Hailed even by locals as one of the most consistent meals in the city, Uno Mas is a must-dine dinner spot. Their large bar area is the perfect place to catch up with a pal, or cosy up next to your bae. Ask Josko to make you an olive oil cocktail (one of the best in the city) or drink the sparkling Tuffeau (we vote do both) to kick things off. We’d tell you what to order, but the menu’s always changing. But, if there’s some sort of sweet bread salad on the menu – get that. 

Order: Potato and Onion Tortilla, the Charred Cabbage side, & the Flan De Queso dessert – €28

44
The Date Night Spot To Bring Your Fella Who (God Forbid) Is A Picky Eater

Mister S
Camden Street

There’s honestly nothing worse on god’s green earth than dating someone that’s not that into you food, or worse – a picky eater. Mister S is a gateway restaurant, that will easily help you introduce actual good food to the type of lads who shudder at the thought of a vegetable, or the ones that embody protein as a personality type. Think blokes like yer man from Tallaghtfornia who eats 5 eggs a day.

Mister S, while being a meat lover’s paradise, is also a solid dinner spot that you, the actual food lover, can get your kicks from. They cook over open fire and experiment with different woods to get the best flavour for the meat, fish, veg, or even dessert they are cooking. Their Burnt-end Rendang Spring Rolls are whopper – a definite must, and their Smoked Beef Shortrib with Chimichurri is fall apart filth.

Order: Burnt-end Rendang Spring Rolls & Smoked Beef Shortrib with Chimichurri – €35.50

45
The Place To Go When All You Need Is Fresh Pasta, Because Fresh Pasta Is Life

Grano
Stoneybatter

Listen, getting a table at Grano is no easy feat, and that’s for a good reason. This small little pasta house in the ‘batter is hand making some of the best Calabrian pasta plates in the city. Real life Italian chefs roll out the fresh pasta made with ancient grains right in front of your very eyes while you dine. Their wine list is stun too, with a proper selection of Calabrian reds and white. Grano is our top spot in Stoneybatter. Just make sure you book many moons in advance. Or try your hand at getting a walk-in. If you succeed, it will feel like winning the lotto.

Order: Torgelloni Alla Zucca Mantovana – €24.50

46
The Place To Go For A Fun Double Date

Sister7
Smithfield

The folks behind Big Fan and Fidelity joined forces to make one of the coolest places to dine in the city when they opened Sister7. Fitted out with one of the best sound systems in the country, Sister7 is a vibe. Big Fan’s food is the absolute goat for sharing between a gang of four. Filling out the little menu sheets is a bit of craic, and with a party of four, you can explore a good chunk of the menu. With some of the best cocktails in the city, banging food, and killer tunes, Sister7 is all round a good time for a lil group. 

Order: Basil & Black Pepper Margarita (€13.50), Shan Ji Bao (€8), Prawn Toast (€11), Enoki Fan (€9.80)

47
The Place To Go When You Need A One Way Ticket To Seafood Heaven

Allta na Farraige
Grand Canal Dock

Niall Davidson is a dreamer, a renegade, and a rogue. Constantly reinventing their wrap around bar space, the recently launched Allta na Farraige serves lighter, seafood forward tapas, to pair with their new 99% Irish cocktail list. And their cocktails slap. Think Carrot Old Fashioneds, or a Spicy Marg made with Poitin and Prawn Oil. The quality of their tapas are a cut above what everyone else in the country is doing. Word of advice, don’t come starrrving. This menu is light on carbs, and those plates add up (in price) quickly. But if a lite bite and some funky ass Irish cocktails is what you’re in the market for, we can’t recommend this place any higher. They have really pushed the boat out down here in the docks.

Order: Gambero Rosso Tartare, the BBQ Scallop, their Poitin Spicy Margarita, and a scoop of Guinness Oyster Ice Cream – €56

48
The Place To Dazzle Your Bestie On Their Big Birthday

D’Olier Street
D’Olier Street

D’Olier Street is the place to go when you need to pull out all the stops. And when you have something to celebrate and you’re into your grub, you’re going to be looking for the cream of the crop in Dublin town. D’Olier Street run a 13 course tasting menu – and trust us – every course is blow-your-mind good. Somehow, each course gets better and better as the meal goes on. You’re gonna want to do the wine pairing at an additional €92 a head, so start saving for your bestie now. They’re worth it. As is this meal.

Order: The whole hog is €231 a head. Defo one for a special occasion.

49
The Place To Go To Convince Your Out Of Town Friends That Irish Food Is Actually Good

The Pig’s Ear
Nassau Street

For the capital city of Ireland, you would really think there would be more staunchly Irish restaurants that aren’t the tourist slop spots you see in Temple Bar. Sure, most menus use great Irish produce, but no one is serving Irish food like the Pig’s Ear (fun fact, The Pig’s Ear were the first to list provenance on a menu in Ireland). They have designed a menu that wouldn’t elicit an eyelid bat if it was seen in a restaurant in Dublin a hundred years ago. Menu items like Famine Soup, Dublin Lawyer Lobster Omelette or “Jammet’s” Mixed Grill are all a nod to the Dublin of yonder – Jammet’s being one of the top restaurants in Europe, that used to sit near the current location of the Molly Malone statue. Stephen McAllister has finally put together the menu he’s wanted to after 15 years, and it shows.

Order: Peas and Vinegar and the Dublin Coddle – €33.50

50
The Place To Go When You’re Overdue A Good Gossip With Your Work Wife

Amy Austin
Drury Street Carpark

When it’s been an absolute eon since you’ve actually been able to catch up with your fave colleague, and all you need is a good chinwag with lashings of gossip that’s no one else’s business, you need to be strategic about where you dine. Amy Austin is a hole in the wall type of place that conveniently has great food. Sit side by side at the bar, almost like a real life in person Slack huddle. This place is always hopping, so your news will be downed out by other people’s convos, meaning you can gossip in peace. And while you’re at it, dine like a kween.

Order: Torched Scallops – €17

51
The Ultimate Girl Dinner Spot

Bar Pez
Kevin Street Lower

Just off Aungier Street lies Bar Pez, a buzzy lil wine bar that also does excellent small plates. Upon first glance it looks like you’ve walked into a quaint little café in the Basque country, with a handful of tables and counter seating. Their wine list is separated into ‘Oceans’, ‘Rivers’ and ‘Mountains’, a delightful way to peruse wine. The plates are the definition of girl dinner with most items served on some sort of toast or bread. Small plates v Girl Dinner – what’s the diff?

Order: Gilda, Anchovy Toast, Crab Sandwich, & their Whipped Baked Cheesecake – €36

52
The Place To Go When You’re Gagging For A Chipper But Don’t Want To Eat On The Street

Fusco’s
Meath Street

Fusco’s is an absolute cornerstone of the city. Beautifully frozen in time, they have been in business for over 60 years, and remain one of the rare gems that you can actually sit in and enjoy a chipper. A family run spot, Fusco’s are the alleged inventors of the Warley Burger (similar to a standard burger, except they batter the patty), which is downright iconic if you ask us. They proudly serve Ray – which is hard to find in a chipper these days, and if you haven’t had the pleasure to indulge in this interesting fish, we recommend you reserve one in advance by giving them a buzz. They have used the same recipe for their battered sausage since day one, a combination of beef and chicken, with a heavy hand on the spices. Their curry roll is iconic, it’s basically a deep fried 2 in 1, that their neighbouring Chinese spot provides the goods for. Never change Fusco’s. Never change.

Order: Ray & Chips, a Warley burger, a Curry roll, and a pint of milk – €29.90 (bring a friend)

53
The Place To Go When You’re Looking For A Buzz And To Get Buzzed At The Same Time

Kicky’s
George’s Street

Eric Mathews might be the least serious chef in Dublin. Not in a professional manner, no we don’t mean that at all. We mean he’s a big silly billy and is not afraid to have fun. And Kicky’s perfectly embodies that. The bright airy dining room that used to house San Lorenzo’s has gone to a great home and is safe in the hands of Eric Matthews and Richie Barrett, who have donned it with funky art work and an even funkier dress code for the staff. Their cocktails are serious with unserious names like “Umami Issues” and “The Avocado One”. Kicky’s is always a fun time with a permanent buzz about the place.

Order: Focaccia with Carbonara butter, Roaringwater Bay Mussels, and the Irish Coffee Dessert €38

54
The Place To Use As A Litmus Test To See If Your Date Is Actually Into Food

Hera
Dorset Street

The addition of Hera to Dorset Street was a turning point for the street itself and the Northside at large. In the space that formerly housed the Red Parrot, Hera is knocking it out of the park – all the way from the cocktails, to the food, right down to the service. Their menu is a delicate balance of tasty safe bets, and dishes that push the boat out. Think Scotch Eggs and Padron Peppers, with Wild Boar and Bonemarrow. It’s a great date spot too – not too formal yet not too casual, and a great way to see how adventurous your date is with food. When you do go, do us a favour and never, ever, forget to light a candle for Shaneo on the way to the jacks.

Order: Chicken & Pancetta Meatballs – €16

55
The Place To Feel Patriotic In

Spitalfields
The Coombe

The second Stephen McAllister spot to make the list, Spitalfields is tucked away in the wonderfully historic (some might say slightly spooky) surrounds of The Coombe. A pub at heart, but with the culinary chops of a serious restaurant, Spitalfields is a rare breed – a Michelin Guide-recognised pub that proves Ireland’s greatest export isn’t just pints, but proper food too. Between the taxidermy, the warm service, and that legendary Beef Cheek & Ox Tail Parker House Roll, Spitalfields is a love letter to Irish produce, Irish hospitality and having a bit of fun with the classics.

Order: Beef Cheek & Ox Tail Parker House Roll – €20 

56
The Place To Go If Money Was No Object

Liath
Blackrock Market

Damien Grey is a magician. Yes you heard me. And with his magician hands and mind he has created a fine dining oasis that takes place in a tiny room in Blackrock Market. Courses are condensed into phrases like “Carrot 2026”, the plates are almost too pretty to eat, and wine pairings can go as high as €520 a head. So if you’re into yer food and are looking for some of the best in the city, Liath is the place, bar none, to go if you are flush with the cash.

Order: The tasting menu is €190 a head

57
The Place To Bring Your Mother To Thank Her For Giving To Birth To You

Mae
Ballsbridge 

We love a powerful chef of the lady variety, and what better way to treat your ma by bringing her out to Grainne O’Keefe’s spot that was named after her Granny. It’s all coming up women. Mae sits above the French Paradox in Ballsbridge and is an absolute delight. From the insane food, to the beautiful crockery, to being able to choose your own steak knife, when you need a place to celebrate your Mammy, bring her here.

Order: The tasting menu for two is €156 and the Apple Tart Tatin dessert is a must

58
The Place To Go When You Want Fish And Chips And A Glass Of Actual Good Wine

Fish Shop
Benburb Street

Fish Shop have been elevating the humble fish and chip to be both comforting and elegant all at the same time. Since 2016, the Smithfield room has built its thing around locally caught fish, daily changing seafood, and wine chosen to flatter the salt and batter rather than fight it. The menu stays refreshingly direct: Battered Hake, Haddock, or Plaice, a Fish Burger, Grilled fish, a few good starters, and a few better desserts. Which is really all you need when the point is to sit down, order the right fish and let the rest of the city carry on without you.

Order: The Beer Battered Hake and Chips, followed by the Lemon Posset – €31.95

59
The Place To Go When You’re Craving Indian And Only The Best Will Do

Pickle
Camden Street Lower

Chef Sunil Ghai is a legend around these parts, and really it’s Pickle that put him on the map. Like a few other spots on this list, with Pickle, you need to be militant when booking – the food is that good. Chef Ghai draws inspiration from kitchens he’s worked in back home, and melds them with Irish produce that is proudly listed on the menu. Honestly, this place is a cut above the rest. This would be the only Indian spot in the city we’d send our UK friends who come to visit.

Order: Goat Keema Pao – €31.50

60
The Place That Will Convince Your Southside Mates To Come To The Northside

Borgo
Phibsborough

Borgo has the sort of swagger that makes it seem like it has always been in Phibsborough, and it really was the only place that seemed right to fill the Loretta’s-shaped hole in the area. In the old bank building on Phibsborough Road, Borgo are turning out 48-hour sourdough pizzettes, fresh pasta, cultured butters, fresh ricotta, and wood-fired meat and fish, all made in-house, with seasonality doing most of the talking.

The Michelin Guide may have clocked the big portions and well-priced plates, but sure look, the locals didn’t need fancy accolades to reach the same conclusion. There’s zero reason to save Borgo only for special occasions. Instead, stick it into your regular dinner rotation so you can give your Southside mates an excuse to make the trip up more often.

Order: Any pizzette, the Gambas alla Borgo, and their Bucatini – €50

61 
The Place For A Blowout Family Meal

Hawksmoor
Dame Street

If you and your relatives are trying to celebrate all the missed catch-ups, birthday parties and graduations, and want to make an elaborate occasion of it, you may as well do it under a forty-foot cast-iron dome in the Old National Bank on College Green.

Hawksmoor’s whole Dublin proposition is high-quality Irish beef from small farms, sustainable seafood, and a room grand enough to make the whole thing feel like an occasion before you’ve even opened the menu.

What saves it from becoming all theatre is that the food keeps pace with the building. The steaks are dry-aged and charcoal-grilled, the seafood holds its own, and the beef-dripping chips are famous for a reason. If you’re looking to turn your evening meal into an occasion, this is the dinner for you.

Order: The Rib Eye and the Beef Dripping Chips – €56.00

62
The Place To Go When You Feel Like Teleporting To A Quaint Dining Room In Thailand

Baan Thai
Ballsbridge

You begin to understand Baan Thai’s vibe as soon as you enter the room before dinner even starts. The dining room is adorned with objects of cultural significance to Thailand. These include the hand-carved Thai furniture, artwork, and statues, which weirdly makes the outside world of Ballsbridge feel far away. Their connection to the Thai-Irish community also extends beyond the food; they even hold Buddhist ceremonies there.

The family have been running the restaurant since 1998 and they invite diners to “eat like a Thai”. The menu features items like a coconut milk red curry with a mix of chillies, savoury roast duck tamarind, crispy seabass in a lime and chilli sauce or filleted seabass in choo chee sauce topped with red curry sauce. The food is heightened by being served in a dining room that has retained its authentic character rather than conforming to restaurant designs trends.

Order: The Duck Tamarind – €26.50

63
The Place You Go For When You Want A Tasting Menu With A Focus

Amai by Viktor
Harry Street, across from the Westbury

Amai by Viktor feels distinct because it’s a tasting menu that actually has something to say. Viktor Silva’s whole idea is “Brazilian roots in Irish soil” and the menu leans into that instead of using South American influence as a decorative phrase. Viktor allows Irish produce to shine while bringing out South American flavours. It’s generous, warm, and unmistakably its own thing. The current tasting menu runs through snacks, bread, guinea fowl, venison, pre dessert, dessert, and sweets. Which is to say this is not a place for half measures. You come here when you want a meal with a point of view, and leave having it heard very clearly.

Order: The Folkmore Menu – €99.00

64
The Place To Go When You Want Your Sinuses Reopened And Your Cucumber Smashed

Hakkahan
Stoneybatter

This list needed a spot that rewards people looking for food outside their everyday rotation, and we have just the place. In Stoneybatter, you can find Hakkahan, where they cook northern Hakka Chinese food in a relaxed dining setting.

Though the menu is small compared with those of other Chinese restaurants, Hakkahan is not lacking whatsoever. Its secret weapon is its Sichuan cooking, particularly the mouth-numbing, nose-running effect of Sichuan pepper. We would recommend, though, that you don’t eat the food to simply earn bragging rights for consuming unfamiliar ingredients. Take a moment to appreciate the fermented flavours and contrasting textures that make it stand out.

Try dishes such as spicy Sichuan mapo tofu with fermented bean, scallion and ginger; La Zi Ji a with chili oil and sesame; Pai Huang Gua a spicy smashed cucumber dish with garlic, chillies, chilli oil and sesame seeds. Hakkhan still gives cautious diners every chance to play it safe, don’t get us wrong, but you will have a more memorable meal trying something you don’t recognise. So let your curiosity run wild!

Order: The two course early bird, and make sure one those courses is La Zi Ji – €25.00

65
The Place To Go When You Need Stellar Pizza But You’re At The Pub

Cirillo’s
Baggot Street Lower

Cirillo’s has been on the Toners end of Baggot street since 2016, turning out wood-fired Neapolitan pizzas, pasta, and starters in a room that is slick enough for date night as well as being relaxed enough for a casual Tuesday. The genius bit is that you can do it two ways: sit in and do the full restaurant thing, or get your pizza to go and eat it in the beer garden of Toners across the road, which Toners itself actively encourages. That makes Cirillo’s one of the handiest two for one plans in town: a proper pizza in a proper pub, with no compromise on either.

Order: The Quadrifoglio – €18.95

66
The Place To Go To Get Out Of A Bad Mood

Lee’s Charming Noodles
Parnell Street

After the third ghost bus of the day, you are going to need something really comforting to fend off the incoming bad vibes, because positive thinking is no longer enough. Lee’s Charming Noodles on Parnell Street has been around since 2005, waiting for just such an occasion. Though it is a quaint establishment, it has all the charm and atmosphere to soothe that aching heart you had when you walked in.

There is a wide range of bowls with different toppings and flavours, but the same incredible chew of the hand-pulled noodles runs through them all. The warmth of the braised beef noodle soup could turn the worst day around. While you are at it, grab the house-made dumplings with pork and Chinese cabbage.

Many restaurants buy dumplings and gyoza from Asian supermarkets, which is fine; however, these guys are making them in-house, and you can’t beat freshly made steamed dumplings. We are truly fortunate to have a long-standing establishment like Lee’s Charming Noodles. By the time you leave, you won’t be fussed about whether the bus arrives on time or not. You have already moved on emotionally.

Order: Braised Beef Noodles and Fried Dumplings – €12.30

67
The Place To Go When You’re Looking To Be Absolutely Smacked In The Face With Flavour

Achara
Aston Quay

Nestled in the somewhat soulless stretch of Aston Quay, Achara are doing Thai food centred around a charcoal grill, built on local produce, and served family-style.

If you’re with a gang, go for their group menu – it’s great value, features all the hits, and it means you don’t have to faff around figuring out what and how much to order. For smaller groups, you can’t go wrong with the Trout Ceviche, the Basil Chilli Lamb Krapao, or the Whole Seabass with Nam Jim. By the time all the food arrives, any idea that you were going to order modestly has been chucked out the window.

Order: The group menu is €49 pp and well worth it

68
The Place To Go Where The Food Is Just As Important As The Wine

Note
Fenian Street

The brilliant thing about a trip to Note on Fenian Street is how quickly a simple visit escalates. They have an ever-changing run of modern European dishes with a serious natural-wine and grower-Champagne offering, but without any of the stiffness. That balance between a confident wine list and a relaxed room setting is why Note works extremely well, and diners can feel it as soon as they take a seat.

More importantly, the food never feels like a sideshow to the drinks, and is delicious enough to warrant its own reservation on its own right. We know it’s what derails most people’s plans on entering the bistro. You might sit down to enjoy a glass of Denavolo Catavela, fully intending to bounce shortly after, but then you get a whiff of the baked batch bread arriving at the table. Next it’s a plate with plump Connemara oysters, and before you know it, you are enjoying a full dinner. It’s never just, “We’ll just have the one glass,” here.

Order: Dublin Batch bread and the Mackerel Toast, then let the wine take over there – €20.00 (before whatever’s in the glass).

69
The Place To Go For A Tasting Menu Where You Don’t Have To Get A Chipper On The Way Home

Variety Jones
Thomas Street 

Variety Jones is where you need to book when you’re in the market for a serious feed. Keelan Higgs cooks in an open kitchen over fire, the menu is chef’s choice and built for sharing, and the wine list changes monthly with a mostly organic lean. There is enormous care here, but blessedly no reverence. It’s a fun, yet refined tasting menu, with a highlights being the staple waffle starter. Oh, and by the way, Keelan is a serious feeder. Just when you are starting to fill up nicely, he hits you with the pasta course, and the rest of the meal slowly turns into an uphill fullness marathon. Go here hungry.

Order: The chefs choice – €110pp

70
The Place To Go When You Want To Be Adopted By An Italian Family For Two Point Five Hours

Terre Madre
Bachelors Walk

Terra Madre is hidden away in a tiny basement on Bachelor’s Walk and feels less like a formal restaurant than like being invited into somebody’s family meal because you looked a bit peaky. The room is all close-set tables, mismatched chairs and unbothered hospitality, with about eighteen people packed into it on a good night.

What keeps people devoted is the combination of a proper welcome and properly good ingredients: short menus, excellent Italian imports, serious pasta, strong coffee. People are also obsessed with the tiramisu from here and swear, with the desperate fervour normally reserved for closely guarded recipes and bitter feuds, that it changed the trajectory of their lives.

Order: The Ravioli Con Porcini – €21.50

71
The Place That Feels Like You’re Being Let In On A Japanese Secret

Matsukawa
Smithfield

Any restaurant that can make everyone in the room go silent has something special going for it. Matsukawa is an eight-seat counter in Smithfield serving a single omakase, rooted in Edomae sushi, with much of the seafood coming from Irish waters, and each course prepared right in front of you.

What makes Matsukawa special is not just that the fish is excellent, but the way the whole meal builds: sashimi, warm dishes, then a long, hypnotic run of nigiri where each piece lands like its own small argument for paying better attention.

The pleasure is in the handling. What gets cured, brushed, torched, aged, or left almost alone is all considered with real care. Just as satisfying is the way the sequence gathers momentum until you stop trying to decide on a favourite because the next piece keeps arriving to ruin your ranking.

Order: The Omakase – €130pp

72 
The Place To Go For A French Feast In The Suburbs

Tablá
Mount Merrion

Tablá is a relatively recent opening in the spot that Little Mike’s used to be on a quiet row of shops in Mount Merrion. Former Piglet boyos Thomas and Tanguy have rejoined forces and opened up their own spot for their sins. If you are missing the old school Piglet vibe, that’s because it’s here. Thomas is one of those chefs who can actually pull off expressing his personality through his plates – and it really shines here on the South Side. These are simple plates, with bold flavours, and if you close your eyes, it’s like being in actual France.

Order: Their market fish (at market prices) and the Burgundy snails – €9.50

73
The Place to Go When You Want A Late Night Culinary Experience

King Skewer
Cathedral Street

King Skewer is truly a place of magic, where a post-midnight dinner never feels like a compromise. The menu runs through cold plates, skewers, pots and sizzling tinfoil trays, with everything from duck tongues and chicken feet to quail, lamb, and potatoes lacquered in chilli.

It is firmly in many chefs’ back pockets for a post-shift feed, and the beer pot tells you plenty about the intended pace of the evening. This is not a place for picking politely. It is a place for ordering one thing you recognise, three things you don’t, and accepting that hands and wipes will be involved.

Order: The sliced potatoes first, then chicken skewers, and spice it up with some chicken feet – €11.00

74
The Place To Go Where You Want To Party After A Great Feed

Kaldero
Stephen’s Green Shopping Centre

St Stephens Green Shopping Centre is not where we imagine most people would expect dinner to end with a DJ set or a room buzzing enough to kick-start an impromptu night out, and yet Kaldero has managed to create that very thing. The restaurant’s own identity combines Irish-Filipino art, music and fire-led cooking, which paved the way for its success.

Prepared using local Irish produce and served family-style, the dishes bring traditional family recipes and Filipino flavours together with genuine enthusiasm. Sisig, Chicken Inasal and Kare-Kare are the kinds of dishes they hold close to their hearts and want to share with diners, so everyone can take part in celebrating the cuisine.

While you are there, take a moment to appreciate the fine Irish-Filipino art decorating the walls and music shaping the atmosphere. If that wasn’t enough, on Fridays and Saturdays the restaurant fully tips into party mode in the form of Chez Spice, with resident and guest DJs from 10pm until late. There is no vague promise of “good vibes” at Kaldero; the “good vibes” have an actual timetable.

Order: Sisig, and Chicken Inasal – €61.00

75
The Place You Could Confidently Hand Back The Menu And Ask To Be Surprised

Etto
Merrion Row

Etto is a restaurant we never ever get sick of, and it’s safe to say we’ve never had a bad meal, or bad dish for that matter. These guys are so good at their jobs that we would confidently hand back the menu and asked to be surprised. The flavours are big, the space is small, and the service is personable and always spot on. Like their sister restaurant, Uno Mas, their menu is ever changing, and has the slightly annoying rule of a minimum per person dish limit. We forgive them though, because you’ll want to eat as much of the menu as you can.

Order: If you don’t like surprises, go for their Seabream Crudo, Hannan’s Delmonico for two, and don’t you dare skip their Prunes & Mascarpone dessert – €111

76 
The Place To Go When You Want A Burger More Exciting Than Your Weekend Plans

Dash
Capel Street & Kevin Street

Dash has seriously changed Dublin’s burger scene, and for the better. Like pizza, burgers can also be polarising – and for the smash-burger lovers, Dash eternally scratches that itch. Inspired by George Motz’s Oklahoma burger, it was when Dash first started linking up with some of our favourite chefs that really made us pay attention.

Ever since the iconic Allta collab, they’ve had us constantly checking their feed for the next one. Self-confessed burger snobs here at Char, we say it’s the closest thing you’re going to get to a perfect smash burger here in Dublin.

Order: Dash Double Smash – €11.95

77
The Place To Go To That Needs Militant Planning

Chubby’s
Clontarf

When you look at Barry Stephen’s CV, it’s not at all surprising that Chubby’s has become as successful as it has. It was a dark day in Dublin when his smash hit 147 Deli closed on Parnell Street. Having mastered the sambo, it was time for him to move on to bigger and better things. The success of the food truck Just Chubby’s outside Lotts and Co. in Clontarf was the predecessor. And since they lost the “Just”, and gained a more permanent fixture, we’ve not heard a bad thing spoken about the place. The Irish Times gave them a rare 4.5 stars, calling them one of the ‘country’s top restaurants’, so it’s no wonder they are forever booked out.

Order: Beef Birria – €8.50