3 Best Restaurants in Dublin, Ireland

Located on the Grand Canal Basin which connects the River Liffey and the Grand Canal, this popular new spot features an upturned rowboat on the ceiling, a nod to its location between these two iconic bodies of water. An open kitchen lines the back wall of the restaurant, and features a copper wood-fired pizza oven. The fare is classic American, with generous pancake platters, cheeseburgers, pizzas, sundaes, and giant cookies all designed to encourage lively, casual gatherings and sharing. The bar is a lively spot for after-work drinks and the outdoor terrace overlooking the canal is the place to be for weekend brunch, a fairly new concept and dining category in this city.

The Elephant was long established in Temple Bar before the Tiger (Celtic, that is) came and went and changed the neighborhood forever. Large windows are great for people-watching in the city's trendiest area, but "nothing fancy" would be a good motto for the traditional American food. Charcoal-grilled burgers, salads, omelets, sandwiches, and pasta make up the much-thumbed menu.  When the service is good, the turnover tends to be quick, although you may be inclined to linger. New Yorkers, take note: yes, this is a cousin of the restaurant of the same name in Greenwich Village.

Glowing with gilded chandeliers and graced with a few marble fireplaces, this American-style steak house in a restored Georgian town house offers a sleekly elegant setting in which to chow down on some of the most tender Irish Angus beef this side of the Atlantic (they cook it in a special high-temperature oven, searing the outside to keep the inside good and juicy). If steak doesn't float your boat, they also do a mean baked turbot with mussels, clams, and creamed fennel and leek. Oreo-cookie-crust cheesecake is the perfect way to finish off the feast, but many will consider the decor—think sash windows, gilt mirrors, and plush carpets—rich enough.