9 Best Restaurants in Dublin, Ireland

Named after the street in Queens where chef-owner Sandy Wyer grew up, Forest Avenue is a star on the Dublin food stage. The menu is a five-course taster, and while choice is limited, quality and value are off the charts. The open kitchen gives the place a lively vibe and Sandy and her Irish husband, John, are only too willing to discuss each dish with interested guests. A floor-to-ceiling glass frontage allows the light to flood in across the elegant white-brick walls. Try the confit cod with pumpkin and crab velouté. They do a cheaper three-course lunch menu Thursday to Saturday.

This effortlessly cool, award-winning eatery slots neatly into the gallery/shop that makes up the rest of the Hen's Teeth empire. Located in the working-class Blackpitts area of the Liberties, the atmosphere is diner casual, while the food is a tapas-inspired trip into small-plate adventure. Try the smoked duck salad with chicory, blackberries and deep-fried cheese cubes, or the ceviche of sea bream with watermelon and cucumber. 

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 small menu at this tiny café in the middle of a quiet, off-the-beaten-track residential street emphasizes creative breakfasts and lunch (and brunch on the weekend) with a local twist. It's a good spot to sit and watch locals go about their everyday lives as you eat black rice quinoa porridge with coconut milk, miso, and banana or their wonderful spicy cannellini beans with chorizo, crème fraîche, and thyme. Don't leave without hitting up their devilishly tempting cake selection.

With a stunning location right on the Grand Canal Dock, this elegant new eatery has a great view over the water to the impressive Bord Gáis Energy Theatre on the other side. The pre-theater menu is a great option, with heirloom beetroot with Wicklow blue cheese and candied walnuts as a gorgeous, light starter. The hake with celeriac, pomme mousseline, samphire, and sorrel is a favorite main. 

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.

Recently voted the best café in the city, this busy little breakfast and lunch spot is the brainchild of former Avoca head chef Eimer Rainsford. Salads dominate the menu, with wonderful combinations to choose from for your salad box. Try the beetroot, apple, and quinoa or spiced potatoes with giant couscous and roasted peppers. Dressings or dips are equally creative like the yogurt with cumin and lemon. Other popular dishes include Asian noodles with broccoli, lime and chili. All that healthy eating probably earns you one of the killer chocolate brownies with raspberry and blackberry.

Located in a nondescript building in Grand Canal Harbour, this stylish café is gaining a reputation for its impressive baked goods. Nearby tech workers flock here in hordes for the inventive salads, sandwiches, handmade pasta and focaccia romana, but it's the stunning array of cakes, tarts, and buns that really entice. Try the outrageous strawberry Charlotte or the explosion of color and taste that is the mango bavaroise.

Sitting atop the stylish Mayson Hotel, this rooftop steak house is all about the views, with walls of floor-to-ceiling windows offering vistas of Dublin Bay and the mountains beyond. Decked out in dark wood and leather booths, the sleek interior is contemporary-cool meets 1930s saloon. Meat is the star of the menu, with quality steaks complemented with delicious sides like Parmesan and tarragon fries. Alternative mains include grilled sea bream with caper lemon dressing. The pear and almond ricotta cake is the perfect cap to a great meal.