Dublin Restaurants?
 

Hello Dubliners!
I haven't read of any suggestions for great local places to eat (and not necessarily drink)... I say that, because I'll be traveling with someone who does not drink or care for the pub environment... Please, can someone suggest a few great places for 40-somethings to have great lunches and dinners??? Thanks!

I don't know how the Dubliners might review this place, but I had a very pleasant meal at a a place called The Shack in Temple Bar a couple of years ago.

It has a restaurant, not a pub, atmosphere and is more "upscale" than the name might suggest -- although it's not fancy.

Normally I love pubs, but there was a huge rugby game in town that weekend that filled the pubs a bit past comfort.

The Epicurean Food Hall on Lower Liffey Street is a great place for lunch. There are many stalls offering all sorts of food from fish and chips, pizza, mexican, indian, thai, and more. Some places have stools you can sit at, or you can get a table in the centre by the bar and get your drinks (soft as well as alcohol) there. I ate there 2 days in a row last month, because everything we ate was only a few euros, and very good too.

The best places we ate in the evening were Aya, a sushi bar on Clarendon Street. We had the all-you-can-eat-in-55-minutes for 26 euros, and felt we had done very well at the end of it! Another night we had very good meal at Al Casa Linga on a side street linking Clarendon Street and William Street.

We also liked the Cafe Deli Bar on South St Georges Street where they have fabulous puddings - the chocolate brownie with ice cream was something else! There is also a Cafe Bar Deli in Bewlays on Grafton Street.

Have a great trip.

Thanks so much for the suggestions! It will be fun to find the places you recommend!

Also in the Temple Bar area - Cafe Gertrude. We are two 50-somethings who like to eat local, but not overly fancy or fussy. Nice place, good local food, not a pub and no smoke.

Don't eat in Temple Bar if you can avoid it.

Don't go near the Epicurian Food hall.

This advice is from a local.

Tell me what your budget and taste is and I will tell you where to go.

a visit to www.visitdublin.com will solve your problems.

Hi Lawchick,

Wondering what you didn't like about Cafe Gertrude? I'm asking because I don't want to give people inaccurate advice.

We thought it was a nice stop for lunch on our walk between Trinity College and Christchurch. Not that I would claim that it was one of the top places to eat in Dublin, but enjoyable none the less....

Thanks for your clarification.

My DH and I enjoyed a great meal at Trocadero. It's a restaurant popular with theater goers. If you go early, they offer a special because it gets busy after the show gets out. Sorry, can't remember what street it's on. I do remember good food though. I had the best chocolate desert and DH had excellent sherbert in a pineapple. main course was good but that chocolate...

I do not know about cafe gertrude...never ate there as they are so many other places to choose from NOT in Tempole Bar. I live here as well. Julia-T had all good places reccommended.

Lawchick - whats the prob with the Epicurean Food Hall. I eat there twice a month if I am shopping in the area. The Mexican is excellent, La Corte makes good Italian Pannini's The bagel place is good with Imported H&H bagels not the rubbery things they usually try to pass as Bagels here.

My partner loves the Indian place and you can always get fish and chips at the liffey Street entrance. I think its reasonable prices for lunch and an excellent variety.

Christophe's does good hot food and salads. they are also located in Smithfield and the soups and lunches are good for a stop if you are visiting the Jameson tour.

Click on my name and have a look through. I have a huse listing of restaurants I posted ages ago.

The Troccadero is popular with theatre goers but was too pricey for what you get. I would not recommend it unless you had extra to spend. You would be better off at the early Bird in Chapter on in Parnell Sq. Its voted the best restaurant in Dublin several years now.

here are some old posts re restaurants http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34407347

GRUEL - DAme Street Phone - 01-670-7119
Grunge Chic settign (MIsmatched chairs etc)wholesome food in a relaxed atmosphere. This has gotten consistently good reviews all year. They serve lunch and dinner. Beef hotpot is reccommended by the article. I have not eaten here yet but plan to ASAP.

CAFE,BAR,DELI - S. Great Georges St Phone - 01-677-1646
I have mentioned previously aswellas Cailin. Pzza, Pasta med style food. All pasta dishes are 10.50 and huge. Food is fresh and delicious. No reservations taken.

RISTORANTE DA PINO - Parliament Street, Phone 01-671-9308
Fun/Lively place Pizza, Pasta and a Paella dish for 2 with bottle of wine 18.00.

YAMAMORI NOODLES - S. Great Georges Street Phone 01-475-5001. Asian food a good place for veggies as well. Lively at the weekends. I have been many times but I would prefer Wagamamma on St Stephens Green.

FXB Steak and Seafood retaurant Temple Bar and Pembroke Street

CHAPTER ONE, Parnell Square Phone 01-873-2266
Tues-Sat 6-7pm 3 courses plus tea/coffee for 29.50. Michelan star meal at the price. Never a bad review of this place go for it!

Also for Tapas try Havana on South Great Georges street. No bookings and cheap compared to other restaurants.

Brasserie 66 on South great Georges Street is also new and has great reviews

For Lunch off Grafton street try Cafe Java on S. Anne street or Gotham cafe on the same street for pizz and nice lunches.

Fot a carvery lunch try Davey Byrnes on Duke street or Cafe en seine on Dawson street.

Enjoy eating!

Siobhan, Re - the epicurian food hall - I don't have much of a problem with it myself (for a quick sambo) - but if you are an American tourist, I don't think you would be too much over awed by their bagels and mexican and italian food - which is stuff that the US tend to do better than the Irish. Also the question related to where "40-somethings to have great lunches and dinners". I don't think that the food hall fits the bill.

I would be inclined to suggest for lunch:
101 Talbot
Boulevard Café
Chapter One
Dunne and Crescenzi
Eden
Fitzers
Imperial Chinese
Odessa
Wagamama
Yamamori

For Dinner it really depends on the budget and the tastes of the diners - but could recommend (including many of the lunch venues):

Les Freres Jacques (upmarket)
Chapter One
Shanahan's (upmarket)
Brownes
Mermaid
Old Dublin
Patrick Guilbaud (if you're feeling flush)
The Tea Rooms
Roly's

Not every meal need to be expensive and especially for a quick stop. The mexican is really good there and the Bagels are H&H bagels from NYC (I was born and raised in NY)So as a NYer I think it's a good food hall with fresher food than at a mall food court.

I do understand what you mean about 40 somethings and a good lunch. I just think its a reasonable option near all the shops.

OK my other places are:

Roly's for Lunch or Brunch €20.00 special always a stellar meal and superb service. You must book ahead but I have NEVER had a bad meal here and my picky eater friends say the same.

Odessa - Dinner Lunch and I love the Sunday Brunch. It's kind of funky inside but always good food and chilled out. I have been eating here for over 10 years.

Peploes - Expenive for Dinner but to the side of the bar you can get a small table and have lighter versions of the menu. Food is fantastic. Located at St Stephen's green. Alternatively just go for a glass/bottle of wine before you go out in the evening to dinner elsewhere.

Wagamma is an old favourite chain. Not posh but tasty Asian food.

Bar Italia - Millenium Walkway over Millenium Bridge from Temple Bar. Real Italian , good prices and 2 wine bars across in the laneway. Enotecca della langhe is the back one and the best in my opion. Excellent antipasti platters or cheese ones and just a cool chilled atmosphere. Great Italian wines. Opposite is an excellent coffee/pannini shop owned by the same crowd as well.

Casa Lingua And Pizza Stop are realxed pizza Places. No bookings and Casa lingua is nice to sit outside if it's warm and pizza Stop get busy in the evenings but its cosy and very good prices.

I like the Bistro On Castle Market Street for Lunch and dinner. Jusr a cosy feel and great ourside terrace. Maloti is also a favourite of ours. It's kind of Modern Indian food. Good wine lsit and cocktails as well.

Lots of great suggestions.

I recently ate in Salamanca on Andrew Street (which is just by the tourist information centre on Suffolk Street). I would highly recommend it. The food was excellent and very good value. For lunch you could get one plate of tapas for about €7-9 and it would probably fill you up. We ate there for dinner and got 2-3 plates of tapas per person. There were 6 of us and we shared everything and all the dishes were excellent.

Oh, another great new place is BrasserieSixty6 on Georges Street - http://www.brasseriesixty6.com/

We ate there recently and the food was excellent. The service was slow, but it was Christmas week and they were extremely busy, but otherwise it was great.

I agree Roly's is lovely for lunch, but for dinner, I personally think the tables are a little close, but I agree the food is lovely, another choice of Siobhan's , Maloti, is a favourite of mine also. O'neills on Suffolk street is nice, i know they serve drinks there as its a pub, but you dont have to drink! the pubs are pleasant now that we have a no smoking ban. I think Trocadero is over priced for what you get. It really is a very personal thing, recommending restaurants is a chancy thing as we all differ so much, one person's meat is another's poison.

In 2004 we dined at Shanahan's ("New York Steak House") and Browne's (Continental)are both fine and near St. Stephen's Green.

In 2003, we dined at "La Mere Zou", a Provencal restaurant, in same building as Browne's it serves excellent fare. We are Francophiles and found the food and service top notch here.

Shanahans people hear about but remember it is shockingly expensive but good food.

Lucie I agree the tables are a bit close unless you get a booth in evenings but I still love the service and professional way they operate. I worked in restaurants years ago and it is getting so awful here even in nice places.

O'Neils is meant to be a good carvery lunch. I haven't been in a few years.

Salamanca I have avoided for a while as the last time it was awful and we tend to go for Tapas in the new Havana on Georges street as its a bit more of a fun atmosphere. It was excellent in the past so I will try again from Cailin's review.

I enjoyed Wagamama on our last visit - glad to see it also get recommended.

Some good suggestions noted for our next trip :)
Thanks!

Wow! I just recheck my initial posting and found such wonderful additions! Many thanks to you all for your time and input!

Returned from Dublin yesterday-I second the suggestions for Ristorante Da Pino and Wagamama. Both offered good food at reasonable prices. Great fun at Wagamama.