Dublin Food
Famous for many things, including its architecture and culture, Dublin is not generally associated with high-quality food. Yet from the 1990s onwards the city underwent a minor culinary reinvention and now has much to offer visitors to the city.
Tourists looking for unpretentious venues with characteristic Irish warmth and food should head for the side streets off the famous Grafton Street, where they are likely to come across traditional Irish pubs. Most of these are heavy with literary connections, including McDaid's and Neary's, and will often have live Irish music.
Although fresh seafood features heavily on menus, restaurants and pubs often offer locally sourced Irish beef and lamb. The Porterhouse Pub on Parliament Street is especially renowned for good Irish pub food.
For those who can afford to stretch their budgets the city has many fine restaurants offering high-quality food. Chapter One in the vaulted basement of the Dublin Writer's Museum combines a fantastic culinary experience in a literary location, while the Michelin starred Restaurant Patrick Guilbauld is one of the more exquisite gastronomic experiences in the city. As the country's most famous music export, U2 also own the sophisticated Tea Rooms inside the Clarence Hotel.
Visitors on a tighter budget can easily find cafes and restaurants offering salads, soups and heartier meals to fuel weary bodies taking a break from exploring the city. One of the most famous is housed inside Avoca, an Aladdin's cave of beautiful gifts and clothes just minutes walk from the bustle of Grafton Street.
As the city has increased in its multiculturalism, numerous ethnic restaurants have sprung up across the city, including Chinese, Indian, Thai and Japanese food. Very often these restaurants can be the best bet for catering for both vegetarians and carnivores.
As home of the world-famous Guinness Brewery, visitors to Dublin would be hard pushed to visit without sampling a pint of the black stuff. Admission tickets to the brewery include a free half pint of Guinness in its Gravity Bar, which is situated high above the old storehouse with breathtaking views of the city. Back down on street level numerous pubs provide lively atmospheres in which to soak up the city's friendly atmosphere and to enjoy the craic.
Although many Dubliners may turn their noses up at Temple Bar, the area located by the River Liffey is full of pubs, tourists and students and very often has live music. For an energetic and spirited evening you would be hard pushed to beat the pubs located here.
Slightly more sophisticated tastes can be satiated in Dublin as well however, with numerous sleek and trendy bars dotted throughout the city. Cocktails and celebrities can both be found in the Clarence Hotel's Octagon Bar, while the Market Bar is famed for being one of the most stylish and vast bars in the city.
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Eating and drinking
