Dublin’s food scene has really and truly flourished over the past few decades. We’ve gone from a nation known for its reliance on the potato as a primary source of nutrition, to a place where you can find just about every flavour and iteration of every type of international cuisine. The most succulent steamed dumplings, the juiciest Jamaican jerk chicken, the perfect pizza… we have it all in spades.
But the best part of it all? We never lost our roots. In fact, we’ve embraced our own cuisine and taken it with us into the 21st Century, adding modern twists to humble Irish dishes and showcasing the incredible range and quality of Irish produce. Today, there is a wealth of great Irish cuisine to be tasted all over the city, so we’ve put together a list of five of the best, with options for every occasion and budget.
One of Ireland’s most iconic and frankly underrated foods is boxty. Hailing from the north west of Ireland (Leitrim and Cavan in particular) boxty is a potato pancake made with spuds, flour, buttermilk and egg, depending on the recipe. Fried in butter, it's a tasty little morsel all on its own and a delicious breakfast, lunch or dinner food. But when filled or topped with other Irish ingredients, it becomes something else. The Boxty House understands this.
You can try boxty here as part of a full Irish breakfast, as a sublime substitute for muffins in an eggs benedict, with traditional corned beef, Irish stew or pan-fried Irish cod, and even in a spice bag. Yes, that’s right – they’ve created their very own boxty fries too.
The Pig’s Ear works modern magic on old Irish cooking. Drawing influence from the dishes James Joyce wrote about in Ulysses, the menu is designed to reimagine what a Dublin restaurant might have been like 100 years ago. The menu is great, with dishes that at one time were the preserve of the peasantry are transformed here into something really special.
They’ve created a modern and reimagined version of the ‘famine soup’ that was once spooned out to starving masses in soup kitchens all over Ireland, accompanied by some rich marrow-topped toast. They have their own take on the humble boxty pancake here too, topped with Irish sheep's cheese (Cáis Na Tíre) and truffle. Their Dublin coddle is perfect comfort food, and we can’t help but think the Tongue ‘n Cheek kidney pie was made for Leopold Bloom himself.
One of Dublin’s very best restaurants, Chapter One is a Michelin-starred Irish foodie institution. It’s a little pricier than the other establishments listed here, and perfect for a special occasion and an unforgettable meal in Dublin. Chapter One is all about serving the exceptional, seasonal Irish produce at its very best.
The tasting menu here is an unmissable experience. Over multiple courses you can taste the breadth of their offering to get an appreciation for the diversity of flavours to be found across Ireland, and the ingenuity of the chefs here. From pan-seared Wicklow venison to freshly caught wild Irish sea bass, Chapter One champions Irish ingredients and Irish cuisine like no other Irish restaurant.
We’d send you here for the location alone - sitting above a bookshop overlooking the Ha'penny Bridge, you couldn't ask for a better Dublin dining location. Luckily, there’s a lot more to this restaurant than its setting. Named after a poem by W.B.Yeats, The Winding Stair has always paid homage to Ireland’s greats, and the food is no exception.
From potted Dingle Bay crab and Burren smoked wild Atlantic salmon to artisanal Irish cheeses and good old bread and butter pudding doused in Irish whiskey, you’ll find a menu that’s packed with the best of Ireland.
We’re sending you here for one thing and one thing only – the coddle. Well, let’s make that two things actually; the coddle, and a great pint of the pub’s famously good Guinness. Just a short bus ride from the city centre, the Gravediggers (aka John Kavanagh’s) is a famous Irish pub that’s kept every inch of its authentic charm - including its Dublin coddle.
Coddle gets its name from the cooking technique used – "coddling" means maintaining a gentle simmer over a low heat – and is a comforting stew of sausage, bacon, potato, onion and stock. The guys at The Gravediggers have it down to a fine art. Some notable fans of the coddle here are MArco Pierre White and Anthony Bourdain himself - make sure to try a bowl yourself.
Saving our own brasserie for last because to us, it’s the best. 1837 is all about the heritage and history of Irish cuisine, and how our world-renowned produce is brought to life with a Guinness twist. Glin Valley chicken, Clogherhead crab, Carlingford oysters and Atlantic lobster are all regular guests on the menu here, and are perfectly put together with Guinness sauces, glazes, dips and even delicious Guinness soda bread. Book before your visit to get a taste of the Guinness beer tasting with a twist on Irish cuisine!