So, here is folks, what we’ve been building up to all year…. my very top picks of Dublin’s restaurants in 2015!!
I managed to make my way through over 80 of Dublin’s finest establishments in 2015, detailing the ones that stood out in my monthly food posts along the way; now I’ve painstakingly whittled those down to just TEN worthy of being titled ‘the best’.
Considering you guys really loved last December’s post detailing my best Dublin Restaurants 2014, I thought it’d be a shame not to round up my overall thought on all the places I trialed during the 12 months after.
I really hope you guys enjoy this post and, be sure to follow me various social media accounts where I will be doing giveaways for some of these restaurants over the next few week!!!!
KC peaches epitomizes healthy lunch on the go for me. They have an amazing selection of hot & cold food, all ready to be served. Their Dame street location has great views of our fair city, the staff are courteous and its economically priced. What more can I say!
I think they really go above & beyond to cater for the market of people who want food fast, not ‘fast food’. You can grab a bite without any wait or, box some of their delicious options for lunch on the run. This spot is my fail-safe for a busy day in town. Fresh, great variety & perfectly prepared.
I’ll be honest; I made an ignorant assumption a few years back that hotel food it ‘safe’; I mean, decent food & everything but nothing to write home about… as the Irish mammy would say. For that reason I tended to avoid eating in hotels unless, well, I was staying in one & feeling too lazy to go elsewhere. The Morrison single-handedly changed that assumption entirely for me.
They are anything BUT safe, serving up some of the most interesting take on delicious food I’ve seen anywhere in Dublin (Gentlemen’s tea, anyone?). Their service is second to none & every dish I’ve tried in there has been nothing short of perfection.
Their menu options are so thoughtfully planned, suitable to everyone and finally, their cocktails are without doubt some of the absolute best in Dublin (…trust me).
The many, many reasons mentioned above are why The Morrison is in my top 10 this year.
I must really be last to the table (excuse the pun) when it comes to this Dublin institution. Its been around for as long as I can remember but I only got my ass in gear to finally check it out this year. I’ve heard endless tales from eager friends so it really was about time!
What really stood out to me in this little Dublin gem was how such a large room (and it needs to be large with that many customers!) could feel cosy!? The cellar is under the market part & has no windows (… as the name would suggest) leaving you feeling a loss of time down there in the nicest way possible.
Loyal customers choose wine from the seemingly endless rows of bottles that line the wall, giving the place a lovely familiar feel. Their service was impeccable with the staff clearly knowing the menu senselessly, the menu choices are faultless, leaving you unable to make a decision for what feel like hours and, the icing on the cake; they serve food at that awkward ‘not quite lunch, not quite dinner’ time that can really catch you off guard in Dublin. Brilliant.
This was the best brunch we had all year. If you’ve kept up with my food posts you’ll know how much I like to eat brunch so I could just leave it at that really!
So what made Pigeon house THAT good? Its located in the quaintest little town just outside of Dublin, the decor inside the restaurant is perfection; clearly decorated by someone with a superb eye for detail. The staff were friendly, the menu had fantastic choices, coffee was great, & everything we ordered was prepared & presented to perfection.
This place is so worth the trip; hop in the car, eat a delicious brunch & spend the day exploring.
Second only to the aforementioned, this Dublin spot is an absolute must. We were blown away by every single thing about this place…. the food was faultless, service was great & it had that perfect New York-style laid back atmosphere of organised brunch chaos; just the way brunch should be.
As if the experience couldn’t get any better, we decided to order margaritas (not my fave cocktail by a long shot so I was obviously feeling wildly adventurous!) & I can gladly say that they were the best margaritas I have EVER tasted. Without doubt one of the best brunch spots in Dublin, sheer perfection.
My one kinda-wildcard is Peruke & Periwig as, I’m not adding them because of their food (I’ve coincidentally never had it)… this spot is added simply because they serve the absolute best cocktails that I have ever had. Ever.
The staff are incredibly knowledgeable & clearly passionate about what they are doing, the decor fits the mood perfectly and despite venturing in here perhaps more times than I’ve even care to admit, I’ve never been disappointed with my drink of choice.
They can do no wrong in my eyes & are the one cocktail bar that encapsulates both style and substance perfectly.
Moving to Dublin 8 has opened new doors for us in terms of where we now consider ‘local’ and thankfully, Capel street falls into that category meaning we have many delicious & staggeringly cheap Asian restaurants on our doorstep.
I made my way through all of Capel street’s Asian eateries over the last 6 months & Arisu stood out as the best. Theres nothing fancy about this place whatsoever… which is part of it’s charm really. It reminds me of Beijing street cafes we used to dine in as backpackers and the food tastes just as authentic.
The menu has a great selection of dishes but the dumpling stand head & shoulders above the rest in terms of mind-blowing flavour. If you consider yourself a dumpling connoisseur you simply have to check this place out. Getting dinner & a beer for less than €15 will feel like robbery but, you’ll no doubt return to do it again!
This place wins in every & any category it fall in. Phenomenal interior? Check. Outrageously tasty food? Check. Friendly & attentive staff? Check.
I got the chance to try this place with my mom during the summer & we spent the entire time either marveling at the surroundings or, marveling at how good the food was! I simply couldn’t not include this place in my top 10 because, as we walked away from brunch that day we really felt like we’d just experienced something special.
This is the only repeat from last year’s post which will tell you just how highly I rate this place; it simply had to go back in!! What makes this spot an absolute winner for me is the golden 3; service, food, decor.
Let me elaborate though; decor is proooobably not the best word to use when describing this gem of an eatery as it definitely falls into the category of ‘shabby chic’. However, it is one of the brightest most airy locations in the Dublin cafe scene which is an absolute winner for me. It has such a friendly vibe & laid back atmosphere with the staff radiating calm (even though I cant imagine they feel it with how busy this place is!)
The food is divine with their variety of salads coming under the ‘quality over quantity’ rule. Let the staff pick for you & you’ll be in food heaven.
We went here a little fragile from the night before & coincidentally discovered that we couldn’t have picked a better spot.
A real local gem with delicious menu options, homemade lemon-aid (perfect to quench that cotton mouth thirst!) and the icing on the cake? A beautiful dog to great you in the hallway (if you’re one of those ‘cry at anything when I’m hungover’ types then steer clear!).
This is a small establishment meaning that its unlikely to get too much of a racket happening inside but their food cries out to any level of hangover you’ve had or could imagine having. One of the best brunch menus I’ve seen in Dublin with a beautiful emphasis on presentation.
Very unassuming when you walk past but, you won’t feel so indifferent to this place when you leave!
The rustic stone seems to be packed to capacity every night of the week so they have to be on to something, right? They are.
I love their approach to dining in that its different enough to leave a lasting impression & create a little bit of magic but, not ‘different for the sake of it’ or creating an uneasy experience for the diner. A lot of The Rustic stone’s options are served on a hot stone where it continues to cook until its at your liking… its an unusual but practical way to bring some extra fun into your overall dining experience.
That’s not why I’m so impressed by the rustic stone thought.
Their food is far from ‘gimmicky’ despite being served with a difference. They flavour & present their dishes to absolute perfection with every course being better than the last. Their menu options have a strong emphasis of fresh, wholesome food so, despite feeling that you’ve really indulged based on experience, you haven’t indulged in terms of fatty foods or bulky calorie-ridden dishes.
The busting but not hectic atmosphere creates a fun surrounding and they have delicious cocktails to compliment the dishes. Course after course they can do no wrong.
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