The best restaurants in Dublin

27/08/2025: excellent breakfast and lovely saleswoman! I recommend

21/08/2025: Small and very good fast-food restaurant. Delicious vegan burritos. Highly recommended.

23/10/2025: Shay is brilliant & everybody who knows him loves him. I’ve brought a few people here over the years & it’s always been a good time. If you ring the bell & get inside, you’ll feel right at home. Not too crowded, just perfect. The lady behind the bar is incredibly lovely too.

26/09/2025: The Hacienda was part of my life for over 30 years. I had one of my first pints here at 15, and for a decade it was where I played pool and darts in a more depressed Dublin. I remember the German Shepherds padding around the bar and Shea’s white Porsche parked outside — a rare sight in 1980s north inner city Dublin. The pub was crammed with Shea’s curios — eccentric, lived-in, unforgettable. To get in, you rang the bell on the locked door, where Shea would look you up and down before deciding if you were worthy. Inside, you might wait for your pint while he finished a game of pool, or have to step back from a shot as he opened the trapdoor to change a barrel. Winters meant a roaring fire, though you also had to contend with what were surely the smallest toilets in Dublin, a one-in, one-out squeeze that tested balance as much as patience and the worst smoking area in any pub anywhere: basically not much more than the size of an old phone box with a scrolled metal gate where somehow up to a dozen people could squeeze in. You froze, you laughed, and somehow it was all part of the charm. Even after I moved to London, every visit home meant calling in. No fuss — just, “Are ye home? When are ye going back?” from Shea, always in his striped T-shirt and tracksuit bottoms, with Rod Stewart crooning in the background. And every so often Linda’s arm would poke through the upstairs door with a cup of tea for Shea or a plate of bar food for customers. She seldom appeared in person; for most, that arm was all they ever saw of her. For over twenty years, the same locals occupied Bullshit Corner — swapping stories, dealing cards, and holding the place together with laughter and tall tales. The darts and pool teams kept it alive in leaner times, hauling its name proudly around the city. Trying to play pool here was an experience in itself — every crucial shot was preceded by a chorus of slagging from some of the best players Dublin had known. That was the heartbeat of the Hacienda. But by the mid 2010s, everything changed. A Hollywood celebrity had began dropping in, and almost overnight Shea swapped his old tracksuit for a bow tie and waistcoat. Social media followed, then hipsters, hangers-on and more stars. One by one, the locals - even the stalwarts of Bullshit Corner - were barred for trivial reasons and replaced. Now the walls are lined with celebrity photos, a shot of Shea with Ed Sheeran greeting you at the door. Gone are the regulars who gave the place its soul. What was once a true Dublin local is now a local in name only — a private club that shuts out the very people who built it. Ring the bell today as a local and you’re as likely to be turned away, or greeted with a “Private Party” sign, as welcomed. And if you do get in, don’t expect the old banter — the only topic now is which celebrity dropped in last. And that’s the wider tragedy. Pubs like The Hacienda, chasing money, glamour and gentrification, have turned their backs on the communities that sustained them through hard times. The celebrities who frequent and promote such places may not realise it, but they’ve helped drain the life out of the north inner city, replacing flesh-and-blood communities with hollow backdrops for curated “authentic” experiences. For me, The Hacienda will always be the earlier days: funny, warm, and imperfect. The quirks, the freezing smoking box, the tiniest toilets, the darts and pool teams carrying its name, and the familiar faces in Bullshit Corner with cards on the counter and slagging across the pool table. That humour and warmth were what made it great. Its loss is a deep sorrow — not just for those of us who knew it, but for Dublin itself. Tragically, The Hacienda will be remembered by many not for the heart that once defined it, but for the day it turned its back on the locals who made it great.

28/09/2025: I have never been to O’Reillys on a Saturday night to find it so empty. Why? Their terrace which is practically outside and well aired doesn’t not allow smokers or “vapers” anymore. Lads find a solution to get the HSE of your back because you are losing costumers…. Such funky place, such a pity!!! (will change review stars once we can smoke and drink again !!!!)

17/09/2025: Escape the grind with a little grinding metal. Great ambience. An art Niveau original gone death metal. Fun diversion.

10/10/2025: (Traducido por Google) Buena comida (Original) Great food

08/10/2025: Lovely spot, great food. Only thing tonight was the poor girls serving, they did a great job but there was only two of them serving for the bar and the food... I don't know why, but they definitely should have had more help.

24/10/2025: the nicest coffee in the whole area with the nicest staff to go with it!! Love coming here when I get the chance☺️

23/10/2025: Regularly closes earlier than advertised without a consistent time! Outdoor seating only. Has a street food vibe but it's mostly coffees and snacks!

09/10/2025: Great ambience for a date night and great wine!

09/10/2025: Lovely hidden gem in Dublin! Cozy atmosphere with great wine choices and Gina Is THE BEST! She is so fun and welcoming! Highly recommend for a date night or girl’s night out!

27/10/2025: ⭐☆☆☆☆ Extremely Disappointing Experience Honestly, one of the worst events I’ve ever attended. I paid 100€ for a ticket mainly to see the DJ, but it was impossible — the dance floor was tiny and dangerously overcrowded. There was no space to dance or even move comfortably. The bar service was awful, with endless queues and disorganized staff who clearly couldn’t handle the crowd. For the price, I expected at least a decent setup and some respect for the people attending. Overall, it was a disgraceful and poorly managed event — definitely not worth the money or the time.

26/10/2025: Better pizza than in Italy! It's crazy 🫶

29/07/2025: Estábamos en una crisis de tiempo después de que nuestro restaurante anterior estaba saturado. Hicieron espacio para nosotros a pesar de no tener una reserva y sacaron nuestra pizza y pasta rápido. La comida era buena e incluso acomodaron a mi hijo de 8 años con sus espaguetis. Restaurante sólido. ¡Pulgares arriba de mi hija!

27/06/2025: Excelente comida y ambiente. Estuvimos allí temprano por la noche un jueves no muchos en pero la comida era excelente y tenía un ambiente muy relajante. Encontramos el vino un poco caro, pero en general encontramos el precio del alcohol en lugares en Dublín más caro de lo que estamos acostumbrados. Hubiera tenido unos cuantos más si hubiera sido más razonable. En general muy bueno

24/10/2025: Helpful staff and very efficient service

23/10/2025: Amazing service even late at night 😁

04/08/2025: Delicious ramens, relaxed and kind service. The decorations give a bit of a Japanese atmosphere. Excellent place, would recommend them from the bottom of my heart! Thank you very much! ♥️

27/07/2025: Sushi was good. However, Ramen did not taste nice, broth had no flavour, beef was not fresh. The waitress said she will tell the chef but no commercial gesture, nothing was done. Edit (Reply to owner): I did finish the broth as I hate wasting food and I was very hungry. However, please bear in mind the beef tasted almost rotten. No attempt was made by the staff to fix the issue. We will not be back. Your reply is unprofessional given the experience we had.

15/10/2025: Fantastic experience! Can highly recommend it. Frank was a great host, tour guide and performer! Most of us came as strangers and left as friends and continued talking about Ireland, literature and life!

13/10/2025: Fantastic tour, Colm and Frank were brilliant. Highly recommended!

01/09/2025: Nice little Deli that is reasonably priced for Dublin. Got a ham and cheese toasted sandwich. Really good. Will be back.

12/06/2025: Great local spot for a sandwich! Kind staff!

20/09/2025: Very delicious food and hospitable service. Would come back again :)

29/07/2025: The lentil and potato bowl was so tasty!

03/09/2025: Great place for a coffee and pastry (which they get from Bread 41-good tip to miss the line there is come here). Some benches out front to enjoy on. Fresh bread, flowers and a large wine selection available. Good cheese, meats, pasta, and all sorts of spices and sauces available. Highly recommend as a local grocer.

29/05/2025: A great little store in central Dublin. Coffee is (always) great, staff very pleasant and there's a nice collection of small goods, pastry and drinks.

17/09/2025: I love it. I wish they left Kevin street too

07/09/2025: TUD Bolton St is an experience. Step inside, and it’s basically a game of “Who’s the dodgy drug dealer and who’s a student?” Spoiler…you’ll never really know. In the faculty, the characters continue, one lecturer didn’t speak English, so the class ended up teaching him, while another is so ancient that his lecture slides are basically fossils from 1974. Classes come with a side of adrenaline and mild existential terror, but at least you’ll leave with stories, and maybe some survival skills. If you want traditional college vibes… maybe try literally anywhere else.