Ireland, best known for its lively pubs, is an up and coming destination when it comes to food. There are new restaurant openings all the time, but it still has a long way to go before it reaches the likes of other foodie cities. It took a long time to put this list together, and it has been carefully curated to only include 30 of the best Dublin restaurants for foodies. Granted, I’m a food snob, but there are some basic principles that I hold all restaurants accountable to; fresh ingredients, excellent service, cleanliness and tasty dishes.
I've included all the restaurants that were somewhat memorable since figuring out where to eat in Dublin can sometimes be daunting or really disappointing. We’ve been here for two and a half years, and I only managed to compile a list of 30 best Dublin restaurants that foodies would appreciate. And we’ve been to way more than 30 restaurants.
I’ve broken down the list into three sections: Michelin Star Restaurants In Dublin, High-End Restaurants In Dublin, Premium Casual Dublin Restaurants, and Casual Dining In Dublin. Each section is ranked from most to least favourite.
Best Dublin Restaurants With Michelin Stars
Eleven restaurants in Ireland maintain at least one Michelin star, one of which holds two stars and none with three stars. We’ve had the pleasure of visiting four of the five located in the Dublin area, and one almost didn’t make it on my list of best restaurants in Dublin. Don’t get me wrong, just because a restaurant holds a Michelin recognition it doesn’t guarantee it’ll be good. You can tell a lot about a city’s food culture by trying these restaurants. In cities with dominant food culture, you’ll find that standards, quality of ingredients, presentation, and service are much higher. Nonetheless, all four Michelin star restaurants in Dublin are worth a visit and I’ve ranked them from best to least favourite.
1. The Greenhouse
A-M-A-Z-I-N-G. This restaurant focuses on contemporary Irish cuisine, but I’d like to add that it has a strong French influence. Eamonn O'Reilly is an Irish chef and restaurateur whose restaurants have won many awards. After experiencing The Greenhouse, we are definitely going to try one of his many other Dublin restaurants.
The foie gras royale, granny smith apple, walnut and smoked eel, the lacquered Anjou pigeon, artichoke morel and truffle sauce and finally the chocolate, hazelnut, coffee and salted milk sorbet were all fantastic. The restaurant is modern, the seating is very comfortable, and the service was on point. Make sure to reserve far in advance, we booked a table for two weeks before and there was barely room.
Address: Joshua House, 21 Dawson St, Dublin 2, D02 TK33
Phone: (01) 676 7015
2. Chapter One
We’ve been twice, so that already says a lot. Despite being located in a basement, this Dublin Northside Restaurant is elegant while remaining unpretentious. Ross Lewis works with Irish ingredients and creates dishes with an international standard that please both the eyes and the taste buds.
Address: 18-19 Parnell Square N, Rotunda, Dublin 1
Phone: (01) 873 2266
3. Restaurant Patrick Guilbaud
This is Ireland’s only two-star Michelin Restaurant, and I feel like they take this title a little too seriously. It was so quiet that you could hear a pin drop during our visit. But then again, it is a French fine dining restaurant, so that would explain the stuffiness. The Dublin city restaurant is located beside the five-star Merrion Hotel, and despite the very reserved environment, the food met our expectations.
Address: 21 Merrion Street Upper, Dublin 2, D02 KF79
Phone: (01) 676 4192
4. L’Ecrivain
This Dublin city restaurant occupies two Georgian townhouses with its very own courtyard. The décor is charming, the service excellent, and the tasting menu was satisfying. Derry Clarke is the head chef and prepares dishes that are rooted in French tradition.
Address: 109A Baggot Street Lower, Grand Canal Dock, Dublin 2, D02 V580
Phone: (01) 661 1919
High-End Restaurants In Dublin
This list of Dublin restaurants includes some of the best in the city without the coveted Michelin star recognition. They stood out because the food impressed us and some of these would be considered some of the nicest places to eat in Dublin.
5. Forest Avenue
After months of waiting, we finally got a reservation at Forest Avenue and glad we did! This laid-back Dublin 4 restaurant is run by John and Sandy Wyer, John is from Cork and Sandy Queens, New York. We enjoyed the 6-course tasting menu, and every dish was exceptional.
Address: 8-9 Sussex Terrace, Dublin 4
Phone: (01) 667 8337
6. Shanahan’s On The Green
The only Dublin steakhouse where they understand what I mean when I ask for Pittsburgh rare. This American style steakhouse in Dublin located in a Georgian townhouse looks like it belongs in another era. You don’t go to Shanahan’s On The Green for the décor, it is quite dated, but they know how to cook a piece of meat. The Pittsburgh rare filet is perfect! Be prepared to spend a whopping €46.90 for an 8-ounce filet mignon. Which I find quite amusing since there are more cows than humans in this country.
Address: 119 St Stephen's Green, Dublin 2
Phone: (01) 407 0939
7. F.X. Buckley
There are 5 F.X. Buckley’s in Dublin, but our favourite is the Monkstown location. This Dublin steakhouse offers a more relaxed and modern setting which is quite the contrast to my previous restaurant pick. They don’t always understand what I mean when I say Pittsburgh rare, I usually have to explain that it means rare and charred on the outside, but their side dishes sets them apart.
Address: 3 Monkstown Cres, Dún Laoghaire, Dublin
Phone: (01) 284 6187
8. WILDE
This is probably one of the most Instagram worthy restaurants in Dublin, it’s so pretty! The service is attentive, and every single dish we ordered was noteworthy except for the burrata for 2 with vine tomatoes. They could’ve taken the tomatoes off the vines, it made it very difficult to eat. The heirloom beetroot salad served with figs, truffle honey and goat’s cheese was delicious. I ordered the linguini of pan-fried Castletownbere scallops with clams, chilli, garlic and rocket, just perfect!
Address: WILDE Restaurant, Harry Street, Dublin, Dublin 2, D02 CH66
Phone: (01) 646 3352
9. SOLE Seafood & Grill
This restaurant recently opened its doors in Dublin’s city centre, and I wanted to be one of the first to try it out. Dublin finally has a high-end seafood restaurant that serves fresh, high quality, upmarket ingredients. I ordered the Coquilles St. Jacques with king scallops, Mornay cream and marsh samphire; D-E-L-I-C-I-O-U-S. You won’t be served stinky fish here! I promise.
Address: 18-19 William St S, Dublin, D02 KV76
Phone: (01) 544 2300
10. Dax Restaurant
This Dublin city centre restaurant is located in a Georgian style townhouse basement and serves modern Irish-French cuisine.
Address: Pembroke Street Upper Pembroke Street Upper, Dublin 2, D02 AK20
Phone: (01) 676 1494
Premium Casual Dublin Restaurants
These are the date night restaurants which represent the majority of the list where you’ll enjoy a more laid back experience without sacrificing good food. The following 16 favourites are definitely Dublin restaurants fit for foodies. You’ll have a choice between a wide variety of cuisines from Italian to French and the best fondue in Dublin. You’ll notice that the Italian restaurants are ranked highest in this section, and that’s because this is the one cuisine that rarely disappoints in Dublin. That may be because most of these Italian restaurants are actually owned by Italians.
11. Etto
Their menu changes daily and they offer dishes crafted from seasonal ingredients. They have been awarded a well deserved Michelin Bib Gourmand for 5 years in a row. The restaurant is tiny, but the food makes up for the cramped space. Definitely worth a visit!
Address: 18 Merrion Row, Dublin 2
Phone: (01) 678 8872
12. Edelwise Restaurant Dublin
Edelwise is an authentic Swiss restaurant in Dublin’s Ranelagh village. This is where you go to stuff your face with bread, cheese, potatoes and good wine. You have the choice between, cheese fondue, Chinese fondue and raclette so be sure to bring along a few more people so you can order everything. The owners are delightful, and the service is always friendly. Melted cheese. No need to say more. Go!
Address: 51 Ranelagh, Dublin 6
Phone: 085 826 4279
13. La Cucina
La Cucina is located in the basement of Dublin’s Powerscourt Townhouse in the city’s centre. What makes this restaurant unique is that all their food is cooked ‘al Forno,’ a technique that involves cooking the food in a large wood-fired oven.
Address: Unit 1 - 19D, Powerscourt Townhouse Centre, 59 William St S, Dublin 2
Phone: (01) 677 1221
14. Osteria Lucio
Osteria Lucio offers more than just pizza, this Italian restaurant in Dublin’s D2 has tons of options. My Italian dad left satisfied, especially with the ‘Ndjua, a Calabrian specialty, that they serve on crispy bread. The tagliatelle with ragu of Irish wagyu beef and chilli is fantastic!
Address: The Malting Tower, Grand Canal Quay, Clanwilliam Terrace, Dublin, D02 DW90
Phone: (01) 662 4199
15. Manifesto Restaurant
This authentic Italian restaurant in Rathmines has a wide selection of pizzas, all prepared at the front of the restaurant in a wood-fired oven. Although the food is noteworthy, the service could use some improvement. The seared scallops served on a beetroot sauce with foie gras, toasted Avola almond and endive, as well as the wild boar ragout pappardelle, are a must!
Address: 208 Rathmines Rd Lower, Dublin 6, D06 K466
Phone: (01) 496 8096
16. The Blind Pig
This is an authentic prohibition bar that serves great food! I failed to read the details on the confirmation email on how to find the place, and we turned in circles until we called the restaurant. It is very well hidden my friends! Hence the authenticity. They are known for their cocktails, but their food is also worthy of recognition. My favourite dishes were the fried mozzarella and the lobster spaghetti.
Address: 18 Suffolk St, Dublin 2, D02 NP97
Phone: (01) 565 4700
17. Piglet Wine Bar
It is primarily a wine bar, but you can also enjoy their delicious tapas while you enjoy a couple of bottles…umm, glasses. The beef tartare was the only disappointing dish, I ended up eating half of my husband’s scialatelle Cacio e Pepe, so savoury.
Address: Cow's Ln, Temple Bar, Dublin
Phone: (01) 707 9786
18. Fishbone
Fish cooked on a charcoal and plancha grill is what’s on the menu in this Clontarf seafood restaurant. We enjoyed the crab salad, lobster Thermidor and the fishbone blackened cajun fish and chips. It is outside of city centre but worth the short commute.
Address: 324 Clontarf Rd, Clontarf, Dublin 3
Phone: (01) 536 9066
19. L’Gueuleton
This is one of the first restaurants we visited when we arrived in Dublin. You’ll find good French fair minus the pretentious setting. Memorable dishes include the french onion soup and chicken liver and foie gras parfait with spiced pear and sourdough toast.
Address: 1 Fade St, Dublin 2
Phone: (01) 675 3708
20. Sophie’s
This Dublin city centre restaurant has a lovely terrace where you’re likely to use a blanket and heaters 95% of the time. But, on the rare occasion that the sun shines you’ll want to book a table for dinner or a drink. Located atop The Dean, Sophie’s has great panoramic views of the city and a cool vibe. The New York – Italian – Irish menu has some great options.
Address: 33 Harcourt St, Saint Kevin's, Dublin 2
Phone: (01) 607 8100
21. The Butcher Grill
This Dublin steakhouse and grill can accommodate less than 20 people and when you’re time’s up, they will let you know. Their meats are grilled on a wood-smoked grill and this Dublin restaurant has some tasty starters to chose from.
Address: 92 Main Street, Ranelagh, Dublin 6
Phone: (01) 498 1805
22. Pichet
A classic French bistro in the heart of Dublin’s city centre where you can enjoy delicious drinks and good food. The Johny Stone steak tartare, country-style terrine, and Wicklow venison were standout dishes.
Address: 14-15 Trinity St, Dublin 2
Phone: (01) 677 1060
23. Banyi Japanese Restaurant
After trying every single sushi restaurant in Dublin, and being completely devastated that we wouldn’t be eating sushi during our time here, we found Banyi. Now don’t get me wrong, it isn’t the best sushi you’ll ever have, far from it, but when you have a serious craving for the stuff, it’ll do.
Address: 3-4 Bedford Row, Temple Bar, Dublin 2, D02 HD77
Phone: (01) 675 0669
24. Fade Street Social
Two restaurants in one, that’s right, The Gastro Bar and The Restaurant under one roof. Dylan Mcgrath is the chef behind this establishment and they serve dishes made from fresh Irish ingredients.
Address: 4 Fade St, Dublin 2, D02 NF77
Phone: (01) 604 0066
25. Fish Shop
A multi-course set menu highlighting seasonal Irish seafood is what you’ll find at Fish Shop. If you don’t like fish, this isn’t for you.
Address: 6 Queen St, Arran Quay, Dublin 7, D07 DW3R
Phone: (01) 604 0066
Best Dublin Restaurants - Casual Dining
These are the really casual Dublin dining options that we sometimes abuse. One or two may be on speed-dial and we may order from them a little too often. That said, these are some of the best Dublin restaurants where you can just show up and enjoy a good meal.
26. Bunsen
THE. BEST. BURGER. IN. TOWN. There are 10 items on their menu and it is all on a business card. You just need to decide how you want your meat cooked, the toppings on your burger, what kind of fries and what drink. Simple as that. If you come to Dublin this is a MUST. There are six locations in Ireland, four of which are in Dublin.
27. Herbstreet Restaurant
BEST. BREAKFAST. IN. TOWN. And their lunch is good as well. They don’t reservations for brunch so you may have to wait in line most mornings, especially during the weekend. The eggs benedict and the turkey burger are worth a try!
Address: 9 Hanover Quay, Grand Canal Dock, Dublin 2, D02 KP20
Phone: (01) 675 3875
28. Base
There are five locations in Dublin and most are very small so I would recommend take-out or delivery. If you are visiting Dublin, there is always a small area to sit and enjoy the tasty wood-fired oven pizza in each location.
29. Klaw
There are less than 20 seats in this Temple Bar seafood restaurant and you may need to wait a while to get one. Lobster rolls, lobster mac and cheese, oysters, mussels and other seafood are all on the menu at Klaw. Be sure to draw a little something and hang it on their wall!
Address: 159 Capel St, North City, Dublin 1, D01 FK50
Phone Number: (01) 556 0117
No Reservations
30. Beshoffs The Market
Fish and chips are what you come to Beshoffs for and you’ll be happy that you did. Crispy chips, deep fried cod or haddock with a side of mushy peas, just perfect. Our favourite location is a little outside of Dublin, in Howth and it is called Beshoffs The Market. The menu is a little more extensive at that location and it isn’t fast food.
Address: 17-18 W Pier, Howth, Co. Dublin
Phone: (01) 839 7555
Reservations Not Required
And there you have it, 30 of the best restaurants in Dublin that foodies would really appreciate, all on one list. Keep in mind that each category is ranked from most favourite to least but that doesn’t change the fact that these are all standout restaurants with some of the best food in Dublin. Don’t forget to bookmark this page so you can refer to it next time you can’t decide where to eat in Dublin. Be sure to check out Visiting Dublin But Want To See More? This Is The Perfect Itinerary! for more on what to do when you're here!
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