Dublin

Dublin. The fair city. Temple Bar. The River Liffey. Trinity College. Poets and playwrights.

While my recent trips to Ireland have mostly taken me across the island to the midlands and the west coast, I have gotten to know the capital city a little bit as well. On my first trip to Ireland in 2006, I spent two or three drunken days pub hopping in Dublin, barely remembering a thing, before my friends flew back to the States and I remained in Ireland for an adventure. I promptly left Dublin for the west coast and never returned except to fly to Portugal a month later. Then nearly twenty years went by before the Emerald Isle called my name again.

I finally made my way back to Dublin in 2025 for one afternoon and again in 2026 for three days. With an Irish tour guide in tow, I saw, or at least remember, far more of the city. I drank a lot of Guinness. I drank a lot of wine. I ate some great food. Here are some of the highlights of my recent trips.

Pints of g

One of the main activities anywhere in Ireland, and especially Dublin, is having some pints of Guinness. Of course, you ought to go to the Guinness Storehouse if you’ve never been. While it is certainly a tourist haven, I’d say it’s worth it. But after you do that, or instead of doing that, just make sure you pop into interesting looking pubs and get a pint of the black. Shown above are O’Neill’s Pub & Kitchen, Kenny’s Bar, and The Hairy Lemon.

More Pubs, More Pints

I do take exception with the narrative about which pub has the best Guinness. It sure seems to me like the Guinness quality assurance team does their job, and for the most part pints anywhere are about the same as pints everywhere else… in Ireland, that is. For the most part American Guinness is no comparison! So when comparing pints in Ireland, this debate is really about which pub you prefer to drink in, not the pints themselves. Additional pubs for a pint during my recent trips to Dublin include The Long Hall, Hogan’s, Mary’s Bar & Hardware, and Cassidy’s.

Sights Around Town

With the River Liffey running right through the heart of Dublin, there are many bridges to get from north to south or vice versa. And Dublin also has lots of statues! Writer Edmund Burke appears through the gates of Trinity College above. On the right, I sit down for a bit of craic with the legendary author, poet, and playwright Oscar Wilde in front of Kennedy’s Pub.

Wine in Dublin

So as to not only drink Guinness, I also drank wine at a few spots around town. The standouts were Loose Cannon Cheese & Wine at the George’s Street Arcade and Row Wines on Coppinger Row. Of course, I also had wine for dinner at a couple of fancy meals including FIRE Steakhouse and Gloria Osteria, both of which will be posted below!

FIRE Steakhouse

A block off of St. Stephen’s Green sits FIRE Steakhouse, an Irish take on a classic, fine-dining beef and sides joint. After wine and cocktails, we started the meal with pickled herring served alongside pink fir potato, spring onion, sour cream apple puree, and watercress. The fish had a delicate texture and the acidity balanced out the dish beautifully. From there we had the French onion soup before the main course. I went with a 12oz dry-aged grass-fed Irish ribeye and added sides of creamed potatoes and creamed baby spinach. The steak had a brilliantly charred crust and incredible beefy flavor.

Gloria Osteria

My other celebration-level Dublin restaurant encounter was Gloria Osteria. The opulent Italian restaurant has roots in Milan, with other global locations in Dubai, Barcelona, and Paris. This place had flair and whimsy and some really outstanding food. After ordering a bottle or red wine, we went with the burrata al pesto to start, then added on the carpaccio di polpo with tender octopus, crispy capers, and candied lemon. On the second round we sampled the cream asparagus risotto and the signature spaghettoni with lobster, Datterini tomato sauce, and caviar. The decadent meal was capped off with the incomparable lemon pie, a lemon tart with towering Italian meringue.

Masa Dublin

For a casual taco lunch, we stopped by Masa Dublin. A couple margaritas deep with some chips and guac, I couldn’t resist the quesabirria tacos with tender braised Irish lamb. The slight gaminess and the flavor of the consomme both made for an excellent taco. We also tried the crispy fish tacos with cabbage slaw and chipotle mayo. Both tacos proved that Ireland can bring the Mexican flavors!

Extra Tastes

Here are a few extra tastes from around Dublin. Chicken wings in Irish pubs are always a great way to go. At The Hairy Lemon we enjoyed an elevated take: a large portion of wings served with secret sauce, chili, spring onion, celery and blue cheese dip. I had quite a few nice espressos and coffees in Dublin, but only one cortado came with a free chocolate. Thanks Butlers Chocolate Cafe on Grafton Street! Finally, a sandwich from The Pig & Heifer. The pastrami and gorgonzola set me right after a night of Guinness, cocktails, and wine. I’m looking forward to seeing what adventures Dublin has in store for me in the future!