As with everyone else, many of my plans over the past 12 + months have not gone ahead.
So, for fear of forgetting my best laid plans (and so my efforts don’t go to waste when travel (hopefully!) resumes), I have set out all the things I would have done had I made it to Dublin this April.
STAY
We had booked to stay at The Dean, for the look of the hotel itself. It comes complete with ‘pod’ rooms, together with popular rooftop bar Sophie’s.
Buuut, it looks like the cool kids also choose to stay at The Alex, the perks being a co-working space and VIP access to a lounge bar. For a similar vibe in Dublin’s Docklands district, The Marker also seems to be popular. For the same vibe but in hostel format, Generator Dublin in the buzzing Smithfield district is apparently the place to go.
I’m not sure if it’s an Irish thing but there seems to be a theme whereby all the hotel names are prefaced with a ‘The’?
For an old school style Dublin experience, you apparently can’t go past The Westbury and its bars The Gallery, The Sidecar and WILDE. The same can be said for Fitzwilliam Hotel, Dublin, which is apparently replete with old school charm including a complementary pre-arrival call to see how they can make your stay more comfortable.
Equally as instagrammable is the Iveagh Garden, which comes complete with art deco wallpaper complemented with modern touches.
DINE AND DRINK
Bars
9 Below is described as opulent cocktails in an elegant atmosphere. That’ll do me. Vintage Cocktail Club appears to serve up the same vibes.
Farrier & Draper looks like an art gallery on steroids, replete with mismatched furniture serving up serious vibes. Bar with No Name is also said to be a locals favourite and Loose Cannon is a more relaxed cheese and wine bar style affair. 37 Dawson Street for a nightcap.
Restaurants
Mr Fox is said to be a relative newcomer on the Dublin foodie scene with eclectic decor as good as the food. At the opposite end, established favourite Chapter One is said to be the best food you will eat in Dublin.
Try Richmond Restaurant for a more relaxed pub style vibe. Other pub recommendations are The George and The Cornerstone.
Coffee
For the instagram experience, check out Love Supreme. But if it’s breakfast you are really after, check out the aptly named Meet Me in the Morning.
Visit Brother Hubbard North or Thundercut Alley (complete with bottomless and a rubber-duck covered bathroom ceiling) for a slice of contemporary Dublin or The Fumbally for some old school Irish cheer. Balfes is the more fancy of the lot.
DO
Do check yourself in for a tour of the Guinness Factory. Whether you love or hate the stuff, this appears to be the Dublin highlight that everyone is raving about.
Antique shopping is apparently a massive thing in Dublin. Better suck up RyanAir’s excess baggage fees! Head to Grafton Street, a pedestrianised mall, for shopping generally, otherwise take a stroll to Capel Street and around the Ha’penny Bridge in the Temple Bar district for other highlights including Nine Crows, Om Diva and Badlands. Avoca and Irish Design Shop for some more local fare.
Check out the Long Room of the Old Library at the Trinity College. Sure, it’s a library, but apparently it’s one of the best sights in Dublin.
Head to St Stephen’s Green to get a glimpse of daily life for Dubliners, and some fresh air while you’re at it – what’s to lose!? While you’re there check out The Little Museum of Dublin.
Sit yourself down for some true Irish craic at a comedy show. The Irish are a funny lot, a gene I apparently missed out on. The Comedy Crunch and The Vicar are popular but certainly not the only venues in Dublin.
Last but not least, visit the Irish Dance Party and polish off your dancing shoes (and skills)! It’s at 81 Talbot Street.
…And if you do by some struck of luck make it to Dublin, be sure to let me know any other gems!
alice in londonland. 