Fun foodie experiences in Dublin you must try

Ireland’s lively capital has a fierce reputation for being the beating heart of the country’s culture, music and burgeoning food scene. There are several foodie experiences in Dublin to be discovered.

You could spend months eating and drinking your way through Dublin and barely scratch the surface of the city’s developing food scene.

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Whilst there are the usual plethora of mediocre tourist traps and experiences, there’s also quirky foodie experiences and traditions in the city if you know where to look.

From food tours, quirky dishes, traditional eats and private dining, here’s my guide to some of the most fun foodie experiences in Dublin.

Learn about Irish gastronomy on a Dublin Food tour

If you want to learn more about traditional Irish food, then you need to eat your way around the city on a Delicious Dublin Food Tour.

Learn more about Dublin’s growing culinary culture as you visit several foodie hotspots in the city.

On this delicious tour, you can try local cheeses and chocolates, visit food halls and artisan bakeries and food halls.

You’ll visit venues off the tourist trail and eat where the locals go. It’s definitely one of the most fun foodie experiences in Dublin.

Eat an Irish McDonalds

If you are looking for quirky things to do in Dublin, I would head to Supermacs. You might well be wondering why I would recommend a fast-food spot in Dublin?

Supermacs is a unique chain in Ireland and with an interesting legal history.

You may have heard of them in the news after the small company won a landmark case against McDonald’s, who tried to block the company opening new restaurants in Europe.

This is because McDonald’s argued that Supermacs sounded too much like their infamous Big Mac. Supermacs do simple fast food that can help you in a pinch but make time to try their chicken filter burger or cheesy taco chips. It’s the worst kind of food in the best kind of way.

Treat yourself to a private dining experience in Dublin

Dublin boasts a fantastic selection of restaurants and venues throughout the city.

If you are looking to spoil yourself with a spot of upscale dining, why not book a private dining experience in Dublin?

Private dining and group dining is a perfect way to celebrate an event in the city and sample delicious cuisine.

You can book a selection of private dining rooms in Dublin for corporate hospitality, birthday parties, family gatherings and anniversary parties.

Some of the best private dining room venues in Dublin include:

• Al Boschetto
• Camden Kitchen
• Ely Bar & Grill
• Restaurant Patrick Guilbaud
• Brasserie Sixty6

Sample a traditional Dublin Coddle

A Dublin coddle is a simmering one-pot stew that is traditionally made with leftovers from the fridge.

Typical coddle ingredients can include onions, bacon, sausages and potatoes.

This rustic dish is very popular in Dublin and is also enjoyed all over Ireland. It is even reported to have several literary connections.

It is said to have been the favourite meal of playwright Seán O’Casey and Gulliver’s Travels author Jonathan Swift.

There are several places in Dublin that serve up steaming bowls of traditional coddle for you to try. Some of the best places for coddle in Dublin include:

• The Hairy Lemon
• O’Shea’s Talbot Street
• Gogartys
• The Quays in Temple Bar 
• The Gravediggers

Sip Irish Coffee in cosy pubs

This classic drink is perfect as a wintery drink, created in Limerick in 1943 by chef Joe Sheridan.

Irish coffee was made and consumed as a way of warming up frozen-to-the-bone, disembarking boat passengers.

It took off and is now ingrained into Irish culture. It is made with hot coffee, Irish whiskey and sugar, with a layer of thick cream poured ever so carefully over the top.

Best places for Irish coffee in Dublin

There are several pubs in Dublin that do the Irish Coffee very well. Check out some of these cosy places for a warming and boozy coffee:

• The Rag Trader on Drury street 
• Kennedy’s on Westland Row 
• The Old Storehouse
• Darkey Kelly’s on Fishamble Stree

Visit a trendy food market 

Spend a foodie afternoon shopping and eating at the trendy Dollard & Co. Food Hall and Diner. This popular food market is located within the historic Dollard Printing House, in Temple Bar.

Explore all the wonderful feature of the store including the Coffee Dock, Grocers, Cheesemongers, Wine & Off Licence, Bakery as well as exquisite Hampers & Gifts.

The Deli & Diner has multiple food options and serves breakfast, lunch, brunch and dinner.

Their exciting menu features pancakes and french toast, sandwiches and wraps. Tasty burgers, pizzas and traditional Irish mains also feature in the diner.

Try a Dublin spice bag

The party-goers of Dublin, have found an ingenious way of being able to eat Chinese food while walking home on a night out.

If you need something to snack on after being out, get yourself a spice bag. It’s essentially a paper bag with salted chilli chicken and chips inside.

The ingredients are put in a bag before spices are thrown in, the bag is twirled closed and shaken vigorously.

Some of the best spice bags in Dublin include:

• The Sunflower Chinese, Templeogue
• Duck, Fade Street
• Starry Night, Pearse Street
• Foo Lok, Blanchardstown

Learn about whiskey making at Jameson Distillery

Learn the secrets of making Irish whiskey on a Jameson Distillery fully guided tour and enjoy comparative whiskey tasting!

Your guide will explain how whiskey-making was once one of Dublin’s main industries.

The whisky industry actually employed a range of people with differing skills from engineers and coppersmiths to saw millers and ironmongers.

Immerse yourself in the world of Jameson’s as you touch, smell, interact and taste Jameson whisky in the original Bow Street distillery buildings.

On Jameson’s distillery tour you can also visit the live maturation warehouse and taste Jameson’s straight from the barrel. After the tour, enjoy a wee dram of Whisky in the JJ bar.

Drink the best Guinness in Dublin

Oh, a pint of the black stuff. It’s pretty much a law that anyone visiting Dublin for a bit of fun has to try a pint of dark.

There are dozens of lively bars and traditional pubs to check out around the city that claim to serve the best in town.

Depending on how long you’ll be visiting Dublin, some of the best places to try a perfect Guinness:

• The Guinness Storehouse – a major tourist attraction but surprisingly fun and informative.
• Bad Bobs – where locals who have to go to Temple Bar go because it’s on the periphery and doesn’t charge rip-off prices for drinks.
• Gravediggers – Anthony Bourdain once famously claimed while having a pint there that “this is what heaven looks like”.
• McGowan’s – McGowan’s – In Dublin for a big gig at Croke Park? Avoid the overpriced bars at the venue with this local haunt just a few blocks away.
• The Barge– You can’t drink by the canals in the sunny days, but that doesn’t stop locals grabbing a Guinness here and sneaking across the road to sit by the water.
• Toners– Just off St Stephen’s Green, it is an old school Dublin pub that most tourists don’t know about.

Sample Irish Cheese at Sheridans

No trip to Dublin is complete without sampling delicious Irish cheese at Sheridans Cheesemonger.

Enthusiastic staff are on hand to talk about all things cheese and to hand out samples of Irish cheese as well as Italian and French varieties.

Some of the must-try Irish cheeses include Carrig Bru, Cashel Blue Mature, Knockanore Smoked, Gortnamona Goat and Derg Cheddar.

Make sure to check out their collection of delectable hampers, full of farmhouse cheeses, handmade Irish foods and wine.

Drink local ales in Temple Bar

Temple Bar is the quintessential place in Dublin to go and experience Irish culture and music.

Yes, it’s a huge tourist trap but don’t let that detract you from the fun of sipping Irish ales whilst listening to live music.

In this picturesque part of the city, you’ll find some of Dublin’s most famous pubs, folk music, restaurants, quirky graffiti and walking tours.

The very best of Dublin is squeezed into a small and charming area that has the most delightful cobbled streets and lively drinking holes.

To experience the best of Temple Bar, I recommend going on a Temple Bar traditional Irish musical pub crawl. It’s one of the most fun late-night activities in Dublin.

Learn to cook traditional Irish dishes

Cooking classes are a great way of gaining new skills and learning more about local cuisines when travelling.

Book a Dublin Cooking Class & Dinner and you’ll get a social dining experience whilst you help chef cook a traditional Irish dinner. You can then enjoy the fruits of your labour with all the participants in the class.

Learn how to cook a range of traditional Irish dishes such as Irish Soda Bread, Beef and Guinness Casserole, Colcannon, and your own Irish Coffee! it’s one of the most hands-on foodie experiences in Dublin.

Dublin’s food scene

Thanks to Square Meal for partnering with me for this article. What do you think of my guide to fun foodie experiences in Dublin?

Are you planning to eat your way around Ireland’s capital on your next trip there? Let me know in the comments below.

Planning your trip to Dublin

Ready to book your trip to Dublin? Use these awesome travel resources to get you started:

• Search for the best flight deals with Skyscanner
• Search for the best hotel deals on Booking.com
• Get the best travel tips with a travel guidebook
• Book an Airbnb and have £25 towards your first booking
• Get the best destination recommendations from TripAdvisor

Check out all the best travel resources on my bumper travel resources page!

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