Dinner, Lunch or Coffee in Dublin – These are a Few of my Favourites

I’m not a food critic.

Even in my most pretentious moments (and those that know me would probably say I’ve more than anybody’s fair share of those) I wouldn’t claim to have a palate than can discern the subtleties in every dish I taste.

That doesn’t stop me enjoying food and the opportunities to meet up with family or friends over a coffee or even lunch.

I suspect I’m no different to most people in that I’ve a few favourite haunts I like to go to. Some are better for coffee than others, some are perfect quick tasty lunches and some straddle that sea between long lunch and dinner.

Although the list of favourites changes over time they usually tick the following boxes:

• good food
• good service
• good value
• good atmosphere
• friendly staff

Chef’s change, menus change, staff changes, but that doesn’t mean that any of these qualities should change.

Dublin is a major city and there are no shortages of good places to eat or grab a coffee. It doesn’t take long to build up a list of favourite spots and it’s great if these places never fail to deliver. If they consistently manage to tick all the boxes (or perhaps occasionally miss just one of them) a restaurant can built up a regular and devoted army of customers in no time at all.

[Warning: Entering a pretentious zone...]

Before going further with this post I should let you know that I don’t really like to “grab a coffee”.

I prefer to sit down and enjoy a good cup of coffee when I’m not in a rush. I like to taste it and enjoy it.

I believe in the Italian three C’s of coffee: carico, caldo, comodo.

The translation is strong (think full of flavour), hot and convenient (when you really have the time).

[...leaving pretentious zone.]

My favourite places to relax with a good cup of coffee are The Bald Barista at 55 Aungier Street and Third Floor Espresso at 54 Middle Abbey Street.

I have been to the Third Floor Espresso more often than The Bald Barista. That isn’t because I have a strong preference for one over the other it’s just that I tend to pass Abbey Street more often than Aungier Street. But I’ve been known to drag people, not quite kicking and screaming, over to The Bald Barista for what I think is a damn fine cup of coffee.

I wouldn’t describe either coffee shop as being luxurious. But I like them and I’ve had many a long conversation in both drinking more coffee than is probably good for me.

My favourite eateries at the moment are (in no particular order):

• Queen of Tarts on Cows Lane, Dublin 2
• The Cake Café at The Daintree Building, Pleasants Place, Dublin 2
• Just Off Francis at 78 Thomas Street, Dublin 8
• Green Nineteen at 19 Lower Camden Street, Dublin 2
• McHugh’s at 59 St. Assam’s Park, Raheny, Dublin 5
• Ten Fourteen at 324 Clontarf Road, Clontarf, Dublin 3
• The House at 4 Main Street, Howth

My experience is they all do variations of a similar theme; good food and good service at reasonable prices.

I don’t eat out a lot; I couldn’t afford to do that. So when I do go out for that treat I like to be reasonably confident I’m going to get something tasty that won’t break the bank.

Having said that my favourite right now is The House in Howth. That’s where I’d go if I was pushing the boat out and it was a special occasion. It’s the one that would put the biggest hole in my wallet, but the food, the service the atmosphere has always been excellent any time I’ve been.

For a tasty lunch/brunch or early evening meal you could do a lot worse than Queen of Tarts, The Cake Café or Green Nineteen. They’re all near the city centre, very walk-able, cycle-able or bus-able. The Cake Café web site says it’s “leafy courtyard is an oasis of calm in this busy area of the city”. That’s exactly how it felt to me.

Ten Fourteen is owned by CASA, a voluntary organisation who says their goal is develop friendships and social outlets for people with disabilities through a variety of social activities. I’m not aware of any other restaurant in Dublin that is owned by a charity. I’m not sure if many of the people who eat there regularly know its charitable status. My guess is that most people who eat there do so because the food is very good. Sitting outside on a sunny day opposite the wooden bridge that links Clontarf to Bull Island with a coffee and scone (they do great scones) is blissful.

I’ve eaten the best ham panini ever in McHugh’s opposite The Cedars in Raheny. It’s run by the same family that have one of the best off-licences in Dublin, also called McHugh’s.  McHugh’s Off-Licence seems to win the “beer specialist” award practically every year so it’s no surprise that the restaurant has a really good beer selection.

Finally I want to mention Just Off Francis. I’ve only been in it once and the occasion was just before going to a concert in Vicar St. We didn’t want to go to a pub and P spotted a few free tables inside as we passed by.  They were getting ready for dinner but they kindly allowed us to stop for a cup of coffee as the rush had not started yet. We had a lovely half hour, chatting away, with some excellent fruit crumble and coffee (I do like tea too, honest), as So Far , the 1974 album by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young played in the background. As we left for our concert there wasn’t a free table left.

I deliberately didn’t attempt to describe what I’ve eaten at the places I’ve mentioned. There are a few reasons for that. As I said earlier I’m not a food critic and I don’t want to go down the route of describing the food in detail. Secondly, I suppose I prefer eating a nice meal than talking about it. Finally, although food is an important part of the equation you need more than just good food to ensure a worthwhile and satisfying experience.

If you haven’t tried these places and you fancy somewhere different, give them a shot. You might discover a new favourite of your own.

And to finish off, since I’m taking about favourites, here is John Coltrane to play us out. I hope you like his version of My Favorite Things.

Related posts:

1. Excellent Coffee In Dublin City Centre From A Champion Barista
2. The Art of Good Coffee
3. Opera in the Open and Good Coffee