Best Places to Eat in Dublin

It’s something we get asked every day: Can you recommend somewhere that’s really good to eat? Oh, and not too far away? Yes, we can.

From the multi-award winning, Michelin Star restaurants to the highly, highly recommended, here’s our guide to the best places to eat in Dublin. And they are all very, very close to the Fitzwilliam Hotel on St Stephen’s Green.

Glovers Alley

The first bit of good news is that Glovers Alley is new but already one of the most acclaimed fine dining restaurants in Dublin. The second bit of good news is that you don’t even have to leave the hotel to get there – it’s right next door.

This is gourmet genius Andy McFadden’s brainchild and he has done a spectacular job. The French-influenced menu is inspired, the Streamline Moderne room, glorious, the five-star service, perfect. Book it.

Peploe’s

Peploe’s St. Stephen’s Green is very close to the hotel. In fact, you can see it from some of the guestrooms when the trees are bare.

It’s a lovely restaurant in the basement of a big Georgian house. Refurbished in August 2017 to a bright, contemporary New York brasserie style. Great food, cocktails and super service. Our standards are high but book a table here and you’ll soon see why we like it so much. Make sure to book a table in advance.

Shanahan’s on the Green

Shanahan’s is about 10 doors away from us and a really great, upmarket steak restaurant. It has that old New York men’s club feel to it – lots of leather, wood and lampshades.

It also has JFK’s original rocking chair so whatever you do, be careful when they ask you to take a seat. As you’d expect there are lots of choices when it comes to ordering a steak and they all seem to be good ones.

Fade Street Social

Fade Street Social is celebrity chef Dylan McGrath’s baby and it was voted Best Restaurant in Dublin by TripAdvisor readers. That should come as no surprise.

We like it because it’s informal and relaxed but with really great food – and it’s got an interesting name. And roof terrace. It’s located in an area that is very busy with big and beautiful bars so be ready to make a night of it.

Il Posto

Il Posto is about a two-minute walk from the hotel. Or five if the weather is fine. Or 20 if it’s raining and you have to shelter in a bar for a while.

It’s a lovely Italian restaurant in the wood paneled basement of a Georgian building and it has won lots and lots of awards and TripAdvisor accolades. While it’s not quite fine dining it will be a fine dinner, we assure you.

Cliff Townhouse

The Cliff Townhouse is a small boutique hotel just across the way from us. It’s all very understated and the restaurant itself is very well liked by our guests and so we feel we must recommend it to you.

There is lots of seafood choices on the menu as well as the usual staples and it’s not too expensive either. We like it. Try it.

Saba

Saba is an award-winning Thai and Chinese wine bar and restaurant about four minutes’ walk from your hotel (assuming you’re staying with us, of course).

It offers “Asian food in a youthful feeling room with polished concrete floors and carved wooden partitions”. However you feel about that, we can tell you that the food here is simply terrific so go for it.

Fire Restaurant

Fire is right beside the city’s Mansion House and about five minute’s walking from the Fitzwilliam. It’s a really beautiful room – high ceilings, bright with big windows – with good food prepared without fuss.

Our guests like it a lot as do those on TripAdvisor and other reviewers. There are some good bars across the road too so make a night of it. Or a day.

Forest Avenue

In the other direction, across St Stephen’s Green and up Leeson Street, is the leisurely dining experience that is Forest Avenue. It hails itself as a “neighbourhood dining room run by passionate husband and wife team John and Sandy Wyer”.

Named after the street where Sandy grew up in Queens, New York. It serves modern food using excellent seasonal ingredients in really relaxed, informal surroundings.

Farm Restaurant

There are two Farm restaurants and they are both great (and quite close to the hotel). They cook “Irish produce with foreign inspiration” which is always good to hear.

Heavy on fresh vegetables, we really like what they do and so does everyone we’ve ever sent there. Which one should you go to? That depends on whether you feel like a 10-minute or a 20-minute walk.

Marco Pierre White

If you didn’t know, Marco Pierre White is a celebrity chef and his steakhouse and grill is about seven minutes’ walk away from us. It’s really nice, busy yet relaxed. It gets a mixed crown of regulars, office workers and groups out on the town.

It’s on a busy corner of a busy street and that gives it a nice energy. Of course, the food is really, really good (we wouldn’t have included it if it wasn’t). Enjoy.

Luna Restaurant

Restaurant of the year for 2016 only a year after opening, Luna is a multi-award winning restaurant about 10 minutes from the hotel.

Half underground, it is really stylish – reminiscent of the early 1960s Italian-American restaurants, with low ceilings and lighting, dark booths and a Campari bar. The food is amazing and the menu is Italian and surprisingly good value.

Vintage Kitchen

Vintage Kitchen is another hugely liked restaurant in Dublin. It presents “modern Irish dishes in a relaxed, vintage-style bring-your-own-bottle restaurant”.

It’s so retro and vintage that, in fact, you can also bring-your-own-vinyl records to play. Don’t let that put you off though – it’s great and it’s on Poolbeg Street which, although a bit of a longer walk, is beside one of our favourite pubs, Mulligans.

Delahunt

TripAdvisor, the critics and our guests really rate Delahunt, a contemporary Irish restaurant and bar just up the road from us on Camden Street. It’s a really nicely renovated space with an old Dublin restaurant feel, although the food is anything but.

James Joyce talked about the old Delahunt of Camden Street in Ulysses so we suggest adding it to your itinerary. It will give you another great story for your next party.

Get Directions

GPS coordinates: Lat 53.339442° Lon -6.261306°

Public Transport

There is a regular bus service called “Aircoach”” departing from Dublin Airport every 15 minutes from 10 past the hour. The nearest stop to The Fitzwilliam Hotel is Grafton Street, near Trinity College which is a 10 minute stroll from the hotel. An adult ticket costs €7.00 per person or €14.00 p.p. return. Alternatively a taxi will cost approximately €30.00. The taxi rank is located outside Terminal 1 on the arrival level. Travel time is approximately 30 minutes.

Private Transport

We can arrange a transfer from Dublin Airport to The Fitzwilliam Hotel by private car and driver. There are a variety of vehicles available depending on the number of guests and quantity of luggage. For more details please contact our concierge team on enq@fitzwilliamhotel.com or 01 4787000

Private Parking

The 5 Star Fitzwilliam Hotel in Dublin offers secure parking for hotel residents. Valet parking is provided on a complimentary basis however, an overnight charge of €20.00 is applicable.