Dining Information

Dublin may not be the gastronomic capital of the world, but there's plenty of choice - nearly all of it south of the Liffey - for both lunchtime and evening eating. Café society has reached Dublin in a big way in recent years, providing a new range of chic and trendy locations - in and around Grafton Street and Temple Bar - for all-day eating and drinking, and on Sundays many more places open up for sustaining brunches. At least once, you should experience one of the three Bewley's coffee houses: try the table-service section on the second floor of the Grafton Street branch for elegance and potted palms. At lunchtime, Dublin's many pubs usually offer the best value: you can usually get soup and sandwiches and often much more substantial, traditional meals. The cheapest fast-food outlets - everything from Pizzaland and Wimpy to cheap Chinese and the ubiquitous kebab houses - are centred around O'Connell Street, but are generally, with one or two exceptions such as Beshoff Ocean Foods , pretty missable.

In the evening there's no shortage of restaurants either; although on the northside, places where you'll want to spend any time are thin on the ground. The spectrum of cuisines on offer is impressively wide, ranging from Egyptian, Lebanese, Russian and Cajun to the more familiar French, Italian and Chinese. Several restaurants offer traditional Irish fare, and there's also a number of good seafood places and plenty of vegetarian options. The cheaper, livelier restaurants are concentrated around the Temple Bar area, between Dame Street and the Liffey, while more expensive establishments are scattered throughout the city, with a concentration around St Stephen's Green.

Alpha Café, first floor, corner of Clarendon and Wicklow streets. Traditional fare at a great price served by waitresses that remind you of your favourite auntie.

Aya, 48 Clarendon St. Next door to the Alpha , but miles away both gastronomically and socially, is this temple of urban cool. The first revolving sushi bar in the city with traditional Japanese food available (excellent yakitori ), this is one of the chicest eateries in the city. If all the self-reverence of the other diners is too much, grab one of the excellent bentos (lunch boxes) and head for nearby St Stephen's Green.

Bad Ass Café, 9 Crown Alley, Temple Bar (tel 671 2596). Once the hippest of Dublin's pizza joints. Sinead O'Connor was waitressing here when she cut her first disc with Ton Ton Macoute ; now distinctly unhip for adults, but great fun for kids. Daily 11am-11pm.

Beshoff Ocean Foods, 14 Westmoreland St and 7 Upper O'Connell St. Superior fish and chips, with bistro-type decor. Daily 11am-3am.

Bewley's, 78 Grafton St (daily 7.30am-7pm); 12 Westmoreland St (daily 7.30am-7pm). A Dublin institution, serving everything from drinks to sticky buns and full meals, and its delicious, renowned potato soup, in an elegant ambience.

The Bite of Life, corner of Patrick Street and Bull's Alley. Small café with great toasted ciabatta sandwiches.
Caviston's , Food Court, Liffey St. A new outlet for the Caviston family, this is a modern seafood bar which serves delicious and generous helpings of chowder.

Café Irie, Fownes St. Possibly the best sandwiches in Dublin served by staff so laid back, they're virtually horizontal.

Cobalt Café, North Great George's St. Good food in a café-cum-gallery. The space is light, the displays are exemplary, all of which makes this one of the most pleasant places to enjoy a coffee in the city. If you visit the James Joyce centre or stay in the MEC Hostel opposite, this café is a must.

Cornucopia Wholefoods, 21 Wicklow St (tel 677 7583). Vegetarian shop and café. For anyone who has pigged out on one traditional Irish breakfast too many, Cornucopia offers a vegetarian alternative, including vegetarian sausages, between 8am and 11am. Café open daily until 9pm.

The Globe, 11 South Great George's St. A bar by night, this is a buzzing café by day, serving cappuccinos and herbal teas.

Govinda's, 4 Aungier St. Vegetarian restaurant featuring mostly Indian-inspired veggie fare; plenty of dhal with heavenly lassis at down-to-earth prices. Mon-Sat 11am-9pm.

Harveys, 14 Moira House, Trinity St. Good-value breakfast, excellent coffee and exceptional if pricey sandwiches: including the decadent avocado and mozzarella bagel. Mon-Sat 8am-7pm, Sun 11am-5pm.

The Hugh Lane Gallery, Parnell Square. A decent café, good for relaxing in after the delights of the gallery.
Juice , South Great George's St. This chic vegetarian eatery serves imaginative macrobiotic food blending oriental and Californian cuisine. Daily 8am-11pm.

Leo Burdock's, 2 Werburgh St. Dublin's legendar fish-and-chip shop, now modestly wondering whether its fish and chips are the best not only in Dublin, but maybe in the world. Carry-out only. Mon-Fri 12.30-11pm, Sat 2-11pm.

Odessa, 13-14 Dame Court. Exotic snacks and outré decor make this one of the trendiest new cafés; downstairs is good for gossiping on big squashy sofas. Noon-midnight daily; breakfast served noon-4pm.

Panem, 21 Lower Ormond Quay/Anglesea St. Dubliners' famous loquacity has meant that what was once the city's best-kept secret is now one of its most talked-about subjects. Panem deserves all the attention it gets, and if you manage to find a space between the barristers and their Irish Times newspapers you will be treated to the finest, filled focaccia and savoury croissants in town.

Simon's Place, South Great George's St beside George's Arcade. With possibly the friendliest staff in the city, this is a great hang-out serving cheap but substantial sandwiches to a loyal clientele.

Steps of Rome, Chatham Court, Chatham St. Tiny café serving, by far, the best pizzas in town.

Trí D, Dawson St. Irish-speaking café run by Gael Linn, an organization that promotes the use of the ancient tongue.

West Coast Coffee Company, 20 Lower Ormond Quay. Opposite the new millennium footbridge this is a bright, relaxed place with large windows and sumptuous sofas, offering a good choice of healthy, reasonably priced sandwiches with good vegetarian options.

Winding Stair Café, 40 Lower Ormond Quay. This vast, secondhand book emporium also has a café serving soup, salads, sandwiches and cakes. Sit by the window and watch the Liffey ooze by. Open daily till 6pm only.

Global Internet Café, 8 Lower O'Connell St (tel 878 0295). Just to the north of O'Connell Bridge this is the best Internet café in town: modems are fast, the service is friendly and the Belgian hot chocolate divine. Internet access £3/€3.81 per hour; student reductions available. Mon-Sat 8am-11pm, Sun 10am-10pm.

Internet Exchange, Crow St, Temple Bar (tel 670 5601). This is one in a chain of excellent internet cafes popping up throughout the city, charging members 3p/E0.40 per minute from 8am-noon, 7p/E0.90 per minute from noon-8pm, and 5p/E0.60 per minute from 8pm-11pm; non-members are charged 12p/E0.15 per minute at all times (although membership is free). Daily 8am-11pm.

Planet Cyber Café, 23 South Great George's St (tel 679 0583). Beside the market arcade on South Great George's St (in the basement below Laser Video) this was one of the first Internet cafes in the city, and although the food has deteriorated the café's hardware has been updated, allowing for speedy access. Internet access £3/€3.81 per hour; student reductions available. Mon-Wed & Sun 10am-10pm, Thurs-Sat 10am-noon.

Dublin has, of late, developed a restaurant scene on a par with most European capitals, and while a range of international cooking is widely available, it is the new Irish cuisine, where young chefs experiment with traditional Irish ingredients, that is the most exciting. Many of the restaurants specializing in this are based in the Temple Bar area, but can be both overcrowded and a little overpriced. Dublin's elegant, more established restaurants are mostly centred in the Georgian southside, while the few outlets north of the river tend to give the best value in town.