A couple of weeks ago I visited Dublin for the first time. Even though I had quite a busy schedule, I still managed to see quite a lot of the city and try some hotspots! In this post I'll tell you about some of Dublin's must do's, from landmarks to dinner and everything in between! You can do all of this in about 2 days, hence the title of this post. I hope this Dublin guide comes to good use one your next visit to this European tech hub.
Brunch at Bibi's Café
At Bibi's you'll get the perfect brunch experience. It almost feels like you're sitting in someone's living room, and you can smell the chef at work in the tiny kitchen in the entrance. Although they do some great egg dishes, we went for pan toasted sandwiches with lots of molten cheese. And a green juice to balance it out! My travel partners approved as well, which means I did a good job!
>> 14A Emorville Ave.
Christ Church Cathedral
This is Dublin's oldest building which was founded in 1030. I'm sad we didn't get to visit this church on the inside, but we simply didn't have time. It already looked super impressive from the outside, so I wanted to give you this tip anyway.
>> Christchurch Pl.
Sprout & Co.
My favourite thing to eat for lunch is a BIG filling salad. I still miss SLA every day, so when I found a similar concept in Dublin I had to try it. Sprout & Co. is a small take-away joint where they make fresh made-to-order salads, with all kinds of healthy ingredients like guacamole, beetroot, pumpkin etc. Pick a salad from the menu or make your own combination. My Super Avocadobowle salad was huge and kept me going until dinner time. I could eat this daily!
>> 63 Dawson St. & 5 Lr. Mount St.
Trinity College & Library
If you like the smell of old books (I love it) and places which look like they came straight out of a Harry Potter movie, then Trinity College is a must-visit. This is Ireland's oldest university, and inside the Old Library, you'll find one of the three surviving medieval Gaelic harps. Although it's flooded with tourists, it's very impressive to see.
>> College Green
Samuel Beckett Bridge
An iconic Dublin landmark, designed by the famous architect Santiago Calatrava. It's supposed to resemble the Trinity College Harp, which is the national Emblem of Ireland. I thought it looked quite similar to Calatrava's bridge in Buenos Aires.
>> Rocklands River Liffey
Donnybrook Fair Deli Foodstore
This is a Whole Foods kinda store in the middle of the business district of Dublin. They have fresh food and juices as well as hundred different kinds of snacks, nut butters and granolas. My kind of shop! And such a nice surprise to find this in the business district.
>> Grand Canal Dock
Sophie's at the Dean Hotel
This is a cool restaurant inside a hotel, which kind of reminded me of the Shoreditch Hotel and the Ace Hotel in London. Cool vibe, very insta-friendly. The food is Italian and really good; the pasta with mushroom is to die for (I wish I had ordered that). I'm sure the brunch must be a killer too, and from the restaurant you have a 360 view over Dublin!
>> 33 Harcourt Street
Balfes at the Westbury Hotel
Although Balfes is quite popular for brunch, we went to try the dinner one evening. I had the superfood salad with kale and ricotta, which was huge and absolutely delicious. I also stole some fries. Some of the portions can be quite small so ask in advance about the portion size. Delicious food, not cheap but price-quality is decent.
>> 2 Balfe Street
Marble Bar at The Westbury Hotel
After dinner at Balfes, move upstairs to the Marble Bar for some delicious gin cocktails. I had one with strawberry and pepper which was exquisite. The Westbury also has a beautiful Christmas set-up right now! A fancy but cosy bar, perfect for a night out with friends.
>> 2 Balfe Street
Dublin Pubs: Temple Bar, The Stag's Head, The Bath Pub & The Old Stand
Temple Bar: Super mega touristy but it's fun to have a Guinness here, especially when there's live music. But leave after one drink to check out some of the other (less expensive) pubs in the area.
>> 47-48 Temple Bar
The Stag's Head: More of a traditional and classic Dublin pub. Lots of different beers and ciders on tap! This place was awarded Best Pub in Ireland 2016.
>> 1 Dame Court
The Bath Pub: Apparently the pub where all Google people hang out after work. It's super big and pretty nicely decorated for a pub. You can also eat pizza here, I heard it's good!
>> 26 Bath Ave.
The Old Stand: This is a more calm pub where you can sit down for a chat in the afternoon with a fresh pint. The crowd was definitely quite old here, which makes it a pretty calm place!
>> 37 Exchequer St
Shopping at Thomas Brown
Although I didn't have much time for shopping, there's one place I discovered and loved right away. Thomas Brown is like the Harrods of Dublin: a beautiful department store. Shopping heaven! The handbag selection only is already worth coming here for: Givenchy, Céline, a Chanel and Hermes shop-in-shop, Gucci, Prada etc.
>> 88-95 Grafton Street
I hope this post will be useful for your next Dublin visit!
Brunch at Bibi's Café
At Bibi's you'll get the perfect brunch experience. It almost feels like you're sitting in someone's living room, and you can smell the chef at work in the tiny kitchen in the entrance. Although they do some great egg dishes, we went for pan toasted sandwiches with lots of molten cheese. And a green juice to balance it out! My travel partners approved as well, which means I did a good job!
>> 14A Emorville Ave.
St. Patricks Cathedral
This is one of Ireland's most important churches since it's the National Cathedral of the Church of Ireland and the largest Cathedral in the whole country. Apparently the cathedral is famous for its choir, which performs daily but we unfortunately missed it. Choir or no choir, it's worth a visit. There's also a beautiful little park next to it, perfect for a coffee break or picnic on a warm day.
>> St Patrick's Close
Christ Church Cathedral
This is Dublin's oldest building which was founded in 1030. I'm sad we didn't get to visit this church on the inside, but we simply didn't have time. It already looked super impressive from the outside, so I wanted to give you this tip anyway.
>> Christchurch Pl.
Sprout & Co.
My favourite thing to eat for lunch is a BIG filling salad. I still miss SLA every day, so when I found a similar concept in Dublin I had to try it. Sprout & Co. is a small take-away joint where they make fresh made-to-order salads, with all kinds of healthy ingredients like guacamole, beetroot, pumpkin etc. Pick a salad from the menu or make your own combination. My Super Avocadobowle salad was huge and kept me going until dinner time. I could eat this daily!
>> 63 Dawson St. & 5 Lr. Mount St.
Trinity College & Library
If you like the smell of old books (I love it) and places which look like they came straight out of a Harry Potter movie, then Trinity College is a must-visit. This is Ireland's oldest university, and inside the Old Library, you'll find one of the three surviving medieval Gaelic harps. Although it's flooded with tourists, it's very impressive to see.
>> College Green
Samuel Beckett Bridge
An iconic Dublin landmark, designed by the famous architect Santiago Calatrava. It's supposed to resemble the Trinity College Harp, which is the national Emblem of Ireland. I thought it looked quite similar to Calatrava's bridge in Buenos Aires.
>> Rocklands River Liffey
Donnybrook Fair Deli Foodstore
This is a Whole Foods kinda store in the middle of the business district of Dublin. They have fresh food and juices as well as hundred different kinds of snacks, nut butters and granolas. My kind of shop! And such a nice surprise to find this in the business district.
>> Grand Canal Dock
Sophie's at the Dean Hotel
This is a cool restaurant inside a hotel, which kind of reminded me of the Shoreditch Hotel and the Ace Hotel in London. Cool vibe, very insta-friendly. The food is Italian and really good; the pasta with mushroom is to die for (I wish I had ordered that). I'm sure the brunch must be a killer too, and from the restaurant you have a 360 view over Dublin!
>> 33 Harcourt Street
Balfes at the Westbury Hotel
Although Balfes is quite popular for brunch, we went to try the dinner one evening. I had the superfood salad with kale and ricotta, which was huge and absolutely delicious. I also stole some fries. Some of the portions can be quite small so ask in advance about the portion size. Delicious food, not cheap but price-quality is decent.
>> 2 Balfe Street
Marble Bar at The Westbury Hotel
After dinner at Balfes, move upstairs to the Marble Bar for some delicious gin cocktails. I had one with strawberry and pepper which was exquisite. The Westbury also has a beautiful Christmas set-up right now! A fancy but cosy bar, perfect for a night out with friends.
>> 2 Balfe Street
Dublin Pubs: Temple Bar, The Stag's Head, The Bath Pub & The Old Stand
Temple Bar: Super mega touristy but it's fun to have a Guinness here, especially when there's live music. But leave after one drink to check out some of the other (less expensive) pubs in the area.
>> 47-48 Temple Bar
The Stag's Head: More of a traditional and classic Dublin pub. Lots of different beers and ciders on tap! This place was awarded Best Pub in Ireland 2016.
>> 1 Dame Court
The Bath Pub: Apparently the pub where all Google people hang out after work. It's super big and pretty nicely decorated for a pub. You can also eat pizza here, I heard it's good!
>> 26 Bath Ave.
The Old Stand: This is a more calm pub where you can sit down for a chat in the afternoon with a fresh pint. The crowd was definitely quite old here, which makes it a pretty calm place!
>> 37 Exchequer St
Shopping at Thomas Brown
Although I didn't have much time for shopping, there's one place I discovered and loved right away. Thomas Brown is like the Harrods of Dublin: a beautiful department store. Shopping heaven! The handbag selection only is already worth coming here for: Givenchy, Céline, a Chanel and Hermes shop-in-shop, Gucci, Prada etc.
>> 88-95 Grafton Street
I hope this post will be useful for your next Dublin visit!