15 Best Restaurants in Dublin, Ireland

Even with its location in a relatively unfashionable corner of the city, this high-end bistro has the natives traveling miles to get a treasured table. The five-course set menu manages to be daring and traditional at the same time, with game and fish transformed in particularly ingenious ways. The decor is warm and woody and avoids even a hint of stuffiness, but the food is the star here, with Nordic-type snacks to begin, and mains like the shockingly good black sole with parsley velouté and collard greens. 

This fresh, one-stop shop for everything organic and delicious in Dublin combines a huge deli with a cozy cellar wine bar and expansive second-floor French brasserie. Located on the top floor of a beautiful old telephone exchange building, the high-ceiling, light-filled dining room is always bustling. The menu covers everything from burgers to loin of rabbit, but the Wicklow pork belly, celeriac, and Savoy cabbage are typical. Leave room for the lemon-ricotta cheesecake. You can pick up a bottle of wine in the wine cellar and enjoy it for a small corkage fee.

Stunning views over Howth Harbor are your first reward for choosing this impressive seafood restaurant located in the old yacht club building only a few yards from where local fishermen still land their catch. The open, modern interior is awash with light that pours in the huge windows—definitely get a seat beside one of these. There's a daring touch given to local seafood with specialties like fresh crab spring roll with tuna tataki. Castletownbere seared scallops is a house favorite, and the chowder here is a classic; they even do a mean loin of Wicklow spring lamb rack if you're all fished out.

With a stunning location right on the Grand Canal Dock, this elegant new eatery has a great view over the water to the impressive Bord Gáis Energy Theatre on the other side. The pre-theater menu is a great option, with heirloom beetroot with Wicklow blue cheese and candied walnuts as a gorgeous, light starter. The hake with celeriac, pomme mousseline, samphire, and sorrel is a favorite main. 

When is a wine bar not just a wine bar? When it's also one of the city's most talked-about restaurants where you can drink or dine (tapas-style) at the bar, in the lush armchairs of the open-plan lounge, or in the more formal, restrained-modern dining room. The Roscoff onion tart is an adventurous starter, while the cold meat platter is a finger-lickin' little bar dish. The wine list is the envy of many a more expensive eatery, and with a couple of dozen wines poured by the glass you can dare to try something really special. There's a sister café in the same building with equally scrumptious offerings at a lower price point.

Former Michelin-star celebrity chef Dylan McGrath has another hit on his hands with Fade Street Social, a cavernous tapas bar, restaurant, and pub all rolled into one. At 8,000 square feet, the place can seem a bit overwhelming, but if you want a busy, fun, all-in-one dining-and-drinking experience, this place is ideal. Try a seat at the bar, where you can watch the kitchen staff work their magic as they turn out exquisite tapas and hearty but inventive meat dishes, all with a modern Irish twist. The whole poached pigeon is an original tapas offering, while the braised rabbit leg is already a favorite main.

Its name is the Gaelic word for green, and all things local and natural are at the heart of Dublin's first high-end vegetarian restaurant. The brash, luxurious interior matches the daring menu, which includes barbecue celeriac with roast potato puree, cucumber, mint, and potato paper. Try the carrot sponge with spiced cream and pear and hay sorbet for dessert. 

This exceptional eatery just off George's Street lost a little of its intimacy when it expanded, but the crowds still come for authentic French food at a fair price. Start with 12 snails, fresh herbs, garlic, and pastis butter. For a main course, the slow-roasted pork belly with black pudding manages to be hearty and adventurous at the same time. Desserts have a devilishly childish touch to them—passion-fruit cake with white chocolate sauce is a typical example. Pop next door to Hogan's bar while you're waiting.

This Breton-inspired, unpretentious eatery has one of the most inviting and good-value menus in the city. The look is very much casual bistro, a satisfying backdrop for starters like the beet risotto with winter truffles, and such mouthwatering mains as the loin of venison with red cabbage and celeriac paste. 

It's all about the seafood at this small family restaurant a little way outside the Southside city center. The atmosphere is warm and übercasual, and the fish is fresh off the boat from nearby Dublin Bay. Try the John Dory fritti with garlic and chili dressing, followed by lemon sole with lobster fish cakes, tender stem broccoli and garlic butter. The homemade chips are a delight.

The stuffed fox on the wall with the pistol in his hand inspired the name of this warm, gamy, stylish new eatery in a Georgian basement conveniently located near the Gate Theatre. The chef-owner graduated from a Michelin-star kitchen and he brings that elevated standard to the seasonal, fixed-price menu, with dishes like venison with parsnip, black pudding, chestnut, and blackberries. Lighter choices include a roast barley risotto, with pickled mushrooms and smoked ricotta. The staff at Mr Fox know their wines and love nothing more than to match a bottle to your meal choice. The cozy little bar is perfect for a predinner tipple.

While the bistro food at this Ballsbridge stalwart is always top-class, it's the jovial atmosphere and superb service that keep locals coming back. It's famed for the wine list, with great options by the glass, and that certainly helps to explain the wonderful buzz that always seems to be about this popular neighborhood place. For a starter try the Dublin Bay prawn bisque. The grilled hake with linguine, wild mushrooms, artichokes, and tarragon cream is a standout main course.

Sitting atop the stylish Mayson Hotel, this rooftop steak house is all about the views, with walls of floor-to-ceiling windows offering vistas of Dublin Bay and the mountains beyond. Decked out in dark wood and leather booths, the sleek interior is contemporary-cool meets 1930s saloon. Meat is the star of the menu, with quality steaks complemented with delicious sides like Parmesan and tarragon fries. Alternative mains include grilled sea bream with caper lemon dressing. The pear and almond ricotta cake is the perfect cap to a great meal.

It can be hard to re-create that classic bistro feel outside France, but this intimate spot at the heart of busy Dublin has managed to get the mix of bustle and tranquility just right. A quick glance at the gilt-framed, mirrored menu reveals that this kitchen is all about rich, evocative French fare—two winners are the rib eye and the panfried bass. The Earl Grey cheesecake is an original, tangy take of a classic dessert. A mix of warm brick walls dotted with black-and-white snaps of French film stars from the 1950s and wood paneling with tongue-in-cheek French movie posters keeps the vibe informal. Lunch is a great value, and keep an eye out for adventurous plats du jour and lively wine list.

Once Dublin's favorite secondhand bookshop–café, the Winding Stair now houses an atmospheric, buzzing little restaurant, with old wooden floors, simple decor, a downstairs bookshop, and grand views of the Ha'penny Bridge and the river Liffey. Hearty portions of upscale traditional Irish food rely on Irish-only ingredients; the pork chop with crispy pigs’ ears and hispi cabbage is a standout. Upstairs, former habitués will enjoy seeing the old bookcases around the walls (some of which are now stacked with wine). An inventive wine list and a wonderful Irish farmhouse-cheese selection are two more treats on offer, and your sweet tooth insists that you try the rice pudding with melted plums.