Where to Dine - Dublin - page 77

INEXPENSIVE
Bewley's Café TRADITIONAL CAFE/TEAROOM
Bewley's, a three-story landmark on Grafton Street, has been around
forever (more specifically, since 1840) and is so ingrained in the
Irish identity that you have to wonder whether people go out of
habit rather than desire. Not that the place isn't busy. It's always
bustling with the clink of teapots and hum of customers, but the
atmosphere is somehow listless rather than buzzy. The interior is a
traditional, mellow mix of dark wood, amber glass, and deep red
velvet banquettes—a look that would be deemed welcoming if the
food was great. Unfortunately, the scones, pies, and cakes are sur-
prisingly mediocre, and the sandwiches, pasta dishes, sausages,
chips, and casseroles are no better.
Go once, because Bewley's is a quintessential hit of real Dublin,
and the people-watching is good. But go only once, and stick to cof-
fee and tea.
78-79 Grafton St., Dublin 2. & 01/679-4085. Homemade soup € 3 ($3.60); lunch
main courses

Overrated

€ 4- € 9 ($4.80-$11); lunch specials from € 6.50 ($8.10); dinner main

15 ($18). AE, DC, MC, V. Mon-Sat 7:30am-7pm; Sun 8:30am-6pm
(continuous service for breakfast, hot food, and snacks). Bus: Any city-center bus.
Cafe Bell IRISH/SELF-SERVICE In the cobbled court-
yard of early-19th-century St. Teresa's Church, this serene little place
is one of a handful of dining options springing up in historic or
ecclesiastical surroundings. With high ceilings and an old-world
decor, Cafe Bell is a welcome contrast to the bustle of Grafton Street
a block away. The menu changes daily but usually includes very
good homemade soups, sandwiches, salads, quiches, lasagna,
sausage rolls, hot scones, and other baked goods.
St. Teresa's Courtyard, Clarendon St., Dublin 2. & 01/677-7645. All items € 4- € 8
($4.80-$9.60). No credit cards. Mon-Sat 9am-5:30pm. Bus: 16, 16A, 19, 19A, 22A,
55, or 83.
Caifé Trí-D SANDWICHES This unpretentious little
eatery just steps from the wrought-iron rails of the Trinity College
campus is a great find on a street known for its bookstores. This is
a heart-on-its-sleeve Irish-language hangout with a bilingual menu
half-written as gaeilge (in Irish Gaelic). Ceapairí and fillteáin (sand-
wiches and wraps) tempt with simple but interesting ingredients,
like the winning combination of sharp Dubliner cheese, tomato rel-
ish, lettuce, and tomato. Try brie and cranberry sauce on toasted
brown bread, and you'll be plotting a recreation in your own
kitchen. The homemade soup of the day—maybe mushroom and

courses from €

Value

Value