DUBLIN - Ireland 2014 - page 158

Il Baccaro, a cozy Italian wine tavern with an arched brick ceiling, is tucked in a quiet
corner of Meeting House Square (€15-20 pasta dinners, daily 17:30-22:30, lunches Sat
12:00-16:00 only, closed Sun, tel. [phone]).
Gallagher's Boxty House is touristy and traditional—a good, basic value with creaky
floorboards and old Dublin ambience. Its specialty is the boxty, the generally bland-tasting
Irish potato pancake filled and rolled with various meats, veggies, and sauces. The “Gaelic
Boxty” is the liveliest (€16-23, daily 11:00-22:30, also serves stews and corned beef, 20
Temple Bar, reservations wise, tel. [phone], http://boxtyhouse.ie ) .
Luigi Malone's, with its fun atmosphere and varied menu of pizza, ribs, pasta, sand-
wiches, and fajitas, is just the place to take your high-school date (€15-22 dishes, Mon-Sat
12:00-22:00, Sun 13:00-21:30, corner of Cecilia and Fownes streets, tel. [phone]).
The Shack, while a bit touristy, has a reputation for good quality. It serves traditional
Irish, chicken, seafood, and steak dishes (€16-25 entrées, €19 three-course early-bird spe-
cial offered 17:00-19:00, open daily 12:00-22:00, in the center of Temple Bar, 24 East Es-
sex Street, tel. [phone]).
The Bad Ass Café, where Sinéad O'Connor once waitressed, has been spiffed up since
her tenure. The fare is uncomplicated pizza, pasta, burgers, and salads that are cheap by
Temple Bar standards. There's even a fun kids menu (€14-19 meals, daily 12:00-22:00,
9-11 Crown Alley, tel. [phone], live music or comedy most Fri and Sat evenings).
Copper Alley Bistro, a bit farther from the Temple Bar chaos and more reasonably
priced, serves comfort-food lunches and dinners (daily 12:00-21:00, corner of Fishamble
and Lord Edward streets, just opposite Christ Church Cathedral, tel. [phone]).
Dublin Connections
Note that trains and buses generally run less frequently on Sundays. Irish Rail train info:
Toll tel. [phone], www.irishrail.ie .
By Train from Dublin's Heuston Station to: Tralee (every two hours, 6/day on Sun,
most change in Mallow but one direct evening train, 4 hours), Ennis (7/day, 3.25-3.75
hours, change in Limerick), Galway (8/day, 2.5-3 hours).
By Train from Dublin's Connolly Station to: Rosslare (3-4/ day, 3 hours), Portrush
(7/day, 2/day Sun, 5 hours, transfer in Belfast or Coleraine). The Dublin-Belfast train
connects the two Irish capitals in two hours at 90 mph on one continuous, welded rail (8/
day Mon-Sat, 5/day Sun, €40 “day return” tickets, less if you book online, can cost more
Fri-Sun). Northern Ireland train info: Tel. [phone], www.translink.co.uk .
To Dun Laoghaire: See “Getting to Dun Laoghaire” on here .