Leinster (The East) - Ireland for Tourists - page 29

Eating in Dublin
Dublin doesn't always feel like a major European capital, but when it comes to food there's
no mistaking the high-end international flavor of this place. If you want sushi, Thai, Medi-
terranean, Central American, Indian, or modern American food, you should have no trouble
finding it. To save space, though, this section will focus on restaurants that serve more tra-
ditional Irish food. You've come all the way to Ireland, why not taste something local?
Food in Dublin tends to be a little expensive, with the cheapest restaurants charging some-
where in the range of €8-10 for a main course. (However, you can often save money by
finding a “BYOB” restaurant, since wine is often the priciest part of your meal.) Of course,
the expense comes with both value and variety: you'll find pretty much any kind of cuisine
you want here, and usually with very high quality. You can also find high-end dining here,
including the Michelin-rated Restaurant Patrick Guilbaud , which at two stars out of three
is perhaps the most critically acclaimed restaurant in the country.
Traditional Irish Meals
Arguably the best place to get a traditional meal is in one of the pubs listed in the next
section, since these places tend to have excellent kitchens and fairly reasonable prices.
However, if the pub atmosphere is not for you, here are a few restaurants where you can get
authentic Irish fare in a little more of a “restaurant” setting:
Gallagher's Boxty House (20 Temple Bar)
A small, intimate Irish restaurant serving stew, chowder, and of course boxties (fried po-tato
pancakes rolled up around a meat or vegetable filling and served with rich gravy).
Johnnie Fox's (Glencullen Road)
Well outside the city, but well worth the trip. Situated on a hill outside Dublin, this restaurant
specializes in fresh seafood and offers great city views. With its regular musical acts and
boisterous conversation, it's closer to the pub atmosphere than most.
Cornucopia (19 Wicklow Street)