Open for: Dinner on weekdays, weekend brunch

Price range: $$

Korean Table is tucked away in a quieter part of Stoneybatter, one of Dublin’s hippest neighborhoods. There, Vivian Cho serves a concise menu in a smart, narrow room with raw-plaster walls, tumbling green foliage, and festival lights. Meals start with complimentary banchan including pickled seaweed, zucchini tempura, and kimchi. Prices are incredibly keen.

Must-try dish: You won’t go wrong with a warming hotpot or a tofu bibimbap.

Open for: Dinner daily and weekend brunch

Price range: $$

The best durum wheat is produced by an ancient grain called senatore cappelli, according to Roberto Mungo, who ensures that all of the handmade pasta at his wonderfully convivial restaurant in the hip enclave of Stoneybatter follows his mother’s recipes precisely. Grano is incredibly popular, so you’ll want to book your table here well in advance.

Know before you go: If you fail to secure a table, you’ll find lighter food and plenty of wine at Afianco, Mungo’s vineria next door.

Open for: Lunch and dinner with a break in between

Price range: $$

Sitting on a high stool at one of the marble counters in Peter Hogan and Jumoke Akintola’s compact restaurant is one of life’s little pleasures, whether you’re on your own or seated next to some interesting company. Start with the snacks, a gilda perhaps, and a glass of fino. Or delve into the low-intervention wines. As you’d expect, it’s all about the fish at Fish Shop; it’s pristine and cooked simply, either deep-fried in batter or whole-roasted. You won’t get better fish in Dublin.

Know before you go: The team’s wine bar, Bar Pez, on Kevin Street is also worth checking out.

Open for: Dinner Wednesday to Saturday

Price range: $$$$

After a fire paused a move to a shiny 30-seater premises next door to the original location of their Michelin-starred Variety Jones, brothers Aaron and Keelan Higgs are settled into their new premises. Head chef Keelan makes extensive use of live fire and a wood-burning oven. The tasting menu, which always includes a pasta dish, turns family style when it gets to larger courses of grilled fish and meat.

Best for: A relaxed Michelin-star menu with a great wine list.

Open for: Dinner

Price range: $$$

A beef cheek and oxtail Parker House roll with bone marrow gravy and a cock-a-leekie pie for two are just some of the reasons to visit Stephen McAllister and Andrea Hussey’s deceptively sophisticated gastropub in the heart of the Liberties. This is the perfect spot for an early dinner before a concert in Vicar Street.

Know before you go: Be sure to book.

Open for: Breakfast and lunch

Price range: $

A long-time hub for Dublin’s ethically minded, the Fumbally is part cafe, part food shop and deli, now with an even stronger focus on Irish-grown produce. House ferments, fresh-baked breads, and natural wines anchor a menu that shifts with the seasons — think, root veg stews in winter, fresh greens and lighter plates in summer. Imported essentials like citrus and ginger make the cut, but Irish ingredients take centre stage.

Best for: A seasonal lunch at a communal table.

Open for: Dinner Wednesday to Saturday, lunch Friday to Sunday

Price range: $$$

Lena is as close to the perfect restaurant as it gets. From the team behind Uno Mas and Etto, it delivers confident, razor-sharp Italian cooking with no gimmicks. Start with the crisp, golden sage and anchovy fritti, before moving to the thick, house-made pici cacio e pepe, which carries its silky, peppery sauce with ease. The halibut with vermouth sauce is masterfully cooked, while the osso buco arrives with shimmering saffron risotto. The wine list is serious and the execution flawless.

Know before you go: You’ll want to book ahead — though good luck getting a table.

Open for: Lunch only

Price range: $$

The good news is that Gwen McGrath and Ken Doherty now take bookings for the two lunch sittings at their 10-seater restaurant. The menu, penned on a white paper sandwich bag, is driven by two things: whatever organic produce is available that day from McNally Family Farm, and a heartfelt adherence to simplicity. Most of the plates are vegetarian, like crushed fava beans with chicory, but there are always one or two meat dishes.

Must-try dish: Hope for the tripe, which is a signature dish.

Open for: Dinner and weekend lunch

Price range: $$

Vanessa Murphy and her Spanish partner Anna Cabrera are part of the beating heart of this side of town. Regular diners queue for tables at Las Tapas de Lola to work their way through Spanish tapas and a smart wine list, which also includes some interesting sherries and vermouth. Nearby on Montague Street, you’ll find more ambitious dishes (like chuletón or lamb sweetbreads in port sauce) at the duo’s bodega restaurant, La Gordita, where the barstools are the most coveted spots.

Know before you go: You can queue but you can also book ahead.

Open for: Dinner

Price range: $$

Step into this atmospheric restaurant for the best North Indian food in the country. Sunil Ghai turns out items like the beloved goat keema pao, a slow-cooked wonder in which minced goat meat melds with black and green cardamom, cinnamon, coriander, mint, ginger, garlic, onions, Kashmiri chiles, and kalpasi moss. It’s delicious mopped up with maska pao, a brioche-style bun.

Best for: Turn up with a group of friends to really work your way through the menu.

Open for: Pre-dinner drinks through the evening

Price range: $$

Inside a former butcher’s shop with the original awning still in place, you’ll find a cave à manger-style wine bar with an 18-seat communal high table and counter seats at the window. Katie Seward, one of the country’s top sommeliers, constantly updates the superb list of more than 150 low-intervention bottles. David Bradshaw, who previously worked in Michelin-starred Lyle’s in London, has a deft touch in the concise menu of small plates.

Know before you go: Walk-ins only.

Open for: Lunch and dinner

Price range: $$

At the sister restaurant to Ryon Wen and Ian Keegan’s equally good Hakkahan in Stoneybatter and more upscale Nan nearby, spring for the plate with one of each dumpling on the menu. If you’re going full-in, order the smashed cucumber, prawn toast, and black fungus salad.

Know before you go: Ask for the secret Little Sichuan menu with nose-to-tail dishes like steamed chicken claws and garlic ribs.

Open for: Dinner Monday to Saturday, lunch Thursday to Saturday

Price range: $$$

Eric Matthews, formerly of Chapter One, isn’t playing it safe at Kicky’s. Croquettes ooze Taleggio under a crust of spicy ’nduja. The cacio e pepe is silky, and the brill on the bone lands with Castletownbere shrimp and cockles, smoky from the grill. Desserts are worth the detour, especially the Irish Coffee, a tiramisu-style knockout with whiskey and coffee bean crunch. 

Must-try dish: The potato focaccia with carbonara butter, which is actual carbonara whipped into a spread, complete with crispy guanciale.

Open for: Lunch Thursday to Saturday, dinner Tuesday to Saturday

Price range: $$$$

The celebrated chef Mickael Viljanen took over Chapter One as chef/patron in 2021, and now many consider the restaurant to be the best in Ireland. The cooking is precise and detailed, with top-quality produce given the classic French treatment. There is of course a tasting menu, but you can dine for a reasonable sum if you opt for the excellent lunch; unlike many daytime menus at top-end restaurants, this one actually does reflect the kitchen’s abilities. 

Know before you go: Bookings open on the first of each month, and you need to be lightning quick to snag one. Otherwise, ask to be added to the cancellations list.

Open for: Lunch until late (very late on weekends)

Price range: $$

Sometimes, all you want is a truly great kebab. Ali and Cumali Aydin’s charcoal-grilled adana, made from hand-chopped lamb and beef, is generally considered the best in Dublin. The large menu extends to lamb chops, Turkish meatballs, falafel, lavash straight out of the tandoor, and house-made baklava.

Vibe check: Watch the motorized spit carvers behind the counter as you wait to order.

Open for: Lunch until late night

Price range: $

Shane Windrim’s New York-style slice shop, which features 48-hour fermented dough with blistering hot toppings, is one of the most popular places in Dublin. Choose from one of eight pizzas, which change regularly. The stars of the menu are the Sicilian-style burrata square slice and the Hot Pep with cheese, pepperoni, jalapeno, and hot honey. Wash it down with the house beer, or spring for a glass of grower Champagne.

Vibe check: Be prepared to queue. If you’re lucky, grab one of the high stools or a spot on the bench outside.

Open for: Dinner Wednesday to Sunday, plus weekend brunch

Price range: $$

The Bereen brothers’ buzzy restaurant, where live DJs kick up the energy in the evening, is as much about the cocktails and vibe as it is about the wine and clever food. Order the rosti loaded with crab and topped with bottarga and wild garlic, and flatbread with a foaming Coolea cheese dip. There’s no minimum order or requirement to have a main course, so sticking with the small plates is a good strategy here. 

Vibe check: Grab a table at the outdoor terrace for enviable people watching.

Open for: Lunch and dinner Monday to Saturday

Price range: $$$ 

Dublin has plenty of Thai-inspired spots, but few nail fire and flavor like Achara. Start with the mussel skewer, blistered over live fire and slicked with satay. Argentinian prawns come drenched in peanut and lemongrass sauce, while Feighcullan chicken thighs arrive with crisped skin and a punch of fish sauce. The aubergine — smoky, garlicky, and rich with Thai basil — is the sleeper hit. Cocktails lean sharp, especially the barbecue rhubarb gimlet.

Vibe check: The flavors are big on spice and smoke, but the restaurant remains cool, relaxed, and great for a group of friends.

Open for: Lunch and dinner

Price range: $$ 

A recent visit to M&L, a Sichuan restaurant just off O’Connell Street, was a stark reminder that  restaurant lists shouldn’t solely focus on new hot spots. Generally accepted to be the No. 1 choice for Dublin’s Chinese community, M&L has grown popular with all types of residents. You’ll find the much-loved, freshly made dumplings, green beans with garlic and chile, a particularly enjoyable aubergine dish, and deep-fried seabass.

Best for: Go with a gang so you can make a good stab at the menu. There’s a private room upstairs too.

Open for: Lunch and dinner

Price range: $$

You’ll be tempted to order so many things at Alon Salman’s restaurant, Shouk, so here’s a game plan: Start with some cocktails, followed by the mezze platter, and then perhaps the chargrilled smoked eggplant. Then dig into the meats. There are serious grills in action here, and the aroma of shawarma wafts through the air. 

Vibe check: The outside seating area is particularly fun.

Open for: Dinner, late lunch of Friday and Saturday

Price range: $$$

Irish chef Kevin Burke worked for years in London, including as head chef at Michelin-starred restaurant the Ninth, before returning to town as part of a wave of chefs bringing excitement to Dublin. At Library Street, in the former Allta space, he’s knocking out some thrilling food. Start with the char-grilled langoustines (just get right in there and let those juices drip down your face), then the risotto, followed by meat from the grill. And dive into the low-intervention wine list, where there are plenty of options by the glass. Plates are designed to be shared, but after one taste you may not feel like doing so. 

Must-try dish: Whatever you do, leave room for the spectacular desserts.

Open for: Breakfast through dinner

Price range: $$$

Margadh is set at the entrance of the Royal Hibernian Academy, a contemporary art museum. During the day, Jess D’Arcy and Killian Durkin offer soups, sandwiches, and salads. The mood changes in the evening, transitioning from coffee shop to smart wine bar. Small plates include Calabrian anchovies, burrata with seasonal vegetables, and poached halibut with crispy chicken skin, all of which can be washed down with choices from the enviable wine list.

Vibe check: This is one of the most charming places to eat in Dublin.

Open for: Breakfast and lunch Monday Saturday, dinner Thursday and Friday

Price range: $$ 

Dinner at Tang is a game-changer. Once a daytime haunt for wraps and salads, the restaurant’s recently launched evening menu at the new Cumberland Street location goes big on flavor without torching your wallet. Smoky mushroom shawarma comes slicked with tahini and harissa oil, while kuri pumpkin gets the nutty, dukkah treatment. Lamb kofta arrives in a rich Moroccan tomato and apricot sauce, sharpened by feta. Even the potatoes pack a punch with preserved lemon aioli. Finish with the halva brownie: crisp-edged, gooey-centred, and unfairly good. 

Know before you go: There’s a smart outdoor terrace.

Open for: Breakfast through lunch every day

Price range: $$

Every city needs a destination bakery like Bread 41, a place that doesn’t just produce great sourdough but takes pure pleasure in surprising customers with creative, exciting pastries. Eoin Cluskey’s café, which is tucked under a railway bridge, puts sustainability at its core, holding a coveted B Corp certification.

Must-try dish: Among the rotating list of specials, the kimchi fritter is likely to be the big hit of any meal.

Open for: Dinner, Wednesday to Saturday; lunch Sunday

Price range: $$$

A proper French bistro at last. From the team behind Forest Avenue, Forêt leans fully into Gallic tradition, without reinventions or tweaks. The terrine de campagne is a rustic, well-seasoned slab of pork, sharpened by violet mustard and cornichons. The halibut Grenobloise is textbook: crisp-skinned, pearly-fleshed, and brightened with capers and lemon. Desserts are indulgent, particularly the croissant pudding – custardy, crisp-topped, and swimming in Cointreau caramel. The wine list is smart to boot.

Vibe check: For a restaurant that applies serious technique and precision, the prices are fair and the room effortlessly welcoming.

Open for: Dinner, plus lunch on Thursdays

Price range: $$$

Seasonal produce is central to the menu at this casual trattoria. Ross Lewis, former head chef of two-Michelin-starred Chapter One, takes a simple approach, focusing on pasta, pizzas, and meats cooked in the wood-burning oven, including a formidable shoulder of suckling pork. 

Know before you go: The sharing menu is particularly good value and includes two starters, two pasta dishes, a main course, and a dessert.

Open for: Dinner Wednesday to Saturday, lunch Thursday to Saturday

Price range: $$$ 

Niall Davidson’s Allta has settled into Capital Dock with a custom-built, nine-level grill and a menu that leans hard into fire, fat, and fermentation. The squid and suckling pig skewer arrives licked by charcoal, the sweet fat of the pork balanced by the squid’s bite. Rabbit cavatelli is rich but perfectly judged, finished with buttermilk cream and capers. Ex-dairy cow rump is charred and rare, served with a proper bearnaise. 

Must-try dish: A sabayon chocolate tart closes things out beautifully.

Open for: Dinner Wednesday to Saturday, lunch on Saturday

Price range: $$$$

You wouldn’t expect to find a two-Michelin-starred restaurant in a market in a coastal Dublin suburb, but if you get a reservation, it’s worth jumping on the train to Blackrock, to pull up a seat at one of the few tables at Liath. The five elements of taste form the framework for Damien Grey’s precise menu, starting with bitter flavors and moving onto sour, salty, savory, and finally sweet.

Know before you go: Budget three-plus hours for dinner, and not much less for lunch.