Having slumbered in the shadow of a crane-lined horizon for the past decade or
so, Dublin has awoken with a new-found confidence - and some cracking places
to while away a weekend. So while you're almost certain to visit heaving
pubs, crack lobster and slug the dark stuff to a theme tune of banjos,
accordions and cackling brogue, you'll discover Dublin now delivers far more
than Oirish clichés.
Of course, you must still take what's almost a tourist pilgrimage along the
River Liffey to Temple Bar where street performers sing, dance and juggle
alongside market stalls. But do as the Dubliners do: leave the area as night
falls, before it's overrun with raucous hen weekenders.
Instead of lairy boozers, savour the Georgian city around Merrion Square, the
Dáil Eireann (parliament) and Leeson Street, pausing to feed the ducks
beside young lovers on St Stephen's Green. The nearby leafy neighbourhood of
Ranelagh presents Dublin's new face with mocha-selling street cafes and
new-age juice bars. If the sun penetrates the drizzle, sink a pint on the
roof balcony at Russells and gaze down at young professionals lounging over
leisurely lunches in the bistros and brasseries below.
Don't worry, the identikit gastropub hasn't arrived - and by all accounts it
never will. While it might have embraced its new-found wealth, Dublin hasn't
forgotten its roots. Among the beluga-selling delis, slick new hotels and
hip bars like Café en Seine, traditional pubs like the Brazen Head - an
essay in stained glass and oak panels - still survive.
You won't, however, find flat-capped Dubliners chewing on pipes among
nicotine-stained walls: smoking was banned in all public workplaces last
year. So they've begun puffing away outside, spawning an alfresco, almost
Parisian, culture. Indeed, there's the distinct impression that it's not
Europe dragging Dublin into the 21st century by the scruff of its neck, but
vice versa. And it's doing it with a distinctive local flourish that allows
space-age light-rail trams to share the streets with horse-drawn carts
carrying spuds. It seems to sum up the city: vibrant, shiny but not a place
where the new has overwhelmed the old. Go now: Dublin is too good to be left
to best men and bridesmaids.
YOUR FIRST VISIT
1. Where else to have a pint of the black stuff than at the Guinness
Storehouse (entry £9.50, 00 353 1 453 8364, www.guinnessstorehouse.com)?
Here you can learn all kinds of useless info such as why it takes exactly
119.5 seconds to pour the perfect pint. Or skip the tour and go for a pint
in the Gravity Bar on the top floor for 360° views across the city
skyline.
2. Have a nose around the 16th-century Trinity College (00 353 1 608
1000). Nineteen hectares of grassland and arcaded pathways provide a
historic and academic retreat right amid the city chaos. You can also find
the ancient Book of Kells in the library and some of the brightest young
minds in Europe.
3. Explore the historic Dublin Castle (00 353 1 677 7129, www.dublincastle.ie).
Constructed in the 13th century, it was the symbol of British rule until
Irish independence in 1922. Don't miss the opulent State Apartments, the
gothic Chapel Royal and a classic Norman tower.
4. Art lovers should pay a visit to The National Gallery of Ireland (00
353 1 661 5133, www.nationalgallery.ie).
Exhibitions change regularly, but the permanent collection includes local
work by Jack B Yeats and works by Picasso and Monet, as well as an
interesting virtual-reality gallery in the Millennium wing.
For an impressive slice of neoclassical architecture, take a look around the riverside
Custom House (00 353 1 888 2000, www.environ.ie).
The old Customs and Excise HQ dates back to 1791 but was rebuilt after a
fire during the Civil War in 1921. These days the palatial building stands boldly
on the River Liffey, one of Dublin's most easily recognisable edifices.
FOR SECOND-TIMERS
1. A 25-minute bus ride from the city takes you to Sandycove beach and
the Martello Tower, setting for the opening scene of James Joyce's Ulysses -
and a truly peaceful picnic point.
2. Many flock to Dublin for the Six Nations matches, but witness
Ireland's true sporting passion, Gaelic games, at Croke Park (above, 00 353
1 819 2300, www.crokepark.ie). It's
the fourth-largest stadium in Europe and has an electric atmosphere - even
if you can't understand what's going on.
3. Ride Dublin's coastal train network, the Dart (00 353 1 836 6222, www.irishrail.ie),
either north to the seaside suburb of Howth - where you can pick up some
beautiful smoked salmon and periwinkles (Wrights of Howth, 14 West Pier,
Howth, 00 353 1 832 3937, www.wrightsofhowth.com)
- or south to fashionable Kiliney and Dalkey, home to Dublin's rich and
famous such as Bono, Chris de Burgh and Damon Hill.
4. A great day at the races can be had at Leopardstown Racecourse (00
353 1 289 0500, www.leopardstown.com).
Whether you win big or not, there's always good patter among the punters.
The best times to go are national holidays like Boxing Day and bank holidays
- when the horse racing's just a side show for the rowdy Guinness-glugging
crowd.
5. For a day trip, head 20km south of Dublin to the mid 18th-century
Powerscourt Estate and Gardens (left, above, entry £10.50, 00 353 1 204
6000, www.powerscourt.ie). The
historic manor holds exhibitions, but it's the grounds you really must see.
A 19-hectare garden brims with statue-lined lakes and opulent fountains, all
against the backdrop of the Wicklow Mountains and a cascading waterfall.
Where to sleep
NO EXPENSE SPARED
Merrion Hotel, Upper Merrion Street (00 353 1 603 0600, www.merrionhotel.com)
The birthplace of the first Duke of Wellington is an elegantly converted row of
Georgian townhouses, with views of the Dáil Eireann. Doubles from
£209, B&B.
The Four Seasons, Simmonscourt Road (00 353 1 665 4000, www.fourseasons.com)
Dublin's grandest dame comes with all the amenities you'd expect - a new-age spa
with a local twist, lavish rooms and quiet location. Doubles from £240, B&B.
MIDDLE OF THE ROAD
The Schoolhouse, 2-8 Northumberland Road (00 353 1 667 5014, www.schoolhousehotel.com)
An old schoolhouse by the canal that presents a Victorian/B&B charm, with restaurant
and drinking den on site. Doubles from £135, B&B.
Herbert Park Hotel, Herbert Park, Ballsbridge (00 353 1 667 2200,
www.herbertparkhotel.ie)
Modern, almost business-style, hotel, but bag a room with parkland views and mountain
backdrop and you'll forgive all ills. Park-facing Executive King Suites from £130,
B&B.
ON THE CHEAP
Bewleys Hotel, Merrion Road (00 353 1 668 1111, www.bewleyshotels.com)
A large, new hotel that keeps a personal feel, with no-frills yet inoffensive rooms
and a good restaurant with in-house bakery. Double from £67, B&B.
The Leeson Hotel, 26/27 Lower Leeson St (00 353 1 676 3380, www.theleesonhotel.com)
A converted Georgian townhouse with a quirky boutique appeal and sky-lit bar downstairs.
Night owls will appreciate the Leeson Street location. Doubles from £54,
B&B.
Where to eat
NO EXPENSE SPARED
Patrick Guibaud, The Merrion Hotel (00 353 1 676 4192)
French fare and local favourites like West Coast John Dory in the Georgian basement.
Two Michelin stars make bookings essential. Mains from £32.
Shanahans on the Green, 119 St Stephen's Green (00 353 1 407 0939,
www.shanahans.ie)
Melt-in the-mouth fillet steak is served amid a gentlemen's club atmosphere. Downstairs
the owner's US presidential artefacts include JFK's old rocking-chair. Mains
from £26.
MIDDLE OF THE ROAD
Roly's Bistro, 7 Ballsbridge Terrace (00 353 1 668 2611, www.rolysbistro.ie)
This affordable Dublin favourite majors in traditional food: lamb and veggie pie
or Dublin Bay prawns. Mains from £15.
Chapter One, 18-19 Parnell Square (00 353 1 873 2266, www.chapteronerestaurant.com)
A grand, chandelier-lit dining room dominates the action upstairs; downstairs are
two private dining rooms as well as a champagne and oyster bar - excellent seafood,
venison and charcuterie. Mains from £18.
ON THE CHEAP
Johnnie Fox's, Glencullen, Co Dublin (00 353 1 295 5647, www.jfp.ie)
Ireland's highest pub is lost in the Dublin Mountains but only 25 minutes from the
city centre. Expect live music every night, or grab yourself a table outside
and drink in the mountain view. Mains from £5.
Laralu, 1 George's Street Arcade (00 353 87 990
8003)
This pint-sized shopping pit stop in the city centre is more a kiosk than a restaurant,
but it serves perfectly cooked international dishes such as lamb tagine and
Thai green curry. Mains from £5.
Bars and clubs
O'Donoghues, 15 Merrion Row (00 353 1 660 7194, www.odonoghues.ie)
One of the best places to go for traditional Irish music, O'Donoghue's gets extremely
cramped with a raucously welcoming crowd on weekends.
The Sugar Club, 8 Lower Leeson Street (00 353 1 678 7188, www.thesugarclub.com)
Dublin's answer to Ronnie Scott's has live performances from swing to techno.
Ice Bar, The Four Seasons Hotel (details as above)
Drop in for a Blueberry Sling with Ireland's glitterati as they clamour at the marble
bar.
Lobby Bar/POD/Red Box/Craw Daddy, Old Harcourt Street Station,
Harcourt Street (00 353 1 478 0166, www.pod.ie)
Four clubs in one venue: the Redbox - a ravers' stomping ground; The POD - smaller
and more relaxed, ranging from house to live gigs; Craw Daddy and The Lobby
Bar - smoother beats and a mature crowd.
Shopping
Brown Thomas, 88-95 Grafton Street (00 353 1 605 6666, www.brownthomas.com)
The home of Dublin's retail fashion sells all the Marc Jacobs and Chanel you could
wish for.
Cow's Lane Market, Cow's Lane, Temple Bar (Saturdays)
An outdoor market that's as fun as it is trendy, with plenty of bargain-price clothes.
Powerscourt Centre, South William Street (00 353 1 671 7000, www.powerscourtcentre.com)
Antiques heaven - every kind of jewel and stone imaginable, plus a restaurant serving
good food.
Getting there
Ryanair (0871 246 0000, www.ryanair.com)
flies from most regional airports, from £14.99. Aer Lingus (0845 084
4444, www.aerlingus.com) flies from
Heathrow, Glasgow and Bristol, from £37. British Airways (0870 850
9850, www.ba.com) flies from Gatwick, from £71. Air Southwest (0870 241
8202, www.airsouthwest.com) flies
from Newquay and Bristol, from £59.
More information
www.tourismireland.com
More ideas
Walk - most of Dublin is manageable on foot and it's the best way to
stumble upon unknown restaurants or bars.
Trip out to Phoenix Park - Europe's largest enclosed park dwarfs
both Hampstead Heath and Central Park. It's worth the journey to witness The Wellington
Testimonial (a 63m obelisk), the Papal Cross, Dublin Zoo and Aras an
Uachtarain (the Irish President's Residence).
View Ireland's stormy past at Kilmainham Gaol (Kilmainham, 00 353 1 453
5984, www.kilmainham-gaol.com), where
the heroes of the 1916 Easter Rising were executed.
For celeb-spotting, Lillie's Bordello (Grafton Street, 00 353 1 679
9204, www.lilliesbordello.ie)
still cuts it in a Met Bar way: the likes of Colin Farrell and Samantha
Mumba call in.
For the best hot chocolate in town, visit Butlers Chocolate Café
(51a Grafton Street,
00 353 1 671 0599 www.butlerschocolates.com).
