When we wrapped up our weeklong trip around Ireland, we circled back to Dublin to cap off the trip. (Note: Everyone in our group of 9 are all vaccinated AND we followed local and international government guidelines for safety while wore masks as often as possible). Drew and I spent the weekend in Dublin and had an amazing time. I think Dublin is truly underrated when it comes to weekend trips or holidays, I certainly never thought to until this trip and I regret it. I think that goes to show how truly humbled the people of Ireland are! Well, I'm here to shout it from the internet rooftops: Ireland is amazing and Dublin should absolutely be a bucket list destination! I've gone into full blown details if you're interested in reading but if you want to skip to the simple itinerary, just scroll down to the bottom.
OUR HOTEL IN DUBLIN
We stayed at the Morrison Hotel by Doubletree. The hotel was modern, sleek and very inviting. It was spacious enough to never feel crowded in the common areas, quiet enough that we never heard any street noise or city sounds, but still close enough to all of the action. The location of the Morrison is hard to beat, mixed in between several streets filled with local cafes and restaurants, and a quick walk over the bridge that crosses the Liffey River takes you to all of the popular sites and places you'd want to see.
We stayed in a Deluxe room and it's definitely one of the more roomier hotel rooms we've been to. The decor is very modern and chic, with colored lighting, a cushioned built-in lounger in the corner, and 3 closets! The bathroom was large, with a walk-in shower and glass door. The room also had temperature controls as well as a mini fridge with stocked mini bar (items taken from the mini bar are an extra charge).
The room service menu was impressive. The options are from the hotel's onsite restaurant, The Morrison Grill. Items like a Wagyu Beef Burger, Truffle and Parmesan Chips, and Seared Scallops were definitely not expected! I wanted to try everything, and while we didn't get the chance to, it was nice to have the availability of such good food one phone call away.
THINGS TO DO IN DUBLIN
After checking into the Morrison Hotel, it was around 6:00pm (18:00) and we headed out on foot right away. Walking just a few blocks from the hotel over to the Ha'penny bridge, a pedestrian walkway over the Liffey River. We watched the sunset as we crossed the bridge into the Dublin nightlife. One block over from the river was Temple Bar, a famous neighborhood in Dublin known for its bars and nightlife. The cobblestone street was busy; filled with laughter, groups of people walking around, drinking.
We stopped for our first round of drinks at The Auld Dubliner, which was more relaxed. Get a table outside so you can people watch and enjoy the vibes.
DAY TWO
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| The view from the top of the Guinness Storehouse, at the Gravity Bar |
On Day 2 in Dublin, we enjoyed a traditional Irish breakfast buffet at the hotel. Now that I'm back in the states, I miss the Irish breakfasts but all the more reason to go back. After breakfast, some of our group left Dublin to head back home so we relaxed in the hotel for a little bit while we waited to say bye to them. After they departed, we headed out for a foot tour of the city, visiting Trinity College to see their famous library. While we were there, we also got to see an exhibit on The Book of Kells, included in the admission. Advance bookings are required to visit the college, see the library and the Book of Kells. We paid €18 per person for admission.
A quick bite of lunch at Yum Thai was in order and very affordable at around €7 per meal. There is not much seating, it's a counter service place that's very small but we ate outside still. We walked off our lunch by heading over to the Christ Church Cathedral, it was absolutely beautiful. The building is over 1000 years old and it's very cool to touch the walls and see something last for so many years. There were even markers on the ground outside of the church showing you where historical artifacts have been found. After the church, we stopped at The Brazen Head. It's supposedly the oldest bar in Dublin and arguably in Ireland, rivaling Sean's Bar in Athlone for the title, and dating back to at least 1613.
We had seafood chowder with soda bread, chips and lots of drinks. After paying the bill, headed on foot over to the Guinness Storehouse. I was so excited for this tour because so many of the locals in Ireland as well as others around the world love Guinness beer. So it has to be a great company, right? Turns out, Arthur Guinness was definitely ahead of his time. The man believed in his beer company so much, he signed a 9000-year lease for it. The Guinness family created unparalleled welfare programs for their their workers, costing the brewery a lot of money but their investment paid off when over a decade later they were producing more than double than their competitors. The famous beer is responsible for many innovations that went on to change the world, including the nitro draught process and creating a vegan process in order to make their beers suitable for consumption by vegetarians and vegans. These are only a few of the historical things I've learned while on the tour of the famous brewery. The tour was so educational and fun, with many cool photo opportunities as well. I highly recommend it.
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| Photos printed onto a pint of Guinness Beer |
After the Guinness Tour, you'll find yourself on the very top of the Guinness Storehouse property at their infamous Gravity Bar. The bar provides 360 degree views of the city of Dublin, and you can definitely see as far as the Wicklow Mountains and countryside towns on a clear day. The floor to ceiling glass windows provide an unobstructed view and there are even markers and text right on the glass to let you know what you are viewing. The design of the space was a perfect ending to such a great tour highlighting the historic moments of the Guinness Brand.
Afterwards, we were so tired from walking we took a 10 min taxi ride back towards our hotel. We stopped at Capel Street, just West of our hotel, and took a stroll looking at all of the different restaurant menus posted on their windows. We decided as a group to dine at Gushi, it was a lovely dinner. Every chance we got, we chose to dine outside. The sun was setting over the street. We had to say goodbye to the rest of the group at dinner's end, as the last of everyone were heading back to the town of Kilkenny. That left Drew and I to explore Dublin for the rest of our trip.
DAY THREE
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| In front of the Chapel Royal at Dublin Castle |
On Day 3, Drew and I got to experience our own adventure. We had brunch at the Joy of Che. Their outdoor dining area is small but cute. After brunch, we walked over to Dublin Castle to check it out. Walking the grounds is entirely free and there was even an art exhibit showcasing paintings representing Dante's Inferno which was also free to enter! We took some photos by the castle buildings and chapel, then walked over to Grafton street to shop at the Nespresso store, Mark & Spencer, and a few cosmetic stores. After spending a few hours shopping, it was a short walk over to Fallon & Byrne, a gourmet grocery store on Exchequer St, where we picked up a bottle of (twist-top) wine, fresh strawberries and figs, a French baguette, a small jar of jam, chocolates, and some nuts to create a cheeseboard. We snagged a disposable knife from the café inside the store and walked over to St. Stephen's Green. The park was lovely, lots of people lounging in the grass and enjoying the warm weather. We had a picnic, using our disposable knife to cut up the baguette and spread the jam, leisurely hanging out for a while here.
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| Dublin Castle, seen from the gardens |
After the park, we needed some caffeine so we packed up and walked over to Metro Café, for cake and espresso. We spent a long time there, chatting and enjoying our drinks. Once the sky changed to duskier shades, we headed back over to the Liffey River and crossed via the O'Connell Bridge. We took some photos of the O'Connell Memorial, saw The Spire, and had one last Irish dinner at Brannigan's to not only wrap up our weekend in Dublin but our entire trip to Ireland.
We toasted our pints of Guinness one last time and reminisced on the entire week. Road tripping through the hills and valleys of the Irish countryside is something that I will never forget. It truly challenged us as a group of friends, tested our ability to adapt and communicate with one another. Yet once we finally arrived to the many stops and destinations, whether it be the waterfalls in the Wicklow mountains or the beaches of Ballybunion; the cliffs of Moher or the streets of Dublin - it was almost like we were rewarded. We were met with so many different sides of Ireland and I am so grateful to have had the chance to experience it.
FOOD IN DUBLIN
Dublin's food scene sincerely impressed me, there were so many great food choices everywhere and even the local convenience store chains like Centra had much better quality eats than I could find in my own home town. The food halls were my favorite and definitely underrated. Fallon & Byrne and the Mark & Spencer Food Halls were the best for affordable, quick and easy. The local cafes are abundant, their menus filled with delicious entrees for any time of the day as well as desserts. My must try food dishes in Dublin are:
- Seafood chowder
- Each restaurant or bar makes it differently and it was fun to try the different variations of seafood chowder at each one. Some places served it with soda bread and butter, which made it even heartier.
- Fish & Chips
- The same goes for fish & chips, we enjoyed ordering this dish as much as we could to try and find our favorite amongst all of the places that served it. Even if you had fish and chips every day, it would still all be different.
- Asian Food
- The Asian food scene in Dublin is not to be missed. I've had some of the most intriguing here in Dublin, especially the Bulgogi Burger that we enjoyed at Gushi. That was spectacular.
- Sausage Rolls
- Tasty sausages are wrapped with a crispy, flaky pastry dough. I ate so many of these in Ireland, it was hard to stop. They are versatile as a quick snack, an appetizer or a late night snack after you've done a lot of drinking. I ordered them wherever I could, even if it meant getting them from the local Centra store.
- Pastries
- The pastry and dessert scene are not to be missed either. Normally, you would assume France or Italy would be the prime place to enjoy baked goods but Dublin showed up and absolutely crushed it.
DUBLIN ITINERARY (Extended weekend)
Day 1
- Check into hotel
- Walk to Temple Bar
- Drinks at Auld Dubliner
- Visit The Temple Bar (bar) on Temple Bar (street)
- Check out Temple Bar Square
- Cheap late night eats from Centra on Dame Street // €10.00 or less
Day 2
- Breakfast at hotel
- Trinity College
- The Long Hall (Library) & The Book of Kells // €18.00
- Trinity College gift shop
- Lunch at Yum Thai // €7.00
- Walk to Christ Church Cathedral and/or St. Patrick's Cathedral
- There is a labyrinth at Christ Church Cathedral, mummified animals, a crypt and world record bells to be seen here
- The church is over 1000 years old.
- Self-guided tours // €7.50
- Tickets can be purchased online
- Stop at The Brazen Head for drinks
- Dublin's oldest bar
- Indoor/outdoor seating
- Walk or taxi over to the Guinness Storehouse for a tour // €22.00 (27 if you want a Stoutie)
- Gravity Bar at the Guinness Storehouse has amazing 360 degree views of the entire city, even as far as the Wicklow mountains and nearby towns
- You can get your photo printed on a pint of Guinness, called a Stoutie
- Gift shop has some great goodies
- The tour is self-guided and very much like a modern museum
- Taxi over to Capel Street to explore my favorite strip in Dublin filled with amazing restaurants of all ethnicities and fusion foods as well
- Dinner at Gushi Asian Bar & Restaurant
- Pork and Prawn Mandu
- Great selection of sushi rolls
- Korean Style Beef Bulgogi Burger
- Tokyo Fish and Chips (HUGE serving, enough for 2 people and a nice fusion between and Irish classic and Asian culinary methods)
- Japanese Style Ramen
Day 3
- Brunch at Joy of Che
- Dublin Castle
- Exploring the grounds is free, enter on Castle Street
- Visit the Chapel Royal, the Dubh Linn Garden, Garda Memorial, and the Coach House
- Grafton Street
- Shopping
- People watching
- Restaurants and cafes
- Fallon & Byrne
- Pick up picnic items
- Café has disposable utensils, if needed
- Be sure to get a wine or drinks with twist off caps (unless you carry a wine opener)
- St. Stephen's Green for a picnic
- Metro Café for espresso
- O'Connell Bridge
- O'Connell Monument
- There are several other statues along O'Connell street leading up to The Spire as well
- The Spire
- Dinner at Brannigan's
- Irish dinner to commemorate the last night
- Enjoy seafood chowder, Beef and Guinness Casserole, Traditional Fish & Chips as well as a pint of Guinness
- Get the Bailey's Irish Cheesecake for dessert
Day 4
- Depart Dublin
xoxo Vicky
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