Enjoying the Craic in Dublin

Brilliant food in Elephant and Castle

Lots of proper traditional pubs away from Temple Bar

Quick Tips:

Best Way To Get Around:

A good bus service runs from the airport to the city centre, and the 1-day travel card is good value. It's best to have some coins for the ticket machine.

A group of us arrived in Dublin with no idea at all about where to eat, but chanced upon this restaurant as we walked through the busy Temple Bar area, little knowing that this restaurant is one of the most highly recommended in Dublin. Despite there being about 10 of us and not having reservations, we managed to get a table, although it was a bit of a squash.

The lunch menu offered an extensive choice: huge sandwiches and salads, hearty mains, and wonderful desserts. The waitress was friendly and helpful, going out of her way to accommodate our large group at short notice.

The food satisfied even the fussiest eater in our group, the French food snob, which is some achievement.

Bewleys is something of a Dublin institution, so we thought that we had better sample its wares. We took a window table on the top floor, giving us a good view of Grafton Street's swarms of shoppers. The decor is gorgeous - old-fashioned decadence that made me feel like I was in an Agatha Christie novel.

From the amazing array of coffees and teas on offer, it seemed churlish to have a simple filter coffee, so I selected the most over-the-top concoction on offer, which involved toffee, marshmallow, and cream, as well as a bit of coffee. It was, unsurprisingly, very sickly sweet and obviously incredibly unhealthy, but an experience. My only regret is not trying some of the cake and pastries, which looked divine.

We weren't really sure what Irish cuisine was beyond soda bread, so were delighted to find this restaurant. Up until this point, we were ignorant of boxties, but found out that they are traditional potato pancakes stuffed with a wide range of fillings. They come filled with various meats (including Irish favourite boiled bacon, seafood, and plenty of vegetarian options), and I enjoyed the vegetable chilli version. Stews and other hearty dishes are also available if you don't want a boxty. Side orders of salad, vegetables, fries, or Irish mash potato champ are also available

The restaurant is fairly large, but still manages to feel cosy due to its traditional decor (lots of wood and warm lighting). The staff were very friendly and didn't mind too much that some of our group were late.

A boxty costs about 13€, which is good value for a very filling meal that is a good way to prepare for a night drinking in the lively Temple Bar area.

Guinness apparently tastes better in Ireland and nowhere better than the place where it’s brewed. Having never been a Guinness drinker myself, I didn't have much to compare it with, but after a hearty lunch, I struggled to finish the complimentary half-pint we received at the end of the tour. Fortunately, there were plenty of people with me who never refuse a free drink.

A stiff drink may have been better at the start of tour, which was unbelievably dull. Our group had possibly the world's dullest tour guide, who showed no enthusiasm for the subject and was lacking in the legendary Irish wit.

The gift shop was great for all those obligatory (clichéd) Guinness souvenirs for the folks back home.