A Weekend in Dublin
After a two-week road trip with minimal opportunities to go for drinks, Dublin was our opportunity to indulge. I’m sure there are plenty of activities that aren’t about drinking or eating, but this is not that guide. Here’s everywhere we went on our two-day food and drink tour of Ireland’s capital city.
Guinness Storehouse at St James Gate
One of our favourite experiences of our time in Ireland. The immersive experience takes guests not only through the process of making beer, but the history of the company as well. The base experience is very reasonably priced, and if you’re a Guinness fan like we are, there are options to have a more in depth experience. We chose to splurge for the connoisseur experience and had the best time… and maybe one or two too many pints!
Visiting the Guinness Storehouse
Arthur’s Pub
A classic, wood-panelled, Irish pub with live music and traditional pub bites. It’s a great place to stop in for a couple of casual pints at the end of an evening. Not to be confused with Arthur’s Bar — an important note because they are close to each other, and one of us (me) may have brought us to the wrong place… oops! Though I’m sure it’s also a great time, it’s a little more trendy than the laid-back vibes of Arthur’s Pub. And seeing as we were meeting up with a friend, we didn’t stay to find out!
The Temple Bar
Touristy, overpriced, but so iconic you kind of have to go! I was extremely hungover after our evening at the Guinness Store House, so we only split a single pint of Guinness here while I clutched my Lucasade for dear life. The place is a little chaotic, but it’s an experience that deserves to be a stop while you’re in town.
The Temple Bar ready for the holidays
Beef and Guinness Stew and Bacon and Cabbage at Brazen Head
The Pig and Heifer
We happened upon this spot once we dropped off our rental car from our Irish Roadtrip while waiting for our hotel room to be ready. This small deli has some phenomenal sandwiches. Think “New York Deli” with Irish accents. We told them to give us their favourites and we both ended up with delicious food.
Brazen Head
Pretty touristy, but for all the right reasons. The pints are perfect, the food is delicious, the atmosphere is warm and welcoming, and you will leave already looking forward to your return. If you go, I highly recommend ordering the Beef and Guinness Stew. I’ve been dreaming about it in the year since I had it regularly!
Grafton Street
If you’re hoping to get some shopping in Dublin City, this is the place to go. While you walk along this pedestrian road, you’ll see a lot of performers — musical and otherwise — sharing their talents, as well as countless shops, restaurants, and bars to choose from.
Xi’an Street Food
There’s another location in Galway, and we loved it so much that we popped into this location before our flight home. Going after a pub crawl? Try the spice bag. The dish is fried chicken, fries (chips), and sautéed veggies, all tossed together with a spice mix that is a little salty, a little spicy and all around delicious! If you’re popping in midday, I’d suggest getting a 4-in-1 (spice bag+curry) or one of their hand pulled noodle bowls. That said, the spice bag hits the mark when you’re sober too!
Spice Bag at Xi-an Street Food
