"Dublin is the city where the pub is a library, the street is a stage, and the conversation is the attraction."
Dublin is a compact, walkable capital of extraordinary character — a city that has produced more Nobel Prize-winning writers per capita than any other, and whose pubs are among the finest social institutions in the world. The Georgian squares of Merrion and Fitzwilliam are among the finest examples of 18th-century urban planning in Europe; Trinity College is one of the world's great university campuses; and the restaurant scene — anchored by Chapter One and supported by a generation of brilliant young chefs — has made Dublin a serious food destination for the first time in its history.
"The Long Room at Trinity College — 65 metres of ancient books, and the most beautiful library in the world."
TastesOf Editorial
At a Glance
What Not to Miss
The Literary Pubs
Dublin is the only city in the world with a Literary Pub Crawl — a two-hour tour of the pubs associated with Beckett, Behan, Wilde, and Joyce, led by actors performing their work. Davy Byrnes (where Leopold Bloom ate his gorgonzola sandwich in Ulysses), Mulligan's, and The Long Hall are the essential stops. The pub in Dublin is not a bar — it is a living room, a library, and a theatre.
Trinity College and the Book of Kells
Trinity College Dublin is one of the world's great university campuses — a 40-acre enclave of 17th-century buildings in the heart of the city. The Book of Kells — an illuminated manuscript of the four Gospels created by Celtic monks around 800 AD — is housed in the Old Library, alongside the extraordinary Long Room with its 200,000 ancient texts.
The National Museum of Ireland
Three extraordinary free museums in Dublin — the Archaeology museum on Kildare Street (with the Ardagh Chalice and the Tara Brooch), the Decorative Arts museum in Collins Barracks, and the Natural History museum on Merrion Street. The archaeology collection is among the finest in Europe.
The Merrion and Fitzwilliam Squares
Dublin's finest Georgian architecture — two squares of perfectly preserved 18th-century townhouses, with the National Gallery of Ireland on Merrion Square (free, and with an extraordinary collection of Irish and European art). Oscar Wilde's childhood home is on the north side of Merrion Square.
The Restaurant Scene
Dublin's food scene has been transformed over the past decade — Chapter One (two Michelin stars, in the basement of the Dublin Writers Museum) is one of the finest restaurants in Europe; Variety Jones, Bastible, and Uno Mas are the neighbourhood restaurants that have made Dublin a serious food city. The Dún Laoghaire fish and chip shops are a separate, essential category.
The Guinness Storehouse
The world's most visited tourist attraction in Ireland — a seven-storey museum inside the St James's Gate Brewery, with a rooftop Gravity Bar offering 360-degree views of the city and a complimentary pint of Guinness. The history of the brewery and the science of the perfect pour are both genuinely fascinating.
Where to Stay
The Merrion Hotel
Five-StarFour restored Georgian townhouses on Merrion Street — the finest hotel in Dublin, with an extraordinary art collection (including works by Jack B. Yeats), a two-Michelin-starred restaurant, and a spa that is the best in the city. Steps from the National Gallery and the Government Buildings.
The Shelbourne
HistoricDublin's most historic hotel — on St Stephen's Green since 1824, where the Irish Constitution was drafted in 1922. The Lord Mayor's Lounge is the finest afternoon tea in Ireland; the Horseshoe Bar is a Dublin institution.
Number 31
BoutiqueA beautifully designed guesthouse in two Georgian townhouses near Fitzwilliam Square — the most intimate and characterful small hotel in Dublin, with an extraordinary breakfast and a garden that is a city-centre rarity.
The Verdict
Ireland's most rewarding city — eat at Chapter One, see the Book of Kells, and spend every evening in a different pub.