dublin, ireland.
Oh, Dublin. What a pleasant surprise! In a normally gray and rainy February, we got lucky with mainly blue skies and crisp, cold air. Like many of our trips, we didn’t have a whole lot planned ahead of time. We like to start by walking and exploring and then taking our time to decide what are the “must-dos’ in each city.
One thing we do make sure and plan in advance is specifically where we’ll be staying in proximity to the many things each different city has to offer. We knew being in the heart of downtown was a must. Not only does it make it easier to walk around with our two-year-old, but we get to experience the city how some of the locals do.
Our Airbnb wasn’t anything special from a looks and comfort perspective, but it made up for that in the most amazing central location! Our hosts were wonderful as well, providing a portable crib for our daughter to sleep in, as well as a list of some must-try restaurants and pubs. It’s always nice having some recommendations from the locals so you’re sure not to fall into any tourist traps [which we’ve gotten good at avoiding!].
Just steps outside of our door was so much to see and do. The Dublin castle was across the street, the famous temple bar neighborhood was just a block away, the Jameson Distillery was a quick jaunt across the river, and there were pubs, cafés, restaurants literally everywhere. There was also a “hop on hop off” bus stop just across the street so we decided to hop on one afternoon to get a quick guided tour of the city.
While we would have loved to get outside of the city and visit the Cliffs of Moher and to see the green countryside Ireland is so famous for, it just wasn’t in the cards for us this trip. Traveling with a toddler can be quite tiring and we didn’t want to travel another few hours by car. But, maybe next time!
eats.
breakfast + coffee.
queen of tarts.
The nutritionist in me is always looking for some good, healthy food while we travel, and Dublin definitely provided that. I knew Ireland was known for their stews and soda bread, but it was so much more than that. Enter the Queen of Tarts Café. A cute little café offering a wide variety of foods from sweet treats and pastries to savory breakfast sausages. This place blew my mind. The coffee was delicious and the breakfast options were simply perfection. The café just happened to be connected to our apartment complex which was super convenient, too. We ended up having breakfast there on our first morning and our last morning in Dublin. Both of my meals were equally delicious, and healthy, might I add! It was the perfect start to both of my days.
This was the vegetarian breakfast. It included a fried egg with the most deep orange yolk I’ve ever seen, a crispy potato cake [traditionally called a boxty], a big heap of delicious sautéed mushrooms, beans in a flavorful tomato sauce, tomatoes, and a side of guacamole. This breakfast was dreamy and I ate every single bite! Literally, I didn’t even share with my husband, and my daughter was too busy with her creamy oatmeal topped with fresh fruit and honey.
lemon crepe & coffee co.
This little café didn’t have the cute, quaint feel that I’m typically drawn to, but our host recommended it and I’m glad we tried it! It seems to be mainly a take-away café, but we’re always looking to sit down and have somewhat of a proper breakfast with our daughter. The coffee here was very good and the menu included everything from omelettes to waffles. My husband and I both ordered an omelette, and while they didn’t look like the most amazing omelettes [picture below], they were delicious. They were loaded with spinach and ham, with a crispy, cheesy outer crust. Yum!
My spinach and ham omelette with a double cappuccino to start day number two in Dublin. A not-so-appetizing picture, but that’s what you get with poor lighting and a toddler who wants to help :).
dollard & co.
Right around the corner from our apartment was the Dollard & Co. fresh food market. This little market made the perfect afternoon pit stop. With so many healthy options from fresh fruits and veggies, crackers, homemade pastries, etc., we opted for some fresh cold-pressed veggie juice. I’m always on the lookout for green juice, especially when we’re traveling because it’s a great way to get in some extra veggies and nutrients! Plus our two-year-old will guzzle down a green juice, too!
And how cute are these little glass jars!
lunch and/or dinner.
the larder restaurant & brewhouse.
When we arrived in Dublin we we’re a little too early to check in to our Airbnb, but luckily we were in the heart of the city so it took us no time at all to find a place to eat. We stumbled upon the Larder Restaurant & Brewhouse. It was exactly what I was looking for, and more! I had a refreshing local beer with the most delicious cajun chicken salad. A combination of slightly spiced chicken, pineapple, tomatoes, fennel and mixed greens, this salad was the perfect pick me up after a morning full of travel. The only problem was that I had a sleeping toddler in my arms while I was trying to eat, so needless to say, I spilled a little salad on her from time to time. Whoops!
the porterhouse temple bar.
We made dinner reservations at a place down the street on our second night in Dublin. We were too early to head to the restaurant so we decided to stop in at The Porterhouse and have a drink. The bar was almost full, except for a little table in the corner which we quickly snagged. And then the live music started. Just three guys with banjos sitting in a booth a couple of tables down from us. We were instantly hooked. There’s nothing quite like an atmosphere with live Irish music. So… we cancelled our dinner reservations and opted to stay here instead. While the food was good, it wasn’t the best we’ve eaten, but sometimes that’s okay, because what was better than the food here was the atmosphere. As we tipped the musicians on our way out after dinner, one of the banjo players gave our daughter, Hallie his banjo pick. Her evening was instantly made! And ours was, too.
the norseman.
On our last evening in Ireland we were in the mood for some more live music, so we walked around the Temple Bar Neighborhood until we found a place. The Norseman was that place and it was perfect! There was a woman in the corner of the bar belting out Irish music, pop hits and classics… and it was mesmerizing. We ended up sitting at the bar [not the best with a toddler], but that way we could really take in the live music. What I didn’t expect from the Norseman was how darn good the food was going to be! I order the chicken pot pie and it was one of the freshest and most homemade tasting pot pies I’ve ever eaten. The crust was buttery and flakey and the filling was perfectly seasoned with a good amount of veggies and chicken. This was the perfect last dinner in Ireland. I didn’t get any pictures here because the bar was very dimly lit and a picture wouldn’t have done the food justice.
pubs/bars.
On our last night in Dublin we decided to walk around the temple bar neighborhood and just do some “bar hopping.” Many of the pubs and bars are also great places to eat which we quickly found out! The temple bar neighborhood is Dublin at it’s finest, in my opinion at least! It’s busy neighborhood right along the river covered with cobblestone streets and lined with pubs, shops and restaurants. This is truly the heart of the city and the kind of place that my husband and I gravitate toward.
On a side note let me just mention this: living and traveling in Europe with a toddler is so nice because kids are allowed in bars! That’s so different from the United States, where anyone under the age of 21 can’t enter a bar.
the temple bar.
We, of course, visited the famous Temple Bar itself which was completely packed on a Wednesday afternoon. This pub is huge. You can almost get lost trying to find your way. There was live music [of course!] and the atmosphere was laid back, friendly and cozy. It was perfect. The only seats could find we’re kind of tucked back in the corner so we didn’t get a view of the stage, but the music was heard loud and clear throughout the entire bar.
The way that they decorate the outside of the Temple Bar is so unique and cool! The bright red painted pub, lights streaming from top to bottom and lush greenery. It’s such a site to see!
Across the street from the Temple Bar was a little gelato shop that Hallie was eyeing, so we snuck over there to grab her a scoop of gelato as a treat.
the brazen head.
Of course we had to visit The Brazen Head, Ireland’s oldest pub dating all the way back to 1198! We actually ended up coming here twice, once just for an afternoon drink and the other time we stayed for lunch. The bar is made up of several little rooms all lined with creaky wood floors and doorways that you have to duck to get through if you’re taller than 5’9″ish. Luckily this wasn’t a problem for me, but the hubs had to watch his head a time or two. Right outside the doors of the bar is a cute little courtyard with outdoor seating that I’m sure would be filled up if the weather wasn’t so bitterly cold.
The atmosphere and feel when you walk inside The Brazen Head is exactly what you would think an Irish bar would look and feel like. Dimmed lighting, dark wood, creaky floors and Irish beer swag littering the walls. And a happy hubby, of course!
I honestly didn’t know what to expect from the food, but it was completely divine! I ordered the seafood chowder which is by far the best bite of food I’ve had in a while. Typically chowders are heavy, but this one was light, filled with seafood and veggies, and it was delicious. The dill in the broth took this chowder over the top for me! I can still taste it.
the stag’s head.
On our first evening in Dublin, after roaming the streets for a bit, we stopped in at the Stag’s head for a drink and an early light dinner. We had a late lunch earlier in the day and were’t looking for a big dinner to fill up on. The Stag’s Head pub is known for being one of Dublin’s best preserved Victorian Pubs. With dark wood lining the walls, beautiful chandeliers and of course a huge Stag’s head hanging above the bar, we we’re quite pleased that we stopped in. Bryce and I both had the soup of the day for dinner which was a creamy sweet potato soup served with Irish soda bread. Yummy, light and a perfect evening snack before heading back to the apartment to put the babe to bed.
to do.
“hop on, hop off” bus.
While we really love to walk as much as we can while we travel, sometimes it’s nice to get a quick, informal tour of the city to see what there is to do and see. There was a “hop on, hop off” bus stop right across the street from our apartment so we decided to hop on [no pun intended!]. We bought the 24-hour pass which isn’t cheap, but kids are free which is a nice perk! A quick 30 minutes on the bus took us around to see St. Patrick’s Cathedral, the Guinness Storehouse [which we need up touring later], the Dublin Castle and more. While I do feel that pretty much everything worth seeing in Dublin is within walking distance, it was nice to take a little break from the cold and hop on the bus for a bit.
jameson whiskey distillery.
This was a must on my husband, “the whiskey lovers” to-do list. And I have to say that I really enjoyed it, too. The tour was a quick half hour [which is so nice with a toddler!] and we got to learn about the founder, how they distill their whiskey and a little bit more history. My favorite part was the fact that they use only non-gmo corn in their whiskey! That’s the nutritionist in me I guess. At the end of the tour was a whiskey tasting where we sampled 3 different whiskeys. I took one sip and I was done [not a straight whiskey fan!], but my husband enjoyed tasting different whiskeys side-by-side to see some of the differences. After the tasting we were given a free drink to enjoy in their beautiful bar. I ordered a drink with whiskey, lime and ginger ale. It was surprisingly delicious.
guinness tour.
We couldn’t possibly visit Dublin without visiting and touring the famous Guinness Storehouse. This tour was not cheap [again, kids are free which was nice!], but it was a great self-guided tour that finished off with a free beer at their gravity bar which shows off a 360º view of the city. I’m not a big fan of Guinness beer, so as you can tell in the picture, I opted for a lighter beer which I’m much more fond of.
temple bar neighborhood.
I talked about the temple bar neighborhood a but earlier in this post because that’s where we ended up a lot of the time! It’s such a fun, “happening” neighborhood to walk around, window shop and then pop into a pub or café for a coffee or beer. We were so lucky with the weather that graced us with blue skies most of the time, even though it was freezing cold. We bundled up and got exploring, because that’s what we do best!
dublin castle.
The Dublin Castle was just across the street from our apartment so we ventured out to walk the grounds for a bit. We didn’t end up going inside because it wasn’t open at the time we were there, but we did enjoy taking a few pictures. Plus, Hallie had been talking about wanting to see a castle [after watching episodes of her favorite Peppa Pig cartoon], so this was the perfect place to take her!
Dublin was fantastic! It was a quick, busy trip, but that’s how we like it! There’s not a lot of sitting around with the Freed’s when we travel because we like to be out and about taking in all that we can. Gosh, we’re so fortunate to see all these amazing European countries and we will never stop feeling like the luckiest people in the world!
I hope you got a little glimpse into Dublin and enjoyed reading about our adventures. If you want to check out any of the other places we’ve been, head on over to my travel page. I’m continuing to update it as we continue to travel.
xoxo,
Angela
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