Not getting up at 6.30am! I work Monday to Friday and while I absolutely adore my job, my perfect day would be a lie on either Saturday or Sunday – preferably both. I love making a coffee and getting back in to bed, scrolling through Twitter and Instagram for an hour – it’s my version of reading the papers!
The Riddler on High Street, it’s a new enough restaurant between Christchurch and Thomas Street and it is absolutely DIVINE. We usually go on Sunday as they do brunch till 5pm. If I’ve been out the night before I get the pancakes with bacon and Baileys whipped cream, or if I am feeling a bit healthier, the scrambled eggs with salmon on brown bread. It’s very reasonably priced and the staff are lovely. If we’re in town, we’ll head to Crow Street, a new spot in Temple Bar, or to Drury Buildings if we’re having a few drinks too. All are gorge!
Café Noto on the corner of Francis St and Thomas St. They do the nicest flat white I’ve had in Dublin so far. My bus stop to work is pretty much beside it and I’ve gotten into bad habit of treating myself to one every nearly every day! V comforting now that the weather is getting a lot colder.
Every charity shop within a 3 mile radius. I absolutely love charity shopping – I’ve been doing for years and you really do get some amazing bits. Rathmines, Thomas Street, Camden Street and Capel Street have the best ones and I love spending a few hours trawling through them all. It’s a great way to spend some ‘me time’, and get the steps in while you’re at it.
I’m not sure if it’d be considered hidden anymore but Sona pizza off Dame Street is relatively new and has fast become my fave spot for a cheap dinner. You can get a pizza and a glass of wine for, like, ten euro. Its huge spot too so works well for a group dinner before a night out, and it’s perfect if you’re bringing someone for a meal but don’t want to break the bank. I brought my parents and partner for dinner once and it was around €50 for all of us – ideal!
Chez Max on Palace Street which is just across from the Olympia Theatre. I just adore the whole vibe there, the heated outdoor area, the inexpensive wine and the delish food. I love how you can sit outside in the depths of winter, people-watching while drinking wine and eating fab food – and still be absolutely roasting. They do the best French fries in Dublin too and there’s nearly always a super cute dog sat outside.
Johnny Rushes on Sth William Street for the super cheap prosecco, Drury Buildings for a glam cocktail and a cheeseboard, and onto L’Gheuleton on Fade Street if the plan is sit drinking wine and chatting for the night without the music being so loud you can’t hear.
The George, on George’s Street. It’s my favourite place to go for a dance, but obviously I will only go if I am with a group of LBGT friends, at their suggestion. The drag shows in The George are phenomenal and my best friend, Conor Behan (@platinumjones) is the DJ there on Thursdays and Saturdays and he will literally have me dancing till I’m being asked to leave by security at 4am.
Straight across the road to Charlies for a 3 in 1 and a bag of chicken balls! It is the best food after working up an appetite dancing for hours. The queues are always out the door and everyone is in bits, but it’s the best food after a night out. I don’t live too far away so I like to bring mine home and devour it in peace in my sitting room. Top tip – order a bottle of water with your meal instead of a fizzy drink and make sure you drink it all before bed!
The fact there’s some kind of protest, rally or demo on every weekend. I think it’s amazing to see a generation so mobilised when it comes to direct action and speaking up. Whether it’s the housing crisis, LGBT+ rights, ending Direct Provision, or solidarity with minority groups in Ireland; if it’s something I feel strongly about, I’ll pop along for a bit. It takes such minimal effort to attend so I would encourage everyone to as the more noise made the more chance there is of things improving.
A StayCity apartment. I think they have around four premises which are based in the city centre. It’s no secret that Dublin is an extremely expensive city, so it’s handy to have a fridge and a cooker and to be able to cook the odd thing for yourself so you’re not throwing money away! They’re a great option for groups and so handy if there’s a few of you staying and splitting the bill.
Recent Comments
Some great tips that aren’t wallet busting!!really enjoyed the piece
Delighted to hear that Trasa, I really enjoyed Holly’s answers too x