Dublin Pub & Cafe Crawl

After holing up in my room for an entire week, I took off to the City Center for a change of environment.

Beshoff Restaurant, 6. Upper O'Connell street, Dublin 1,
Named as a close rival for the best Fish & Chips in Dublin to Leo Burdock's, I had haddock with a small side of salad. The batter surrounding the fish was thin but not crispy. While the fish was fresh and complemented the batter, it definitely felt less satisfying when compared with the mega amounts from Leo Burdock. But overall, it was a good meal and did not feel overly heavy.

Queen of Tarts, 4 Cork Hill Dame Street, South Dublin Centre
Renowned as the best pastry shop in Dublin. True to its reputation, after a cup of Lavazza coffee and a slice of Bailey's Chocolate Chip Cheesecake which came with a scoop of cold cream, I give it my vote as well.

The Porterhouse Temple Bar, 16-18 Parliament Street
Dublin 2
The second biggest brewer in Ireland after Guiness, it is a defiant, little establishment. Proud of its homemade brew with its quality products and no preservatives, it was not afraid to poke fun of the mega beer brands out there. I had a half-pint of Temple Braus here. A lager that was brewed in Dublin for Dublin only. Very clean, crisp taste, it felt like sparkling mineral water with a much better taste.


Bewley's Café, 78 Grafton Street, Dublin 2
Bewley is famous in Ireland for its coffee. A strong, robust cappuccino which lived up to its reputation and a freshly baked Bewley's scone. A light, fluffy, cake-like consistency, it was accompanied with jam and butter.

Whelans, 25 Wexford Street, Dublin 2
One of the filming sites of P.S I Love You, where the couple meet up again after their destined meeting in Wicklow. In reality, Whelan's is a famous Dublin live music venue for up and coming bands. On a rather quiet street, Whelan' has a cozy atmosphere with easy listening music on the lower floor. The upper floor has performances almost on a daily basis by different bands. I was a bit disappointed when my friend did not want to go for the performance.

The Stag's Head, 1 Dame Court, Dublin 2
Started in the 1870s, it was the first pub to have electricity in the city and a regular haunt of the famed Irish writer, James Joyce. Victorian in its design, there was a basement for performances over the weekend called the Stag's Tail. Just a casual chill out place, I did not feel much for the pub.

Therefore, concluding my list of must-do in Dublin, off to Madrid ! I will most probably visit Porterhouse again for its beer, there was a tasting menu available for 5 euros that I wanted to try. Hopefully, I will have time in between my Madrid trip and my exams.