Hi again, all. Apologies for the tardy follow-up, but there’s been a lot going on, on the home front and elsewhere, and I’ve not had the opportunity — much less the energy — to update proceedings here.
First up, drop-off of the boy (as mentioned here) was successful. With a bare minimum of hiccups, my son Oliver was effectively ensconced at his college and, after only a week in, is already having a fabulous time. As predicted, it’s quite strange to be back here at home without him, and we miss him terribly, but he’s off to a rollicking start, and we couldn’t be happier and prouder. Mission accomplished.
My daughter is also safely back at her school in Scotland after a couple of weeks of traipsing around Western Europe with her flatmates. Neither of our children get Thanksgiving off, for obvious reasons, but we’re hoping to swing back over in November to see each of them. We’ll see if we can pull that off.
In any case, now that we’ve been back and forth to Dublin a few times, by this point, I thought I’d unsolicitedly give you a dilettante’s not-at-all-comprehensive guide to the city. You’re welcome!
BEST MEAL:
As I’ve been laboriously pointing out, it’s exceptionally hard to have a bad time in Dublin — I mean, you have to really work at it. There are so many great places to eat, drink and be merry, it’s ridiculous. That all said, if I ate and drank as I did last week for the duration of a month, I’d be fucking dead. It’s not just the drinks either. I mean, the food is hearty and heavy and not exactly the healthiest of options, in most cases, but goddamn if I didn’t enjoy myself, in that capacity. But since returning last week, I’ve been trying to sharply curtail the worst of my habits to do a bit of course correcting. We’ll see if that takes.
Anyway, on our second night of this past jaunt, while we’d intended to find a brand new place to dine, we ended up repairing to a spot we’d been before, a lovely restaurant on Dawson Street in central Dublin called The Ivy. The last time we ate here, I fielded a call from my office to tell me about a sizable bonus I was about to receive and my son got an acceptance email from a school he was interested in. As such, we consider the place charmed. Nothing so dramatic happened this time, but I had a steak that was verily to die for, so to speak. I highly recommend the place.
BEST PUB:
Much like trying to determine the best pizzeria in New York City, pinpointing the “best” pub in Dublin seems like a fool’s errand. That all said, while we did belly up to the bar at any number of pubs from the celebrated to the seedy, I’d have to say that while I do love the Stag’s Head in the Temple Bar area of town (that’s me imbibing in same up top), it’s a bit on the touristy side. My personal favorite was a comparatively humble joint we happened upon on Lower Baggot Street, just a few doors up from the birthplace of Francis Bacon, called Thomas Rody Maher’s or, simply, Maher’s. It’s just a cozy, unpretentious space with lots of atmosphere and elbow room. The pints of Guinness kept coming, the vibe was convivial and the music was excellent. I’d go back in a heartbeat.
BEST FISH & CHIPS:
A standard order in that part of the world, a plate of fish & chips in Dublin is not unlike, once again, a slice of pizza in New York City. Some iterations of it are sublime, whilst others simply check the box. I partook of this aquatic delicacy quite a few times, during this last visit, but if I had to pinpoint the “best” one, I’d say it was had at a comparatively expansive seafood joint on Pembroke Street Lower called Matt The Thresher. Everything about it was absolutely perfect. In all fairness, the fish & chips I had the night before (yes, I had it for dinner two nights in a row) at The Woolen Mills, a lovely riverside restaurant off the Ha’Penny Bridge, was also exemplary. But I’m still giving it to Matt the Thresher.
BEST PLACE TO ILL-ADVISEDLY SPEND:
I got a bit carried away at the Tower Records on Dawson Street.
BEST PLACE FOR SUNDRY ITEMS FOR A NEWLY MINTED COLLEGE KID:
We stocked up at Dunnes in the otherwise somewhat grotty Stephen’s Green Shopping Center. We were able to outfit our lad with everything from basic accessories to rudimentary culinary items. Plus, they have a great, expansive grocery section in the basement.
BEST PLACE TO STAY:
The first time we came to Dublin in 2017 or so, it was my brilliant idea (not) to rent a room over a pub in the Docklands called O’Brien’s Ferryman. Inspired by the sepia-toned video of “Pride (In the Name of Love)” by U2 — I’m so embarrassing — I assumed the Docklands would be a manageable neighborhood in which stay. Suffice to say, the Docklands had long since morphed into a lively nightlife destination since the mid-`80s. Imagine renting a room above a bustling East Village bar on a Saturday night. When the Ferryman closed, each evening, the party would simply move outside and continue for another hour or so. It became a bit of a “if you can’t beat’em, join’em” kind of scenario, which —while fun — was ultimately unsustainable.
Our more recent trips to Ireland have found us lodging at the much more respectable Stauntons on the Green, a lovely little hotel just off St. Stephen’s Green that is but a stone’s throw from several key points around central Dublin, including Grafton Street, Temple Bar, Trinity College Dublin and loads of other places. It’s a great staging point for any Dublin expedition.
BEST DISCOVERY:
As an alternative to yet another heavy pint of Guinness (ironic, in that your average pint of Guinness actually packs LESS alcohol than a pint of lager), I went with a local Dublin brew, on occasion, called Hop House that wasn’t bad, despite some skepticism from the locals.
BEST PHONE SERVICE:
The 3 network is way, way better and more flexible than Vodaphone.
BEST WAY TO GET AROUND TOWN:
I will always opt for walking, but the tram (aka “The Luas” … pronounced like “Lewis”), is quick, clean, intuitive and efficient …. and quiet. I almost got slammed from behind by one on Dawson Street, because I’m a clueless American.
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