Quick Answer
Book Chapter One for your big night, Liath if you can plan two months ahead, and walk into Etto for lunch. Skip the Temple Bar restaurants entirely. Skip the steakhouses on Dawson Street. The list below is the only Dublin dining shortlist you need, and it pairs perfectly with our 3-day Dublin itinerary.
Our Recommendation
What We'd Actually Book for a 3-Day Dublin Trip
Night 1: Chapter One. Big-night cooking, gracious service, the meal you'll talk about back home. Night 2: Bastible or Variety Jones. Neighbourhood restaurants doing serious work. Night 3: Patrick Guilbaud if you want the Michelin experience, or Mr Fox's pre-theatre menu if you want to save the money for one more pub. Lunches: Etto on day one, anywhere on day two, the cafe inside the National Gallery on day three.
Pair this with a stay at one of Dublin's central hotels, walk between dinners (the city is tiny, see our walkability guide), and finish each night at one of our 10 best Dublin pubs. Every restaurant on this list is reachable on foot or with a short Free Now ride. No car required, as we explain in our piece on whether you need a car in Dublin.
03Blackrock · Best for Food Obsessives
Damien Grey's intimate counter-dining experience in Blackrock Market. Just 20 seats, an open kitchen, and a tasting menu that redefines what Irish cuisine can be.
Why We Love It: Book months ahead. This is the most exciting dining experience in Ireland right now: intimate, inventive, and utterly memorable.
What to Order
There is one tasting menu and you eat what they serve. Do the wine pairing. Damien's natural and biodynamic selections are as considered as the food.
The trade-off: It's in Blackrock, a 20-minute taxi from the city centre, and bookings open 8 weeks ahead. Worth every minute of the planning.
Seats: 20
Style: Counter Dining