You will find international fast-food chains and restaurants in Dublin, Ireland. However, think twice about dining there. Now, we don’t say this with any malice, but why would you want to eat the same type of food that you can easily find back home?
Instead, let’s eat like an Irish person!
Try delicious and authentic Irish food in Dublin. Just as you come to a different country for a change in scenery, you come to a country for a change in flavor. Although the list of authentic Irish cuisine is long, we have shortened it to give you the best Irish foods in Dublin that are a must-try!
1. Boxty
Boxty is Ireland’s version of potato pancakes, made fluffy using mashed potatoes and raw grated potatoes. Known as “potato farls” in northern counties of Ireland, in Dublin the name “boxty” is derived from the Irish saying, “arán bocht tí”, which means “poorhouse bread”.
Since – prior to the Famine – potatoes were in great supply, they were the only crop that most poor households and the working class could afford. The upper class loved potatoes too, but they were able to have some variety in their diet – but they also loved boxty. In every household, boxty became the most requested dish.
You can eat boxty on its own or alongside a hearty Irish breakfast of bacon, eggs, black pudding, sausage, toast, and tomato slices at an authentic Irish eatery.
The best place to eat boxty in Dublin
The Boxty House is home to delicious Irish food in Dublin. The creaminess of the sauce covering the crepe stuffed with ham and cabbage is a hit with patrons.
2. Irish Stew
There’s no better way to understand Irish cuisine than by digging into a traditional Irish stew that’s native to Ireland. The invention of the Irish stew dates back to 1800. Therefore, it’s no surprise that it’s considered Ireland’s national dish.
The scrumptious Irish stew consists of root vegetables (carrots, parsley, and onions) and meat (lamb, mutton, or beef). What we love about this local folk dish is that there’s no specific recipe to make it.
You can order this Irish food in Dublin from one place and then later order the same at another place and both times, it will impress your taste buds!
Best Place to Eat Irish Stew
O’Neill’s is a pub and a kitchen that brings its “A” game with it comes to preparing Ireland’s most beloved dish, the Irish stew. Pair your soup with a beverage of your choice and enjoy your hot meal on a cold, wintery day.
3. Coddle
Coddle, also known as Dublin coddle, uses chunky potatoes, bacon rashers, pork sausages, onions, chives or parsley, and salt and pepper to create this tasty dish. One of the reasons it’s the best Irish food in Dublin is because of its celeb status.
Writers Jonathan Swift and Seán O’Casey deemed it their favorite while James Joyce mentioned it in his writings when talking about Dublin. The dish rose to popularity when Catholics weren’t allowed to have meat on Fridays. This led to the creation of coddle. Families gathered all the leftover rashers and sausages to create it.
This comfort food has become the go-to food for the Irish during winter. The soup will warm you right up.
Best Place to Eat Coddle
John Kavanagh “The Gravediggers” will satisfy all your coddle cravings! The stew includes slow-cooked pork with potato and onions.
4. Colcannon
Colcannon is an authentic Irish dish made using mashed potatoes and dairy with either kale or cabbage. On St. Patrick’s Day, the locals excitingly devour the dish. Another time you’ll see the Irish enjoying a helping of colcannon is on the spookiest day of the year— Halloween!
Unlike in the United States where they tell tales of ghosts, in Ireland, it’s all about fairies. On October 31st, they host the Irish festival called Samhain to celebrate the legends surrounding fairies.
According to legend, the veil between the two worlds thins out, allowing the fairies and spirits to roam the world freely during Samhain. The locals used to prepare grand feasts to attract their loved ones and light bonfires to ward off evil spirits.
So, what’s this have to do with colcannon, you ask?
Colcannon was one of the main dishes they prepared on that day. They used to hide trinkets in the mash and greens. The charms told your future. For instance, a coin meant swimming in money, a thimble predicted being forever single, and a ring meant walking down the aisle.
If you’re wondering if you’ll find a prize in your colcannon, most likely, you won’t. Will you find the same great taste as before? There’s no doubt about it! In fact, you’ll get colcannon with a side of corned beef, bacon, or ham.
If you eat it on Halloween, don’t forget to give the fairies their share.
Where to Eat the Best Colcannon?
The Oliver St John Gogarty Restaurant is an award-winning restaurant offering colcannon with all of its traditional Irish food in Dublin.
5. Fish & Chips
It’s a fish and chips shop to you but it’s “the Chipper” to the Irish. If you hear them say, “chipper,” they’re talking about their favorite fish and chips shop. We have yet to meet anyone who hasn’t heard of this popular dish.
The deep-fried and battered cod served with thick-cut fries drizzled with malt vinegar and sprinkled with salt is enough to make your mouth water! But isn’t the United Kingdom a fish and chips haven?
The UK may be the birthplace but Ireland has a large following of fish and chips lovers. You can find this Irish food in Dublin and across the country. How did Ireland’s craze for fish and chips start? For that, let’s visit the late 1800s. The Italian entrepreneur Giuseppe Cervi landed in Cobh, Co. in Cork and walked 160 miles to reach Dublin.
He fell in love with the city and worked as a laborer during the day and sold fish and chips from a hand cart at night. Eventually, he opened Dublin’s first fish and chips shop. When patrons would come in to buy, his wife would ask if they wanted to order “una di questa, uno di quella?”
This translates to “one of this, one of the other?” Even today, Dubliners ask for fish and chips by saying “one and one.” Ireland’s love for fish and chips is so great that they dedicated an entire day to it. On May 22, the entire country celebrates National Fish and Chips Day.
If you’re walking down the street in Dublin and encounter the enticing aroma of fresh fish and chips, give in to the temptation.
Where to Eat the Best Fish and Chips in Dublin?
Burdock’s, one of Dublin’s famous “Chipper shops,” has been serving the freshest fish for more than 100 years! Choose from fresh cod, smoked cod, white fish, and more! Pair it with a side of chunky chips and your fish and chips are ready.
6. Seafood
Ireland is an island, which means the sea, rivers, and lakes surround it. With so many bodies of water nearby, there’s an abundance of fresh seafood available. From lobsters, oysters, cockles, langoustine, white fish, mussels, and fresh and smoked salmon, Ireland has it all!
Whether you’re in Dublin or another city, you’ll find a large variety of seafood dishes such as their delectable Irish seafood chowder, salmon, fish pies, oysters, crab cakes, scallops, smoked kippers, and their bestseller, fish and chips.
In a competition between freshly-caught seafood and frozen and packaged seafood, the former will come out as the clear winner. You be the judge when you sit down to eat authentic seafood in Dublin.
Where to Eat the Best Seafood in Dublin?
Catch-22 has an extensive seafood menu. If you’re a seafood fan, it’ll become your go-to restaurant whenever you’re in the mood for crayfish, scampi, oysters, fish, mussels, and more.
What are you waiting for? We told you about the finest places serving authentic Irish food in Dublin. Get yourself down here and remember, if you haven’t tried, you haven’t lived.
