The National Museum, National Library and National Gallery are located very close to one another, near Government buildings in Dublin 2. All three are worth a visit, not least because they are free of charge!

• National Museum of Ireland, Kildare Street, Dublin 2, ☎ +353 1 6777444 (marketing@museum.ie, fax: +353 1 6777450), [3]. Tu-Sa 10AM-5PM; Su 2PM-5PM, closed Mon, Christmas Day and Good Friday. Archaeology and History. Free entrance.  edit

• The National Gallery of Ireland, Merrion Square West, Dublin 2 (DART Pearse Station will get you to within five minutes from the Gallery.), ☎ +353 1 6615133 (info@ngi.ie, fax: +353 1 6615372), [4]. M-Sa 9:30AM-5:30PM (till 8:30PM on Tu) and Su 12PM-5:30PM. Closed Good Friday and Dec 24-26. Free entrance.  edit

• Irish Museum of Modern Art, Military Road, Kilmainham, Dublin 8, ☎ +353 1 6129900 (info@imma.ie, fax: +353 1 612 9999), [5]. Tu-Sa 10AM-5:30PM (opens 10:30AM on Wed), 12PM-5:30PM on Su and Bank Holidays. Closed on Mon.  edit

• The Old Library at Trinity College, College Green, Dublin 2, ☎ +353 1 896 2320 (adiffley@tcd.ie, fax: +353 1 896 2690), [6]. M-Sa 9:30AM-5PM, Su 10:30AM (12PM Oct-Apr)-5:30PM. The book of Kells is a highlight €8.00.  edit

• Dublin Castle, Dublin 2, ☎ +353 1 677 7129 (info@dublincastle.ie, fax: +353 679 7831), [7]. Guided Tour Prices €4.50, alternative Tour of Chapel Royal & Undercroft €3.50.  edit

• Chester Beatty Library, Dublin Castle, Dublin 2, ☎ +353 1 407 0750 (info@cbl.ie, fax: +353 1 407 0760), [8]. Sa 11AM-5PM, Su 1PM-5PM, M-F 10AM-5PM (Closed on Mon from Oct-Apr). Contains a wide selection of early books and manuscripts, including sacred texts and manuscripts. European Museum of the Year 2002. Free entry.  edit

• The Bram Stoker Museum, Clontarf Rd, Dublin 3 (Take the DART to Clontarf station, this will leave you beside the museum.), ☎ +353 1 805 7824 (info@thebramstokerdraculaexperience.com), [9]. F 4PM-10PM, Sa,Su 12PM-10PM. A frightening tour through the life of Bram Stoker, the author of Dracula. Very good indeed. Terrifying for all ages. €7 for adults, €4 for children and €5 for students and OAPs.  edit

• Christ Church Cathedral, Christ Church Place, Dublin 2, ☎ +353 1 677 8099 (email@cccdub.ie), [10]. dating back to the 11th century, is the oldest building in Dublin, though it underwent a massive restoration in the 19th century. Particularly interesting is the crypt, which predates the cathedral. Connected to the cathedral is the exhibition "Dublinia", which contains a great deal of information about Dublin during the middle ages. edit

• Kilmainham Gaol. Open Apr-Sep every day 9:30AM-5PM, Oct-Mar M-Sa 9:30AM-4PM; Su 10AM-5PM. The prison where the 1916 rebels were executed. It is located slightly outside the city center and can be reached by local bus. Guided tours leave every 30 minutes and are very interesting. It is well worth a visit if you are in any way interested in history. Adults: €5.30, senior and groups: €3.70, children and students: €2.10, family €11.50.  edit

• Phoenix Park, Phoenix Park, Dublin 8, ☎ +353 1 677 0095 (phoenixparkvisitorcentre@duchas.ie, fax: +353 1 672 6454). The largest enclosed urban park in Europe. Includes a polo field and Dublin Zoo. The residences of the President of Ireland and the US Ambassador are situated in the park, but are not open to the public. If you're lucky, you may catch a glimpse of the herd of wild fallow deer that inhabit the park! edit

• Dublin Zoo, Welington/Zoo road (info@dublinzoo.ie), [11]. M-Sa 9:30AM-4PM in winter and 6PM in summer. Adults: €14.00, students and OAPs: €11.50, children €9.50, family from €40.00 for 4 to €49.00 for 6.  edit

• National Botanic Gardens, Glasnevin, Dublin 9, ☎ +353 1 804 0300 (botanicgardens@opw.ie, fax: +353 1 836 0080), [12]. Daily Nov-Jan 9AM-4:30PM and Feb-Oct 9AM-6PM.  edit

• Leopardstown racecourse, Leopardstown, Dublin 18 (From Dublin city center, follow the N11 south, turn right into the R113 (Leopardstown Road), the racecourse will be on your left), ☎ +353 1 289 0500 (info@leopardstown.com, fax: +353 1 289 2634), [13]. Located in the southern suburb of Leopardstown/Foxrock, there are regular meetings throughout the year. There is a "Pay as you Play" golf course within the racecourse grounds, as well as bars, restaurants and a nightclub (Club 92) €12.55, with reductions for students and OAPs.  edit

By plane

Dublin is served by a single terminal airport approximately 10km north of the city; an extension to this terminal opened in October 2007. The existing terminal can be very crowded and passengers can expect crowds and queues, especially for security control when departing. A new terminal has been long-debated and is scheduled to open in 2010.

A full list of airlines flying to Dublin, along with timetables, can be found on the Dublin Airportwebsite.

Ireland's flag carrier Aer Lingus flies to Dublin from a large number of British and European cities, from the USA, and Dubai. Aer Lingus fares are often lower than other flag carriers, but in part this has been achieved by matching the standards of the low-fares competition, so they now charge for checked-in bags and seat reservation at time of booking (note that this does not apply to United States and Dubai flights).

Europe's largest low fares carrier, Ryanair has one of its main bases in Dublin from which it flies to many regional airports in the UK as well as many European airports. While famous for its low fares, Ryanair can be more expensive than other airlines especially for last minute bookings. Irelands third airline, Aer Arann links Dublin to many regional Irish airports and some smaller UK cities.

If you are flying long-haul, you might also consider changing in London as the London-Dublin route is particularly well served with regular flights with 4 airlines.

There are three types of bus transport back to the city:

• Aircoach express service (large blue bus) connects to the city center and many of Dublin's major hotels, most of which are on the south side of the city. Buses leave every 15 minutes and the journey time to the center is approximately 30 minutes. The cost is €7 single or €12 return. They also offer services to other destinations within Ireland including Cork and Belfast.
• Dublin Bus offer an express AirLink service (routes 747 and 748) every 10 minutes at peak times to the city center and bus station for €6 or €10 return. Some of these services now use the Dublin Port Tunnel to avoid the city traffic and can reach the city center in minutes. A one-day rambler ticket can also be purchased from the ticket machine or inside the airport (but not on the bus) that gives unlimited all day bus travel, also for €6. A pack of five one-day ramblers can be purchased for €17.30 inside the airport.
• Dublin Bus also offer substantially cheaper standard services to the center and further afield in the southern suburbs, but these are non-express and stop significantly more times going to and from the airport. Cost is €2.00 and buses run every 10-25 minutes depending on time of day. The 16A goes right through the city stopping off at O'Connell St. and continuing up George's St continuing to southern areas of Dublin. The 41 takes a slightly more direct route, and finishes on Lower Abbey Street, stopping on O'Connell St and at Busáras (Central Bus Station). Depending on traffic, journey times can vary from between 25 minutes and over an hour. These buses offer a conserably cheaper alternative to the AirLink and Aircoach services. Both of these local bus services stop across from Drumcondra train station which is situated on the Dublin-Maynooth commuter line. Some of these trains will continue past Maynooth and serve stations as far as Longford. Note that these buses (as do all in Dublin) require exact change in coins to board, however ticket-machines near a few outdoor bus stops, including one at the airport, do not require exact change. Tickets can also be purchased at the newsagent inside the airport, which is on the same level as the buses.

A taxi to the city center should cost around €20-30 - as such it can be comparable to/cheaper than the bus options if you are in a group of three or more (as well as a lot less hassle).

A metro system connecting Dublin Airport to the city center is planned for the future, but no work has started on this yet.

By train

The Luas (a tram/light-rail system) runs frequently and reliably. There are two lines - red, running from Connolly train station to the suburb of Tallaght, and green, running from St Stephens Green to Sandyford. The lines do not connect - the distance between Abbey Street on the red line and St Stephens Green, that start of the green line, is about 15 minutes walking.

The DART is Dublin's suburban commuter train service.

Dublin has two main train stations: Heuston, in the west of the city center, serves much of the west and south of the country including an hourly service to Cork while Connolly in the north-east center of the city serves the south east and east coast, Belfast, Sligo in the north-west and suburban commuter services including the Dublin Area Rapid Transit (DART) system. The 2 main stations are connected by bus and Luas routes. Visit the website for all train services local and intercity.

Irish Rail has one of the youngest train fleets in Europe and the Cork train in particular is extremely comfortable. Some of the older trains (would you believe, from the 1950s) are still used but will be phased out completely in 2008 with the arrival of a massive fleet of brand new trains built in Japan and South Korea.

By bus

A single bus station, Busáras, serves the entire country and is next to Connolly train station, a 10-minute walk from O'Connell Street. There is an extensive bus service run by Bus Eireann which covers destinations country wide, as well as Britain and Eurolines services to Continental Europe. There are luggage lockers in the basement.

There are however a number of private bus companies operating out of the city center. Kavanaghs has a good service to Limerick and Waterford. Citylink coaches has a good price to Galway and the West.

The following buses go from the airport to the city center: 16A, 41, 746, 747, 748 and the Airlink (faster but costs €6.00).

You can get private direct buses from the Airport to some cities. Aircoach goes to Belfast driving very good quality buses, and the price is very cheap. If you are coming from Belfast, you are entitled to get a new Aircoach bus at Dublin airport with the same ticket, which is much handier. Aircoach also serves Cork.

By boat

Dublin Port has several passenger ferry services to Wales and England, but more popular is the suburban port of Dún Laoghaire 10km south of Dublin city. The port of Dún Laoghaire is serviced by the DART.

Park & Ride

If you are only visiting Dublin for a daytrip and have a car, you can beat the traffic by leaving your car at a Park & Ride station. If you are coming from the south, two ideal places to leave your car are at Sandyford Luas stop, located just off junction 15 of the M50 on the Blackthorn Road or Bray DART stop, on the Bray road. If you are coming from the west, your best option is the Red Cow luas stop, off junction 10 of the M50. Coming from the north east your best bet is the park & ride station at Howth DART station.

Tariffs at Park & Ride stations range from 2 to 4 euro.

Vehicle Rental

While all car rental companies in Ireland have rental desks in the arrivals hall of Dublin Airport, the list of car rental companies with inner city locations is far less. Some of the car rental companies will advertise city center locations, but these locations are mostly only drop-offs for which an additional charge will be added. Distances mentioned below are approximations from O’Connell Bridge.

• Budget – Drumcondra, situated 3.5km to the north of Dublin City Center
• Argus Rent a Car – Locations in Santry & Rathgar. The Argus Rathgar office is situated nearly 6km from the city center. The Santry office is situated only 3 KM from their Dublin Airport location and is in reality a drop off service rather than a location office.
• Thrifty Dublin– Located in Lombard Street. Depot is situated within 2km from city center.
• Atlas Car Hire – Atlas share a location with Thrifty in Dublin city center.
• Avis – Located in Kilmainham, situated roughly 4.5 km to the west of Dublin city center
• National – Located in Stillorgan, situated over 10km from the city center. North City depot is advertised but is same depot that services Dublin Airport.
• Dan Dooley – Located in Westland Row, situated just over 2km from city center and within 5 minutes of Trinity College.
• Hertz – Located on South Circular Road, situated within 4.5km of Dublin city center
• Irish Car Rental – Located in Terenure, situated nearly 6.6km from city center
• Malone Car Rental Ireland - Part of the Dollar Thrifty Ireland umbrella

Public transportation has improved massively over the last few years but is still worse than in other European cities. This is more of a problem for the commuter than the visitor to Dublin, however, as the center of the city is easy to get around on foot.

By bus

An extensive bus service operated by the state controlled Dublin Bus serves the city and its suburbs, right out to the very outer suburbs. There are around 200 bus routes in Dublin. However, the route numbering system is highly confusing, with numbers having been issued non-sequentially, suffix letters and alternate destinations, so obtaining a route map from Dublin Bus is essential. Here are some pointers about using the bus services:

• Most city buses leave from the O’Connell street area (including Mountjoy & Parnell Sqaures, Eden Quay and Fleet Street) or from the Trinity College area (including Pearse Street, Nassau Street, Dame Street and College Green).

• Daytime buses run from around 5AM to 11:30PM and there are also 24 late night routes, known as the Nightlink service, which are suffixed by an N, and run from midnight until around 2AM/4AM (weekends). Not all night link routes run at the same time every night of the week. The fare is standard and costs €5. More Information

• The Xpresso is a special service designed to allow for faster and more efficient bus travel for daily commuters, during both morning and evening rush hour traffic. Xpresso routes are more direct than many other bus routes, offering passengers a quicker service. These routes also have fewer stops and therefore, reduce journey times between destinations. There are 22 of these routes in operation, their numbers on the front of a bus are suffixed with an 'X', e.g. 84X. A minimum flat fare (which varies depending on distance to be traveled) is charged on these services which is usually more expensive then a normal, non-Xpresso bus that may be traveling along the same route.

• Railink is an express bus that links Eden Quay, Custom House Quay, Jury's North Wall, Docklands Station, Connolly station, Heuston Station and the International Financial Services center.

• There is a ferry port link operated by Dublin Bus from Dublin Port and Dun Laoghaire ferry port to Busaras (Central Bus Station).

• It should be noted that, while there is effectively no queuing system at bus stops, those paying with cash generally enter to the left of the doors, and those using card tickets to the right. Your position in a perceived "queue" for a bus may be effectively irrelevant once it arrives. If you have a prepaid ticket don't bother queuing, get onto the bus on the right hand side of the front door.

• When paying with cash, try to ensure that you have the correct amount of change, as the bus drivers cannot issue any change. If you only have larger coins (€1/2), you will receive a "change receipt", which can be exchanged for cash at the Dublin Bus headquarters on O'Connell Street.

• If you see “An Lár” written as the destination on a bus, it means that it is going to the city center.

• It is common polite courtesy amongst many people when disembarking from the bus to say "Thank You" to the driver, but this is not required nor is it something that is done by everyone.

• NOTE: Times displayed on timetables either at stops or elsewhere DO NOT indicate the time the bus is expected to pass that stop, they are the times the bus departs from its terminus either in the city center or at the other end.

By train/tram

The DART suburban rail service runs along the coast between Greystones in the south and Howth and Malahide in the north. Tickets can be bought in the stations, from a window or a machine. There are four other suburban rail lines servicing areas around Dublin, [2], three of these lines operate from Connolly Station, the other operates from Hueuston Station.

Another light rail service is called the Luas. The first, 'Green' line of the new tram system was opened at the end of June 2004 and runs between St. Stephen's Green and Sandyford (city center to southern suburbs). The second, 'Red' line, from Connolly Station to Tallaght, opened on the 4th October 2004 (city center to south-west suburbs). The Luas is frequent and reliable. Tickets can be bought on the platforms, at the machines and do not need to be validated. A large amount of further expansion of this network is expected within the next decade.

By car

Taxis were recently (2001) deregulated and are relatively easy to come by, although not as easily as in some other European cities. They may be ordered by telephone, at ranks, or just hailed on the street. Point to point trips in the city center should cost between €4 and €8. There is a national standardised rate for all taxis.

Driving in Dublin is not to be recommended for much of the day, particularly in the city center. Traffic can be heavy and there is an extensive one-way system, which some say is explicitly designed to make it very difficult for cars to enter the city center. There are a large number of bus lanes (buses, taxis and pedal cycles are permitted to use them) the use of which by cars is liable to strict fines. It is usually possible to drive in bus lanes at certain off-peak times, with signs displaying these periods.

It can be difficult to find parking other than in multi-storey car parks. Onstreet parking for short periods is allowed at parking meters, but beware of over-staying your time or you will be "clamped" by the clamping companies who patrol frequently.

A system of two ring roads around the city has been introduced in recent years, with color coded signage in purple and blue (see the orbital route map. The M50 is Dublin's ring-motorway, it connects to the M1 (to the north of Ireland and Belfast) near Dublin airport and to the M11 (servicing Wicklow, Wexford and the South) south of the city and to other motorways and national roads along it's "C-shaped" route. It is continuously being upgraded, is liable to change in route and lane layout at any time and is highly congested. This road is not recommended for the unsure tourist.

By bicycle/motorbike

Dublin has a large student population and is relatively cycle-friendly. Hiring a bicycle is a handy way to get around if you want to get outside the very center of the city and are comfortable cycling in traffic. The only dedicated bike hire place in the city is located at the entrance to the Phoenix Park, the largest urban park in Europe, (phoenixparkbikehire.com). When cycling in the city center be aware that cycle lanes, where they exist, are generally shared with buses, taxis and motorcyles and cyclists should pay particular attention when approaching bus stops where a bus is pulling out.

Motorbikes are not allowed to use the cycle lanes but many do so. Passing on the left is also allowed only in limited circumstances but is in fact common.

Dublin's most famous shopping street is the (mostly) pedestrianised Grafton Street, which runs between St. Stephen's Green and Trinity College. On this street can be found Dublin's most famous (and expensive) department store, Brown Thomas, along with a wide range of clothing shops, jewellers, photo shops, etc.

Alongside the historic Trinity College you will find Nassau Street where there are many shops selling tourist related items such as Waterford Crystal[22], Belleek Pottery[23], Aran sweaters[24] and other Irish craft items. Shops to look out for selling these items include House of Ireland[25], Blarney Woollen Mills[26] and Kilkenny Design[27].

Dawson Street, parallel to Grafton Street, is home to several well stocked, large bookshops including Hodges Figgis, and Waterstones.

The best concentration of shoe shops is found on Grafton Street and the adjoining Wicklow Street.

The Powerscourt Centre[28], just off Grafton Street, is one of Dublin's most attractive shopping centers, set in a beautifully restored 18th century town house. Here you will find clothes, cafes, galleries and Irish designer jewellers. Beware the overpriced antique dealers, some of whom will drop a price by 50% after only the merest suggestion that you are willing to haggle (and it still may not be a bargain!). For gifts, there is an engraving business based in the center next to the Bonsai tree shop.

Leaving Powerscourt via the ornate steps on to South William Street, you will find yourself facing a small pedestrianised street called Castle Market, which leads to a covered red-brick shopping arcade known alternatively as the Market Arcade or the George's Street Arcade. This area is worth a visit for vintage clothing, fabrics, unusual accessories, vinyl and clubwear, and also features some small cafes.

There is also an extensive shopping area on the Northside of the river, centered on O'Connell Street and Henry Street (Ireland's busiest shopping street). Clery's (O'Connell Street) and Arnotts (Henry Street) are large department stores each with a long history. Two large shopping centers, The Jervis Centre, and the ILAC, are also on Henry Street. The latter also houses Dublin's Central Public Library.

Just off Henry Street is Moore Street, which has a fruit, vegatable and fish market, worth a stroll if you want to get a slice of life from the less genteel side of Dublin. At the top of Henry Street on Parnell Street is Chapters Bookshop, which has a massive selection of books at generally cheaper prices than other highstreet stores, as well as a large secondhand section. Especially great for 'coffee table' style art books.

For those for whom it just wouldn't be a holiday without hanging out at the mall, there are various shopping centers located around Dublin, including Blanchardstown (39 and 70 bus routes), Liffey Valley (bus routes 78, 78A, 210 and 239), and The Square in Tallaght (red luas to the end of the line). The largest shopping center in Europe is the recently opened Dundrum Town Centre, which is served by the green Luas tramline from St. Stephen's Green. It was awarded the title of best Shopping Mall in the World 2006.

Dublin is not cheap for general shopping, although visitors from outside the European Union can obtain a refund of VAT (sales tax - 21%) on many of their purchases. Just look for the refund sign and ask in the shop for details. Keep in mind that most stores will only issue VAT refund vouchers on the same day of purchase.

There is fairly extensive duty-free shopping at Dublin Airport, at prices which are sometimes cheaper than the rest of the city.

Dublin has a wide range of good quality restaurants, most of which are, however, horribly overpriced by European standards. Main course prices range from €10 at the lower end up to around €40 at the higher end. Wine in restaurants is generally marked up from its already expensive retail price by a factor of at least two, and three times retail price would not be uncommon.

There are many excellent-value Indian restaurants around the South William Street area, parallel to Grafton Street; these often have particularly good value lunch and 'early bird' deals, offering 3 course meals for around €10. Quality is high - particularly to be recommended are the Khyber Tandoori on South William Street and Shalimar on South Great Georges Street. Also excellent is Surma on Camden Street and "Govindas" on Georges street for very cheap Hari-Krishna vegetarian food.

A similar multi-cultural hotspot is Parnell Street (O'Connell St- Gardiner St) which has a dense concentration of Chinese and Asian restaurants extensively frequented by the ex-pat communities.

Snack

• Bewleys, Grafton Street, Dublin 2, [29]. Dublin's most famous Coffee Shop. Hang-out over the years of U2, Bob Geldof, and James Joyce.
• Bar Italia, 4 branches - Wood Quay, Powerscourt Townhouse, Ormond Quay and the Epicurean Foodhall. Best coffee in town. Real Italian coffee with mostly Italian staff. Excellent panini and antipasto. Good value place with great atmosphere.
• Butlers Chocolate Cafés, South William Street (2 branches) & Dublin Airport; Takeaway on Grafton Street and Nassau Street, [30]. Good coffee with a free chocolate of your choice (except at Dublin Airport, where you still get a chocolate, but don't get a choice.) The airport branch is well stocked and generally runs special offers on boxes of chocolates which are not available in the city branches.
• Zaytoon 14/15 Parliament Street, Temple Bar (opposite The Porterhouse); Also Camden Street, opposite Bleeding Horse Pub. This is a Kebab shop (eat-in or take out), very different from a street vendor kebab.

Lunch

• Cafe Bar Deli, South Great Georges Street, Dublin 2 and Grafton Street, Dublin 2, [31]. Excellent value. Always busy. Pastas, pizzas and salads.
• Elephant and Castle, Temple Bar, Dublin 2. Nationally-famous chicken wings, extremely busy lunchtime on Saturdays (you could be waiting for up to 2 hours), only order a basket of chicken wings to yourself if you're very hungry!
• Lemon Crèpe Company, South William Street, Dublin 2. Good value filled crèpes for around €4 (American style rather than French) and some of the best coffee in Dublin. There is a larger branch with canteen-style bench seating on Dawson Street, close to Trinity College.
• Dunne & Crescenzi, South Frederick Street, Dublin 2. Delightful Italian lunch spot, open until around 8pm, but arrive early if you want to get a seat - or be prepared for a long wait. Antipasto Misto €6.50, Paninis from €4. Glass of house wine €3.50.
• Unicorn Food Company, Merrion Row, Dublin 2. Take-away deli with eat-in cafe next door. Sandwiches €4-5 or a range of Italian delights - pasta, lasagna, pizza, salads. Sometimes good cakes €2.50-€2.85. The deli is attached to the well-respected Unicorn Italian restaurant down the lane beside the deli (open for lunch and dinner).
• M J O'Neills, Suffolk St, D-2. Great Pub Food. Carvery served 12 till 4 most days and till late weekends. Also has a good salad and sandwich bar. Price around Eur10 for carvery.
• T.P. Smiths, Jervis Street, Dublin 1. very good pub food, also handy to stop in if you're shopping around the Henry street area. Food served until 9pm.
• Govinda's, 4 Aungier Street & Middle Abbey Street just off O'Connell St., 01 475 0309. Krishna run vegetarian restaurant. The Govindas special (only order large if you're very hungry) is a taste of nearly everything from the hot counter.
• Café Fresh, Top floor, Powerscourt Townhouse Centre, 01 6719669, [32]. One of the best known vegetarian cafes in the city and offers a great range at reasonable prices. As the name suggests the food is all "fresh" and is made on the presmises that morning, and much of it is organic. If you're after a healthy meat-free meal it's well worth a look.
• Epicurean Food Hall,Located just yards from the famous Ha'Penny Bridge,The Epicurean Food Hall is a mecca for the varied palate.Under one roof you'll find food companies and stall from Middle Eastern fare to Cornish Pasties and from Bagels to Christophes French cuisine.You can pick and choose your food of choice and sit in the communal seating area with Dublin locals that populate this lunch time must.Recommended in particular is the Italian coffee bar La Corta which probably serves the best cup of coffee in Dublin with all the Italian isms.

Dinner

• Bella Cuba, 11 Ballsbridge Terrace, Ballsbridge, Dublin 2. Ireland's only Cuban restaurant where the lack of competition hasn't affected the quality. Excellent food served in a fabulous Cuban atmosphere with great music. Don't forget to try the extensive cocktail list. This restaurant is very small so book in advance.
• Siam Thai, Andrew Street, Dublin 2. This city center restaurant is part of a group of three, the others being in Malahide and Ballsbridge. Gorgeous Thai cuisine served by staff in traditional Thai costume, nice surroundings, if maybe a little on the tacky side. Nonetheless a great Thai gastro experience.
• Bang Cafe, 11 Merrion Row, Dublin 2. A great cosmopolitan menu in a well established setting. Although a little on the expensive side, the food and presentation is excellent.
• Kites, 15-17 Ballsbridge Terrace Ballsbridge, Dublin 4. great combination of Cantonese (predominant dish), Szechuan, Peking and Thai with an extensive wine list. Excellent choice for the more discerning diner with great attention paid by the friendly, professional waiters in very rich surroundings and decor. Well worth a visit.
• Il Baccaro, Meeting House Square, Temple Bar, Dublin 2. Good value and atmospheric Italian restaurant set in a vaulted cellar under the Irish Film Institute. Mains around €10-15 - particularly to be recommended is the sausages and beans.
• Salamanca, St. Andrews Street, Dublin 2. good value, tasty and substantial tapas (sized more like raciones), priced around €4-8. The steak is a particular bargain at €7.50; also good are the chorizo dishes.
• Gallagher's Boxty House, 20 Temple Bar, Dublin 2, [33]. Good traditional Irish fare, and not too expensive (mains €10-15). (A boxty is a traditional Irish a potato pancake filled and rolled up - try it!). Also try the Irish stew and the chowder. Small, friendly, traditional Irish decor.
• The Bistro, 4/5 Castlemarket, 6776016, [34]. Excellent continental cuisine, good atmosphere. Main courses €15-25.
• Johnnie Fox's Pub, Glencullen, Dublin Mountains. Dating from the 18th century, the highest pub in Ireland is also one of the best for seafood. Great atmospere with traditional live Irish bands and friendly staff. Food is excellent, so is the craic. Main courses €15-20. Its a bit far (15 km) from the city, but you can get a good view of the city by night on your drive up to the restaurant. Unfortunately, this place is a notorious tourist trap.
• Restaurant Patrick Guilbaud, 21 Upper Merrion Street, Dublin 2, [35]. Two Michelin stars, outrageously expensive, probably very good. Lunch menus are a bit more affordable.
• Roly's Bistro, 7 Ballsbridge Terrace, Dublin 4, [36]. One block from Jurys Hotel. Impeccable food and service, reasonable prices. Good atmosphere.
• L'Gueuleton, Fade St, Dublin 2 (behind Hogan's Bar). At time of writing (Sept 2006) there is no name above the door of this restaurant which has rapidly achieved cult status. It is consistently rated by food critics as one of the top 5 restaurants in Dublin but its no reservations policy and low prices makes it hugely popular for lunch and dinner. Three course lunch with wine yesterday was €40 per head. Don't worry about the no reservations - put your name on the list and have a pint in the Market Bar or Hogan's.
• Cornucopia, 19 Wicklow Street Dublin 2, [37]. Just off Grafton Street you find this vegetarian heaven. Breakfast, dinner and lunch.

No visit to Dublin would be complete without a visit to one (or ten) of its many pubs (last count says there are over 600 pubs). Drink is relatively expensive: a pint of stout costs around €4 and up, while lager costs around €4.50 and up. However, the government gave a tax break to microbrewed beer in the December 2004 budget, this had a slight effect on prices in brewpubs. Pubs are open until 11:30PM during the week (although many bars have late licenses up to 3AM), and as late as around 3AM on weekends, depending on the pub. Smoking has been illegal in Irish pubs (as well as all indoor workplaces) since March 2004; this has had the positive side effect of increasing al fresco facilities. Beer tends to be more expensive around the Temple Bar area, due to the increased tourist flow, and will be cheaper in more traditional styled pubs.

The Temple Bar that people often speak of is an area that used to be a sand bar. There is also a street named 'Temple Bar ' with a pub named "The Temple Bar" in the "Temple Bar area" of Dublin. The Temple Bar district has a mixture of food, drink, shopping and music. It appeals to all ages, but is a hot spot for tourists. The narrow, cobble stoned streets gives it an original feeling within the heart of the city. Its central location also makes it easy to walk to from Dublins Centre. However, late night revellers tend to make it an unpleasant place to be after dark. It can be taken over by drunken stag and boisterous hen parties, many who travel cheaply from the United Kingdom to avail of Temple Bar's delights!

Traditional

• O'Donoghue's, Baggot Street, Dublin 2. famous for impromptu live music. Where folk Group The Dubliners were formed.
• The Barge, 42 Charlemont Street,Dublin 2. Near St. Steven's Green. Excellent pub food, great decor; a friendly traditional pub with very good food. Try the fish and chips, except get the wedges instead of the chips. Golden brown on the outside, crunchy, tender inside.
• The Brazen Head, Bridge Street, Dublin 2. Oldest pub in Ireland, nearly a thousand years old!
• O'Shea's, Bridge Street, Dublin 2. - live traditional music and dancing.
• Fallon's, The Coombe, Dublin 8 (near St. Patrick's Cathedral). small friendly local pub.
• The Oval, Abbey Street, Dublin 1. Good for drink and food, said to have the best Irish stew in Dublin. Attracts a mixed age group. Lots of pictures of old Irish celebs with a tribute to the Quiet Man.
• Kavanagh's, Glasnevin, Dublin 9 (near Glasnevin cemetery). This pub (popularly known as The Gravediggers because of its close proximity to the cemetery) has remained untouched for over 100 years with the only things altered being the beer taps and toilets. If you're looking for a real trad Irish pub without the b*shit, this is the place, really worth a visit. (about 10-15 mins on bus from city center, get the no 19/19A/13 from O'Connell Street)
• Bachelors Inn, Bachelors Walk, Dublin 1 (near O'Connell Bridge). Good pints of Guinness and a choice of batch or regular white bread on your toasted sandwich. Popular post GAA match pub with the Dublin crowd.
• Bowe's Lounge, Fleet Street, Dublin 2, [38]. Old victorian pub, around for over 140 years.
• Mulligans, Poolbeg Street, Dublin 2, [39]. Busy pub with great Guinness with plenty of history having been frequented by James Joyce among others.
• Ryan's, Parkgate St, Dublin 8 (near Heuston Station). Beautiful Victorian pub. A good place to have a pint before getting a train out of Dublin.
• The Palace Bar, Fleet St, Dublin 2. Located at the edge of Temple Bar, this traditional bar has interesting decor complete with "snug" (small private booth).
• The Long Hall, South Great Georges St, Dublin 2. Atmospheric bar with interesting wooden decor, nice window to sit at to people watch.
• Kehoe's, South Anne St. Located just off Grafton St, this is an excellent spot for a pint after a hectic days shopping. Several snugs downstairs.
• Kennedy's, 30/32 Westland Row, Dublin 2, [40]. Located to the rear of Trinity college, this traditional style pub serves good quality food and drink with plenty of friendly atmosphere. Also home to The Underground [41] one of Dublin’s newest and most intimate venues.
• O'Neills, Suffolk Street (near Grafton Street). Excellent atmosphere in a Victorian style design.
• The Stag's Head, Dame Lane (Off George's Street). No music. No TV. Just great Guinness and great conversation.
• The Dawson Lounge, top of Dawson Street. Dublin's - or Ireland's - smallest pub. You have to go to see what I mean!! 20 people and it's packed!!
• McDaids, just off Grafton Street right next to Westbury Hotel. Was a regular place for Oscar Wilde to ponder life.

Modern

• Cocoon, Duke Lane, Dublin 2. This bar (owned by F1's Eddie Irvine) oozes class and style with its fabulous minimist interior, popular for cocktails and a relaxing drink.
• The Bailey, Duke Street, Dublin 2. Located just off Grafton Street, this swish bar tends to attract the sophisticated side of Dublin's society, popular amongst celebs as well. Very busy during the summer afternoons and evenings with a nice outdoor seating area.
• Lotts, 60-62 The Lotts, 9 Liffey Street, Dublin 1. Recent addition to Dublins burgeoning pub scene, fantastic new bar and lounge. Very well decorated interior with chandeliers, a marble bar and comfortable leather seating. Live music many nights. Small outside seating area as well.
• The Market Bar, Fade Street, Dublin 2, [42]. Opened in 2005, large spacious bar, with murmur of conversation in the background, nice tapas restaurant.
• The Odeon, Harcourt Street, Dublin 2. This attractive bar at the top of Harcourt Street is housed in a converted railway station; the new tram system has a stop directly outside.
• Ba Mizu, South William Street. Exactly opposite Grogan's, in the Powerscourt Townhouse shopping center; quite a contrast.
• Café en Seine, Dawson Street, Dublin 2. Typical, and not entirely unpleasant, example of a Dublin 'megapub'; recently extended to include tropical trees at the back - very expensive.
• The Globe, George St., Dublin 2. One of the original trendy bars to hit Dublin in the mid 90's. Still as cool as ever with one of Dublins longest running clubs Ri-Ra in the basement.
• Spy Bar, South William Street, Dublin 2. Just next to the Powerscourt shopping center, this uber trendy venue is cool and sophisticated. Has a nightclub downstairs which boasts some of Dublin's best club nights.

Micro-Breweries

• The Porterhouse, Parliament Street, Dublin 2. As well as good indigenous brews including a non-vegetarian oyster stout, there is an extensive Belgian and international beer list. Also does good reasonably priced food. Has sister pubs in Bray and Phibsboro and on Graffton Street.
• Messrs. Maguire, Burgh Quay, Dublin 2. Very near to O'Connell Bridge, they produce a very good stout quite different to Guinness; fresher and more complex.

Bars

• Front Lounge, Parliment Street, Dublin 2. This gay friendly bar draws a mixed 50/50 crowd of gay/straight. Popular among the hip and trendy 20 somethings, can come across as a little pretentious at times. Still, it is a nice spot worth a visit and popular for lunch. Nicely decorated and comfortable. Open late at weekends and took the famous Wednesday night cabaret, Bustys G-Spot from Gubu which is a huge crowd puller, well worth a visit. Live djs and open late at weekends, popular with pre-clubbers.
• Centre-Stage Cafe Bar, Parliment Street, Dublin 2. Bustling cafe during the day which turns into a fabulous and intimate night spot, good cocktails, wines and champagne.
• The Dragon , Georges Street, Dublin 2. Dublins newest gay bar is a welcome addition to the scene. A superpub set over two large floors, the upper being a balcony to watch the goings on below. Very camply decorated with a large statue of Hercules, velvet curtains throughout, large comfy sofas, and snugs decorated with velvet curtains opposite the bar. Has a relatively large dance floor with music every night. Opens late weekends.
• The George, Georges Street, Dublin 2. The original and most famous gay bar of Dublin. Traditional bar entrance to the right which attracts an older crowd. The main area attracts a much younger crowd for drinks during the day and at night the main area transforms itself into a club (after 10pm and a cover charge applies if not already there) set over two floors. Plays a mix of pop, cheese and dance. Sunday nights are packed for tvs Shirley Templebar's famous bingo.
• The Foggy Dew, Temple Bar next to the Central Bank. Very popular bar with all kinds of people.
• Bruxelles, off Grafton Street next to Westbury Hotel. A very lively bar and popular with 20 and 30 year olds. Spread over 3 bars the music is loud and the atmosphere is excellent.
• The Duke, Duke Street (off Grafton Street). Great after-work bar and Friday is packed to the door.

Gay Clubs

• The George, Sth Gt Georges Street, Dublin 2. Wed-Sun nights, mixture of cheese, pop and dance.
• Exaltation, Spirit, Middle Abbey Street, Dublin 1. Every Sunday, dance, funky house. Set in two rooms with chill out zone, cinema and holistic treatment. (gay bar)
• Earlyhouse, The White Horse, Burgh Quay, Dublin 2 (close to Tara Street Dart station) Every Saturday morning from 7AM playing funky house / electro.
• Glitz, Break For The Border, Lower Stephen's Street, Dublin 2. Every Tuesday, playing commercial pop and dance with regular live acts.
• Hanky Panti, Rogue, 64 Dame Street, Dublin 2. Every Tuesday with free admission from 11PM.
• Kiss, Temple Bar Music Centre, Temple Bar, Dublin 2. Once a month Saturday club recently moved to new venue for girls and their male friends.
• Shift, Rogue, 64 Dame Street, Dublin 2. Every Monday, mixed crowd.
• VIQ, SIN, Sycamore Street, Dublin 2. Every Monday, mix of chart and funky.

Clubs

• The Academy Middle Abbey St. This venue has changed its tune from Hot Press Hall Of Fame to Spirit nightclub. Now renamed The Academy it now doubles as both a live venue and a dance club. These guys go for the big obvious names such as David Morales and Jose Gonzalez. Their dot matrix sign outside the venue usually advertises the upcoming events

• Traffic, 54 Middle Abbey St, located just two doors away from The Academy on Middle Abbey St, Traffic is both a swish bar and underground club. Populated with hairdressers and metrosexual dudes this bar has a great cocktail menu and even better two for one offers on the cocktails during the week. The music policy is a mix of classic house, electro and upfront house music courtesy of Paddy Sheridan one of Dublin's longest scene players and John Nolan. The club has a myriad of underground nights on rotation in it's dark sweaty and low ceiling atmosphere, an ideal place to party and the sound system is super powerful.

• Tripod Harcourt St D1, the second last stop (or second stop from Stephens Green terminal on the Green Line) on the Green Line LUAS will leave you right outside Tripod. A Three in one bar and club. Crawdaddy is the bar and POD is the club. While POD has been one of Dublin's most famous clubs it is a mere shadow of its former self and is now a Lego piece in a bigger enterprise. Tripod was previously the Redbox and like The Academy it has gone through numerous refits and name changes, currently it house Live acts and a club on Friday and Saturday night. 515 is one of it's nights which plays a mixture of confusing styles to a mainly indifferent crowd who are there to drink regardless of the music. Guest can include some big names but are usually a one horse up and coming German DJ you have never heard of. Pogo and other nights at the venue are run by the Bodytonic mafia, a collective of DJs and promoters who have monopolised a lot of venues in Dublin with their events. They claim they play house but it's a very different version from the universal understanding of the word House Music, mainly DJs they are trying out or giving a chance to prove themselves play a confusing mix of obscure records and "cool" music with equally unimpressive results. However to be fair their nights are always busy and attract a crowd.

• The Hub Eustace St Temple Bar. This is a very underground club that has a ferocious reputation over the years as Switch before it became the Hub. The venue in itself is unpleasant but does retain that underground feel. It used to run til 4am in the morning which is a rare thing in Dublin. A true hard core clubbing experience and they run nights from electro to nose bleed techno.

• Krystle Harcourt St D2. This club is a new haven for the beautiful people and rich and affluent which loosely translated in essence means fantastic looking women. The door policy is as you'd expect and you have to be a real asshole to get in...but if your bag is hanging out with models and fine looking posh Dublin girls who wish they were models knock yourself out, just give it all you got on the "my daddy owns statoil" line at the door. To be perfectly honest if you are foreign looking at all you won't get in unless you are a heir to an Arab oil empire. A right pretentious spot.

• Copper Face Jacks Harcourt St D1. This is a bizarre venue but what sets it aside from most other Dublin nights out is that if you want to hook up with singles desperate for a bit of hows your father it's the place for you. Known in the fine Dublin phrase as a Meat Market this night out is crammed with people desperate to score and getting more and more willing as they consume more booze. A popular place with country people as opposed to Dubliners, this venue is dark and seedy and a perfect place to get up to shenanigans. However bear in mind because of its reputation there is often up to 3 guys there for every girl at weekends.

Bear in mind that this venue is owned by a retired Garda and is frequented by serving members of the force so an altercation in the men's room is not advised as you may be in more trouble than you think, also consider this if you are liable to seduce someone's new friend.