Where to eat out in Dublin on a budget

With its bright, American diner style interior and affordable prices, WowBurger is a beloved staple of Dublin’s culinary scene. WowBurger can be found in many locations around Dublin, including The Workman’s Club on Wellington Quay and beneath Mary’s Bar on Wicklow Street. Do not be deceived by the restaurant’s cheap pricings; these are some of the best burgers in Dublin. With double layered patties of juicy beef and a selection of toppings to cater to any taste, WowBurger never fails to please even the fussiest of customers.

Italian food lovers can rejoice at the authentic, delicious, and affordable Italian dishes available from the laid back and casual Sprezzatura Restaurant in Dublin’s Camden Market. Offering a rotating menu featuring an array of delicious small plates, pastas, and desserts, you can expect the freshest, highest quality flavours available here.

Built from Italian ideas and local Irish produce, you can expect some of the freshest pasta dishes you’re likely to find anywhere in Dublin. Plus, they always offer a great range of tasty vegan and gluten free dishes to ensure that those with specific dietary requirements don’t miss out. Unfussy and relaxed, this place keeps the focus on the food, so you won’t be paying extortionate prices for all the frills and fancies that often come with dining out in the city. Just good food for decent prices served with a warm and friendly welcome.

Forno 500 is one of the most beloved Italian eateries in Dublin City, renowned by locals for its amazing woodfired sourdough pizza, homemade fresh pasta, and indulgent desserts. The first restaurant in Ireland to be awarded a place on the Associazione Verace Pizza Napolitana (AVPN) list, Forno 500 is ranked among the top pizzerias worldwide.

Their fantastic early bird menu is available seven days a week from 3 pm to 6 pm, whereby diners can enjoy three delicious courses for just €32.50. For starters, you can choose from Italian classics like Arancini, Zuppa Minestrone, and Bruschetta Sicilia, and for mains, they have a wide variety of pasta, including Rigatone Alla Amatriciana and Lasagne, pizzas such as their classic Pizza Forno 500 or their tasty Pizza Vegan Rustica. If you’ve got a sweet tooth, you won’t want to miss their amazing dessert menu, which includes Italian classics like chocolate mousse, Panna Cotta, Tiramisu, and Lemon Sorbet. 

Another spot you need to check out if you’re dining in Dublin on a budget is the incredible Mongolian Barbeque located in the city’s Temple Bar area. Dining here, you can take your pick from their selection of vegetables, meat, and spices and watch as the talented chefs prepare your meal on the traditional Mongolian grill. An independent, family-run restaurant first opened all the way back in 2006, this place has certainly made an incredible name for itself in the city.

Lunch is served from 12.30 to 4 pm everyday and for just €16.90, you can enjoy an all-you-can-eat buffet-style dining experience. In the evening, you can enjoy either their Early Bird menu, which runs from 4:30 pm to 7 pm and costs €18.90, or their standard dinner menu that starts at €20.90. Serving the freshest stir fried dishes made just how you like them in generous portion sizes, you’d be hard pushed to find better value dining elsewhere in the city!

Known as Dublin’s most affordable steakhouse, Featherblade is a must-visit for meat lovers looking to dine out on a budget. First opened in 2014, this popular Dawson Street restaurant works from the ethos of making exceptional Irish grass fed steak available to everyone. Their tasty steak sandwich comes in at an incredibly reasonable €11.95. Available before 4 pm, it is the perfect hearty lunch made up of a toasted ciabatta with seared featherblade, Dijon mayo, gherkin, watercress, and caramelised onion; absolute perfection! Their menu of all day mains also features some very reasonably priced cuts of Irish beef, such as their Featherblade Steak for just €14.50 and their Picanha Steak for €18.50.

Much more than just your standard casual dining spot, Token is a lively eatery and entertainment hub that is home to 40 arcade and pinball machines. Serving award-winning omni and vegan food, you can expect everything from burgers to tacos, chicken tenders to hot dogs, and much more.

If you want to save some money, you can take advantage of their amazing Taco Tuesday deal, in which you get four tacos, chips, guacamole, tequila, a corona, and ten tokens for the arcade machines for just €28. Plus, they serve €8 margaritas all night, meaning you can have a few cocktails without spending a fortune. If you’re not visiting on Tuesdays, you can still make some savings with their €36 meal deal, which includes any main plus fries, any beer, wine, mocktail, or two cans of soda, and 20 tokens for the arcades.

Classic Dublin burger joint Bunsen is another great option if you are looking for simple, high-quality food that does not require taking out a bank loan. Bunsen’s deserved popularity has enabled it to expand since first arriving in Dublin, and it now has six locations around the city: South Anne Street, Temple Bar, Wexford Street, Dame Street, Baggot Street and Ranelagh. In Bunsen, you can purchase a hamburger or cheeseburger, with a choice of one or two patties and a selection of classic toppings, for as little as €7.45. Handcut, shoestring and sweet potato fries are available on the side, as well as a variety of delicious milkshakes, sodas and beers.

Whether you are seeking breakfast, lunch, dinner, or a snack between meals, Keoghs Cafe is always guaranteed to provide filling food with a modest price-tag. The Trinity Street restaurant’s menu encompasses a broad range of cuisines, from full Irish breakfasts and traditional Irish stews to veggie pastas and porridge bowls. Most dishes cost between just €8 and €9.50, and if you aren’t feeling too peckish, you can purchase something less substantial for as little as €4.50. Moreover, by eating at Keoghs Cafe, you are supporting a small, family-run local business, something which has never been more important.

Located in Clonee, The Paddocks is a fun and lively lounge bar and restaurant specialising in delicious food and creative cocktails. Laid back and fun, the atmosphere here is almost unrivalled anywhere else in the city with live sport and entertainment taking place all throughout the week. From nachos to peppered sauce-covered steaks to burgers, wings, pasta, and lots of vegan and vegetarian options, there’s something to suit all tastes and dietary requirements. Enjoying a quieter location outside of the city centre, the prices are also a lot more reasonable than what you can expect to find if you dine out in the heart of the city.

A gorgeous little cafe and coffee shop on Dawson Street in Dublin City Centre, Beanhive offers specialty coffee, tasty treats, luscious lunches, and service with a smile. The perfect place for a quick lunch on the go or a tasty treat and a great coffee, this place offers quality food that won’t break the bank. With plenty of vegan and gluten-free options, those with specific dietary requirements don’t need to worry about missing out on the deliciousness that’s available here.

Standard coffees come in at around the €3 mark, which is very reasonable for coffee in the city centre. Plus, they put the extra effort to create the cutest coffee art you’ve ever seen, which really just makes every cup priceless. Fully-loaded wraps and ciabattas come in at around €10, making for a very reasonably priced and filling lunch. Plus, every single sandwich on their menu comes with a vegan alternative. How amazing is that?!

For incredible pizza that won’t leave your bank account drained, we highly recommend heading to Ritas in Ranelagh. The most expensive pizza on their menu, the La Di Da, comes in at €16, while most sit around €12 to €15. You really can’t go wrong with that.

Their menu is daring and creative with an array of delicious pizzas to suit all tastes, from the vegan-friendly Kevin Keegan, which comes with marinara sauce, grilled courgette, aubergine, red peppers, and fresh rocket, to the meat-lovers ‘Nduja Think You Are, which is topped with san marzano DOP tomato, Toonsbridge mozzarella, spicy nduja sausage, pepperoni, and smoky scamorza cheese. They have a huge selection of meat-topped and vegetarian offerings, as well as the option to create your own. Working on the mantra of “no fuss, just pizza”, this place is all about the food. So, if all you want is great pizza for a reasonable price, then this is the spot for you.

Serving up delicious modern Thai cuisine, Red Torch Ginger is the ultimate place to get a taste of Southeast Asia in Dublin City Centre. With an emphasis on seasonal and sustainable ingredients from Irish suppliers, you can rest assured you’ll enjoy the highest quality produce in each and every dish here.

Their fantastic early bird menu gives diners the perfect opportunity to enjoy the epic flavours available here on a budget. Available everyday from 3 pm until 5:45 pm, you can enjoy one starter, one main, and one cup of tea or coffee for just €29.95 per person. They have a great selection of delicious Thai curries, noodle dishes, stir fries, soups, and Red Torch Ginger specials to choose from. They also have a full vegan menu with plenty of tasty options for those following a meat-free lifestyle to try. The hardest part will be deciding which dish you want to try!

With an epic lunch deal served from 12 pm until 3 pm from Monday to Friday, All Bar Chicken is the perfect place to enjoy a tasty lunch that won’t empty your pockets. For just €12.50, you can enjoy your choice of either wings, tenders, or cauliflower florets with fries and a dip or any burger or wrap and fries. Perfect for fans of succulent crispy chicken, tender freshly cooked chicken that is full of flavour is exactly what this place specialises in.

Still, if you’re not a meat eater, there’s no need to worry as you can substitute the chicken for delicious and crispy cauliflower florets that don’t compromise on flavour. Even when it’s not lunchtime, the menu here is still incredibly reasonable with burgers coming in at just €11.95, wraps at €10.95, and a heart buffalo spice bag for just €12.95. Offering generous portions that are full of flavour, you won’t leave this spot feeling hungry, that’s for sure.