The bumper guide to a long weekend in Dublin

At Metro Café you’ll find yourself sat inside a Parisian-esque café featuring large mirrors and a beautiful wall clock, enhancing your experience. The ‘Metro Special’ features scrambled eggs, cherry tomatoes, streaky rashers, all topped with insatiable relish from Ballymaloe. On the side of this delightful ‘mini fry’ you’ll find some fluffy pancakes dripping in golden syrup for just €10.50, which is a steal for a meal that would set you up for a day exploring Dublin’s finest spaces.

If you’re looking for a healthy breakfast, a quick snack to go, or a sure way to cure a headache from the night before, KC Peaches is one of Dublin’s finest destinations. Providing some excellent brunch offerings, as well as a number of pastries and scones to sort out a quick bite to eat. Situated on the corner of St Stephen’s Green, KC Peaches hosts a menu derived from French, American and Irish cuisine, with ingredients sourced “as close to Pearse Street as possible”

One of the best aspects of KC Peaches is its range of smoothies and juices. They come in boost-shot or full cup forms and are guaranteed to give you a lift! The Tropic Thunder smoothie with pineapple, passion fruit, and apple is a staple for €4.95.

At The Happy Pear you’ll be greeted to an Irish-style café, which is always brimming with diners. The menu is seasonal, and hosts a selection of starters, salads, and mains. The homemade soup of the day is always a winner, with the likes of tomato and pepper or butternut and pumpkin soups sensational at €4.95.

If you’re after something more substantial, The Happy Pear features a Four Grain or Super Green Salad, for €4.95-9.50, depending on your serving size preference. The best work though comes in the form of the Halloumi Burger, featuring locally sourced potatoes, pickled red onion, vegan garlic mayo, and a zesty homemade ketchup. 

Bewley’s stocks its own brand of coffee, sourcing beans from Brazil, Kenya, Colombia, and Java. All of the beans come in different strengths, making it an ideal stop-in for an afternoon pick up! If you’re a coffee guru, we think you’d appreciate the coastal-plain coffee coming from Java, featuring a full-bodied fruity coffee with earthy richness. Not only does Bewley’s host a team of expert baristas curating a high standard of coffee, but the bakery is home to some delicious treats too. We’d recommend one of the signature blueberry muffins alongside a Brazilian blend flat white, it’s the perfect way to begin a day in Dublin City.

One Pico offers a stellar early bird with two to three courses, canapés and bread for €55-€65. Choose from a range of incredibly special and palatable dishes; we’d recommend the ravioli, which comes with a 16-month aged comté and roast onion consommé. The depth and complex flavour profile is truly stunning.

As for mains, we’d recommend the Irish fillet of beef, served with maitake mushroom, potato and black garlic. One Pico features wine recommendations with each of its dishes, and the Crozes Hermitage in particular is a brilliant pick with the Irish fillet of beef.

Daata serves some of the finest Pakistani and Indian food around. With a restaurant that provides traditional and authentic settings, we promise you won’t be let down by the excellent food and warm staff in Daata. The chicken wings are a great way to start off the dinner. They’ve got an excellent ginger tang to them and pair brilliantly with the samosa or onion bhaji. 

For mains, we can’t recommend the Afghan Chicken Curry enough! It’s one of the most unique chicken curries in Dublin, bursting with rich flavours and just enough spice to perk you up. 

Tramline features some brilliant live music throughout a long weekend, with live hip-hop, DJs, and bands playing. Be sure to book tickets early for cheaper rates and it’s always worth checking out the group deals. Tramline offers some brilliant mixed cocktails and deals on shots, making for a fun-filled night out with friends in one of Dublin’s trendiest and youngest clubs!

Pygmalion offers a range of fabulous and ever-changing cocktails, which are updated seasonally by the expert mixologists. Some of our favourites are the classic mojito, the brilliant margarita, or one of Dublin’s best gin and tonics! All of the cocktails are at a brilliant price of two for €16. Pygmalion’s heated outdoor area is one of Dublin’s most popular beer gardens, overlooking the bustle of South William Street. Pygmalion has hosted some of Ireland’s biggest electronic talent, as well as some European greats in the dance music scene. You can either kick off your long weekend in Pygmalion’s ‘secret Thursday’ club, or wind down on Sunday night with Dublin’s only nightclub that remains open until 2am!

Woodruff is exceptional in that it writes its menu weekly focusing on provenance, seasonality and sustainability. The chefs cook with the seasons, sustainably sourcing ingredients direct from farms and shopping local where needed. There’s also an ethos on minimising waste, while foraging is also at the heart of Woodruff’s menus. Speaking of which, the menu for August – 3/4/5/6/7  boasts a delicious Tandoori spiced aubergine, Ballyhubbock halloumi, curried lentils and raita, and Chargrilled Andarl farm pork cutlet, with pork fat roasties, hispi, burnt apple and pork jus. Delicious – in a word.

Dublin’s home to some cracking distilleries and breweries, including the legendary Guinness Storehouse which is unmissable. But if you’re after a hidden gem for your long weekend, we’d recommend the Stillgarden Distillery. Here you relax on the terrace or in the distillery if the weather’s not playing ball, whilst listening to some great music, enjoying delicious cocktails and amazing spirits. Beer, wine and food is all available, which sets you up for a great time. You can also indulge in a tasting experience, which we highly recommend!