The Seafood Cafe by Niall Sabongi at Sprangers Yard off Fownes Street in Temple Bar, the open-kitchen seafood bar from the team behind the original Klaw.
Signature dishes: Half-shell Irish oysters, Lobster roll, Daily chowder
Must order: Half a dozen oysters two ways; the warm Lambay crab and lobster roll; finish on the daily chowder.
Tip: Oyster happy hour daily 16:00 to 17:00 with around €1 off each shuck. Counter seating; the chefs work the bar in front of you.
Address: 11 Sprangers Yard, Fownes Street Upper, Temple Bar, Dublin 2
Leo Burdock on Werburgh Street in Dublin 8, the city's longest-running chipper since 1913, beer-battered cod and chips on greaseproof paper.
Signature: Cod and chips, Spice burger, Fresh ray
Order: Large fresh cod with chips, salt, vinegar and a lemon wedge; add the famous spice burger as a side.
Tip: Closes 21:00 most nights; the queue is fastest at the Werburgh Street original. No seating; walk to Christ Church and eat on the steps.
Dash Burger on Kevin Street Lower in Dublin 8, Barry Wallace's 2020 smash-burger room that landed at the top of every Dublin best-burger list.
Signature: Double smash burger, Skin-on fries, Buttermilk chicken nuggs
Order: Double smash with American cheese and onion; skin-on fries on the side.
Tip: Walk-ins only at both rooms, kitchen from 12:00 to 21:00 daily. The Kevin Street room is small and turns fast at lunch.
Bunsen on Wexford Street in Dublin, the chef-built burger that built a five-shop Dublin chain on one menu of beef, cheese and fries, the city's reference.
Signature: Cheeseburger, Fries, Milkshake
Order: Quarter-pound cheeseburger with onion, fries and a chocolate milkshake.
Tip: One menu, no specials; the smallest tables turn fastest. Late till midnight at the Wexford Street flagship.
Sano Pizza on Exchange Street Upper in Dublin 8, the wood-fired Neapolitan pizzeria with a Caputo flour spec, the city's most credible margherita pizza.
Signature: Margherita, Diavola, Nduja
Order: A margherita with fior di latte, then a diavola with extra basil; share over a glass of Aglianico.
Tip: No bookings; arrive at 17:30 to walk into a table. Counter and tables sit twenty inside.
Musashi on Capel Street in Dublin 1, Northside's go-to Japanese noodle and sushi counter, the city's most reliable sub-€15 ramen and tuna nigiri lunch.
Signature: Tonkotsu ramen, Sushi set, Gyoza
Order: Tonkotsu ramen with extra chashu, a side of pan-fried gyoza.
Tip: Three Capel Street locations within a block. The original 15 Capel sits busiest at lunch; the IFSC branch is quieter for dinner.
Soup Dragon on Capel Street in Dublin 1, a fifteen-seat Northside cafe running ten daily soups, the city's most balanced sub-€10 lunch you can find.
Signature: Soup of the day, Smoothies, Daily bagel
Order: Two-soup combo with house bread and a smoothie; Thai chicken soup if it's on the board.
Tip: Walk-in only and counter seating only; arrive before 12:30 or after 14:00 to find a stool. Takeaway runs all day.