Amy Austin on Drury Street in Dublin, a thirty-seat Bib Gourmand wine bar inside the car-park entrance, sixteen wines on tap and small plates.
Signature dishes: Charcuterie board, Wine on tap, Daily small plates
Must order: A glass on tap from the daily list, the charcuterie board for two, plus whatever daily special is chalked up.
Tip: Walk-ins only Monday to Thursday from 17:00. Dog friendly; the back banquette holds four for late.
Address: Unit 1, Dublin 2
The Pig's Ear on Nassau Street in Dublin, Stephen McAllister's modern Irish room on three floors overlooking Trinity College, the city's reliable mid-tier.
Signature: Crispy pork belly, Shepherd's pie, Irish coffee soufflé
Order: Shepherd's pie at lunch with a glass of red; Irish coffee soufflé to finish.
Tip: First-floor window seats face Trinity's playing fields. The set lunch at EUR 30 for three courses is the value play.
Richmond on Richmond Street South in Dublin's Portobello, a Bib Gourmand neighbourhood brasserie running modern European on Irish produce since 2017.
Signature: Charcuterie, Daily fish, Set lunch
Order: The set lunch at EUR 25 for two courses; whatever fish is on the daily board for dinner.
Tip: Tuesday to Saturday only; Sunday brunch is the bookings-required day. Closed Mondays.
Forêt on Sussex Terrace in Dublin 4, John and Sandy Wyer's classical French bistro upstairs from M. O'Brien's, a 2026 Bib Gourmand sister to Forest Avenue.
Signature: Pâté de campagne, Coq au vin, Tarte aux pommes
Order: Pâté de campagne to start, coq au vin to share, tarte aux pommes for dessert.
Tip: Walk up from the Sussex Terrace door; the bistro is on the first floor. Wednesday to Saturday only.
Delahunt on Camden Street in Dublin, Darren Free's modern Irish dining room with head chef Dermot Staunton inside a restored Joycean grocer, the canal-side anchor.
Signature: Squab pigeon, Atlantic hake, Apple tarte fine
Order: The squab pigeon course and a glass of natural Riesling from the wine list.
Tip: Friday and Saturday book three weeks ahead. The upstairs bar serves the full menu and is the walk-up option.
The Pig's Ear on Nassau Street in Dublin, Stephen McAllister's modern Irish room on three floors overlooking Trinity College, the city's reliable mid-tier.
Signature: Crispy pork belly, Shepherd's pie, Irish coffee soufflé
Order: Shepherd's pie at lunch with a glass of red; Irish coffee soufflé to finish.
Tip: First-floor window seats face Trinity's playing fields. The set lunch at EUR 30 for three courses is the value play.
The Winding Stair on Ormond Quay in Dublin 1, Elaine Murphy's upstairs dining room above the bookshop overlooking the Ha'penny Bridge and the Liffey.
Signature: Smoked Burren salmon, Irish stew, Brown bread ice cream
Order: Smoked Burren salmon, then a bowl of Irish stew with brown bread.
Tip: Window seats face the Ha'penny Bridge; book three weeks ahead for the four river-view tables. Walk through the bookshop and up.
Gallagher's Boxty House on Temple Bar in Dublin, Pádraic Óg Gallagher's three-room canon of boxty, coddle and smoked salmon, the boxty reference in town.
Signature: Boxty pancake, Dublin coddle, Smoked Irish salmon
Order: The boxty pancake stuffed with beef and Guinness, with a half pint of stout.
Tip: The middle dining room is the calm one; the front bar fills with traffic from Temple Bar Square after 19:00.
