Dublin, the capital city of Ireland, has a lot offer. Famous for its art, music and literature as well as its nightlife there is plenty to keep any visitor busy. The city is also easy to get around with good bus, tram (luas) and intracity rail (DART) services.
Below we've listed a few recommended places to eat and drink as well as things to see and do during your visit to Dublin:
Cafes, restaurants and pubs
Near to the Burlington Hotel the easiest area to visit is Ranelagh which is about a 10 minute walk from the hotel. Ranelagh has a good selection of restaurants and pubs. Some recommendations include:
Cinnamon - up market restaurant with a good selection of wines.
Kinara Kitchen - A good Indian restaurant
Smyths - Serves pub grub and has a large beer garden
The city centre abounds with places to eat and drink and simply wandering around the Temple Bar or Grafton Street area should be enough to find somewhere to eat or drink. A few recommendation include:
The Winding Stair - Both a bookshop and an award winning restaurant with views over looking the Ha'penny Bridge over Dublin's River Liffey.
The Market Bar - An open plan tapas restaurant and bar, set in a large converted warehouse, that serves good food and drink.
Indie Dhaba - An Indian restaurant with a twist. Don't go here expecting to get a Chicken Korma curry, this restaurant serves modern takes on many of India's classic dishes.
Cafe en Seine - Step back into 1920's Paris with this lavishly decorated cafe and bar.
The Porterhouse - Good pub with a very wide selection of drinks. Live music can be found here almost every night.
Attractions
Trinity College, the Book of Kells and Old Library - Trinity College is Dublin's oldest university and well worth taking a look around. You can walk around the grounds for free or there are guided tours that run pretty much every day (and come highly recommended). You can also see the Book of Kells, one of Ireland's great treasures and a pinnacle of the illuminated manuscript art form. Included with entry to the Book is a visit to the Old Library which is truly breathtaking. Entry to the Book and Library costs €9, or the guided tour is €10 which includes the Book and Library entry fee.
The Guinness Storehouse - Learn about Ireland's most famous beverage. Pour your own pint on the 4th floor and head up to the Gravity Bar for panoramic views of Dublin city centre.
Viking Spalsh Tour - A tongue-in-cheek guide will drive you around the city centre before plunging the vehicle into the Grand Canal Dock. A fun tour of Dublin by land and water - highly recommended.
Howth and Howth Head - The suburb of Howth, once a small fishing village, is a pleasant place to spend an afternoon. You can walk out along the harbour wall, visit the nearby islands by boat and get a traditional fish 'n' chips at Beshoffs. Many excellent seafood restaurants also pepper the waterfront. If the weather is with you then the 6km looped walk around the Howth Head peninsula is highly recommended. Taking around 1.5-2.5 hours to complete it passes over cliff tops and nearby beautiful sandy beaches - it's hard to believe you are still in the capital at all.
Dún Laoghaire - Another seaside suburb of Dublin. Dún Laoghaire is one of Dublin's major ports and the walls of the large harbour makes for a pleasant place to take a stroll and watch the boats go by. The whole experience is properly topped off by getting on of Dublin's famous Teddy's Ice-creams.
Dublin Bay Cruises - A good way to combine the above two is to take the short, 75 minute, cruise from Dún Laoghaire to Howth (or vice versa).
Museums - The National Museum of Ireland, National Portrait Gallery and Irish Museum of Modern Art (IMMA) all come recommended.
Kilmainham Gaol - This jail is strongly linked with Ireland's struggle for independence. Entrance is by guided tour only which cannot be booked in advance and so it is advised to get there early to secure a place on a tour. Should your tour be an couple of hours after you arrive you can pass the time at the nearby IMMA (see above).
Special events
The Street Performance World Championships are taking place in Dublin the weekend before Capra. Check the website for details of individual performances around the city.