Dinner in Dublin

I have wanted to visit Dublin for so long, seeing as it is so incredibly close to London it has always felt like one of those places that I should have already visited. So this February I was thinking about what to get my boyfriend for Christmas, and seeing as he has always loved the place… with the dream to buy a pub out there one day.. I decided to treat him to a weekend trip away. Buying memories instead of physical things, as they say.

Many a times we have gone away without planning or making a schedule of where to have dinner, without a list of sightseeing spots we want to visit, without any structure to our day, as we normally just ‘wing it’. As a subsequent to that we haven’t always picked the best places, especially when it comes to eating out. So i learnt from this and I have started to do some inspired research before we jet off.

Becoming a lot more organised has proven to be a success, with instagram being my go-to platform for inspiration, as I find that great photographs from either fellow travelers or locals is one of the most inspiring ways in making these kinds of decisions. My first Dublin post is going to be on the restaurant we went to, when i found it i knew straight away it was the perfect place. Romantic, traditional, yet contemporary. I also discovered that James Joyce quoted Delahunt in his renowed book Ulysses, as a HUGE literature lover it seemed rude not to pay a visit.

“But wait till I tell you, he said. Delahunt of Camden street had the catering and yours truly was chief bottle washer. Bloom and the wife were there. Lashings of stuff we put up: port wine and sherry and curacao to which we did ample justice. Fast and furious it was. After liquids came solids. Cold joints galore and mince pies" James Joyce - Ulysses

The restaurant is called Delahunt, it is a contemporary Irish restaurant and bar situated in a beautiful historic Victorian building with a charming rich blue facade. As soon as you walk into Delahunt you instantly feel welcomed, it is cosy, warm plus the dark wood interiors, vintage furniture and fireplaces all add to the traditional feel. Alongside this, the staff are young and friendly which brings a modern young vibe to the place; i wanted to find somewhere we could eat hearty traditional Irish food amongst a ‘cool and quirky’’ setting, and Delahunt provided just that.

They also offer a cosy pre-dinner place to relax with a drink called The Sitting Room, with classic interiors filled with cosy seating, fireplaces, a candlelit ambience and topped off with a classy chandelier, this is a special place to unwind and sip on a G&T. During the day they have a cafe which undoubtedly would be the ideal lunch spot, or place to grab a coffee. Unfortunately we only visited the restaurant, but their website and instagram provide an array of photos to get an idea of the place.

It is a set 2 or 3 course menu, which was absolutely amazing, we wanted everything on the menu. We both chose the blow torched mackerel, beetroot, trout roe, pickled kohlrabi and fennel, oyster mayonnaise to start, followed by a lamb dish with a side of cabbage with a pureed garlic sauce, the main meal options have changed since we’ve been but it was a winner so I’m sure it’ll be back, and as we were too full for pudding we decided to finish off with a Irish coffee (my first one!) It was delicious and finished the meal off nicely, and don’t be fooled, the alcohol content is more than you think! They also had a cocktail list to die for, we had a couple before we tucked into our food.

Our lamb main with a side of cabbage with pureed garlic sauce

You can find it on the buzzing Camden Street, it is situated perfectly amongst some great bars so after your meal you can prolong your night by grabbing a drink. We headed to the Whelan's, which is a venue for live music and is an outstanding traditional Irish pub, a great lively atmosphere with music that’ll make you jump to your feet! It also featured in P.S I Love You (admittedly one of the reasons why it was added to our itinerary!).

5*, highly recommend Delahunt. It is however a little pricey, so if you’re on a budget it might not be the place for you, yet worth every single penny. The perfect ‘special occasion’ place with a loved one, family or friends.