okaybee

I don’t think I’ve ever done a post on Dublin (and I’m too lazy to go back and check tbh).

I’ve found that I’ve really enjoyed just wandering around the city lately. Taking it all in. It helps that the weather has been pretty amazing too. Today I wanted to share some of my favourite current Dublin spots with you guys. Some of you might live here and be looking for some inspiration. Others might be visiting and wondering where’s best to go. Either way, I hope there’s something here for everyone!

Industry

Basically, this place is interior porn, with a coffee shop and deli. That’s the easiest way I can summarise it for you. They’ve expanded the coffee shop over time, and do really good coffee and salad boxes in there. But my main reason for loving this store is their interiors. My dream house would look like the inside of industry. Industrial, but with soft furnishings that make it cosy, cool lighting fixtures and gorgeous candles with books on Scandinavian living and how to cook the perfect cake. Heaven. I’m obsessed.

Søstrene Grene

The first Søstrene Grene location in Dublin was actually in Dun Laoghaire, which is pretty random. Dun Laoghaire is lovely, but unfortunately not as busy as it once was. But it was ideal for me as I used to live pretty close to there. Luckily, once I moved away, a new location opened up nearer to me, on Georges Street. Think of a more stylish Tiger (no offence to Tiger stores), and you’ve got an idea of what Søstrene Grene is like. I am addicted to it for homewares. There’s no better place to get reasonably priced items for your home. Period. Go there and try not to buy the whole store, I dare you.

 

Barn

Barn is Industry for babies. Literally. They’re part of the same company, so there’s a similar aesthetic and vibe. What I love about Barn is the amount of ethical and sustainable products there are. Toys made out of wood rather than plastic. Nappies and baby wipes that are compostable. All things that make a big difference. I’ve found that I have friends and family that are having children, and Barn is nearly always my first port of call when it comes to giving a gift.

St. Stephens Green

I love this park. I have so many memories of it from when I was younger. I used to preform ballet in the National Concert Hall (another favourite Dublin venue of mine). The shows were called Music in the Classroom, and they were aimed at teaching primary school children about classical music. As ballet dancers, we were there to add some entertainment and compliment the music. The shows were weekday mornings and afternoons. We would get ready in the National Concert Hall and then walk across St. Stephens Green to the Kylemore for breakfast. You can imagine how strange it was seeing a group of ten girls aged 7 to 18, with buns in their hair and ballet dancers on their jumpers walking across the park on your way to work each morning!

Stephens Green is where my friends and I would take breaks from studying or working on our thesis, and walk around a few times to clear our heads. It’s where I walk now after pilates to get home. There’s always something going on there. Just the other day I was walking by and there was an orchestra playing in one of the bandstands and people dancing around. Definitely worth a stroll through if you’re in the area. If you’re not a fan of birds, beware of the lake!

National Gallery of Ireland

The National Gallery of Ireland is one of those places that I need to go to more often. It’s a beautiful space, with gorgeous art work, beautiful exhibitions, family tours, areas for children to experiment with art, and the most gorgeous cafe space. The gift shop is also lovely, I recently picked up a new print there that I absolutely love! The National Gallery is a brilliant mix of modern and classic. The new extension juxtaposed with the older building is really interesting to me, and I think it’s been done so well. Apparently there’s a documentary on how they added the extension and the work that went into it. I must watch that soon as I’d say it’s fascinating!

Lighthouse Cinema

One of my favourite things to do is to go to the movies alone. You heard me. Alone. No one chewing in my ear, no one asking me ‘who was that?’ or ‘what did they say?’. In silence. Preferably with no strangers sitting beside me too. Can you tell I’m a bit of an introvert and like my own company? The Lighthouse Cinema is very close to my new office and a short walk from my new place too. I recently went there to watch Incredibles 2 (I’m also a child at heart), and it was such a lovely experience. Comfy seats, good popcorn, what more could you ask for? Lighthouse also do some brilliant initiatives like Pixar month, which it is this August, where you can see a different Pixar movie nearly every day. And, they’re holding a Toy Story marathon near the end of August that I’m frankly devastated to be missing. They also show more niche films, host Gaze Film Festival movies there, and show live versions and replays of ballet and other shows. Literally the dream. Check it out the next time you’re looking to go to the cinema. Someone to accompany you – optional.

Fonte

Possibly the nicest coffee shop staff I’ve met! I only recently discovered Fonte when I needed somewhere to work from early one morning. Great coffee, lovely staff, the food looks really good so I will be going back to try it soon, and the space itself is super aesthetically pleasing (embarrassingly important in my books, sorry not sorry). Another reason I love it is that it’s a little haven in the middle of a very touristy reason of Dublin – Temple Bar. No Dubliner goes to Temple Bar out of choice ever. But this coffee shop, and another place I will mention below are two of my only reasons.

Kimchi

The best Korean food I’ve had in a long time. Word to the wise, don’t bother with the tapas, it’s not amazing. But the main courses? Amazing. I put up an Instastory of my meal at Kimchi (shameless Instagram plug here) and immediately got messages from several people saying something along the lines of “OH MY GOD ISN’T THE FOOD THERE AMAZING?!”. And yes, it totally is. I got the Dakgalbi, which is chicken in a spicy Korean chilli sauce and it is *chef kissing fingers emoji*. Kimchi is located on Parnell Street and perfect for a group of you looking for a good feed with a few drinks.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BWx_kUHF-Vs/?hl=en&taken-at=376769

Shouk

Oh. My. Days. The nicest falafel I have ever had, ever. Seriously the food in Shouk is so so good! You need to go. Myself and my friend Aisling went recently and we barely spoke we were so into the food. The hummus, the spicy carrot salad, all the dips. It’s heavenly. Shouk is located in Drumcondra and you will need to book as the space is tiny and people like me obviously keep telling people to go there because it is packed. If you like clean, tasty food, then Shouk is for you. 10/10.

Bunsen

Remember earlier when I talked about never going to Temple Bar unless 100% necessary? Well Bunsen is one of those necessary times. The reason I go to the Temple Bar location, and not the other locations, is that it’s the perfect meeting place for me and two of my friends from our respective offices. There are other locations though, so you can avoid Temple Bar if you wish. The burgers are so damn good. I’m seriously craving one now just talking about it! Treat yourself to a Bunsen soon, and thank me later.

Ok, well I’m officially hungry after all that! I hope you enjoyed this post. As I mention in the video, I’m definitely going to try to do most posts and videos about places I love in Dublin. There’s so many incredible restaurants, shops, cafes, places to find and enjoy, and I want to share that as much as possible! If you have any Dublin spots you think I should check out, leave a comments below!

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