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What to eat in Dublin? Where to eat in Dublin? 18 Traditional Foods You Have To Try in Dublin

The best traditional dishes in Dublin and the best authentic restaurants that make them, recommended by industry professionals.
Last update: Sun Feb 16 2025
18 Traditional Foods You Have To Try in Dublin
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Stew

DUBLIN, Ireland
3.4
Dublin Coddle
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Consisting of sausages, onions, slices of bacon called rashers, and potatoes, Dublin coddle is a typical winter dish. The name probably comes from the French word caudle, meaning to boil gently, while the origin of the dish dates back to the 1700s.


Allegedly, it originated from the habit of one-pot cooking employed by the sailors of Ringsend and was a favorite of both Jonathan Swift and Seán O'Casey, as well as mentioned in the works of none other than James Joyce himself. It was invented as a way to use leftovers and was typically prepared in bigger cities where it gained popularity because it was so easy to make. 

MOST ICONIC Dublin Coddle

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02

Pancake

COUNTY LEITRIM, Ireland
3.9
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Boxty is a simple Irish potato pancake that is often associated with the northern Midlands region and county Leitrim. The potatoes are finely grated and combined with buttermilk, flour, and eggs, and the whole concoction is then cooked like a regular pancake.


In the past, boxty was usually consumed on its own, but today it is served like a tortilla, filled with a variety of meat and vegetables.

VARIATIONS OF Boxty

MOST ICONIC Boxty

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Beef and Guinness pie is essentially beef and Guinness stew placed into a pastry base and topped with a pastry lid. The pie is baked until it's golden brown and it's known as a perfect dish for cold autumn days. The filling is typically made with beef cubes, mustard powder, oil, onions, celery, carrots, Guinness, beef stock, redcurrant jelly, bay leaves, parsley, and thyme.


It's cooked slowly in order to result in perfectly tender meat. The flavors of Guinness permeate the beef, while the vegetables produce a thick gravy. If there's any leftover gravy after the pie has been baked, it's usually poured into a jug and served with the pie.

MOST ICONIC Beef and Guinness Pie

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This flavorful dish consists of seafood such as salmon, prawns, white fish, and haddock, paired with milk, cream, and vegetables such as onions, potatoes, carrots, and garlic. The chowder is popular both as a refreshing course in the hot summer months, and a rich, comforting winter dish.


It is recommended to garnish the bowl of chowder with some fresh, finely chopped parsley.

MOST ICONIC Irish Seafood Chowder

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05

Chicken Dish

DUBLIN, Ireland
3.7
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Irish spice bag is a popular fast food meal consisting of potato chips and chicken meat with red, green, and chili peppers. The dish that is strongly influenced by Asian cuisine was developed in Dublin in the 2010s, but its exact origins are still unknown.


Spice bags are available in Chinese takeaways and chippers, where they are served in paper bags with an accompanying tub of curry.

MOST ICONIC Spice Bag

06

Stew

IRELAND and  one more region
4.0
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Irish stew is a traditional folk stew that first appeared at the beginning of the 19th century and was developed out of necessity to make a meal out of available, leftover ingredients. Originally, the stew was made only with mutton, onions, potatoes, and sometimes barley, while lamb meat and other root vegetables like carrots, turnips, and parsnips were added later.


It is said that goat meat was also used in the past, but besides the previously mentioned mutton and lamb, beef is a common addition in today's recipes. Given that the meat used in the dish is chewy and hard, usually bone-in, the stew is cooked slowly for a couple of hours so that the meat turns tender and releases the fat into the stew, thus enhancing the flavor of the entire dish. 

MOST ICONIC Irish stew

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Cheap, quick, and easy to prepare, bacon and cabbage is an Irish dish that is traditionally made on St. Patrick's Day. Bacon in the dish refers to cured pork joint from the shoulder, paired with cabbage, and sometimes potatoes, onions, carrots, or turnips.


The dish is often accompanied by a white sauce consisting of butter, flour, milk, and fresh herbs such as parsley. In the past, bacon and cabbage was mostly consumed by Irish farmers who had all of the ingredients readily available.

MOST ICONIC Bacon and Cabbage

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08
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Irish breakfast is a traditional meal consisting of fried eggs, vegetables, potatoes, and meats such as bacon, sausages, and both black and white puddings. The large meal is almost always served with Irish soda or brown bread, a cup of tea, and a glass of orange juice on the side.


All of the ingredients are most commonly fried in creamy butter. Originally, the breakfast was invented as a way to prepare the people for a day of hard work on the farm, and the meal was especially popular on cold winter mornings. Today, its huge size is making it somewhat impossible to consume on most working day mornings, so it is usually prepared on Sunday morning (or Christmas morning, when it's especially popular). 

MOST ICONIC Irish Breakfast

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09
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This traditional Irish stew is made with cubes of beef, onions, bacon, tomato paste, stock, Guinness stout beer, and vegetables such as carrots, potatoes, and celery. The stew is flavored with bay leaves, thyme, salt, garlic, and black pepper, while flour is added as a thickening agent.


It should be cooked very slowly over low heat until all the flavors are thoroughly combined. Beef and Guinness stew can be served with biscuits or Irish soda bread on the side, and it is recommended to prepare it on colder days or for St. Patrick’s Day.

MOST ICONIC Beef and Guinness Stew

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Corned beef boxty is an Irish dish made with mashed potatoes and raw grated potatoes, eggs, flour, salt, pepper, and corned beef. The ingredients are shaped into a thick pancake that is browned on both sides in a frying pan. Traditionally, boxty pancakes are served as part of the Irish breakfast, typically accompanied by eggs, grilled vegetables, and black and white pudding.

MOST ICONIC Corned Beef Boxty

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Cake
DUBLIN, Ireland
n/a
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