So a couple of months ago, a really fabulous blog called Lovin’ Dublin came out with a list of the 150 Best things to Eat and Drink in Dublin. The list is phenomenal. PHE NO MEN AL. So I decided that when I can help it, which is almost always, I will only go to a restaurant on this list until I have completed them all slash gone to all of the ones that I want to go to.

Some of you may be wondering,’Why did you do that, Bianca?’ Well friends you see I did that because going out to eat a meal in Dublin is SO expensive. It really can cost you a ton of money. So if I am going to spend my money, I figure I may as well spend it somewhere really good. I trust these Lovin’ Dublin people because I haven’t had a bad thing from the list so far.

About two weeks ago, my mom came to visit, followed by my grandmother and aunt only a couple of days later. With them all staying in hotels, and me not having the space or time to cook meals for them, we went out for meals basically everyday and for every meal. It has been great and I want to share some of the places I went to with you because they are absolute gems. But first let me talk about the side effects… and I’ll try to keep it polite.

First things first… what this does to your body is unbelievable. Well at least mine. I am used to eating my own cooked food or someone else’s home cooked food. Going out to eat is maybe like a once every couple of weeks thing. Eating EVERY meal like this… is a stomach ache. And another kind of ache/pain that I won’t go into too much detail about but it is rough on the old insides. The food we have been eating is SO delicious but it’s also so rich. My stomach is practically begging me for a bowl of soup or a rice or pasta or anything plain at this point!

Second things second… the pocket. I mean the amount of money you spend is unreal. I know it’s delicious and convenient and every time is an experience but this is considered a lavish lifestyle in my opinion. It’s nutso. The amount of money spent on meals during my family’s vacation is unbelievable. BUT there is honestly no better way to spend your money if you ask me. So on to the good stuff! My Top 5 Favorites… inspired by the 150 list/Lovin Dublin, but also a bit of my own personal taste.

La Bodega- AMAZING tapas. Right in my neighborhood. Made by Spanish chefs. We had the best food there. And gluten-free bread! Always a plus when I’m with my mom because thats how she chooses to eat. Sorry guys! No photos… but check it out for yourself ! La Bodega Website 

 

Carluccio’s- Italian place that is run by Italians, visited by Italians and raved about by an Italian that I used to work with. SO how could we not go there? And they do gluten-free pasta! We started off with this… enough said:

 

Farm Restaurant- See also … that photo up there ^ ! Those two dishes up there were what my mom and I had at Farm restaurant for lunch on the last day she was here. It was DELICIOUS. Neither of us really knew what to get when we saw the menu, but both of our choices were amazing. Mine was unbelievable I couldn’t believe how tasty it was… a giant quinoa couscous crispy “burger” with veggies and sauce. So so good. The restaurant boasts all organic and natural ingredients, all sourced in Ireland I believe. I could be wrong, but at the very least it tastes like they care. Such a great meal. Visit Farm Restaurant!

 

The Rustic Stone- This place is so fun!! It really is an experience. Especially if you get something on the stone. So basically it is known for it’s steak. And they serve it to you raw on a giant, scorching stone. Then you get to cook it yourself! Myself, Elayne, Gramma and Aunt Mary were there and we got a sharing menu which came out with four different pieces of meat on the stone and accompanying sauces. It was so delicious. I don’t really go crazy over steaks but this place was unreal. We also had some nice sides and starters and a fun chocolate soup for dessert. Can’t go wrong here. The Rustic Stone

 

Aqua Restaurant- The piece de resistance … is that right? Anyway this place was my ABSOLUTE hands-down favorite of the trip. I took my mom out to dinner here and we had an amazing time. Delicious food, fabulous views and a great experience overall. The place is located right along the west pier of a little seaside town called Howth in Dublin. It’s only a train ride away from the city and it is so worth it. The restaurant itself is located on the second floor of the little building which makes for the amazing views of the seafront. We got there at the perfect time because just as our meal was ending, the tide was pulling away and revealing the shallowness of its depth along the sand. The sun was setting slowly and the sand was peeking through, it was amazing and we were staring right at it! Not to mention the surf and turf. Thanks Lovin’ Dublin for the recommendation because the food was amazing. Some photos from the night… that don’t include steak lol sorry!