Dublin may not be a huge city but knowing what to do and where to go when visiting for a weekend can still be a difficult toss-up of choices, with plenty to fill an itinerary. With that in mind we spoke to some ‘people in the know’ on the Dublin scene who told us what to look out for this autumn.
Anthony Remedy, creative consultant
When picking events for Dublin for autumn, I’ve chosen an exhibition, a DJ show, a film and a couple of openings that will move the needle for the capital in terms of dining and interior.
So firstly, Picasso: At the Studio opens on October 9th at the National Gallery. Picasso doesn’t need any introduction from me. Still, it’s exciting to note this exhibition, centred on him in the context of his studios and the key locations that define him. It will include paintings, ceramics, sculptures, audio-visual work and more; a must-see.
READ MORE
Club-wise, Hammer (Feel My Bicep) is playing at Pyg on September 19th as part of Culture Night. Expect the best in electronic house, and even some Italo. Another DJ show to look forward to is the return of Luke Una. An outstanding DJ who plays across the board, Luke has had a colossal influence on UK house for near on 40 years. Also, it’s always a pleasure to hear a superb DJ playing on the beautiful hand-built Fidelity sound system too. Luke plays Fidelity this October 11th.
Film-wise, moving out of the summer blockbusters and into the auteur season, Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another opens on September 26th: Leo DiCaprio, Regina Hall and Sean Penn star. A Paul Thomas Anderson film is always an event, but this is reported to be his biggest budget film, and it’s playing in IMAX. Yes, a Paul Thomas Anderson film in IMAX. Whoah!
Hospitality-wise, two of the biggest brands out there roll into the dirty old town in Q4. Situated on the corner of Georges Street and Exchequer Street in the old Central Hotel, The Hoxton will open this winter (date TBA). If St Regis is a byword for luxury, The Hoxton denotes cool:129 bedrooms, a new restaurant and wine bar, plus a club in the former Rí-Rá, this is a big deal for Dublin city centre.
And secondly, and only announced relatively recently, Big Mama’s Group, known for their 1970s/1980s Italian maximalist interiors and their ‘suits everyone’ Italian food offering will open Gloria this winter on Westmorland Street, Dublin 2. I’ve been to Gloria in London a couple of times and have no doubt the Dublin outpost will not only be jammers but adored from the get-go by its high-low but very Insta-curious target audience. An enjoyable experience which will do serious business.
Karl Deery, tour guide
As a tour guide who is on the streets every day in Dublin all year round, as the busy season starts to calm a little, I like to do some of the touristy stuff around the city in my down time. In terms of cultural stuff, I think 14 Henrietta Street is top class. It’s a building that has about 300 years history within its walls and is a real snapshot of different parts of the city and how it has changed down the centuries. There’s a fully guided tour also which I obviously love.
If I’m doing something that includes walking around the city and food combined, then Walking Food Tours is second to none. Marketed as ‘not a champagne and lobster food trail’ you get to really enjoy some of the best street food the city has to offer, without breaking the bank and in a sustainable way. It’s the perfect thing to do if you have spent the previous evening sampling the beverage providers in the city.
Dublin Pottery Studio is one of the more unique things to do in the city for individuals, couples or groups. There are lots of options to paint pottery, make pottery or Drink and Draw. This is a perfect evening event located very centrally in Smithfield.
Corina Gaffey, stylist
On the forefront of supporting Irish design, Om Diva on Drury Street is an eclectic shopping experience with everything from vintage to quirky fashion pieces behind the pink facade. Upstairs is where homegrown and Irish independent designers are nurtured and given space to showcase and sell their work.
The Collective - also on Drury Street - houses over 30 independent designs, the majority Irish. But they also offer fun, bespoke experiences like customised rings, engraving or jewellery workshops where you can forge your rings for a more personal souvenir.
Indigo & Cloth, situated in Temple Bar, offers a range of menswear, lifestyle products, and a cafe. You can find Irish design, sitting alongside more under-the-radar labels, creating a nice, curated browsing and shopping experience while you sip on your coffee.
A chic boutique that meets an intimate apothecary, Parfumarija in the Westbury Mall houses a wide selection of rare, niche and exclusive fragrances.
Founded by John Redmond and Karen Higgins, Ecru Studios began as an online store and as a series of pop-ups and has since been established as a permanent space within the Westbury Mall. It offers a great mix of contemporary brands, interesting jewellery, and thoughtful design objects too. If you want to visit one space and get your independent shopping fix, then the Westbury Mall would be it. Alongside Ecru studios and Parfumarija, you’ll find Stable, which stocks in-house silk designs with a stylish Irish twist, handwoven scarves, linen shirts, and chic Irish gifts.
Jennifer Slattery’s red bricked premises, situated on the edge of Stoneybatter, has everything from napkins to shirts to dresses to table runners made from Irish linen and embroidered in-house in the Dublin studio.
Lastly, Scout, located just off Cow’s Lane, is a lifestyle store that stocks international labels you’d be hard-pressed to find elsewhere, alongside some snippets of Irish design, including candles and blankets.
Natasha Duffy, creative director
Dublin has a habit of leading me astray in the nicest possible way. So, here are a few things you might want to ‘accidentally’ find yourself at.
First up, Susan Stenger who played with Nick Cave and the Band of Susans. She’s bringing her curious brain and deliciously strange sounds to life alongside cartographer Tim Robinson, with an event titled Our Time in Space, with Crash Ensemble and a whole gang of artists at the National Concert Hall. You’ll leave wondering where maps begin, where they end, and wanting to make your way west to find out what inspired these gorgeous compositions and artworks.
Then there’s Boyfriends at Smock Alley, back thanks to the wonderful chaos that is LemonSoap Productions. Thank God for them, a theatre company properly on the edge in an era where that kind of feels impossible. Boyfriends is back for an eight stop all Ireland tour and follows the situationship between two guys. It’s a zany romantic comedy about grief, sex, and a pug dog, and sure to be as much of a five-star smash hit as it was last time. This takes place November 12th -15th.
For those that might like to find themselves in one of Dublin’s most iconic venues, this November 13th, Kae Tempest storms Vicar Street. If you want an evening that’ll stir you up in all the right ways, this is it.
And if none of that grabs you, just take yourself for a wander through Capel Street, Parliament Street or Grafton Street. Some of my most memorable nights started out with no plan whatsoever, just a conversation with a stranger. Dublin’s like that, the fun is everywhere if you let it find you.
Marcus O’Laoghaire, food blogger
Dublin is an oyster of a city, and once you crack the shell there are rich and delicious rewards within. Here are some of my favourite restaurants as someone who eats for a living, from coast to city suburbs, high end to wallet friendly, all united by being wonderfully delicious.
We’ll start with the brilliant King Skewer on Cathedral Street, just seconds away from O’Connell Street. King Skewer is a northern Chinese BBQ restaurant, that’s true to its name, serves everything from cumin and Szechuan pepper-tinged lamb to bullfrog on skewers, cooked to order - extremely friendly on the purse strings and for lovers of spice and adventurous flavours.
Next on this delectable whistle-stop tour of Dublin, we go coastal, to Howth for Mamo and King Sitric, two family run restaurants, with King Sitric being my number one seafood spot in Dublin, and Mamo being my absolute favourite for a long Sunday lunch. They let the waves do the work and serve impossibly fresh crab and lobster.
Back in town, new kids on the block, Comet are bringing a touch of Scandi-cool to a laneway off Dawson Street, serving perfectly restrained, deeply thought-out food in a stunningly designed room. Just a ten-minute walk away, Eric Matthew’s love letter to Italian food, using Irish ingredients, Kicky’s is always worth a visit. Don’t skip the cheesecake.
Keeping in that Italian vein, Lena is an ideal spot for an early evening supper by the canal. Watch swans glide by while you scoff an impossibly melty osso bucco with a glass from their extensive list. Dublin can be heaven.
The proverbial daddy of them all, if you want to go all out, is Chapter One - a restaurant that has served me some of the best meals of my life, tucked away in a basement on Parnell Street, that I would wager is en route for a third Michelin star, if that’s your kind of thing. Dublin is more delicious than ever, and it’s all there for the taking. Enjoy it.
Where to stay
Located on Drury Street, in the centre of Dublin’s beating heart, is Brooks Hotel. Situated in a neighbourhood full of galleries, boutiques, cafes, bars, restaurants and with Grafton Street, St Stephen’s Green, and Temple Bar right on your doorstep, this hotel is an ideal base.
It has recently been renovated to create a more contemporary space with an Art Deco inspired bar serving delicious cocktails and 101 bedrooms, each boasting a 50-inch smart TV, wireless Bluetooth speakers, coffee machine, and lovely toiletries from The Dublin Herbalist in the bathroom.
The hotel’s newly launched 62 Drury Street Bar & Brasserie provides an all-day dining menu while buffet style breakfast is available until 10.30am.
Meanwhile The Wilder Townhouse is located a little further from the action, situated on Adelaide Road in Dublin 2 but still within walking distance of all there is to see and do.
With cosy furnishings and luxurious bedding, you’ll find this hotel a quiet haven close to the city centre. This beautifully restored Victorian townhouse is a residents-only boutique hotel where you can indulge in an afternoon tea experience at The Gin and Tea Rooms.
