Our Dublin Back Book

There’s an ever-growing list of important exports to have come out of Ireland’s capital—Guinness, of course, James Joyce, U2, and the city’s on-screen turns, from Normal People to Bad Sisters (give us Sharon Horgan in a Dryrobe any day). But what’s harder to export is the particular spirit of Dubliners themselves: a welcoming open-arms approach, always up for a freezing-cold sea dip and some serious craic (‘fun’ or ‘good conversation’ in Gaelic). It’s a city with literary heft (Sally Rooney, Paul Murray, Anne Enright), physical beauty, and thriving fashion, craft and design scenes—in fact, Jonathan Anderson is bringing the Dior runway to Trinity College this December.

That conversation between past and present runs throughout Dublin. Alongside red-brick Georgian squares, historic pubs and centuries-old institutions, a new generation of chefs, makers and shopkeepers is creating a fresh crop of addresses. So we asked a few on-the-ground Dubliners and a handful of people who know it well to share their favourite spots across The Fair City (and well beyond Temple Bar). From the archetypal “old man pub” that’s filled with stained glass and little snugs, and the saunas to sprint into after a chilly swim at The Forty Foot in the Irish Sea, to the only place to hear a proper traditional fiddle session (including advice on how to actually get a seat), why the DART is the best mode of transport, and the shops (and streets) to find the finest Irish tweed.

OUR CONTRIBUTORS

Cúán Greene is an Irish chef and founder of Ómós, a guesthouse-restaurant in Abbeyleix, Co. Laois. Born in Dublin, he worked behind the pass at both Noma and Geranium in Copenhagen, before returning to Ireland in 2019 as the head chef of Bastible in Dublin. 

Charlotte Leonard-Kane opened Scéal—a bakery café—with her husband Shane in 2016 after spending a year living and working at one of San Francisco’s best bakeries, Craftsman and Wolves. A Dublin native, she now lives on the east coast with her young family and claims that her favourite pastry is their transcendental pain au chocolat, an Irish take on a French classic made with Irish butter, Irish flour and an Irish bean-to-bar chocolate producer.

Róisín Lafferty is the founder and creative director of her eponymous design studio, bringing architecture, art, and detail-driven decisions into her interior projects. In 2025, she launched the Róisín Lafferty Gallery—part studio, gallery and retail space in a Georgian townhouse beneath her Dublin studio. It features curated furniture, lighting, and art from some of the world’s most talented designers, makers, and artists.

Kathryn Davey is a self-taught Dublin-based natural dye artist whose work looks at the colors derived from native Irish plants. After two decades in California, she’s been in Dublin for 11 years and turns to the landscape around her as inspiration for her textile wall pieces and commissions in natural fibre, including her recent series of pieces for the just-opened Ómós Guesthouse and Restaurant.

Alison Doyle is the founder of Irving Green, a curated homeware and gift shop in New York City’s East Village. Originally from Dublin, she has called New York home for nearly two decades. Opened in 2025 on East 9th Street, it reflects her love of both Ireland and New York, bringing together pieces from Irish makers and designers alongside carefully sourced finds from around the world.

Pearl Reddington is an Irish knitwear designer originally from Dublin and now based in Dromahair, County Leitrim. Designed and made in Ireland, she uses Donegal-spun yarns—some pieces mixing merino wool and nettle blends—drawing on Irish knitting traditions for her textiles and works at the intersection of heritage craft and contemporary wares.

Yohan Irani is a doctor, home cook, supper-club host and creative director. Through gatherings, dinners and beautiful events, he explores food, hospitality and slow living, often drawing inspiration from the city’s diverse landscape and its close connection to the sea.

Claire Grennan is the co-director of Irish Design Shop, a Dublin design store specialising in Irish craft and design. Established in 2008 with her long-term collaborator Laura Caffrey, the shop stocks work from over 100 makers from across Ireland. Both graduates of metalwork at the National College of Art and Design, the pair also run the jewellery brand Names, whose recent collection, Lomán, was inspired by the rock formations of Dublin’s north coast, where Clare now lives.

John Adams is the founder of Article, an independent design and homeware store in Dublin’s Powerscourt Townhouse Centre. Originally from the UK, he has been in Dublin for over 20 years and opened his shop in 2010, curating a thoughtful edit of tableware, decorative objects and stationery. 

Didi Ronan is the co-founder of Native, a design-led guesthouse and collection of garden suites in Ballydehob, West Cork, which she created with her husband Simon Ronan in 2019. The project combines a passion for Irish craft, sustainability and regenerative tourism, with 20 per cent of profits supporting a local rewilding project.

Anna Guerin is the founder and creative director of The Landskein, an Irish luxury tailoring label founded in 2019. Originally from County Kerry, she has lived in Dublin for almost three decades and works from her studio in Dún Laoghaire, creating coats and tailored pieces from beautiful Irish tweeds and natural cloth, woven in Donegal.

Cora Enterline is a writer, editor and wine obsessive based in Dublin’s Portobello. A graduate of Trinity College’s MPhil in Comparative Literature, she is the founder and editor-in-chief of MOUTHFEEL—an arts and literary journal—and runs Cora’s Wine Club, a series of tastings and gatherings exploring wine, storytelling and community.

Kate McCabe is the founder of Bog & Thunder, an Irish travel company specialising in thoughtful and delicious, food- and culture-led journeys across Ireland. She is also the editor-in-chief of a forthcoming print-only magazine about modern Ireland and co-hosts the food and culture podcast Dyed Green with her husband, Max. (Read our Navigator Q&A here.) 

STAYS

Favorite splurge hotel

The Shelbourne – An all-time classic right on Stephen’s Green. Old-world heritage hotel with a touch of glamour. Festive at Christmas, and great for lunch and a martini.—Didi Ronan. Old-school classic that has a good connection to the history of the city, and is still a place locals will go to socialise.—John Adams 

The Merrion – One of our favorite hotels in Ireland. Yes, it’s five stars and has everything you need (a pool, a salon, a 24-hour guests-only cocktail bar), but it’s really the hospitality that has us coming back again and again.—Kate McCabe. The staff are always fantastic, the art collection is sublime, and the garden is a hidden gem on summer days for drinks or dining. They had great deals over the pandemic, so we both stayed (on separate occasions!).—Clare Grennan. My idea of discreet luxury – you’re beautifully taken care of, the service is impeccable, and the rooms have wonderful proportions while still feeling cosy. It’s somewhere you feel properly rested, yet perfectly connected to the city. I love the Georgian streets around it, the limestone, the trees – that part of Dublin has such a particular feel. You’re a few minutes’ walk from the bustle of the centre, but there’s a lovely quietness here. For me, the location is perfect.—Anna Guerin