Exploring Dublin's Cozy Side

My cozy Dublin list reflects nearly 20 years of favourite special places and flavors. 

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Dublin is a cool city. I am not a cool person. And herein lies the root of my problem with it comes to recommending things to see and do in the Irish capital. I can't tell you a thing about hip bars, trendy music venues, or any of the amazing shops led by a new generation of makers and creators. I'm not much better when it comes to chic restaurants, festivals, or exhibits. Alas, people ask me for recommendations for their Dublin city breaks all the time. This autumn alone, two sets of dear friends are going there and I couldn't do much more but issue an impassioned plea for them to visit my favourite bakery. Not exactly cutting edge stuff.

But all of a sudden, I thought that, maybe, it might just be enough. After all, lots of people are eager to share why they think Dublin is cool. But who's talking about about what makes Dublin cozy? Me, that's who! Who says that little bakeries aren't the best part of a city, anyway?

At last, I'm ready to own my Dublin recommendations. Here are the cozy places, flavors, and spots that I visit again and again in Dublin. Better luck next time, hot clubs.

The Hairy Lemon Pub

Hairy Lemon Pub image courtesy of Trip Advisor under Creative Commons licensing.

This little pub with the quirky name is where I go for traditional Irish food in Dublin. I'll be honest - one of the reasons I return to the Hairy Lemon again and again is because you can easily reserve a table online, usually with just a few hours notice, and secure a spot for dinner. (You can reserve with this link). This is a big deal in pubs where people are packed in and often there's just standing room only.

Convenience aside, I love that the majority of options are under 20 Euros (pretty reasonable in pricey Dublin) and that there is a wide range of vegetarian options - including a roast vegetable pie, pasta primavera, and Thai curry. I also love that there a good balance between traditional Irish food - beef and Guinness pie, Dublin coddle, bacon and cabbage - and other crowd pleasers like chicken carbonara, steak and fries, and chicken wings. There's a fantastic dessert menu, including bread and butter pudding and caramelized apple tart. Rounding it out, there's live music every night, including Irish trad music on Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday starting at 8:00 pm. Apparently, the Hairy Lemon is considered to be one of the best places in Dublin for trad music but I just think of it as my local Dublin dinner pub.

By the way, I'm told scenes from The Commitments were filmed here but I can't verify the rumor!

Queen of Tarts Bakery

Image courtesy of Trip Advisor under Creative Commons licensing.

Image courtesy of Trip Advisor under Creative Commons licensing.

Image courtesy of Trip Advisor under Creative Commons licensing.

My beloved Dublin favourite since 2001, this tiny bakery is where I go when I need to think things through, ponder decisions, or just stock up on baked goods. I like to pop into the Queen of Tarts for Irish brown bread, homemade scones, and apple tarts made with local fruit. There's also a good selection of slightly less traditional fare like chocolate brownies and cheesecake. A small but tempting breakfast and lunch menu is served here but I've never been by when it hasn't been packed to the rim - if you see a spare table, grab it.

I still retain a fondness for the original location on Cork Hill, Dame Street (even if I can't get a table), but there's a second location right around the corner at Cows Lane, Dame Street. 

The National Gallery of Ireland

Image courtesy comeheretome under Creative Commons licensing.

Image courtesy of Trip Advisor under Creative Commons licensing.

A visit to the National Gallery of Ireland is the kind of place which would normally always make my list of what to see and do in Dublin because it's easy to visit and admission is free. But the National Gallery has earned a special place on my cozy Dublin list because it houses a massive collection of art and archives from one of my favourite artists, Jack Yeats. 

Often overshadowed by his Nobel prize winning brother, writer W.B Yeats, Jack Yeats’ beautiful work in oils is captivating. His portrait of the annual Dublin Liffey River swimming competition garnered Ireland its first Olympic medal (silver) in 1924 when painting was an Olympic exhibition event. Who knew that painting was once an Olympic sport? You and me, that's who! You can see "The Liffey Swim" and many more of Yeats pieces throughout the National Gallery. 

To know about Jack Yeats is to know about all of Ireland. His Olympic medal is just one of many notable achievements in his artistic career.  He designed sets for the legendary Abbey Theatre - another spot I just love in Dublin, very cozy indeed - and had three of his own plays produced there. Through his brother, he became close friends with another Irish literary luminary, John Millington Synge, and Yeats would illustrate two of Synge’s travel guides. He was a key figure in the Gaelic Revival of Ireland and his legacy can be felt to this day. Just thinking about him makes me wish I had picked up a stack of postcards on my last National Gallery visit, just so I could have his work in my house. 

The Guinness Storehouse

Image courtesy of Trip Advisor under Creative Commons licensing.

Image courtesy of Trip Advisor under Creative Commons licensing.

Photo by Tavis Beck on Unsplash

Image courtesy of Trip Advisor under Creative Commons licensing.

I know, I know - how lame, right? I take something that's on literally every single list of things you should see in Dublin and I stick it on my oh-so unique cozy Dublin list. But hear me out.

I don't like beer. I especially don't like Guinness. But I love visiting the Guinness Storehouse (also known as the Guinness museum). It provides a very unique look at the history of Dublin - let's face it, is there even a Dublin without Guinness? I especially LOVE the exhibit on the brand's cheeky and sometimes politically brazen marketing campaigns over the years. The Storehouse's 7th floor Gravity Bar is the perfect place to redeem your coupon for a free pint (available when you reserve your museum tickets online, a smart move to save about 6 Euros versus the door rate). And there's good food at the museum's onsite cafes. I also like the Guinness Storehouse shop. The Guinness branded clothing and bar ware don't tempt me but little treats like Guinness infused chocolate (like dark chocolate, but better) make for fantastic souvenirs. Don't be dissuaded by the Storehouse's truly awful, always-in-motion website. Once you arrive, everything is fascinating.

While we're on the topic of 'so obvious why even put it in a list' places, the Book of Kells at Trinity College is a huge YES for me. I also enjoyed the Jameson Distillery Tour experience but what I REALLY liked about it was the huge range of creative, whiskey based cocktails they offer at their bar. Normally, I like whiskey about as much as I do beer, which is to say not at all. But they had a creative cocktail list which completely changed my mind. Cozy!

The colorful, Georgian doors

Image courtesy Wikipedia under Creative Commons licensing.

Image courtesy Irish America Magazine under Creative Commons licensing.

Photo by Robert Anasch on Unsplash

This isn't one specific thing to see or do per se but rather something delightfully cozy and charming that I just love about Dublin. The city's doors, especially on the old Georgian buildings, are painted in a gorgeous assortment of bright colors and often have special decorative touches such as whimsical door knockers. They're so beloved that there are entire Instagram accounts devoted just to celebrating these stunning doors. I guarantee you will find amazing ones all on your own but this article can help point you in the right direction.

The Irish House Party Experience

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My earliest memories of seeing live music in Dublin are HORRIBLE ones. When I first lived in Dublin, smoking in pubs was still permitted and every time I ventured out I would come back reeking of smoke. Thankfully, from my point of view, pub smoking is now banned and visitors like me can breathe freely. But atmosphere aside, I always struggled to find something I liked. Everything was either too late at night, too perfunctory, or too cheesy and over the top.

In the Irish House Party experience, I found a good, cozy solution. I'm sure that there are some people who might describe it as "touristy" (heaven forbid!) It is, after all, a dinner theatre experience designed for tourists. However, it was specifically designed by the artists to move away from the "flat caps and leprechaun" cliches which are so present at other visitor events and instead focus on music and hospitality. They serve a very tasty, if standard, three course menu of Irish cuisine and put on a lively music, dance, song, and story performance that's extremely entertaining. I thoroughly enjoyed myself and didn't once have any regrets that I didn't have a more "authentic" pub experience (aka being royally annoyed by drunken college boys at Temple Bar). If you want Irish dance and music in a more intimate setting, this is a prime option.

My cozy Dublin bucket list

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I have spent a lot of time in Dublin, but there's still plenty left on my cozy bucket list. Here are some of the places and experience I've read about and they so captivated me that I knew I had to share them with you. And I can't wait to experience them in person next time I'm in town. Of course, if you've experienced them personally yourself, please let me know if they lived up to your expectations!

• Leo Burdocks Fish n’ Chips: Dublin's oldest chipper dating to 1913, it has a Wall of Fame showcasing visits from celebrities and politicians. I love tiny fish and chips shops so adding this to my travel list is essential.

• I had never heard of the Little Museum Of Dublin until a few days ago. I must have been living under a rock! Curated by the people of Dublin, this well regarded museum includes special exhibits on everything from the 1916 Easter Rising, President John F Kennedy's visit to Dublin, and a tribute to the band U2 (who have visited the museum!)

• I LOVE food tours but I have never done one in Dublin - and I want that to change! I've heard good things about the Irish Food Trails and about the Delicious Dublin walking tour.

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• Dublin is filled with commemorative plaques. It feels like nearly every building has a historical marker. But the one that interests me most is one that is FAKE! I encourage you to read the story of "Father Pat Noise" and I think you'll be just as intrigued as I am.

Dublin's coziest hotel

Image courtesy of Trip Advisor under Creative Commons licensing.

Image courtesy of Trip Advisor under Creative Commons licensing.

When it comes to coziness, Dublin's Trinity City Hotel checks all my boxes. It's different from the other luxury hotels Dublin offers. First, it's in the perfect location for getting around Dublin. The hotel is across the street from the side of Trinity College, which places it just a two minute walk from the heart of Dublin's tourist center. Yet remarkably, the street itself is very quiet. Plus, there's a police station next door and I always felt calm and secure walking there at night.

The rooms are absolutely sumptuous, with velvet cushions and drapes and unexpected colors like deep plum. While the standard rooms aren't that big, they're cleverly designed with a space for everything. As we had booked a room on sale (surprise, surprise...) I remember being most happily surprised when I first walked in, the feeling of "I got all this for that?"

I was indisposed with a cold and at one point spent close to 24 hours alone in the room. While I was miserable, it was the perfect circumstances for appreciating just how cozy and comfortable the room was. It was the perfect nest for my recovery. I was also grateful for their 24 hour room service menu, a real treat in a hotel this size, so I could hunker down and pitifully request that things be brought up to my room.

The common areas are outrageously over the top, in a really good way. Imagine wildly patterned wallpaper, opulent lighting, ultra modern furniture, and vintage fixtures. You absolutely have the sense of being in a very unique, bespoke property and, if you've been traveling for a bit and staying in old fashioned Irish guest houses, Trinity City will be a breath of fresh air. (You can compare prices with Expedia and Hotels.com)

Explore a different side of Dublin

Photo by Jaleel Akbash on Unsplash

My kind of Dublin itinerary isn't for everyone. I suspect most people visit for a different kind of fun! But the great thing is that Dublin holds something for everyone, even for those looking for a cozy kind of visit. 
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Enjoying Dublin's Literary Legacy
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