I lived pretty cheaply the week I was in Dublin because I was running out of Euros. There are a lot of pubs in the Temple Bar area (near Trinity) and pub food is actually quite good, but you have to go to dinner early to get pub food (around 5 usually works). One cool thing about Dublin is that you can visit pubs frequented by famous authors and poets. We had drinks in Joyce’s haunt Davy Byrnes, which seemed really classy as pubs go. As far as actual restaurants, Toscana is good if you like Italian food, it’s owned by Italians but has a New York feel.

there are loads of great places to eat in Dublin. I tend to go to the more veggie friendly places like Juice on Georges St.

what kind of food do you like?

Depends on your budget. At the expensive end of the market, Chapter One on Parnell Square and the Tea Room in the Clarence. At the moderate-to-expensive, Lemongrass is a good chain that’s just about to open a branch in the city centre. At moderate-to-cheap, I love the atmosphere in Il Baccaro off Meeting House Square and the pizza in Cafe Bar Deli is pretty good. These are all walking distance from O’Connell Bridge.

Didn’t do restaurants, but O’Neill’s does a damned fine lunch. It’s a HUGE pub, nowt to do with the chain of pubs of the same name in the UK. Very hearty meals, for not much dosh.

i liked Mona Lisa (i think thats the name) its not far from o’connell bridge opposite the temple bar area. I’ll go find a link…. here

i thought it was good, but i was a student at the time so it may not be the choice of others, but we frequently saw people who were NOT students in there, and it was usually quiet busy but not busy enough we couldnt get a table. we went here almost every thursday (early enough to get pizza/pasta for half price), yummy italian food.

:)

I liked Salamanca, recommended by a friend who’d lived in Ireland for three years. More info is listed here:
http://wikitravel.org/en/Dublin#Dinner

I can mostly only help with vegetarian restaurants, and those with many vegetarian options.

Cafe Irie in Temple Bar has a great menu with pita wrap contraptions that they can grill. Houmous is my favourite.

The Winding Stair is always worth a visit as it is both a cafe and a bookshop. All of the sandwiches are named after books. I like the Watership Down.

There is a great place called Maxi’s tea salon off Malbourgh St. And there is a great Italian place off Parnell near the movie theater. All places in Dublin are extremely expensive to eat. I am hooked on the panini’s though. Have fun.

Juice is a really great vegetarian place in Dublin, though it was the most expensive place I visited on my last trip. Pub food is quite good, and less expensive than most other places.

If you ever find yourself at a loss, take a walk or drive over to Wicklow St. – it is made up almost entirely of restaurants and most menus are posted in the windows. Cornucopia is fun, but its cafeteria style with group seating, so you’ll have to be comfortable with that aspect of dining.

The Belvedere, the pub and restaurant attached to…I think the Comfort Inn, but I’m not sure (and don’t worry, it isn’t just the guests of the hotel), has really good food and is one of the few easily accessable places north of Parnell, if you’re ever up there. It’s on Gardiner Row/Great Denmark St (it changes right around that corner block, so sometimes finding it requires knowning both street names). Hope that helps.

What time of year are you going?

Haven’t been to Dublin since 2001, but I do remember that The Bad Ass Cafe in Temple Bar did a very nice meal.

I’d second Salamanca; some of the best tapas I’ve had. The staff are lovely as well.

The Mermaid Cafe (http://www.mermaid.ie/) is really nice as well. Very simple, but very well prepared food. Not too expensive, staff again are attentive and charming.

Odessa (http://www.odessa.ie/) is definitely worth thinking about too. If you’re eating late (so the prospect of being underground doesn’t bother you) make sure you reserve a table downstairs; the huge armchairs and the cocktail bar are worth it.

Town Bar and Grill (http://www.townbarandgrill.com/)’s getting a very good reputation as well. I haven’t been there though.

There’re all quite chilled out, good restaraunts. I think, personally, pub food or the Bad Ass is often great (and definitely worth going to on one of the other nights)but you might want somewhere a bit more salubrious for the night of your anniversary.