Dave M.'s Profile

The Castle was my local watering hole with "the lads" for several years, and it's a great location for a few pints. It has a very different feeling to other local bars, with an older crowd made up of people who've been going for years, wedding parties, and international guests. An odd mix, but a fun one.

Service is excellent- it was the first place, at age 18, where I was asked "can I interest you in another drink, sir?"- as you might expect from a four-star hotel. The restaurants are good, though a little expensive, and the bar prices are what you'd expect from a hotel as opposed to a pub.

Top tip: there's a wonderful little spot in the main lobby, between the Knights Bar and the Indigo Lounge. It's an old chimney breast of solid stone which has been repurposed into a cosy, dim room for hushed conversations (or lively banter). Staff, I've been told, refer to it as the dungeon, but it's far more pleasant than that! See if it's free if you'd like a more intimate atmosphere for your drinks.

Wan's Garden is one of two Chineses in Killester, and I'd say it's the better of the two. While the Regent is my usual place for a take-out, Wan's is where I go if I'm just ordering for one or two, or fancy that little bit extra in quality.

For an extra few euro on your standard takeaway prices, the jump in quality is noticeable. Vegetables in particular seem to have just that little bit of extra texture to them, and most of their food seems slightly less greasy (though not too much less, since let's face it, that's one of the reasons we order Chinese takeaway).

There is a restaurant portion of Wan's, where I've eaten before, but it's certainly not the kind of place you'd go out of your way to. As a restaurant spot for the locals, though, it's perfectly serviceable, though it is odd if you get stuck at the one table where customers waiting for their takeaway can see you.

Yes, it's a tiny bit more expensive than its neighbour, but it's certainly worth a try. I've never had a customer service problem, and I do think the food is better by just enough to justify the price increase.

The Regent is my go-to Chinese takeout. Nothing fancy, just good old-fashioned spicy, greasy Chinese food. It's exactly what one expects, and it fulfils its purpose perfectly.

Meals are well sized, enough to comfortably fill a grown man on their own, and it's not overpriced. The menu has a wide selection, as do most Chinese takeaways, and the delivery times are respectable enough outside of the Friday/Saturday peak times.

All in all, it's a great little place. It doesn't do anything special, but I don't particularly want my local takeaway to be too fancy. It's reliable, cheap, and cheerful.

Odd Bin's Clontarf isn't really anything special. It's got a nice interior and a good selection of wines, but doesn't offer anything much in the way of value unless you're buying by the case. The selection of beers is less than excellent, and it's in an odd location on the seafront which isn't the easiest for parking.

Really, this place gives me the impression that it's for the serious wine drinker and no-one else. It serves its function well enough for locals, and maybe if you're buying wine by the case it has some good value to offer. But for your average Joe looking for a decent, all-round off-licence, it doesn't shine.

Kelly's has served me as my local off-licence for years, and I love this place. The staff are fantastic, the selection is very good, and they offer some great deals.

The guys generally pick a selection of wines to put on special in the centre of the floor, generally around the €10 mark, and they change frequently: for example, during the summer, you're likely to find some fruity barbecue wines on offer. Advice is available if, like me, you don't know much about your wines, and they're more than happy to steer you towards value-for-money rather than try to upsell.

As a beer man myself, Kelly's is miles better than the other local off-licence. They stock all the usual suspects in an open fridge, but they also have an excellent selection of quality imports such as Flensburger, Baltika, Spaten, etc. They stock some good Irish brews as well, and regularly have five for €10 on some of the good European beers.

Better selection, better staff, and good deals. What more could you want? While you could probably find better bargains on mass-produced plonk in Tesco's or similar, these guys have a great selection and know their stuff. As a small local business, they do an outstanding job serving their customers, too.

And if you need it, they can sort out your party needs with glass hire, too.

Ah, 3 Fade Street. Or The Bar with No Name, Kelly's, The Snail Bar: whatever you choose to call it, it's a wonderful place, with excellent cocktails and one of the finest outdoor areas in the city. Really, there are two versions of this bar: the quiet weeknight bar and the insanely packed weekend one.

On a weeknight, this place is the perfect venue for high-quality mixed drinks from skilled and knowledgeable staff. Odds are they can make your cocktail, whether it's on the menu or not. On one occasion, a friend was served slightly different versions of the same drink by different staff members- and one gets the impression that that's because the well-trained staff might have different ideas on how to practice their craft. The outdoor terrace is usually pretty calm during the week, and is perfect for a quiet summer drink.

Weekends, though, are a different beast. On Friday and Saturday nights, the bar is packed to the rafters with young professionals, and while the same quality bar service exists, it's under a lot more pressure, and it might simply be easier to stick to quickly-poured pints by the time you fight your way to the bar. There's little chance of a seat, and you might find yourself outside whether you like it or not (but the covered, heated area is well equipped for shelter).

Luckily, the atmosphere is fantastic when the bar is this full. The tight confines of the bar make it very sociable in a crowded sort of way, and for some reason, it works well in a way that so many other busy spots just don't manage.

So, pick your poison: midweek quiet cocktails or a frantic and fantastic Saturday night. Either way, if you haven't been here, it's time to correct that.

(And I prefer to call it Kelly's).

This is a great spot to meet friends for a tea/coffee. Located at the back of Trinity College, it's got the perfect balance of university "trendiness" and a relaxed atmosphere, and isn't pretentious (as it might sound).

The coffee is great- strong and citrusy- and the food is perfectly fine, though the selection is somewhat limited. This isn't the kind of place you'd go to "do lunch" in any grand way, but rather a casual meeting spot that you might find yourself lingering at longer than expected.

The exhibitions are varied, covering different areas of scientific study in a very accessible, light-hearted way, and they're staffed by knowledgeable science students and graduates from the college. The website can tell you what's on, and it's worth going for a stroll through after your cup is drained.

As others have pointed out, gallery membership is available and gives you a 10% discount. There's also a small gift shop which has some surprisingly cool nerdy merchandise.

Downsides are that the furniture is all rather solid plastic, and some of the exhibits can be quite noisy depending on the exhibition! But that's all part of the relaxed charm.

For something a little different, this place is worth a visit. I may not be everyone's cup of tea, but if you're fed up of the bedlam of many coffee shops nearby, it's recommended.

Some friends of mine who are far more knowledgeable about food than I booked a table at this place to catch up.  It's small, but perfectly formed: welcoming and comfortable, with enough tables for a good atmosphere but not too many, and an open-plan kitchen where you can see the food being prepared, which is interesting and inspires confidence rather than being obtrusive.

The food here is excellent: I skipped starters, and instantly regretted it when I saw the level of care and presentation that went into those my friends ordered. For mains, I ordered the Sea Bream, while friends ordered the Roast Duck Risotto. I always see fish as a challenge for a restaurant; all too often it's cooked just a little bit too long or isn't fresh enough. The Sea Bream was perfect, crisped along the edge but perfectly cooked within, served with gnocchi and a generous sprinkling of caviar in the rich but not overpowering sauce.

I also tried some of the duck, which came in generous quantities (neither of those who ordered it managed to finish) and was again perfectly cooked, meaty, and delicious.

I hadn't intended to get desert, but by this point had been so consistently impressed I decided to go ahead and order the pana cotta. Very rich, as a panna cotta should be, it was well complimented by the raspberry sorbet it was served with.

The Cotes du Rhone we ordered to share was very good and quite reasonable for €20.

All in all, an excellent experience and one I hope to repeat. The staff were friendly throughout and it was worth every penny.

One of my favourite coffee places in Dublin. This is top-class stuff, and make no mistake. The baristas take their coffee very seriously, so be prepared for a few artisan quirks. For example, they won't do espresso to go (the paper cup ruins the espresso) and the filter coffee takes a good few minutes, so don't order it if you're in hurry (but it's brilliant and always fresh as a result). These might sound like negatives, but they're not- they are all part of the experience of great coffee.

It is best to go here when you have a bit of time to spare and really appreciate it. They also regularly do Saturday morning tastings and brewing classes for a cover charge (which usually includes a bag of their very excellent coffee to take home.

Not quick and easy, this is the fine dining of Dublin coffee, but it isn't extraordinarily expensive either. I can't recommend it more.

This is a wonderful little pub that has served me as "the local" for many years. Good, friendly staff and a nice casual atmosphere make for a great Dublin pub.

There's no bar food, but that's not an issue as there are some food outlets nearby (the chip shop around the corner does close before last orders, though!).

Top tip: the bar is split into two, a left and right side. The left side is mostly decorated in wood and attracts the younger customers; the right is tiled and is the abode of the gents who have been going there years upon years! Nonetheless, our crowd of twenty-somethinga have always been made welcome.