The Best Lunch In Dublin: 16 TASTY Spots To Try This Weekend

If you’re in search of the best lunch in Dublin, you’ve landed in the right place.

Whether you’re looking for a nice pitstop during a day of exploring or a more leisurely hangout with friends, there’s some cracking places for lunch in Dublin.

From fancy lunch spots, like Chapter One and Pearl Brasserie, to cheap, cheerful and tasty spots, like Urbanity and WUFF Restaurant, there’s something for every budget.

In the guide below, you’ll find our favourite lunch spots in Dublin, with a little bit of something to tickle most tastebuds.

Where we think does the best lunch in Dublin

The first section of our guide is packed with where we think do the best lunch in Dublin. These are Dublin restaurants that one of The Irish Road Trip Team have been to, and have loved.

Below, you’ll find everywhere from the stunning Trocadero and the peach that is Alma, to Urbanity and more.

1. Trocadero Dublin

Located just a stone’s throw from the Molly Malone Statue, the hugely popular Trocadero is a pretty swanky spot if you’re looking for a lunch with a bit of glamour.

Spread over two 18th century red-bricks at the heart of Dublin’s cultural centre, Trocadero features a range of fine food set in a handsome Art Deco dining room.

Part of the culinary scene in Dublin for over 60 years now, its central location makes it a perfect spot to hit after you’ve seen one of the city’s many attractions.

The 9oz Centre Cut Fillet of Irish Angus beef is the steak to look for on their enticing À La Carte Menu. This, in our opinion, is the best lunch in Dublin for good reason.

2. Alma

And now for something completely different, as Monty Python used to say! A world away from the glitz of Trocadero, Alma is a charming little neighbourhood melange of Irish produce and Argentinian flavours.

Located down amid the handsome tree-lined streets of Portobello, Alma means ‘soul’ in Spanish, but it also stands for the initials of the four daughters of the Argentinian family who now call Ireland home – Anabella, Luciana, Macarena and Agustina.

Using cuts of 100% Irish beef, they serve a deadly range of sambos, including a beautiful Argentinian Sausage with mustard aeoli that you’d be a fool to miss out on.

Related read: Check out our guide to the best steakhouse in Dublin (12 places you can grab a perfectly cooked steak tonight)

3. Urbanity

Since opening in February 2016, Urbanity has become one of the most popular places for lunch in Dulbin, and it’s pretty easy to see why.

Combine a bright and airy space with exceptionally well-prepared food and superb fresh coffee and you’ll be onto a winner in no time!

Located on quiet Coke Lane in Smithfield, Urbanity’s a lovely place for lunch and their fresh locally sourced products make their dishes burst with flavour.

Speaking of the menu, don’t miss their Smoked & Cured Salmon with Horseradish Cream, fennel and potato salad. If you’re looking for no-fuss places for lunch in Dublin where the food and service are top-notch, Urbanity is worth a shout.

4. Wuff Restaurant

Just a short walk from Urbanity and housed inside a gorgeous old redbrick building that one of James Joyce’s characters may once have wandered past 100 years ago, WUFF is a locally owned, cozy, neighbourhood bistro serving breakfast, brunch & dinner.

Not only is their food fresh and filling, but the menu is extensive too. With a brunch menu that serves up everything from chorizo Benedict to an open rib-eye steak sandwich, there’s no chance you’ll be leaving Wuff hungry!

Come up and find them on the corner of Benburb St and Blackhall Place in Smithfield (look for the redbrick columns outside).

Unique places for lunch in Dublin

Now that we have where we think does the best lunch in Dublin out of the way, it’s time to see what else the capital has to offer.

Below, you’ll find some of the more unique places for lunch Dublin has to offer, from rooftop restaurants to cosy cafes.

1. Ryleigh’s Rooftop Steakhouse

Fancy a lunch with a view? As you may have guessed by its name, Ryleigh’s Rooftop Steakhouse is a more upmarket spot for lunch though the prices are still pretty reasonable and not too different to anywhere else in the city. 

Head down to the North Dock and take the lift to the sixth floor of The Mayson to discover Ryleigh’s Rooftop Steakhouse’s cracking outdoor terrace.

Their lunch menu features superb steaks, burgers and seafood options alongside a range of drink options. The real kicker though are sweeping views.

If you’re looking for unique places for lunch in Dublin where you can eat, soak up some views and enjoy a bite-to-eat and a tipple, Ryleigh’s is a great option.

2. Locks Windsor Terrace

Back down in leafy Portobello, Locks offers a charming canalside location twinned with some of city’s best food.

Finished in a stylish blue exterior alongside quaint canopies for a particularly pleasant outdoor setting, this place has changed hands a lot over the years but it looks like they’ve found their groove as a lunch spot and a great evening meal restaurant. 

One reason for that might be their unique menus where they offer the sort of food you won’t find at your average run-of-the-mill bistro. How about a starter of dry aged beef tartare with smoked marrow and cured yolk? This isn’t a lunch you’ll forget in a hurry!

Related read: Check out our guide to the best brunch in Dublin (or our guide to the best bottomless brunch in Dublin)

3. Yamamori North City

Looking out toward the pleasant curves of the Ha’penny Bridge, Yamamori North City couldn’t be in a more central location and has been dishing up some of Dublin’s best sushi since 2007.

Set inside a lovely Georgian house with original features and 19th-century Japanese artwork and artefacts, it’s one of the quirkier places for lunch in Dublin. 

Their lunch menu offers classics such as sushi and ramen as well as a few dishes straight from the wok. If it’s your first time here, perhaps go straight for their ‘specialities’ menu (featuring their sublime Grilled Salmon Teishoku) to get a flavour of what Yamamori are all about. 

4. Sophie’s Restaurant, Bar & Terrace

We’ve already mentioned one rooftop spot on this list, but since I’m a sucker for a great view, here’s another!

Located on elegant Harcourt Street just west of the Iveagh Gardens, Sophie’s Restaurant is perched on top of the stylish Dean hotel and offers some seriously good views across the city. 

Sophie’s offers some fine steaks and burgers for lunch but it’s the wood-fired pizzas that you’ll really want to get stuck into when you visit.

The menu is a short and satisfying, headed by their margherita and pepperoni offerings but I’d personally go for the rich and zingy Pancetta, Crispy Basil, Mozzarella & Chili. This is regarded as one of the best rooftop bars in Dublin for good reason.

Cheap and tasty Dublin lunch spots

The next section in our guide to the best lunch in Dublin looks at cheap and tasty lunch spots where a lower price doesn’t mean you’ll have to compromise on flavour.

Below, you’ll find one of the best burgers in Dublin and some very popular brunch spots, to some other often-overlooked Dublin lunch spots.

1. Bunsen

Billing themselves as ‘Straight up burgers’, Bunsen’s menu is refreshingly sparse, simply asking the size of the burger you’d like and what toppings and the style of fries (if any).

Pair it up with a soda or a milkshake and you’ll be good to go. While they’ve got a few places around the city, you’ll often have to wait.

However, it’ll be worth it. It’s rare that you have a meal here that isn’t absolutely spot-on. Bunsen really is consistently brilliant.

2. Mongolian Barbeque

Temple Bar isn’t short on lunch spots, but if you want something a little different you could do a lot worse than Mongolian Barbeque.

Located on the corner of Cope St and Anglesea St, Mongolian Barbeque keeps things pretty simple when it comes to it’s food. 

Served up from 12pm until 4:30pm every day, their Lunch Bowl features a choice of the best in locally sourced fine ingredients, and then you can relax as you watch your dinner being cooked in front of you by the restaurant’s expert chefs.

3. Blazing Salads

Puntastic name aside, Blazing Salads has been serving up some of the finest vegetarian food in Dublin for over 20 years now.

Long before vegan fare became a normal part of menus and supermarket aisles, these guys were offering tasty meat-free dishes to anyone wishing to go for something a little different. 

Located on Drury Street in the heart of Dublin, give your lunch a healthy twist by checking out their award-winning deli. Featuring a hot food bar, vegan salad bar, sugar-free cakes and certified organic sourdough breads made onsite in the shop’s commercial bakery, they’ve even got a great little outdoor seating area now. 

4. Hatch & Sons

Considering Hatch & Sons’ grand location across from the leafy climes of St Stephen’s Green, their menu is very reasonably priced, which makes them one of the more popular places for lunch in Dublin.

Proudly fuss-free, they focus on good, honest Irish food using as many of the best local and Irish ingredients that they can get their hands on. 

And just incase you feel like you’ve heard all of that stuff before, they list all of their favourite suppliers on their website and explain why they like them. Head down for lunch and get stuck into their excellent beef and Guinness stew for the bargain price of €12.95.

Swanky spots for lunch in Dublin City Centre

The final section in our guide to the best lunch in Dublin looks at the fancier places for lunch Dublin has to offer.

Below, you’ll find some of the finest Michelin Star restaurants in Dublin, along with some other very swanky lunch spots.

1. WILDE Restaurant

It’s fair to say that WILDE doesn’t hold back when it comes to opulence! Located on the second floor of the 5-star Westbury Hotel, this is place to come if you’re planning a pretty spectacular lunch for a special occasion. 

With an airy dining room letting in tons of natural light and plush flowers climbing the walls, it’s a lovely space so make sure to dress your best when heading here.

And if you’re visiting a place like WILDE, you might as well go all out and order their finest, so crack on and order that fillet steak with Béarnaise sauce!

2. Chapter One Restaurant

You need to have a certain swagger to hit up a Michelin Star restaurant for lunch, but when the food is this good the question becomes ‘why not’? And this isn’t a stuffy place either – just a pleasant place to eat with extraordinarily good food. 

Headed up by award-winning chef Ross Martin, Chapter One shows off Ireland’s diversity in dishes such as smoked organic salmon with Lambay crab pancake and ravioli of foie gras with pistachio and globe artichoke.

Located in a basement beneath the Writers Museum on Parnell Square, Chapter One does some of the best lunch in Dublin if you’re looking to mark a special occasion.

3. Pearl Brasserie

Hidden away down some steps opposite Government Buildings in the vaulted basement of a Georgian terrace on Merrion Street, Pearl Brasserie has been offering some Dublin’s finest food for over 20 years now.

While new restaurants seem to open up every month in Dublin, Pearl’s head chef – Frenchman Sebastien Masi – has been consistently serving perfectly seasoned and beautifully presented French-influenced fare all this time. 

So if you want a fabulous lunch cooked by one of the best in business, you’ll be in safe hands if you make a booking at Pearl Brasserie. Take a seat in the airy dining rooms and sit back and enjoy!

4. Glovers Alley by Andy McFadden

Serving refined contemporary food with friendly service in a luxurious dining space overlooking Dublin’s St Stephen’s Green, it’s pretty hard to pick any holes in Glovers Alley!

It’s also home to Andy McFadden, proud owner of a Michelin star at the tender age of 25 and once the youngest chef in London with a Michelin star. 

So if you’re looking for a swanky places for lunch in Dublin where the grub is cooked by an expert chef, then you’ve come to the right place! Their three course lunch menu will set you back €50 but it’s an experience not to be missed.

Lunch places Dublin: Where have we missed?

I’ve no doubt that we’ve unintentionally left out some brilliant places to go for lunch in Dublin from the guide above.

If you have a place that you’d like to recommend, let me know in the comments below and I’ll check it out!

FAQs about the best lunch spots in Dublin

We’ve had a lot of questions over the years asking about everything from ‘What are the most unique lunch places Dublin has to offer?’ to ‘Which are the fanciest?’.

In the section below, we’ve popped in the most FAQs that we’ve received. If you have a question that we haven’t tackled, ask away in the comments section below.

Where does the best lunch in Dublin?

Our favourite lunch spots in Dublin are Trocadero, Alma, Urbanity and Wuff Restaurant (all of the above are great options, though!).

What are the fanciest places for lunch in Dublin?

Pearl Brasserie, Chapter One and WILDE Restaurant are 3 of the fancier lunch places Dublin has to offer.