My Favourite Places to Eat & Drink in Dublin: Part 2

After a few more months of being in Dublin, I'm back with more favourite places to eat and drink. From my birthday to work events to celebrating my first-year wedding anniversary, the last few weeks have been full of good reasons to check out new places. Here are a few of my favourites:

Token

This is a place I went to more recently and I loved it so much that I had to talk about it first. Token is where I celebrated my first-year wedding anniversary and I had so much fun. The venue serves typical fast-food gourmet style (think tacos, burgers and hot dogs) and has a bar with plenty of alcohol and non-alcoholic drinks. However, what I loved the most is that it's filled with arcade games, including pinball machines, Mortal Kombat (I love this game!), and a game similar to Mario Kart. It was so old-school, so fun and best of all, not expensive - 10 euros will get you 22 tokens and most machines are 1 token each to play.

Xi'an Chinese Street Food

When the customers are mostly Chinese, you know you're getting the most authentic Chinese food in town. The food at Xi'an is undoubtedly the best Chinese food I've ever had. The place is tiny so I always have to arrive early if I want to get a seat, but the service is so quick that it's possible to wait a bit and get a table soon enough. Failing that, they do take-away too. The most famous item on the menu is their Biang-Biang noodles, but I've never been disappointed with anything I've eaten there. The golden crispy buns with condensed milk are an amazing sweet treat for afters too.

Brother Hubbard

Brother Hubbard unites all the most recent food trends from smoothie bowls with soaked oats to avocado with eggs on toast and the menu is just as much about art as it is food. It's such a lovely spot for brunch, especially on the outside patio. I was tempted by the smoothie bowl, which was really good, yet the pork belly on coleslaw toast was unbelievably tasty. I've never had pork that melts in the mouth in the same way as this one did and the thin layer of crispy crackling was perfect. It was honestly the best pork belly I'd ever tried.

Opium

Wow, what a night at Opium! I went there on a work's night out and we began the night with a barbeque on the rooftop in the sunshine. The decor is bright, colourful, yet sophisticated and an Asian, zen-like theme runs throughout the venue. Later on in the night, the space downstairs transforms into a nightclub and the floor gets packed with a young crowd. Thanks to a generous tab gifted by the company I work for, my colleagues and I drank non-stop cocktails throughout the whole night and into the early hours of the morning. I loved the Mango Bang Bang and the Bonsai Bramble (both gin-based drinks), yet when I fancied something different, the bar staff were more than happy to make their own spin on the classics and create bespoke drinks.

Captain America

To be honest, I don't usually eat American-style food, but I make an exception when it comes to Captain America, especially on Fridays when I eat lunch out with my work colleagues. With its rock 'n' roll music and related paraphernalia hung up on the wall, it has a Hard Rock Cafe style, yet with a distinctly American feel. The lunch option is great value and I usually go for the halloumi burger with fries which comes with a choice of drink (beer, wine or soft drink) and is just 10 euros.

Sugar Club

Sugar Club has become my favourite spot for live music and it hosts a mix of international and local singers, including plenty of Brazilian bands. I went to see Mart'Nalia and enjoyed a night of samba, bossa nova, and a crowd that was about 99% Brazilian (I'm pretty sure the 1% was represented by myself, my friend from India and the Irish security staff). It was such a fun night of dancing with an incredible atmosphere that took me right back to my adopted home, Rio de Janeiro. What I really love about this venue is it looks like a cinema and no matter where you are, it's small enough to feel like you're near to the stage. It gives the show an intimate, cosy feeling and the sound quality is so good. I can't wait to go back and I keep checking their events page for any other upcoming Brazilian music shows. In addition to music, they also do comedy nights and I was told they screen important sports games too.

Mongolian Barbeque

If I ever need a hearty, filling meal, then Mongolian Barbeque would be my go-to. The concept of the place is quite simple - just pick up a bowl, fill it up with your choice of noodle, vegetables and protein (both animal and plant proteins are available) from the buffet, add some spices and herbs, and then take it over to the chefs who cook it in front of you on a large, open slate barbeque. I thought my bowl was pretty packed with ingredients until I saw some guys walking over to the chefs with a huge pile of food wobbling precariously. Whether you fill the bowl to the brim and beyond or simply add a modest portion of ingredients, the price is the same which is around 8 euros. It also comes with a huge bowl of rice that's left on the table - something to consider if you're not sure whether you have enough food in your bowl or not.

Monto Cafe

Monto Cafe is one of my favourite types of restaurants - a little bit sophisticated to feel it's a special treat to eat out, yet coupled with a relaxed, homely setting and zero pretence. I ordered the burritos from the lunch menu, which I loved, yet the venue is known for its steak dishes and Italian cuisine too. I really like that Monto Cafe is BYOB (Bring Your Own Beverages) so I could take wine with me without paying restaurant prices for a bottle I could get much cheaper in the supermarket. They also don't charge a corkage fee. Best of all about this place was the amazing service - the waiter was so friendly and chatty and just made the whole dining experience even more pleasant.

777

The blacked-out windows mean it's impossible to see what's going on inside, but the heavy beat of the bass suggests 777 is a nightclub from the outside. However, it's a Mexican restaurant that serves delicious food and a mean Margarita (I'm not a fan of tequila so I didn't like it, but everyone else who had one loved it). I had the family-style dining option, which includes several dishes including pre-starters, starters, grilled mains, sides, and desserts. It lets you try a little bit of everything and is a great way to get to know the stars of the menu. Just go hungry (and with an elastic waistband) as there is a lot of food to try.