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20th December 2016
12:10am GMT
Now that spring is in full swing, there are few better ways to spend a day in Dublin than by relaxing on the canal.
With Canalaphonic taking over Portobello and Rathmines next weekend, your musical needs along Dublin’s friendlier waterway are covered. But what about your food and drink needs? Check out this guide for this spring’s best route for eating and drinking your way down the canal.
Start your day with a caffeine boost at the canal-adjacent 3fe. The shop on Grand Canal Street is mere meters from the canal, and their heavenly coffee and breakfast menu are sure to get your day on the water off on the right foot.
For three days each week, the Irish Village Markets set up shop in different locations near the top of the canal, and this is not to be missed. Try the whopper Indian dishes at the Kerala Kitchen stall, the GrubHub stall’s Turkey Gobbler if you’re craving a sandwich the size of a small car, or some fare from market newcomers El Tipo Taco and Uncle Sam’s Smokehouse. Bring a blanket and enjoy some quality time with your lunch on the banks at Mespil Road
This quiet canalside pub on Baggot Street is the perfect spot to pop in for a quick after-lunch pint. Should you need to stock up with more picnic supplies at the midpoint of your day, Baggot Street Wines and a reliable aul’ Tesco are just down the block.
At the next major canal crossroads, stop in for a drink or two at one of Canalaphonic’s featured venues, The Barge. A roomy pub right on the water, this is an essential stop on any food-and-drink path down the canal.
Resolve fading? Make a pit stop at this hip corner café on the canal in Rathmines for a quick coffee hit and a croissant.
Just across the canal from Grove Road, this one’s a must if you’re out during Canalaphonic. The festival’s Friday night mainstage is just next door.
Choose your own adventure! Those revelers bound for town can head north at this junction for a hipster-friendly pint at the Bernard Shaw and straight on til morning.
For those looking to extend their day on the canal into the evening, head south into Rathmines. Try Blackbird for drinks or Jo’Burger or Manifesto for a hard-earned dinner. Venues throughout the neighborhood have events on during Canalaphonic, but you’ll not be short on entertainment on a normal night, either. See what artsy treasures are in store at Mart or stop in for some jazz and blues at Abner Brown’s Barbershop. Feeling uncreative? You can always grab some popcorn and a blockbuster at the Omniplex.
No matter where you go, following the canal is a foolproof way to a great spring day in Dublin.
