What a summer for food it has been.

I’ve been incredibly lucky to do a bit of travelling this summer, both within Ireland, and out, so I haven’t got to try as many spots in Dublin as normal. That said, the places I have been hitting up have been sensational, the kind of spots I dream of long after I’ve visited them. From a fancy tasting menu, to pasta made in five minutes, I was truly impressed by my food experiences this summer.

Pink Restaurant

Location: South William Street

Look, I’ll be honest. For a restaurant that focuses so much on its interior (which is impressive when you sit in it) I wasn’t sure if the food could compare with the setting. I’m glad to say I was wrong to doubt them, and thoroughly enjoyed the food I ate at a Schweppes event here, which were all dishes on their main menu. I shared several dishes with a friend, including the hake dish pictured below, steak, an Asian salad, and the most divine arancini balls.

Definitely a top foodie spot in Dublin I discovered this summer.

Luna

Location: Drury Street

Tasting menus are always a bit hit and miss by their very nature. However I adored 90% of what was served to me at Luna (and the 10% was really more down to personal food preferences). They were incredibly flexible when it came to dietary requirements; I brought my dairy free partner and his needs were catered for perfectly. My favourite dish was possibly the lasagna (pictured below) but I’m still dreaming about the John Dory and the lobster ravioli as well. My full review is HERE and if you’re looking to treat a fellow foodie, I highly recommend Luna.

Fasta!

Location: Connolly Station

As someone who travels back and forth to Belfast on a semi regular basis, I can’t believe I have only just tried Fasta! This predominantly takeaway pasta place is located beneath Connolly Station, and they focus on, you guessed it, pasta made fast(a). Within five minutes my cacio e pepe casarecce was ready, with a generous dusting of parmesan, and the al dente dish was exactly what I needed ahead of a train journey. It is no exaggeration to say I will be paying them a visit every time I go to Connolly from now on.

Scéal Bakery

Location: Fumbally Lane

Scéal wasn’t exactly new to me at the beginning of the summer but it remains one of my favourite spots to go in Dublin. That I can only avail of it twice a week almost makes it even better; I never miss an opportunity to stop by and try one of their seasonal offers, or their classic almond croissants. Below was one of their seasonal danishes, one of their best as well. They are currently away enjoying their own summer holidays, but I highly encourage everyone to try them when they return mid-September.

Fired Up

Location: Goatstown

It had been a while since I enjoyed a Fired Up pizza, and clearly I had forgotten how incredible they are. I ordered the M.V.P, which comes with mozzarella, burrata, parma ham (although I asked for mine without), basil pesto, and parmesan. Oh, and a healthy serving of garlic mayo for dipping purposes. It is no exaggeration to say that I haven’t been thinking of anything else since; this was definitely one of my favourite foodie purchases in Dublin this summer.

Roots

Location: Monkstown

I’ve been on the hunt for the perfect acai bowl, and after missing out on them one Saturday afternoon at Bushy Park Market, I decided to hunt Roots down at their home in Monkstown one sunny July day. Not only were the staff incredibly sound (huge shout-out to them) the acai bowl itself was delicious, jam packed with fruit and peanut butter; it tasted almost like a dessert as opposed to a breakfast dish.

This is by no means everywhere I visited this summer, but the ones listed here are my favourite foodie spots I had the pleasure of eating at in Dublin. I can only hope I find some new gems for the autumn season (the superior season in my humble and correct opinion).

Header image via Instagram/lunadublin2

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