For those of you who are a little last minute.com.
If your dad is anything like ours, then no gift ever makes much of an impression. Whether you choose the expensive route, the thoughtful route, the homemade route — nothing truly makes an impact. As a result, it seems the best way to spend Father’s Day, in our eyes, is to actually go and do something. Spend some time together. Go for food. That has been a winner every year.
If all of this resonates, but you’ve got nothing booked in yet for the big day, fear not. We have a few ideas.
9. Coke Lane Pizza
Meath Street & Rialto, Dublin 8, more info here
Coke Lane pizza has been providing Dublin pizza since 2017, so considering you can get a pizza slice on almost every corner of the city nowadays, it’s pretty impressive that some of the very best pies are still coming from Coke Lane. If your dad is a pizza person, it’s a must-try.
Make sure you get the lemon mayo for dipping; while you may be sceptical, we confirm that it’s actually life-changing, and will defo bump the Father’s Day gift up a few notches. Another spot we love is Rita’s in Ranelagh – great pizza, great vibes – best enjoyed by dads who think of themselves as a cool dad.
8. GAA Museum
Drumcondra, Dublin D3, more info here
There’s still availability for a tour of the Croke Park stadium and GAA Museum, as well as the Kellogg’s Skyline this Sunday.
If your dad is into his sports, this is a no brainer. It’s an ideal Father’s Day activity in Dublin, with multiple ticket types available so you can choose how much time you want to dedicate to the ‘art’, as we’re sure many dads would agree it is.
7. TriBeCa
Ranelagh, Dublin 6, more info here
Like a strange fatherhood rite of passage, most dads are entirely enthralled by chicken wings. If your dad is also saucily spellbound by the wing, try out TriBeCa, that offers seriously huge bowls of wings. They’re known as some of the best in the city (and we think they’ve earned the title).
However, there are loads of wing spots to choose from: Farmer Brown’s, The Hole in the Wall, RIBA… the list goes on.
6. Carvery
While perhaps not the most imaginative submission, if it ain’t wrong don’t fix it. Father’s Day falls on a Sunday, so a carvery meal is basically begging to be involved. Instead of slaving away making a roast at home (especially if yours can’t compare to your gran’s like ours don’t) why not head out for one instead? And you usually get extra points wherever there’s a pint involved, so win win!
We’ve got a list of some of our favourite Dublin spots that you should consider checking out.
5. Taste 2024
Merrion Square West, Dublin 2, more info here
Taste of Dublin is back this year, and if your dad is a foodie, then why not spend Father’s Day at this event? You can purchase your tickets on their website for the annual food and drink festival, with the likes of Bites by Kwanghi, Shouk, Nomo Ramen, and many more making an appearance (as well as a Food for Thought stage brought to you by yours truly).
4. Guinness Storehouse
St. James’s Gate, Dublin 8, more info here
Another maybe-not-so imaginative addition to our list, but if your dad’s a Guinness fan, it’s a great Father’s Day idea. Since many of us got the Guinness loving gene passed down to us, it’s a tour that can be enjoyed by all involved (which is unlike the GAA tour for many of us). If you can’t make it to the Storehouse, we seriously consider getting him one of the Guinness nitro surge cans and tap, which has almost been a tear-jerking gift for some of our dads.
Either way, a trip to the Guinness Storehouse is the perfect spot for some quality bonding time between you and your da, and is super accessible as well.
3. Summer at IMMA
Royal Hospital Kilmainham, Dublin 8, more info here
There’s only so many times you can wander around the National Gallery, but if your dads more of the artsy type, the Irish Museum of Modern Art (IMMA) is a lesser known little gem. With loads of exhibitions running from now until the end of summer, there’s a good few bits to look at. General admission is free and the cafe offers you a place to chat about the art afterwards too.
2. Featherblade
Steak seems to be another cuisine that has many fathers in a mystifying chokehold. For a steak that won’t break the bank, it’s got to be Featherblade. If you’re looking to satiate your steak loving pop, but are running a little low on funds, this Dawson Street steak place is a great option.
This place does tend to book up fast though, so don’t dilly dally on reserving your table.
1. McGettigan’s
Whitehall, Dublin D9, more info here
This spot is a trad Irish dad’s dream. They’ve got the sports on the TV, live music on Saturdays (if he doesn’t mind an early celebration), and seriously high quality, traditional Irish food. They’ve just updated their menu, successfully securing their spot as one of the top spots for dinner, pints and chats on the north side. They open for lunch at 12pm on Sundays, and dinner at 5pm.
However you choose to celebrate, we hope your Father’s Day is full of laughs and the occasional cringe (dads just have that effect). If you’re not celebrating this year, for whatever reason that may be, we send some extra love — and we say why not take yourself out on a date with any one of the options above?
Header images via Instagram / Coke Lane & Featherblade
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