A very arty month, all in all.

I know I say this every month, but May might’ve been the best one for food, drink, and culture in Dublin so far. Not only did I have the pleasure of trying a few Dublin faves for the first time (Two Pups, you were everything I dreamed of and more), I also was lucky enough to be invited to not one but two exhibitions. Look, I won’t pretend that I’m the most knowledgable about art, but I do love it, and hadn’t realised how much I missed visiting galleries during the pandemic.

Without further ado, here’s what I got up to in Dublin for the month of May.

Churchtown Stores

Location: Churchtown

After hearing all the hype, I had to get down to Churchtown Stores and avail of their Jack Rabbit Eats menu. While my prawn fried rice unfortunately left a lot to be desired, I was a huge fan of their coconut curry fries (pictured below). I would definitely return as the arancini balls, and the burgers, looked sensational.

Two Pups

Location: Francis Street 

How lucky am I to work only five minutes away from Two Pups. This adorable café does an unreal brunch, so much so that I was at a loss as what to order. Eventually I went for the halloumi bap, which came with onions and peppers, baby potatoes, a fried egg, side salad, and of course, some seriously crispy halloumi. Absolute 10/10 and I cannot wait to return sometime soon. As an added bonus, the staff are some of the nicest I’ve experienced in Dublin, and they deserve a shoutout for that.

Blackberry Café

Location: Mill Street

The newest sambo spot to Dublin 8, Blackberry Café, did not disappoint. Serving 147 Deli sandwiches was the major pull into this place; I got the Cheese Steak with a side of sweet chilli sauce, and I’ve been dreaming of it ever since. You can read more about it HERE.

Scéal Bakery

Location: Fumbally

Scéal once again proved itself to be one of Dublin’s best bakeries this month. I got this stunning pastry, topped with a lemony buttery cream, that was filled with strawberry jam, and it had me almost weeping with joy (no cap).

FIRE Steakhouse

Location: Dawson Street

Having heard a lot about it, I was very excited to get to go to FIRE Steakhouse on Dawson Street this month. I had a special occasion that fit the location perfectly, and I am a big fan of a good steak, so my expectations were high. However, despite the staff being nothing short of incredible and super accommodating, I can’t say the food lived up to the cost. While my food was nice, a bit of veg or garnish wouldn’t have gone amiss given it cost €32 (which I realise is fairly standard for steak). Plus my partner’s steak was rare when he asked for medium, and for a steak spot, that was a little disappointing.

With Featherblade across the road, and significantly cheaper, I’d say spend your money there instead if you’re looking for steak.

Stayed at The Marlin Hotel

Location: Bow Lane

I’m a sucker for a hotel stay, and The Marlin may be a new fave. Despite being just off Stephen’s Green, I had never heard of it before, but I was very impressed. The breakfast, as you can see below, was divine (the best part of a hotel stay and something that can really make or break the experience in my books).

While we had some trouble with one of the lights in our bathroom not turning off (eventually it did) the hotel itself was cool and quirky, with almost New York style decor and a photo booth in the lobby. I would definitely return here or recommend it for someone looking at Dublin hotels.

Nightmarket

Location: Ranelagh 

This was not my first trip to Nightmarket, but it was just as good the second time around. It is on the pricier side, but if you love Thai food, I’d highly recommend booking it, perhaps for a special occasion. Pictured below is the Hor Mok Talay, which is a seafood red curry served in a coconut (yes, it being in a coconut did add to the experience).

Ladurée

Location: South William Street 

May was a month for special occasion meals, and really any excuse to go for afternoon tea. I did a whole review of my experience at Ladurée which you can read HERE.

Doctor Strange 2 in the Multiverse of Madness

Location: Savoy & Movies @ Dundrum

So I went to see this film twice, and I know it’s getting a lot of mixed reviews, but if me going twice didn’t spell it out, I loved it. As a huge fan of Elizabeth Olsen’s Wanda and Benedict Cumberbatch’s Doctor Strange, it lived up to my expectations perfectly. Now, while I’m not a comic book reader, I have seen all the movies and television shows in the MCU, and I think this served me well going into this movie.

I understand some of the criticism for the film; many were upset certain cameos didn’t make an appearance, but I can honestly say this didn’t bother me (and look, I love a good cameo, but the surprise characters we did get were enough for me).

Van Gogh Immersive Exhibition

Location: RDS 

I did a whole review on the Van Gogh Immersive Exhibition which you can check out HERE. Long story short if you love art, or doing something a bit different, then this is the exhibition for you.

Lidl Summer Party

Location: Opium

Myself and the team were lucky enough to nab an invite to the Lidl Summer Party at Opium’s Botanical Garden. They showcased what’s coming to the middle aisle (tons of gorge garden furniture) and their seasonal food bits. Lidl served BBQ bits like burgers, hot-dogs, cuts of steak (sensational), and set out salads and a cheeseboard too. To drink there were hard seltzers, beers, cocktails, and two rooms full of wine for tasting. A class event that has made Lidl my top destination for a good shop this summer.

Giacometti Exhibition

Location: National Gallery of Ireland

I was delighted to be invited to an after hours tour of the Giacometti exhibition at the National Gallery of Ireland. It’s currently running from the 9th April – 4th September; if you love sculpture especially, I urge you to visit. I loved learning about Giacometti, and our tour guide was wonderful at making his work accessible to those who may have been previously unfamiliar.

The exhibition was a mixture of sculpture and paintings, as well as some class hand drawn portraits done in biro (that will fool you into thinking you can also be a famous artist with the stuff you did on your homework journal).

I hadn’t realised how much I’d missed the National Gallery until I returned. Plus, they laid out a spread of macarons and wine for us post tour, making this my favourite spot for food, drink, and culture in Dublin this month.

As you can see, May was busy and full of good food, drink, and culture in Dublin. I can only hope that June brings the same level of enjoyment.

READ ON: REVIEW: Van Gogh Immersive Exhibition at the RDS