One of the greatest things about moving somewhere new is the opportunity to discover tons of amazing restaurants and eateries you would never have experienced otherwise! It makes up a big part of your relationship with your new home – you get to feel the satisfaction of knowing exactly where to go to find some soul food after your studies are done for the day. Ireland is one of the best destinations for foodies – whether you want hearty and warming Irish flavours, or to navigate bold new cuisines, there is something on offer to you.
To help get you ready for living as a student in Ireland, we’ve made a list of the best restaurants in Dublin for students! These are some of our favourite places to go for quick bites, sweet treats and absolute feasts. There is something here for every budget, so don’t worry if money is tight – it matters to us that you have the best student experience possible, and that shouldn’t mean breaking the bank to go for an occasional meal out.
Without further ado, let’s discuss the best food in Dublin!
Leo Burdock
When it comes to cheap and cheerful food there’s nothing better than a good chip shop, and the perfect evidence of that is Leo Burdock!
Recognisable by its emerald green storefront, Leo Burdock is one of the oldest and most well-known chip shops standing today – it was founded in 1913, and stood strong through two world wars and Ireland’s fight for independence. They now proudly boast a Hall of Fame cataloguing all their famous visitors, and eight total shopfronts across the city!
Pop up for a bag of chips after a long library session, or during a night out, and you’ll see in no time why we consider them as having some of the best food in Dublin.
Murphy’s Ice Cream
Sweet-toothed? Look no further than Murphy’s Ice Cream! Unrivalled in their passion for ice cream, Murphy’s starts with fresh, local ingredients and manages every step of the ice cream-making process themselves to create high-quality and exceptionally tasty ice cream.
The resulting flavours feel very authentically Irish – we all love all the flavours, but we particularly recommend the Irish Brown Bread flavour, which features pieces of caramelised brown bread folded through the deliciously creamy base. Trust us when we say it’s incredible!
Murphy’s Ice Cream is one of the best places to eat in Dublin when you’re looking for something light, refreshing, and sinfully sweet, and you can guarantee that no one makes ice cream quite like them.
Tang
Tang are inspirations!
Their menu is small, but everything on it is obscenely delicious. Tang uses middle eastern influences and flavours to craft breakfast, brunch and lunch dishes that are layered and balanced. We adore everything from their buckwheat pancakes to their shakshuka to their gorgeously smooth coffees.
Not only do they produce excellent food across their three locations in Dublin (one of which is very close to our Ardee Point accommodation) but they are also sustainability warriors making serious steps to pushing back against the climate crisis and other issues. From exclusively using local suppliers for their ingredients, to holding regular fundraisers for noble causes, you can rest assured that their delicious food is quite literally making the world a better place to live!
Stroll over to Tang in the morning with a book you’ve been meaning to read or head down after a lecture for a lunch date with new friends!
The Brazen Head
While a little more expensive than the other places on this list, it wouldn’t be right to exclude The Brazen Head – established in 1198, it’s the oldest pub in Dublin by a long mile, carefully refurbished to honour its humble beginnings and long history.
The menu features a lot of comfortable pub favourites cooked perfectly. One we must feature is the Beef and Guinness Stew, a rich signature Irish dish that every student ought to try! It’s the perfect thing to settle down with after a long week.
This is one of the best restaurants in Dublin to go to when your family are visiting – take them for a long walk beside the river and then pop into The Brazen Head to warm up with great food, great music and maybe a little Irish whiskey!
George’s Street
George’s Street is a foodie’s paradise, lined with one-of-a-kind brilliant restaurants that serve all cultures and dietary requirements. Here are just three we like:
- Boojum: Boojum’s Mexican food is so good for the soul – they have everything from burritos to quesadillas, and fill them with the highest quality ingredients. We just love Boojum because everything you can get there is as nutritionally balanced as it is delicious, so it’s great for nourishing busy students as they work through their assignments.
- PI Pizza: PI Pizza is dedicated to simplicity – great pizzas and great service are the cornerstones of why this brilliant little restaurant is one of the best restaurants in Dublin. Their menu is limited to ten pizzas (and just two desserts) but the artistry behind them speaks for itself. The food is incredible, and there is a wide range of alcoholic and soft drinks available to complement it.
- Pit Bros: When our students ace a big presentation or finish their exams, we recommend they celebrate with a restaurant like Pit Bros. Pit Bros has perfected smoked barbeque; painstakingly smoking sausages, pulled pork, beef ribs and brisket low and slow until the meat is fall-apart tender. It’s the ultimate sinful treat!
[And as mentioned before in our Best Things to Do in Dublin post], George’s Street Arcade is one of the best places to go for students studying in Dublin – not only are there plenty of independent boutiques to explore, but there are also lots of great food outlets to try! While there are many great restaurants to choose from, our favourites include:
- Zaatar, who make exquisite pizzas from manakeesh flatbread, a staple of Middle Eastern and Lebanese cuisines.
- Flip Burgers, who offer some of the best vegetarian and vegan options in Dublin through their burgers.
Bodega Coffee, whose pop-up in the arcade offers coffee perfected by talented baristas, and great pastries to boot!
Best Places to Eat in Temple Bar
The Temple Bar area is synonymous with the beautiful red pub that was its namesake, but while there are some of the best bars in Dublin there, the streets are also full of some of the best places to eat in Dublin. Many students coming to Dublin for the first time don’t know where to start with them, so here are our best recommendations:
- Gallagher’s Boxty House. This restaurant showcases and celebrates the most authentic Boxty you can find in a restaurant. Boxty are delicious Irish potato pancakes; mashed potatoes are mixed into a buttermilk batter and fried until they are golden and perfect. Gallagher’s Boxty House features boxty with a range of delicious meaty and vegetarian toppings – you can’t go wrong with any of the options on their menu, but make sure you get a plate of boxty fries for your table! You’ll thank us later!
- Pablo Picante is a restaurant full of personality that offers up great Mexican food that is excellent value for money. This is another restaurant that has a branch close to our Ardee Point accommodation, so if you fancy a spontaneous meal out with your housemates, you can walk over there and grab some mouth-watering burritos.
Finally, we have Bunsen. It’s no wonder their slogan is “straight up burgers” – Bunsen is determined to keep good burgers simple. They feature a small menu and only use the best ingredients; the result is top-notch burgers that are perfectly satiating every time. Bunsen has undoubtedly honed their craft, and we are always eager to cite them as one of the best restaurants in Dublin.
Enjoy your best student life in Dublin with Nido Living
Has anything taken your fancy? We have only scratched the surface of the food scene in Dublin – there are excellent eateries around every corner, and we are incredibly happy to be in the middle of it all.
If you’re looking to study in Dublin, look no further! At Nido, we offer top-quality student accommodation. We’ll have your back from Freshers Week until the end of your stay, supporting you with excellent facilities and resources to make finding your feet in your new home as seamless a process as possible. We care immensely about creating a community for our residents, and it is just one of the values that make up the Nido Difference.
We have some wonderful offerings here in Ireland with our Dublin and Cork residences, but we also have buildings in Denmark, Spain, The Netherlands, and Portugal. Follow our blog to learn more about them, and contact us if you have any questions. We can’t wait to welcome you to the Nido family!