There's not that many good clubs in Dublin - but the village is definitely one of the good ones!

There's the main club upstairs and a bar downstairs - both have great music! The upstairs is good for gigs but I usually spend most of the night in the downstairs bar.

The bar downstairs is also...

It's quite hard to find this - but it's worth the search! We got take-away but they have a (very) small sit-in area if you want to eat there instead. The sushi was really fresh and the pieces of salmon and tuna on the nigiri were much larger portions than you usually get. It definitely lived up t...

Great spot for tapas! They have all the usual suspects on the menu - Patas Bravas, Gambas, Mussels - all of which taste really good! There are also more adventurous tapas on the menu and specials board. There is a good atmosphere in the restaurant and a decent wine list, so I'll definitely be goi...

Great place for breakfast in Ranelagh!

I went for the bagel with cream cheese and bacon which was really tasty and came with tea (a neccessity for me at breakfast time!). I tasted one of the smoothies that a friend ordered - and I'll definitely order one next time I go back! The french toast l...

I had not been to Humphreys for years, until last Friday when we were looking for a place for a quiet drink as we waited for a table in Dillinger's.

I usually choose Smyths as my favourite pub in Ranelagh, especially since Humphreys frosted over the glass of the best window (people-watching) s...

I went to Dillinger's for dinner last week and loved it! The food was great and there was a really good buzzy atmosphere. I went for the sweet potato & chili soup for starter and the fish of the day for main - both were really tasty.

I loved the wine list - which is split up into cheap, decent...

Great food and even better surroundings!

I was invited to an anniversary dinner in the Saddle Room restaurant last year. We had a private table for 16 at the back of the restaurant (almost in it's own separate room), which was perfect for a group of that size. The food was delicious and there...

The grilled goats cheese salad here is a must if you're into goats cheese at all! It comes with a really nice red onion chutney. I can't really comment on the the rest of the menu as I always order the goats cheese salad! There's a really nice atmosphere in the cafe with a good buzz at lunch time...

Best chicken wings in Dublin! Went to the upstairs wine bar part of the restaurant last week - the interior is much nicer in that part of the restaurant than downstairs with a less casual atmosphere.

It doesn't really matter if you're sitting upstairs or downstairs as it's worth it for the chi...

The Garrison calls itself a pub but if you ask me it seems more like a restaurant! A group of 5 of us went here for dinner in the Garrison last November and had a really nice meal. There is a great atmosphere in the Garrison - possibly from the low lighting and all different types of old-style ta...

Good Italian food at a decent price with friendly staff. Good for a casual or quick bite to eat. I tried one of the pasta dishes and shared a bruschetta - both were really good. The Irish rugby match was being shown on their flatscreen tv which also got a thumbs up! Deducted one of the stars for ...

This is a great find! And it is literally a find, tucked away at the back of the Daintree stationary shop, although there is another entrance from Pleasants Place. The Cake Café is perfect for a weekend brunch or a slice of cake at any time!

I went there on Saturday for brunch and had the eggs...

Bellinter is a great hotel for a relaxing getaway. I stayed there recently for a weekend after I was given a gift voucher for my birthday. The hotel has the typical country house look with the characteristic long driveway approach, however once you enter the house the stylish mix of modern interi...

Great place to grab a coffee!

If you are looking for some place a little bit different for a walk, then the Botanical gardens is the perfect place to go. We strolled down there on a Sunday afternoon last week. The grounds expand alongside the Tolka River, and are divided into different sections such as the rose garden, organi...

The Winding Stair is one of my favourite restaurants in Dublin. Mainly because of the great food, the wonderful location, and its' history!

The restaurant is always packed and reservations are a must to guarantee a table. However, this has it's advantages because there is always a good buzz i...

Great place for lunch. They have a good selection of pre-made sandwiches, which have an italian theme. The salami, gorgonzola and rocket ciabatta is particularly tasty. There are also pizza slices available, which are also supposed to be good.

There is a quaint seating area upstairs and downst...

This is a great spot to stop off for a cup of tea or a bite to eat when wandering around the Phoenix Park. I tend to head over to the Phoenix Park when the weather is good (those rare occasions!) so I usually end up sitting on the picnic benches outside the tea rooms (the inside looks slightly cr...

The Pav is still one of my favourite drinking spots, especially on those rare sunny days in Dublin.... so much so that those warmer days are still referred to as "Pav Days" by my college friends!

There is no better place in Dublin to sit (or lie on the grass) outside and enjoy a drink... and ...

I was disappointed when Aya closed down, as I was a fan of their sushi conveyor belt (or sushi train, as I've now discovered they're called thanks to Geoff D.!), so I was delighted to see another sushi train had arrived in the same spot.

I took some California rolls and tuna & cucumber rolls ...

I left two pairs of shoes in here to get repaired, one pair of boots to get re-healed and one pair of Mary-Janes (shoes with one strap for the male readers out there!) to get the strap sewn back on. I have only given one star as the strap of the Mary-Janes broke two weeks after it had been repair...

There are plenty of good pubs in Ranelagh, and Smyths is one of them! It's an old-style pub with a nice atmosphere. There's usually a good crowd in there most nights without being overly packed, making it ideal for a quiet drink. You can also reserve tables in a section at the back of the pub for...

I am not the type of girl who would go for a weekly manicure/pedicure... not for the lack of wanting to be pampered, but more for the failure in justifying the cost! So when two of my cousins were heading off for a pre-wedding pampering session in Mink in Ballsbridge and mentioned that there was ...

I was brought to One Pico for my birthday dinner last year and had a lovely evening, so I jumped at the chance to return there when my friend proposed it for a pre-Christmas dinner. We booked the table for 6.30 and acknowledged that they needed the table back for 8.30. Three of us arrived early a...

I'm a big fan of cinema outings but to me going to the IFI should not be called "going to the cinema", it's almost a separate activity on its own. I have been a member of the IFI for the last two years and have seen nothing but great films here. They always have interesting film festivals, I espe...

I had heard rave reviews about this place for years and was eager to try it. However, as you cannot book a table in advance and due to its established popularity, anytime I tried to get a table here I always failed miserably! Until, I ventured up one Tuesday night last November. The atmosphere in...

I bought a telescope from Astronomy Ireland as a Christmas present recently. I rang the shop in Artane before driving out there to make sure they had the computer-aided telescopes that I had heard about from a friend. I admitted my ignorance surrounding telescopes at the start of the phone conver...

Vicar Street is my favourite venue in Dublin, and usually presents the best artists. The big attraction for me is the size of the auditorium, which is small enough that you never feel you are far from the stage but big enough that the atmosphere is always as good as some of the bigger venues arou...

Boccaccio is a traditional Italian restaurant with great food and very reasonable prices. The restaurant has an authentic atmosphere with an all Italian staff. There is a lengthy menu featuring all the typical favourite Italian dishes ranging from filling pastas, pizzas, to meat and fish dishes. ...

I was at a leaving drinks last Friday in O'Neills. I have been to the O'Neills on Suffolk street a number of times but this was my first outing to the one on Pearse street. The Pearse Street version has the same "Old man pub" quality as it's counterpart on Suffolk street, but appears smaller and ...

Marks & Spencers roof-top café is a great spot for breakfast, lunch or dinner. It is also in a great location for taking a shopping breather! I have eaten there a number of times, usually after work (apparently it can get quite crowded at the weekends), and have enjoyed the food each time. There ...

I went for dinner in Aya the other night and sat at the counter (or moving counter should I say!). Before you can start grabbing dishes from the counter you have to choose from a range of different deals (for instance 8 dishes for 22 euro) or else you can just grab, eat and stack the different c...

The food hall here has a great selection of good quality international products, but I'm an even bigger fan of the cafe/deli counter at the back of the foodhall! The cafe/deli counter provides tasty meals for great value, such as chili con carne or thai curry, as well as a selection of sandwiches...

The Gate is by far my favourite theatre in Dublin. It is steeped in character and history, which provides a great backdrop for any play. The auditorium is quite small with good views from all seats. The Gate productions are also usually of a very high standard, and their annual programmes normall...

I have had a number of really good nights in the sugar club. It's a great venue for both seeing up and coming new bands and also dancing the night away to great music too! The layout of the venue is its main attraction for me. I really like the tiered seating with enough room for tables so that y...

This is a really nice café for lunch but it is also very popular and is known to have a queue out the door at peak lunchtime hours. What I especially like about this café is the little extra touches, for example they provide free garlic bread appetizers to begin your meal. The goats cheese wrap i...

I'm also a big fan of the panini in Er Bruchetto (or the Purple Place as we like to call it!). You would do well to get a table in here at the weekends, as the cafe is both very small and very popular! It's a great place to relax and read the weekend newspapers... when you are lucky enough to get...

One of my favourite pastimes is going to the cinema, so I was delighted when this new cinema opened with a slightly different take on the usual format. The decor is really funky with multi-coloured seats and modern architecture, and the films screened are artier than the regular Hollywood blockbu...

Went for dinner in Eatery120 with a few friends and we all really enjoyed it. I loved the decor of the restaurant, with its assortment of lights and decorative tiling. I ordered the fish and chips, which was really tasty and nicely presented with miniature vinegar and salt cellars on the plate. T...

I attended a Sushi workshop at Cooks Academy and found it both very informative and very enjoyable. The course was 2.5 hours long for €70 and all ingredients were provided. The workshop provided a good balance of demonstration and hands-on work. By the end of the workshop, I was able to make Nori...

Café Nous is a handy café for lunch, especially if you work around the Harcourt Street area! It has a good selection of sandwiches and a separate lengthy menu for crepes. You can add soup or fries to any meal for only a small amount extra. I would recommend the chicken pesto ciabatta.

Hampton Books is one of my favourite bookshops. It is probably the smallest bookshop in Dublin (6 to 7 people could fit in it comfortably!), but that is its main attraction for me. Considering the size of the shop, it has got a great selection of interesting books that make ideal gifts. Although ...

Doyles has become quite the institution amongst myself and my friends, and appears to be a favourite among many (from the size of the crowd it attracts!). We have even coined the phrase "a Doyles night"! "A Doyles night" occurs on Friday nights when the resident Doyles' DJ ensures everyone is dan...

As I tend to eat out quite a lot, I have become a big fan of the early bird deals... or should I say my wallet has become a big fan of the early bird deals! So I was delighted when my friend introduced me to George's wine bar the other night, we got a lovely four course meal for just under €20.00...

I have been to this restaurant twice in the last two weeks and really enjoyed it both times. They have a great selection of sushi as well as other noodle and rice dishes. The staff are very friendly and were happy to listen to myself and my boyfriend's stories of our recent holiday to Japan (ever...