Picnic season is approaching but picnic weather definitely is not. Don’t worry, when the time comes to get your legs and blankets out, we’ll keep you updated with all the top picnic kits and bits you’ll need, but until then we’d recommend that you keep moving when eating outside before the wind/rain/hail ruin your food, and therefore your entire day.
While there’s no shortage of fantastic cafés open in Dublin where you can grab a sandwich or a pastry, here’s 10 places where you’ll find something a little different to accompany you on your walk through town, or when you just need to keep moving.
1) Mister Magpie, Leeson St. Lower
A well-known fact is that any food served on a stick is instantly more delicious than its stick-free counterparts. Ice-cream, olives, cocktail sausages, we could go on... Mister Magpie on Leeson Street Lower make stick crepes in-house (a Brazilian favourite), and they’re stuffed with sweet fillings like Nutella, or savoury with cheese and ham or caramelised onion.
2) Kakilang, Bachelors Walk
We love the Asian street food scene where often restaurants and vendors do only one or two dishes, but do them exceptionally well. Dublin has seen big growth in this over the last few years and Kakilang was a very welcome addition when it opened just as the world went crazy in 2020. As well as serving bubble tea they have a menu of mille crepe cakes, pastries and Taiwanese fried chicken, best eaten fresh from a brown paper bag.
3) 777, Great George’s Street
In our dream world, Dublin would be awash with amazing Mexican food, but until we become the rulers of the planet (hopefully only a matter of time) we’re very grateful for 777’s hatch which has been slinging out tacos, Mexican hot dogs, and, mostly importantly in our opinion, empanadas, along with beers and cocktails. Open Thursday 17:00 - late and Friday/Saturday 13:00 - late.
4) Toca Tapioca House, Fleet Street
Showing our age here but if the word “tapioca” makes you think of something your mother served out of a tin as dessert in the 80s, you too probably need some tapioca conversion therapy. While not widely eaten in Ireland, tapioca has lots of uses and newly opened Toca, Dublin’s first tapiocaria (apparently, it’s a thing), is using the starch in sweet and savoury wraps, cakes, and tapioca dice; a tapioca-based cheese snack on a stick (and you know how we feel about food on sticks).
5) Big Fan Bao, Aungier St.
If you’re walking around Aungier Street and suddenly become hyper aware of the fact that you’re bao-less, you can order take-away at Big Fan Bao. Bao, dumplings, rice bowls, wonton crackers, Taiwanese chicken - all delicious, all easy to eat on the go.
6) All Hail The Box, Dawson Street
Too busy to make decisions? All Hail the Box has one thing on the menu - the box - and it’s a perfect walk and dine lunch when you’re so important you couldn’t possibly sit down, but also so hungry that eating jerk chicken, rice, beans and corn on the go doesn’t faze you in the slightest.
7) Hong Kong Bakery, Eden Quay
We challenge you to go to Hong Kong Bakery and just get one thing. It’s not possible, so just make peace with that fact and prepare to spend your day powering through a haul of char sui buns, char sui so (roast pork puffs), Cantonese egg tarts and cheesy sausage buns.
8) Dash Burger, Kevin Street Lower
Are burgers the original street food in Ireland? Possibly, but in a city awash with large chains, it can be too tempting to grab a quick bite in one of the global behemoths when you’re on the go. Instead, stroll down to Dash Burger on Kevin Street Lower and you’ll be rewarded with a burger with complex layers of taste thanks to the charring and caramelisation of the smash cooking technique.
9) Oh! My Street Food, Westmoreland Street
Sushi, Donburi bowls and noodles all feature on the menu of Oh! My Street Food, but for something a little different, and more portable, opt for the xi’an burger (a homemade Chinese bun packed with pork or beef, spices, spring onion and coriander) or jianbing (a popular Chinese street food crepe stuffed with everything from kimchi to hot dogs). There’s also bubble tea.
10) Asia Market, Drury Street
When we get to Asia Market our brain is usually on a one-track mission to get to the gochujang and frozen dumplings, but step inside the door, take a moment to breathe, and you'll be rewarded with char siu pork buns and other assorted dim sum served in a cute little boat dish so you can dine on the move.
What are your favourite places for a bite on the go around town? Let us know by emailing info@allthefood.ie
