The Creative Quarter is the quarter you want to be in. The other three quarters? Well, we won’t even mention them. So clear your next day off and prepare for a day of great food, blissfully aimless shopping and too much coffee. Here’s how we would spend it... (and in case you're not sure where we're talking about, here's a map too)
Morning...
Start off in the Pepperpot Café in the Powerscourt Centre for breakfast. Whilst we’re big fans of their famous pear and bacon sandwich (it’s worth the hype), their scrambled eggs are also spot on.
Afterwards, poke your head into homeware shop Article, before walking down South William St to Clement & Pekoe for coffee. The bench outside is one of the best places for people-watching in the city, if you can nab a spot. If it's too cold for that there's plenty of indoor seats too.
Lunchtime...
Head to Industry & Co. on Drury Street for Ottolenghi-style meats and salads, and have a browse around the shop afterwards. They’ve also just started opening on Friday and Saturday evenings - details on that here.
If the weather is good, Blazing Salads is a great spot for a takeaway salad to bring to Stephen's Green, and if you want to finish with something sweet, head over to The Cupcake Bloke’s stall on Coppinger Row, which is usually there Thursday - Saturday.
Get your afternoon coffee fix from Kaph on Drury Street, one of our favourite cafés in town. The seating upstairs is a nice place to get some work done but be warned, it can be packed. If you’re still feeling peckish, go for the quintessential pint and toastie in Grogan's. It’s nothing fancy but it hits the spot.
During the day...
Go to the Irish Design Shop, the Secret Book and Record Store or do a day course in Cook’s Academy. Have a stroll around Asia Market on Drury St and walk through George’s Street Arcade.
Have a browse around upmarket grocer Fallon and Byrne and try to nab some of their truffle brie. They also do €1 corkage on any bottle from their wine cellar to drink in on Mondays and Tuesdays.
For a caffeine top up, call into Grantham's. The coffee shop has recently departed from its Aungier Street location and moved to George’s Street, in collaboration with Dunnes Stores and garden designer, Diarmuid Gavin, making for very Instagrammable coffee.
Evening...
To start off the evening with a drink, Loose Canon is perfect for a glass of natural wine and a plate of Irish cheese and charcuterie. Opened by the guys from Meet Me in the Morning a few months back, their small plates are great if you don’t want a big meal, but it's easy to rack up a very large bill quickly.
Bar Giuseppe - Joe Macken’s new wine bar above Jo Burger on Castle Market Street - has instantly become one of our favourite spots, and we’re pretty sure this place will provide some excellent respite during Christmas shopping season. *shudders*
For a casual dinner, Pi is one of our favourite spots and since a certain restaurant critic reviewed it, queues have been constantly out the door. Trust us, it’s worth the wait.
Another good option is Duck on Fade Street, for their Irish duck spice bags, or there's Masa on the corner of Drury Street, which is great value for tacos and quesadillas.
If you want something a bit more fancy, Luna is one of the hottest restaurants in the city in the moment. Head Chef Vish Sumputh recently came here from Chapter One and is doing some really exciting things in the kitchen. It's also an amazing room. Manhattan meets Italian drug den.
777 on George’s Street is always a lively dining experience (you can read our review here). It can be a bit pricey so if you’re conscious of your budget go on Sundays, where all dishes are €7.77.
If you want to push the boat out, head for Dylan McGrath’s Asian and South American influenced Taste at Rustic, or check out Gareth Naughton's contemporary Italian cooking at Drury Buildings.
Finish off the night with drinks at No Name bar on Fade Street, the only indicator of its whereabouts is the wooden snail hanging above the door. Alternatively, head for more casual pints and board games in P.Mac’s - the sibling to Blackbird and Cassidy’s. Then crawl off home to bed to recover, filled with a whole new sense of creativity.
Have we missed any of your favourite Creative Quarter spots? Let us know by emailing info@allthefood.ie.
