Dublin

Dining in the city has become a more cosmopolitan experience than ever and includes everything from traditional Irish restaurants and American-styled diners to Italian pizzerias and Japanese noodle houses. Ireland has a particularly good reputation for the quality of its fresh produce from both land and sea. An obvious port of call if you're looking for a quick bite to eat is the Temple Bar area of the southside. Rather inappropriately labled Dublin's "Left Bank," this popular tourist area is packed with a variety of affordable eateries. Restaurants like the ever popular Elephant & Castle, Tante Zoe's, Yamamori Noodles, the Indonesian-themed Chameleon and the theatre-friendly Trocadero all offer a range of varied dining options that won't put too serious of a dent on your wallet. More upmarket, meanwhile, and considerably more sophisticated, Eden, Odessa and Cooke's are all stylish restaurants with excellent service and a modern, often innovative, approach to cooking.

The southside Georgian area that encompasses St. Stephen's Green, Fitzwilliam and Merrion Square is considerably more affluent and the restaurants that boast such a prestigious address pride themselves on a more formal dining experience. The Restaurant Patrick Guilbaud, L'Ecrivain, and La Stampa have all won international acclaim, and often put emphasis on French cuisine. Reservations are almost essential in such restaurants, but the experience is usually worth it. Those seeking something a little different are advised to check out the Good World restaurant, Saagar or the critically-acclaimed Jacob's Ladder.

The northside of the city is not particularly well-served when it comes to quality eateries. The area's main thoroughfare is O'Connell Street, packed with fast food diners like McDonald's and Eddie Rocket's, has an occasional gem to be found if you look hard enough. 101 Talbot is a favourite with vegetarians, the Winding Stair café is an excellent spot for lunch, while the Chapter One restaurant in the basement of the Irish Writers' Museum remains very popular with discerning locals. The Halo restaurant in the Morrison Hotel, has a great reputation for itself, while the tiny Bangkok Café on Parnell Street has also won acclaim and serves authentic Thai cuisine in an unpretentious and friendly setting.

If you are travelling further afield, suburban areas such as Dun Laoghaire, Howth or Malahide offer a wide variety of quality restaurants, which are particularly noteworthy for their seafood. The King Sitric and Cavistons are both good options.