Last time we were in Dublin, it was winter time, cold, rainy and dark for the majority of the day.  We still had a great time, but this visit was especially perfect because we had sunshine, blue skies, and warm weather! Having only 2 days in Ireland, we made the most of it – visited Book of Kells (since it was closed last time), National Gallery of Ireland and Merrion Square.  The highlight of the trip was our hike from Bray to Greystones.  Find out more below about our trip to the coast!

Restaurant Additions to our list from LAST DUBLIN POST:

Host Ranelagh: small plates and quality cuts, minimalist restaurant in Ranelagh.  Lively atmosphere with great cocktails and wine list.  Highly suggest getting the chef’s menu – well worth it! The vegetables are full of flavor, pasta is homemade and the ribeye melts in your mouth.  Don’t forget dessert – cheesecake was out of this world! Light and fluffy – not like American cheesecake.

La Maison: French Bistro in the heart of Central London serving dishes using locally sourced and freshly prepared produce.  The space is filled with artwork by artists sourced from the Paris at Puces market.  Suggest starting with the Asseitte Aperitif and ending with the Cote de Boeuf.

Balfe’s: Balfe’s is the perfect location for brunch.  It’s located in the  The Westbury Hotel.  (To note – this is part of the Doyle Collection….sister hotel is The Marylebone in London. Our favorite hotel in LDN! ) Balfe’s serves a great egg white omelet and Irish soda bread! And if you are including some breakfast drinks – suggest the mimosa!!

The Devlin Dublin: Located in Ranelagh, this hotel has a great rooftop bar and lively atmosphere.  If you don’t want to hang out on the rooftop, head downstairs to the main bar where a DJ spins and the bartenders are mixing cocktails.  Great martinis !

Dollard & Co. Food Hall & Deli: We stumbled upon this foodhall in Temple Bar on the search for a quick and healthy meal.  It was a great find!

 

Bray to Greystones Cliff Walk

We jumped on the DART at Pearse Station and took it to Bray. (Yes, DART, not BART) It was about a 45 minute ride along the coast with beautiful views of the little villages.  We even saw Bono’s house! Upon arrival in Bray we were on a hunt for a jacket for me.  I didn’t bring any “workout jackets” so I purchased a souvenir from Bray.  It also gave us the opportunity to walk through the cute seaside village.  After bundling up, we started our 4.5 mile walk along the linear path hugging the coastal cliffs.  The views were beautiful! Though we didn’t see any, be sure to keep a look out for dolphins and seals.  The lush green cliffsides, blue water and sunny skies were the perfect backdrop for our 2.5 hour walk.  In some sections, there are still remanence of stone walls back from who knows how long ago.  That’s history! Make sure to wear proper shoes – there are some uneven surfaces.  Running shoes highly suggested!

The walk finishes at Greystones harbor, where you can relax and grab a bite to eat. We headed towards the DART station in the village where there were more restaurants.  We ate at Buoys Kitchen.  Ordered some fresh calamari and crisp white wine and basked in the sun.  It was the perfect afternoon! If we didn’t have plans that evening, we would have stayed longer and also checked out Dalkey.  Dalkey is a another cute seaside village closer to central Dublin.  Next visit!

Cheers,