Food, Drink and Shopping

Food And Drink

If you like your food hearty then Ireland won't disappoint. Its traditional meals are filling and make the perfect lining to any stomach that's soon to be filled with cold pints of Guinness! Our accompanying video guide shows you some of the restaurants you may want to try on your visit.

Irish stews are a good choice, packed with meat (lamb or beef) and vegetables - a good winter warmer. Seafood is another recommendation with smoked salmon, oysters and delicious crab making appearances on many a menu. Try the salmon on top of Irish soda bread (made with soda, not yeast) for a tasty snack or starter.

For breakfast sausages, bacon and eggs are a local tradition, ensuring you've got a full stomach to see you through the morning. Alternatively, try bread with delicious farmhouse cheese.

Moving onto drinks, it's hard not to start with Ireland's national tipple, Guinness. An important part of any stay has to be a visit to an Irish pub and if you want to feel like a real Dubliner then you have to have a Guinness!

But if spirits are more your thing then you'll get respect from the locals if you opt for some Irish whisky. Paddy, Jameson and Bushmills are all popular local choices: it's up to you if you add a mixer or drink them straight. Other spirits, lagers, soft drinks, teas, coffees and hot chocolates are available but for an authentic experience it's always good to go with what the locals are drinking.

Shopping

Like food and drink, shopping in Dublin is also a hearty experience with a vast array of stores to chose from and ample opportunity to flex your plastic. 2005 saw the Dundrum Shopping Centre grace the city's streets. One of the largest in Europe, it's more than just a shopping centre, also boasting a cinema, bars, a nightclub and restaurants.

Dublin's other shopping centres to look out for include the Stephen's Green Shopping Centre, split over three levels; the Jervis Green Shopping Centre which is currently the city centre's biggest; and the Ilac Shopping Centre, Dublin centre's oldest. The Square, Powerscourt Townhouse Centre, Blanchardstown and the Liffey Valley Shopping Centre complete the line-up.

Away from Dublin's many shopping centres, you can get your shopping fix by hitting the high street. The chic, pedestrianised Grafton Street and Henry Street (department store heaven) are popular places to shop. The former is where you can find Brown Thomas and BT2, and on Henry Street you've got Arnotts which is the city's biggest and oldest department store - a great place to search for a treat or two to remember your trip! Grafton Street appears in our video guide to shopping, so do click on to take a closer look.

Specific shops to look out for during your stay include the Celtic Whisky Shop, a whisky lover's heaven with the country's biggest choice of whisky, plus tasting sessions to ensure you come away with the perfect one! Other wines and spirits are available and you can even get your hands on some handmade chocolate.

And if you're looking for some affordable fashion ideas then Primark is a good option - just remember to look out for the pseudonym 'Penneys' which it goes by in Ireland.

Aside from shopping centres and the high street there's another very authentic way to shop, and that's at Dublin's markets. The city holds a number of traditional markets where you can get a range of quality products from food and drink to handmade crafts and art.

Blackrock market is a popular one held at the weekend and packed with enough items of interest to keep you busy for a while. Antiques, furniture and collectables join the other local craft and food stalls to make it a real mix of things to see. And as it's open every weekend (including bank holidays), it's a safe bet you'll be able to incorporate it into your trip.

The Liberty market is another popular spot for market lovers, as is Moore Street market, which specialises in fresh fruit and veg and yummy seafood.

Dublin's nightlife is some of the best around and thanks to its young population, a night out in Ireland's capital promises to be a memorable one. The city was also voted the friendliest city in Europe in 2007, making a welcome and lively atmosphere a distinct likelihood!

For the trendiest and liveliest nightlife then the Temple Bar area south of the river is the place to go. Here you'll be spoilt for choice with bars and pubs, which naturally makes it a popular haunt for hen and stag parties. To find out more about this vibrant area, check out our video guide. Still in the south of the city, St Stephen's Green is the place to go if you want to dance the night away, or you can head to Dame Street if you fancy something a little funkier.

Dublin is also a great city to catch live music, and the best place to find out about what's on is in Hot Press or In Dublin. Some top bands hail from this area including U2 and Thin Lizzy, so you never know, you could listening to tomorrow's next big thing.