Dublin Food Tours: On the Irish Flavour Trail

Karyn Farrell
Dec 29, 2025
8 min read

Updated: Dec 30, 2025

Rag Traders bar, Dublin

"Ireland is undergoing a food revolution at the moment", owner and tour guide Gráinne tells us as we embark on a three-hour jaunt around the historic streets of Dublin. As someone who's lived in the capital for over two decades, I've also witnessed its gastronomic rise. These days the city is heaving with a multitude of great bars and restaurants, and boasts one of the most innovative and exciting food scenes in Europe. What's also emerged is a newfound pride in our food and our produce. The Flavour Trails team have embraced this with gusto, offering a series of distinct and immersive tours to give visitors a literal taste of Ireland. Check them out here.

They say the best way to truly understand a city is through its cuisine and a tour is always an excellent place to start for new visitors. However, not all Dublin food tours are created equal and Flavour Trails are doing things a little differently. I opt for the Irish Food Trail - a three-hour walking tour which tells the story of Irish food, beer and whiskey through three courses in three venues. But it's so much more than that. A good tour guide can really bring an experience to life and we were in excellent hands with Gráinne. A natural storyteller, she's warm and personable with a real passion for her subject. She draws us into her circle, bringing to life the broader cultural and historic background with some social commentary thrown in for good measure. "We call gossip storytelling", she elaborates for our American visitors.

The pace is leisurely which allows for a richer and more engaging experience, and what happens on the walk between venues is as significant as sitting down to eat together. As we stroll through the streets, Gráinne is happy to share her local knowledge and offers insider recommendations on the best places for a pint, a coffee or a glass of wine. Guinness and a toastie? Grogan's is a local institution. Glass of wine and some cheese? Loose Canon is the place to see and be seen. I concur.

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The tour kicks off in the beautiful surroundings of Powerscourt House, an 18th century Georgian masterpiece in the heart of the south city, home of the Flavour Trails office. Before we leave we're given a fascinating history lesson on the townhouse and its occupants, and take a moment to admire the sweeping staircase and elegant stucco ceiling.

The group are asked the question: what do you think of as typically Irish food? As the only Irish person on the tour, I stay silent. Inevitably it's potatoes and other root vegetables that are mentioned most frequently. As Gráinne notes, in Ireland we tend to name produce rather than dishes. It's something I hadn't considered before. Someone else mentions stew and is happy to find out that it's an option on today's menu.

What particularly impressed me on the tour is the emphasis on sustainability, local sourcing and regional artisan products and beverages: on small independent producers and microbreweries. There's a real passion for showcasing the best of Irish ingredients and of valuing the proximity and direct connection between the production of food on farms and its appearance on our plates. Fun fact by Gráinne - Ireland was apparently the first country in the world to make food 100% traceable.

We start with a potted history of Irish food through the ages: the trends, our relationships to certain foods, the impact of colonisation on our cuisine, and where we are today on the world stage. And then we set off on our flavour trail. First stop - an introduction to the cheese revolution.

Practical note:

All dietary requirements can be catered to when notified in advance. Venues vary from tour to tour and across different seasons.

Dublin food tour course 1: the starters

JT Pims, Dublin

Our first stop on the trail is JT Pim's, a cosy contemporary Dublin bar which has retained its traditional charm. The small tour group lends itself nicely to good conversations and the communal sharing of food. Two cheese boards are placed before us and we heartily tuck in while Gráinne fills us in on where the food revolution begins in Ireland. The answer, it seems, is cheese.

While Ireland has had a history of cheese making stretching back to monastic times, it declined a number of centuries ago but experienced something of a revival in the late 1970s. From here on, we see the emergence of small-scale producers using locally sourced milk while harnessing the unique qualities of the terroir to create some truly distinctive flavours.

We're introduced to a Wicklow Bán Brie - an award winning double cream cheese with a deliciously rich and decadent flavour. It's ridiculously good - I could eat this every day for the rest of my life.

We also enjoy a robust and tangy Cork cheddar, marbled with Guinness, and the famous Cashel Blue - one of our most decorated cheeses. It's mild enough for even the most reluctant of blue cheese eaters and tastes fantastic with relish.

For drinks we're offered a choice of Guinness, two ciders, an Irish Pale Ale (IPA), lager or red ale. The latter three are courtesy of 5 Lamps - a Dublin brewery located close by in the Liberties. As a group we order one of each. Red ale, we are told, is indigenous to Ireland since 5th century. Biscuity and malty, this one gets a nod of approval from its taster. The lager gets a thumbs up too.

I opt for the IPA, a refreshingly low alcohol offering (4.4% ) with citrus notes and a mild hoppy kick. It works really well with the brie.

The cider drinkers are also happy with their choices. The original Bulmers cider, made in Clonmel, Co. Tipperary since 1935, or the cleverly named Outcider, a sweeter variety.

Our next course is a surprise - the iconic Spice bag. For the uninitiated, think a fusion of Irish and Chinese fast-food: chips, crispy chicken, onions and peppers topped with a variety of Chinese spices and shaken together in a bag. It's garnered something of a cult following over the years in Dublin as an end-of-night / hangover staple and is sold mainly in Chinese takeaways. Its origins are oft disputed: some say it was a Chinese takeaway in Templeogue on Dublin's south side, while northsiders claim it was in Summerhill in Dublin's inner city. The jury is out.

In JT Pim's, they stay true to form and it arrives at the table in a bag but is then decanted onto a plate for us all to share. It's a slightly fancier version served up here with chicken delicately battered in a panko crumb. It's quite delicious.

J. T. Pim's 4 South Great George's Street, Dublin 2

Dublin food tour: main course

Our next stop on the trail is Gallagher's Boxty House, right in the heart of tourist favourite Temple Bar. It's been around since the eighties and is still hugely popular to this day. At its helm is Pádraic Óg Gallagher, a chef and prominent food ambassador with a passion for promoting Irish artisan food and producers both domestically and abroad.

He is also the founder of Jack Smyth Brewing Company, the first craft brewery in Dublin's Tallaght. Once more I'm heartened to see small producers and microbreweries being championed as part of the tour. We're offered a choice of red ale, stout, a berry lager or an IPA and all are sampled by our group. Again, my IPA hits the spot: light, drinkable and with hints of caramel. The lager is also a winner with very subtle berry notes.

Boxty is essentially a potato pancake with origins in the border counties of Leitrim, Cavan and Fermanagh. The essential ingredient is grated raw potato but there are regional variations using mashed potato, buttermilk, baking soda and other additions. In Gallagher's we're served up dishes of boxty fries, a twist on the traditional pancake. Cut into strips, they are are lightly fried until crispy and light as air.

We're offered a choice of four main dishes: a seafood chowder, beef stew, lamb stew and a traditional Dublin coddle. The latter is a divisive dish; in essence a boiled stew of sausages, bacon, onions, and potatoes, which I grant you, doesn't sound the most appetising. Gráinne fills us in on its origins: a working-class staple dating back to the 18th century. When times are hard and food is scarce, people adapt and become resourceful. With a similar philosophy to 'cucina povera' in Italy, leftovers are used to create cheap and nutritious dishes to feed the entire family. Coddle was one such dish. While the lamb and beef stews got a thumbs-up, the coddle was an underwhelming choice for one tour member. My seafood chowder was a winner however, creamy and decadent with chunks of salmon, smoked fish and mussels - perfect for a cold winter's day.

On the side are three types of bread: stout and treacle, a traditional soda and beer bread, accompanied by dishes of 'real' butter. And by that, of course, we mean pure and unprocessed using good quality Irish milk or cream and with no artificial additives.

Gallaghers Boxty House, 20-21, Temple Bar, Dublin 2, D02 ET66

Dublin food tour course 3: Dessert and Irish Coffee

The Rag Trader, Dublin

Our final stop on the trail is The Rag Trader on Drury St, one of the capital's buzziest streets. Once the heart of Dublin's textile industry, the pub was formerly a haberdasher. It's heartening to see how they've managed to retain its original character with walls lined with paraphernalia and knick-knacks. The interior is inviting and intimate with low lighting and cosy nooks, and the friendly bar staff are its greatest asset.

And now for the fun part - the opportunity to try our hand at the elusive Irish coffee. A table has been pre-set with all the requisite ingredients: a shot of Irish whiskey, a pot of strong coffee, sugar and cream. And then the pressure is on to recreate one of the country's most beloved beverages.

Before we start assembling our masterpieces, we learn about the origins of the Irish Coffee. In the 1940s, a small town called Foynes in Co. Limerick was an important refueling stop for transatlantic flights between Europe and North America. When passengers were grounded during a period of severe weather, legend has it that Joe Sheridan, a chef at the onsite restaurant, whipped up the iconic concoction to keep them warm. By all accounts it was a hit, and the rest is history.

And then it's our turn. While it might look easy, there's a delicate balance of ingredients and technique to navigate. And as you can see from my attempt above it's easy to get heavy-handed with the cream. But I'm happy to say it tasted absolutely delicious, with the perfect ratio of flavours. I've been working on my technique ever since.

We also heroically managed to squeeze in some delectable desserts: an oozy caramel cheesecake and some chocolate brownies.

It turns out that being a tourist in your own city is fun sometimes. And there's always something new to learn.

The Rag Trader, 39 Drury St, Dublin 2

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