While you can get just about anything to eat in Dublin (Chinese, Italian, American, etc.) there are some interesting local specialties readily available. A full Irish breakfast consists of bacon, several types of sausage, eggs, potatoes, beans and maybe some toast. It’s a huge breakfast that could easily keep you filled through lunch. If a ‘full Irish’ has pudding don’t expect a sugary dessert, it’s actually a blood sausage that locals love, but us tourists are a bit more cautious about. Personally, since I don’t eat meat I prefer a lighter breakfast. A scone served with butter, cream, jams and a pot of tea is a popular breakfast or afternoon snack. I like my scones with raisins but, other flavors such as plain, raspberry, and chocolate are common. For a real treat, an afternoon tea is a great meal to share with a friend. In addition to scones and tea, there are finger sandwiches, cakes and tarts.
As for dinner, if you want to eat like the Irish, go to a pub. Menus commonly have sausages, beef or pork stews and at least one fish option that’s usually salmon, haddock or cod. For vegetarians, a vegetable soup made of carrots, celery, and parsnip is available or a salad. If I’m in a rush, I like to grab some fish and chips. Dublin has tons of places to get it and most are standing room only, so it’s great meal to grab and walk over to one of Dublin’s many parks to eat. Finally, the Irish do love their potatoes and you find them as part of both dinner and breakfast entrees. Not to mention, every time i go grocery shopping I see at least one family buy a bag of potatoes the weighs as much as me!
