This is not a city for the unremarkable.

After a lengthy flight seated next to a kind but rather shy young man called Chris from Northern Ireland, I arrived in the lively city of Dublin. Here’s a tip for those with small bladders on international flights: book an aisle seat. Thankfully for both Chris and myself, I was in the aisle. This made our six hour relationship a whole lot easier.

For those intent on spending minimal amounts of money on accommodations, try a hostel. For those who care a lot about square footage, having personal bathrooms, and overall security, do not try a hostel. We stayed at Mount Eccles Hostel, which catered well to our large group because we didn’t have to worry about staying in the dorm-room with strangers. 

Dublin offers a surprisingly diverse mix of both food and culture. While there is a definitive pride that distinguishes the Irish people, there is a concurrent multinational atmosphere that distinguishes the entire city.

I went to Ireland under the false impression that, as a vegetarian, I would be eating a diet of primarily potatoes and lettuce in a country of blood pudding and clotted cream. This was far from accurate.

 

I am a self-proclaimed foodie. In addition to simply loving to eat, I find food to be a wonderful way to understand a culture. I happily ate my way through Dublin, where I sampled everything from sushi and Indian food to traditional Irish fare coupled with black tea stronger than any I’d ever tasted.

If you are intent as I often am on filling up with baked goods such as tarts, pies, meringues, and cakes, don’t miss Queen of Tarts. During our brief time in Dublin, we visited this gem three times. Over the course of my visits, I feasted on a raspberry swirled meringue cookie, a Victorian sponge cake stuffed with fluffy strawberry cream and dusted with powdered sugar, and a slice of blueberry peach pie with a buttery crumble atop the soft, warm fruit.

Naturally, I’ve been missing Queen of Tarts ever since.

Among other toothsome delicacies, I ate scones, the most delectable cup of coffee I’ve ever drunk (and I do not consider myself a coffee drinker anyway), thin crepes filled with lemon and sugar, Weetabix–which I did not recognize nor understand until at earliest my third encounter with it– and a spicy Vietnamese rice dish. I ate Indian curry piled high with rice and beans, a baguette with supple mozzarella balls and olive oil, and a peculiarly delicious coffee milkshake called a “Froffee.”

Dublin’s food is not dull.

You will not be limited to potatoes and sausages and beer.

You can have all three if you’d like, but you can also have tastes of eclectic and flavorful cuisines that will take you to a variety of countries outside of the green-speckled one you’re in.

Then you can leave the restaurant and experience everything else that Ireland has to offer.