Dublin Review
I first visited Dublin, ROI back in January 2024 for a girl’s trip. I absolutely adored the vibe of the city and as a result I found myself back there again in April for a quick solo day trip. Dublin is so laid back & that’s just the vibe I’m after at this stage in my life.
I think they say that third times a charm, so I found myself back in Dublin again for a short solo break to start 2025
Catch Flights, not feelings
I like to keep my travelling expenses as low as possible, so I booked my flight from LGW to Dublin with Ryanair. Now I know a lot of people have issues with Ryanair, me personally, I haven't had any issues with flying with Ryanair. They are a budget airline, so of course there will be add-on fees for baggage, check-in etc. I avoid paying for a seat on my flights to Dublin, as the flight is very short (50m -1h10m, so I’m not USUALLY fussed about where I sit on the plane). However, this time I paid the price for not having booked my seat in advance. I was stuck on the dreaded row 11 & in seat B. So, not only did I not have a window in this row, I was sandwiched between a lovely Irish lady, and someone who didn't smell too fragrant. I knew that as a matter of priority I would be booking my seat for my return flight.
Booking.com
This is the part of my booking process that takes the LONGEST. Now, while I don’t mind flying with budget airlines, when it comes to where I lay my head at night, that needs a lot more attention & requires me to fact check TikTok reviews of the hotels of interests, as well as perusing TripAdvisor, and the hotel has to be a MINIMUM of 4 stars.
I decided to book my hotel via Booking.com and utilise my my GENIUS perks which entitles me to receive 10% off some of my hotel stays.
Hotel - Nyx Hotel (Portobello)
I was considering going back to the hotel that I stayed at previously for my girls trip… But then I remembered the temperamental & extremely noisy heating system. I remember one morning waking up just about ready to slide out of the bed, because the heating was on so high that I was profusely sweating in my satin pj's!
This time around I ended up staying at the NYX Portobello hotel.
The room: It was a decent size, with a gorgeous view of the canal which runs alongside the hotel. The bed was gorgeously soft and comfortable, and the bathroom although small, was very pleasing to the eye. The room came inclusive of a large smart TV, hairdryer, safe, iron & ironing board, tea & coffee making facilities.
The amneties: The hotel itself had a gym on the LG floor (I didn't have enough space in my cabin case to bring my gym gear sobs), as well as a restaurant & bar.
Staff: I didnt have much interactions with the staff, but they seemed nice enough.
Food: This was probably the biggest let down of the hotel in my opinion. The breakfast variety was ok, but for someone who doesn’t eat pork, nor cereal, I ended up just having a lemon & ginger tea & a few pastries.
Location: This was probably the only mistake that I made, as I was about 20 mins (via transport/walking) away from the city centre. There is a more central NYX Hotel (Christchurch), but I cannot remember why I didn't book it - it may have been due to the price difference, but I can’t be sure.
Overall, I would definitely book with NYX hotels again - I would probably opt for a room only option though.
Transport
On my girls trip I remember our Uber from out hotel to the airport cost circa £130. I decided against this daylight robbery during my solo trips, and opted to jump on the bus from the airport to Dublin City Centre. Be sure to have some euros (coins) for the bus as they don’t take card.
This trip, I decided to jump on the Dublin Express, which you can catch from Terminal 2, you can buy a ticket at the kiosk situated at the stop for 10 euros. The typical cost of my bus journeys around the city were 2 Euros.
When I next visit I may look into a Leap card (similar to the UKs Oyster Card).
I love walking and exploring so I rarely chose to utilise public transport. Plus it made sense to get my steps in since I didn't have my gym clothes with me lol.
Things I did
EPIC The Irish Emigration Museum - General tickets for adults are priced from 21 Euros. However, if you visit after 4pm, the ticket price reduces to 15 Euros. If you visit in January after 5.30pm, adult tickets are priced at 13.50 Euros.
Grafton Street - I feel as though a trip to Grafton Street is a must when you go to Dublin, it can be a bit busy - BUT, nowhere near as congested as Oxford Circus.
St George's Arcade - This is another popular tourist attraction, with food stalls/shops - if you are familiar with Brixton Village, this is a smaller, Irish version.
Books Upstairs - For my book loving babes, Books Upstairs is defiinitely somewhere you need to head to on your trip to Dublin. This book shop boasts 3 floors, along with a cafe. If you are on the hunt for diverse authors, be sure to check out this amazing book store.
Feed me baby!
Restaurants I dined at.
One Society - This was probably the highlight of my trip (food-wise).
I ordered Pancakes, Caramel Oat Flat White & a mint tea.
This cafe/restaurant reminded me why I fell in love with Ireland. The residents are so friendly. Its not very often in London that the person sitting next to you (that you didn't talk to) will say bye to you & wish you a good day.
Highly recommend visiting this cute spot. 5 stars from me.
Mak at D6 - Sometimes don't trust TikTok viral spots.
This restaurants appeared to be a hot spot for those in Dublin. The decor is stunning, but the food left a bit to be desired in my opinion. Equally, I may have just ordered the wrong items on the menu.
I ordered: A lychee martini; Soft shell crab; Prawn, Ginger & Scallion, and Egg fried rice.
The lychee martini wasn't as sweet as I'm used to…
The soft shell crab started off ok, flavoursome, but ended feeling quite salty…
The prawns were lovely, but the portion size was huge.
The biggest let down was the Egg “fried” rice - no flavour, it was giving microwavable uncle bens rice…
While the food didn't wow me, the service was impeccable.
Bibi’s - Gorgeous all-round
This was a great little find, and it was only a short walk away from my hotel. The cafe had a great ambiance & a real homely feel.
What I ordered: A oat chai latte & Baklava french toast.
5 stars for the service & food! I would definitely go back.
MacKenzies - Hmmmm
When I visited MacKenzies back in 2024, I really enjoyed their brunch menu, which is only served on the weekends. As I visited this time on a Friday I unfortunately could not dine from the brunch menu…
What I ordered - A cosmo petal (mocktail) & a New York pizza sandwich.
My mocktail was ok, a bit too sweet… As for the pizza sandwich, it's a no for me.
I definitely preferred the restaurants that I dined at back in 2024, but life is for trying new things.
Things to do in Dublin
Guinness Storehouse Tour
Jamieson Distillery Tour
Book of Kels experience
Trinity College
Books Upstairs (book shop)
Dine/Drink at a speakeasy
Temple Bar
Umbrella street
EPIC Museum
Places to eat in Dublin
Leo Burdock's Fish & Chip Shop (Christchurch)
El Silencio (Speakeasy)
Opium
Travelling whilst Black
In the three times that I have now been to Dublin, I have not encountered any issues due to race. While I may have been the only Black face in the area I did not feel uncomfortable, I just felt at home.
Definitely recommend travelling to Dublin… I wonder where will be next?
Let me know if you book a trip to Dublin, I’d love to hear all about it!