Taste of Dublin

Taste of Dublin is back on June 10th - 13th in the Iveagh Gardens. The food and drink festival is one of the most popular events of the summer with upto 30,000 visitors expected to attend. For some reason the sun always seems to shine for Taste of Dublin (I hope I haven't jinxed it now!). Dublin's top restaurants will display their finest cuisine samples and it's always a good idea to have a good look around before deciding on which to choose.Well known chefs including Darina Allen, Kevin Dundon, Donal Skehan Gino D'Acampo and Rachel Allen will be present and even offering cooking demonstrations.
Taste of Dublin is a great day out for family and friends and if you don't live in Dublin we highly recommend you stay over and make a weekend of it. Temple Bar Hotel is a 20 minute scenic stroll from the Iveagh Gardens.

Christmas Markets in Dublin's IFSC

I was so excited to hear Dublin's Christmas markets are back on December 10th. Last year we went there for our Christmas party (a budget alternative to the big sit down meal party) by walking down there (just 10 mins walk from the hotel) in the afternoon and strolling around the stalls. There was plenty of food vendors serving delicious hot food and mugs of mulled wine to warm us up. There is a fantastic festive atmosphere around the markets with everyone in the Christmas spirit. It's a great place to get some stocking fillers with lots of quirky gift ideas. There's no charge and it's great for children and adults. It could also be added to the list for anyone doing the '12 pubs of Christmas' in Dublin. On that note, if anyone has established a good list of pubs....do leave a comment and let me know!

Warning! If you are walking down to the markets with a gang, expect to lose some on the way to the many inviting bars you will pass!!

Dublin Beer Festival! A Great Night Out!

Well I took my own advice yesterday (and suffering for it today) and I gathered the troops after work and headed down to Oktoberfest in the IFSC. There are numerous food stalls serving a variety of German foods. I had a tasty German sausage which had been cooked on the charcoal bbq followed by a Baileys and Banana Crepe for dessert. And then for the Beer!! I went for the smaller jug of Paulander Beer as I wasn't sure if I'd even be able to lift the larger one. Most of the drinking goes on in the large tent with wooden benches and seats. The atmosphere was fantastic with plenty of beer mug clinking and lots of beer loss in the process! The Bavarian band played traditional German music which is quite lively and calls for plenty of beer mug raising! There were German girls in the traditional Dirndl dress and you can purchase the dresses, but be warned that while it may seem like a good idea after a few beers, you won't be wearing it on a regular Saturday night out!

There's still over a week left to go so get yourself down there.

4th July Party Dublin

Every year we are asked by our American guests for suggestions on where to celebrate Independence Day! So this year we stepped up to the mark and organised the best 4th July party in Dublin. Here's what is planned....
4pm to 5pm: Flair Bar Tending show
5pm to 7pm: Live Band playing the greatest American tunes

BBQ food served all day.
Free popcorn!

Fancy Dress Competition, prize for the best costume!

Buskers Bar, Fleet Street, Temple Bar, Dublin 2.
Tel: 01 612 9246

Wake Up & Smell the Coffee!

There is few smells that can compare to the aroma of freshly brewed coffee! And even fewer smells compare to the aroma of freshly brewed coffee mingled with the smell of cinnamon swirls!! It takes a hell of a lot of willpower to resist, especially in the mornings when I am feeling a little tired after a hectic weekend and craving the ultimate pick-me-up! West Coast Coffee, located on Temple Lane in the heart of Temple Bar serves the best coffee in Temple Bar (in my opinion!). It has been proven to brighten my day on 9 out of 10 occasions! I am reliably informed that the coffee is ethically sourced, environmentally friendly and hand roasted. It is what I’d call ‘a friendly coffee shop’. They seem genuinely interested in whether my weekend was good (or perhaps they are curious as to what gave me those dreadful bags under my eyes!!). The biggest plus for West Coast is they stamp my loyalty card twice so I only need to buy five coffees to get a free one!!! Oh it’s the simple things in life…

The coffee shop itself has a cosy charm that makes it difficult for me to leave and continue on my way to work. I stare enviously at tourists as they linger and chat over steaming mugs of coffee. I get my ‘usual’ latte which not too milky - I find the lattes in Starbucks far too milky for my liking and the prices far too steep!! Most people who are holidaying in Dublin are usually just here for a few nights so why waste time drinking horrible coffee?

I gave up coffee for April. Why April you might ask! Simply put….because I missed the boat on Lent and decided to just try April instead. Yes it did work. Once I’d made up my mind it wasn’t that difficult. I just choose a different cobbled street to walk down to work, purposely avoiding the inviting aroma of coffee beans that wafts its way down Temple Lane each morning greeting me. But once May Day rolled around I was back to my vice with a vengeance! I’ve decided life’s too short to give up coffee!

Walking Time from Temple Bar Hotel to West Coast Coffee - 5 minutes.