En route home from France this summer, we took advantage of a flight path we discovered last year – Bordeaux>Dublin>Toronto – and instead of just doing a quick airport stopover like we did last summer, this year we stayed a few nights in Dublin. Neil had never been and the last time I was there was in 1997 I think so, really, a “first visit” for us both!
With such a short amount of time, though, the possibilities for “what to do” are overwhelming… so I turned, as I often do in an unfamiliar city, to a food-themed walking tour! It’s a great way to cover a lot of the city you might not otherwise see and also taste loads of different foods that, even with two people, you’d be hard pressed to get to (there’s only SO much one or two people can eat!).
But my Dublin walking tour was not just any walking tour. Delicious Dublin is the brainchild of Ketty Quigley, a French transplant in Dublin, whose work I’ve been following for years over on French Foodie in Dublin.
She’s an award winning writer, graduate of the Ballymaloe Cooking School and just completed her Masters in Gastronomy and Food Studies at the DIT School of Culinary Arts and Food Technology so if there’s one thing I know about her, its that she knows her Irish food!
Her mission is to make Irish people proud of their food culture and for tourists to go back home with unforgettable Irish food memories.
Well alright then!
Because Delicious Dublin tours can include different stops depending on when you take them (to account for seasonality, holiday closures etc…) what you see here might not be your exact experience. But rest assured that you will leave this tour not only full of delicious food and drinks but with a head full of knowledge about Ireland’s food history and a “must re-visit” list a mile long. Bref, this tour will make you want to book another trip to Dublin!
What I particularly enjoyed about this tour was how Ketty made sure to include all the “musts” (whiskey, Irish coffee, excellent Irish dairy products) but to taste these items, she really took us off the tourist trail to places we’d never have discovered on our own (mostly – see below!) without a ton of research. If you’re only in Dublin for a couple of days you might not have time to do all that research so this is the perfect overview in some more alternative places.
This, friends, is an Irish coffee (baby size, perfect for me at 10am!). This is the tour that made me love Irish coffee – simply because this version from Vice Coffee, doesn’t include a whole lot of whipped cream. Just a few simple ingredients (including excellent real, thick Irish pouring cream) and a couple of surprises (I won’t drink and tell!) made for the biggest revelation in my short time there!
The adorable Camerino Bakery was also a stop on our tour. This had also been recommended by a friend who had recently been in Dublin but we didn’t connect the dots until we were back in our hotel room. So we were glad it featured on our route! Especially because…
Hello excellent Irish butter!
Next up, another staple in the Irish “food musts” – the humble spud…
Neil and I had actually eaten at Boxty House the night before – we’d arrived late from Bordeaux and stumbled out along temple Bar looking for dinner (and, well, a pint) and we’d really liked the ambiance here. We weren’t sure the food would be that great (because it’s in the middle of a huge touristy area) but it had some atmosphere that other places we peeked in didn’t.
(yes, those are potatoes growing up there!)
What more Irish to taste here than an excellent selection of Irish Stews…?
Well, actually, the boxty!
This is a boxty tasting plate – boxty being a traditional Irish food of potato pancakes. Here I got boxty fries, boxty gnocchi and pancakes. Delish!
No visit to Ireland is complete without some Murphy’s…
I mean, with flavours like this…
You can’t really go wrong, now can you?
We tried the sea salt, brown bread (curiously delicious), the gin and Irish coffee. Not a bad choice to be made there!
Next up, more dairy!
Yes, the famous Sheridans Cheesemongers (a true Aladdin’s Cave of dairy deliciousness). And yes, there were tastings..
Our tour wouldn’t have been complete without some Irish whiskey now, would it?
While there are many places to taste and shop for whiskey, Ketty took us to the Celtic Whiskey Shop because it simply has everything!
And, of course, there was a tutored tasting…
Ouf! With full minds and bellies, the tour came to an end, sadly!
A whirlwind 3+ hours of walking, talking, learning, tasting and laughing – the best way to get an introduction to not just Irish food and drinks but also the culture and history. Ketty has planned thoughtful routes through the city that include off the beaten path locations as well as those more familiar to tourists. It’s a lovely balance of information and just taking in your surroundings as you walk and listen and taste. a HIGHLY recommended Dublin experience.
Learn more about Delicious Dublin tours here.
I’ve been following Ketty for years on ig, so cool to get a glimpse into her tours! This makes me want to book a flight back to Dublin asap…
It’s always so fun to meet up with people you’ve been following for years 🙂 Ketty is as lovely as you would imagine and the tour was really excellent!