Meet Me in Dublin - The Ultimate Guide To St Patrick's Day

If you are planning a trip to Dublin this St Patrick’s Day, this is the ultimate guide for you.

Ireland inspires. There is no doubt about it. For such a tiny country, we are know all over the world for our friendliness, the beauty of our landscape, our first class stout, and more recently as a top place to do business. Technology companies and tourists are coming to these shores in their droves to check out everything this tiny island has to offer.

It is estimated that on March 17th this year, hundreds of thousands of people will descend on the city of Dublin for the St Patrick’s Day parade and festivities. The number of pints of Guinness consumed will increase to 13 million and 40 million people of Irish descent in the United states will celebrate their Irishness! All of these crazy numbers got us thinking about Dublin and all the incredible places to meet within our fair city.

If you are planning a trip to Dublin this St Patrick’s Day, this is the ultimate guide for you. We hope this guide will help you plan your day from the minute you set down in Dublin to the moment you collapse into bed after a long day celebrating our Patron Saint!

Top 5 Places To Meet:

best places to meet in dublin

1. The Spire

Everyone in Dublin, whether you are a tourist or a local, knows where the Spire is. You can’t exactly miss a huge towering Spike towering into the sky smack bang in the middle of Dublin’s most famous thoroughfare. The Spire, also known by many others less PC names, is the perfect place to meet in Dublin.

2. Molly Malone Statue

This would have been number 1, but since the statue has been moved from its usual spot at the bottom of Grafton street to a less visible street close by, it can take the number 2 spot instead. Molly Malone is one of the most famous characters from Irish legend and is normally a must-see item on every tourists Dublin bucket list. Meet your friends, snap your selfie then get on with the rest of your sightseeing.

3. Brown Thomas, Grafton Street

Brown Thomas is probably the most famous shop in Dublin and is a landmark store on Dublin’s Grafton street. It may be pricey and full with glamorous helpers that look like models strutting their stuff on the marble floors but it really is an excellent meeting point. You will see people meeting outside everyday of the week, and if you do choose to venture inside the stylish doormen adorned in a black suit and a top hat will be sure to hold the door open for you and your friends!

4. St Stephens Green

The gates to St. Stephen’s Green, at the very top of Grafton street, are a pretty popular place to meet among locals in Dublin, especially if you are planning to have a picnic in the park, go feed the ducks or simply take a still around the beautiful gardens. This is a great place to meet if the weather is good and you plan to spend some time outdoors. Be sure to check out the famous statue of Oscar Wilde perched on a rock, in the nearby Merrion Square.

5. Gates to Trinity College

The front gates to Trinity College are probably the most central place to meet in all of Dublin. Smack bang in the middle of the city, you are within a 5 minute walk of Temple Bar, Grafton street and O Connell street. You honestly can’t get more central. On top of the excellent location, it also the perfect place to start your tour of Dublin’s oldest and most prestigious University. Make friends with a student on your way in and you will be able to get free entrance to the long library and The Book of Kells!

Top 5 Places To Watch The Parade:

London has an incredible selection of restaurants on offer. We are literally spoiled for choice in every district, on every street, at every corner. From fun pop-up restaurants to exclusive eateries where you may have to put your name on a waiting list for weeks, it can be hard to choose the right restaurant for that special occasion.

Here we outline seven of the best hotel restaurants in London, from 5 star British hotels with panoramic views of London to boutique hotels serving up London’s best Cantonese and Spanish cuisine.

7. Rydges Kensington – The Jam Cupboard Restaurant

First on our list of London’s Top Hotel Restaurants is The Jam Cupboard Restaurant, located in the beautiful Rydges Kensington Hotel. The sleek, minimalist design of this restaurant along with it’s central New York style bar, is almost as appealing as it’s delectable menu. Think plates of skinny chips or double buttered mashed potato, perfectly roasted lamb or freshly caught Atlantic haddock, followed by sticky toffee pudding or winter spiced apple and berry crumble. Seriously mouth watering!

In addition to the main restaurant, there is an exclusive private dining table that seats up to 10 guests and adjoins the main dining room… the perfect place for a celebratory meal or special event. If you are not looking to eat a big meal, you could treat yourself to their heavenly Afternoon Tea comprising of mini sandwiches, smoked salmon, freshly baked pastries and an incredible selection of tea’s from The London Tea Company.

6. Hotel Café Royal – Ten Room

Considering Hotel Café Royal has an incredible six cafes, bars and restaurants to choose from, including it’s prestigious members only Club and the Oscar Wilde bar named after the famous patron of the same name, it can be difficult to choose which of their restaurants is the best!

We have decided, for now, on the Ten Room, as it is a little more informal than the rest and also welcomes both visitors and guests. It is overseen by award winning chef Andrew Turner, the man famed for bringing the ‘grazing concept menu’ to London and for his many TV appearances.

Also new for 2015, Turner is offering guests the opportunity to ‘Bring Your Own Ingredient’ to the Ten Room. Guests will now have the opportunity to test the talented brigade of Chefs and bring along their favourite foods, from freshly caught fish, to home grown vegetables or rare sourced spices. The Chefs will then cook up a meal using your chosen ingredients and will even give you a signed copy of the recipe they use to make your personalised meal. 5 star dining at its most unique!

5. Radisson Blu Portman – Portman Corner Restaurant

Located in London’s West End, the Radisson Blu Portman is the only hotel in the area that boasts alfresco dining. The Portman Corner Restaurant along with the Terrace bar is the perfect spot to enjoy the weather during the warmer months with early-morning breakfast, afternoon tea or even just a drink with friends.

One thing this restaurant does really well is breakfast. Their ‘Super Breakfast’ is an extensive buffet featuring a range of both hot and cold food items selected from the best of Continental, North European, and American cuisine.

If breakfast isn’t your cup of tea (excuse the pun!) the restaurant serves a selection of delicious Mediterranean and international cuisine for lunch and dinner, with Portman specialities such as the Portman Mixed Grill, the pan-fillet of Sea Bass, or their traditional Salted Caramel and Chocolate Cheesecake.

4. Grosvenor London – Grand Imperial Restaurant

With a location that is within walking distance to Buckingham Palace, The Grand Imperial London has a pretty big name to live up to. Probably one, if not the, best Cantonese restaurant in London, this restaurant combines both excellent food with original pieces or artwork and calligraphy along with traditional artefacts to create an incredible overall atmosphere.

Resident chef Rand Cheung brings his wealth of experience and expertise to London with his exquisite Cantonese cuisine, using only the freshest sourced ingredients. The menu offers a delightful array of seafood, abalone, barbecue and stir fried meat alongside some of the freshest dim sum you’ll find outside of China!

If you are looking for somewhere special to celebrate Chinese New Year, the restaurant creates a special menu with a selection of lucky dishes designed to bring you good fortune. A truly superb Asian dining experience in the heart of London.

3.The Marylebone Hotel – 108 Brasserie

The Marylebone Hotel, part of the Doyle Collection of hotels, is a large urban hotel with a boutique attitude smack bang in the middle of London. The hotels main restaurant, Brasserie 108, is hidden away from the the hustle and bustle of Marylebone street and is divided into three unique parts; the Pantry, the bar and the beautiful mirrored brasserie dining room.

The menu in the brasserie is inspired by food that’s foraged, farmed and fished from the British Isles and includes a wide selection of dishes where the emphasis is on fresh produce focusing on the seasons, balanced with a hand picked wine list.
There really is something for everyone here with a choice of light snacks, bar food, a great lunch menu, a luxurious choice of afternoon teas or an la carte menu for the perfect evening meal. British food at its best!

2. Meliá White House – L’Albufera restaurant

The Meliá White House stands out from other hotels on the list as it was originally built in 1936 as The White House luxury apartments. The hotel’s building still preserves its architectural value as a prime example of late 1930s architecture.
The Albufera Spanish restaurant is an award winning dining experience offering classic Spanish dishes in the heart of London and receives endless positive reviews from patrons.

A distinctively Spanish menu is evenly split into tempting sections of tapas – such as pan-seared foie gras with toasted thyme brioche – salads, fish and seafood, meat and rice dishes. Pick of the bunch is the paellas – said to be amongst the best in London.

1. H10 Hotel London Waterloo – Three O Two Restaurant

Standing in an unbeatable location, the H10 London Waterloo is a newly-built hotel with incredible panorama views of the city including the London skyline and the London Eye.

This hotel is the perfect choice if you are looking for a meal with a view. Start your evening with a drink or a cocktail in the Waterloo Sky Bar located on the 8th floor and then head over to the stylish Three O Two restaurant which specializes in Mediterranean and international cuisine.

With a Spanish chef at the helm, the kitchen team experiment with traditional flavors, spiced up with contemporary flair, cooking up dishes such as stewed artichokes with tomato sauce or the truly unique pumpkin lasagna with slow roasted tomatoes. Heaven for your taste buds!