The girl’s mother thanked everyone for their help and support. A five-year-old girl injured in the Parnell Square stabbing in Dublin is out of PICU. The young girl has been in Temple Street Hospital in Dublin since the November 23rd attack. The girl’s mother confirmed the incredible news on a GoFundMe page this week. She […]

2 years ago

The end of yet another Dublin institution. Fun Place The Joke Shop has announced it will close its physical store at the end of January 2024. They will continue to operate online, but anyone who has ever paid the shop a visit, either in their newer premises within Stephen’s Green Shopping Centre (another Dublin institution […]

2 years ago

A budget friendly attraction to get you through these in-between days. Christmas Day has come and gone, we’re almost sick of turkey sandwiches (almost), and we’re currently floating in the abyss of days that take place between Christmas and New Year’s. If you’re one of the lucky ones still off work, or on holidays from […]

2 years ago

No surprises here. Two Dublin restaurants have been freshly added to the Michelin Guide, both of which only opened in February of this year. The prestigious site released their Michelin Inspectors’ favourite new restaurants from December 2023, which included 16 restaurants from the UK, and two Dublin eateries – Lottie’s in Rathmines, and La Gordita […]

2 years ago

Bidding 2023 a fond farewell. We’re about to come to the end of another year at Lovin Dublin, but taking inspo from Spotify Wrapped, we’ve decided to have a look at our stats and pick out some of our most read stories, to see what was most tickling the fancy of our audience. The list […]

2 years ago

“The time has come to reassess.” There is even more closure news unfortunately as Órale Street Food truck have announced they are finishing up on Dame Street. The contemporary Mexican cuisine spot have been operating out of Pawn Shop for most of 2023, serving elevated versions of street food dishes, including oysters, pork belly, and […]

2 years ago

“We are now eager to embark on a new culinary journey.” While Dublin openers dominated our hospitality headlines for most of 2023, the last few weeks of have given rise to closure announcements left, right and centre. This week alone we have heard about Viki’s Artisan Pancakes selling their food truck, Hank’s in Glasthule shutting […]

2 years ago

“Join us in these final two weeks to say your goodbyes and share one last cup of coffee.” Hank’s, a neighbourhood café which launched in Glasthule over two years ago, has taken to socials to announce that they will close for good on December 31st. This converted petrol station is a dog friendly space with […]

2 years ago

Gone but never forgotten. A recent comment proclaiming that Lovin Dublin is an obituary page to Dublin businesses has not left my mind since reading it (so, you know, fair play dear commenter) and while I do maintain that we cover over double the openers to closures in this city, we did unfortunately say goodbye […]

2 years ago

“We are excited to explore new opportunities.” Been wanting to start up your own hospitality business? Artisan pancake truck Viki’s, which is normally based in Temple Bar on Saturdays, have taken to Instagram to share the news that they are selling their van in order to search for a more permanent location. The food truck […]

2 years ago

Book yourself in some joy for 2024. Best known perhaps for its time as a carpark rooftop restaurant, based for a time on Trinity Street, Allta are no stranger to switching things up, and they are at it again with plans to open a new eatery, bar, and micro bakery in the heart of the […]

2 years ago

Watch as my entire salary goes on music gigs next year. In the same way every tv show that has ever been popular has faced or is facing a reboot (Gossip Girl, Prison Break, Gilmore Girls, to name but a few) all the music of our youth is making a 2020s comeback, and unlike the […]

2 years ago

Axe-throwing might be the next big trend, like sea swimming or going to the sauna. We seem to be a county in need of releasing some pent up feelings, with a rage room opening in Ballyfermot only a few weeks ago, and now a UK axe-throwing company having recently launched in Smithfield, called Game of […]

2 years ago

All the hospitality news you might have missed this week. While many businesses are slowing down and wrapping things up for Christmas, hospitality is at its busiest, and that hasn’t stopped new spots from opening their doors amid the festive cheer. From the city centre bars, to cafés, a suburban fine dining restaurant, to new […]

2 years ago

Hey Google, play Honey, Honey by ABBA. Bath Avenue is a small haven for food and drink. Around here you will find the likes of Paulie’s Pizza, The Chophouse, The Bath Pub, not to mention lunchtime royalty Juniors. As if the hospitality offering around here wasn’t enough, Portmarnock café Honey Honey have taken to socials […]

2 years ago

“A symbol for the enduring spirit of our capital.” The iconic bandstand based in St Stephen’s Green has reopened after two years following a period of restoration. The landmark initially was cordoned off in 2021 once structural issues were discovered, making it unsafe for visitors. Erected in 1887 by the Dublin Metropolitan Police to commemorate Queen […]

2 years ago

This little lady has found her forever home. A dog that was left abandoned and tied to a pole at Dublin Airport has found a permanent home just in time for Christmas. In a social media post this week, animal welfare organisation My Lovely Horse Rescue posted a photo of the dog, named Jessie, with the caption: “This […]

2 years ago

Here comes Santa Claus, here comes Santa Claus, here comes Santa Claus’ paddle-board down the Liffey. We’re less than two weeks out from Christmas Day, and the festivities have slowly but surely been building. If you’re heading into the city centre on Saturday December 16th, be sure to cast your eyes down the Liffey, as […]

2 years ago

The south Dublin ‘burbs have a new food offering. Sandyford House, a D18 pub that has been hosting drinkers and diners since the 1680s, has just welcomed a new fine dining restaurant onto the premises. Panacea is an art deco style eatery, striking the perfect balance between a sophisticated space and a warm and welcoming […]

2 years ago

The exhibition has been months in the making. The EPIC Museum on the Quays has just unveiled a new exhibition dedicated to The Pogues and the late Shane MacGowan, entitled ‘They Gave the Walls a Talking’, in collaboration with magazine and website Hot Press. It has been months in the making, long before the sad […]

2 years ago

Dublin 8 is blessed once again with another coffee spot. Francis Street is known to be one of the best streets for food and drink in Dublin 8. It is home to the likes of Jackie’s, Two Pups, Doll Society, Ginger café, Rumi café, to name but a few, and come Friday, they are about […]

2 years ago

“Cockroaches at all life stages were noted in traps” Al Huda Grocery in Summerhill, Dublin 1 was issued a closure order by the FSAI Act on November 14th, which was then lifted on November 27th. According to the report made, the closure came as a result of an ongoing “cockroach infestation” due to a failure […]

2 years ago

Might be time for another trip to the D9 food market soon. Eatyard is the gift that keeps on giving, feeding the people of Drumcondra and beyond with their frankly very hip street food market. They always have class food offerings, with the likes of Janets, Village Pizza, Gaucho’s Dogs, and Nice Burger, to name […]

2 years ago

He is back in the public eye with his new book The Reign of King Ruairi Viral star Ruairi McSorley has his sights on becoming Taoiseach and has said he would like to see Conor McGregor become President of Ireland. The Derry native, now 27, first went viral as a teen after a clip of him on the news in […]

2 years ago

Bringing pizza and wings together. We can never have enough pizza spots in this city, and Woodfire & Wings are doing God’s work by opening a third location, this time in Stillorgan. The pizzeria / wings restaurant already operate in Tallaght, at the new Bancroft Centre, and Clondalkin, within the Dutch Village Shopping Centre. They […]

2 years ago

Be sure to give those lights a check before wrapping them around your tree. With Christmas just around the corner and our homes are now full of decorations, Dublin Fire Brigade has issued a warning to the public about their Christmas lights. As magical as they look, decorations do come with a lot of risks, […]

2 years ago

Get a good feed no matter which side of the Liffey you’re based on. Krewe on Capel Street has been a tried and true Dublin eatery in the four years it’s been operating. It ranked as seventh on the OpenTable list of most booked Dublin restaurants for 2023, and it’s constantly passing the lips of […]

2 years ago

Dublin is losing another gorgeous veggie café. It’s bad news for those in D7 as Kale + Coco have made the sad announcement on their socials that they will be closing for good on Sunday December 17th. The Stoneybatter café has been in operation for six and a half years, perhaps best known for their […]

2 years ago

Something to get you in the festive spirit if it hasn’t quite hit yet. Instead of one large Christmas market in the centre of the city, like many cities across Europe, Dublin has several Christmas markets, if you know where to look for them. Many of the classics have ceased operating in recent years, leading […]

2 years ago

It’s been a promising week for Dublin hospitality. Well it warms our heart to see a week where we can focus on openers, with no closures in sight (we hope) – it isn’t something we have experienced for many months, so you’ve got to be grateful for it when it comes around. Two Dublin chains […]

2 years ago

Dublin has a twinning agreement with five cities as of this morning. Dublin City has been twinned with the Palestinian city of Ramallah under a new “city to city friendship agreement”. On Thursday morning (7 December), Dublin City Council confirmed that the friendship agreement had been formally signed by both the Lord Mayor of Dublin, Daithí de Róiste, […]

2 years ago

When one door closes, another one opens. It was quite the blow to learn that The Counter, a restaurant that I’ve been to more times than I can count, were closing down. The custom burger spot had been a go-to for me when I worked in retail, with myself and my colleagues finding any excuse […]

2 years ago

Festival girl summer incoming. It’s hard to imagine those sweltering June days as we sit freezing our tits off working from home, weighing up whether it’s officially cold enough to switch on the heating, or slaving away in harsh office light, a mountain of pre-Christmas work ahead of us. While it’s still six months away, […]

2 years ago

Ideal for some bonding over food. Cloud Café on North Strand Road have launched a brand new supper club called L-Blanc Mezes. Lifelong friends Arda and Anil have co-founded L-Blanc with the aim of introducing their food and culture to the Irish community. Mezzes are crafted for sharing, as the duo believes that food is […]

2 years ago

They took home three awards at the Asian Restaurant Awards in November. Big news for lovers of Pakistani restaurant Daata, as they have announced the opening of a new restaurant in Blackrock. They already have three Irish branches, one in Dublin, in Glasthule, and two in Wicklow, in Bray and Greystones. They have been long […]

2 years ago

The toll charges last increased in July of this year. It seems like no time has passed since the last increase to toll charges (it was in fact just five months ago) but as of January 1st 2024, New Year’s Day, there will be more for the M50, Dublin Tunnel, and eight national roads. In […]

2 years ago

The much loved pizzeria has been closed for almost 3 weeks. Little Richards are officially reopening in Skerries after a fire caused significant damage to the building on Saturday November 18th. The beloved pizzeria, one of Dublin’s best, as well as The Bus Bar were forced to close due to the fire that broke out […]

2 years ago

Heavenly news. Coffeeangel have just announced the launch of their eighth location, which makes this the third café they have opened in 2023. The Irish café chain launched their first location outside of Dublin in April, venturing north and opening in Monaghan, and in July they opened a new spot on Hatch Street Upper. On […]

2 years ago

Great news for those working by the IFSC. Griolladh are making big moves once again, following a huge year of expansion for the three year old grilled cheese sambo business. The popular toastie spot have taken to socials to announce the launch of their fourth Dublin branch, and it’s good news for Dublin 1 office […]

2 years ago

Almost as much as a Temple Bar pint. To say an overused phrase, Bewley’s café is an iconic location for a little treat and hot drink this time of year, a go-to spot for Dubliners and tourists alike amid Christmas shopping and socialising. The space is never not bustling with people, and given the season, […]

2 years ago

3,000 native trees have been planted. On Friday December 1, North Dublin suburb Darndale officially became the site of an innovative “urban forest” courtesy of an EU-funded initiative which is set to focus on city tree-planting. It has joined the likes of Milan, Barcelona and Brasov as one of four forests being planted in this […]

2 years ago

The Dalkey Book Festival line-up continues to slap To the untrained ear thoughts of a book festival held in the salubrious suburb of Dalkey might seem a dry, wholly uninteresting series of talks and events. However, the festival continues to have some of the best line-ups in the country and attract some world-class names. Campaign […]

2 years ago

The young girl remains at CHI Temple Street. A schoolgirl who was stabbed in a knife attack in Dublin remains in hospital, a week and a half after the attack. The young girl, who has not been named publicly, was rushed to Temple Street Hospital in Dublin on November 23rd. She was “seriously wounded” in […]

2 years ago

The Dublin brewery beat attractions like the Taj Mahal and Niagara Falls. The Guinness Storehouse has been named World’s Leading Tourist Attraction 2023, as well as the World’s Leading Beer Tour Visitor Experience 2023 at the prestigious World Travel Awards, which was held in Dubai, UAE on Friday December 1st. The Dublin 8 tourist attraction […]

2 years ago

A blessing during the most expensive time of the year. Tattoo parlour Heartbreak Social Club launched a café within their Drury Street location in August, and for the entire month of December they are only charging €2 for all coffees. Yes, you read that right. €2. I’ve been on a spiritual journey, if you will, […]

2 years ago

“Everything is getting harder for restaurants” It’s been an unimaginable week for the families, friends and wider community of the victims of the Dublin attack. A confusing few days for the citizens of Dublin, and an inordinately tough week for local businesses trying to operate in these new conditions. Confidence in the capital has unfortunately […]

2 years ago

All your hospitality headlines in one place. After a pause in our usual coverage last week due to the riots that took place in the city centre on November 23rd, we are back with restaurant news, following all the places that have launched in the past two weeks, as well as the unfortunate closures. We […]

2 years ago

They are the first café in Ireland to focus on the deaf community. After two years of working in their OG café / bakery in Castleknock, Mad Brothers are opening a new location in Cabra, specifically at Deaf Village Ireland. The coffee spot opens seven days a week for sit in, but if you’re in […]

2 years ago

Load up on tacos and guac ahead of your Christmas shopping spree. It’s been a big year for El Grito. This Mexican Taquería has been a go-to spot in Dublin ever since it first opened in 2014, for its authentic cuisine as well as its affordable prices – by Dublin standards at least. El Grito […]

2 years ago

Proving once again they can do more than just tattoos. Anything but a one trick pony, tattoo parlour Heartbreak Social Club are officially launching a new service in December – “Sacred” tooth gems. While they got their start in tattooing and piercing, they have moved onto other jewellery ventures, which includes their “Chained” service, whereby […]

2 years ago