There, I said it. Breakfast has the smug advantage of being a ritual. Dinner has the weight of the day behind it, but lunch? Lunch is a shapeshifter. Lunch is a trap. It’s never quite what you want it to be, and somehow, you always feel like you're making the wrong choice.
Maybe that’s because capitalism has compressed it into an hour (if you’re lucky). A single hour to decide, acquire, and consume. Ieally without spending the GDP of a small nation on a sad little sandwich. A single hour weather you’re a person who meal preps (deluded) or a person who brings in leftovers (miserable) or a person who queues up for a €12 salad that somehow still leaves you hungry (fool).
And sure, you could bring in your own lunch, but there is nothing—nothing—that crushes the human spirit like eating the same Tupperware meal five days in a row. Even a genuinely good dinner becomes a depressing shadow of itself when you’re eating it hunched over a desk, armed with a flimsy plastic fork, while Karen from HR explains her intermittent fasting journey at volume.
Then there’s the problem of options. Too many. Too expensive. Too wrong. The paradox of choice means you’re standing in the middle of the supermarket, paralysed, debating whether a packet of ham and a bag of spinach can constitute a meal. The deli counter? Too long a queue. The sad pre-made sandwiches? €6 for disappointment. Sushi? Too risky. Soup? Will leave you gnawing on your own fist by 3 p.m.
The days when lunch feels right are rare. A spontaneous long lunch when someone suggests a pint? Bliss. A perfect bowl of ramen on a cold day? Incredible. But the default, everyday lunch? Unsolvable. And then just when you think you’ve cracked the code, the dopeamine wears off and you're suddenly be sick of whatever genius meal hack you’ve latched onto.
Lunch is, ultimately, a battle we are all losing. So to help we've curated a list of 33 places in Dublin where no matter what you order for lunch you won't be let down.
42 Drury Street, Dublin 2
Since its opening in late 2023, MANI Pizza has been serving up Roman-style pizza al taglio to the delight of Dubliners. Owner Ciaran McGonagle, after honing his craft in Rome and Madrid, has brought this crispy, airy slice experience to the city.
The menu features a variety of options, including the classic Margherita with homemade tomato sauce and Toonsbridge Fior di Latte. The standout Carbonara slice, topped with pancetta, guanciale, Pecorino Romano, and a generous coating of free-range egg yolk. For those seeking something different, the Salsiccia slice with house-made fennel sausage and vodka sauce is a must-try.
In mid-October 2024, MANI expanded its reach with a pop-up at Kildare Village, which has been extended through 2025 due to its success. Owner Ciaran McGonagle is also considering a second Dublin city centre location north of the Liffey, though details are yet to be confirmed.
Go for? A slice of Roman-style pizza that will transport your taste buds straight to Italy.
MANI Pizza is open Monday from 12:00 to 18:00, Tuesday and Wednesday from 12:00 to 21:00, Thursday from 12:00 to 22:00, Friday and Saturday from 12:00 to 00:00, and Sunday from 12:00 to 21:00.
30 North Brunswick Street, Stoneybatter, Dublin 7
Formerly known as V-Face, this corner spot where Smithfield meets Stoneybatter has been reinvented by the same owner as a neighbourhood café committed to sustainability.
The menu is short but beautifully formed, featuring six crowd-pleasing options and a range of sides. What I hadn't banked on, however, was the exceptional specials selection.
Vada takes pride in its house-made kefir, a fermented drink crafted from upcycled fruits, vegetables, and herbs that would otherwise go to waste. The kefir is naturally brewed, resulting in a tangy and effervescent drink that supports gut health. They also offer kefir spritzers for those fancying a boozy twist.
Go for? A sustainable brunch that doesn't compromise on flavor.
Vada is open Wednesday to Friday from 8:00 to 16:00, and on weekends from 9:00 to 16:00. The kitchen closes at 15:00, but treats and coffee are available until closing.
Fade Street, Dublin 2
Newly opened in December 2024, Hong Kong Wonton brings the bustling energy of Hong Kong's noodle shops to the heart of Dublin. This 16-seater eatery, launched by the team behind Asia Market, offers a menu deeply rooted in authentic Cantonese flavors.
The star of the show is their classic pork and prawn wonton noodle soup, featuring handmade wontons with bouncy prawn fillings, served in a meticulously prepared broth combining fresh chicken stock and in-house flounder fish powder. Beyond wontons, the all-day breakfast menu tempts with Hong Kong favourites like satay beef noodles, chicken congee, and indulgent Hong Kong-style French toast—a deep-fried delight layered with peanut butter and drizzled with syrup and condensed milk.
The decor transports diners straight to the streets of Hong Kong, with bold green-and-white patterned tiles inspired by the city's iconic trams, cream-coloured tables and benches reminiscent of traditional tea houses, and vibrant menu boards displaying dishes in bold red Chinese characters.
Pair your meal with a cup of Hong Kong Milk Tea or the iconic Yin Yeung—a harmonious blend of coffee and tea—sourced directly from Asia to replicate the bold, robust flavours typical of a Hong Kong diner.
Go for? A quick, comforting taste of Hong Kong's vibrant culinary scene.
Hong Kong Wonton is open daily from 12:00 to 22:00.
Francis Street, Dublin 8 & Fairview, Dublin 3
From the moment I first bit into the veggie edition of their breakfast sandwich (which I had for lunch, with a side of potatoes) I've been hooked on Two Pups, and it's one of the first cafés out of my mouth when asked for a Dublin recommendation for great food. Like all the best cafés and restaurants, Two Pups focuses on local suppliers and seasonal ingredients, sourcing from the likes of Firehouse Bakery, McNally Family Farm, Village Dairy, and North Wicklow Eggs.
The ambience is laidback and fuss-free, and the grub will impress your foodie mate and win you serious brownie points for suggesting it. Something to note if you're a picky eater - the dishes at Two Pups can't be modified, so if you're a serial remover of coriander or feta, this won't be the spot for you. If you're down for anything, then it's a winner-winner-chicken lunch (...). The menus are completely different depending on whether you dine on Francis Street, or in Fairview, so be sure to take a goo at what's on offer before deciding which one you're heading to.
(Lil heads-up there can be a bit of a queue on the weekend, but it is absolutely worth the wait)
Go for? Those sweet, sweet baby potatoes
You can check out what Two Pups are up to on their Instagram page.
Pearse Street, Dublin 2 & Amiens Street, Dublin 1
Patrick Hyland kicked off his career in food by simply making dishes he loved to make for himself, with a belief that American food is "a great crossover of cultures." Pig & Heifer has that special family feel that we're more used to seeing on TV shows than in person, making that trip to New York almost unnecessary. The Pig & Heifer use age-old techniques to keep that authentic NY feel to their sambos; their famous pastrami is made with a tried and true 30-year-old recipe hailing from the States. That said, all the meat is Irish, and all the bread is baked specially in-house, The Bear style. They even acknowledge that operating this way is more labour-intensive, but the payoff of their effort is felt in every bite.
Much like the sambos, the menu has some serious girth, P&G splits theirs into three parts, Specialties, Beef & Pastrami, and Chicken & Bacon, and within these, there are thirty-one different variations. It's also one of the few places in Dublin doing a hoagie, making it reason enough to stop in on your lunch break.
Go for? That New York deli experience in Dublin
The Pig & Heifer opens at 8.00 on weekdays, and the Pearse Street location opens on Saturdays, while the Amiens Street deli closes for the weekend.
Leeson Street Lowe, Dublin 2
The word "institution" gets thrown around quite a bit, but a café that exudes excellence in the lunch department is Emer's Kitchen. This D2 eatery keeps things fresh, and not just with their ingredients, but by releasing a new lunch menu on their Instagram story every day, and when they are sold out they are sold out- no quibblin'!
This is not for the people who return to the same café day in and day out for a tuna melt on rye bread, with a Vit Hit on the side (no shade) but instead for those who love a bit of a surprise, down for whatever meat or cheese is being laid on bread on any given day. They serve all the lunchtime staples - soups, salads, sandwiches, as well as the more out-there but ever-delicious frittata (let's agree to shout more about frittatas in 2024 guys). Emer's Kitchen is a takeaway establishment only, but given its proximity to Stephen's Green, Iveagh Gardens, and Fitzwilliam Square, on warmer days you can find a nice perch with your soup and frittata while people-watching.
Go for? A lunch that will surprise you
Emer's Kitchen only opens on weekdays, between 7:30 and 16:00. Follow their socials for the daily lowdown on lunch.
Baggot Street Lower, Dublin 2 & Blackrock Market
Shaka Poké, with relatively new premises on Baggot Street, does the most exquisite poké bowls, in a city where they are few and far between. The bowls put together on-site are full of contrasting flavours, everything from fruity with the pineapple, salty with the seaweed, and creamy with the shaka sauce, of which you should ask for as many lashes as they will allow you to have.
A poké bowl is on the healthier side of lunch options, but unlike your standard Caesar salad, the addition of sushi rice and the bulk of whatever fish you choose (tuna is my personal fave) make this a wholesome and satisfying meal. Anyone who considers themselves a sushi lover must make it a priority to visit Shaka Poké at their earliest convenience. However a word of warning, regular lunchtime meals just won't cut it for you afterwards.
Go for? Something equal parts filling and fresh
Shaka Poké operates from 8:00 to 20:00 Monday to Friday on Baggot Street. The Blackrock Market stall also operates on weekends.
Hanover Street East, Dublin 2
Almost open two years, Carved swept in as something of a lunchtime hero for those working by Grand Canal, offering loaded sandwiches that will likely send you into a siesta following your lunch hour, but one that's totally worth the sleepy eyes and big yawns.
Plus they're not worried about breaking rules, proven when they had a weekly Christmas sandwich special in the middle of May, sensing perhaps that this is when we needed it most. We love a daredevil. Carved only opens on weekdays until 3pm, so if you work in an office nearby, give yourself a little bit of joy, leave the leftovers in the fridge, and head on down to Hanover Street for a hefty roll that contains the exact right ratio of bread, meat, cheese, garnish, and condiment. Just make sure you have some napkins at the ready - even the neatest of eaters are going to find smears of mayo or avocado sauce all around their gob.
Go for? Lunch by the water-side motherf*ckers
Carved only opens Monday to Friday between 8:00 and 15:00, with the lunch menu kicking off at 10:30.
Capel Street, Dublin 1
Naturally one of the coolest streets worldwide, as per Time Out's ruling, and who are we to disagree, Capel Street delivers when it comes to the lunchtime meal, as it does at all other times of the day. Soup is such an underrated dish, and Soup Dragon, which has been operating since 2000, recognise this, putting forward every iteration of soup that you can think of, with the option to add sambo, salad, or homemade brown bread on the side. Their quick and efficient service makes it a go-to for lunch on the go, you know that "I have 20 minutes between meetings" feeling. Giving soup the main character moment it's always deserved, the Capel Street spot also has some extremely affordable offerings especially if you opt for veggie, with some good gluten-free and dairy-free options for those who struggle to find lunches out.
Go for? A winter warmer on a freezing day
Soup Dragon opens Monday to Friday between 9:00 and 15:00.
Parliament Street, Dublin 2
For when you need a solo lunch, away from it all, Daruma is the perfect place to grab a lunch deal and a sneaky lunchtime beer. They've a great menu of lunchtime specials, plus a great range of sushi and rice bowls which will have you trawling through the menu, struggling to pick. It's the fast and efficient service that we all endeavour to get in that precious hour break, that will have you in and out of there before you know it.
Go for? The teishoku of course
Bow Street, Dublin 7
Tokyo Kitchen might be a spot you easily walk by, but if you're a lover of raw fish, we can't emphasise how much you ought to give this little hole-in-the-wall a chance. Usually frequented by barristers, film students and trendy types this spot off a Smithfield backstreet is worth donning the carhartt/wig for. The sushi is prepared by chefs with over a decade of experience in this art, expertly rolled and using fresh and healthy ingredients. If you're particularly daring, nothing will prove this restaurant's worth more than the daily sushi platter, a collection of nigiri, the chef's choice of norimaki, and the chef's special seafood dish, which starts at the very reasonable €12.95.
While there is no indoor seating at Tokyo Kitchen, the quality of their fish and rolls places them high on our list and great if you want to take your food away, be that on your lunch hour, or for an evening on the couch with a hot water bottle and bad TV. Dare we call this place a hidden gem in Dublin? I think we do.
Go for? Tasty sushi on the go
Tokyo Kitchen is closed on Mondays but open Tuesday through to Sunday until late. You can check out the menu here.
Multiple locations
I could write a sonnet about my undying love and appreciation for Sprout. After weeks and weeks of seeing every other person in my office carrying that recognisable white and green paper bag, before diving into a Kardashians-sized salad, I caved and went myself, only to be able to confirm that the hype is much deserved (I know, I'm super late to this party). Even the person most opposed to the salad as a meal will have to take their hat off to the bowls that come out of Sprout. The warm bowls in particular will keep you satiated well past your dinner time, the kind of meal that has you pop on some beans and toast at 9pm because you nearly forgot to eat before bed altogether. It's hard to choose a fighter from Sprout; I had something of a relationship with the Charred Chicken taco bowl, before embarking on a brief rendezvous with the Bombay bowl, and finally settling into a love affair with the simple but effective Sataysfied bowl (yes, I'm using romantic relations as a metaphor, that's how much of a fan I am of Sprout).
Go for? Impeccably fresh and considered salads that will actually fill you
You can find Sprout & Co locations all across the city.
Prussia Street, Stoneybatter, Dublin 7
A café, a vintage shop, a plant haven—The Little Cactus is Dublin’s take on the concept cafés of Vancouver, blending caffeine, clothing, and greenery under one roof. Opened in 2021 by Jamie and Kate after a stint in Canada.
Inside, racks of hand-picked vintage clothes sit alongside an eclectic mix of houseplants, inviting you to sip your flat white while debating whether to take home a Monstera or a new (old) jacket. The menu keeps things simple but well-executed, with croissants, sandwiches, and a solid selection of vegan baked goods.
The kind of place where you come for a coffee and leave with something you never planned on buying—but definitely needed.
Go for? A coffee shop experience that’s more than just coffee.
The Little Cactus is open daily from 9:00 to 17:00.
Portobello, Dublin 8
I am an egg fiend, and I do not subscribe to the idea that they are only associated with breakfast. It matters not what time you're digging into those yolks, they'll make you happy morning, noon, or night. What Argentinian restaurant ALMA does to poached eggs is nothing short of visionary, and as someone often disappointed in poached eggs (vinegary, uncooked, you know the kind I mean) this dish is one I dream of more often than I care to admit. Their exquisite poached egg dish, simply called Alma's Poached Eggs, comes with two free-range poached eggs, smashed avocado, garlic portobello mushrooms, feta cheese, and salsa criolla on organic Tartine sourdough - piled high, like a little volcano, whereby the feta replaces the lava (and they do not cheap out on the feta, I'm happy to report).
Of course, ALMA is also known for its pancakes, vegan hummus toast, and the Choripan Argento, an Argentinian-style sausage on sourdough, so if I somehow haven't sold you on the eggs, there will undoubtedly be lots of things for you to enjoy. One thing to note is that given its popularity, your booking only allows you to sit for an hour on weekdays, and just 50 minutes on weekends - given the efficient service, this isn't a problem necessarily, and in fact is ideal for your office lunch, but ALMA won't be somewhere you stroll back from 2.5 hours after sitting down.
Go for? Needless to say, we're recommending the poached eggs
ALMA opens daily, until 16:00 on weekdays, and 17:00 on weekends.
Rialto, Dublin 8
You'll hear Rialto locals saying the area has gone 'very trendy' since Daddy's opened, and it's true - the village is now a go-to destination for foodies and speciality coffee lovers, tote bags and refurbished racer bikes in tow, while still retaining its original, old-school Dublin 8 charm. Set in front of the Circular (which houses Coke Lane Pizza and The Other Hand), it's an incredible example of neighbouring businesses maximising space (at the weekends Daddy's spills into The Circular's seating area). The nostalgic menu has nods to all the greatest hits of our childhoods, from eggs in a cup to salad sandwiches.
Standouts include their benny and cabbage (an Irish slant on the brunch classic) and their weekly savoury tarts. Ideal for a hungover meal when all you really need is good food, good vibes and to feel okay again. Very dog and kid-friendly, on a sunny day there are few better places to be than sat outside in the Rialto Riviera (we are convinced the temperatures are +5 degrees hotter than the rest of Dublin) slugging a iced coffee and watching the world go by.
Go for? A weekend brunch fit for the best
Daddy's opens until 15:00 seven days a week.
Fumbally Square, Dublin 8
Blessed we were for a time to have The Cheeky Piglet a mere two-minute walk from our offices. When they opened in October 2021, we didn't know just how often we'd make that short journey, be it for coffee, a couple of hash browns, or a homey sort of meal, the kind you crave when hungover on a Sunday morning. Mastering the art of serving breakfast all day long, Cheeky Pig also has grilled sambos (which you can get with crisps or chips on the side), and all sit under €10. Plus the staff at Cheeky are some of the loveliest and most welcoming that you'll find in the city, not least of which is the café cat that you may or may not be lucky enough to witness upon your visit, which can be the making of your lunch hour when work is getting on top of you. Add in that Cheeky is a dog-friendly café, which its loyal customers have certainly made the most of, and you're in for nothing but feel-good vibes.
Go for? A side of hash browns, no matter what you order
The Cheeky Piglet opens 9:00 to 16:00 on weekdays, 9:00 to 15:00 on Saturdays and 10:00 to 15:00 on Sundays.
IFSC, Dublin 1
For all the corporate folk out there, organising Teams calls, tip tap tapping on your computer sending email after email, and inputting figures into Excel sheets (at least that is how I imagine a working day in the corporate world goes), you're likely going to need more than just a soup and a sambo when your lunch break rolls around - a steaming bowl of pasta, or a pizza hanging over the side of its plate is likely more your speed.
Il Fornaio is open in the heart of the IFSC, creating authentic Italian dishes since 1998, entering its 26th year of service in Dublin. The large windows allow for optimal people watching whilst sheltering from the cold, and while this will make for a spennier lunch than most, you'll be full all day long. Reserving a table is advised as Il Fornaio is a more intimate space, and the corporate workers in the surrounding offices flock to it like seagulls when they see a rogue chip on the ground, but once you're booked in, you won't regret it.
Go for? When you need to carb-a-load Michael Scott-style
Il Fornaio opens daily from midday.
Montague Street, Dublin 2
Dublin's toastie offering is strong and mighty, which makes throwing around phrases like the best toastie in the city difficult, but Meltdown is certainly up there. Starting off as a pop-up, the female-owned business then grew into the wonderful space on Montague Street, which boasts indoor and outdoor dining, with a warm and Groovy-Chick-chic interior that rouses up nostalgia like nothing else. Serving up some of the more creative toasties in Dublin, which are most definitely the cheesiest; the cheese-to-bread ratio is nothing short of a mathematical anomaly. The overload of cheese on these sandwiches is so intense that you can request half the cheese - perhaps a solid choice for the lactose intolerant who selectively forget this trait about themselves whenever they get a whiff of gouda or cheddar. If you somehow need more convincing, where else can you get a mac and cheese sandwich? Exactly.
Go for? The cheesiest toasties in Dublin
Meltdown opens Monday to Friday 8:00 – 15:30, and Saturday to Sunday 8:00 – 17:00
Multiple locations
So good they stock a lot of the best cafés and lunch spots around with their impeccable sambos, as well as their own in Inchicore, Rathmines and most recently Monkstown. Spreading tasty toastie joy wherever they go, the team do a bang-up job of creating a serious level of freshness in theirs, especially in the Asian Pulled Pork, slow-cooked pulled pork, spicy Asian slaw, house pickled cucumber, chillies, fresh rocket & homemade peanut rayu aioli on sourdough. Champions of local businesses themselves, they use Bread 41 in their sangos, alongside some gold-standard Irish suppliers for their fillings.
Go for? Honest-to-goodness filling sambos
Greenville Deli has several stockists across Dublin, as well as three café, one in Inchicore, one in Monkstown, and one in Rathmines.
Smithfield, Dublin 7
Industrial set-up, with a well-designed sitting area set behind metal and glass, one of the best lunch spots in Dublin has to be Urbanity. Their take on Sydney's omelette from The Bear should be reason enough to add them to that ever-growing "Need to try" list. The menu changes depending on whether it's a weekday or a weekend, so be mindful of that when deciding what day to visit them. Monday to Friday it's all about sambos on Tartine sourdough and soup served with moist Guinness bread, as well as bigger plates if you're in need of linner (lunch + dinner). On Saturdays and Sundays expect loaded potato hash with short rib, or yassified smoked salmon and poached eggs topped with beetroot borani (Iranian yoghurt dip), almonds, and apple and chilli slaw.
Big on flavours, and seasonal ingredients, the plates are packed with personality. The team don't ignore vegans or veggies here, with some great options on the menu that would turn a meat eater. The team also have incredible coffee which they roast in-house, with some desserts hidden behind glass that is hard to break eye contact with. Yes Chef! While there is plenty of seating, it tends to get pretty busy on the weekends but it is definitely worth the wait.
Go for? It's got to be the Sydney-inspired scrambled eggs with some top-notch coffee
Urbanity opens Monday to Sunday until 16:00.
Rathmines, Dublin 6
Over the past few years, Rathmines has been no stranger to great food openers, but there was a heightened sense of excitement when 100% kosher Deli 613 landed in the suburb. Deli 613 combines tradition with delicious, viral-worthy dishes (expect to see a lot of the XXL NY-size salt beef sandwich on your Instagram feed next year), and the passion that goes into every last pickle slice is clear.
The deli was opened by Rabbi Zalman and Rifky Lent, with an aim to provide familiar kosher food to Dublin's Jewish community and introduce the dishes to Dubliners en masse. Heading up the kitchen is chef Robbie Burns, who brings his own extensive knowledge of the Irish food scene to the business. Kosher cooking is a new venture for the chef, but he's risen to the challenge and was well up for a chat about the intricacies of the cuisine when we popped in last year.
Go for? The salt beef bagel
Deli 613 opens every day except for Saturday.
Walkinstown, Dublin 12
You already know that a café is special if they're in the business of making their own bread. Farmhouse café and Bakery are no strangers to awards, now in their 11th year of serving a seasonal breakfast and lunch menu, using fruit, vegetables and salads grown in a walled garden in Enfield, co. Meath.
In response to customer requests, the team have developed a range of retail products, including a Chocolate Pot, Fermented Pickle, Zesty Lemon Curd and a Blood Orange Marmalade. Farmhouse café bakes all your favourite seasonal goods - mince pies at Christmas, hot cross buns at Easter. The offering is never stale, in the literal and figurative sense, and is well worth the visit if you don't live out this way.
Go for? If you're into fruit slices in your sandwiches
Farmhouse Café & Bakery opens on weekdays between 8:00 and 15:00.
Chatham Street, Dublin 2
Whether it's financial constraints, or just a lack of Annual Leave, flying off to Sicily every month (or every year even) is likely not on your typical agenda. Luckily we have an authentic Sicilian restaurant right in Dublin city centre for when you're craving the food, who have recently opened a day-time venture. Amuri By Day is a new authentic Sicilian deli and is the little sister restaurant to Amuri, which opened on Chatham Street in May 2022.
The D2 restaurant celebrates the experience of eating well, which is fitting as Amuri is the Sicilian word for love. Up until now, they have kept those celebrations for evening diners, but now they are expanding to let the hungry lunch seekers in on the love. Known for their stonking great sandwiches which are packed to the rafters with premium Italian flavours.
Go for? Authentic Italian panino
Amuri By Day opens Tuesday to Sunday between 8.00 and 18.00.
Chapelizod, Dublin 20
Chapelizod might just be Dublin's best-kept secret, a neighbourhood perched on the banks of the Liffey sandwiched between the Phoenix Park. It's got a lovely village-y feeling, represented by the wonderful hospitality businesses that operate there, especially BaaBaa Café which produces creative, nutritious and loving food for locals and visitors alike. They use only the highest standard of ingredients and always opt for local producers where possible.
BaaBaa Café offers lunch options you're not likely to see elsewhere in the city, every from lamb tacos topped with feta, to caramelised onion and shiitake soup; they even sell their own homemade lemon curd. The seating is limited and you can't make a reservation, so you may be taking your food to go, but with the park within walking distance, why not make this a picnic experience (albeit one you didn't put together yourself)?
Go for? A picnic made for you
The BaaBaa Café lunch menu operates daily from 12:00 to 15:30.
Multiple locations
When I think of lunch, I think of two components; soup and a sandwich. Oxmantown, now with three Dublin 7 locations, does God's work in this area, at an affordable price. Have you seen how much some places charge for a toastie these days? Oxmantown sticks a €7.50 price tag on their creations, with a small soup costing €2.80. Oxmantown has their classic menu; your ham and cheese, chicken and stuffing, pastrami and sauerkraut but they also have a daily special where they get to experiment with ingredients, and if you're feeling daring, they rarely miss with their combinations. They've also got a new(ish) micro bakery called Elliots now open in Phibsboro - head here for some of the best baguettes in the city, fruit-filled, squidgy brioche pastries accompanied by speciality coffee from Cloud Picker.
Go for? The ever-satisfying soup and sandwich combo
You can keep up with Oxmantown on their Instagram.
Wicklow Street, Dublin 2
Cornucopia has been making lunch-time a fun and wholesome meal for the plant-based masses for nearly forty years, and the intergenerational remains a staple in Dublin to this day. What used to be a toy shop in the 1920s has evolved into one of Dublin's most well-known restaurants, even beyond its position as a key veggie and vegan eatery, for christ's sake, they've written the book(s) on vegan cooking in Ireland.
They have a breakfast, lunch, and dinner menu available, full of vegan-friendly classics such as scrambled tofu, seitan sausage rolls, jackfruit puttanesca, and more. There is tons of indoor seating, and everything on the menu is designed to be comfort food, warming for the tummy and the soul. Cornucopia does employ the odd meat-alternative ingredient, but for the most part, it relies on the deliciousness of veg and lentils, which is where plant-based food truly shines.
Cornucopia operates like a more homey version of your old school cafeteria, minus the blinding overhead lights in exchange for something warmer and softer, where you fill up your tray with whatever you fancy and pay at the end. There are very few spots like it in Dublin, and whether you're plant-based or not, it's a winner.
Go for? The feel-good feed
Cornucopia opens daily for breakfast, lunch, and dinner from 8am.
Bath Avenue, Dublin 4
Something of a pilgrimage for Dublin sambo lovers, this Italian-American-inspired spot is adored within its leafy surroundings of Dublin 4, the team at Juniors take on the classics in a refreshing new way, this tight little spot truly has something for everyone.
The roast chicken sandwich, in particular, has been on Juniors menu for many years and for good reason- it's an absolute classic, bread that can stand up to the sauce, unctuous roast chicken, slightly wilted greens and a chunky slice of tomato it's hard to spot the flaw. However, if you want to feel like you've stepped into an episode of The Bear (for the food, not the never-ending hamster wheel of stress) then there's no better spot for lunch than Juniors.
Go for? A sandwich you can barely wrap your mouth around
The Juniors lunch service runs between 12:00 and 14:30 on weekdays, and until 15:00 on weekends.
Parnell Street, Dublin 1
One of the longest-standing gems of Dublin’s Chinatown, Lee’s Charming Noodles has been hand-pulling and knife-shaving dough into slurpable perfection for years, delivering steaming bowls of chewy, broth-laden goodness to anyone smart enough to grab a seat.
There’s something deeply satisfying about watching a lump of dough transform into ribbons of fresh noodles right in front of you, and even more satisfying when you’re shovelling them down with a splash of black vinegar and a spoonful of chile oil. The portions are hefty, the service is no-nonsense, and the food is the kind of deeply flavoured, quietly masterful cooking that doesn’t need to shout for attention—it already has a queue.
Just be warned: you’ll have to choose between hand-pulled or knife-cut noodles, and that’s a decision that will haunt you at least until your next visit.
Go for? The best bowl of noodles north of the Liffey
Lee’s Charming Noodles is open daily from 12:00 to 22:30.
Charlotte's Way, Dublin 2
It's tough to write a Dublin food list right now and not include Nomo Ramen, who are hands down serving the best ramen in the city, managing to create a broth that is almost creamy in texture and flavour. Head Chef Kevin Hughes began to obsess over ramen from a young age, which only intensified as he ate the dish in cities all over the world, eventually falling in love with the style offered in New York and LA. Now, the goal for Nomo is to serve up the most authentic ramen in Dublin - and they are succeeding in leaps and bounds.
The noodles in question are specially made by Sun Noodles, a company based near New York - the main provider to ramen restaurants across the U.S. and beyond. Nomo offers a range of different ramen, with the star of the show being their Tori Paitan (chicken broth) blended with whole chicken and vegetables and simmered for seven hours to reach a specific consistency. The quality of each component of the dish is apparent at the first slurp, this is a bowl you will come back to again and again.
Go for? The best ramen in the city
Nomo Ramen is closed on Mondays but opens from 12:00 every other day.
Multiple locations
Arguably Tang could top any kind of listicle that you could think of: coffee, lunch, breakfast. Such is the level of quality the team wraps, froth and dollop on everything. With three Dublin spots in the city centre, you aren't ever going to be too far away from one. The menu is made up of Middle Eastern-inspired classics that have been given a simple twist of innovation, food that's made with care and consideration, something you can taste with each bite. For lunch, their magnum opus is most certainly the flatbread, a delicious filling afternoon meal option that doesn't feature highly on too many Dublin menus, unfortunately. At Tang you can fill your flatbread with Middle Eastern chicken, Moroccan lamb, or Lebanese bean, before adding in salad, salsa, and of course, the most underrated but gorgeous condiment around, tzatziki. If you're into a lighter lunch option, and can't get bogged down by all the bread, you can get all these fillings in a salad instead.
Go for? A flatbread to end all flatbreads
You can check out the opening hours for the different Tang locations here.
Hatch Street, Dublin 2
Another favoured lunchtime haunt for office workers, Tír are all about seasonal ingredients and adapts its menu accordingly throughout the year. Tír is Irish for country or land (á la Tír na nÓg), and you'll see why this deli is so-called after tasting one of their sambos. Tír works very closely with farmers and producers, the service is swift and friendly and you come away feeling full in a healthy, wholesome way. Expect expertly fermented sauces and slaws accompanying perfectly seasoned meat cooked over an open flame. Bring yourself back to those cosy family Sundays with this incredibly tangy smoke-roasted beef sandwich parts, horseradish and salt & vinegar crisps with butter.
Go for? One of the seasonal bowls
Tír Deli shuts on the weekend, but you can avail of lunch until 15:00 every weekday.
Powerscourt Town Centre, Dublin 2
If you ever happen to have a midweek day off in Dublin and are looking to treat yourself to a lunch where you can sip tea from a china cup and watch the world go by, The Pepper Pot is a must. It's open at weekends too - it's just one of those places I always think of when mentally compiling my dream day in Dublin, and a dream day obviously takes place midweek when you should be working. Located upstairs in the dreamy Powerscourt Shopping Centre, The Pepper Pot looks and feels like a café that has been conjured up for some Hallmark Christmas movie, and yet this quaint space actually exists, inviting you in for tea sipping and spilling (in the metaphorical sense, don't be wasting a good Earl Gray). Not only do they bake everything in-house for maximum freshness, Pepper Pot doesn't shy away from daring flavour combos, as is evident from their famous bacon and pear sandwich. Any Dublin foodie worth their salt has this as one of their fave sambos in Dublin, and for a good reason.
Go for? The famous bacon, pear and cheddar sambo
The Pepper Pot opens Tuesday to Thursday 10:00 to 17:00, and Fridays and Saturdays 9:00 to 17:00.
Montague Street, Dublin 2
Number one goes to the much overused term but in this case completely accurate lunchtime institution that is Green Bench. Every day at lunchtime, Dubliners flock to this unassuming shop front in Dublin 2 after scouring their Instagram page to find out the specials of the day. Don't let the winding queue put you off - and trust us, if there's one thing that is for certain at this café, it's that there will be a queue - Green Bench are a well-oiled machine when it comes to moving through the rush with ease and there's a reason they're one of the city's most beloved sandwich spots; not the least of which because their sambos are completely filled to the brim with ingredients. If you're visiting them, head to their Instagram to check what daily specials they're slinging and if they've got the Hoi Sin pork with herby stuffing on, you're legally obliged to order it. Green Bench are serious in their quest to make the best lunch for Dubliners, deserving of all the praise and accolades they receive.
Go for? Anything and everything
Green Bench only opens at 12:00 for lunch, Tuesday to Friday
Have we missed any of your fave lunch spots in Dublin? Let us know on hello@lovin.com
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