Dylan
Dublin, Ireland[view map]
Local restaurants
Town Bar & Grill (+353 (0)1 662 4724) is a relaxed trattoria-style restuarant serving mouthwatering Modern Italian dishes in vaulted cellars beneath a wine merchant at 21 Kildare Street; try osso bucco with saffron risotto and ask the knowledgable sommelier to choose you a suitable wine. With two Michelin stars, Patrick Guilbaud at 21 Upper Merrion Street (+353 (0)1 676 4192) is an absolute must-book; the eponymous chef's modern classic cuisine has made it Ireland’s top restaurant. Check out the city's sexiest dining room at the La Stampa hotel restuarant, Balzac, at 35 Dawson Street (+353 (0)1 677 8611), while you sample its tasty international cuisine.
Local bars
The exotic-looking Zanzibar on Lower Ormond Street is big, busy and full of the beautiful people (+353 (0)1 878 7212). The Clarence hotel at 6 Wellington Quay is part-owned by U2, and houses the trendy Octagon Bar (+353 (0)1 407 0800), where bartenders will rustle you up a superior martini.
Local cafes
The Expresso Bar Café on St Mary’s Road (virtually opposite Dylan) is a grand place to start a day in Dublin, with good coffee and freshly squeezed juices (+353 (0)1 660 0585).
Nightlife
Lillie's Bordello off Grafton Street hauls in a regular crowd of dressed-up Dubliners for club nights; entry for non-members is €15 at weekends (+353 (0)1 6799204). Rock around the Bloc at Pravda on Lower Liffey Street (+353 (0)1 874 0091); housed in a former parcel office, this Soviet-themed bar is full of Russian curios for that cosy dacha feel.
Worth getting out of bed for
You're only 750 metres from the shopping delights of the largely pedestrianised Grafton Street, with venerable department store Brown Thomas and the jeweller Weirs. It was Damien Rice's busking turf of choice before he hit the charts. For more activities and must-sees, check out our Dublin destination guide.