6 Best Restaurants in O'Connell Street and Around, Dublin

Owner Roberto Mungo brings his brand of simple Calabrian cooking to this classy little Italian, family-run joint in hip Stoneybatter. There are touches of other Italian regions on the menu, but standouts are Calabrian classics like deep-fried aubergine with tomato, mozzarella, and green pesto and baked mackerel with potatoes, herbs, red pepper cream, and asparagus. The wonderful nibbles menu (each for around €5) is perfect for a quick bite.

A unique Korean-Japanese standout in the slew of cheap and cheerful Chinese eateries on Parnell Street (the closest Dublin comes to a Chinatown), Hop House is a restaurant and pub in one. Part of the old Shakespeare pub has been transformed into one of the friendliest, best-value restaurants in the city. The dining room is bright and busy, with little table buzzers for service and the sounds of music spilling over from the bar next door. Traditional Korean specialties like kimchi are augmented with a large selection of sushi rolls, including the mouthwatering crunch roll with king-prawn tempura, cucumber, crab stick, and teriyaki sauce.

This hot sushi bar on suddenly hip Capel Street has given birth to sister restaurants around the city because it finally made the Japanese staple affordable. Japanese owned and run, the restaurant serves fresh and flavorful dishes—all the sushi standards you'd expect but better than anything else in the city. The interior is simple and unfussy: a long, narrow room with dark wood floors and rows of pinewood tables and seats dotted with red cushions. They also do a mean tempura and gyoza for those who don't fancy raw fish. 

A delightful slow-food sanctuary within the Dublin dining scene, Brother Hubbard is a cozy, elegantly designed Northside café with a stripped-down but standout menu. The healthy emphasis is on fresh salads and soups with delicious twists; dishes tend to have a Middle Eastern feel, with an Irish touch here and there. It's strong on detail, from the muted tones and unobtrusive-but-striking modern design with elegant, cosy terrace, to the addition of cute little patterns in your cappuccino froth. The pea-and-mint soup with a dash of harissa oil is a perfect lunchtime treat. Try the flourless orange-and-almond cake for dessert.

Don't let the down-at-heels canteen decor put you off—this place has been around for a long time and is a master of the art of fish-and-chips. Their menu is full of seafood surprises like such Dublin favorites as cod and ray (or more unusual choices like mackerel) and you can even order a whole sea bass and rainbow trout. Kingfisher's huge Irish breakfasts have won awards, with all the meats sourced fresh from the owners' own farm. The Northside locals love this place and give it a lively community atmosphere.

This tiny café and takeout shop serves an astonishing array of fresh soups daily. They come in three sizes, and you can get vegetarian soup or soups with meat- or fish-based broth; best bets include pumpkin chili and coconut; fragrant Thai chicken; beef chili; and hearty mussel, potato, and leek. The friendly staff make fine coffee and delicious smoothies. The cost of soup includes bread and a piece of fruit for dessert—an excellent value—and there's also a decent grab-and-go breakfast.