After our tours of Jameson and Guinness, plus all the walking that we did, we worked up an appetite. The snow turned into rain and it was cold for sure. Not far from Guinness we found Tom Kennedys.
This was a cute little restaurant that offered great Irish comfort food.
An Irish coffee was needed to warm up. It was perfect! A great afternoon pick-up.
On a cold day like today, homemade stew sounded perfect. The Beef & Guinness Stew was just what I needed.
It was a classic recipe with tender pieces of beef and big chunks of potatoes. The savory broth was delicious. They served homemade soda bread on the side. It was great to dip into the stew.
What goes great with soup and stews? A nice warm, grilled sandwich. That is exactly what was ordered with Big Toms Toastie.
This was ham, cheddar cheese, tomato, and red onion served on freshly baked white bread and toasted up. There was a tomato relish served on the side. There was a nice crispness to the sandwich. The ham was warm and the cheese was nice and melted.
This was the perfect spot to warm up and get great Irish comfort food.
The Guinness Brewery was founded in 1759 by Arthur Guinness. He became famous for the 9,000-year lease that he signed for this brewery.
The first thing I thought of when we got to Guinness was the look of the gates. It’s like walking up to the entrance of Willie Wonka’s factory.
As I walked through those gates and looked at the inside of the building, it was confirmed to me that this was exactly like the Wonka factory.
There were stairs crisscrossing and going in every direction.
Each floor offered something unique to look at. There was a floor designated to their different marketing campaigns. This is where you will see the most interesting statues and displays.
Part of the tour took us into the tasting room. This is where they talked about the brewing process for Guinness.
There were these white vats that had the aroma of hops emanating. You could lean over and smell. In reality after looking at the photos, it just looks like I was smelling a toilet.
Then we went into another room where we got a small glass of Guinness (like a shot glass). This is where they taught us the proper way of pouring and tasting Guinness. The room was packed. We could not stay here for long because another group was coming in right behind us.
After wandering around the different floors, we made our way to the very top. This is where the roof top bar is located. Up here is where we got our official pint of Guinness.
This bar had a 360 degree view of Dublin with glass windows all around. It was cool to get to see Dublin from so high up. I was never able to see if myself, but we were told that the entire Guinness building is built to look like a pint of Guinness, and the bar was located in the “foam”.
This was a fun stop that we got to learn a lot. It was also a great place to meet people from all over the world.
As part of the tour that we were doing, we got to stop by The Brazen Head to grab a quick pint. It is not far from the Guinness Brewery and Christchurch Cathedral.
This is Dublin’s oldest pub. There is a debate on whether this pub or Sean’s Bar in Athlone is the oldest. Either way it is cool that we got to go to both on the trip.
Since I was enjoying red ales while I was in Ireland, I decided to try another one from an Irish brewery. This was called Rye River Red Ale. It had a nice smooth taste.
While we were enjoying our pints, Sean, our tour guide, started telling us the history of Ireland, the history of Guinness, and the world of Irish soccer.
Make sure you put The Brazen Head on your list of places to see.
The Jameson Orange mixed with the Sprite was astounding. I never knew they made orange whiskey. I was sweet and the Sprite added the right amount of bubbles.
As we enjoyed our cocktails, our tour guide, Sean, was sharing an Irish story, which was very entertaining. The Irish have a long history of storytelling.
It was our turn to start the official tour. We went into an auditorium, where we gathered around a screen table. The guide began telling us all about the history of the Jameson family and the business. The history impressive they way they kept records and really helped create a community that was able to better themselves and their families. The presentation was incredibly high tech.
We moved on to the next room on the tour. This is where we went through the fermentation process. This portion of the tour was very interactive. There were different phases where we got to touch and smell different things. It was so interesting.
The final room was the best room. This is the room where we got to do a whiskey tasting. They walked us through each of the three samples, pointing out the notes we would taste and smell.
Jameson Crested – this has notes of sherry, chocolate, and spices; this bottle is not available in the states.
Jameson – the original has floral notes with hints of vanilla and sherry.
Jameson Black Barrel – this has notes of vanilla, toasted oak, and spices.
After the tasting was over, we got to check out the gift shop. We were able to buy the Black Barrel that was an exclusive barrel that we were able to bottle ourselves at the distillery.
We were able to create our own label and to sign the registry book. Each bottle is numbered for this specific barrel. We will be a part of Jameson history forever.
It was time for dinner in Dublin. Everywhere was busy. We were able to find a table big enough for our party at Lundy Foot’s.
We were seated next to the area where a gentleman was playing guitar. It was a great seat because he was really entertaining.
The menu had so many delicious options to choose from. We started with the cauliflower bites for the table to share. They were crispy, big pieces of cauliflower. They served a yummy buttermilk blue cheese mayo and a pineapple hot sauce for dipping.
I ordered the Beef and Guinness Pie. They braised the beef in Guinness for over 12 hours. Then they tossed it with onions, mushrooms, carrots, and turnips. They added a dollop of mashed potatoes in the broth. Two pieces of puff pastry were placed in the center of the dish. The flavor was extremely savory. The beef was so tender it just fell apart. The vegetables soaked up the flavor of the broth and were also tender. The crunchy texture of the puff pastry was a nice complement to the dish.
The Irish stew was ordered. This was very traditional. It used braised lamb, onions, and carrots. This dish also had creamy mashed potatoes on the side. It was great to eat with all the stew broth. They served homemade brown bread with this dish.
The Fish and Chips were impressive. A large piece of fish was beer battered and deep fried. The fish was very crispy. They served twice cooked chips, which was the perfect accompaniment to the fish. They had tarter sauce on the side for dipping.
The Chicken and Mushroom Pot Pie was absolutely delicious. It was creamy and savory. They slowly roasted the chicken and then shredded it. They made a cream sauce and filled it with chicken, sauteed mushrooms, and leeks. They placed the crispy puff pastry on top like the other dishes. They included mashed potatoes as well in the bowl.
The Crispy Chicken Tenders were perfect as an alternative to fish and chips. They served four large tenders, smothered in panko. They were tremendously crispy. They served roasted garlic mayo on the side for dipping.
The food and entertainment made this a perfect evening. If you want a laid back meal, where you can just relax, Lundy Foot’s is the best spot.
One of the most famous bars in Dublin is Temple Bar. You can check them out on Earth Cam. There are cameras set up inside and outside of the bar. All the activities are live-streamed. It was cool to check out. We could see everyone waving to the cameras and then looking at their phones to see themselves. Our group did the same thing.
Another reason to visit the bar is the live music. The Irish band that was preforming was fantastic. They preformed some classic Irish music as well as modern favorites that the entire crowd loved. Everyone was singing. The place was packed, standing room only. We were lucky enough to grab a small table in the back when another group was leaving.
We all grabbed a pint to enjoy there. We did play slightly more to have it at Temple Bar than we had paid at other pubs, but this was a once in a lifetime experience, so it was worth splurging.
So, if you are in Dublin, you have to check out Temple Bar. thetemplebarpub.com/
Check them out on the live-stream as well to see what all the fun is about.
We made it back to Dublin because the weekend traffic got too bad. We got all checked into the hotel and said goodbye to Mike and Ella. This was the end of the Exoticca portion of the tour. However, we still had the rest of the afternoon and all of the next day to enjoy the city on our own.
We decided to head back down to the Temple Bar area. We enjoyed this area from our tour and wanted to spend more quality time there. The area is filled with restaurants and bars to check out.
We really wanted to visit the The Temple Bar. This famous bar is set up with cameras inside and out that live stream everything that is going on. They have live bands playing amazing music, you can’t help but want to dance.
You must get a pint while you are there, even though you will pay a little more for it.
Once we were done there, we continued to walk the streets to explore the nightlife of Dublin.
We started off the morning with an Irish breakfast at the hotel. They had traditional American dishes like eggs, bacon, oatmeal, and hash browns.
Then they offered unique European dishes. I wanted to make sure I tried some of these. The baked beans we interesting to me, not because of the beans themselves, but that they were being offered for breakfast and not lunch/dinner when they normally would be offered in the States.
The beans did not have that BBQ taste. They are in a tomato sauce that was sweet and simple. It did not overpower anything else that I was eating for breakfast. I ended up really enjoying these each morning.
The Black & White Pudding are sausage patties. They have an interesting texture and are really dry compared to traditional breakfast sausage. These were not my favorite, but I am glad that I tried them.
After breakfast we met with our tour guide Ella from Exoticca. She gave us a quick rundown of the daily activities and then we were on our way.
Our first activity was a walking tour of Dublin. I love walking tours because you get to understand and learn your way around a city, while learning about all the history.
Our first stop was at the statue of Countess Constance Markievicz. She was one of the leaders in the Irish Revolution in 1917. She sacrificed her wealth and station for a vision of a better Ireland.
The Steine (or long stone) was a point that the Vikings marked when they inhabited Dublin in the 10th and 11th centuries. This was the original location of the shoreline of the River Liffey during the time of the Vikings.
Trinity College is the oldest university in Ireland. It is home to the Book of Kells. This book is full of rich ornamentation that dates back to 800 AD. This ancient book depicts Celtic and Christian traditions that were captured by Irish monks.
To see the Book of Kells, it requires a separate tour ticket. We did not have time on this trip to experience this but I have it on our list for our next visit to Dublin.
St Ann’s Church located on Dawson Street cannot be missed with the big red doors. It was constructed around 1707. There is amazing gothic architecture. It had really nice dedications to soldiers who served in WWI and WWII.
As we walked down Dawson Street we came to the Mansion House. This is the home to the Lord Mayor of Dublin and has been that way since 1715. It is the oldest free-standing house in Dublin.
Temple Bar is the cultural center of Dublin and is home to an array of colorful pubs. Temple Bar is the name of the area as well as an actual pub. In addition to the pubs, there are also several restaurants and shops.
Two pubs that are a must visit when in Dublin are:
Temple Bar – always jam packed with people, wonderful live music
Oliver St. John Gogarty – named after the famous Irish poet and playwright. They offer pints, food, and live music
Christ Church Cathedral has stood at the heart of Dublin for almost 1,000 years. It was originally a Viking church before it became part of the Irish church.
St Audoen’s is the only remaining medieval parish church in Dublin.
Once the walking tour was done, we headed back to the hotel and got onto our tour bus, which would be our mode of transportation for the remainder of the tour. This is when we met Mike, our driver. What a character – and a true Irishman. He had a heavy accent, made funny jokes, and told amazing stories. Most of all he was friendly and helped us throughout the entire trip.
As we headed out of Dublin into the countryside of Ireland, I was amazed by how green it was. I have seen it in pictures, but I always just assumed it was summertime. Here I was at the end of February, beginning of March and it was green all over. It was magical for sure.
If you are looking for a cozy coffee shop in the heart of Dublin, then check out Beanhive.
They are famous for their coffee art on top of each cup. It was really special. Looking at the art helped start conversations with other patrons that were at the shop.
Inside the Travel Lodge Plus hotel is a nice restaurant called Mossco. It is a perfect spot to grab a quick bite to eat.
I tried an Irish cider called Orchard Thieves. This was different from most ciders I have had before. It was crisp and sweet. It was delicious. The pour of the cider is huge, and they are always served in a branded glass. It helps me remember what I was drinking when I take the photos.
I was not super hungry since we had been eating all day. I ordered the mushroom soup. The soup was pureed so it was creamy. It had a nice savory flavor. I put creamy Irish butter on the fresh soda bread that came on the side. The butter helped add some moisture to this bread, which I enjoyed.
