While many people would think a vacation to Dublin would mainly include stuffing their faces with Guinness in a loud and rowdy pub, we’re here to show you another side with our guide to a luxury Dublin getaway complete with the best things to do in Dublin for couples.
From posh hotels, to fine dining, to upscale shopping and activities, our recommendations will delight those with a discerning palate and a taste for the finer things in life when visiting the Irish capital.
If you’re flying to Dublin for a trip beyond this amazing city, be sure to read our guide on the best places to stay in Ireland for couples for more luxurious hotel recommendations.
Upscale Places to Eat and Drink in Dublin
Ireland isn’t all fish and chips or meat pies, they have a vibrant food culture touching cultures from all over the world.
If you love fine dining, Micheline Stars, and truly the world’s best oysters and mussels then you will love Dublin’s food scene.
Here are our most memorable meals in Dublin.
Jean-George Rooftop Restaurant
Located at the top of the Leinster Hotel, you’ll find the only Jean-George restaurant in Ireland, and it’s an essential stop for your restaurant itinerary.
Truly every plate is not only beautiful, it’s also delicious. Their sauce chef (aka saucier) may actually be a magician by creating complex flavors that elevate every dish.
The must-order starters are their sous vide egg toast topped with caviar and their tuna tartare.
For your main course, continue with their seasonal fish options, which are local to Ireland, such as the salmon and turbot because the sauces created for each dish were world-class and award-worthy.
The cocktails were also some of the best we had in all of Ireland.
They have a full bar on the rooftop, and their specialty cocktails are crafted by the Collin’s Club downstairs.
This is a great spot and we will not be shocked if they have a Michelin Star in their future because it was a true fine dining experience.
7 Mount Street Lower, Dublin 2, D02 WK33, Ireland
The Hawksmoor
The Hawksmoor is one of the best steakhouses in the world with multiple locations in the UK and two in the US, but when they add a new location they truly respect the local culture and produce.
So of course, they only buy the finest Irish beef.
The Dublin location is without question an architectural wonder with a cavernous dome skylight and rich wood and luxe decor.
It’s so beautiful if we lived in Dublin it would be our official romantic date night location.
For starters, we cannot stress enough that when Irish oysters are on a menu, you have to order them because they’re the best in the world.
The Hawksmoor takes their oysters to a new level with a homemade scotch bonnet mignonette; be sure to pair them with an order of their vodka steakhouse martini.
For the main event, there’s no stop at Hawksmoor without ordering one of their famous steaks with Yorkshire Pudding popovers.
The pastries are huge and fresh from the kitchen. They come with gravy, and we love making steak bites with them.
The steak on its own is beef perfection. Irish beef, like the rest of the Irish produce we tried throughout our vacation, is tasty, and the Hawksmoor simply cooks an excellent steak.
For dessert, when in Ireland or the UK, we almost always order a sticky toffee pudding if it’s on the menu.
We don’t say this lightly, The Hawksmoor’s sticky toffee pudding is easily the best sticky toffee pudding in the world. They even have a sticky toffee ice cream that looks equally as good, and will be getting next time as well.
The dessert was so delicious, one of our favorite souvenirs from Ireland was getting the Hawksmoor cookbook, specifically for this sticky toffee pudding recipe.
If you’re in town on a Sunday, you can also get their famous Sunday roast which we will be sure to hit next time we’re in Dublin or New York.
34 College Green, Dublin 2, D02 C850, Ireland
Ryleigh’s Rooftop Grill
Irish beef is amazing, and even better with these rooftop views from Ryleigh’s Rooftop Grill located at the top of the Mayson Hotel.
The star appetizer that you have to order is their sizzling prawns with a chili butter sauce.
We almost licked the plate clean, but luckily they brought us some bread to soak up all that glorious sauce.
They source their beef locally from a supplier named John Stone, and John Stone’s T-Bone is a true show stopper to share with 2-3 people.
What makes their steaks stand apart are all of the steak sauces you can get for dipping. We loved both the pepper sauce and roasted garlic gorgonzola sauce.
It was a terrific meal and a great place to relax with a nightcap overlooking the River Liffey.
7 Mount Street Lower, Dublin 2, D02 WK33, Ireland
Bar 1661
Cocktail bars aren’t very prevalent in Ireland, but Bar 1661 is world class and could easily be listed on the top 100 bars in the world list.
Their menu is beautiful with a strong focus on community and bringing Irish Poitín (pronounced po-cheen) to the cocktail world.
Poitín is Irish moonshine that was typically made from potatoes and/or barley in small pot stills. Its flavor profile on its own from the ones we tried has a slight resemblance to tequila, and you can even find Poitín margaritas.
Bar 1661 is also famous for their irish coffee, so don’t miss that iconic menu item.
1-5 Green St, Rotunda, Dublin, D07 YT6H, Ireland
Xian Street Food
After a few cocktails at Bar 1661, you might need a late-night snack.
Although not luxury at all, we cannot have restaurant recommendations without mentioning our favorite new surprise dish, the Spice Bag.
You can find spice bag iterations at most Dublin Asian restaurants but without question Xian Street Food was the best we tried.
Spice Bags are perfect whether you drank multiple pints or some luxury Irish whiskey because it’s a bag of crispy fries and chicken with an awesome Asian inspired spice blend unique to Ireland.
Served with thinly sliced sauteed peppers and onions, the spice bag has lingering Sichuan spice that will leave your tongue tingling.
It packs a ton of Asian umami flavors that makes you keep coming back for more.
We actually went to the Xian location in Galway, but after talking to locals and confirming with Reddit most people agree that Xian is the best and they have a couple locations in Dublin.
Outside of the spice bag, they have plenty of tasty dishes from the Xi’An region of China like authentic noodle dishes that you’ll see hit the wok fresh in front of you.
Multiple Locations
Dublin Luxury Shopping
Most of Ireland is unpretentious and that maintains the same with local luxury goods.
Pricing for their premium products and foods are definitely higher, but compared to other European markets, they’re definitely fair.
From premium Irish whiskey to fashion, there are plenty of great options to shop local for lifelong keepsakes.
Temple Bar High End Whiskey Shop
Everyone who gets to Dublin knows the famous Temple Bar, and even though a pint of Guinness is twice as much as every Dublin pub, it’s still a place you have to visit.
In fact, Temple Bar is so famous, the entire area surrounding it is known as Temple Bar.
The bar will always be packed, there will most likely be live traditional Irish music when you walk in the doors, and the energy is high.
The pub was fun, but a bit too packed for our liking and before leaving we stumbled into their whiskey bar next door.
On the outside, it’s unassuming, but walking into the Temple Whiskey Bar is incredible for any fan of whiskeys from around the globe.
They may have the largest collection of rare Irish whiskeys in all of Ireland.
You can actually pay for tastings by the ounce, which is a great way to try premium whiskeys without breaking the bank.
They also have their own whiskey, and you can buy a small tasting box to take home with whiskeys of different ages.
The decor is posh and chic, with dazzling chandeliers and lush couches, which makes it a perfect luxury stop in Dublin.
Temple Ln S, Temple Bar, Dublin 2, D02 TY36, Ireland
Avoca Premium Irish Fashion and Goods
Do not leave Ireland without a premium Avoca blanket, throw, or sweater.
Avoca is part cafe, part high-end boutique, selling Irish wool and curated gifts.
Avoca has been making wool items since 1723 and it’s a premium souvenir to bring home.
We’ll be cozying up in our blanket as we relive the amazing memories from our trip to Ireland.
We’re not travelers that frequently buy souvenirs, but premium keepsakes are totally worth splurging on because they’re high-quality and will bring you back to a treasured travel memory.
11-13 Suffolk St, Dublin 2, D02 C653, Ireland (Multiple locations in Dublin)
Butlers Premium Irish Chocolate
Butlers Chocolate was founded in 1932 starting in Dublin’s Lad Lane, and is still one of the few remaining family owned premium chocolate producers.
You can find a few Butlers Chocolate Cafes around Dublin where you can pick up truffles of your choice, or a luxury variety pack to bring home.
They also offer nice coffees and chocolate drinks to enjoy while you’re there.
Indulge on some premium chocolates as you sip an Irish coffee.
51 Grafton Street, Dublin 2, D02 KD39, Ireland (Multiple locations in Dublin)
The Best Things to Do in Dublin
Dublin, like the rest of Ireland, is rich in history, architecture, and we have some fun date ideas.
From drinking, to interactive exhibitions, to exploring the town, to listening to live music, here are some romantic and fun things to do in this vibrant city.
Guinness Storehouse
We talked about Guiness and how iconic it is at the beginning of this article, but the Guinness Storehouse experience is probably the best beer experience in the world.
When designing the Storehouse, Guinness clearly spent a ton of money and time in developing it.
Walking through the immersive exhibit, we compared it to the famous Tokyo teamLab due to the instagrammable moments throughout the building, but it features beer stops throughout the tour.
Outside of the extraordinary tour, there is true luxury at the Storehouse by dining at their brasserie and enjoying the world’s best oysters with a view.
When in Ireland you can skip the champagne and have your oysters with a well-poured Guinness straight from the source.
An add-on to the experience of the tour that we loved, was getting our own Stoutie, an edible selfie printed on the top of the famous Guinness foam.
The piece de resistance of the tour though is when you reach the end of the tour you get a final Guinness at their Gravity Bar with true 360 degree views of Dublin.
It’s the closest thing you can get to a skyline tour without hopping in a helicopter.
St. James’s Gate, Dublin 8, D08 VF8H, Ireland
The Book of Kells Experience at Trinity College
Is the Book of Kells Immersive Experience worth it?
Truthfully, if you’re not a history buff you can power through the self-guided tour in less than an hour, so why not do it to walk off a meal or two and check it out?
The Book of Kells Experience is when Instagram and TikTok meet stunning architecture and rich history.
Located at Trinity College Dublin, this experience is split into three parts where you can see the Book of Kells, the famous Long Hall with the large globe installation that you’ve definitely seen on social media, and then it ends in a separate building that’s a quick digital exhibition around the history of the Long Hall and all of the famous books that it’s held over time.
The Book of Kells itself is over 1200 years old and one of the most famous gospel manuscripts due to its complex illustrations that are still visible today.
Before walking into its viewing room, you walk through an installation that highlights its history and provides detail into significant pages.
After the Kells experience, you’ll probably spend the most time admiring the Long Room Library in its vastness.
It’s absolutely stunning, but be warned that it’s going through a multiyear renovation where pretty much all of the books are being revitalized off of the site, so only a small section of the bookshelves actually house books.
Overall this could definitely be ranked the most beautiful library in the world whenever the full allotment of books are back.
College Green, Dublin 2, Ireland
Irish Whiskey Museum
Located across the street from the Book of Kells experience, you can take a deep dive into Irish Whiskey at the Irish Whiskey Museum.
Irish whiskey has a turbulent past, and you’ll get a full view of the history to today, where luckily for us, Irish whiskey is starting to flourish again.
If a history lesson isn’t your thing and you just want to drink, they also have a great whiskey shop with some rare bottle options to bring home.
Our favorite rare Irish whiskey was Midleton Very Rare. We had the opportunity to sample both 2023 and 2024 during a whiskey tasting during our stay at FinnLough’s Bubble Domes in Northern Ireland, and the Midleton 2023 is, without question, the best Irish whiskey we’ve ever tasted.
We had to buy a bottle!
Another special experience at the gift shop is an activity where you can actually blend your own custom whiskey blend.
You get to sample a few Irish whiskies, blend them, and bottle your own concoction.
From here if you need to walk off the Irish whiskey, you’re very close to the Dublin Castle and the Dublin City Centre as a whole.
119 Grafton Street, Dublin, D02 E620, Ireland
Boat Cruise to the Irish Eye Island with Puffins
For adventurous explorer couples, take a short drive outside of Dublin’s city center. From there you can hire a boat cruise as a unique thing to do for a day trip.
There are both private and public ticketed options, and most include a cruise around Ireland’s Eye island, Howth Harbour, Balscadden Bay and Dublin Bay.
Ireland’s oceanside is both beautiful and romantic.
From the Irish sea, to the Irish green space you’ll cruise between, this is a much closer trip to nature than the Cliffs of Moher.
From April to June you can even see puffins at Ireland’s Eye, one of the world’s cutest birds.
Cruise operators to consider are Dublin Bay Cruises, Howth Cliff Cruises, and Ireland’s Eye Ferries.
The Most Luxurious Places to Stay in Dublin
There are plenty of hotels and Airbnbs in Dublin, but on the luxury side in Dublin city there aren’t many boutique hotels to pick from.
These favorites provide stunning design, posh offerings, great drinking establishments, and world class dining.
The Mayson
There’s no better feeling to land in Dublin, get to your hotel, and then be completely blown away by the extravagance of the Mayson’s Warehouse Penthouse suite.
When you open the door you instantly get perfect views of the River Liffey and the Samuel Beckett Bridge.
Then you turn right into a large lounge with a bar and look out to the balcony with a giant wooden hot tub overlooking the water.
But don’t stop there because it gets so much better when you get into the bedroom.
The bed is king size with more views of the river, and an immaculate massive copper bathtub.
It’s the perfect place to soak in the views while sipping on a mimosa and savoring a traditional Irish breakfast.
If there is a better single room for true luxury in Dublin, we doubt it would be found anywhere outside of the Mayson.
Once you’ve had time to explore Dublin, refresh your sore feet from all the sightseeing by jumping into the giant balcony hot tub. While relaxing in the tub you can actually press a button and the entire roof will open to the Dublin skyline and stars.
We’ve stayed in luxury hotels all around the world and have never encountered a hotel room with a retractable roof before!
The luxury and beauty of the Mayson’s Warehouse penthouse room is so magical you’ll seriously consider never leaving the room to explore the city.
If you don’t stay in the warehouse room, don’t fret because the Mayson is all about wellness.
They have a POWER gym with all the equipment you could dream about, and they also offer classes like Power Pedal.
Recover after the gym with a thermal suite for all with a hydrotherapy pool, a eucalyptus-infused steam room, and a cedar sauna.
For tourist sightseeing, the Mayson is steps away from the 3arena, the Irish Emigration Museum, and the Ha’penny Bridge (a great bridge for selfies over the grand canal).
82 N Wall Quay, North Wall, Dublin, D01 XR83, Ireland
The Leinster
Near Merrion Square, you can find the Leinster, a new boutique hotel in Dublin.
Walking into this hotel lobby you see tons of style and the dazzling Collin’s Club, a trendy cocktail lounge.
We didn’t stay at the Leinster hotel, but when researching hotels it was on our list of places we loved because their rooms are all decked out in bold colors and great design.
Knowing that we weren’t staying at the hotel, we knew we still had to visit, and also experienced easily one of the best meals in our entire trip at Jean-George’s Rooftop Restaurant.
7 Mount Street Lower, Dublin 2, D02 WK33, Ireland
Dublin is a global city for all budgets, but the luxury makers, experiences, and world class food are worth splurging on. So no matter what type of couple you are, we know you’ll find something in our list that you’ll love together.
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