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The Liberties & Kilmainham

Fast-food outlets and greasy-spoon diners still dominate the food map in this part of the city, but there’s one spot that rises out of the boiling oil and batter-in-a-bucket and takes its place among the legends.

Leo Burdock’s (Map; 454 0306; 2 Werburgh St; cod & chips €8.50; noon-midnight Mon-Sat, 4pm-midnight Sun) You will often hear that you haven’t eaten in Dublin until you’ve queued in the cold for a cod and chips wrapped in paper from the city’s most famous chipper. Total codswallop, of course, but there’s something about sitting on the street, balancing the bag on your lap and trying to eat the chips quickly before they go cold and horrible that smacks of Dublin in a bygone age. It’s nice to revisit the past, especially if you don’t have to get stuck there.

O’Connell Street & Around

Bar a couple of classy restaurants and one simply outstanding one, the northside’s greatest contribution to the city’s restaurant map has been in ethnic cuisine: Parnell St and Capel St particularly abound with Chinese, Korean and African eateries; you can spot the good ones by how popular they are with the local immigrant communities.

BUDGET

Epicurean Food Hall (Map; Lower Liffey St; lunch €4-12; 9.30am-5.30pm Mon-Sat) Need to refuel and rest the bag-laden arms? Then this busy arcade with 20-odd food stalls is just the ticket. Quality is hit and miss, but you won’t go wrong with a hot bagel with the works from Itsabagel or a finger-licking kebab from Istanbul House, rounded off with an espresso from the excellent El Corte.

Soup Dragon (Map; 872 3277; 168 Capel St; soups €5.30-12.95; 8am-5.30pm Mon-Fri, 11am-5pm Sat) Eat in or take away one of 12 tasty varieties of homemade soups, including shepherd’s pie or spicy vegetable gumbo. Bowls come in three different sizes, and prices include fresh bread and a piece of fruit. Kick-start your day (or afternoon) with a healthy all-day breakfast selection: try fresh smoothies (€3.95) or the generous bowls of yoghurt, fruit and muesli (€4.50).

Cobalt Café & Gallery (Map; 873 0313; 16 North Great George’s St; mains €6-10; 10am-4.30pm Mon-Fri) This gorgeous, elegant cafe in a bright and airy Georgian drawing room is a must if you’re in the ’hood. Almost opposite the James Joyce Cultural Centre, Cobalt has a simple menu, but you can enjoy hearty soups by a roaring fire in winter, or fresh sandwiches in the garden on warmer days.

Football-mad developer Mick Wallace has managed to single-handedly create a thriving new Italian quarter, with cafes and eateries popping up all over Quartier Bloom, the lane from Ormond Quay to Great Strand St. La Taverna di Bacco (Map; 873 0040; 24 Lower Ormond Quay; mains €8-9; 12.30-10.30pm Mon-Sat, from 5pm Sun) and Enoteca Delle Langhe (Map; 888 0834; Bloom’s Lane; noon-11pm), a few doors up, serve simple pastas, antipasti and Italian cheeses, along with the delicious produce of Wallace’s own vineyard and others in Piemonte.

MIDRANGE

Bar Italia (Map; 874 1000; 28 Lower Ormond Quay; mains €9-18; 10.30am-11pm Mon-Sat, 1-9pm Sun) One of a new generation of eateries that’s showing the more established Italian restaurants how the Old Country really eats, Bar Italia’s specialities are its ever-changing pasta dishes, homemade risottos and excellent Palombini coffee.

Bon Ga (Map; 872 7934; www.bonga.ie; 52 Capel St; buffet €10-18, karaoke rooms €25-60; 5.30pm-midnight) Korean barbecue (usually grilled marinated meats) is all well and – in this instance – very good, but there’s something extra about this large, friendly place that’s always buzzing with locals, visitors and immigrants alike: oh yeah, it’s the karaoke rooms, where you can dine and sing to your heart’s content. To get the vocal chords going try the dongdong ju (rice wine) or soju, basically a Korean vodka. Top night out.

Melody (Map; 878 8988; 122 Capel St; buffet €10-18, karaoke rooms €25-60; 5.30pm-midnight) Lots of red lacquer, black marble, a couple of fish tanks and