There are hidden gems all over Dublin, if you know where to look.
Trinity College, Stephen’s Green, Temple Bar. Dublin’s Southside has so much to boast and is bustling with activity seven days a week. But what if you want to look beyond the travel guides and break away from the crowds?
We’ve decided to share our favourite hidden gems in Dublin with you, all located south of the Liffey. Whether this is your first or your 10th time to the capital, these gems tell their own story of the history of the capital.
Hidden Gems in Dublin
Shoe Lane Coffee
Traditionally once a shoe makers, Shoe Lane Coffee is a charming little coffee shop in the middle of busy Tara Street in Dublin’s centre. Decked out with vintage timber that is over 150 years old, it has a cosy cabin-like feel that makes you want to curl up on a frosty morning with a book and a latte. You can also enjoy delicious pastries and sandwiches, open Monday – Saturday.
Location: Tara Street, Dublin 2
The Café / Restaurant at MOLI
If you’re looking into where to visit in Dublin, you have probably come across the Museum of Literature off Stephen’s Green. Once inside, there are many literary treasures to discover, but there are also quiet places to ponder, either out in their gardens, which expand into another hidden gem on this list, and home to the ash tree where Joyce himself once was photographed following his graduation.
Location: St Stephen’s Green, Dublin 2
Sweny’s Pharmacy
Featured in James Joyce’s best-known novel, Sweny’s pharmacy has been lovingly maintained by volunteers so you can experience the shop as it was in Joyce’s time. Although it’s no longer a pharmacy, it’s nostalgic interiors are the perfect setting to scour their second-hand book collection. You can even buy the lemon-scented soap featured in the novel, which made the shop famous.
Once in the area, make your way over to Ulysses Rare Books on Duke Street, which boasts an unrivalled selection of rare editions by Joyce, Yeats, Beckett, Wilde, and many more – the staff also speak to you in Irish if you feel so inclined.
Location: Lincoln Place, Dublin 2
Iveagh Gardens
Iveagh Gardens is a secret oasis behind the National Concert Hall, just a few minutes’ walk from the busier St. Stephen’s Green. Although it’s within close access to the city centre, you will feel like you are miles away. The waterfall and tranquil, green walkways make the perfect morning stroll. If you’re lucky enough to visit in the summer, the park is blooming with roses. Almost missed for the larger and more well known Stephen’s Green, this is one of the hidden gems in Dublin you don’t want to miss.
Location: Clonmel Street, Dublin 2
Marsh’s Library
Tucked away behind St. Patrick’s Cathedral is Marsh’s Library, a perfectly preserved library dating back to the eighteenth century. Marsh’s library was the first public library in Ireland and is comprised of more than 25,000 books and 300 manuscripts. Built by Archbishop Narcissus Marsh in 1701, the likes of Bram Stoker and Jonathan Swift are said to have read from its collection.
Location: St Patrick’s Close, Dublin 8
The Little Pig
This suave secret bar is the sister bar to the classic hidden Dublin spot The Blind Pig. A sophisticated 1920s speakeasy, its interiors and pre booking are reminiscent of the prohibition years. Once you book online, you’ll be sent exact locations and instructions. So all you’ve got to do next is locate the secret door and you’re in for some top-notch cocktails.
Location: Secret location in Dublin 2 – it’s one of the top hidden gems in Dublin, you’ll have to do some digging to find it!
The Chapel at Heartbreak Social Club
For tattoo enthusiasts, you will probably be familiar with the parlour Heartbreak Social Club on one of Dublin’s most social streets. You might not be aware of one of the cutest hidden gems in Dublin which is right beside it, The Chapel, Ireland’s only Vegas style venue to get married or to elope. Whether you’re in the business of marrying or not, it’s a gorgeous sight to behold, and worth checking out on a visit to the city – Drury Street is heaving with cafés and shops that are worth writing home about.
Location: Drury Street, Dublin 2
A Secret Oasis Cake Café
Just off Camden Street, you will come across a bookshop overspilling with towers and towers of books, secondhand and very reasonable if you’re in the mood for a bit of a hunt. However, the hidden gem can be found if you walk the whole way through – a secret garden oasis that is home to the Cake Café and sells, well you guessed it, an assortment of cakes.
Location: Pleasants Street, Dublin 2
All of these hidden gems in Dublin are within walking distance of EPIC The Irish Emigration Museum – lucky for visitors, Dublin is a very walkable city. There are also links via public transport lines such as the DART, the LUAS, and the bus.
