Food and drink to get you in the Halloween mood in Dublin this week

From new and improved barm brack, to Dracula pie, pumpkin spice cocktails to pan de muerto, here's where to plan a visit this week if you're out to celebrate Halloween or Día de los Muertos in Dublin this week...

Barm brack with Earl Grey custard, Hera

We're more used to sticking fingers in the barm brack to try to figure out where the ring is, than sliding spoons through Earl Grey custard and dabbing it with clotted cream, but this October special from Hera has us feeling all grown up

Mini barm bracks with whipped brown butter, Two Pups

Another barm brack deserving of a reinvention award are these little beauties from Bold Boy Bakery at Two Pups, filled with WHIPPED. BROWN. BUTTER. Never has a pre-Halloween need been so high.

Pumpkin pie croissant, Bread 41

Pumpkin pie seems to appear more in Dublin in coffee syrup form than solid food form, so praise be for Bread 41 bringing all the specials, including this pumpkin pie croissant. We'll want a pumpkin spice latté on the side, natch.

Bram Stoker 'Robber' pie, The Shelbourne

The Shelbourne’s Bram Stoker “Robber” Pie is back for another year, alongside two spooky cocktails - the Black Orchard and the Bloody Mary. The pie, inspired by Dracula, has braised beef cheek, bacon lardons, Bourguignon, roast peppers, and puff pastry, and paired with the black or red cocktail of your choice, it's the ideal pairing to that horror movie you're planning on seeing for the week that's in it.

Zombie cocktails, Hawker

Hawker x Hang Dai's Zombie cocktails have risen from the dead and are back for a limited time only. Be warned, the tropical, rum-based concoction is Lethal (which anyone who visited the Hawker pop up of summer 2021 can testify to), so proceed with caution.

Hocus Pocus, Caribou

Somewhere else getting in on the Halloween cocktails is everyone's favourite bar right now, Caribou. They're describing their 'Hocus Pocus' as an earthy, tropical cocktail with a house rum blend, pumpkin seed, thyme, lemon and honey.

Halloween cookies, Slice

You can always trust Slice in Stoneybatter to jump on a seasonal trend, and they've been very busy icing these Halloween butter cookies? Find them on the bar all weekend, and don't let their hard work go in vain.

Pumpkin spice sour, Amai by Viktor

Considering the cocktails were one of our favourite things about Amai by Viktor, it's one of the only places we would ever consider combining pumpkin spice with alcohol. Count us in for Autumn aperitivo hour.

Banana chocolate muffins, Green Straw

Green Straw in Swords have gone all out with the spooky Halloween posts featuring in house witch Sally, who is spending her days freaking out customers and apparently baked these banana-chocolate muffins. No word on Sally's baking skills but they look the part.

Pumpkin spice latté, Food Game

The first rule about pumpkin spice club is that the syrup has to be homemade, and here comes Food Game to the rescue with this spicy little number. Ditch your regular place with the big brand syrup and divert yourself here instead.

Pan de Muerto, El Grito

It's only available once a year, and you have to pre-order it, so El Grito's Pan de Muerto takes some planning, but this citrussy flavoured, enriched bread is a celebration in itself. Pre-order them for €4 each before the 29th of October, and collect on the 31st Oct or 1st November.