Where To Eat Outdoors In Dublin's Suburbs This Summer

Anyone who found our recent guide to enjoying the city centre al fresco too-skewed to the south of the Liffey (don’t shoot the messenger!) will be glad to know things get a lot better balanced the further out you venture. Free(r) of space limitations and the infamous lack of green around the north inner city, options get a whole lot better towards and beyond the Royal Canal. Lest the leafy southsiders start to chafe, fret not – there’s still plenty out your way. Here’s our pick of the best outdoor suburban setups to snag this summer...

Dublin 8

Notions @ Two Pups, Francis Street

Two Pups are riding high with their latest wine bar endeavour Notions, which opened to raves all round for food, natural wine, and particularly lovely service. Those outside seats are the place to be on a sunny summer's eve, and you can request them when you book. Read our once over here.

Alma, Portobello

The seats outside Alma are some of the loveliest in Portobello, and an iced dulce de leche latté in the sunshine while you wait for brunch is as perfect a morning as we can imagine. Check for tables here.

Gaillot et Gray, Clanbrassil Street

French pizzeria and natural wine hangout Gaillot et Gray is open for lunch (mainly sandwiches on their own bread) and dinner (pizza) on their terrace out the back. You can book by calling them or they take walk-ins if they have space.

Lucky's, Meath Street

Liberties hotspot Lucky's has a few little tables out front on Meath Street as well as their always in-demand courtyard with delicious pizza from Coke Lane. They're open seven days a week and you can make a booking enquiry through their website.

Daddy's, Rialto

Walk-in only breakfast and brunch café Daddy’s has a recently renovated seating area outdoors that’s absolutely thronged whenever the weather’s good – small wonder with their ever-delicious choice of seasonal soups, sandwiches and salads.

Chilangos, Rialto

The Bridge Café’s retractable-roofed terrace plays host to Chilangos each night from Wednesday to Saturday and faces the evening sun – there’s little better to enjoy it with than the spicy, tangy hit of a michelada (read our two minute review here). Their mix-and-match menu of Mexican classics makes for great group sharing fare, and you can book online here..

Tacos Lupillo, Inchicore

Things have thankfully calmed down at Tacos Lupillo since we first visited last year, so you have all the more hope of grabbing a space, especially since neighbouring boozer Cleary’s packed it in a few months back and ceded extra space along the roadside. It's not the most scenic setting, but the food's a sensation and the suntrap factor is strong in the evening, which is good enough for us.

Rascal's Brewing, Inchicore

Rascal's pizzeria and tap room has become an Inchicore institution since opening in 2014, and their bustling outdoor space has grown into a really atmospheric evening spot with a great selection of old favourites and seasonal specials on both the food and drink menus. Look for tables here.

Dublin 4

InterContinental Dublin, Ballsbridge

Malfy gin are sponsoring the InterContinental Dublin's Garden Terrace this summer, with bookings now open from June to August. The Amalfi coast-inspired menu is as seafood-stuffed as you’d expect with fritto misto and lobster spaghetti high on our hit list. Book here.

Asador, Ballsbridge

Asador's impressive (covered and heated) terrace is available to book for à la carte or set lunch and dinner options from Tuesday to Saturday. Their signature steaks over a wood-fired grill are a great shout for a barbecue hit without getting your hands dirty. Look for a table here.

Smithfield/Stoneybatter

Korean Table, Stoneybatter

Korean Table have created a lovely little spot in Stoneybatter to enjoy kimchi and bibimbap in the sun with hanging lights and plenty of greenery. They’re open Tuesday to Sunday and are walk-in only but it’s never too long a wait to get seated.

Slice, Stoneybatter

Slice's brunch and lunch menus put so many other daytime cafés to shame, with their Hicks pudding and miso mushrooms, buttermilk pancakes with feuilletine crispy bits, and a brunch cocktail menu you'll need to study before getting there to have any prayer of making a decision. Their outdoor seating now has a handy cover just in case, and they’ve thankfully started taking booking by phone and email.

Nutbutter, Smithfield

Nutbutter's tacos, tostadas, rice bowls and pho are sunshine in food form, and with any luck you'll be able to enjoy them in the actual sunshine, on one of their walk-in only outdoor tables on Smithfield Square.

Oxmantown, Smithfield

Oxmantown on Smithfield Square have a nice little fenced-off and covered area to enjoy a seriously good sandwich in the sun free from passing traffic. They open breakfast and lunch hours from Monday to Saturday and also stock pastries from sister bakery Elliot’s – go on, you deserve it.

South Dublin

Le Petit Renard, Kimmage

Kimmage wine bar Le Petit Renard have added a little oven since we swung by last summer - the food then was reason enough to revisit, the thought of a lardon pithivier or baked camembert on the terrace is all the more so now. They take booking via Insta DM.

Nightmarket, Ranelagh

The D6 destination for authentic Thai food, Nightmarket has a fully-heated side terrace "tunnel" open for outdoor dining, so you can stay on to sample the cocktail menu long after the sun sets. You won't be feeling the rays on your skin, but with any luck the air will be warm. Book online.

Shaku Maku, Ranelagh

Shaku Maku’s covered and heated courtyard space to the rear has ample sunlight and exposed brick for an open but intimate al fresco experience. Stuffing yourself with their seven spice chicken rolls in full glare of the sun is about as good as it gets.

Lottie's, Rathmines

Lottie’s have not one but two terraces, both covered but exposed to the air and brimming with greenery to bring a real sense of the outdoors to your evening – ample blankets are on hand in case it gets too cold. They’re open Wednesday through Sunday and they’ll take outdoor bookings online.

Volpe Nera, Blackrock

Volpe Nera have only a small number of tables available on their covered, sheltered terrace so an advance booking is recommended. Their €38 three course Wednesday and Thursday neighbourhood menu is the talk of the town lately. Book here.

Mermaid, Monkstown

Bresson rebranded their lovely outdoor courtyard as Mermaid last year, serving dinner from Tuesday to Sunday and brunch from Thursday to Sunday too. Their menu has gotten a bit more interesting since the catch-all opening fare with confit duck leg cacciatore and yellowfun tuna tostadas very much our jam, and the space can be fully covered if it comes to it. Book online.

The Purty Kitchen, Dún Laoghaire

With 45 seats and a retractable roof, The Courtyard at Dún Laoghaire's Purty Kitchen is an ideal space for fine weather dining with a weather-proof backup plan. It's open Wednesday and Thursday evenings and all day Friday - Sunday with a menu full of gastro-pub classics, and they’re kicking off the summer in style with a popup oyster bar for the June bank holiday weekend. Book online here.

Oliveto, Dun Laoghaire

There might not be a better spot to enjoy a perfectly clear day than Oliveto's garden terrace perch in Dun Laoghaire, serving equally beautiful-looking food. They've got plenty of parasols to escape the intensity of that heatwave sun, if it ever comes, and some of the dishes wouldn't be out of place on the Italian Riviera. Read our once over here, and book here.

Soup, Dun Laoghaire

Soup in Dun Laoghaire, with their special ramen, deep-fried kimchi and super cute cocktails have outdoor dining space as well as a deal with neighbouring bar Lockie's to take the food into their beer garden. Walk in or book on their website.

Riba, Stillorgan

Riba's outdoor, covered and heated terrace is open for dinner Wednesdays through Mondays as well as weekend lunch, with a 2 for €30 early bird special running up to 18:30 every day. The menu is Italian-influenced with loads of local and Irish produce. Bookings can be made online here.

Grapevine, Dalkey

Grapevine in Dalkey are open for outdoor dining and wine-ing from Tuesday - Sunday for lunch and dinner. They've got a very fair value early bird menu and shelves packed with wine. Book here.

Bubbas Fish Market, Dalkey

Bubbas Fish Market on Dalkey Square have gone all-in on an upgrade to their patio seating area, and it looks like a new highlight for seafood lovers south of the county. They've got both covered and uncovered sections, as well plenty of heaters for when it gets chilly.

North Dublin

Mamó, Howth

Mamó's miniature terrace out front is another pristine spot to savour sun and sea in the company of great food. Their focus on seafood fresh-off-the-boat and ingredients from around North Dublin makes this one of the most memorable al fresco experiences in the city, and we've never had a dud dish, wine or service experience there. A bar and terrace menu coming in July will allow you to make the most of the space.

King Sitric, Howth

Howth institution King Sitric has some of the best seats in the city for the right kind of summer's day, especially after an afternoon's walk on the hill working up an appetite for their seafood selection. They're very child and dog-friendly too. Book online.

The Washerwoman, Glasnevin

The little front and back terraces in Glasnevin’s The Washerwoman are great brunch spots if you can get them – luckily they’ll take outdoor bookings online. The menus mix a lot of favourites from city centre sister restaurants The Winding Stair and Woollen Mills with a few house specials, and they’ve got a great tipples menu if you want to make a day of it.

Little Washer, Glasnevin

Another sister just a few doors down is Little Washer, with a scattering of front terrace tables to enjoy their menus of wine, pizza and small plates. They can’t be booked specifically online but if you give them a call or just try your hand on arrival they’ll see what they can do.

Mosaic, Glasnevin

Now rebranded from the H2G Wines name they bore on opening, Mosaic have filled a wine-bar shaped hole in this part of the North city; we dropped by last May and had the kind of evening we still get a glint in the eye about. Their small plates and platters are perfect with the ever-changing BTG list.

Brut Wine Bar, Drumcondra

Brut wine bar, from Nelly's in Drumcondra, serves seasonal small plates and a changing list of natural wines every Friday and Saturday until 10pm. The view of the Drumcondra road from the outside tables isn't exactly picturesque, but we'll take what we can get when it comes to sitting in the sun.

Shouk, Drumcondra

Shouk’s vast outdoor space has plenty of shade and rain cover for whatever the weather might throw at us. There’s not much more we’d rather do in this part of town of a summer afternoon than crack into their sharing Middle East Feast with a few friends.

Old Street, Malahide

Neighbourhood restaurant Old Street in Malahide have a covered and cushioned outdoor area open from Tuesday through Sunday, but the best night to visit is Wednesday when their entire wine list is 50% off. No, not a typo. Book online here.

Honey Honey, Portmarnock

Expect a fight for the limited outdoor seats outside Honey Honey in Portmarnock, but if you can get them you'll feel like you've won the jackpot. The simple menu is always done just right, the coffee is faultless, and if all else fails you can take it to go and head for the beach.

Want to eat outdoors in Dublin city centre? Check out our guide here.