Great Bakeries in Dublin, and a 5 star hotel
Here’s the thing about parenting – it’s hard as hell. Lots of ups and downs. Plenty of misfires, mistakes, rules you wish you’d made earlier (or rules you made that you only realized later were dumb.) Heartbreak when you see your kid sad, all these huge feelings. But once in a while, you feel like you just absolutely nailed it – and that’s what this trip to Dublin, Ireland was. Yes, there were scones, and sausage rolls and bread loaves and great bakeries in Dublin and a 5-star hotel, but more importantly, I gave my kid one of those moments that I can absolutely guarantee will be with him for the rest of his life as a positive memory of he and his father, and that’s really what this is all about, right? If you’re reading this, you’re probably in it for the bread, or maybe the hotels, so here’s the story of Dublin in 5 Stars, 3 Nights, 2 Bakeries, and 1 long weekend. 5 Star Hotel in Central Dublin by Trinity College Am I stupid? Do I think with the amount of people competing over the search term “5 star hotel in Dublin” that this article is going to rank? No, I am not stupid. But that’s ok, I DID in fact stay at the College Green Hotel in Dublin, which is steps from Trinity College and the legendary book of Kells. Some quick facts about the hotel: The highlights of the hotel were it’s location, right in the center of town, which let us explore everything we wanted to see in walking distance. This included: We were unable to see the Book of Kells despite it’s close proximity because a protest of like 14 silly college kids shut it down, but all the other museums were open. The best was the National Gallery, really spectacular, and it included the single sassiest museum employee I’ve ever met in my life – made better by her Irish accent and willing to take the piss of us as total strangers. The most disappointing was the book museum. I mean, great try to make books into a good museum, but just doesn’t hold an interest. The most memorable thing was the bog bodies in the Archeology museum – excellent nightmare fuel if you haven’t seen them before. Keogh’s | Great Bakeries in Dublin #1 Let’s get to the good stuff. I went to try the scones at Keogh’s. Tucked on a side street, the line never (and I mean NEVER) was shorter than out the door, but people move in and out swiftly so there was still enough space to sit when I got through it. The bakery shelf was large, and filled with sweet, savory and tons of different baked goods – plus a few loaves of bread on the back shelf, and a proper Irish Breakfast if you get down on that sort of thing. But let’s get into the reason I went – the scones. They were absolutely phenomenal. I kept thinking about that Larry David episode of Curb where he gets a soft scone and is so furious that he opens an entire coffee shop next door to put Mocha Joe out of business. Most importantly, these scones were hard on the outside, fluffy on the inside, and came in a variety of absolutely kickass flavors. I wanna caveat that the lighting is super warm tungsten lights in the cafe so these pictures don’t quite do it justice, but I got three kinds: All were the perfect size and shape. I skipped Lemon Poppyseed because, wtf I’m not wasting my carbs on lemon poppyseed when there’s a blueberry next door, but even that looked good. They are served with jam and butter and are EXTREMELY satisfying. What is a scone? What is a Scone? A scone is a delicious, baked good often enjoyed with tea or coffee. Originating from the United Kingdom, scones are slightly sweet or savory and typically served with clotted cream and jam. They can be found in many great bakeries in Dublin, where they are freshly baked and come in various flavors like classic, fruit, or cheese. A key feature that differentiates scones from other baked goods, such as biscuits or muffins, is their texture. Scones are crumbly and dense, while biscuits tend to be flakier and lighter. Muffins are softer and cake-like, often with a more pronounced sweetness. Scones also have a unique preparation method, involving cold butter to create their signature crumbly texture, making them a distinctive treat in the great bakeries of Dublin and across the UK. How hard is a scone supposed to be? A scone should have a firm, golden-brown exterior with a slightly crumbly texture, but it should not be rock hard. The inside should be soft, tender, and moist, breaking apart easily when split open. If a scone is too hard, it may have been overbaked or made with too much flour. The perfect scone strikes a balance, offering a delicate crumb that melts in the mouth. It feels hard in the hands, but biting in to it should be easy. Bread 41 | Great Bakeries in Dublin #2 Bread 41 was also a line out the door kind of place, filled with local business folks, college students from Trinity College, and a smattering of others. It felt packed, but didn’t feel touristy, and the smells coming out of the place were enough to get me pumped. The main bakery case was filled with a big variety of both sweet and savory, but by far the most exciting part was the huge shelf of different loaves in the back. I opted for three kinds of baked good to get a taste of the place: What should I order at Bread 41 in Dublin? Ok, so first of all I’ll say all the sweet stuff looked pretty good – I mean check out those almond croissants. But in my mind, I don’t need to try an
