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:
- It’s a Bonvoy Hotel, part of the autograph collection.
- It hosts tons of weddings during the high season – it’s a beautiful location with lots of space, and there was a different wedding reception every night we were there.
- It’s right next to Trinity College
- It’s a few steps from the Temple Bar area with all it’s bars and shops
- It has an overpriced tea time, which features EXCELLENT tea, but mediocre baked goods.
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:
- The National Gallery of Ireland
- The Archeological Museum
- The Irish Book Museum (or author museum? I can’t remember. I’ll just link to it.)
- The Book of Kells & Trinity College
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:
- Apple & Walnut Scone
- Blueberry Scone
- Vanilla & Pear Scone
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:
- Sausage Roll (for savory)
- Custard Tart (for sweet)
- Porridge Oat (for a loaf of bread.)
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 almond croissant in Ireland, those feel like at best they come from France, or maybe from a place where the almonds grow naturally (I’m looking at you, Morocco!) so I wanted things that felt just about right for the place.
The porridge oat bread was pretty heavenly. Thick and flavorful, I wish I could have dipped it in every bite of stew I had while there.
The custard tart was fine, but having spent so much time in Portugal recently I couldn’t help comparing it to a Pastel de Nata, which is gonna leave any custard dessert coming up short.
The sausage roll however – that thing was the sweet spot. And by sweet, I mean juicy and flaky and meaty all at once. High recommend.
What is an Irish Sausage Roll?
An Irish sausage roll is a savory pastry popular in Ireland, consisting of seasoned sausage meat encased in flaky, buttery puff pastry. These delicious rolls are typically made with high-quality pork sausage, mixed with herbs and spices such as thyme, sage, and black pepper. They are baked until the pastry is golden and crisp, making them a perfect snack or light meal, enjoyed hot or cold (I had mine hot.) Irish sausage rolls can be found in many great bakeries in Dublin, because Irish people like bread and sausage apparently.
Why is bread so good with butter?
I’m not gonna answer this for you, you’re being ridiculous. This is like trying to ask how to catch love in a bottle or why freedom feels important.
Pubs and Soda Bread | Going Beyond the Great Bakeries Of Dublin
So, the final key to mention here is that if you’re only going to bakeries in Dublin, you’re missing out, because half the joy of the right slice of bread is the chance to dip it in a thick, beefy Irish Stew on a chilly day.
If you want to learn more about soda bread read about the breads to try when you’re in Europe.
If you want to learn more about the generic overview of Dublin, check out this city guide to bakeries in Dublin.
For me, a hunk of buttered brown bread sopping up every last drop of stew is probably about as good as it gets anywhere on earth.
Ok, first of all – not my best picture. But obviously it was taken in a pub, which means obviously it was taken after a few pints, which means obviously blurry is to be expected.
But in truth, that’s probably the most perfect bite of bread I had the whole time I was in Dublin. In my heart and soul, the point of bread is to make you feel good, and tell that small part of your soul which is constantly worried about death, “It’s ok, we’re gonna make it thru the winter!”
I know we’re not our ancestors, but the small part of them that we still have in our brains worried about millennia of starving to death can only really be satisfied in one way – bread. It’s the thing that let’s us know we’ve got enough to make it through another day, and no bread satisfies that urge more than this stuff.
The best way to eat bread in Dublin if you only have a day
Start with a scone for breakfast. Have it with tea.
Sausage rolls for lunch, quick on the go while you’re enjoying all Dublin has to offer.
A thick Guinness beef stew for dinner, from any of about 1000 pubs, with a nice fat hunk of bread for dipping, scraping, soaking and sopping.
