Celebrity-approved bars and restaurants to visit around Ireland

By this point, we’re all well aware of just how obsessed celebrities are with the ol’ Emerald Isle. When they’re not claiming some fraction of Irish DNA, they’re posing with perfectly poured pints of Guinness and musing about the socioeconomic benefits of a packet of Tayto.

And, naturally, we lap it up. We’re simply blinded by fame, and our patriotism goes through the roof when we see some people of note enjoying things we enjoy. Heavens above, they’re just like us!

We’ve already unpacked some of the longer celeb stays around the country (Matt Damon, we’re looking at you), and we’ve tracked the vintage shopping habits of music industry elite (Lana loves Loot, pass it on), so we thought it was about time we dive into where they’ve been spotted eating/drinking.

So, without further ado, here are the bars and eateries around Ireland that have been given the celebrity seal of approval…

Many, many, many familiar faces at Hacienda Bar

Endorsed by many well-known names, Hacienda Bar in Smithfield’s most recent patrons included Mullingar’s very own Niall Horan, who showed up for some post-sold-out show pints with his pal Ed Sheeran. On Facebook, owner Shay Duignan wrote: “Great to welcome Ed Sheeran and Niall Horan to the Hacienda last night. It was a wonderful night and it was also special to welcome James Blunt and Lewis Capaldi.” Back in June, the D7 spot played host to Taylor Swift, all her dancers, Travis Kelce, Stevie actual Nicks, and Paramore. Can you imagine?

The walls of this bar are lined with photos of past patrons (as is their Facebook page, which is well worth a scroll for a who’s who of celebrities who have visited Dublin), and includes Domhnall Gleeson, Saoirse Ronan, Olivia Rodrigo, Grian Chatten from Fontaines DC, Barry Keoghan, and about a million more.

Russell Crowe at Boeuf

Where does Russell Crowe get his restaurant recommendations? On TikTok, like the rest of us. Calling into Boeuf on South William Street earlier this year, the Gladiator actor reportedly told staff that he found them on social media and had been “dying” to pop in for ages. Here for his self-titled Indoor Garden Party, Crowe performed alongside his band at the Gaiety Theatre back in July.

Nick Jonas at Rose Madre

Celebs seem to have a penchant for sniffing out the cream of the crop, and Rosa Madre in Temple Bar is a hugely popular contender among the elite, with Dave Grohl and Nate Mendel from Foo Fighters, Jamie Foxx, and Will Ferrell all giving it their seal of approval in the past.

Nick Jonas was the latest A-lister to pull up a chair at this authentic Italian restaurant on his unexpected sojourn in Ireland. Unfortunately, he was sans Joe and Kevin, but we can be quietly confident that the restaurant recommendation will be passed on to the whole Jonas clan.

Will Ferrell at Hellfire Steakhouse

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No doubt still reeling from the excitement of playing Mattel CEO in Greta Gerwig’s Barbie, funnyman Will Ferrell was spotted a couple of months ago dining in Westmorland Street’s Hellfire Steakhouse. Snapped alongside Executive Chef Roberto Rapisardi, the restaurant shared their delight at having the actor dine with them. An addition to the Temple Bar area, Hellfire opened its doors last January, and is fast becoming known for their unique style of flame-fired cooking.

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Ferrell’s fondness for Ireland has known no bounds since he discovered family roots in Co. Longford and he made sure to visit his ancestral home back in May, calling into local restaurant Vocella’s for a bite to eat while there.

Harry Styles at SOLE Seafood & Grill

Though it’s been well over a year since Styles and his then-girlfriend Olivia Wilde called it quits, their restaurant recommendation is still worth its weight in gold.

Before his Aviva Stadium gig in 2022, the pair were spotted venturing into SOLE Seafood & Grill for a spot of grub. One of the most booked restaurants in Ireland, SOLE should absolutely be on your Irish foodie bucket list. It’s also been incredibly well-documented that the singer made an appearance at Vico Baths, with a Tower Records bag filled with cans of Guinness. He just gets it.

Ed Sheeran at Osteria Lucio

Well, look who it is! Total pleasure to have @edsheeran in for a special lunch yesterday ahead of Croke Park. Great lad. And the staff, as you can see, were only too delighted. Me included! pic.twitter.com/jJ8FJ76h3q

— Ross Lewis (@ChefRossLewis) April 25, 2022

Clearly, Ed Sheeran is a regular round these parts. Back in 2022, he kicked off his stadium tour with two nights in Croke Park, and it’s safe to say he felt quite at home roaming the streets of Dublin. Perhaps the most non-Irish Irishman of them all, he was spotted sinking a pint in Fitzgeralds of Sandycove and played an intimate warmup gig in his old favourite haunt, Whelan’s.

For sustenance, the Galway Girl singer also stopped by Rasam Restaurant for some curry, and enjoyed some incredible pre-show fuel at Osteria Lucio. Photographed with owner Ross Lewis and some very happy-looking staff members, Sheeran lapped up some of the very best pizza in Dublin for the occasion.

Sarah Jessica Parker at SOUP 2

Permanently etched into the backs of my eyelids is SJP’s snap of a lone rasher, burnt to an absolute crisp, against the picturesque backdrop of the Donegal countryside on a recent trip to Ireland. She obviously ransacked the local SuperValu, with a bag of cabbage and an empty pack of Charleville mature red cheddar also making the carousel, and she even enjoyed some Horgan’s salami.

When she’s not snacking at home, it seems the SATC star is offering to help out in the kitchen of one Dublin city ramen restaurant. Back in August 2022, SJP, Matthew Broderick, and their three kids stopped by the now-closed SOUP 2 in Smithfield (their Dun Laoghaire branch is still going strong). But wait, there’s more. Speaking to HELLO! at the time, restaurant owner Conor Hughes said she “noticed we were super busy, asked if I was short-staffed, and jokingly offered to help in the kitchen, as I was cooking and running food.” I love her.

Damon Albarn at Fade Street Social

Last summer, Britpop legends Blur played Dublin’s Malahide Castle ten whole years after their last Irish show. To blow off some steam afterwards, and enjoy some top-notch fare, frontman Damon Albarn went to Fade Street Social, and was snapped alongside manager Joseph McColgan and some delighted staff members.

Fade Street Social by Dylan McGrath just so happens to also be the favoured spot of comedy star Seth Meyers and our very own Colm Meaney. Great minds and all that.

Florence Pugh at Delahunt

At the Irish premiere of The Wonder, Hollywood star and out-and-out foodie Florence Pugh revealed her favourite place to eat in Dublin. “We went to Delahunt for a few meals,” she said. “That was amazing. We had some epic food there. I think we did a few meals there and they changed the menu so we were like, we’ll have to get some more!”

Speaking to Sarah Finnan at the time, Pugh’s co-star Niamh Algar told us that Florence kept her castmates well-fed while filming, and that there were plenty of bags of Tayto and pints of Guinness consumed once the camera stopped rolling.

Paul Mescal at Elephant and Castle

When you piece together the concrete information we know about Paul Mescal’s eating, drinking and socialising habits, there really isn’t much. We could probably assume that he’s partial to some Denny’s sausages, and has been seen quickly ditching Irish premieres in favour of a bop around Workman’s. That was, of course, until he appeared on Ed Gamble and James Acaster’s Off Menu podcast.

Obviously, because he’s Irish and if you cut us, we bleed Kerrygold butter, there were mentions of homemade brown bread and his mammy’s soup, but let’s get into the specifics. I don’t want to say he was starting beef with Elephant and Castle, but the man has his reservations. When asked for his dream side dish, he answered: “It’s chicken wings from a specific place called Elephant and Castle in Dublin, but it’s Elephant and Castle circa the 2010s. The chicken wings are not the same anymore.” Here’s hoping that they get their act together and give the people what they want.

Patrick Dempsey at Leo Burdock

Remember when Patrick Dempsey was filming Disenchanted, and he became so enamoured with Ireland that we thought he would never leave? I miss those days terribly. In May of 2021, the actor and incredibly wholesome Instagrammer posted a shot outside Dublin’s oldest chipper, Leo Burdock, which has been operating since 1913.

Given the time of his sojourn here, most restaurants were still either entirely shut or had to pivot to takeaway when restrictions made dining-in verboten. However, his sheer and unadulterated love for the place leaves us in no doubt that he’ll be back to sample some fine dining options at some point. He seemed to think that Leo’s was ‘bleeding deadly’ all the same.

Featured image via Hacienda Bar on Facebook. This article was originally published in 2023.