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Any foodie worth their salt made an appearance in Merrion Square at some point or another over the three days of Taste of Dublin. If the recent stream of restaurant closures have taught us anything, it’s the importance of showing up for the chefs and eateries that we love — because your support is necessary for their survival.
Whether you just want to enjoy some delicious food, scope out emerging food trends, or learn from skilled chefs through workshops and master classes, Taste of Dublin is the ideal afternoon. This year’s chef lineup included JP McMahon, Aishling Moore, Mark Moriarty, and Jordan Bailey, and the experiential offering was top tier.
There were conversations providing food for thought, a chocolate making experience, cocktail making, live entertainment, and an interactive visitor experience creating iconic dishes from The Bear. As for the restaurants dishing up grub across the weekend, my personal highlights were Bahay, Dosa Dosa, and Bar Italia.
Did you know that Royal Hospital Kilmainham in Dublin city is also home to Europe’s largest outdoor health, fitness and wellness event? Festival season isn’t all about partying it up in a field somewhere, and this festival serves as a welcome reset for many.
Meditation, yoga, pilates — you name it, there’s likely a guided session happening over the weekend, along with plenty of seminars and talks with well-known faces from the health and wellness space. Our very own Dominique McMullan sat down with Vogue Williams and Oonagh O’Hagan of Meagher’s Pharmacy group for incredibly thought-provoking discussions, and Joe Wicks kept the energy high on stage with some fitness demos.
Mindfulness is a hugely important aspect of the festival, with guided meditations, sound baths and energy healing sessions going on. The importance of good nutrition is hammered home again and again, with cooking demos, food trucks, and educational talks making sure we have the tools to eat well and approach our diets with a healthy mindset.
Ireland is blessed with many (many, many) epic food festivals that take place year-round, and Cork on a Fork is up there with the cream of the crop. Taking place across four days in August, the festival celebrates the rich culinary heritage and vibrant food scene of Cork, turning the city centre into a gastronomic paradise.
Drawing food enthusiasts from near and far, Cork on a Fork offers a diverse array of experiences for all palates including unique dining events, pop-up restaurants, chef collaborations, live cooking demonstrations from top chefs, interactive workshops, food and drink pairings events, bite-sized talks, and plenty of kids’ food activities
If I could recommend anything for next year’s instalment, it’s the VQ Shared Table. Stretching down MacCurtain Street to accommodate a grand total of 400 people, this long table dining experience brings chefs from the eateries that line the street together to collaborate on a menu and bring a selection of delicious sharing plates, drinks, live music, and a festival atmosphere to the street.
I was seated directly opposite my date for the evening, something that initially jarred with my slightly (mainly because my hearing is actually very terrible), but the whole point of the event is to encourage conversation and discussion, to meet like-minded foodies and put energy and thought into what it is you’re eating. It was genuinely one of the best dining experiences I’ve had this year.
Featured image via Anamaria Meiu.
