My Favourite Places to Eat in Dublin With Kids

The Best Family Restaurants in Dublin (As Nominated by my Crew!)

At the end of a family photoshoot, I often ask my clients how they’re going to treat themselves afterwards. For families like mine, a takeaway or a relaxed meal out is the perfect way to chill after being in front of the camera.. But as a family of five, I know the challenge of finding a spot that keeps everyone happy! My kids are 13, 9 and 8, so we’re past the toddler stage, but we’ve gathered a list of family-friendly restaurants in Dublin that we think work for all ages. Here are our gang’s favourites.

Bewley’s on Grafton Street

Just yesterday, I had a beautiful family for a photoshoot on a very rainy day in Dublin. When we finished on Grafton Street, I left them at Bewley’s to warm up with some hot coffee and pastries. My kids love stopping by Bewley’s for a little treat when we are in the city centre. They have epic hot chocolates, where you can add your own chocolate shavings and marshmallows. The last time we visited they also had the usual winning hot food combos, like sausages and chips. We also like that you can just rock up, no reservation needed, and usually grab a table with minimal waiting. It’s a lovely day out to visit the city, maybe a museum and the Lego store, and then grab a little treat afterwards.

Bewley’s Grafton Street: Dublin’s Iconic Café Experience
Bewley's Grafton Street (@bewleysgraftonst) • Instagram photos and videos

Little Pyg in Powerscourt Townhouse

This one is a recent addition to our favourites list. Little Pyg is a pizza & Italian restaurant. I have tried some of the yummy salads, but we go for the pizzas and they are deliciously light and airy. It’s a super relaxed vibe, with the lovely surroundings of Powerscourt to do lots of people-watching. We like that they offered to do children’s sizes of any pizza for a smaller cost. The kids always got to enjoy some really good mocktails, and maybe I had a cocktail or two. This place is busy and you should book in advance, especially if you’re a slightly bigger party like us.

Little Pyg Restaurant Dublin City Centre - Pizza & Pygtails
Little Pyg (@littlepyg) • Instagram photos and videos

BuJo in Sandymount & Terenure.

Well, this one is a classic for us, and it’s always mentioned when we talk about getting food for a family celebration. Because of the proximity of the Terenure branch to us, we will sometimes get BuJo as a takeaway (many, many a birthday has been celebrated in this house with a BuJo feast). We also sometimes take a stroll to the village to eat in-house. The burgers are epic, and the BuJo sauce… I eat it with a side of fries. They offer a kids’ box which will come with a burger or goujons and fries. Don’t get me started on the refillable soft drinks, but the kids love it, so once in a while is perfect ????

BuJo – Burgers Better
BuJo Burger Joint (@bujoburgerjoint) • Instagram photos and videos

Reggies Pizzeria in Rathmines

Another new addition to the favourites list. The pizzas are so, so good, and we love that we can all fit into one of the lovely booths. The menu has some really yummy snacks like arancini and focaccia that is drenched in the most delicious garlic butter. But the pizzas are the star of the show, and they are served on stands that sit high on the table. It’s perfect for pizza sharing among the kids. The staff are always super chill and kind to my not so little babies. The only problem is that it’s hard to get a reservation!

Reggie's Pizzeria
Reggie’s Pizzeria (@reggies.dublin) • Instagram photos and videos

Lottie’s in Rathmines

Lottie’s is such a great family restaurant where the dining is a little more ‘fancy’ but still super chilled and relaxed for families. Lottie’s wins our award for the healthiest options for kids. It was actually Lottie’s that got my kids into eating a good piece of fish that wasn’t coated in breadcrumbs or batter! The kids’ options include dishes like grilled chicken or grilled fish of the day, served with vegetables and chips. My daughter was also very partial to the mocktails listed on the kids’ menu – with the mango cooler being her favourite. Lottie’s is our go-to for a special family meal. We even hosted my birthday party there last year in their gorgeous upstairs venue. Lottie’s holds a special place in our hearts.

Lottie’s Dublin | Michelin Bib Gourmand Restaurant & Cocktail Bar
Lottie’s (@lottiesrathmines) • Instagram photos and videos

Elephant & Castle in Temple Bar, Churchtown, Beacon, Rathmines, Blanchardstown & Lucan

Ah, the old reliable! You can always bank on E&C for a fun, informal meal out. We generally visit the Rathmines or Churchtown branches, and I like that the regular menu is not exactly the same in both locations. The kids’ menu is perfect – the usual sausages & chips, burgers & chips and so on. You can’t go wrong. They offer a meal deal for kids where they get a drink and a scoop of ice cream for dessert included. The kids’ menus come with puzzles and drawings, and crayons are supplied to keep everyone occupied. We’ve always been able to get a table here at short notice, which is another plus for a busy family!

Takeaway Dublin, Restaurants Doing Takeaway | Elephant & Castle
Elephant & Castle (@weareelephantandcastle) • Instagram photos and videos

Food on the go

And finally for places to eat on the move. The kids adore Bambino in the city centre for a pizza slice. Recently we went into Dublin Culture Night with empty bellies and no reservation! Never fear, Bambino on Baggot Street came to the rescue! We also like the Stephen Street branch, but the queues can be a little longer (they move fast). And last but not least, Mani on Drury Street is another big hit for a pizza slice on the move. I'm rather partial to the carbonara slice myself. Clearly, my kids really like pizza!!

BAMBINO Dublin - Stephen St. & Baggot St.
Bambino (@bambino_dublin) • Instagram photos and videos
manipizza.ie
MANI (@manipizza.ie) • Instagram photos and videos