The No Diet Club doesn’t do tourist-trap lunches. This is a proper food wander through Dublin’s real spots: the hidden places where you’ll find genuine Irish produce alongside other great food, served up with stories about life and the city. Over three hours, your guide takes you through lively laneways to the places actually worth knowing about.
The group is capped at eight people, which matters more than it sounds. Small enough that you can hear what you’re being told, small enough to actually get into the spots you’re visiting, and small enough that it stays friendly rather than feeling like a convoy. All food is included throughout. Alcohol isn’t, but you can buy drinks at stops if you want.
You’ll leave with a solid list of Dublin food recommendations that you’ll use for the rest of your trip.
The Liberties is the right place to start a food tour. This is one of Dublin’s oldest working-class neighbourhoods, and it has been feeding the city since before the streets were paved. The Fumbally, where you meet, has become something of a gathering point for people who care about food and where it comes from.
Come hungry. The tour is described as “many tastings” and that’s not understatement. A light breakfast on the morning of the tour is sensible preparation. A full fry-up beforehand is not.
The recommendations your guide gives you are genuinely useful. A good food tour guide is essentially a condensed local knowledge base. Ask about spots for dinner, ask about where locals actually shop, ask about what’s new. The guided part of the three hours will keep you busy, but the conversation in between the stops is where you pick up the best tips.
Dublin’s food scene has changed significantly in the past decade. The city that once had a reputation for boiled vegetables and overcooked meat now has a range of serious food worth seeking out, much of it rooted in good Irish produce. This tour is built on that shift.
The Liberties and the surrounding streets are worth exploring after the tour ends. Thomas Street, Meath Street, and the covered market on Newmarket Square all have independent food and drink worth your time. Your guide will likely point you in the right direction before you leave.