Wander around the Creative Quarter and you would be forgiven for thinking that this area – roughly stretching from King Street and Stephen Street in the south to Wicklow Street in the north and George’s Street in the west – is the true centre of the city.
Filled with independent boutiques, cafes, bars and restaurants, as well as artists’ studios, picture framers, jewelery designers and ethnic food joints, it’s probably Dublin’s most vibrant area. While it was once dominated by the rag trade – and is still fashion focused – recent years have seen an influx of bars, restaurants and cafes (there’s even, gasp, a Starbucks now), all wanting tap into the area’s anything goes ethos. Indeed, sit on the steps outside the Powerscourt Townhouse on a sunny day and you can’t help but get caught up in the area’s positivity.
Tracy Tucker has been part of this area’s vibe for a long time. Daughter of fashion designers Brian Tucker and Billie Taylor, she was born into the industry. “It’s all I ever knew really. I started working for my mum in her shop when I was 12 and it just continued from there,” she says. Tracy co-founded Costume, a designer boutique at Castle Market (the lane connecting Drury Street and South William Street) with her sisters almost 20 years ago. “When we moved in it was mostly wholesale in the area, so for a while nobody even realised we were a shop.” Now the area looks different with a lot more competition for retailers but Tracy insists the local vibe is still there. “Everyone’s friends. We’re so lucky that there’s no big chains, it’s all individual shops and businesses and families. Everybody knows everybody which is probably a bit old fashioned but it’s lovely.”
One highlight of The Creative Quarter is George’s Street Arcade, a Victorian architectural masterpiece. If you can take your eyes off the gothic arches and red brick exterior, there’s an array of independent market stalls and shops to lighten your wallet. Whether it’s fresh fruit and vegetables or a nose piercing you’re after, you’ll find it here. Dating back to 1881 and originally called South City Market, this was Dublin’s first purpose built shopping centre. Today it hosts about fifty traders, each as different as the next. Pick up some ornate jewellery at New Moon, shop for a quirky gift at Abode or even get a haircut at Blind Eye Barbershop.
The Powerscourt Townhouse Centre is a prime example of how the area is honouring its origins (and embracing it’s future). Located on South William Street, it is considered the third finest Georgian house in Dublin, and with it’s ornate staircases and extravagant chandeliers, you can see why. The top floor is an intimate venue space which has seen a number of comedy, theatre and musical events. Recent addition Farrier and Draper is an Italian restaurant which derives its name from the original uses of the space. Farriers - makers of horse shoes - tended to the horses of the aristocracy who lived in the house and drapers were garment workers who operated out of the house. Formerly the venue of Lost Society, this eatery is an opulent affair with plush leather seating and a grand fire place.
Powerscourt is also a hub of arts and crafts stores. This is Knit is a family run yarn shop that sells natural fibre yarns, needles and pattern books as well as running different classes and workshops. Rare porcelain pieces and antique jewellery can be found at Delphi Antiques, specialist in objet d’art from the 18th to 20th centuries.
Recent years has an influx of cafes to the area, with the likes of Clement & Pekoe drawing coffee afficiandos from across the city. Nearby Kaph also does a great coffee: just be prepared to be judged if you ask for milk or sugar! If you are looking for something a bit stronger than coffee, Grogan’s is your best bet. Full of character (and characters!), it has long been the favoured pub for Dublin’s literary elite. The walls are filled with artworks, which are available to buy, and it hosts regular book launches and poetry readings.
Dublin’s foodie explosion has seen the area’s dining options increase too – some of the city’s best cafes and restaurants now call the Creative Quarter home. Tracy recommends Coppinger Row, Honest to Goodness and The Pepper Pot. “There’s so many nice places and it goes beyond what you see in the window, it’s the people who work there. It’s really community minded which isn’t what you expect and I love that.

THE PORT HOUSE
64A South William Street Tel: (01) 6770298, porthouse.ie
Champion of tapas, this cosy venue serves up genuine Spanish food and ambience and has three sister restaurants: The Port House Pintxo in Temple Bar, The Port House Ibericos in Dundrum (both of which have impressive outdoor areas) and The Port House Strand in London’s West End. Each outlet sources their produce and wines directly from Spain to ensure their authenticity. There’s a variety of port and sherries on the menu if you’re looking for an alternative aperitif or post dinner drink. The Port House have also been involved in a number of prestigious foodie festivals such as Taste of Dublin and World Tapas Day.

SPICE OF INDIA
6 South William Street Tel: (01) 6776873, spiceofindiad2.weebly.com
Mohammed Rahmad is the man behind this Indian eatery, serving authentic fare for over a decade. Spice of India blends the traditional and contemporary with a menu that stays true to the “ancient traditions and flavours of the subcontinent”. If you’re on a budget there are a number of special offers to choose from. For less than €50 enjoy a two course meal for two people including a bottle of house wine or Cobra beers. Shish kebab and chicken pakora are among the choices for starters, while main course offerings include: Shobnom - a mushroom dish prepared with fresh garlic and coriander and Chicken Balti – a fragrant tomato based curry. Their a la carte menu boasts an extensive list of dishes. House favourite, Lamb Adarak, is a zingy concoction of ginger, methi and fresh oriental spices. Pair it with a traditional peshwari naan or pilanu rice to enjoy the full taste experience.

ABODE
George’s Street Arcade Tel: (01) 6751800
This quirky shop is a great place to pick up an unusual and memorable gift. They stock everything from fish aquariums to DIY children’s toys to leather hip flasks. They even have their own line of alternative Irish magnets if you’re looking for an original Ireland themed present. Anyone going to Electric Picnic this year will be interested in their new range of Fatboy Lamzacs, an outdoor bean bag, perfect for festivals.

DYLAN BRADSHAW SALON
56 South William Street Tel: (01) 6719353, dylanbradshaw.com
This salon was opened by Dylan Bradshaw 16 years ago. Since then it’s scooped a number of exciting awards including Best Salon in Ireland and L’Oreal Colour Trophy Men’s Image Award. They’ve also expanded to cover make up and nail artistry as well as just hairdressing. Along with his dedicated team of stylists, Dylan was involved in the recent Get Blown Away campaign where the salon donated the price of blow-drys to the ISPCC.

DYLAN BRADSHAW ACADEMY
56 South William Street Tel: (01) 9030271, facebook.com/DylanBradshawAcademy
Recent winner of the L’Oreal Colour Trophy, the academy has a number of courses to choose from. Their full time diploma course is designed to equip novice hairdressers with all the necessary skills to work in the industry. Classes are small and focused with a mix of theory and practical based learning. There are also part time courses for hairdressers looking to enhance their technical abilities and build on their talent. Such courses include advanced colouring like balayage and strobing, cutting masterclasses and “trial to the aisle”- a class on the bridal industry.

DESIGNIST
68 South Great George’s Street Tel: (01) 475 8534, shop.designist.ie
Designist has been bringing colour, humour and design to George’s Street for just over five years now. Anne and Jennie, who run the store, have a carefully curated range of products – it has been called both the one-stop-shit-I-forgot-your-birthday shop and a toy box for grown-ups. Their criteria is that all products should be beautiful, useful and affordable, and the emphasis in the shop is on the story of the products; where it’s from, who made it and why. They stock a mix of Irish and international ranges, including notebooks from designer favourites Leuchtturm1917 and Google Cardboard virtual reality kits. For visiting dignitaries they’ve got Dublin themed prints from Me&Him&You and grandgrand’s clever aprons, mugs and teatowels and natural handmade skincare from Dublin Herbalists . If you’re looking for wedding presents they have lovely light boxes, so you can see your name in lights, and Barber & Osgerby’s elegant new Olio dining range for Royal Doulton. So you’re always sure to find the ideal gift, no matter what the occasion.

ARTICLE 22
Powerscourt Townhouse, South William Street Tel: (01) 679 9268, articledublin.com
One of the biggest and most interesting of the new breed of design/gift/craft shops in the city, Article is filled with hand-made homewares, design books and magazines, mid-century furniture and craft jewelery from around the world. The owner John is as helpful as he is nice, and there’s no better place to find a gift for that person who has everything.

GROGANS
15 South William Street Tel: (01) 677 9320, groganspub.ie
Grogans may be the least judgemental pub on the planet, welcoming all with open arms. This is in no small part thanks to the magnanimous nature of co-owner and shamanic barman Tommy Smith. The core crowd here are refugees from the arts and the walls provide an ad hoc gallery for their work, but on busy nights, when the drinkers spill out onto Castle Market, the diversity of characters is astonishing. Everyone from Patrick Kavanagh to JP Donleavy were regulars here, and the ham and cheese toasties are a Dublin culinary institution.

KAPH
31 Drury Street Tel: (01) 613 9030, kaph.ie
Kaph concentrates on what it does best: making great cups of coffee. There’s little in the way of food (or furniture) to distract you, just some of Dublin’s best baristas – although they do serve gluten-free brownies. The Coconut Milk Flat White is particularly nice, and they also do wonderful Matcha Tea Lattes, the perfect pick-me-up. The upstairs seating area is usually full, but the bench outside is a great place to people watch.

CLEMENT & PEKOE
50 South William Street Tel: (087) 637 0123, clementandpekoe.com
Located in the heart of South William Street, C&P has a few things going for it: a large seating area in the back with a variety of books and magazines, two benches out front where you can watch the beautiful people pass by, and of course, great coffee. Despite the plethora of cafes in the area, this place is always busy, and its regulars wouldn’t dream of going anywhere else. We can’t say we blame them.

P. MAC’S
30 Stephen Street Lower Tel: (01) 475 8578
Located at the edge of the area, P.Macs has gained a devoted set of regulars since it opened three years ago. Filled with board games, quirky decorations and a huge array of craft beer, it also has one of the more interesting musical policies in the city centre: expect to hear everything from Gill Scott Heron to TLC. The perfect place for a post-work tipple or a lazy Sunday afternoon session.

LUNA
Units 2-3 Drury Street Car Park, Dublin 2 Tel: (01) 679 90 09, supermisssue.com
Located downstairs from the equally irresistible Super Miss Sue and Cervi fish ‘n’ chipper, Luna is inspired by the Italian restaurants of 1950s America and rustles up a particularly tasty Rabbit Lasagne and Lobster Arrosto, Zucchini Violino, Vinaigrette di Pomodoro e Pesca (hands up who’s suddenly feeling hungry?). It’s no surprise that this place recently picked up not one, but two prestigious RAI Awards.