Best of Dublin - My City - Mark Moriarty

What do you like best about Dublin?
I love the dry Dublin humour and wit you get from the older generations around town. I often find it in pubs around matchdays, particularly around Croke Park. It’s probably dying out a bit so worth appreciating now - get talking to people while you can and be inquisitive!

What do you think is the most iconic thing about modern Dublin?
Probably still our pub culture - it’s one of the most unique things about Dublin that cannot be replicated around the world. Having spent a lot of time abroad for work, it’s also the main thing people talk about when I mention Dublin.

Mark Moriarty

Where is your favourite place to eat?
This is always a hard one as it’s very much based on the occasion. How about this: for a special occasion, it’s Chapter One by Mickael Viljanen; for a casual dinner, it’s Host in Ranelagh or Oliveto in Dun Laoghaire; and for something very casual, it’s M&L Chinese off Marlborough Street.

Dublin’s best bar?
There’s a ridiculous amount to choose from… Kehoe’s Lounge in town or The Blue Light out of town.

Hodges & Figgis

What’s your favourite shop in Dublin?
Probably Hodges & Figgis bookstore on Dawson Street. I’ve been going there since I was a kid to look at the big chef books for hours - without buying them! It’s very cool to have my own book on the shelves there as well.

Where do you shop for clothes?
I’m very unfashionable if I’m being completely honest, and wouldn’t spend a huge amount of time thinking about clothing. My wife comes with me a few times a year to get a few pieces that I will invariably wear to death. I’m usually wearing Autograph collection clothes from M&S; Remus Uomo for sharper occasions; Le Nouveau Chef jackets and aprons in the kitchen; or golf clothes. I’m sorry - is that a terrible answer?!

Favourite Dublin Building?
I don’t have a particular building, but I like the red brick buildings that make up the corner of Fleet Street and Georges Street. I don’t know why they stand out, but walking through there feels like you’re walking through a neighbourhood in Brooklyn or somewhere - it’s full of energy.

Dublin music?
Thin Lizzy. Favourite Dublin neighbourhood? I love the walk from Dawson Street over to St Patrick’s Cathedral, taking in Drury Street, Wicklow Street and Georges Street, up Aungier Street and across.

Dublin hero?
Padraig Harrington – a true hero.

Killiney Hill

Your favourite spot in Dublin to catch some me-time?
I enjoy the summer months, running anywhere around Killiney Hill or Vico Road, and then having a swim at White Rock or on the beach. It’s so close to the city yet feels like a different world.

Favourite place to bring family and friends when they visit?
It’s usually a tour of all of our best restaurants and pubs - it’s a very long list that takes us to all corners of the city and county. For me, the best way to experience the culture of a city is through hospitality, getting a real sense of the pulse of a place. I’m proud to bring people around Dublin and the pulse is pretty strong right now.

• Mark’s new cookbook Seasons is out now and his podcast Roasted is available wherever you get your podcasts.
• Featured in Hot Press "Best of Dublin" available down below