Best of Dublin - My City - Steve Flynn

What do you like best about Dublin?
The familiarity of it, in that it’s a big city but it feels small. I love that there is also a bit of grit and a roughness to certain parts of it. We used to go to Smithfield Fruit Market every morning for years, driving in, in our little red van, watching the city awaken. This part of the city will always have a special place in our hearts, with the buzz of forklifts spinning, farmers dropping in produce and people shouting. Even at 6am, it was bursting with life and the potential for the day ahead. Grafton Street and Trinity College are also favourite spots of mine.

What do you think is the most iconic thing about modern Dublin?
How multicultural and diverse the city has become. Growing up, I remember having pasta for the first time when we were around 10, and being taken out to an Indian restaurant for our brother Mark’s 12th birthday, and thinking this is the strangest food we’ve ever eaten! Now the city is filled with a wonderful diversity of restaurants that simply wasn’t there 20 years ao. Where is your favourite place to eat? We tend to love picnics, so probably my favourite way to eat in the city is to go to Evergreen grocers on Wexford Street, a great fruit and veg shop. It’s run by a friend, Damien, who took us under his wing and helped us learn the art of buying and navigating Dublin Fruit Market back in the day.

Dublin’s best bar?
We haven’t drank alcohol in over 20 years now, so we’re both a little out of touch with the pub scene, but when we used to go to pubs, Café en Seine was always a treat. It seemed so opulent and like something out of a fairytale!

What’s your favourite shop in Dublin?
The Dublin Fruit Market was always my favourite spot, I loved the hustle and bustle and the atmosphere of people coming together to get the best food they could. It’s now closed down, so I would say Moore Street is the one place where there is still that market feel.

Where do you shop for clothes?
Neither of us are that fashionable or stylish, but friends have a great vintage shop in Bray called Finders Keepers. I love going there with my daughter to have a rummage – there are always lots of unique one-off treasures that you won’t get anywhere else.

Favourite Dublin building?
It has to be the old Smithfield Market or the George’s Street Arcade. Both buildings have these wonderful ornate entrances that give the feeling of history.

Your Dublin music?
I still love the grit and rawness of Glen Hansard. I always admire his ability to stand up for what he believes in and to use art to share his message.

Your Dublin hero?
My parents. Dad is from Clontarf and Mom is from Churchtown. They both went to UCD and emigrated to Canada, as there was little work when they graduated. We were born in Calgary and six months after our birth, they took us home to be raised in Ireland.

What is your most loved spot in Dublin to catch some me-time?
If I’m with my kids, I love Merrion Square Park. There’s a great playground and it feels like a respite from the bustling city. I also love the area of Drury Street, Wicklow Street and Exchequer Street.

Where is your favourite place to bring friends/family when they visit Dublin?
When the weather is good, going for a swim in Vico Road off the rocks at Hawk Cliff. It’s set in such a beautiful location – the walk down over the train tracks to the bathing spot feels like something in a fairytale.

• The Happy Pear 20 by David and Stephen Flynn is out now via Gill Books.
• Featured in Hot Press "Best of Dublin" available down below