Lovin Dublin City Spotlight – Howth

Our City Spotlight series sees us checking out different parts of Dublin every week. Howth was one of the places we really wanted to cover before the summer ends, as it is one of the best places to be in Dublin when the sun shines. From walking the coast to eating fresh fish in one of the many beautiful seaside restaurants, it's a place we associate we summer time. What we love about Howth is that it's just a 30 minute drive from the city centre, but you feel like you're a million miles away. As well as the obvious things to do like walk the coastal walk and follow it with a plate of seafood tapas from Octopussy, Howth also had a few random, hidden gems to explore....

• Octopussy is a hands down favourite known and loved for their fresh seafood tapas. All their fish is supplied fresh every day from their fish shop next door, you can't get any fresher than that.
• Il Panorama Cafe is a gorgeous little italian style cafe that is perfect for lunch. Their pizzas are loved locally and their coffees and pastries make it a lovely spot to relax for half an hour when elevenses call.
• The Oar House is a local treasure that sells fish fresh off the local trawlers every day. We love this place for hearty but delicious seafood dishes.
• If you're hanging for a glass of cold white wine and a plate of seafood tapas then you need to head to the Brass Monkey
• For a pint with the best view in Howth overlooking the harbour, The Summit Inn is where you need to go.
• The Dog House Blue Tea Rooms is the perfect spot to chill out with friends over a bite to eat, they've a lovely outdoor seating area that is perfect for a relaxed bite. It's known for it's friendly and chilled out atmosphere, and if you don't feel like seafood they have a wide selection of wood fired pizzas.
• If italian food is your thing then check out Casa Pasta, they have a wide menu of italian style dishes which are all reasonably priced.
• We're always happy to have an aimless, leisurely wander around the village and pier.
• If you're heading to Howth for the day you really should go for a walk around Howth Head and take in the Cliff Walk View. The views are incredible and it's a good way to work up an appetite.
• I love visiting farmers markets at the weekends and stocking up on goodies for the week, Howth Farmers Market doesn't disappoint in this regard and is well worth a visit to browse the local offerings.
• Well I did say there were a few less obvious places in Howth that are worth a visit, top of the 'random but really interesting' list is the Hurdy Gurdy Museum Of Vintage Radio. Located in the Martello Tower in Howth, it is dedicated to all kinds of vintage radio.
• The National Transport Museum is also located in Howth. If you have any interest in vintage vehicles it's well worth a visit with their oldest vehicle dating back to 1883.

While those are our favourite spots in Dublin to explore, we want to know if there are any must try places that you love in Howth that we have left out. Just let us know in the comments box below.

All photographs taken by Derek Kennedy.