Fish and chips by Clontarf’s waterfront
In Clontarf, the most local way to eat seafood is not necessarily at a white-tablecloth restaurant. It is a paper-wrapped portion of fish and chips, still hot enough to steam up the bag, carried from the village towards the water. Salt, vinegar, a little tartare sauce if you want it: simple food, but it makes sense here, with Dublin Bay opening up just beyond Clontarf Road. Start around Vernon Avenue, where you will find casual takeaways, cafés and neighbourhood food shops rather than a tourist-focused dining strip. Look for a traditional chipper or seafood takeaway and order cod or haddock with chips. The useful detail is timing: go in the early evening, when locals are picking up dinner after work or before a walk, and eat it fresh rather than saving it for later. From there, walk down towards the promenade and follow the seafront in the direction of the Bull Wall. The air can be sharp, and gulls will immediately understand what is in your bag, so a bench slightly back from the railings is often a better move. On clear days, the view reaches across the bay towards Howth; on greyer ones, the ritual still works, with waves, cyclists and dog walkers passing by. For a sweeter finish, look for a nearby café or ice-cream counter back around the village, but do not overcomplicate the main event. Clontarf’s food habit is really about takeaway fish and chips meeting a waterfront walk. It is worth a short detour before sunset.
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