You swiped right? They swiped right!? Just after a heavy night out and can’t even consider touching a drop of the sauce ever again in your life? No worries, Sinéad Slattery’s sorted some top picks for no-drink-dates. The only thing you’ll be thirsting for after these, aside from each other of course, will be a pint of water. Good luck!
Tea Garden
Located on the quays, Tea Garden is a perfect date location. You walk through the doors and go downstairs feeling like you’re going into Aladdin’s Cave. The tea rooms are divided into sections, so you have your own little chill out space on the floor where you sit on cushions. You can choose from a wide selection of teas and Shisha to share (no need to panic over what to get – the staff are lovely and eager to help you out) They even have board games if the conversation is a bit lacking!
Accents
Don’t go to your standard big-brand café. Perfect for an evening rendezvous where you don’t feel like drinking, Accents is open until 11pm Monday to Saturday and until 10pm on Sunday. There are loads of comfortable seats and couches and the coffee is first class. There is often spoken-word and comedy nights on so check out their Facebook page for more information.
The Zoo
Head straight out the main gate and grab the first 46a you see up to Phoenix Park and have a stroll around far enough and you’ll come across Dublin Zoo. Bring some food with you (the zoo’s restaurant’s are notoriously high in price) and have a picnic. Bring a camera and capture some memories!
Greystones
Get the DART to Greystones (or walk from Bray if you’re up for it!) and make your way to The Happy Pear. A vegetarian / vegan restaurant ran by David and Stephen Flynn, both the coffee and the food are worth waiting for – as you’ll see there are normally massive weekend queues, so this is definitely a place to go if you have a half day during the week. They also have a fantastic health-food store, so you can stock up after being converted to healthy eating.
Science Gallery at Trinity
With free entry into their main exhibits, this is a no-brainer. Full of interesting, quirky and ever-changing displays, this is a conversation starter for sure.
Dún Laoghaire Day
There’s a fabulous market in Dún Laoghaire in the People’s Park every Sunday. Try food from around the world and then head to Scrumdiddly’s for dessert. It’s well-priced for the amount of ice-cream and toppings that you get and their new Creme Egg Pot looks unreal. Finish off by going for a stroll down the pier.
