The street we all fought to pedestrianise in the aftermath of the pandemic has been named the “22nd Best Street in the World” by Time Out magazine.

Capel Street is one of Dublin’s most historically significant streets. Typically, it doesn’t appear in tourist guides as much as O’Connell Street or Grafton Street, but it’s always been one Dubliners love.

Time Magazine said, “It might be tough to spot Dublin’s coolest street right off the bat, but spend a bit of time here, and you’ll discover that the buzz on Capel Street is like no other in the city”.

They rightly describe it as home to “some of the best food in Dublin”. The piece written by Éadaoin Fitzmaurice covers the diversity of Capel Street through it’s food offerings; “a steamy bowl of authentic pho, a lively Moroccan restaurant with karaoke from noon to night, or brunch at the super-popular Brother Hubbard” but neglects to mention the hemp shop or many sex shops.

Its top picks for where to eat and drink were on the money, recommending the secret restaurant White Rabbit. This go-to for the initiated is hidden between the aisles at the back of the Super Asia Foods supermarket. It is where you go for master level Asian street food.

Drinks-wise, they led with a personal favourite 1661: Ireland’s first poitín bar. This place was named as Ireland’s best cocktail joint in 2019 and Bar of the Year last week. Of course, no international run down of Capel Street would miss Pantibar: the LGBTQ+ mainstay run by the eponymous Panti. 

To be fair, since Capel Street went pedestrianised, it’s been on an upswing. But, it has a lot of issues this article doesn’t address. Like Hitchcock-level seagulls and too few bins.

Elsewhere on CHAR: The Enduring Appeal of a Burger and Chips