In the beginning there was a mixed feeling about all the Polish shops that were opening up around…read moreDublin. Maybe people felt threatened by these changes. Now it seems as though most people, locals and foreigners alike, have adopted Polski Sklep. This chain of shops that specializes in Polish food gets a lot of business from all kinds of people. In my opinion, it's one of the best places to buy bread, sausage, herbal tea and fruit juice. It's also fun to root around and discover foods that you might not be accustomed to. For example, the Polski Sklep on Talbot Street offers a great variety of biscuits and cakes. The sweets are very sugary and go nice with a cup of Barry's tea. Variety is the spice of life!

At this stage you can get Polish food even in Tesco, but there is no place you'll get more variety…read morethan in Polski Sklep. What I like most about these shops is that you can get a lot of continental food there, not just Polish specialities. You can usually find some German delicatessen as well and if you're really lucky they'll have Milka chocolate in stock! And best of all, most of their foods are a lot cheaper than anywhere else. The labels might look a bit funny, but most of the food in here is actually pretty normal staples such as bread, juice and soups. And surprisingly, they also have Sauerkraut...

Cute little new enough shop just on a corner on Capel St. I'm not very well qualified to talk about…read moreBrazilian shops, but it looks like it has a nice selection, even though it's tiny. I saw a sign outside for fresh churros which I haven't tried yet but you can get them delivered for a party or whatever which sounds pretty sweet. I also noticed that they have international money transfer services, so a bit of a one-stop shop I guess!

Thanks to well-stocked places like Alto Foods on Middle Abbey Street, I'm getting a definite taste…read morefor Eastern groceries. From lotions and deodorants or teen-pop magazines, to fresh herbs, fruits and pre-packed dinner items, there's plenty in here to generously stock a Filipino kitchen. On the downside the store is a bit cramped, and towards the back things can get awkward as you try to dance or dodge around other customers in the narrow back alcove. There's plenty of sweets, syrupy canned fruit juice and even sweeter tinned fruit to be had, plus instant chocolate oatmeal, flan mixes... and then there's Alto's wall of hot sauce. While I haven't worked up the bravery to try the bottle with the crying man with his tongue tied around the lettering (when turning it over a dark oil of what I can only think of as liquid Scoville), I'm getting there.

If like me you have a weakness for processed concentrated carbohydrates, you really should start…read moreshopping in Alto Food. If you like your noodles, you should jump on the buying noodles in 5 kilo blocks wagon. As well as noodles, Alto Food does stuff like speciality veg, fruit and that freaky dried fish stuff that people of the western world are terrified to try. So you may end up with horrendous back pain, but at least you won't need to buy rice for a few months.

This shop stocks lots of different Middle Eastern foods and spices. They've also got a Halal Meats…read moresection. However, what first drew me into the store was the produce section I saw out front. I crossed the street because something in particular caught my interest in the produce section. There was some sort of squash, pumpkiny vegetable was halved and sat basically rotting on the top of the produce (check it out in the pictures). Anyways, I ventured further into the shop and I saw even more produce that was either off or on its way out. I have to suggest if you're purchasing stuff in here stick to the prepackaged stuff unless you're looking for an overriped banana for some banana bread!

The staff in this shop are consistently extremely arrogant and unfriendly. I have been shopping…read morehere several times, and the man at the checkout in particular is one of the rudest members of staff I have ever encountered. He never says "thank you", "please" or even "goodbye", and his attitude is consistently unpleasant and dismissive. Today I wanted to buy some sunflower seeds, but there was no price displayed for the product. Under Irish consumer pricing regulations, the selling price of goods offered to consumers must be clearly displayed on or near the product. I asked a female member of staff how much the seeds cost. Instead of simply answering my question, she told me, in a very patronising and dismissive tone, "Go to the checkout, they will tell you there." Not even a "please" or any attempt to be helpful. This is not just about one interaction, it is the consistently rude and arrogant attitude of the staff. Basic politeness costs nothing. Customers should not be made to feel like they are bothering the staff simply by asking a perfectly reasonable question. Very disappointing customer service. I will be taking my business elsew

Not a great shop to go to if you wanna save money. Always look at the prices on the machine because…read morethey like to try double charging or more to see if they can rip you off. I was in there to get a carton of juice For 2 Euro and the price Came up on the machine as 5 Euro so I said He'll no And left. avoid this shop or any others with the same name.

If you like Mexican food AND enjoy cooking it yourself...look no further than Picado for you…read moreculinary needs. This place has all of those hard to find items like canned chipotle peppers in adobo, canned tomatillos, and of course homemade corn tortillas. The owners are so nice and can even provide a little recipe advice if you are indecisive! One tip though, make sure to call before you head their direction to confirm they are open!

Another shining beacon of all that is right about Dublin at the moment. Situated next to two closed…read moreand boarded up old shop fronts, but across from such funksters as the Bernard Shaw and Hang Tough, is Picado. Thoroughly modern, designed with clean lines, bright colours, and a distinct lack of the traditional Mexican decor we've come to expect, yet still just as inviting. Lily and her gang import everything sold in the shop directly from Mexico. Handpicked, thought through and tested for quality, this is the real deal. I got myself some Luchito honey and salsa with rare smoked Mexican chillies. My Lord. It's good. The honey also has chillies in it. It's ridiculous, I've gone through half a jar in two days. They also do small cooking classes in here which I've yet to try, but they could be anything from salsas to tomales to tortillas etc. If you're in the neighbourhood, make sure to call in. Lilly is only bleedin lovely to chat with, and if you're having a dinner party and want to be a bit smug about it, she'll sort you out with some serious ingredients and instructions for them too.

With hundreds of thousand Brazilians in Dublin right now, it makes sense that Brazilian food shops…read moreare popping up around the city. I discovered this one when I was wandering through Temple Bar. Down one of the side streets off of Dame Street, Quitanda is situated in a minuscule shopping centre. Because it overlooks the street, it's easy to spot. Besides selling packaged goods, drinks and pies, it also wires money to and from Brazil. It seems to be a hangout of sorts too. There were chairs setup in front on the counter and people were chatting in Portuguese.

After living in Brazil for 4 months and coming back to cold wet Ireland I was so happy to stumble…read moreupon this place. They have a lot of the stuff I fell in love with in Brazil, from Green Coconut Water to Pao de Queijo! Awesome! You can also get Acai here for much cheaper than you would in the health food stores around town. Also, lots of Brazilians use this place so it is a great way to practice you Portuguese and find out about the awesome Brazilian nights and parties happening all over the place!

Actually, it's called "Jadodajnia U Wujka", and although I can't pronounce it, I can appreciate how…read moretasty Uncle's food is! Operating in conjunction with the Polish book shop across the hall, and affiliated with the John Paul Foundation, this cafeteria is a local meeting place / diner / activity centre with hot and handmade dinners done properly. I'll be dropping in for a takeaway box of fresh pierogi and fried onions next time Himself wants to try something new. That, a side of their cabbage and some fresh kilbasa right out of the pan will be a serious treat.

A year ago, I went here with a Couchsurfing host. It was one of the best meals I've had in my…read morelife. I had two pierogis, a stuffed cabbage roll, and a beet salad. The pierogi was juicy, brothy on the inside, and meaty, with just the right amount of savoriness to make my mouth water. Same went for the cabbage roll. The thing that really stood out was the beet salad. It was so sweet that it was almost like a dessert! Like with all beet-based dishes, be sure to have plenty of napkins handy! I recommend this place to anyone looking for a place to eat in Dublin. This is as good as it gets.

Ambience. C Food. A…read moreService. A Price. A Let's just say I'm glad an oriental food shop and takeout eatery is next to the Luas line. Convenient shopping and bite to eat before heading home. I have to say I love that they have delicious crispy fatty roasted pork belly and moist crispy fragrant roast duck. Beware...the takeout food Only takes CASH. The grocery part you can tap a credit card. ***uodated. As of August 2020- they now take credit card...But prefer CAsh!*** Nice selections of dry goods as well as seafood , meats and v I'm a fan

I always like going to exotic food markets because I enjoy learning new things. And that's how I…read morediscovered the Oriental Emporium on Abbey Street. Well, that and I had 14 minutes to kill before the next Luas... Instead of wasting your money on a cheap takeaway, find the recipe of your favourite dish online (i.e. black bean rice) and go to the Emporium to get the ingredients. You can later spend the money that you saved on beer. Even if you're completely useless in the kitchen, you can still shop here. They have a new deli counter where I spotted a tasty roasted duck and on the other side of the shop, there's a fridge full of fizzy Korean drinks. Part of the fun is guessing what items are. Be adventurous and buy something different.

Polonia was if not the first then certainly one of the firse Eastern European food stores in the…read morecity, at the time of opening it was such a strange beast I dared not enter its doors but since then I have plucked up the courage and wandered to feast my eyes on the array of strange yet familiar products offered. The staff are great fun and usually have a smart comment for me about reading the array of newspapers from Poland, Latvia and Lithonia - none of which I can of course read. It doesn't matter, I do the same thing I do with the Irish Times... look at the pictures and fill in the crossword with bad words I learned when I was in skool

In this little shop you will find mainly eastern European products. There is several similar stores…read morelike them around the country. I usually just try out their breads.