Ask most Dubliners where this place is and they won’t have even heard of it. Chances are that they have even walked past it several times without even noticing it. But once it catches your eye, you won’t be looking away in a hurry.

A church has existed on the site since the 1100s and its present canonical Italianate facade dates back to the early 1700s, although it has since lost its tower and steeple. The interior is surrounded by galleries on three sides, dividing floor level into naves and aisles, but services only take place twice monthly (every second Sunday at 10:00) and opening hours aren’t always abided by so interior viewing isn’t guaranteed.

Despite the fact that it seems to have fallen slightly into disrepair, St. Werburgh’s church is a charming find, only a stone’s throw from Christchurch Cathedral and offers a pleasant foil to it’s more grandiose but tourist-crowded neighbor.

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St. Werburgh’s Church | Art & culture
St. Werburgh Street | South city centre
Mon – Fri 10:00 – 16:00

The heartbeat of that lively artery that is George’s street arcade (check the George’s Street Arcade article) Simon’s Place is a firm favourite of many Dubliners for more reasons than one.

Whether you enjoy scanning the walls lined with posters for upcoming events, laying into a hearty wholemeal sandwich, lingering over a coffee at communal wooden tables or simply watching the world go by on a window stool, Place de Simon is an endearingly unkempt, relaxingly welcoming spot that’s not short of personality.

It’s been around for as long as I can remember, and despite earning cult status for its starring role in Glen Hansard’s Oscar-winning movie Once, it has managed to keep its character. Prices are favourable, staff are lovely but lunchtimes are busy so I recommend mid-morning or late afternoon for savouring one of Simon’s famously scrumptious cinnamon rolls or slices of gooey carrot cake with a mug of coffee.

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Simon’s Place | Coffee & tea, Relaxing, Snacks | Coffee € 2.00
22 George’s Street Arcade | South city centre | +35316797821
Mon – Sat 08:30 – 17:15

Should you find yourself extremely hungry and on a low budget in Dublin, Govinda’s is a great option. This is casual, vegetarian comfort food at its best, provided a soundtrack of Hare Krishna chanting doesn’t bother you too much.

A ‘small’ plate costs € 6.95 and makes for a substantial dinner, yet alone lunch. Friendly staff pile plates high with whatever assortment of India-meets-European dishes (subji, panir, moussaka, shepherd’s pie) takes your fancy. The relaxed canteen-style set up attracts a varied clientele, from business men to families to students.

Other options include buttery soup with slabs of home-made wholemeal bread, tasty samosas and a variety of fresh salads. On the sweeter side, Govinda’s do a wide range of milkshakes, juices, teas, sodas and speciality smoothie; lassi. Deserts are a mixed affair but for an unusual treat, try the laddhu.

There are other branches on Abbey Street and Merrion Row, see the website for details.

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Govinda’s | Coffee & tea, Snacks, Restaurants (Vegetarian) | Large dishes € 11.00
4 Aungier Street | South city centre | +35314750309
Mon – Sat 12:00 – 21:00

Dublin City Gallery the Hugh Lane, to give it its full, cumbersome title, is located in a beautiful old town house worthy of a visit in its own right. This, combined with the quality of the exhibits, make it the one truly must-see public gallery in the city.

The permanent collection includes many of the most prominent Irish artists of the 20th century, such as William Orpen, Roderick O’Connor, Louis Le Brocquy and Jack B Yeats. Also featured are works by the man often cited as Ireland’s greatest living painter, Sean Scully.

The jewel in the crown, though, is a remarkable reconstruction of Francis Bacon‘s studio at 7 Reece Mews, South Kensington, where he lived and worked from 1961 until his death in 1992. It was donated to the Hugh Lane by Bacon’s former partner, John Edwards, in 1998. “I work much better in chaos,” Bacon once said, and this is reflected in the 7,000-plus seperate items recovered from the small studio and transported to Dublin.

Out of the chaos emerged some of the greatest figurative paintings of the 20th century, and this faithful reconstruction offers a fascinating insight into the artist’s mind.

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The Hugh Lane Gallery | Art & culture
Parnell Square North | North city centre | +35312225550
Tue – Thu 10:00 – 18:00, Fri – Sat 10:00 – 17:00, Sun 11:00 – 17:00

Ask a member of Dublin’s chattering classes to name their favourite “secret spot” in the city, and there’s a fair chance the response will be the Iveagh Gardens. It has become this almost mythical place that nobody is supposed to know about, yet everybody does.

Nevertheless, it remains true that, thanks to its concealed location behind the National Concert Hall, this wonderful park attracts nothing like the crowds of nearby St Stephen’s Green.

The gardens combine traditional English landscaping with formal features like statues, fountains, rockeries and a rose garden. The real beauty of the place, however, is the feeling of quiet seclusion.

If you fancy reading a book, having a nap or just whiling away a few hours on a sunny day in Dublin, this is a much more attractive option than jostling for space in St Stephen’s Green.

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Iveagh Gardens | Art & culture, Relaxing | Free
Clonmel Street | South city centre | +353114757816
Mon – Sat 08:00, Sun 10:00 | Closes Dec – Jan 15:30, Feb & Nov 16:00, Mar – Oct 18:00

Following closure for much of 2011 for renovations, I’m glad to report that one of my favourite old Dublin haunts is back up and running.

For years one of the most defiantly staid and traditional of Dublin watering holes, the place has of late been displaying a Bowie-esque capacity for reinvention.

When I first started coming here in the 1990s, it was a charmingly kitsch, ’70s-style bar that catered to one-old-man-and-his-dog and seemed on the verge of extinction. Then one of the sons took over the running of the place a few years back – out went the battered old carpet and some of the more naff elements of the decor, in came tasteful candlelight and wooden floors.

Now he has gone down the full makeover route. The result is all very tasteful, with its exposed brickwork and dark wooden panelling, if rather unoriginal. Personally I preferred the place the way it used to be, but I don’t have to earn a living out of it. Credit, too, for remaining one of the few Dublin pubs not to install a television.

The real point of Kennedy’s in its present incarnation, however, is the music. The guy has seriously good taste, and plays some wonderfully obscure stuff. Coming here can be a real musical education.

The new look may be more generic, but this place is still unique.

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J. Kennedy’s Bar | Bars, Music
10 George’s Quay | South city centre | +35316770626
Sun – Thu 12:00 – 23:30, Fri – Sat 12:00 – 00:30

For several years virtually unchallenged as the coolest bar in Dublin, my once-beloved Dice Bar has started to show its age and get a bit stale around the edges, as reflected in the clientele – too many middle-aged blokes in rugby jerseys.

The music has become increasingly mainstream, repetitive and dull, with the same old crowd-pleasing sets week after week. Nevertheless, the Dice Bar is still a million miles better than the average music bar you will find in the city centre.

Furthermore, there are times when some raucous leaping about to rock ‘n roll and indie classics is just what the doctor ordered, and this place can still be great craic on a night out. And there’s still the legendary Tiny James (big bloke with big hair, you can’t miss him). If there’s a cooler doorman/bouncer/whatever in the world, I want to meet him.

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The Dice Bar | Bars, Music
79 Queen Street, Smithfield | North city centre | +35316333936
Mon – Thu 16:00 – 00:00, Fri 16:00 – 01:00, Sat 17:00 – 01:00, Sun 17:00 – 23:30

One of my favourite spots in Dublin to grab lunch or a quick snack, The Bakery is tucked away in the quieter, more sophisticated corner of Temple Bar, near Christchurch.

It seems to attract large numbers of Spanish, Italian and other visitors at lunch-times as it is a popular stop-off point with the local tour guides.

As you walk in, you can see the ever-friendly and efficient staff in the background baking the fresh loaves of bread and delicious array of cakes, pastries, quiches, vol-a-vents and sausage rolls on offer. Soups and sandwiches are also available.

Seating inside is very limited, but there is a nice seating area on the opposite side of the street if the weather permits.

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The Bakery | Coffee & tea, Snacks | Soup & sandwich € 7.00
Pudding Row, 3 Essex Street West | South city centre
Mon – Fri 07:00 – 05.00, Sat 08:00 – 04:00

One of my favourite pastimes is going to the cinema. Another is going for a relaxing drink in a bar with friends. Wouldn’t it be nice, therefore, if you could combine the two? Well, there are now plenty of places in Dublin where you can, but my favourite is the Odeon Movie Club on Thursday nights.

Considered the height of trendiness and sophistication about a decade ago, the Odeon is now having to innovate to survive in tougher times. Hence the movie club. A decent-sized screen has been installed at one end of the bar, and an area is sectioned off behind heavy red curtains. The programme features classic movies based around a different theme each month.

Big, comfortable chairs, tables and candlelight create a kind of supper club effect, with a full waiter service throughout. There is no cover charge, so the bar makes its money on the food and drinks.

Unfortunately, going to a bar and going to the cinema do not quite make a perfect marriage. The constant movement of floor staff bringing food and drinks, and the clanking of glasses in the background, is somewhat distracting. If the movie is sufficiently absorbing, however, you do manage to blank this out after a while, and the films featured here almost invariably are good.

Any time I’ve been to the movie club, most if not all of the tables have been occupied, so booking ahead is advisable. Check out the website below for details of upcoming films.

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The Odeon Movie Club | Bars, Cinemas, Snacks | Free
Harcourt Street Station | South city centre | +35314782088
Thu from 20:00

Built in 1824, St Stephen’s Anglican Church is referred to locally as “the Pepper Canister,” owing to its pepper pot-shaped cupola, which has recently undergone restoration. This dome, together with the Georgian neo-classical facade on its Western side, make the church one of the city’s most distinctive historical sights in its own right.

What really impresses me, however, is how beautifully it fits in with its surroundings. The view of the church from Merrion Square, via the Georgian magnificence of Upper Mount Street, is one of the most arresting images in the city.

Should you wish to see the more modest inside of the church also, services take place at 1:00 every Sunday. There are also seperate visiting hours, and regular programmes of classical recitals, details of which can be obtained from the website below.

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Peppercanister Church | Art & culture
Mount Street Cresent | South city centre
24 hours daily