What food events are happening in Dublin, and how to find them

The quickest way to find out what food events are happening in Dublin is to follow the places you like, because most supper clubs, tastings and one-off nights are announced by the place itself and sell out before they reach any listing. On Mosey, places sell tickets for their events, offers and food trails, and followers hear about them first. For the big festivals, the city's official tourism and events channels are still the best source.

What kinds of food events happen in Dublin?

Far more than the big festivals that get the headlines. Most of the best food nights in the city are small, put on by one kitchen:

• Supper clubs, where a chef cooks what they actually want to cook, for everyone at once
• Tastings of wine, cheese, coffee, whiskey or beer, often with the producer in the room
• Collaborations and takeovers, when two kitchens cook together for a night
• Launches, of a new menu, a new place or a new season
• Quiz nights and themed evenings that have run for years and fill up with regulars
• Cookery classes and courses, from a pasta evening to a barista course
• Food trails, one ticket covering several places in an afternoon
• Pop-ups and food trucks appearing at markets and events

These are the things that never reach you by chance, because a place with a kitchen to run is not also a marketing department.

Where are Dublin food events announced?

There is no single calendar that has everything, so it helps to know where each kind of event shows up.

• The place itself. The large majority of small events are announced by the venue: its own social channels, its newsletter, a sign at the counter. If you love a place, this is where its best nights appear first.
• Following places on Mosey. When you follow a place, it can tell you about events, offers and trails it puts on, and it is often the only way to catch the free events that go in hours.
• Official tourism and city channels. The big festivals and city-wide food weekends are announced well in advance and listed widely.
• Producers and markets. Cheesemakers, wine importers, bakers and roasters run tastings and talks, and markets often host trucks and stalls on particular days.
• Word of mouth. Still the best source for the small, sought-after nights. People who eat out constantly tend to know first.

How do event tickets work on Mosey?

When a place sells an event through Mosey, you buy a ticket, the place knows how many people are coming, and the night actually happens. That last part matters: plenty of good ideas never run because a small kitchen cannot risk shopping for forty people who said they might come.

• Free events have tickets too, so the place knows numbers and you know there is room.
• On the night, you tap your phone on the tag at the door or read out your code. Where a place has switched on self check-in, you can check yourself in from about an hour before it starts.
• If it is cancelled, you are told and refunded.
• Some events are for members only, where a place runs a membership. They are usually capped, and often the best ones.

See more about events on Mosey.

How do I get into an event that has sold out?

Join the waitlist. Somebody nearly always drops out, and a place would much rather give the seat to someone on a list than leave it empty. That is how most people get into the events that go in an afternoon.

A few other habits help:

• Follow before the announcement, not after. By the time an event is being shared around, it is often gone.
• Be flexible on the night. Midweek events are usually easier to get into than Fridays and Saturdays.
• Go alone or as two. A single seat or a pair is much easier to fill from a waitlist than a table of six.

Events and offers are not the same thing

An event is a specific night: be somewhere at eight on a particular date. An offer is something you buy now and use within a window, such as a set menu valid on certain weekday evenings. Places use offers to fill the quiet parts of the week, which is why the value is often better than anything you will see on a Friday.

If you want a good meal but cannot commit to a date, an offer is usually the better buy.

What to check before you buy a ticket

1. What is included. Food, drinks, a pairing, a take-home? Make sure you know what the price covers.
2. Dietary needs. At a supper club, everyone eats the same thing. Ask before you buy, not on the night.
3. The refund policy. An event on a set date is not covered by the 14-day change-of-mind right that applies to things like vouchers, the same as a concert or a flight. The place's own policy applies, and you see it before you pay.
4. The kitchen's form. Look at the place's ratings and the photographs diners took of its food. A place that cooks well on a normal night is a safe bet for a special one.
5. Getting home. Late finishes and city-centre transport do not always line up, so plan the journey back.

Planning around the Dublin calendar

Food events follow the seasons. Expect more outdoor events, markets and trucks in summer, more tastings and set menus in the darker months, and a rush of Christmas parties and festive menus that book out early. January and the quieter weeks of the year are when many places run offers to fill tables, which can be the best value of the year.

If you want to learn rather than just eat, look at courses taught by people who cook for a living. If you are organising a night for a group rather than buying a ticket, the guide to planning a group celebration in Dublin covers booking for a crowd. For everyday eating, the Dublin page shows what people have rated across the city.

Try it on Mosey

Follow the five Dublin places whose food you like most. The next time one of them puts on a supper club or a tasting, you will hear about it before it sells out.