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Best supermarkets in Dublin: Where to go grocery shopping?

If you need to do your shopping in Ireland's capital, here's a guide to the 5 best supermarkets in Dublin. Check them out!

In Ireland’s capital, the cost of living stays much higher than in other cities in the country, and this difference also affects food prices. Because of that, you should know the different types of supermarkets in Dublin where you can shop. If you’re visiting for a few days or you’ve just moved for a while, this guide will help you a lot.

Learn where you should do a daily shop or a bigger weekly shop, discover which shops offer the best deals, where to find international products, and where to buy fresh food. We’ll explain the pros and cons of the main supermarkets in Dublin, so get your shopping trolley ready.

In this article

What Types Of Shops Are There In Dublin?

Every year, thousands of digital nomads, freelancers, English students and tourists settle in this city and they soon notice how the high cost of living affects their monthly budget. Therefore, we want to show you the types of supermarkets in Dublin, so you can choose well. What you need to buy will decide the shop you choose. Sometimes you’ll want a large store, a smaller local shop, or one that opens late for emergencies. Here are the main options:

Hypermarkets: These large supermarkets usually sit outside the centre or in residential areas. They work well for a full weekly shop with fresh food, cleaning products, toiletries and more. Examples: Tesco Extra, Dunnes Stores.
Supermarkets: These mid sized shops spread across the city and you’ll find one in every neighbourhood. They feel very handy for regular grocery shopping and basic household products. Examples: SuperValu, Lidl, Aldi.
Convenience Stores: These small shops sit on main streets and in central neighbourhoods. You can do a quick shop here for drinks or last minute items. Examples: Spar, Centra, Mace.
Traditional Markets: You can buy fresh, artisan and local products here, such as fruit, vegetables, bread, cheese and meat. You can visit Moore Street Market.
Neighbourhood Shops: These small, independent businesses normally stay family run and sell fruit, vegetables and international products.

The Most Popular Supermarkets In Dublin

We’ll start our tour of the best supermarkets in Dublin now and, for this guide, we’ve selected some hypermarkets for big shops and supermarkets for daily groceries, central markets for fresh products and neighbourhood shops for gourmet items. We’ll explain what each one sells, its opening hours, its locations and the main advantages.

1. Tesco

Tesco ranks among the most important and best known supermarkets in Dublin, Ireland and the UK since 1997, and it now uses different formats: Tesco Extra offers large hypermarkets in residential areas. Tesco Metro runs medium sized city shops, and Tesco Express covers small convenience stores. It currently runs almost 80 shops across the city. Most open from 7:00 AM to 10:00 PM, Monday to Sunday, depending on the location.

Here you can choose from a wide range of products, including international brands and Tesco’s own label, which usually offers cheaper prices. Here are some examples of basic products:

Milk (1 L): $2.57 (€2.19)
Baguette bread (3 loaves): $1.75 (€1.49)
Eggs (6 units): $2.45 (€2.09)
Chicken breast (285 g): $4.52 (€3.85)

Pros	Cons
Affordable own-brand ranges	Slightly higher prices than other supermarkets such as Lidl
Longer opening hours	Very crowded
Mid range prices

Advantages and disadvantages of Tesco.

Areas of Dublin where you can do your shopping. Source: Shutterstock.

2. SuperValu

SuperValu is another very well known supermarket in Dublin, an Irish chain popular with residents that has sold fresh, local products for more than 30 years. These medium sized shops sit in almost every neighbourhood, with more than 35 in the capital, and they usually open from 7:00 AM to 10:00 PM, Monday to Sunday.

This chain stands out because it sells food from around 300 local producers, and it supports their business growth through its own academy. You’ll find fruit, vegetables, meat, drinks, personal care products, beauty items and pet products here, with prices like these:

Milk (1 L): $1.47 (€1.25)
Sliced bread (800 g): $3.04 (€2.59)
Eggs (6 units): $2.99 (€2.55)
Bananas (1 kg): $1.82 (€1.55)

Pros	Cons
Local producers	Higher prices than some other supermarkets
Good value for money	Less choice in international brands
Discounts on your first shop	Smaller stock than in hypermarkets

Advantages and disadvantages of SuperValu.

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3. Spar

Spar is a major supermarket chain in Dublin and many workers and students use it every day, since it has a section for prepared food and staff can even make your sandwich to order from $3.50 (€2.99). It offers more than 100 shops around the city and they open from Monday to Sunday in long hours from 6:00 AM to 10:00 PM, and some even open 24 hours.

Prices don’t feel as cheap as in some other supermarkets. However, the convenient locations in central and residential areas, together with a schedule designed for people who start work early, make it a very popular store for residents and visitors. Here are some of their offers:

1 jar of tomato sauce: $1.47 (€1.25)
4 bread rolls: $3.52 (€3.00)
2 bags of apples: $4.70 (€4.00)

Pros	Cons
Long opening hours from 6:00 AM	Prices slightly higher than in other supermarkets
Prepared meals	Smaller stock than in hypermarkets
Wide coverage across the city	No gourmet products

Advantages and disadvantages of Spar.

4. Moore Street Market, Street Market

This famous street market sits in the city centre, close to Henry Street, and it counts as the most famous street market in Dublin. You’ll find stalls with fruit, vegetables, spices, international products, crafts and flowers at good prices. Many items start from $2.35 (€2.00) per kilo, including apples, oranges and tomatoes.

Besides the supermarkets in Dublin, you can also choose to shop in this market on some days, where you enjoy a very multicultural and colourful atmosphere. However, opening hours stay quite limited, because stalls only open from Wednesday to Saturday from 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM.

Pros	Cons
Low prices	Only basic products
International atmosphere	Very crowded
Good quality fruit	Short opening hours

Advantages and disadvantages of Moore Street Market.

Products you can find at Dublin’s Moore Street Market street market. Source: Shutterstock.

5. Donnybrook Fair, Gourmet Shop

This shop started as a grocery store in the Donnybrook neighbourhood in the south of Dublin and people now recognise it as an important gourmet products chain. You’ll find branches in the original neighbourhood and in Dundrum, Stillorgan and Blackrock. They usually open from 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM, Monday to Sunday.

Prices stay higher than in a conventional supermarket, but you’ll find high quality international products with vegan and gluten free options. They also sell prepared boxes with a selection of gourmet dishes from $69 (€59) , including lasagne, pies, crumble and pasta.

Pros	Cons
Exclusive gourmet products	High prices
International brands	Best for occasional treats
Prepared dishes by well known chefs	Fewer shops across the city

Advantages and disadvantages of Donnybrook Fair.

Other Important Shops And Stores In Dublin

Now you already know some of the main supermarkets in Dublin for your regular shopping, so let’s explore other types of shops that help you renew your clothing, appliances or homeware. We’ve picked three stores that residents and newcomers living in the Irish capital know very well.

Dunnes Stores, Fashion And Home

This Irish chain of clothing and homeware shops started 80 years ago in the country and now has more than 20 shops across the capital, including a popular store on George’s Street. Here you can buy clothing, lingerie, shoes and home decor products during long hours from 7:00 AM to 9:00 PM, Monday to Sunday. Prices stay quite affordable, for example jeans start from $35 (€30) , coats from €30 ($35), and boots from $29 (€25).

Pros	Cons
Several shops around the centre	Mostly casual style clothing
Fashion for the whole family	Higher prices for some Irish brands
Affordable rates

Advantages and disadvantages of Dunnes Stores.

Penneys, Budget Clothing

Penneys is the Irish name for Primark, which started in Dublin in 1969 and became famous for its very low prices. The best known store sits on O’Connell Street in the heart of Dublin, and it opens from 9:00 AM to 8:00 PM, Monday to Sunday. If you need a big clothing shop and want to refresh your whole wardrobe, you’ll save a lot of money here, with jeans from $16 (€14) or jackets from $25 (€22).

Pros	Cons
Very low prices	Average quality
Wide range of clothing	Very crowded
Several shops across the city

Advantages and disadvantages of Penneys.

IKEA, Everything For The Home

If you need to furnish your new place in Dublin, this store helps you save money. IKEA is a Swedish furniture and decor chain that offers simple, practical and functional designs with affordable prices, such as a two seater sofa from $522 (€445) or glasses from $1.17 (€1.00). You’ll only find one store in the north of the capital, in Ballymun, and it opens from 10:00 AM to 9:00 PM, Monday to Sunday.

Pros	Cons
Huge range of furniture	Only one store in Dublin
Low prices	Location far from the centre
Restaurant inside the store	Customers assemble most furniture themselves

Advantages and disadvantages of IKEA.