City shopping slickers

Christmas shopping doesn't have to be torture when you know your city centre inside-out. So where are the best places to fuel up, safely leave the children, and reward yourself for your hard work? Here is our guide to . . . Dublin, writes ROSEMARY Mac CABE

PERFECT START

Any day’s shopping needs to start off with a good feed. Avoca on Suffolk Street has a great brunch menu, and a bright, open eating area. Odessa on Dame Court is also a good option (try the eggs Benedict) and, north of the Liffey, Lemon Jelly in the Italian Quarter does a selection of savoury and sweet crepes.

SHORT STOPS

Think, early on, about your lunch options. Stock up at breakfast time and consider the afternoon slump the perfect opportunity to grab a quick bite. If you’re straddling both sides of the Liffey, stop halfway at Café Irie in Temple Bar for a delicious sandwich or wrap – then head into Urban Outfitters to have a gander at a selection of kooky, quirky gift options. On the south side, try Lemon on Dawson Street and South William Street for a coffee and tasty BLT, or a pancake. Try some Japanese specialities in Yamamori on the north quays at the Ha’penny Bridge, and on South Great George’s Street.

SNEAKY HALFS

For a quick pick-me-up, think caffeine and alcoholic refreshments of the warming, winter variety. Fixx on Dawson Street is the newest hip cafe – but if you want to venture slightly off the beaten coffee path, try the Bald Barista on Aungier Street, a short hop from Stephen’s Green, where Buzz will give you a coffee that’s akin to a work of art. If that’s too much of a jaunt, take a trip to Lolly Cooks in the George’s Street Arcade – just don’t let the kids see the delicious cupcakes.

If coffee’s not quite strong enough to sate your thirst, Hogan’s on South Great George’s Street does a great hot whiskey, as does the Library Bar in the Central Hotel on Exchequer Street, and Kehoe’s on South Anne Street.

GIFT WRAPPING

The general rule of thumb is, the more expensive the item, the more likely the store is to provide a free gift wrapping service. Cosmetics counters are usually a good bet, and places such as The Body Shop, Kiehl’s on Wicklow Street and L’Occitane (also on Wicklow Street) will do you up an attractive-looking parcel. Many larger department stores offer a gift wrapping service, but they will charge for it – so rather than waste time queuing, nip into the Daintree paper shop on Camden Street and buy some good old-fashioned coloured paper.

A NICE SIT DOWN

If you find yourself getting a little footsore but aren’t in the mood to grab a bite, think big and head to one of the department stores or shopping centres. The Ilac and Stephen’s Green centres have plenty of spots to grab a little downtime, and Brown Thomas, Arnotts and Clerys are full of soft furnishings – perfect if the family wants to separate into the can-dos and the can’t-do-any-more-for-a-whiles.

A QUICK BREAK

If you have an hour or so to spare and fancy getting away from the hustle and bustle of the streets, nip into any of the galleries along the way. The Molesworth Gallery on Molesworth Street is a good option, as is the National Gallery, which has a permanent collection that’s free to view. If you need something a little more contemplative, drop in to St Teresa’s Church off Grafton Street, just alongside Bewley’s, for a bit of peace and quiet.

TRANSPORT

Getting in and out of town will be one of your main concerns. The best option is to park and ride. Coming from the south, try the Red Cow Luas stop just past Newland’s Cross, at €4 for 24 hours’ parking. From the other end of the city, the Stillorgan Luas stop also has park and ride.

BEST FOR KIDS

Kids will love the excitement of the lights in the city centre, so plan your day around them – if you want to do some high-speed targeted shopping, it might be best to leave them at home. Brown Thomas now aims its decorations at an older clientele so instead, bring nippers down Henry Street to take a gander at Arnotts extensive window.

Christmas is also a time for unexpected treats, so try some hot chocolate in Murphy’s Ice Cream on Wicklow Street and Temple Bar, or allow them free rein in Smyth’s toy store on Parnell Street. You might not need reminding, also, that with kids in tow, access to facilities is a must. Brown Thomas, Arnotts, Clerys and the Stephen’s Green centre all have public toilets (although Stephen’s Green will charge you for the privilege), but a lesser-known option is upstairs in BT2 – handily, behind Starbucks.

STORAGE

Leave heavy purchases to the end of your trip, or failing that, Luas and Dublin City Business Improvement District have this year teamed up to babysit your bags, free of charge. There will be two drop-off points at the Stephen’s Green centre and the GPO Arcade where shoppers can drop off their purchases and collect them later in the day, leaving arms free for little hands (or for more shopping bags). The service opens at noon (perfect for that pre-lunch drop-off) and closes at 7pm every day except Sunday, when it closes at 6pm, and Thursday, when it will close at 9pm for late-night shopping.

BELFAST

PERFECT START

With its shelves of esoteric pastas and speciality teas, Deane’s Deli Vin Cafe on Bedford Street can come across as a bit too cool for school. But don’t be put off. It’s a great place for an Ulster fry, with lashings of granary toast on the side, and they even include a hefty dollop of baked beans. If it’s a Saturday morning, try St George’s Market for a couple of free-range organic pork sausages in a bap from the Pheasant’s Hill stall.

SHORT STOPS

Ginger Bistro, tucked away on Hope Street beside a reptile emporium (pop in afterwards to look at the water dragons) is unbeatable for a quick, delicious and affordable lunch. There’s always a good song on the stereo, a glass of perfectly chilled Sauvignon Blanc to hand, and the kind of comfort food you long for when you’re tired and footsore – haddock and chips, fish pie, mushroom risotto with truffle oil. Just the thing to sustain and reinvigorate you for round two at the shops. There are excellent soups and salads if you want to keep it light.

SNEAKY HALF

If you want a hot whiskey, it’s hard to beat the Duke of York in cobbled Commercial Court, off Donegall Street. This satisfyingly old-fashioned pub specialises in Irish whiskies and there is quite a range to choose from – although good luck telling them apart once hot water and a clove-studded slice of lemon have been added.

For a decadent coffee, try the Merchant Hotel, just around the corner in Waring Street. With lavish chandeliers, gilt trimmings and red velvet furniture, it’s seriously over the top. But the cappuccinos are good – they come with free home-made biscuits – and the expensively hushed atmosphere will soothe your weary brain.

GIFT WRAPPING

Equinox, the contemporary homeware store on Howard Street, which sells everything from designer glassware to build-your-own model Porsche kits, offers a complimentary gift wrapping service, including ribbon and tag, for all purchases over £5. Avoca on Arthur Street and L’Occitane on Ann Street will also wrap up your presents for free.

A NICE SIT DOWN

There is no better place to take the weight off your feet than Emma Gilles’ wonderfully eccentric Craftworkshop in Wellington Place. Take a seat – there are plenty – among her collection of customised curios, furniture and clothing. Prop up your aching back with a cushion in the shape of a pair of Y-fronts – surprisingly comfortable. The proprietress herself will make you feel right at home with a cup of tea and a slice of toasted veda bread.

QUICK BREAK

Stepping into the Linen Hall Library is like opening the pages of a much-loved book: calm, familiar and relaxing. Founded in 1788, it’s the oldest library in Belfast and the last subscribing library in Ireland. Anyone can wander in and spend a peaceful hour or more browsing the extensive collections, and the children’s section is charming. Be warned, though, it’s all too easy to lose track of time in here, curled up with a book in a cosy wing-backed chair.

TRANSPORT

With its bewildering traffic system, Belfast city centre is hard to negotiate at the best of times, let alone during the Christmas rush.

If you’re prepared to pay top price for convenience, park at the multi-storey at Victoria Square. If you can’t face the cost or the scrum for spaces, there are a number of park-and-ride facilities listed on translink.co.uk.

STORAGE

Marks Spencer on Donegall Place offers a collect by car service, which makes sense if you’ve done a heavy food shop.

The downside is negotiating the narrow lane behind MS to get to the pick-up point, and the length of time it often takes before someone appears with your shopping.

BEST FOR KIDS

If you’re determined to shop without small children in tow, the Belfast Ikea store at Holywood Exchange has a 30-place creche for kids aged three to 10.

If you’re forced to bring your offspring with you, keep them sweet with a visit to Little Wing, a cool pizza joint in Ann Street that’s one of the few places in Belfast to offer pizza al taglio – by the slice. Try the tiramisu in a tea-cup while you’re there.

If you can tolerate the queues and the cuteness, there’s always the Build a Bear Workshop in Victoria Square, or, for jaded teenagers, park them in Fresh Garbage on Rosemary Street – a true Belfast institution, reeking of incense. It has been selling grungy alternative gear to the city’s youth for 40 years.

FIONOLA MEREDITH

CORK

PERFECT START

There are two ways to look on your breakfast options in Cork city centre. One involves guilty indulgence while the other is a healthier, more sensible, less cardiac-arrest-inducing option.

Before a morning’s shopping, I like to start with a heaving plateful in Tony’s Bistro, which is a great Cork institution combining the best of an English cafe with local wit and charm. It’s located on North Main Street and if you’re after a no-frills fry up for under a tenner, then you won’t find a better cafe this side of Walford.

For the healthier option, Idaho Café on Maylor Street, just off the main thoroughfare, does superb Belgian waffles with maple syrup, or organic porridge with cream. The coffee is good too, and they make fresh orange juice and bake a selection of pastries throughout the morning.

SHORT STOPS

Cork city centre is more like a big town than a city, and most places are within a few minutes walk of each other. Popular spots for a swift lunch include The Market Lane on Oliver Plunkett Street, which uses mostly local produce. For pizza on the go, try Fast Al’s. There are two outlets in the city centre and a slice of pizza and a can of soft drink costs €4.

If you have time to sit down, then the famous Farmgate Café in the English Market is a highlight. From here, Kay Harte has been one of the pioneers of the good food movement in Cork and serves oysters, sandwiches or seafood chowder in the cafe, while tripe and drisheen or lamb stew are favourites in the restaurant. Two courses with coffee are on offer for €16 at the moment. The best seats are the stools which look directly on to the butchers below.

SNEAKY HALFS

One of the favoured bars in the city, particularly at Christmas time, is The Long Valley on Winthrob Street. The wood-panelled interior (some of it culled from shipwrecks) has changed little in generations. The Moynihan family run and work in the bar, which is famous for its doorstop sandwiches and eclectic taste in music. Lunch times can be busy so if it’s a quiet afternoon pint you’re after, it’s best to wait until after 2pm. There’s also a good selection of whiskey and scotch and of course, given the location, Murphy’s and Beamish are the better stout options.

GIFT WRAPPING

As a typical male, I know very little about gift-wrapping. But what I do know from recent experience is that the Kilkenny shop, opposite Cork Opera House on Emmet Place, put a real effort into wrapping gifts with complimentary paper and bows. For the do-it-yourself option, Porter’s, a well-established stationary outlet, sells all sorts of glitzy paper and ribbons, while Vibes Scribes is an art and crafts outlet which caters for the more arty gift wrappings. If you’re buying a children’s gift, the Baby Boutique, on Castle Street, also offers a high standard of gift wrapping, with complimentary gift cards, baby boxes and tissues for all gifts bought.

A NICE SIT DOWN

One of the good things to come out of Cork’s tenure as European Capital of Culture wasn’t so much artistic or even cultural – it was the properly designed public spaces. Patrick Street, for instance, is one of the most pedestrian friendly streets in the country, with plenty of sitting space along either side of the main drag. Indoors, the fountain in the centre of the English Market is a good resting spot, while Merchants Quay shopping centre, which used to be the main shopping area, is much quieter these days and a spot on a bench is easily got. The men’s section in Brown Thomas recently installed a couch for weary shoppers, and newspapers are often provided at weekends.

A QUICK BREAK

The Crawford Art Gallery (crawfordartgallery.ie), located on Emmet Place and close to the newly-developed Opera Lane shopping area, is an old school-type gallery with a good cafe on the first floor. On the second floor, among the Jack B Yeats and Sean Keating paintings, there’s a seat in the middle of the gallery, and it can be a lovely spot to get away from it all for a few minutes.

Another spot of relative calm is the former church of St Peter’s on North Main Street, which is now home to the Cork Vision Centre. A large model of Cork is located on the first floor and it’s a great spot to sit on the floor against the wall and take some time out.

TRANSPORT

In recent years, more and more commercial car parking spaces have opened up in the city including the Grand Parade, Paul Street and a new car park at Blackpool Shopping Centre. Depending on what side of Cork city you approach from, there are decent park and ride facilities. The Black Ash facility off the South City Link Road was opened in 1997 to cope with the Christmas traffic and the service runs Monday to Saturday, 7.30am to 7.30pm, with a bus into the city centre every 10 to 15 minutes.

On the north side of Cork, a good place for ticketed parking is Wellington Road, adjacent to MacCurtain Street, or along Patrick’s Quay, where daily parking rates have become very competitive in recent years.

STORAGE

Dedicated luggage storage areas in Cork city are at a premium, yet a variety of hostels and hotels offer free facilities for guests. The train station on Kent Place also has facilities. Another option is to have coffee in one of the city centre hotels, such as the Imperial or the Metropole, and ask nicely if they will allow you store your shopping in one of their luggage rooms.

BEST FOR KIDS

There are no ad-hoc childminding services operating in the city centre, but there are a few areas where you can give the kids and yourself a break. One of those is the Leisureplex indoor activity centre, which offers bowling and other children’s activities in the heart of the city. A little outside town, close to Fota Island, is Go Safari, a dedicated indoor play area for kids of all ages. There are decent bathroom and changing facilities in the Crawford Art Gallery, as well as public toilets on the Grand Parade and close to Merchant’s Quay.

BRIAN O'CONNELL