Marcus O'Laoire on what not to miss at Taste of Dublin 2026
Taste of Dublin, Dublin's biggest food and drink festival, is set to return to Merrion Square from 11-14 June.
Celebrating its 21st year, the festival brings together 15 of Dublin’s most exciting restaurants for one weekend only, giving food lovers the opportunity to sample signature dishes from across the city.
This year's mouth-watering lineup includes The Salty Buoy, Daata, Achara, Chimac x Sicín Sásta, The Salt Project, BAH33 x Teeling Whiskey, IBILE, Bovinity, BIG FAN, Shaku Maku, Dosa Dosa, Parrilla, Bar Italia, and King Sitric Oyster Bar.
Photo Credit: Allen Kiely
Someone who knows the festival inside and out (he's worked as a host, DJ, mixologist, and more over the years) is Marcus O'Laoire, who is counting down the days to his return to Merrion Square.
"The location is brilliant," he tells RTÉ Lifestyle. "It's a weekend full of fun, food, drinks, and really great live entertainment. There's also live cooking demonstrations, which are going to be really good."
This year, the DJ, food-enthusiast and all-round mover and shaker, will take over the Taste Kitchen Stage to deliver a live demo on Thursday afternoon.
"I'm partnering with Sicín Sásta, which is a brand I genuinely love; their chicken is absolutely excellent, and they're a unique offering on the Irish market, I think. They're teaming up with a restaurant that some friends of mine own, Chimac, which does Korean fried chicken.
Photo Credit: Allen Kiely
The recipe creator will take the Chimac sauces and merge them with the Sicín chicken breasts to create a Korean-inspired chicken taco with a spicy mango salsa.
Additionally, he hopes to share tips for home cooks looking to make the most out of every meal.
"It's showing people the benefits of buying a whole chicken," he explains. "With a newborn at home, I'm trying to make as many stocks as I can to make purees and all the rest."
When it comes to his time off at the festival, he says he's looking forward to checking out the myriad of food on offer.
"I always love Shaku Maku," he says. "Daata - their curries are incredible. The Salt Project are coming in from Galway, they are going to be really great. And, obviously, Chimac is a big one."
Photo Credit: Allen Kiely
Elsewhere, guests will find further cookery demos, a botanical gin experience, a SuperValu specially sourced wine experience, social spaces, live music, and more.
"This will be my 14th or 15th Taste of Dublin," says Marcus. "The thing that has stayed consistent through all those years is just how great a day it is. Now more than ever, especially when the sun shines, it's a great opportunity to get people together and celebrate all the great food we have in Ireland."
"With the amount of people who come to Taste, just as a marketing thing for some of those restaurants, it's invaluable," he adds. "You're basically giving them a chance to show their brand and tell people what they're about."
Tickets are on sale now, from €19.50, children under 10 going free, and VIP packages available from €52.50. For more information and tickets visit tasteofdublin.ie.
