77
28
36%
54
59
Market Overview
Seventy-seven restaurants compete for custom in Smithfield, a neighbourhood where the food scene punches well above its weight for a relatively compact Dublin area. Italian is the most common cuisine with seven outlets, followed closely by Chinese (6) and pizza (6) — meaning nearly a quarter of all restaurants fall into one of these three categories. That concentration signals intense rivalry in those segments. Beyond sit-down restaurants, the area also hosts 54 cafés, 47 pubs, 28 fast-food outlets, and 12 bars, making the broader food-and-drink scene exceptionally dense.
The variety is notable: 28 distinct cuisine types are represented across 77 restaurants, which points to genuine diversity rather than a single dominant food culture. Steak, bistro, and chicken concepts all have a presence, alongside chains like Nando's and independents like Variety Jones and My Meat Wagon.
One striking gap: only 28 of the 77 restaurants (36%) have a website. That means nearly two-thirds of the market are invisible to anyone searching online before deciding where to eat. In a neighbourhood that draws both locals and visitors — especially around Smithfield Square — the lack of a web presence is a missed opportunity for most operators and a clear competitive edge for the minority who have invested in one.
Top Cuisines in Smithfield
What Customers in Smithfield Care About
Walk-in dining expectations
Smithfield is a foot-traffic-heavy area where many diners choose on the night based on what catches their eye rather than booking days ahead, so flexibility matters.
Value against cheaper alternatives
With 28 fast-food outlets and multiple pizza and burger joints in the area, customers have plenty of budget options and will walk if a sit-down restaurant feels overpriced.
A reason to pick you
With 28 cuisine types across 77 restaurants, diners expect a clear identity — generic menus get lost when Italian, Chinese, and pizza already dominate the area.
Late hours near the pubs
Smithfield has 47 pubs and 12 bars nearby, so many customers are looking for food before or after a night out and favour places that serve later than standard hours.
Menus they can find online
With only 36% of restaurants in the area having a website, the ones that display a menu and opening hours online stand out immediately when locals search for where to eat.
Restaurants operating in Smithfield, Dublin
A sample of real restaurants in this area. Want ratings, reviews, and exactly where you rank against them? Run a free report on your business.
| Business | Type |
|---|---|
| Christophe's | Restaurant |
| Hilan | Chinese |
| Copper Alley Bistro | Restaurant |
| Bottega Toffoli | Pizza |
| Chive | Breakfast |
| Nando's | Chicken |
| Agave | Restaurant |
| Doppio Zero | Italian |
| Corfu | Greek |
| Canton City | Chinese |
| All Bar Chicken | Restaurant |
| Jo'burger | Burger |
Business listings from OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).
Tips for Restaurants Owners in Smithfield
Claim the online gap
Only 36% of Smithfield's 77 restaurants have a website. Building even a basic site with your menu, hours, and location puts you ahead of nearly two-thirds of competitors when potential customers search online.
Avoid the Italian-Chinese-Pizza cluster
Italian, Chinese, and pizza restaurants already make up almost a quarter of the market. If you're entering Smithfield, a less common cuisine — steak, bistro, or chicken-focused concepts — faces meaningfully less direct competition.
Position for the pub crowd
With 47 pubs and 12 bars in the immediate area, there's a built-in audience looking for food on their way out or on their way home. Offering a concise late-evening menu or extending kitchen hours can capture foot traffic that other restaurants miss.
Competition Snapshot
Seventy-seven restaurants in a single Dublin neighbourhood makes Smithfield a crowded market. Italian, Chinese, and pizza are oversaturated — together they account for almost a quarter of all options. Steak, bistro, and chicken concepts exist but remain under-represented by comparison. The biggest structural advantage available is digital: with only 36% of restaurants maintaining a website, operators who invest in online visibility face far less competition for search traffic than the raw restaurant count suggests. Standing out here requires either a distinctive cuisine or a strong online presence — ideally both.
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