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John & Sandy Wyer's Ranelagh bakery is a departure from their more fine dining restaurants, but stays firmly in the French canon with superior bread and peak patisserie. Don't go on a fully empty stomach on weekend mornings, or the queue will surely induce a serious case of hanger. It's all good here, from sweet to savoury to all the bread in the back, but don't miss the almond croissant, which is one of the best in the city. Una Website unabakery.ie Address Una, Ranelagh, Dublin 6, Ireland Good For Tag 1 Cuisine Tag 1 Once Over Read our Review >> The Story John & Sandy Wyer's Ranelagh bakery is a departure from their more fine dining restaurants, but stays firmly in the French canon with superior bread and peak patisserie. Don't go on a fully empty stomach on weekend mornings, or the queue will surely induce a serious case of hanger. It's all good here, from sweet to savoury to all the bread in the back, but don't miss the almond croissant, which is one of the best in the city. Where It's At Nearby Locales Gloria Osteria Cantina Valentina D'Lepak Pera Borgo Amai by Viktor Kaizen Chubbys Badam Table 45 Comet Daruma Malahide Lena The Pig's Ear Notions @ Two Pups The Rooftop @ Anantara The Marker Sofra Little Geno's Mama Shee Nutbutter Smithfield Shaku Maku Mad Yolks Rathmines Una Choux Bakery Parnell Street Bakery

Daruma Japanese drinks and small plates in Temple Bar Posted: 13 Dec 2022 Neighbourhood Neighborhood Name Address Restaurant Address Website Website Name Restaurant Info View the Listing >> Written by: Lisa Cope What's the story? Daruma appeared quite suddenly in October in the old Fish Shack site on Parliament Street, with an Instagram post heralding their arrival one Sunday, and doors opening to customers two days later. After a bit of investigating we heard there was a connection to Big Fan and our ears perked up (turns out they have a backer in common), and the two owner/operators are former managers of Musashi , the Japanese sushi chain. The discussion of why Dublin has no high end, ultra exciting Japanese restaurants is an ever-ongoing one amongst food circles, and there was some hopeful whispering that this might be the one we've all been waiting for. We loved the Japanese pub with small plates vibe they were selling online, but unlike Big Fan (which has been one of the biggest restaurant successes from the past two years), it didn't seem to be built around a particular chef and their talent. We also couldn't find anyone Japanese who was associated with it - not a pre-requisite for opening a Japanese restaurant, but it tends to go in their favour when someone has a strong connection to a cuisine they're trying to showcase. Between this and the lack of a website containing a menu/opening hours/online booking (basic in 2022) The jury was out before we'd gotten in. Where should we sit? Most of the tables are at the front, with the best one at the window looking out onto Parliament Street. There's also bar seating which looked ideal for a solo pint and some small plates. What did you eat? We covered quite a lot of the menu over two visits, so let's lay out the good, from the not so good. There are four sections - raw, robatayaki, bites and sides. Daikon 'saibaizu' (which we presume is meant to be 'sanbaizu', a Japanese dressing with rice wine vinegar, sugar and soy) was refreshing and crunchy, an excellent palate cleanser, while charred edamame were pointless, the additional heat adding nothing except over-cooking. They were also criminally under-salted - we asked for more and fixed the problem ourselves. Garlic chilli cucumber was another lip-smacking refresher, smoky and spicy with plenty of sesame and crunch. Fresh oysters came with a lovely, zingy apple and mustard tosazu dressing (a fermented rice wine vinegar), but we wished we knew where they came from, and whether they were Irish. There's no provenance information on the menu. Tuna tataki with candy ginger and wasabi daikon had great flavour and some really interesting elements, but the tuna tasted soft and woolly. At €13.95 for six pieces we expected better fish Our favourite dish (and one we ordered both times) was the flamed salmon nigiri, with kewpie mayo and hazelnut furikake. The salmon is just cooked, and between the sweet, nutty dressing and the slight crunch of the hazelnuts, this is the kind of innovative sushi we want more of. We had a pain in our faces trying to find out what the daily sushi omasake roll was, and after almost having to hold our waitress's hand and lead her in the direction of the kitchen, she came back and told us it was eel. "Is there anything else?" we asked. "No, just eel". It didn't seem likely, but we were worn out so just let them bring it, and we still can't tell you what was in it. There was some fish roe and kewpie mayo on top and what we guessed powdered seaweed, but apart from that it's anyone's guess, and it was lacking flavour and texture. Crispy almond ebi with mango chilli sauce (€12.45 for three) were huge and we loved the combination of flavours, but there was a bit too much batter. The almonds did add an interesting element though. They do two types of ribs - beef short ribs with black garlic butter, and plum wine short ribs with creamy onion mochi. Both were incredibly tender, the beef sweet and pungent from the black garlic, the pork sweet and fruity from the plum wine and the onion. We would order both again tomorrow, but we'd really like to know where the meat came from. A third of their menu is given over the Robatayaki (like Japanese BBQ where food is cooked over charcoal), so we were surprised that this was the most disappointing part of the meal. It started with the waitress not knowing what was on the 'Daruma Selection', and seemingly not wanting to ask, and then when it arrived each was more lacklustre than the last. None of the headline stuff like scallops or ox tongue is on there - we got chicken thigh, minced chicken, pork belly, and two different mushrooms (which felt like a cop out) and none of it had much flavour other than a teriyaki type marinade. If charcoal ever went near this meat, we couldn't taste it. There's no dessert on the menu and when we asked if they had any our waitress didn't know, and didn't seem to want to find out. After pushing the issue she returned and told us they had mochi, but it was clear they were coming from a box in the freezer, so we passed. What about the drinks? They're serious about their sake in here, and have clearly taken time over the menu. They have seven sake cocktails, and had another two on special when we visited, and they're all low alcohol, so don't expect to feel the usual cocktail buzz. An 'Ichigo' with sake, strawberry, chilli, lime and sugar was pleasant but punchily sour, and serving it in a Champagne flute felt wrong. A lychee special with sake, lychee juice, lime juice, sugar and egg white was a world better, and so easy to knock back we almost had to place it out of reach. There's Asahi for beer and an average wine list, so we'd stick to the sake. We also tried a couple of straight sakes (a Kidosumi and a Gassan) and they were excellent - it's obvious they're not dealing with supermarket stuff or the big brands found in most Japanese restaurants in Ireland. How was the service? Friendly but lacking in actual service. We were almost turning blue waiting for answers to the questions we had about the menu, with the same waitress on both occasions saying she didn't know, and pleasantly looking back at us as if that was the end of that. We had to straight out ask someone to go down to the kitchen more times than we'd like to admit to find out what was on the robata selection, what was the sushi roll of the day, did they have any dessert - it was very tiring, and service training is badly needed. And the damage? €57 a head (to be exact) for dinner before tip, with three drinks each in that. €30 a head for lunch with no drinks. What's the verdict? Is Daruma the Japanese restaurant Dublin has been waiting for? No. Not yet anyway, but there's plenty of decent food and sake to kill a couple of hours. They're got more interesting options than a lot of Japanese restaurants in the city, many of whom stick to the same menu of gyoza, sushi and the wok/rice/noodle dishes we're all too familiar with, but it does somewhat kill us to imagine what it could be like with a culinary tour de force (like Big Fan's Alex Zhang) in the kitchen. For now enjoy it for what is it - a pocket-friendly, laid back Japanese bar, where you can order as little or as much as you like, and drink really good sake. Daruma 13 Parliament Street, Temple Bar, Dublin 2 instagram.com/daruma_dublin New Openings & Discoveries More >>

Neighborhood restaurant guides for Dublin, Ireland. Find the best restaurants, pubs, cafes, and fine dining in every area of Dublin. Dublin Restaurant Guides & Reviews Neighbourhoods Where to Eat Dublin doesn't have the same easy-to-navigate neighborhoods as say, New York - but we've tried to split the city up into easily manageable chunks so wherever you're headed you can find the best places around for breakfast, brunch, lunch, dinner and dessert. From Argentinean in Portobello, to Calabrian in Stoneybatter, to a raw seafood bar in Terenure, restaurants and cafés here have the ATF seal of approval, so wherever you find yourself in the city you can search for the best eating experiences around. North City Centre Parnell Street Capel Street Pearse St - Merrion Square Grand Canal Dock Temple Bar Dame Street / Wicklow Street Grafton Street - Kildare Street Creative Quarter St Stephen's Green Aungier Street - Wexford Street - Camden Street Portobello Dublin 8 Smithfield Stoneybatter Dublin 4 Rathmines Ranelagh Harolds Cross - Terenure Blackrock - Monkstown - Mount Merrion Dún Laoghaire - Sandycove - Glasthule - Dalkey Dundrum - Sandyford - Stillorgan - Foxrock - Stepaside Drumcondra - Phibsboro - Glasnevin Clontarf - Fairview - Killester - Artane Howth Join ATF Insiders Make the Most of Every Meal. Join Us

Well-executed, carefully sourced Italian food from Ross Lewis (chef and owner of Michelin-starred Chapter One) and his friend, chef Luciano Tona, whose restaurant in Italy also held a Michelin star for a decade. Since stepping back from Chapter One Lewis himself has been cooking in the kitchen, and looks to be having fun with it. An interesting cocktail list makes for a perfect after work aperitivo. Osteria Lucio Website osterialucio.com Address The Malting Tower, Grand Canal Quay, Clanwilliam Terrace, Dublin 2 Good For Tag 1 Cuisine Tag 1 Once Over Read our Review >> The Story Well-executed, carefully sourced Italian food from Ross Lewis (chef and owner of Michelin-starred Chapter One) and his friend, chef Luciano Tona, whose restaurant in Italy also held a Michelin star for a decade. Since stepping back from Chapter One Lewis himself has been cooking in the kitchen, and looks to be having fun with it. An interesting cocktail list makes for a perfect after work aperitivo. Where It's At Nearby Locales Gloria Osteria Cantina Valentina D'Lepak Pera Borgo Amai by Viktor Kaizen Chubbys Badam Table 45 Comet Daruma Malahide Lena The Pig's Ear Notions @ Two Pups The Rooftop @ Anantara The Marker Sofra Little Geno's Mama Shee Nutbutter Smithfield Shaku Maku Mad Yolks Rathmines Una Choux Bakery Parnell Street Bakery

777 Tostados, tortillas & addictive margaritas Posted: 17 Oct 2018 Neighbourhood Neighborhood Name Address Restaurant Address Website Website Name Restaurant Info View the Listing >> Written by: Lisa Cope What’s the story? 777 is no new kid on the block. Part of John Farrell's restaurant group, which also includes Dillinger's, The Butcher Grill, the contemporary Mexican opened in 2012 without a trace of Tex-Mex, which prior to this was pretty much all Dublin had experience of. Goodbye burritos and refried beans, hello tostados, tacos and carnitas. Like everything else that John Farrell touches, the interior design is first rate (not that you'd know from the unassuming outside), and they opened to some very good reviews , but like everything the buzz eventually dies down. In the past few months however, we feel like we're constantly being told to go there, that the kitchen's turning out fantastic food and the margaritas are worth a trip alone. So we took it upon ourselves to see if the rumours were true. Where should we go for a drink first? If you don't want to come straight here for a margarita (you're crazy, or on a mission), you could go to Loose Canon on Drury Street for a glass of natural wine, the soon to be open (any day now) Bar Giuseppe on Castle Market for an aperitivo, or any of the great pubs in the surrounding streets for a pint - Grogan's , The Foggy Dew or The Stag's Head to name a few. Where should we sit? The bar is good for singles or couples, and there are booth-style tables for big groups, although even fitting four is cosy. There are also a couple of bigger tables at the front if you have a group, but they don't take reservations for under six people, so you might have to wing it (or get more friends). What's good to eat? Honestly there wasn't a dud dish, and this was the closest we've found to Mexico City cooking in Dublin. The kitchen has the flavours and textures down, and there was really no comparison with our last Mexican experience here. Standouts for us were yellowfin tuna tostados with crispy shallots, chipotle mayo and habanero, and Mezcal marinated soft shell crab tortillas with chipotle, pickled onion and avocado, both of which we wanted more of. Chorizo tortillas were equally good, if very rich, as were the portobello mushroom ones with chipotle pesto, crema and pumpkin seeds, and an oyster shot with tomato and hananero citrus broth would be a great intro to oysters for the uninitiated. We tried one larger dish of Lamb Tlayuda, which is a Oaxacan dish that's like a Mexican pizza, and it came with BBQ lamb, pickled mushroom, chimichurri, wild garlic and feta fondue on a chargrilled flatbread. The meat was exceptional - we would happily go veggie six days a week if we got to eat this on the seventh - and the flavours were stunning. We were struggling to fit more in at this point but we powered on and finished the lot because it was so good. We would only get to share in a group as it's so large and filling, and if you had it on your own you probably wouldn't be able to manage much else. We also tried sides of elotes and papas fritas, both of which were good, but the crispy potatoes with garlic and manchego knocked patatas bravas out of the park for us. We imagine leaving any in the bowl would be a feat of Olympic proportions. Desserts are limited to bread and butter pudding with dulce de leche and vanilla ice-cream, and a selection of sorbets and ice-cream. We tried the former (purely in the name of research), and it was the type that's soaked and blow-torched, meaning the inside was cold and was left uneaten, but the flavour was good and the dulce de leche a nice addition. What about the drinks? Go margaritas or go home. Mondays the house ones are two for €14 (usual price €12) so that's the night to go if you're feeling thirsty, but we've heard the Margarita Especial is even better than the house (unfortunately we only heard this after we'd been). Neither the beer or the wine list are particularly inspiring, but that's not really the point of the place. Cocktails are where it's at. There are also some lovely sounding mocktails, like the Pinky Tuscadero with cranberry juice, jalapeno & rosemary syrup, lime and rhubarb. And the service? Functional. They got the job done but we wouldn't say there was an abundance of hospitality. Some of them looked like they had better places to be and we were holding them up. Others were more helpful. The verdict? For our money, this is the best place to eat real Mexican food (like in Mexico) in the city right now. You can keep your burrito chains and mediocre tacos. These guys have it down. It is very loud, so only go if you're happy with a side of ear-bursting hiphop, and we've lost count of how many stories we've heard about people getting carried away with food and drinks and getting a shocker of a bill, but if you choose carefully and keep a tab you should be able to get out while holding onto next month's rent. On Sunday all dishes are €7.77, Mondays are two margaritas for €14 and on Tuesday tacos are two for €6, so these are the days to go if money's tight, but we can't see you being disappointed whatever day you go. 777 7 Castle House, South Great George's Street, Dublin 2 777.ie New Openings & Discoveries More >>

Contemporary café at the top of Parnell Street serving brunch and lunch, with pasta and pizza in the evenings. Specialty coffee and carefully chosen ingredients, including beef from the owner’s sister’s farm in Meath. One Society Website onesociety.ie Address 1 Lower Gardiner Street, Dublin 1 Good For Tag 1 Cuisine Tag 1 Once Over Read our Review >> The Story Contemporary café at the top of Parnell Street serving brunch and lunch, with pasta and pizza in the evenings. Specialty coffee and carefully chosen ingredients, including beef from the owner’s sister’s farm in Meath. Where It's At Nearby Locales Gloria Osteria Cantina Valentina D'Lepak Pera Borgo Amai by Viktor Kaizen Chubbys Badam Table 45 Comet Daruma Malahide Lena The Pig's Ear Notions @ Two Pups The Rooftop @ Anantara The Marker Sofra Little Geno's Mama Shee Nutbutter Smithfield Shaku Maku Mad Yolks Rathmines Una Choux Bakery Parnell Street Bakery

Sister restaurant of the highly regarded Ka Shing on Wicklow Street, specialising in the same top quality dim sum. The location next to McDonalds might not be as glamourous as its city centre sibling (opposite Brown Thomas), but the cheung fun, dumplings and pork BBQ buns will make you forget you're eating on the outskirts of a shopping centre. There’s a Cantonese menu too playing all the greatest hits in an elegantly appointment room upstairs, and unusually for an Irish-Chinese restaurant, desserts are worth sticking around for. Kaizen Website kaizenrestaurant.ie Address Kaizen Chinese Restaurant 嘉盛樓, Blanchardstown Centre, Blanchardstown, Dublin, Ireland Good For Tag 1 Cuisine Tag 1 Once Over Read our Review >> The Story Sister restaurant of the highly regarded Ka Shing on Wicklow Street, specialising in the same top quality dim sum. The location next to McDonalds might not be as glamourous as its city centre sibling (opposite Brown Thomas), but the cheung fun, dumplings and pork BBQ buns will make you forget you're eating on the outskirts of a shopping centre. There’s a Cantonese menu too playing all the greatest hits in an elegantly appointment room upstairs, and unusually for an Irish-Chinese restaurant, desserts are worth sticking around for. Where It's At Nearby Locales Gloria Osteria Cantina Valentina D'Lepak Pera Borgo Amai by Viktor Kaizen Chubbys Badam Table 45 Comet Daruma Malahide Lena The Pig's Ear Notions @ Two Pups The Rooftop @ Anantara The Marker Sofra Little Geno's Mama Shee Nutbutter Smithfield Shaku Maku Mad Yolks Rathmines Una Choux Bakery Parnell Street Bakery

Allta Bar Casual dining at Allta is an exciting development for the Docklands, with a masterpiece of a burger Posted: 15 Oct 2024 Neighbourhood Neighborhood Name Address Restaurant Address Website Website Name Restaurant Info View the Listing >> Written by: Ronan Doyle What should we know about Allta Bar? The ever-evolving Allta only made it about four months in the OG Setanta Place space that’s now home to Library Street , before the pandemic forced a closure never to be undone. Well received Summer and Winter House popups throughout those strange years added a cocktail bar, Glovebox , to the stable, and while its artsy vibes and great drinks made it a hit, we sensed the dropping of the name for the stripped-back ' Allta Bar ' suggested a change in direction. Since Allta’s new permanent docklands home opened in January of this year, the smaller space to the left of the building has done solid business for a pre and post-dinner drinks – that’s as much thanks to the lack of any decent options nearby as the custom sound system and decks they installed. Something bigger though was always the plan, and the start of the month saw the launch of a new bar menu to turn this section from high-end waiting room to a destination of its own. Where should we sit? With exposed concrete and air vents aplenty softened with fur furnishings and a plethora of plant life, the more casual bar space manages to hit a balance between openness and intimacy. Mismatched swivel and bucket seats as well as benches are set at low tables, for a sit-back-and-sip comfort more fitting for a drinks-only affair. Those out to eat greedily (guilty your honour) might be best off asking for one of the three high-stool two-tops, or taking a space at the twelve-seater circular bar – the lower tables might make you feel you’ve been seated at a kids’ Christmas table, awkwardly leaning forward to cut through a knee-height steak from your lower perch. What’s on the menu? The staff will point your attention toward the oilskin dungaree-clad man in the mural – as if you could miss him – and tell you the tale of Paddy O’Sullivan, the Kerry oyster fisherman whose catch has been on Allta’s plates just as his furrowed brow has been on its walls, since those first days back in 2019. A lesser venue might make this backstory sound like a sales spiel, but true enthusiasm isn’t easily faked, and a passion for provenance is a theme of the meal. Close your eyes as these sizeable specimens slip-side from the shell and you could be head-deep in the waters of Cromane Bay, such is the fresh shock of salt water. As the meat’s sweetness takes over, house fermented hot sauce and mignonette bring a tart and tangy balance, and the wall décor makes more sense as the quality sinks in. Not much can match the gasp-courting quality of a top-tier oyster’s briny blast, but the bluefin tuna makes a good go of it. We’ve seen a few versions of these tartare rosti bites at the new Allta, with mussel and dexter beef last spring a standout, but this latest levelling-up leaves them in the dust. The chilli-citrus kick of yuzu koshō plays off the intense sea-saltiness of the fish and the rosti’s crisp richness, for a snack we slivered off in wafer-thin bites to make it last longer. Pity the poor arancini having to stack up after those two. There’s nothing wrong with Allta’s take on the Sicilian street food, almost obligatory on bar menus these days, but the scale of invention that went before isn’t anywhere in sight here. Tender, fatty flakes of beef shin generously stirred through the bright yellow risotto make for a tasty mouthful and a pretty sight, but sensitive souls that we are we found the saffron notes too domineering. You won’t find Allta’s beef supplier plastered on the wall but Woodtown, proud owners of Ireland’s oldest purebred Jersey herd, have just as prominent a place. Chef and owner Niall Davidson spent time as a butcher and has put a lot of thought into how we can be more sustainable and less wasteful with beef – fatted ex-dairy cattle are the result. At the restaurant side of the house, you’ll find a choice of steak cuts charged by the 100g; here, it’s an even €18 for the cut of the day – if there’s any you’re unkeen on, be sure to ask. Ours was short rib, superbly charred from the alternating grill-and-rest technique Davidson has settled on for his custom beef, with the medium rare interior’s locked-in juices teeming forth from tenderised meat. The thick puddle of horseradish bearnaise is a smart accompaniment, if on occasion a little too sweet for our palates. We know you're dying to know about the Allta Bar cheeseburger that's been touted so much in their promo photos. It's a masterpiece, as good a use as any for this prime meat. House pickles, Mount Leinster cheddar, a fermented potato bun from No Messin’ , and the infamous shiitake miso butter we all licked the jar clean of in those lockdown box days - every element of this is one we would eat in isolation, but brought together it’s the stuff of burger loving dreams, a concert of quality ingredients that bolster rather than bury the beef. The scant serving of chips are hand-cut and triple-fried to moreishness, ill-served by having so few more on either plate - another spud is hardly likely to torpedo the price point. That this is going for €18 is a shock - given the endless gastropubs around the area shilling a basic-as burger for that or more, this feels like the deal of the year. We couldn’t quite say the same for the €28 dessert (not a typo). Six grams of caviar and a strip of gold leaf are primarily to blame for that price point, a luxury temptation that feels out of sorts with the rest of the meal. The minimal waste philosophy is in play again, with potato peels saved from compost and oven-caramelised for an intensely earthy, subtly sweet ice cream. We’ll confess a cynicism that spud scraps and sturgeon egg would make for a sensible pairing, but the silky-soft scoop played so well off the salt-spiked richness of the roe that we ate our words along with our caviar. Tiramichoux is as nice to eat as it is to say, and a good deal less guilt-inducing on your wallet than the ice cream. Have cameras at the ready for the stream of caramel that cascades down the filling of mascarpone cream as you cut through the crisp pastry. The contrastingly light and heavy textures are a wonder to munch through, with the smooth coffee oil ice cream and crunchy cacao nibs adding extra flavour bursts. We might have expected petit fours over at the restaurant, but not so much the bar. A blackcurrant pastille was a densely delicious shock of intense fruit flavour, while a pretty orange caramel bonbon brought a just-right richness to round things off. A pitch-perfect contrast of crisp caramelised exterior and chewy custard centre are the hallmarks of any great canelé; here, as elsewhere, Allta shows its no amateur. What are the drinks like? This new lease of life for the bar brings with it a new cocktail menu, most at a €16 price point that puts it solidly toward the top of the market – we noted that’s a €2.50 hike on the previous list we sipped our way through when the space bore the Glovebox name. The quality has risen along with the price though, and if you’re willing to part with that amount it won't be spent in vain. The Scottish-Irish hybrid 'Rathlin' pairs poitín and Islay single malt with sherry and kelp for a smoke and salt-saturated answer to an old fashioned – what a way to whet the appetite. 'Skellig Michael' sits among the lighter choices, gin spiked with the complexity of Stillgarden’s Glas 55 herbal liqueur and the crisp bite of apple juice. As a fresh foil to cut through richer dishes it works very well. We cannot urge you enough to have an 'Aran' with dessert. Allta’s miso butter shot to fame long ago, but here it’s found an altogether higher purpose washed with Teelings for a butterscotch-scented beauty we want to drink again and again. For those not partaking, the 'Conor’s' gets a kick from Fire & 5th's N/A spirit, played off the zip of a grapefruit and a tarragon sherbet-spiked tonic for a grownup teetotal choice. The solid BTG wine list counts producers we've enjoyed elsewhere in the city like La Sapata, Bulli, Meinklang and Hacienda la Parrilla among the 12-strong choice. There's plenty to enjoy there, and all the more by the bottle, with prices broadly on-par with competitors like Note How was the service? As in the restaurant, the Allta staff are trained to a tee on every inch of the menu, and bristling to be asked for more detail. They will go long and deep on any dish if you care to hear more, without the stuffiness that sometimes brings. Service here is a testament to the reality that you can keep it informal without ever being anything less than deadly serious about great food. The plates here could be wheeled out by mute robots and would still sing, but the staff’s copious pride and passion speaks volumes about the kind of food culture that's been sought out and cultivated, and it’s infectious. And the damage? We had a much fuller feast than we’d expect most to enjoy at Allta Bar – caviar and all – so don’t take our €115 food bill (cocktails came to another €60) as any kind of indication. It is fair to say we went all-in; more normal sorts could exit well fed for €30 a head before drinks. There’s not many places around town you can eat so well for so little. One sore note that we didn’t notice until afterwards was a €6 charge for those petit fours we never asked for. We’d pay it again, but it doesn’t feel right not to know it in advance. What’s the verdict on Allta Bar? For all we’ve loved Allta in its many guises, it’s fair to say it’s never quite been a casual night out – to all but the most devout food fans, this has always been special occasion stuff. This new Allta Bar feels like a conscious effort to elbow into another end of the market, with some dishes – mains especially – clocking in at prices of sensational value for the quality you get. To have ethical, sustainable, seasonal and minimal-waste food this accessible is an exciting development for the city, and we hope it gets as busy as it deserves to be. New Openings & Discoveries More >>

Glovers Alley Fine dining returns to the Fitzwilliam Hotel Posted: 2 Apr 2018 Neighbourhood Neighborhood Name Address Restaurant Address Website Website Name Restaurant Info View the Listing >> Written by: Lisa Cope What’s the story? Unless you’ve been living under a rock (or following the wrong people on twitter) you’ve probably heard about Glovers Alley , the new fine dining restaurant in the space formerly occupied by Thornton’s in the Fitzwilliam Hotel . Headed up by Dubliner Andy McFadden, once the youngest Michelin starred chef in London, we don’t think a Dublin restaurant has ever gone as big on pre-opening PR, and they took a bit of flack over some pretty absurd language on their website (thankfully mostly gone) and the promises of delivering something Dublin has never seen before. Regardless of the slightly bumpy start, we think the city is in need of more high-end dining options and were glad to see one of the ' Murphia ' return home, so we went to check it out for ourselves. Where’s good for a drink beforehand? You’re right off Stephen’s Green so the options are endless. Presuming you’ll be in your Sunday best, the Horseshoe Bar in The Shelbourne is always good for pre-dinner/lunch bubbles, or La Ruelle wine bar is off Dawson Street. For cocktails, beer and rugby-player spotting, Lemon and Duke is close by too. What’s the room like? Not as pink as it looks in pictures. Very plush and clearly no expense spared when it came to decor. There are three main rows of seating, with a mix of banquettes and free-standing tables, and there’s a separate private dining area which was busy hosting a scarf launch/lunch on the day we were there. It feels modern but very comfortable, and we loved the lack of white tablecloths. Staff tend to hover in front of the bar which is slightly disconcerting, as you feel like you’re always being observed, but we’re not sure what the solution is to this. It’s the layout of the room, and there’s nowhere else for them to go. The upside is you won’t have to wave your hand around trying to get someone’s attention. What's good to eat? We would recommend the tasting menu, which felt fairly priced at €60 for lunch, considering there were three snacks, a lot of incredible bread, six courses, a pre-dessert and petit fours. There were twelve elements in total, and while we wouldn’t be spending €60 on lunch every week, it felt like good value. The first snack was disappointing – a parmesan gougère, which didn’t taste of much – but the following two were very good. Foie gras sandwiched between two crisp pieces of tuile, and more crispiness in the form of chicken skin topped with taramasalata and seaweed. Not a combination we would have put together but it all worked. The bread selection must be one of the best in town and we gluttonously tried it all. We’re still dreaming about the parmesan and black olive bun, which was like a savoury version of a cinnabon in the best possible way. Butter is from Abernethy and we had to restrain ourselves from eating it by the spoon. The tasting menu changes daily, but high points for us were curried cauliflower with crispy ham hock, and rabbit with carrots, grapes and tarragon. Rabbit came in the form of an incredibly tender, skilfully cooked loin (no mean feat for such a lean meat), a pastilla (deep-fried pastry) and a teeny tiny, totally delicious rabbit rack, which we didn’t even know was a thing. There were also a couple of brightly coloured splodges of sauce on the plate which didn’t really add anything and we felt unnecessarily complicated things. We were less keen on the brill with beetroot, cucumber and anchovy, the brill being the weakest part of the dish. The chewy, sweet beetroot, which had been dehydrated then rehydrated was the high point and we think they should start selling it in bags to go. A pre-dessert of cardamom panacotta with mandarin granita and Thai basil didn’t taste much of cardamom but was delicious nonetheless and nicely refreshing after the array of flavours that came before it. The main act of grapefruit, white chocolate and lime mascarpone was really beautiful, delicate but full of flavour, nicely balanced between freshness and sweetness. The dark chocolate, sesame caramel petit fours are another item we think they should sell on the side. Crazy good. What about the drinks? As you would imagine, the wine list is extensive and excellently curated. Margins are a bit on the high side but no more than we would expect in a restaurant pitched at this level. There’s a nice selection by the glass and the sommelier recommended some good pairings, including a pitch-perfect German Riesling from Emrich Schönleber , a dry Pedro-Ximenez called Dos Claveles from Spanish producer Toro Albalá , and a really cracking Mencia from Raul Perez, also Spanish. And the service? Very professional but a little stiff at times – lots of ‘Ma’am’ and ‘Sir’ – which is great if that’s what you’re in the mood for. We were very thankful for head waiter Bill, formerly manager at Bastible , who was a breath of fresh air in a slightly nervous feeling room, cracking jokes throughout lunch and generally being an excellent addition to the experience. The verdict? Glovers Alley put themselves in the firing line by talking a big game pre-opening (although we have it on authority that Andy McFadden had very little to do with this) and some critics have been only too happy to take a shot. It’s not perfect yet, a couple of dishes didn’t wow, and it would be nice to see them relax into things a bit more, but there is some very skilful cooking happening here, in an ultra-luxurious room, and we would think zero chance of a bad service experience with a 5-star floor team led by GM Ed Jolliffe (ex- Chapter One ). They're not planning on sitting still any time soon and we would predict that it’s only going to get better over the coming months as things settle down and they find their comfort zone. Glovers Alley 127/128 St. Stephen's Green, Dublin 2 gloversalley.ie New Openings & Discoveries More >>

The third addition to Tang’s growing empire of feel good cafés, Tang say their aim is to make people happy with food, and if their pancakes, granola bowls and salad boxes exploding with colour don’t give you a lift, you might be dead inside. There’s a beautiful tree-shaded courtyard out front which is prime outdoor dining real estate, and plenty of inside seating too if the weather gods aren’t with you. Tang Cumberland Place Website tang.ie Address 2 Cumberland Street South, Fenian Street, Dublin 2 Good For Tag 1 Cuisine Tag 1 Once Over Read our Review >> The Story The third addition to Tang’s growing empire of feel good cafés, Tang say their aim is to make people happy with food, and if their pancakes, granola bowls and salad boxes exploding with colour don’t give you a lift, you might be dead inside. There’s a beautiful tree-shaded courtyard out front which is prime outdoor dining real estate, and plenty of inside seating too if the weather gods aren’t with you. Where It's At Nearby Locales Gloria Osteria Cantina Valentina D'Lepak Pera Borgo Amai by Viktor Kaizen Chubbys Badam Table 45 Comet Daruma Malahide Lena The Pig's Ear Notions @ Two Pups The Rooftop @ Anantara The Marker Sofra Little Geno's Mama Shee Nutbutter Smithfield Shaku Maku Mad Yolks Rathmines Una Choux Bakery Parnell Street Bakery

Middle-Eastern leaning Brother Hubbard opened in Ranelagh in 2022 and the southside suburb suddenly had a new must-visit for all day brunch, all week long. Breads, pastries, pickles, ferments & preserves are made in house, and they have an impressive list of suppliers for the rest. Brother Hubbard Ranelagh Website brotherhubbard.ie Address 27 Ranelagh, Dublin 6 Good For Tag 1 Cuisine Tag 1 Once Over Read our Review >> The Story Middle-Eastern leaning Brother Hubbard opened in Ranelagh in 2022 and the southside suburb suddenly had a new must-visit for all day brunch, all week long. Breads, pastries, pickles, ferments & preserves are made in house, and they have an impressive list of suppliers for the rest. Where It's At Nearby Locales Gloria Osteria Cantina Valentina D'Lepak Pera Borgo Amai by Viktor Kaizen Chubbys Badam Table 45 Comet Daruma Malahide Lena The Pig's Ear Notions @ Two Pups The Rooftop @ Anantara The Marker Sofra Little Geno's Mama Shee Nutbutter Smithfield Shaku Maku Mad Yolks Rathmines Una Choux Bakery Parnell Street Bakery

Ethically sourced food, elevated to new levels of deliciousness by their clever staff have had Dubliners converging en masse to Dublin 8 since The Fumbally opened in 2012. High ceilings, mish mashed furniture and a “let’s all be friends” vibe make it feel like you’re in someone’s living room, in the best possible way. The Fumbally Website thefumbally.ie Address Fumbally Lane, The Liberties, Dublin 8 Good For Tag 1 Cuisine Tag 1 Once Over Read our Review >> The Story Ethically sourced food, elevated to new levels of deliciousness by their clever staff have had Dubliners converging en masse to Dublin 8 since The Fumbally opened in 2012. High ceilings, mish mashed furniture and a “let’s all be friends” vibe make it feel like you’re in someone’s living room, in the best possible way. Where It's At Nearby Locales Gloria Osteria Cantina Valentina D'Lepak Pera Borgo Amai by Viktor Kaizen Chubbys Badam Table 45 Comet Daruma Malahide Lena The Pig's Ear Notions @ Two Pups The Rooftop @ Anantara The Marker Sofra Little Geno's Mama Shee Nutbutter Smithfield Shaku Maku Mad Yolks Rathmines Una Choux Bakery Parnell Street Bakery

There's more to Dublin's tourist-thronged mecca than sad stews and over-priced pints. Look around corners and you'll find fresh seafood, bangkok-level Thai food, and one of the city's best wine bars. Temple Bar Our Take There's more to Dublin's tourist-thronged mecca than sad stews and over-priced pints. Look around corners and you'll find fresh seafood, bangkok-level Thai food, and one of the city's best wine bars. Where to Eat Achara Daruma Eatokyo Temple Bar FX Buckley Crow Street Full Moon Lucky Tortoise Temple Bar Monty's of Kathmandu Pho Ta Piglet Rosa Madre Sano Temple Bar Saucy Cow Sweet Churro The Seafood Cafe Toca Tapioca

Neighbourhood café in the heart of Dublin 8, with all food made on site using seasonal, mostly organic ingredients, and a yoga studio on site. Their menu is all vegetarian with plenty of vegan options, so you can enjoy a plant-filled feast after you’ve worked through your sun salutations. Little Bird Website little-bird.ie Address 82 South Circular Road, Portobello, Dublin 8 Good For Tag 1 Cuisine Tag 1 Once Over Read our Review >> The Story Neighbourhood café in the heart of Dublin 8, with all food made on site using seasonal, mostly organic ingredients, and a yoga studio on site. Their menu is all vegetarian with plenty of vegan options, so you can enjoy a plant-filled feast after you’ve worked through your sun salutations. Where It's At Nearby Locales Gloria Osteria Cantina Valentina D'Lepak Pera Borgo Amai by Viktor Kaizen Chubbys Badam Table 45 Comet Daruma Malahide Lena The Pig's Ear Notions @ Two Pups The Rooftop @ Anantara The Marker Sofra Little Geno's Mama Shee Nutbutter Smithfield Shaku Maku Mad Yolks Rathmines Una Choux Bakery Parnell Street Bakery

The South-West suburbs of Dublin were never a stronghold for food in the past but that has started to change. With some great bakeries and breakfast options in D12 and a growing number of great ethnic restaurants in D24, the area is a wise choice for good value. West Dublin Our Take The South-West suburbs of Dublin were never a stronghold for food in the past but that has started to change. With some great bakeries and breakfast options in D12 and a growing number of great ethnic restaurants in D24, the area is a wise choice for good value. Where to Eat D'Lepak Kaizen Mama Shee Orani

Spanish sister restaurant to much-loved Etto, which opened at the end of 2018 to a glut of gushing reviews. Some of the best counter-dining in the city and all the Spanish favourites like padron peppers, tortilla and morcilla with quail eggs. Extensive list of wines and sherries. Uno Mas Website unomas.ie Address 6 Aungier Street, Dublin 2 Good For Tag 1 Cuisine Tag 1 Once Over Read our Review >> The Story Spanish sister restaurant to much-loved Etto, which opened at the end of 2018 to a glut of gushing reviews. Some of the best counter-dining in the city and all the Spanish favourites like padron peppers, tortilla and morcilla with quail eggs. Extensive list of wines and sherries. Where It's At Nearby Locales Gloria Osteria Cantina Valentina D'Lepak Pera Borgo Amai by Viktor Kaizen Chubbys Badam Table 45 Comet Daruma Malahide Lena The Pig's Ear Notions @ Two Pups The Rooftop @ Anantara The Marker Sofra Little Geno's Mama Shee Nutbutter Smithfield Shaku Maku Mad Yolks Rathmines Una Choux Bakery Parnell Street Bakery

Glovers Alley Website gloversalley.ie Address 127/128 St. Stephen's Green, Dublin 2 Good For Tag 1 Cuisine Tag 1 Once Over Read our Review >> The Story Where It's At Nearby Locales Gloria Osteria Cantina Valentina D'Lepak Pera Borgo Amai by Viktor Kaizen Chubbys Badam Table 45 Comet Daruma Malahide Lena The Pig's Ear Notions @ Two Pups The Rooftop @ Anantara The Marker Sofra Little Geno's Mama Shee Nutbutter Smithfield Shaku Maku Mad Yolks Rathmines Una Choux Bakery Parnell Street Bakery

Ruby Tuesday Jerk chicken & goat curry come to Dame Street Posted: 19 Feb 2019 Neighbourhood Neighborhood Name Address Restaurant Address Website Website Name Restaurant Info View the Listing >> Written by: Lisa Cope ! New Openings & Discoveries More >>

Madame Pho Website madamepho.ie Address Madame Pho, Exchequer Street, Dublin 2, Ireland Good For Tag 1 Cuisine Tag 1 Once Over Read our Review >> The Story Where It's At Nearby Locales Gloria Osteria Cantina Valentina D'Lepak Pera Borgo Amai by Viktor Kaizen Chubbys Badam Table 45 Comet Daruma Malahide Lena The Pig's Ear Notions @ Two Pups The Rooftop @ Anantara The Marker Sofra Little Geno's Mama Shee Nutbutter Smithfield Shaku Maku Mad Yolks Rathmines Una Choux Bakery Parnell Street Bakery

Some of Dublin's best burgers can be found in one of Ireland's most sustainable restaurants. Bujo take their planet commitments very seriously, only using renewable energy, ethically sourced meat and dairy from Irish farms, and eco-conscious packaging. It's the only burger restaurant in Ireland and the UK to have achieved a three-star rating from the Sustainable Restaurants Association, and with Gráinne O'Keefe (Mae) as culinary director, they're one of the city's top choices for feel-good fast food. Bujo Terenure Website bujo.ie Address BuJo Terenure, Terenure Road East, Terenure, Dublin 6, Ireland Good For Tag 1 Cuisine Tag 1 Once Over Read our Review >> The Story Some of Dublin's best burgers can be found in one of Ireland's most sustainable restaurants. Bujo take their planet commitments very seriously, only using renewable energy, ethically sourced meat and dairy from Irish farms, and eco-conscious packaging. It's the only burger restaurant in Ireland and the UK to have achieved a three-star rating from the Sustainable Restaurants Association, and with Gráinne O'Keefe (Mae) as culinary director, they're one of the city's top choices for feel-good fast food. Where It's At Nearby Locales Gloria Osteria Cantina Valentina D'Lepak Pera Borgo Amai by Viktor Kaizen Chubbys Badam Table 45 Comet Daruma Malahide Lena The Pig's Ear Notions @ Two Pups The Rooftop @ Anantara The Marker Sofra Little Geno's Mama Shee Nutbutter Smithfield Shaku Maku Mad Yolks Rathmines Una Choux Bakery Parnell Street Bakery

Vibrant, joy-inducing Middle Eastern food, whose flavours far surpass the very cheap prices. Shouk brought something to Drumcondra that it was desperately missing, and it's been packed every day since. The outdoor terrace at the back (covered in winter) is the place to be on a sunny day, and don't miss the arayes and the mezze. There's a wine list but you can also BYO. Shouk Website shouk.ie Address 40 Drumcondra Road Lower, Drumcondra, Dublin 9 Good For Tag 1 Cuisine Tag 1 Once Over Read our Review >> The Story Vibrant, joy-inducing Middle Eastern food, whose flavours far surpass the very cheap prices. Shouk brought something to Drumcondra that it was desperately missing, and it's been packed every day since. The outdoor terrace at the back (covered in winter) is the place to be on a sunny day, and don't miss the arayes and the mezze. There's a wine list but you can also BYO. Where It's At Nearby Locales Gloria Osteria Cantina Valentina D'Lepak Pera Borgo Amai by Viktor Kaizen Chubbys Badam Table 45 Comet Daruma Malahide Lena The Pig's Ear Notions @ Two Pups The Rooftop @ Anantara The Marker Sofra Little Geno's Mama Shee Nutbutter Smithfield Shaku Maku Mad Yolks Rathmines Una Choux Bakery Parnell Street Bakery

Little Dumpling Dublin gets a dedicated dumpling shop Posted: 28 Jan 2020 Neighbourhood Neighborhood Name Address Restaurant Address Website Website Name Restaurant Info View the Listing >> Written by: Lisa Cope What’s the story? In December, what had been Fudo Izakaya on Little Mary Street, reopened after a short and unsuccessful stint selling sushi, as dedicated dumpling shop Little Dumpling . Cautious excitement followed - we love dumplings but had been to Fudo and memories consist of every roll, whether it was meat, fish or fruit tasting the same. The stodge factor was high, the post-digestion was slow. Would this new concept from the somewhat secretive team behind several restaurants in the city be any better? Within weeks the praise was rolling in for the xiao long bao (soup dumplings), spicy prawn and fish egg wontons, and the dish throwing most of Dublin's food obsessed Insta heads into a spin - nutella dumplings. So dirty. So irresistible. So off we went. Where should we go for a drink first? Any time you're near Capel Street you would be doing yourself a disservice not to stop for a drink in Bar 1661 , Dave Mulligan's hypnotic cocktail bar on Green Street (below). Once there you will understand why they were named cocktail bar of the year at last year's Craft Cocktail Awards, despite only opening in April. Trying their signature Belfast coffee is non-negotiable, and they have the best obscure spirits list we've seen - including a very impressive array of mezcal, at even more impressive prices. If for any reason you're off the booze you can head to The Virgin Mary , Ireland's first non-alcoholic bar, or for cocktails, New Orleans inspired Krewe is getting a good name for their Louisiana Bowlers and Sazeracs. Where should we sit? Going off our visit on a Saturday at lunchtime you'll be lucky to get a seat, so will probably have to take what you're given. You may have to queue (but can book by calling the restaurant - advised), and there are tables for two and four, as well as a couple of window seats. It only seats around 20 and it's a squeeze, but most people will be in and out relatively fast. What's good to eat? In the interests of thorough research, and because there were five of us, we ordered the whole menu. If you can find four friends to go with we'd advise you do the same. There were no dud dumplings, but some were definitely more standout in terms of flavour than others. The xiao long bao, those elusive soup dumplings, are on the menu with Silver Hill roast duck and hoisin sauce, or Castletownbere crab and pork. For us the duck was the winner on flavour, with deeply savoury threads of saucy meat, but no soup. While the crab and pork had plenty of soup, but were more subtle on the flavour front. The chicken satay dumplings with fried peanuts and the beef dumplings with shallots and teriyaki sauce were both excellent, with scuffles over the beef in particular, and at €7 for six pieces (so just over €1 for each) really felt like fantastic value. The wrappers on the beef however were quite slippery and not sealed very well so they were hard to pick up. Probably (if unexpectedly) the dumplings that came out on top were the beetroot with prawn and crabmeat, which had perfect chewy wrappers, and a slightest earthiness from the beetroot up against the fishy richness of the prawn and crab. The spinach and wild mushroom dumplings also got the nods of approval, and it's nice to see vegetable based options that don't suffer on flavour. The other two dumplings are carrot and spicy kimchi (is there another type?), and spicy prawn and fish egg wontons with chilli sauce. Both good but slightly less memorable, although kimchi in dumplings is something we could get on board with. On the day we were there the only available sides were jasmine rice, kimchi and miso soup. Two mystery sides were crossed out in black - maybe they'll make an appearance again in the future. We loved the addition of edamame beans in the rice, and the kimchi had the crunchy/spicy balance licked. No complaints. Finally to the outlier, the Insta-dish, the caption grabber - Nutella dumplings with vanilla ice and mini marshmallows. We'll admit to one or two eye rolls when we saw these surface, but for whatever reason they just work. Go with it, live your life, order more than one portion. What about the drinks? Very basic - white or red wine with no information on what they are (presume the worst), prosecco (same), Krombacher or Heineken for beer, limited soft drinks and green tea. So many places miss the opportunity to put together an interesting, compact drinks list that will increase the per head spend and we will never understand it. And the service? The queueing system was non-existant, with no one coming out to give an idea of wait times or to take names. This meant everyone who newly turned up walked into the crammed restaurant first to see what was happening, and at times things got confusing (and a bit tense) as twos who had just arrived were seated ahead of threes and fours in the queue. A little communication would have gone a long way. Once inside staff couldn't have been nicer, and they did take a portion of nutella dumplings off the bill to apologise for the wait. They did however bring almost every dish at the same time - a pet peeve of ours - meaning half of it was cold by the time we got around to eating it. Next time we would order two or three plates at a time. The verdict? Little dumpling is a solid addition to Dublin's food scene and our first dedicated dumpling shop. It's tasty, fast and cheap, and while we're not going to say it'll change your life, we're glad it's there and would happily return. We're very much in favour of anywhere putting suppliers like Silver Hill duck and Wright's seafood on the menu, and hope the team continue to innovate and perfect the menu over the coming months. Judging by the current buzz it will be jammed regardless. Little Dumpling 28 Mary Street Little, Dublin 7 littledumpling.ie New Openings & Discoveries More >>

Volpe Nera Barry sun's stunner in the suburbs Posted: 21 Jul 2020 Neighbourhood Neighborhood Name Address Restaurant Address Website Website Name Restaurant Info View the Listing >> Written by: Lisa Cope What’s the story? When news broke last November that Etto head chef Barry Sun was departing stage left, it was met with shock and surprise from the industry and the Merrion Row restaurant's regulars, but it was short-lived once it transpired that he was opening his own place in Blackrock. We weren't sure what to expect from his first solo outing - Etto's food is somewhere between Irish and Italian, something Sun clearly excels at, but being originally from China would we see more Asian influences when he went it alone? The original menu looked very much in tune with Etto's Mediterranean sensibility, with a couple of well-placed Asian touches, like oysters with chilli oil and mushroom dumplings in an aged soya broth, and after a PR-fuelled blaze of publicity the critics descended one after the other. Reports were glowing, locals were flocking, and all was right with the restaurant world. Then 'you know what' happened (cue: Doomsday music). They were quick to launch Volpe Nera at home, which was one of our favourite lockdown food experiences , so we knew where we were heading once restaurants reopened. Where should we sit? Originally the restaurant was a 50-seater spread over two floors, with table and bar seating, but some of the tables have been taken out and the bar seating is now gone, so we'd estimate it to be more of a 28-30 seater. Both floors feel snug and intimate, and though the grey palette probably won't be to everyone's taste, we found it quite calming. There's slightly more action downstairs where you can see into the kitchen each time the door opens, but upstairs feels a bit more private if you want to have a 'D and M'. What's the food like? If you love Etto (does anyone not love Etto?) you'll love Volpe Nera, as the underlying sensibility around ingredients and how they're put together (with taste as the number one priority) is very similar. There are lots of familiar looking dishes on the menu, so much like Mamó felt like Etto by the sea, Volpe Nera feels like Etto in the suburbs - and there are few greater compliments. Our favourite menus start with snacks (any excuse to order more food) and there's five to choose from here, including bread and cep mushroom butter ( we had it , you need to), oysters, smoked almonds and olives. We went for the salted hake and preserved lemon croquettes (is there a more perfect summer snack?) and the unusual sounding Ossocollo Reale al Brulé, which is a type of cured meat made from the neck of the pig. A light hand with a little olive oil and lemon dressing took the delicate, silky meat to the next level, with the house pickles ideal for cutting through the fat. We're not sure what they did to make the chargrilled crostini with olive oil taste so much better than any other chargrilled bread we've had before, but we've made it our mission to find out. The stracciatella in Etto has always been a city benchmark for how the Italian soft, stringy cheese should taste, so we couldn't resist it on the menu here. Sun serves his with in-season tomatoes, including a slice of pineapple tomato underneath, basil (fresh and oil), balsamic pearls and crunchy discs of bread, and it's about as perfect a summer plate of food as you can imagine. There's a new stracciatella contender in town. Our other starter has become something of a Volpe Nera signature (read: take it off the menu at your peril lads), and is the main dish showing Sun's Chinese background (we're quietly hopeful there will be more from this canon over time). Handmade mushroom dumplings come in an aged soya broth with pickled fennel and lovage, and if you're a fan of umami in high doses, this needs to go on your must-try list. You'll be tasting it for days afterwards. For mains we'd been ooohing over the spinach and ricotta malfatti (dumplings, whose name means 'badly formed') in various incarnations since the opening menu, and on the night we were there it came with confit egg yolk, courgette gremolata, pine nuts and sage. It lived up to its billing, and while the dumplings are dense, the vinegary diced courgette, crunchy pine nuts and silky egg yolk made this dish worth the months of waiting and thinking about it. Our other main was sucking pig with morcilla, braised endive and romesco, and while meat and veg dishes can all too often be all too boring, this was in a league of its own. If we could cook pork like this at home - pink and perfectly tender - we might never go out again, with the vegetables just cooked, and the morcilla and smoky, nutty romesco adding welcome interest to the plate. Desserts were enjoyable but slightly less exciting than what had come before. A Granny Smith sponge came with dehydrated apple slices and Calvados ice-cream, and another of poached peach came with roast white chocolate, pistachio and PX sherry. They were both perfectly nice dishes, but you get the feeling that this chef's passion lies more in savoury than in sweet. What about the drinks? The pre-dinner drinks list is excellent, which is a good thing as you won't be going to a pub beforehand. Vermouth and soda, white port and tonic and five different types of sherry all feature, as well as Bellinis and Kir Royales. The wine list is very nicely curated with plenty we wanted to drink on there, like Blankbottle's Moment of Silence, Rijckaert's Jura Savagnin, and Raul Perez' Ultreia St Jacques Mencia, but we would have liked to see a few more interesting options by the glass - presumably they're catering for the local market. We tried the Saint-Veran Chardonnay from Domaine Simonin and the Albarino from Bodegas Alto De Torono, and both were lovely - the Saint-Veran in particular was dynamite with the cured meat and pickles at the start. They also serve Fritz-Muller's very drinkable non-alcoholic Riesling if you're driving from across the city and don't want to be left out. And the service? Staff were all masked, but it had no bearing on their warmth and hospitality, and it's amazing how quickly you forget about them. The lack of loud music probably helped too, as we had no difficulty hearing anyone or communicating back and forth. Food was perfectly paced and we never felt in a rush to move (although presumably if there had been someone waiting for our table we would have known about it). This feels like an operation that's very much together, and when a waitress mortifyingly managed to drop a load of plates on the floor, it was met with humour and sympathy as opposed to any type of scolding. The verdict? Stick Volpe Nera on your bucket list, and make it a point to get here fast. The city is in a very strange place right now, and while the suburbs may appear to be holding up better than the city centre, this is exactly the type of place we want to survive the coming months and spiral ever upwards once things (eventually) get back to normal. We are eminently envious of anyone who has this as their new neighbourhood restaurant, but it's one of those rare ones which makes driving from the other side of the city completely worth the effort. Volpe Nera 22 Newtown Park, Newtownpark, Blackrock, Co. Dublin volpenera.ie New Openings & Discoveries More >>

John Farrell’s modern Mexican 777 opened in 2012 and is still as heaving as ever, thanks to innovative, ever-changing small plates and excellent margaritas. Sunday is the best day to visit when selected dishes are €7.77, and the covid born 'Afuera' area out the back is now a permanent fixture. They only take bookings for more than six people. 777 Website 777.ie Address Unit 7, Castle House, South Great George’s Street, Dublin 2 Good For Tag 1 Cuisine Tag 1 Once Over Read our Review >> The Story John Farrell’s modern Mexican 777 opened in 2012 and is still as heaving as ever, thanks to innovative, ever-changing small plates and excellent margaritas. Sunday is the best day to visit when selected dishes are €7.77, and the covid born 'Afuera' area out the back is now a permanent fixture. They only take bookings for more than six people. Where It's At Nearby Locales Gloria Osteria Cantina Valentina D'Lepak Pera Borgo Amai by Viktor Kaizen Chubbys Badam Table 45 Comet Daruma Malahide Lena The Pig's Ear Notions @ Two Pups The Rooftop @ Anantara The Marker Sofra Little Geno's Mama Shee Nutbutter Smithfield Shaku Maku Mad Yolks Rathmines Una Choux Bakery Parnell Street Bakery

This 14-seater Indian/Nepalese under a bridge in Clontarf was one of our favourite finds of 2025. It feels like being invited to someone’s house for dinner, who’s cooked every ounce of your meal from scratch, grinding spices and kneading naan. Badam’s food is alive with flavour, and they do takeaway at a reduced price if you want to try it at home. Badam Website badam.ie Address Badam Indian and Nepalese Cuisine, Howth Road, Clontarf West, Dublin 3, Ireland Good For Tag 1 Cuisine Tag 1 Once Over Read our Review >> The Story This 14-seater Indian/Nepalese under a bridge in Clontarf was one of our favourite finds of 2025. It feels like being invited to someone’s house for dinner, who’s cooked every ounce of your meal from scratch, grinding spices and kneading naan. Badam’s food is alive with flavour, and they do takeaway at a reduced price if you want to try it at home. Where It's At Nearby Locales Gloria Osteria Cantina Valentina D'Lepak Pera Borgo Amai by Viktor Kaizen Chubbys Badam Table 45 Comet Daruma Malahide Lena The Pig's Ear Notions @ Two Pups The Rooftop @ Anantara The Marker Sofra Little Geno's Mama Shee Nutbutter Smithfield Shaku Maku Mad Yolks Rathmines Una Choux Bakery Parnell Street Bakery

One of the best places for dim sum in Dublin, with prices that make it accessible any day of the week. They have an à la carte mainly Cantonese menu too, but the dim sum is what most people come for. Don’t miss the mince pork crystal dumplings, stir-fried mooli cake and the BBQ pork rice noodle rolls. Ka Shing Website ka-shing.site Address 12A Wicklow Street, Dublin 2 Good For Tag 1 Cuisine Tag 1 Once Over Read our Review >> The Story One of the best places for dim sum in Dublin, with prices that make it accessible any day of the week. They have an à la carte mainly Cantonese menu too, but the dim sum is what most people come for. Don’t miss the mince pork crystal dumplings, stir-fried mooli cake and the BBQ pork rice noodle rolls. Where It's At Nearby Locales Gloria Osteria Cantina Valentina D'Lepak Pera Borgo Amai by Viktor Kaizen Chubbys Badam Table 45 Comet Daruma Malahide Lena The Pig's Ear Notions @ Two Pups The Rooftop @ Anantara The Marker Sofra Little Geno's Mama Shee Nutbutter Smithfield Shaku Maku Mad Yolks Rathmines Una Choux Bakery Parnell Street Bakery

Ristorante Romano Old-school Italian that's so satisfying Posted: 18 Apr 2018 Neighbourhood Neighborhood Name Address Restaurant Address Website Website Name Restaurant Info View the Listing >> Written by: Lisa Cope What’s the story? Romano's has been on Capel Street (in its current form) since the 1980's, but you don't see much of it on social media, or hear it mentioned when people talk about the 'must-try' restaurants in Dublin. Until Tom Doorley reviewed it in the Daily Mail a few weeks ago we hadn't heard the name for a long time, but suddenly it seems to be having a revival, with people remembering how good it was. Armed with warnings that it might be more 'Irish-Italian' than nuanced Tuscan or Venetian, we went with empty stomachs, eager to taste some homemade egg pasta. Where’s good for a drink beforehand? Panti Bar is a few doors down if you feel like a Cosmopolitan and some Girls Aloud. For a pint, Slattery's , McNeill's or The Boar's Head are all good options on Capel Street. For wine your best bet is probably Bagots Hutton around the corner on Ormond Quay. What’s the room like? There's a fine line between unattractively old-fashioned and quaint, and Romano's is on the right side of it. It feels like stepping into one of those family-run Tavernas off a square in a little Italian town, when you know the room is exactly as it was 30 years ago. Paper napkins, paper tablecloths, candles dripping with wax, an electric fan on the counter - it all just screams holidays, and you forgive a lot on holidays. What's good to eat? The menu is pretty simple, which in this case made things easier. Starters of bruschetta and garlic bread (that non-Italian favourite) were both excellent, the bruschetta toppings fresh and flavoursome, and the generous, oozing garlic bread, the most comforting thing we've eaten in ages (maybe not one for first dates). Pasta is hand-made each day, and all three that we tried were hard to fault, with the fresh, perfectly chewy pasta the star of each dish. Spaghetti Bolognese was one of those rare examples that doesn't disappoint, the type you try to perfect at home by letting it simmer for 58 hours but it's still never quite as good as you wanted. This one is. Pasta Amatriciana with chilli and bacon was beautifully simple, with a really good tomato sauce, a generous amount of bacon and a perfectly balanced chilli kick. The standout dish, the one that's calling us back, was the pasta with prawns, garlic and basil. A dish of few ingredients but bags of flavour. The kind of simple perfection you might expect for dinner if you went to the house of an Italian friend who takes their food seriously. Pizza is the kind your Dad would like - thin and crispy with none of this sourdough, blistered-crust type nonsense. More Roman than Neapolitan, but there's definitely a place for thin-based pizza and the 'Romano's Special' was light, generous and highly enjoyable. There are places to go for more interesting toppings or fresh oregano rather than dried, but if you know what you're getting you won't be disappointed, because the food is just so satisfying. There's a bit of the Irish-Italian about it, but it reminded us of going to Italian restaurants as a child, being knocked out by the smell of garlic and thinking it was the best meal you'd ever had in your whole entire life and when can we go back please. Guttingly, the Tiramisu had sold out by the time we got to dessert. When we got there the place was full of people taking advantage of the ridiculously good value early-bird (€14.95 for three courses), and they'd nabbed it all - at least we know it's made fresh every morning. We tried the pavlova with fresh fruit instead, which was fine if forgettable, and another retro childhood throwback. That could be one of the reasons why we felt so warm and content all night - memories of happy times. What about the drinks? The most expensive wine on the list is €23, and you can get a 500ml carafe of house for €10, but like most things in life, you get what you pay for. Neither of the two whites we tried (both Trebbiano) were up to much (make sure they are very chilled, it helps), and the red, a Chianto Classico, was fine with food, less so without. We all had headaches the next day, which after 3 glasses of wine is not a good sign, and usually results from drinking more industrially made, mass produced wines. And the service? Very pleasant, but basic - no-one's going to offer you a taste of the wine to make sure it's not faulty. Saying that, we're pretty sure that if you did have a complaint it would be whipped away quick-smart. Romano himself was on the floor taking orders, and every other staff member we encountered had nothing but smiles and a helpful demeanour. Time ran away with us towards the end of the night, but rather than asking us to leave they just started hoovering around us, which seemed to further reinforce the feeling of being in a little Italian town rather than on Capel Street. The verdict? This is simple, incredibly comforting Italian food. Wild boar and truffles it is not, and some parts of the menu may be designed to appeal to the Irish palate (garlic bread, we're looking at you) rather than focusing on authentic Italian cooking, but the pasta is faultless and the flavours are big. We might not be picking it for a special occasion meal, but for something inexpensive that feels like a giant hug it's a very solid choice. So much focus these days goes into new openings and new, young chefs on the scene. It's nice to find someone who's been quietly doing the same things day in day out for years, and doing a great job of it. Just make sure you get a piece of that tiramisu before the early birds nab it all. Risorante Romano 12 Capel St, Dublin 1 ristoranteromano New Openings & Discoveries More >>

Assassination Custard Small, seasonal and perfectly formed Posted: 2 Aug 2018 Neighbourhood Neighborhood Name Address Restaurant Address Website Website Name Restaurant Info View the Listing >> Written by: Lisa Cope What’s the story? Ken Doherty and Gwen McGrath's tiny restaurant on Kevin Street in Dublin 8 is probably on the radar of most self-respecting Dublin foodies, but because they only open for lunch Tuesday - Friday we know just a handful of people who've managed to get there. The limited opening hours are to allow them to have a manageable family life and see their two children, but they do occasionally do pop-up dinners, like the one at Green Man Wines a few months ago which sold out almost as quickly as it was announced, and we hear you can book the space (and the chefs) for private parties in the evening. Both Ken and Gwen had worked in places before where produce is king (Good Things Café, Café Paradiso, Dax), and it's the same in Assassination Custard. Vegetables come from McNally Family Farm, with Ken himself often cycling to collect them, and meat is locally sourced. Offal appears regularly. A fter very complimentary reviews this year in the Irish Times and the Irish Examiner (and from everyone we know who's been there) we thought it was time for a midweek pilgrimage. What’s the room like? Teeny, with a max of 12 covers we're told (if even). There's one long rectangular table that fits three, and another round table where you can expect to sit with strangers, which is all part of the fun. We would definitely advise getting here as close to opening as possible, unless you're not in a rush. By 12:30 they were full with four people outside baying for seats. Despite this there's no feeling that they're trying to turn tables at lightning speed and the whole things is very relaxed, like having been invited into someone's kitchen who's going to make you the lunch of your life. What's good to eat? The hand-written menu changes daily depending on what produce they can get their hands on, but we'd be surprised to find a dud dish, and it always reflects what's in season. The panelle (pronounced pah-nell-eh) seem to be constant - savoury, salty slices of addictiveness made from chickpea flour before being deep-fried. It would be very easy to do a portion per person. From the other dishes on the menu that day we loved the fish pickle with homemade piccalilli, the oily tuna and anchovies lifted and balanced out by the vinegary pickle, which made for a perfect palate kickstarter, the juices mopped up with their chargrilled, homemade bread. We also loved the jalapeños with labneh, the thick, creamy yoghurt a perfect accompaniment to the charred, occasional fiery hot peppers (there's a bit of Russian roulette involved with the McNally jalapeños). A steaming bowl of chickpeas with sobrasada was so simple and so comforting, particularly on a cold, wet day in July (the return of the Irish summer), and is the kind of basic but brilliant dish that makes you pledge to start making it at home. Pointed cabbage with tahini sauce, Sichuan peppercorns and a dusting of curry powder was a deliciously brilliant example of what can be done when vegetables are put centre stage. The dessert option when we were there was flan covered in a thick caramel sauce, which tasted like the filling from the richest, densest cheesecake. They're famous for their "ugly but good" meringues with coriander and hazlenuts but they weren't on that day. If you see one, grab one. We ate most of the menu and the bill came to just over €40, which was really good value for food of this quality. What about the drinks? They only serve chilled tap water and coffee, but you can BYO for free. And the service? Wonderfully warm, almost like being entertained in someone's home. It's just Gwen and Ken, and they talk diners through the menu, making suggestions when asked and delivering the dishes to the table. There's a really intimate atmosphere because of the size and you get the feeling that nothing would be too much trouble. The verdict? A really special place for lunch that's well worth a midweek detour to Dublin 8. If you like eating with the seasons and food that comes from as close to the source as possible, you'll fall in love with Assassination Custard as soon as you walk through the door. If you can round up a gang of family and friends and take over the space for an evening, even better. That's something that's just gone to the top of our food-related wish list - although unsurprisingly we hear they're quite booked up for the next few months. Assassination Custard 19A Kevin Street Lower, Wood Quay, Dublin assassinationcustard New Openings & Discoveries More >>

Fellini's All about the pizza in Deansgrange Posted: 12 Nov 2019 Neighbourhood Neighborhood Name Address Restaurant Address Website Website Name Restaurant Info View the Listing >> Written by: Lisa Cope What’s the story? Let's get one thing off our chests. The only reason we made a pilgrimage to Fellini's in Deansgrange near Blackrock is because the anonymous ' Pizzas Of Dublin ' Instagram account said it was the best pizza they'd had in the city so far. If that's not enough to have us whipping out the phone to make a booking what is. Fellini's is very much under the radar when it comes to Dublin's restaurants. It seems like your typical neighbourhood Italian, and apart from one (albeit glowing) review from Lucinda O'Sullivan in the Sunday Independent in 2015, they haven't exactly managed to clock up the column inches since being opened by Emilia Macari and Paolo Di Adamo in 2014. We set off like voyagers to new lands, hoping for the discovery of a lifetime. Where should we go for a drink first? There's one pub nearby called The Grange which we did not frequent but looks like old-man central. Apart from that you're in between a pet shop and a car garage so it's not exactly rife for cocktails. Have a drink at home or wherever you're coming from. What's the room like? Compact and cosy with only 28 seats. Definitely make a booking as it fills up fast. It's not the most luxurious of surroundings, which means you're unlikely to settle in for the night, and that's probably how they want it. If you have a choice opt for a window table. You won't be looking at canals but still... What's good to eat? Clearly we were here for the pizza, but wanted to take the rest of the menu for a test drive too. We started with homemade arancini, and were pleasantly surprised at how good they were - perfect rice with a bite, oozing cheese and a crispy shell. We were expecting meat inside too, but then after two out of three had been eaten they brought a small plate of bolognese that they said should have come on the plate. It was bland and muted and didn't add anything to the dish, so it wasn't much of a loss. The garlic mayonnaise that came on the plate (however unorthodox) was better dipping foil. Bruschetta had good bread and olive oil but the hunt for ripe, sun-drenched tomatoes continues (they also needed salt), and if you're wondering where all the balsamic glaze from the 1990's went, they have it in Fellini's. We tried three pizzas, and left kicking ourselves for one of them not being a margherita. The base on all of them was perfect, expertly cooked, great crumb and good chew. For a more in depth analysis on topics including hydration see what Pizzas Of Dublin had to say here . The tartufato with mushrooms, truffle, sausage meat and parmesan had tonnes of well-married flavour but was very rich. One to share or take some home, or you might end up with the late night truffle sweats. The 'vegetariana' showed the quality of the bright tomato sauce and creamy mozzarella to full effect, hence post-eating margherita-missing regret, but at least we got some of our five-a-day. Then came the curveball. We'd ordered the 'Caprese DOC' thinking it would be similar to a margherita, but it was more like a flatbread with caprese salad on top. Once you get past the "where's my delicious tomato sauce and melty cheese!" shock and reframe your thinking, it was excellent. The tomatoes tasted riper than those on the bruschetta, the mozzarella was first rate and so was the olive oil drizzled over the top. And no balsamic glaze, winning. On a summer's day at an outside table this would be hard to beat. We tried a token pasta 'Norcina', with minced Italian sausage, tomato, cream and parmesan cheese, and while it was enjoyable (if again very heavy) it wouldn't be the thing drawing us back, and we imagine it wouldn't be too difficult to make something similar at home. There were other specials on the night which also sounded appealing, so if returning we'd be tempted to give those a try. Dessert of tiramisu was of the 'child-friendly' i.e. no alcohol variety, and was as good as any in this category we've tried. Properly soaked sponge, creamy and chocolatey, but we do miss the Marsala in these teetotal versions. Another dessert of canoli, tube shaped shells of fried pastry dough filled with sweetened mascarpone cheese, was slightly less successful. The tubes had either been pre-filled (a cardinal mistake) or weren't fresh enough, and lacked the essential crispness that make canoli so addictive. The best we've had here are found in Dolce Sicily if you want to try the real deal - but always ask for one to be filled fresh when you order. What about the drinks? The wine list is mostly suburban central but there are some very respectable bottles on there so you won't be stuck for something to drink, and the prices are the type rarely found on wine lists these days. We drank a very acceptable catarratto for under €25, and also tried a glass of nero d'avola. Both tasted like really good house wine, with prices to match. A limoncello brought with the bill was a lovely touch, but it wasn't cold enough, which made drinking it more of a hardship than it should have been. And the service? Lovely. Polite, welcoming, helpful. Couldn't fault it. The verdict? Italian food is still an Irish favourite judging by our mailboxes and the amount of message that come in looking for recommendations for "a nice Italian". Fellini's is a nice, neighbourhood Italian, and while there are more exciting places to eat regional Italian food in the city (who threw the balsamic glaze in the bin long ago), they have the pizza nailed. For this and a bottle of decent Nebbiolo or Etna Rosso we'd be back. Fellini's 35 Dean's Grange Road, Kill of the Grange, Blackrock, Co. Dublin fellinisdublin.com New Openings & Discoveries More >>

This ultra-charming Brazilian café in Temple Bar is like a chink of sunlight in a land of twee music and over-priced pints. Run by an Irish/Brazilian couple, you’ll find chewy tapioca wraps filled with Brazilian sausage and Irish cheese, bright and beautiful açaí bowls, and Brazilian snacks like pão de queijo and chicken coxinhas, all delivered by beaming staff who make you feel like you’re being welcomed into their home. The homemade cakes and multi-flavoured brigadeiros are a reason to visit on their own. Toca Tapioca Website tocatapioca.com Address 49 Fleet Street, Temple Bar, Dublin 2 Good For Tag 1 Cuisine Tag 1 Once Over Read our Review >> The Story This ultra-charming Brazilian café in Temple Bar is like a chink of sunlight in a land of twee music and over-priced pints. Run by an Irish/Brazilian couple, you’ll find chewy tapioca wraps filled with Brazilian sausage and Irish cheese, bright and beautiful açaí bowls, and Brazilian snacks like pão de queijo and chicken coxinhas, all delivered by beaming staff who make you feel like you’re being welcomed into their home. The homemade cakes and multi-flavoured brigadeiros are a reason to visit on their own. Where It's At Nearby Locales Gloria Osteria Cantina Valentina D'Lepak Pera Borgo Amai by Viktor Kaizen Chubbys Badam Table 45 Comet Daruma Malahide Lena The Pig's Ear Notions @ Two Pups The Rooftop @ Anantara The Marker Sofra Little Geno's Mama Shee Nutbutter Smithfield Shaku Maku Mad Yolks Rathmines Una Choux Bakery Parnell Street Bakery