Search Results

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

Brazilian food get a fine dining showcase at this elegant first floor restaurant adorned with Brazilian artwork, facing The Westbury Hotel. Chef Viktor Silva takes every day dishes and ingredients and presents them in beautiful, fascinating ways during the course of his no-choice tasting menu, and while there might be a lot going on, it never feels like too much. Staff pride themselves on their welcome and hospitality, and a Caipirinha is a must order. Amai by Viktor Website amaibyviktor.ie Address Amai by Viktor, Harry Street, Dublin 2, Ireland Good For Tag 1 Cuisine Tag 1 Once Over Read our Review >> The Story Brazilian food get a fine dining showcase at this elegant first floor restaurant adorned with Brazilian artwork, facing The Westbury Hotel. Chef Viktor Silva takes every day dishes and ingredients and presents them in beautiful, fascinating ways during the course of his no-choice tasting menu, and while there might be a lot going on, it never feels like too much. Staff pride themselves on their welcome and hospitality, and a Caipirinha is a must order. Where It's At Nearby Locales Mongoose Chongqing Hot Pot Boco Clontarf Bell Pesto Bang 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

Nomo owner and chef Kevin Hughes is a self-confessed ramen obsessive. He trained and worked in China before moving to Dublin and getting sucked into the tech world, and spent five years travelling and perfecting his ramen before unleashing it on Dublin. Noodles come from the US from the same supplier as Momofuku and Ivan Ramen in New York, and bowls are on the simpler side, but with layers of flavour. Nomo Ramen Website nomoramen.ie Address 4 Harcourt Hall, Charlotte Way, Dublin 2 Good For Tag 1 Cuisine Tag 1 Once Over Read our Review >> The Story Nomo owner and chef Kevin Hughes is a self-confessed ramen obsessive. He trained and worked in China before moving to Dublin and getting sucked into the tech world, and spent five years travelling and perfecting his ramen before unleashing it on Dublin. Noodles come from the US from the same supplier as Momofuku and Ivan Ramen in New York, and bowls are on the simpler side, but with layers of flavour. Where It's At Nearby Locales Mongoose Chongqing Hot Pot Boco Clontarf Bell Pesto Bang 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

One of the more authentic Chinese restaurants in the city, with a focus on dishes from the Szechuan province. All the reliables are there, but steer away towards the chef's recommendations for the real deal, like sliced whelk with scallions and soft shell crab in egg yolk batter. The green beans are one of the city's must-try dishes, as are the homemade dumplings and the deep-fried seabass. M and L Chinese Website mlchineserestaurant.com Address 13/14 Cathedral Street, Dublin 1 Good For Tag 1 Cuisine Tag 1 Once Over Read our Review >> The Story One of the more authentic Chinese restaurants in the city, with a focus on dishes from the Szechuan province. All the reliables are there, but steer away towards the chef's recommendations for the real deal, like sliced whelk with scallions and soft shell crab in egg yolk batter. The green beans are one of the city's must-try dishes, as are the homemade dumplings and the deep-fried seabass. Where It's At Nearby Locales Mongoose Chongqing Hot Pot Boco Clontarf Bell Pesto Bang 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

Another café-turns-evening wine bar from the team at Dublin 8's Two Pups, with a menu of spirited small plates that triumph on seasonality, colour and flavour. Irish produce is used to full affect with their treatment of vegetables a highlight, and the short but effective menu could be mostly covered between two. A colourful natural wine list, smiley staff and outdoor tables complete the perfect wine bar circle. Notions @ Two Pups Website instagram/twopupsgetsnotions Address Notions, Francis Street, The Liberties, Dublin, Ireland Good For Tag 1 Cuisine Tag 1 Once Over Read our Review >> The Story Another café-turns-evening wine bar from the team at Dublin 8's Two Pups, with a menu of spirited small plates that triumph on seasonality, colour and flavour. Irish produce is used to full affect with their treatment of vegetables a highlight, and the short but effective menu could be mostly covered between two. A colourful natural wine list, smiley staff and outdoor tables complete the perfect wine bar circle. Where It's At Nearby Locales Mongoose Chongqing Hot Pot Boco Clontarf Bell Pesto Bang 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

Honey Honey has been thronged from the day they opened in 2018 with locals, visitors and passing cyclists queuing up for specialty coffee, granola bowls and warm sausage rolls. It filled a much needed gap in the area for a quality café, and expect to wait for one of their in demand tables. Honey Honey Website honeyhoneycafe.com Address Strand Road, Burrow, Portmarnock, Co. Dublin Good For Tag 1 Cuisine Tag 1 Once Over Read our Review >> The Story Honey Honey has been thronged from the day they opened in 2018 with locals, visitors and passing cyclists queuing up for specialty coffee, granola bowls and warm sausage rolls. It filled a much needed gap in the area for a quality café, and expect to wait for one of their in demand tables. Where It's At Nearby Locales Mongoose Chongqing Hot Pot Boco Clontarf Bell Pesto Bang 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

Chef Niall Davidson's nomadic restaurant finally settled down in Grand Canal Dock in 2024, with an à la carte menu of the country's finest meat, fish, vegetables and more, cooked in surprising, inventive ways. Industrial space with seating at low tables, the kitchen table or the bar. Allta Website allta.ie Address allta, Three Locks Square, Grand Canal Dock, Dublin, Ireland Good For Tag 1 Cuisine Tag 1 Once Over Read our Review >> The Story Chef Niall Davidson's nomadic restaurant finally settled down in Grand Canal Dock in 2024, with an à la carte menu of the country's finest meat, fish, vegetables and more, cooked in surprising, inventive ways. Industrial space with seating at low tables, the kitchen table or the bar. Where It's At Nearby Locales Mongoose Chongqing Hot Pot Boco Clontarf Bell Pesto Bang 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

Biang Biang Hand-pulled noodles and refreshing Liang Pi are going to have the crowds queuing before long Posted: 30 Apr 2024 Neighbourhood Neighborhood Name Address Restaurant Address Website Website Name Restaurant Info View the Listing >> Written by: Lisa Cope What should we know about Biang Biang? Biang Biang is the newest restaurant from the guys who brought us Hakkahan , Nan Chinese , Bullet Duck & Dumplings and Little Dumpling . The Chinese/Irish owners are good at spotting gaps in the food market, with Nan Ireland’s first (and currently only) place to eat Huaiyang cuisine, Bullet Duck one of the only places in the city serving Chinese roast meats, and the tiny Sichuan-serving Hakkahan in Stoneybatter perennially bursting out onto the street with hungry customers. Biang Biang is all about th e food of the Shaanxi Province in Northern China and its capital Xi'an, a cuisine heavy on noodles and strong, savoury flavours. Having been introduced to the complex, "one serving is never enough" flavours i n Guirong Wei's Xi'an restaurants in London ( Xi'an Impression , Master Wei and Dream Xi'an ), it's long been a source of culinary agony that we didn't have our own sanctum for Liang Pi, beef biang biang noodles, and hand-pulled fried noodles with lamb, so we were always going to be straight in here with wide eyes and empty tummies. ( In case you're wondering, we were also straight into Xian Street Food , but when the Liang Pi arrived missing the all important steamed gluten/kaofu we were out. Incidentally they took a trademark case against Biang Biang which was initially supposed to be called Meet Xian, saying it would be confusing to customers. Incredibly they won, even though it's the equivalent of two restaurants with the word 'Rome' or 'Venice' in their name ). Where should we sit? It's a petite space with just five tables of four, and you might have to share with strangers if it's busy. There's bench seating on the right, and parents take note - as you walk in, the table right in front of you on the left has a perfect space just inside the door for a buggy. What's on the menu? It's nice and compact - just the way we like it (when it delivers). There are four sections - "Roujiamo" Chinese hamburger, "Liang Pi" cold skin noodles, handmade dumplings, and Biang Biang hand-pulled noodles. You're going to want to try it all, which you can easily do between two, but a table of four will allow you to try more combinations. The Roujiamo (meaning meat in a bun) is a flatbread which has been cooked then sliced open and filled with either pulled pork or beef (€6.50). It's not a weighty portion, but it packs plenty of flavour in the chewy crust and sweet pork filling. We recommend lathering on the chilli oil for an extra flavour punch. You'll never forget your first taste of really good Liang Pi, a refreshing, cold, slippery, tangy, spicy noodle dish, and are likely to spend the rest of your days trying to get that flavour high again. The springy, elastic noodles are made by washing the starch off basic white dough, then steaming the starchy water and chopping it up to make noodles (there's a good video of the noodle part here ). The remaining stretchy gluten (basically seitan or kaofu) is then steamed and served on top along with cucumber, bamboo shoots, and a sauce made from chilli oil, black rice vinegar, soy and other kitchen specific flavourings. It's made to be slurped and if you don't wear a bib, you're likely to leave covered in it. We coincidentally ended up in Dream Xi'an in London two days after eating here, and in a tale of two Liang Pis, there's very little in it. With a dumpling specific restaurant in their stable, these guys always deliver, and the choice here is between beef, chicken or vegetable, either doused in chilli oil or in a hot and sour soup. Dumpling skins are fat, chewy and slightly uneven – the type that can only be achieved by hand-rolling and wrapping, not factory line precision. The beef filling is rich and savoury, with just the right amount of chilli oil, soy and spring onions to bathe in, and six for €9 felt generous (not a word we're using much of these days while eating out). Biang Biang noodles get their name from the sound the dough makes as it’s slapped down on the counter while being stretched into fat, flat noodles. We ordered ours with minced pork (there's also diced pork, beef short rib and veggie options), and they’re another star of the show here, as good as Guwron Wei’s in London. The only thing we didn’t get was the tiny diced potato and carrot, which had the appearance of frozen veg, and added nothing in terms of texture to the dish. There’s a tomato and egg version that we were considering, but after Katy McGuinness said most of her table found them "challenging" and that they were nowhere near as good as she was hoping, we're glad we swerved. Do they do dessert? They do not, but if you're there at lunchtime you can pop a few doors down to Café Lisboa for a Portugese custard tart as good as any in Lisbon. If you have a post-dinner sweet tooth, Ayla Turkish Foods on Capel Street is open until 20:00 and does the best baklava, as well as a large range of Turkish delight. What about drinks? Functional at best, with soft drinks, house prosecco, white and red wine (nondescript Sauvignon Blanc and Merlot), Tsing Tao and Sierra Nevada for beer, and the most interesting option an NA grapefruit IPA from Norwegian brewery Lervig. We wouldn't plan on hanging around post food, and if you're looking for something more exciting, the brilliant Bar 1661 is just around the corner to fulfill all of your cocktail dreams. For a traditional boozer, you can't beat McNeill's , especially if there's a trad session going. (Bar 1661) How was the service? Extremely nice, with the sole server keeping a watchful eye over everyone, happy to point out his favourite dishes and answer any questions with a smile. The food all came when it was ready, and everything was on the table within 10-15 minutes of ordering. What was the damage? €37 for a very filling meal for two, with tap water. Bianging value (sorry). What's the verdict? Rejoice. FINALLY Dublin has Xi'an food we would have previously gotten on a plane for. It's a great day for the parish, and all the food adventurers out there wanting something new to introduce their taste buds to. Our only caveat is that this is not the most elegant food to eat (see above), and you'll be so excited digging into it that you're likely to end up with a face that's been slapped by noodles and spattered with chilli oil. You may want to avoid for a first date or business meeting, but otherwise go quick before the buzz really builds. New Openings & Discoveries More >>

South Dublin on the sea has plenty of options to keep you happy after a swim or stroll through the character-filled villages of Blackrock and Monkstown. From market stalls to Michelin stars, fresh pasta to French fine dining. Blackrock - Monkstown - Mount Merrion Our Take South Dublin on the sea has plenty of options to keep you happy after a swim or stroll through the character-filled villages of Blackrock and Monkstown. From market stalls to Michelin stars, fresh pasta to French fine dining. Where to Eat 3 Leaves Big Mike's Bresson Camerino Bakery Fable and Stey Fellini's Hatch Coffee Blackrock Liath Little Forest Lobstar Ruchii September That's Amore Volpe Nera

Family run, Argentinean café in Portobello, with steak and chimichurri, choripan and dulce de leche pancakes on the menu. The letters in ALMA stand for the initials of the four daughters in the family, who help run it alongside parents Alejandro and Lucrecia. Weekend brunch queues have been the norm since soon after opening, and the iced dulce de leche lattés should not be missed. Alma Website alma.ie Address Alma, Curzon Street, Portobello, Dublin 8, Ireland Good For Tag 1 Cuisine Tag 1 Once Over Read our Review >> The Story Family run, Argentinean café in Portobello, with steak and chimichurri, choripan and dulce de leche pancakes on the menu. The letters in ALMA stand for the initials of the four daughters in the family, who help run it alongside parents Alejandro and Lucrecia. Weekend brunch queues have been the norm since soon after opening, and the iced dulce de leche lattés should not be missed. Where It's At Nearby Locales Mongoose Chongqing Hot Pot Boco Clontarf Bell Pesto Bang 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

NYC-style pizza slice shop with triangular and square slices, gigantic 20" whole pies, and a small, well-chosen drinks selection. The ricotta is housemade, the sausage comes from Andarl Farm pigs, and greens come from McNally Farm in North Dublin. Bambino Website bmbno.ie Address 37 Stephen Street, Dublin 2 Good For Tag 1 Cuisine Tag 1 Once Over Read our Review >> The Story NYC-style pizza slice shop with triangular and square slices, gigantic 20" whole pies, and a small, well-chosen drinks selection. The ricotta is housemade, the sausage comes from Andarl Farm pigs, and greens come from McNally Farm in North Dublin. Where It's At Nearby Locales Mongoose Chongqing Hot Pot Boco Clontarf Bell Pesto Bang 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

Dalkey's much-loved wine shop has a restaurant in the back, and outdoor seating when the sun shines. The menu is a catch all of things like pasta, burgers and seafood, but the stars are on the shelves. Pick from an ever-interesting wine list, or pluck a bottle from the shop and pay corkage. Grapevine Website onthegrapevine.ie Address 26 Castle Street, Dalkey, Co. Dublin Good For Tag 1 Cuisine Tag 1 Once Over Read our Review >> The Story Dalkey's much-loved wine shop has a restaurant in the back, and outdoor seating when the sun shines. The menu is a catch all of things like pasta, burgers and seafood, but the stars are on the shelves. Pick from an ever-interesting wine list, or pluck a bottle from the shop and pay corkage. Where It's At Nearby Locales Mongoose Chongqing Hot Pot Boco Clontarf Bell Pesto Bang 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

Mad Yolks The expert egg slingers come to Smithfield Posted: 20 Apr 2022 Neighbourhood Neighborhood Name Address Restaurant Address Website Website Name Restaurant Info View the Listing >> Written by: Lisa Cope What’s the story? We have a serious soft spot for those people doing one thing and doing it really well - what food writers Sally & John McKenna recently called " micro-specific cooking ". Who wants to be faced with a menu spanning five countries, numerous "global influences", and 30 different dishes? Never, ever us. So Mad Yolks , whole sole reason for opening their doors each day is egg sandwiches, appeals to the tortured part of our brain that struggles with menu decisions - food envy and ordering regret are all too real. Dublin brothers Hugh and Eoin O'Reilly started " slinging out some of the finest eggs known to man " in 2018, operating out of a food truck at festivals and markets . Since then they've had various pop-up homes including The Fourth Corner in Dublin 8, and Eagle House in Glasthule , but they were always on the lookout for a place to call home, and in January they announced they'd found it, in Smithfield Square. At the start of March the doors officially opened, and Dublin had itself a new brunch spot (and don't we need more of those). Where should we sit? It's a bit of a canteen vibe, clearly meant for quick eating, and you can pick between counter seats, low tables, or a couple of outdoor tables, which will be prime brunch real estate over summer. They could really do with getting a few more of them, because an egg sandwich has never tasted as good as when the sun's shining down on it. What's the food like? First and most importantly, the eggs are free-range - currently from Ballon in Carlow - otherwise the appeal factor would have dropped to a solid zero. The menu features five egg sandwiches, a burger and a veggie burger (both with eggs too), as well as sides including nachos, halloumi fries and hash browns. We'd seen their nachos con carnage on the 'gram and thought about little else for the week, so were very pleased to be acquainted in person. Crunchy nachos, nicely flavoured chile con carne, melted cheese, the most perfectly fried egg, sriracha mayo, chillies and spring onions would do much to help a Sunday morning hangover. It's also a nicely petite portion in comparison to the mounds of muck seen in bars / themed eateries / Italian restaurants across the city, so you can easily justify it as a side for one. Halloumi fries were lightly breaded, fried until just golden, and had the texture of cheesy marshmallows - not a squeak in sight. The harissa mayo was lovely and lemony, with the tiniest kick of spice, and was a nicely lively accompaniment for dipping We looooove a hash brown so were gutted that they didn't have either the regular or smokin' versions when we visited, and we can't even find a picture of them online, so if you go and have them please send us a pic so we can see what we missed. Then onto the reason why we were here, the egg sandwiches. We tried the classic 'Mad Yolk', the 'Fresh Yolk' and the 'Bad Yolk'. They all come on toasted brioche, and the Mad Yolk is the only one with scrambled eggs, the rest have fried. That scrambled egg is cooked with fresh chilli & chives, and topped with caramelised onion, applewood cheddar, rocket & sriracha mayo, and it held together remarkably well, despite the eggs not being remotely overcooked. They clearly have this down to a fine art, and an Egg McMuffin ain't got nothing on it. Next the 'Fresh Yolk', and possibly our favourite, with two fried eggs (yolks still beautifully oozy), avocado, feta cheese, chilli flakes, rocket & dijionnaise. Mustard/mayo combinations always conjure up great burger memories, and with the buttery avocado, tangy feta and peppery rocket, it was about as fresh tasting as fried eggs on brioche could get. Lastly the 'Bad Yolk'. This is one for the person who always orders the 'Full Irish' when they're out for breakfast (this is not us). As well as those two perfect fried eggs, there's smashed black pudding, streaky bacon, beef tomato, applewood cheddar, rocket & homemade tomato relish. Non crispy bacon is a pox upon the earth, and unfortunately this one was more chewy and fatty than crunchy - grilling bacon is the only way to cook it and we shall hear no arguments on this matt. We didn't think the black pudding added much, and overall it felt a lot heavier than the two that came before - we'd only recommend this to big fans of breakfast meat, for whom breakfast is not breakfast without pork. There's no dessert here, and we think they're missing a trick - one simple offering done really well would be hard to resist. However, home of some of the best pastry in Ireland is a two minute walk away, so if in need of something sweet head for Proper Order to get your hands on No Messin 's finest. The cult Smithfield café opens seven days a week, selling cakes and pastries from their offshoot little sister, run by baker Hilary Quinn. This stuff is so good we've been known to gasp, and we've never had anything that's been less than pastry perfection - and we've tried a lot. The Cardi-Bs (cardamom buns) are the stuff of sticky, spiced dreams, the Double Chocolate Frankies have more chocolate than we thought was possible to get into a pastry, and the choux buns are a lesson in how to do it - but just go with your gut, and pick up a blood orange curd for home. What about the drinks? Alcohol wise it's strangely limited to prosecco, either straight, in a Mimosa with freshly squeezed orange juice, or in an Aperol Spritz. We tried a Mimosa but it was flat as a dosa (see last week's review ), and after some questioning found out that the bottle had been opened the day before and they had no more prosecco. Disaster. We thought they'd said they'd take it off the bill, but when it arrived it was still on there - a coffee had been taken off though. The freshly squeezed orange juice was excellent, as was the coffee from Full Circle, and there are soft drinks in the fridge inside. And the service? Really, really lovely. Loads of smiles, couldn't do enough for us, laid back but clearly taking things seriously. Fast casual, but with proper Irish hospitality. You don't often get it. And the damage? €57.50, which felt like very good value for money, particularly with prices rising all over the place. Anything else we should know? It's right next to The Generator Tower, which has some of the most spectacular views across the city in every direction. Entry is only €5, and it's 259 steps to the top - if it's a clear day don't miss it. The verdict? It's easy to see why Mad Yolks have built a dedicated following. What they're doing looks disarmingly simple, but it's depressingly easy to over or undercook eggs, or place them in flavour combinations that you could beat in your own kitchen. These guys take the egg game very seriously, slinging them out with style, and we'd be surprised if there aren't more Mad Yolks on the way. In the meantime get in here and enjoy Dublin's newest brunch spot - hangovers optional. Mad Yolks Unit 4, Block C, Smithfield, Dublin 7 www.madyolks.ie New Openings & Discoveries More >>

Ku Raudo Special sushi rolls and a good place to drink great wine Posted: 4 Jul 2018 Neighbourhood Neighborhood Name Address Restaurant Address Website Website Name Restaurant Info View the Listing >> Written by: Lisa Cope What’s the story? Ku Raudo is a somewhat under the radar, BYO sushi spot on Townsend Street, which opened in 2015 initially just serving just two dishes - a meat bento box and a vegetarian version. Soon after they expanded to sushi, noodle and rice dishes and after seeing it looking nicely busy recently on the way to somewhere else, we thought it was worth a visit. It's also open seven days a week, so great for that where to eat Sunday/Monday dilemma. Where’s good for a drink beforehand? We stopped into The Blind Pig , the formerly mystery location speakeasy, whose address is now on google maps (it's on Suffolk Street). After a mission to find the door (which at one point ended up in a utility closet in the ladies toilets), we were eventually directed to pull a picture frame at the bottom of the stairs and the bookcase in front of us slid open. This is properly impressive first date material. Cocktails are excellent, the beer selection decent, and the wines basic. Have a cocktail. If you're after a good boozer there are loads around, with Doyle's, Bowes, The Long Stone and Mulligan's all a few minutes walk away. We'd head for The Palace Bar on Fleet Street, which is one of those must-visit pubs that makes you feel happy to be in Ireland. Prepare to make friends. What’s the room like? Like a typical Japanese sushi restaurant abroad, with wooden benches, Japanese art and randomly, love hearts projected onto the ceiling. It's narrow, cosy, and intimate, just don't have any conversations you don't want your neighbours to hear. On our visit there was no music, ensuring everyone could clearly hear conversations from other tables, which is fine unless you're discussing illegal activity or admitting to watching Love Island. What's good to eat? When in a sushi restaurant, eat sushi. It's not all standout, the salmon nigiri was a lot better than the tuna, and the spicy tuna roll was average, but the more elaborate rolls are very good. The dragon special comes with Katsu prawns, avocado, capellin roe (masago), eel & a mayo sauce and was hard to follow. Special mention for arranging it in the shape of a dragon (okay it was more like a snake). We were tempted to order a second one but we'd over-ordered as it was. The spider special was a close second, with deep-fried soft-shell crab, lettuce, capellin roe and Japanese mayo. The menu is extensive with 20 different types of nigiri alone, but we think the value is more to be had in the special rolls which are a bit more flavour packed, than in the stand alone ones which depend on the fish to be of seriously superior quality. Salmon teriyaki soba was no better than you could make at home, but chicken gyoza and yasai tempura were both excellent, even if the dipping sauce for the later was a bit unbalanced in the direction of vinegar, but the batter was light and crisp and the vegetables perfectly cooked. What about the drinks? It's BYO with zero corkage charge so it's a brilliant place to take something special, even if it does suffer the fate of the majority of BYO restaurants by having terrible glassware. You can't win 'em all. Champagne and Sherry (the proper dry stuff) are great matches for sushi if you have a willing crowd. We took a Californian Chardonnay from Sandhi and a New Zealand Pinot Noir from Allan Scott that were so delicious they'd go with anything. And the service? Smiling and helpful, but needed to be waved down a few times, which isn't ideal for such a small place. Didn't take away from the experience though. The verdict? Quality sushi and a great place to drink good wine. The Japanese zen vibes are particularly nice when you want to step out of the Dublin bubble for a few hours, just stick to the more elaborate sushi options if you want to be wowed. Ku Raudo 185 Townsend Street, Dublin 2 kuraudosushidublin New Openings & Discoveries More >> !

Dublin's docklands is mainly populated by office workers and empties out at weekends, making it a great time to explore and check out some of its better food options. Grand Canal Dock Our Take Dublin's docklands is mainly populated by office workers and empties out at weekends, making it a great time to explore and check out some of its better food options. Where to Eat Allta Charlotte Quay Dosa Dosa Grand Canal Fairmental Herb Street Il Valentino Nutbutter Osteria Lucio Table 45 The Rooftop @ Anantara The Marker

Wide-ranging Japanese menu, from Teppanaki to tempura, ramen to rice dishes. The sushi menu has the standard sashimi, maki, futomaki and the rest, but is reliably good. Eatokyo Temple Bar Website eatokyo.ie Address 51 Wellington Quay, Temple Bar, Dublin 2 Good For Tag 1 Cuisine Tag 1 Once Over Read our Review >> The Story Wide-ranging Japanese menu, from Teppanaki to tempura, ramen to rice dishes. The sushi menu has the standard sashimi, maki, futomaki and the rest, but is reliably good. Where It's At Nearby Locales Mongoose Chongqing Hot Pot Boco Clontarf Bell Pesto Bang 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

Big Fan was one of the most exciting things to happen to Dublin's food scene since the arrival of brunch, with the Hong-Kong inspired small plates generating ripples of excitement outwards from Aungier Street. Despite opening just before the nationwide shutdown in 2020, they powered through with take-away and at home kits, and once things reopened again they took off like a rocket, and haven't stopped soaring. The bao, cheeseburger jiaozi and enoki fan are three outrageously delicious reasons to visit, but you'd have to work hard to find a dud dish. Big Fan Website bigfan.ie Address 16 Aungier Street, Dublin 2 Good For Tag 1 Cuisine Tag 1 Once Over Read our Review >> The Story Big Fan was one of the most exciting things to happen to Dublin's food scene since the arrival of brunch, with the Hong-Kong inspired small plates generating ripples of excitement outwards from Aungier Street. Despite opening just before the nationwide shutdown in 2020, they powered through with take-away and at home kits, and once things reopened again they took off like a rocket, and haven't stopped soaring. The bao, cheeseburger jiaozi and enoki fan are three outrageously delicious reasons to visit, but you'd have to work hard to find a dud dish. Where It's At Nearby Locales Mongoose Chongqing Hot Pot Boco Clontarf Bell Pesto Bang 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

Mister S Everything tastes better with fire Posted: 17 Sept 2019 Neighbourhood Neighborhood Name Address Restaurant Address Website Website Name Restaurant Info View the Listing >> Written by: Lisa Cope What’s the story? Mister S is the much anticipated second opening from Featherblade owners Jamie O'Toole and Paul McVeigh, who had a goal of bringing real, live-fire barbecue to Dublin - something the city has never had many options for. They brought Daniel Hannigan on board as head chef (formerly of Richmond and the driving force behind the Food For Thought charity dinners), and Tim Geeves, previously at London's famous and much loved barbecue restaurant Smokestak , as sous chef, and after some back and forth on the name, colour scheme, and a lot of work to turn what had been a blind and curtain shop into an upmarket but casual restaurant, they finally opened their doors at the start of September. (If you want to see exactly how much work has gone into this build, and be put off opening a restaurant forever, click on the " Our Journey " highlight on their Instagram page.) As you might have guessed, everything here is cooked over fire, even dessert, with the kitchen experimenting with different types of wood for fish, meat and vegetables, and there's something very raw and caveman-like about knowing your food has been licked by smoke and fire. These guys are also intent on delivering serious value for money, so 'nibbles' range from €6 - €8, and 'smoked and grilled' plates from €12 for carrots, freekah and salsa verde to €17 for smoked Angus shortrib. Considering their impeccable sourcing, with free-range pork from Andarl Farm in Galway, Waygu beef from Ridgeway Farm in Wicklow, and free-range organic chicken from Ring Farm in Kilkenny, these prices are pretty unbeatable in the city right now. Where should we go for a drink first? You won't be short of options around Camden Street, but we'd suggest Ryan's for a pint away from the madness, or Against The Grain if delving into craft beer is your idea of a good time. For a cocktail head to The Sitting Room , the bar with a "mid-century feel" above Delahunt (below), or for wine you could hover outside Frank's for a quick one. Where should we sit? There are plenty of seating options, all made from beautiful repurposed wood, that they've painstakingly burnt, oiled and brought back to life. There are booth type seats for four, single tables for two, and a counter with three seats facing out onto Camden Street that have 'solo diner' written all over them. There's also a long communal table hidden down the stairs at the back of the room that's perfect for larger groups. Mister S don't take bookings, but we were relieved to hear that they're using the Qudini app, so if they're full they'll take your name and text you when your table's ready. There are a lot of seats so we can't see this getting to ridiculous wait times (but may stand corrected). What's good to eat? Everything. We tried most of the menu over two visits and want to eat it all again, and again. The gambas served on flatbread drowned in bisque butter are haunting us on the daily. This isn't a dish to go for if you're butter-averse, but this is the land of butter, so why would you be (dairy allergies aside). The shells are used to make the intensely fishy, rich bisque, the gambas are fresh and fluffy, and at €8 this is just the dish to showcase the incredible value to be found here. Another dish you shouldn't miss is the organic smoked chicken with romesco, and if you don't get how rare it is to see organic chicken in a casual dining setting just take our word for it - it's going above and beyond, and only the teeniest amount of chicken produced in Ireland is organic. The thigh served in Mister S is smoky and juicy with crispy skin, sitting on a smoky, fruity, nutty romesco sauce, topped with almonds and olive oil, and will put paid to any notion that chicken is the inferior meat. Another dish of just charred mackerel with fennel and herb oil shows what you can get out of a cheap fish when you treat it right. Light, lukewarm and lovely. Unsurprisingly they really come into their own with the meats. The Andarl pork tomahawk is a very generous portion for €15, particularly considering the quality of the sweet, smoky meat. The meat from Andarl Farm is called 'velvet pork', a description that makes complete sense when you taste it. As for the smoked Angus shortrib, if anyone in the city is doing a better version we need to know about it. Getting a cheap cut of meat to taste this good takes time, skill and slow cooking, but it's a masterclass in why tougher cuts of meat and barbecue cooking are a match made in meat heaven. Don't miss all the crispy good stuff on the bone, and it's also served with smoked bearnaise, in case you needed any more reasons to plan a trip here. Sides include hispi cabbage with spicy sobrasada sausage and feta - what vegetable dreams are made of - and miso roasties with homemade smoked harissa (and loads of crispy bits at the bottom of the bowl), which will ensure that going back to regular roasties is a struggle forever more. Next time we'll be trying the sharing fish or steak, which was brill with langoustines, and côte de boeuf on the day we we were there. For dessert the bubble pudding is the one you're going to see everyone posting about. It's cooked on the grill in a cast iron pan, drowned in salted caramel sauce (which is still bubbling when it comes to the table) and finished off with a scoop of banana ice-cream. It's very good, but very large, so one to share is plenty. The other dessert on the menu right now is a strawberry and elderflower (picked by owner Paul's Mum) pudding, and while it's equally huge (and delicious), it feels slightly lighter on the stomach. What about the drinks? They've created a very smart, concise drinks list, with wine on tap and in bottle, cocktails, four beers and a cider. Everything's been carefully chosen to work with the food, and there are some serious wines on there, like Tenerife producer Envinate's garnacha, which we imagine would be a stellar pairing for loads of the dishes. We weren't expecting to drink white wine with barbecue but the surprise hit was a South African roussane/chenin blanc blend called Adi's House, which had the complexity, texture and acid to pair beautifully with dishes like the gambas and the pork. There are 8 wines by the glass and 18 by bottle, and we would love to see carafes introduced like in sister restaurant Featherblade. And the service? Great. Even though they've just opened it feels like a family operation, with everyone getting stuck in. Staff were warm and chatty and if they can keep up that level of hospitality under pressure and with a queue outside we don't think they'll have many unsatisfied customers. The verdict? We love Mister S, and don't think we've been this excited about a new opening since Variety Jones stormed onto the scene last Christmas. In Dublin's rapidly evolving food scene, it feels like a stake in the road, an important chapter in the growth of fast casual restaurants that could hold their own in any major city. Along with places like Lucky Tortoise, Chimac and Pi, Mister S are proving that exciting food of the highest quality can be delivered at every price point and in every setting, and are helping to reconnect all of us with what it means to eat Irish food. Mister S 32 Camden Street Lower, Dublin 2 misters.ie New Openings & Discoveries More >>

One of the city’s best vegetarian and vegan restaurants for over 30 years, Cornucopia is about casual, wholesome dining, just off Grafton street. We love the window seats on the ground floor but there's a large upstairs too. Cornucopia Website cornucopia.ie Address 19-20 Wicklow Street, Dublin 2 Good For Tag 1 Cuisine Tag 1 Once Over Read our Review >> The Story One of the city’s best vegetarian and vegan restaurants for over 30 years, Cornucopia is about casual, wholesome dining, just off Grafton street. We love the window seats on the ground floor but there's a large upstairs too. Where It's At Nearby Locales Mongoose Chongqing Hot Pot Boco Clontarf Bell Pesto Bang 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

This neighbourhood restaurant is a regular haunt of Lucinda O’Sullivan’s, who describes it as her “last meal choice”. A 2021 review by Lise Hand for the Times accurately stated that Rasam in little Glasthule village is not the place to go for a rogan josh or a vindaloo. This is more sophisticated dining compared to your usual Indian restaurants in the capital, and their survival in the sleepy village since they opened over 18 years ago is a testament to “the consistent excellence of its food and the unstinting kindness and dedication of its host, which have secured it a legion of loyal devotees”. The food is contemporary, but the hospitality is all that you would expect from your beloved local Indian - friendly, welcoming and warm. The Michelin Guide agrees, as this is the only restaurant recommended in their Dun Laoghaire guide. Rasam Website rasam.ie Address 18-19 Glasthule Road, Glasthule, Co. Dublin Good For Tag 1 Cuisine Tag 1 Once Over Read our Review >> The Story This neighbourhood restaurant is a regular haunt of Lucinda O’Sullivan’s, who describes it as her “last meal choice”. A 2021 review by Lise Hand for the Times accurately stated that Rasam in little Glasthule village is not the place to go for a rogan josh or a vindaloo. This is more sophisticated dining compared to your usual Indian restaurants in the capital, and their survival in the sleepy village since they opened over 18 years ago is a testament to “the consistent excellence of its food and the unstinting kindness and dedication of its host, which have secured it a legion of loyal devotees”. The food is contemporary, but the hospitality is all that you would expect from your beloved local Indian - friendly, welcoming and warm. The Michelin Guide agrees, as this is the only restaurant recommended in their Dun Laoghaire guide. Where It's At Nearby Locales Mongoose Chongqing Hot Pot Boco Clontarf Bell Pesto Bang 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

North county Dublin suburbs Portmarnock, Malahide and Skerries are a bit lacking on the exciting restaurant front, but there's enough to keep visitors happy with sushi, handmade roti for 'Pop's potato curry', and a Michelin-starred experience we really rate. Portmarnock - Malahide - Skerries Our Take North county Dublin suburbs Portmarnock, Malahide and Skerries are a bit lacking on the exciting restaurant front, but there's enough to keep visitors happy with sushi, handmade roti for 'Pop's potato curry', and a Michelin-starred experience we really rate. Where to Eat A Do Daruma Malahide Harry's Honey Honey Kajal McNally Family Farm Café Noisette Old Street Póg Malahide The Rock Bakery Wasabi Portmarnock

Variety Jones Some of the most exciting cooking in the city right now Posted: 5 Feb 2019 Neighbourhood Neighborhood Name Address Restaurant Address Website Website Name Restaurant Info View the Listing >> Written by: Lisa Cope What’s the story? We'd been hearing about Variety Jones for months before it opened, but all we knew was that it was going to be a boot-strapped operation (i.e. no money men) on Thomas Street from the ex-Luna and Locks head chef Keelan Higgs. Keelan himself was regularly seen walking to and from the site, power tools in hand, so we had a (good) feeling that this was going to someone doing things on his own terms. They were originally supposed to open in September, but after a raft of delays (an all too common story this year) we were edging towards Christmas and the doors were still shut. We were starting to get a bit anxious for them, but finally on the 20th of December, the doors swung open and the open fire at the back of the kitchen was burning. Where should we go for a drink first? The location feels a bit like you're near nothing, but there are actually loads of options around. Lucky's is just around the corner and has craft beer, wine on tap and great vibes. For more craft beer and cocktails you've got Drop Dead Twice on Francis Street, and if you want to step back in time head down the hill to The Brazen Head , officially Ireland's oldest pub, dating back to 1198. Where should we sit? The room is long and narrow with tables, bar seating, and a "chef's table" edged right up against the pass. We'd definitely try to get nearer the action, and the bar is great if you just want to stop in for a few plates. We would try to avoid the table closest to the door, especially on cold nights, as the wind from the door opening and closing can be a bit intrusive. Saying that, we'd take whatever table we could get to eat here. What's good to eat? The menu is small, with much of it cooked over burning embers in an open hearth at the back of the kitchen, and if that's the key to make everything taste this good, we're going to have to figure out a way to do it at home. It's divided into snacks, small plates, pasta and family style sharing mains, and when we were there, the snacks consisted of an oyster with Vietnamese dressing and an artichoke filled with comté custard. Both excellent, even for a non-oyster lover, and anything with comté custard is a winner in our book, particularly when it comes inside a chewy artichoke skin. From the small plates, the one we've really struggled to stop thinking about (like everyone else it seems) was the char-grilled cauliflower with burnt yeast, sea trout, brown butter and fish roe. We'd had a few messages from people before we went talking about 'undercooked' cauliflower, but the slight crunch of the florets just added another element of texture to frankly a masterpiece of a dish, and we loved every bit of it. The hearth grilled vegetables with barley and goat's curd was another dish we ended up fighting for the last spoons of (seriously, smoke and fire take everything to another level), and the chicken liver and foie gras parfait with crispy, sweet and sour onions and potato bread (made in a waffle iron) was super rich with loads of layers of interest from the different components. From the two pasta dishes, we went for the comté ravioli with hearth roasted mushrooms and mushroom broth, and very much regretted sharing one between four. Keelan perfected his pasta making at a two-star Michelin restaurant in Tuscany, and this really was special. We were advised to eat the ravioli whole so they burst in your mouth, and the deep, rich flavours from the cheese were a brilliant counterpoint to the smoked and pickled mushrooms. For mains, there were two choices of hearth grilled brill or venison loin, both sharing platters for two. There's been mixed feelings from diners and critics about only having shareable mains, as it is limiting if you're a table of two and want all the food, but we were a four so got to try everything, and at this stage were running out of superlatives to describe how incredible everything tasted. Both the fish and the meat are cooked over burning embers in the open hearth, and it felt like we were being fed by Francis Mallman . Take us back to the time before electricity and gas when everything was cooked with flames and smoke. The brill had tender flesh and blackened skin in a herby cockle and mussel sauce, with kale unlike any we have ever tasted (also cooked over the embers), and officially the best potato salad in the world, which came with smoked eel through it and reminded us in the best possible way of smoky bacon crisps. The other main of venison loin came with a generous amount of perfect meat, hearth roasted celeriac (once again, the best version of celeriac we've ever tasted), blackened cabbage (ditto), wild mushrooms, and peppercorn gravy. We're very much on board with eating less meat of a higher quality, and we'd cut it back to once a month if all of it tasted like this. There wasn't so much as a scrap of food left on any plate. There was no cheese on the menu but they brought us a selection of what they had in the kitchen, along with homemade bread and seedy crackers, and two large spoons of honeycomb and acacia honey, which was a lovely addition and something we haven't seen here before. There was only one dessert on the menu both times we visited, and the two incarnations we've had have been much in the same vein (and made from the same cake mould). Between the apple cake with caramelised apple and brown butter custard, and the Jamaica cake with caramelised pineapple, and vanilla and coconut cream with sarawak pepper, we'd have to give it to the Jamaica cake for nostalgia if nothing else, but both were very good. What about the drinks? Sommelier Vanda Ivancic has worked hard to put together a wine list full of interesting bottles that you won't find in every other cool spot in town. It was immediately obvious how invested she was in her list, so we left it up to her to bring us wine matches for various dishes, and loved the whole experience. We tried so many new and unusual wines, all of which we enjoyed (probably in part because of her obvious love for all of them and ability to sell us the stories behind the bottles). The wine list is well priced for Dublin, with everything under €60, and everything is poured by the glass which is brilliant and so rare to see, but there were no glass prices on the menu when we were there so it's easy to get carried away and not know how much you're spending. If you're in groups of 4 or more it would make more sense to drink by the bottle, but either way we'd advise putting yourself in her hands. And the service? Faultless, these are pros at work. Keelan's brother Aaron is front of house along with Vanda, and they make a polished pair. Often the chefs bring the dishes to the tables themselves and explain what they are, which is great as you can ask any questions you might have about what you're eating. The verdict? We try to avoid hyperbole, but this is undoubtedly some of the most exciting cooking in Dublin right now. Higgs is taking it back to basics, and reminding us why humans have cooked with fire for the past 1.5 million years. Electricity might be convenient, but it doesn't turn out food like this. If you eat all the food and drink all the wine you could end up with a hefty enough bill, but in terms of value for what you're getting, we'd pay it every week. We're hearing that a weekend table at Variety Jones is difficult to come by at the moment, which isn't surprising after the raft of great reviews they've had, so we recommend taking any booking you can get as soon as possible, because you deserve to try this food. Variety Jones 78 Thomas Street, Dublin 8 varietyjones.ie New Openings & Discoveries More >>

Chob Thai A tale of two meals at Clontarf's newest Thai Posted: 18 Mar 2025 Neighbourhood Neighborhood Name Address Restaurant Address Website Website Name Restaurant Info View the Listing >> Written by: Lisa Cope What should we know about Chob Thai? Chob Thai opened in Clontarf last September where Picasso Italian used to be on Vernon Road, but we heard nothing about it until they started to invite some influencers in for dinner a few months ago. Suddenly it started appearing on our social media feeds, and man oh man did it look good . The Thai owner told us he had lived here as a child before returning home to Thailand, and always thought it was somewhere he wanted to come back to. His Dad later moved back, and he followed, with a dream of bringing real Thai food to Dublin, which he said was almost impossible to find here. He found chefs through friends and family who agreed to move too, found the site in Clontarf and they were off. We love the sentiment, and we love anyone who's trying to replicate a country's cuisine as genuinely as possible, without making allowances for locals, so a table was booked lickety-split. Where should we sit? The compact downstairs has a more Thai vibe, with the pre-existing exposed brick working nicely against Southeast Asian art, woven wall-hangings and a gold Thai headdress sitting in the window. Window seats are always where it's at for us, with these ones giving a view of the Clontarf coastline and plenty of people-watching opportunities. There's a larger room upstairs which feels unfinished in comparison, and lacks the same ornamental detail and warmth. What did you eat? Well this is where it gets complicated because we had two very different meals here, from three very different menus. Strap yourself in for what hopefully won't be too confusing a ride. On our first visit we were given the regular à la carte menu full of dish after dish we couldn't wait to get our forks into, as well as a much more subdued lunch menu (two courses for €28.50), with only two mains that seemed to have anything to do with Thai cooking. Sweet and sour crispy chicken does not a Thai meal make. As the Tom Khaa soup and Pad Thai were on there, we took the savings of €7.50, and stuck to à la carte for the rest. Soups (€11.50 - €12.50) come with a choice of prawns, fish, chicken or vegetables (oddly the vegetable option is the same price as fish or chicken which is sure to displease veggies), and we picked fish after being told it was fresh not frozen (tick). As soups go, this is a knockout, with creamy coconut, lemongrass, galangal, lime leaves, mushrooms and coriander, the tender, flaky fish peaking out of the broth in generous quantities - vivid flavours that will stay with you after you leave. Duck spring rolls are also on the €28.50 two-course lunch menu (€12.50 on the à la carte) and they're as good as we've had anywhere - obviously homemade and hand-wrapped, the crunchy shells packed with chunks of duck from an animal clearly cooked in house, along with vermicelli noodles and crunchy vegetables. This was very nearly an "oops we ordered another portion" moment. Pad Thai (€24.50) comes with prawn and chicken as standard, and was more flawless Thai cooking - a riotous patchwork of rice noodles, beansprouts, just cooked veg and egg, with finely chopped peanut, chilli powder and lime juice to adjust to your palate's preferences. If you've never tried the famous Thai dish before, this is the place to have your first taste. The fresh not frozen seafood policy also extends to the crab fried rice (€24.50), which was positively packed with the stuff, chunks coming up in every fork. Perfectly fluffy rice had onion, spring onion and egg through it, with lime on the side to be liberally squeezed over, and the simplicity of the rest let the crab shine through. The traffic light curries most people will know come with a choice of seafood, beef, lamb, prawn, chicken or vegetables, and a lamb massaman (€24.50) was creamy and mildly spiced with onion, potato, carrot, and some cherry tomatoes on top - we scooped the bowl clean. Rice is extra at €3.50 for jasmine or €5.50 for egg-fried. Desserts listed just a mango cheesecake (which at €12 must be one of the most expensive desserts in Dublin), as well as sorbet or ice-cream (also ambitiously priced at €10), but we'd seen the classic Thai dessert of mango and sticky rice on their social media channels, and when we asked they said they could do it. We've not sure whether they've stopped doing it altogether, or are waiting for new menus to be printed, but this was a sub-standard version, with under-ripe mango and rice lacking flavour. The ones at Full Moon Thai and Nightmarket are far better (and cheaper), using much more delicious mangos. Sounds amazing. What went wrong? Well we went back didn't we. Back to try more food to tell you about, and had a very different experience. We did think they were going to struggle to get people in at lunchtime with those à la carte prices, so on first glance the introduction of a new scaled back, less expensive lunch menu (€5-6 less for mains) seemed like a clever move, but the dishes we'd planned to order, like the jumbo King prawn silver noodle pot, and the deep-fried seabass with three flavour sauce were nowhere to be seen. Instead it was a basic two-pager of Thailand's greatest hits, with the addition of some new salads. We forged ahead with the Thai-style chicken skewers with satay sauce (€8.50), and it wasn't a great start. Two thin, chewy skewers, and a lacklustre peanut sauce had us wondering if we were in the same restaurant. A duck salad (on the two course, €28.50 menu), that we almost ordered the last time, was 90% salad vegetables, with severely over-cooked, dried out and chewy duck, in a one note spicy sauce. Thai-style prawn cakes (€8.50) with red curry paste, lime leaves, green beans and Thai basil had the bouncy, juicy texture you'd expect, with the sweet chilli dip doing its job, but not leaving much in the way of taste memories. By the time we got to the larb moo (Thai-style salad with minced pork, €13.50) we'd had enough of plate-filling, undressed vegetables - there's only so much raw lettuce, thickly sliced cucumber and cherry tomatoes anyone can eat. To eat insult to injury there was an unappealing sour taste to the dish (not Thai-flavour related) and we sent it back. Onto mains and the three flame (the spiciest score) chicken with chilli and basil leaves (confusingly two flames on the new scaled back lunch menu) was mild enough for the spice-averse to eat (barring an occasional rogue dried chilli). If this is as spicy as the kitchen gets, they're undoubtedly toning things down for an Irish audience. We ended with the worst of the lot. Buoyed by the fresh fish and crab meat on our previous visit, we went for the Penang curry with seafood. Big mistake. BIG. Calamari as rubbery as car tyres, mussels that tasted like they'd been cooked for the third time, prawns so tough they'd give prawns a bad name, and a single, sad scallop that had to be sawed through. The mild, coconutty sauce had lovely flavour - shame about the seafood travesty within it. We're not blind to the fact that these are tough times for restaurants, but the way to make customers want to come through your doors is to offer something novel, exciting, different, that they can't cook at home or find in a multitude of other places. After our first meal we were sure there would be queues down the street once word got out, Thai food enthusiasts travelling from across the capital to get a taste of what's coming out of this kitchen. To see the dilution taken to increase customer numbers at lunchtime is like seeing a car speeding down a one way road and screaming "stooopppp!" What about drinks? You won't be coming here for the wine, which looks like a selection you might find in your local supermarket. There are eight by the glass, but we couldn't bring ourselves to dive in. Cocktails appear to have had more work put into them, with loads of Thai twists on classic drinks, but there's a lot of sugar syrup throughout. We tried a lychee sake mojito which was a decent mojito, but we couldn't discern any lychee other than the one sitting on top of the crushed ice. How was the service? Pleasant but wanting, with the same muted server both times having to check and recheck what we'd ordered. Our mains were very slow in coming the first time, which was surprising as there were only a few tables filled, but things came more promptly the second time. What was the damage? The two course lunch from Friday - Sunday is €28.50, but if you want to go in the evening for the good stuff on the à la carte you'd want to budget at least €50 a head for three courses without drinks - that could jump above €60pp if you order prime seafood or beef. There is a three-course option for €45, but most of the stuff we'd want to eat isn't on there. What's the verdict on Chob Thai? Based off our first visit Chob Thai has everything needed to join the very top rung of Dublin's Thai restaurants, along with Full Moon , Nightmarket , Baan Thai and Achara , and we would have loved to be shouting that from the rooftops this week, but buyer beware when it comes to lunch. Sticking to your guns and waiting for your following to find you can be anxiety-inducing and expensive, but diluting down your product for a short-term hike in customers isn't the way to build a bustling business. Hopefully they see the light before too much damage is done, because when it's good here, it's exceptional. New Openings & Discoveries More >>

ATF Insiders Gift Card €65 Amount €65 Quantity Add to Cart Buy Now

Gertrude Website gertrude.ie Address 130 Pearse Street, Grand Canal Dock, Dublin Good For Tag 1 Cuisine Tag 1 Once Over Read our Review >> The Story Where It's At Nearby Locales Mongoose Chongqing Hot Pot Boco Clontarf Bell Pesto Bang 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

Storyboard Website storyboardcoffee.com Address Clancy Quay, Storyboard, Camden, Island Bridge, Dublin 8 Good For Tag 1 Cuisine Tag 1 Once Over Read our Review >> The Story Where It's At Nearby Locales Mongoose Chongqing Hot Pot Boco Clontarf Bell Pesto Bang 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

Dún Laoghaire's food options have improved vastly over the past few years, and more options can be found further south along the coast in Sandycove, Glasthule and Dalkey. Dún Laoghaire - Sandycove - Glasthule - Dalkey Our Take Dún Laoghaire's food options have improved vastly over the past few years, and more options can be found further south along the coast in Sandycove, Glasthule and Dalkey. Where to Eat 64 Wine Arty Baker Bibi's Dún Laoghaire Daata Deville's Grapevine Hatch Coffee Oliveto Rasam Soup DL Strudel Bakery Zero Zero Pizza

Reggie White kept us a long time waiting for his eponymous restaurant Reggie's, but as predicted it's been worth waiting for. After debuting his recipes at Pi in 2019 he became the unofficial Dublin pizza King, and after manning a few other stoves and helping countless pizza restaurants with consultancy, Reggie's is the culmination of all that talent in a place that's already packed with regulars. Reggie's Pizzeria Website reggies.ie Address Reggie's Pizzeria, Rathmines Road Lower, Rathmines, Dublin 6, Ireland Good For Tag 1 Cuisine Tag 1 Once Over Read our Review >> The Story Reggie White kept us a long time waiting for his eponymous restaurant Reggie's, but as predicted it's been worth waiting for. After debuting his recipes at Pi in 2019 he became the unofficial Dublin pizza King, and after manning a few other stoves and helping countless pizza restaurants with consultancy, Reggie's is the culmination of all that talent in a place that's already packed with regulars. Where It's At Nearby Locales Mongoose Chongqing Hot Pot Boco Clontarf Bell Pesto Bang 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

No Messin' only opened in 2020, which is odd because we feel like Cardi-Bs, hun buns and dudnuts have been part of our vocab (and lives) since we learned to talk. The younger sibling of Smithfield's Proper Order Coffee (now housed in the café) has jaw-dropping pastry skills, and if you don't order one of everything to go you're not doing it right. No Messin @ Proper Order Website nomessinbakery.com Address Unit 1, The Distillery Building, Smithfield, Dublin 7, D07 WDX9, Ireland Good For Tag 1 Cuisine Tag 1 Once Over Read our Review >> The Story No Messin' only opened in 2020, which is odd because we feel like Cardi-Bs, hun buns and dudnuts have been part of our vocab (and lives) since we learned to talk. The younger sibling of Smithfield's Proper Order Coffee (now housed in the café) has jaw-dropping pastry skills, and if you don't order one of everything to go you're not doing it right. Where It's At Nearby Locales Mongoose Chongqing Hot Pot Boco Clontarf Bell Pesto Bang 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

Round up your gang and settle in over a dual or triple pot, bubbling over with broths ranging from mild to spicy, and an endless assortment of meat, fish, veg and starches to cook in them. Handy guides show you how long to cook the different elements for, and you can go wild at the condiment bar, mixing and matching to your perfect taste. This is a great one if you're on a budget - it would take some work to hit €100 for two. Chongqing Hot Pot Website chongqing.ie Address 121-123, Ranelagh, Dublin 6, D06 H7K6, Ireland Good For Tag 1 Cuisine Tag 1 Once Over Read our Review >> The Story Round up your gang and settle in over a dual or triple pot, bubbling over with broths ranging from mild to spicy, and an endless assortment of meat, fish, veg and starches to cook in them. Handy guides show you how long to cook the different elements for, and you can go wild at the condiment bar, mixing and matching to your perfect taste. This is a great one if you're on a budget - it would take some work to hit €100 for two. Where It's At Nearby Locales Mongoose Chongqing Hot Pot Boco Clontarf Bell Pesto Bang 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