Fade Street Tavern We're crackers for the crust at this pizza place pivot Posted: 8 Sept 2026 Neighbourhood Neighborhood Name Address Restaurant Address Website Website Name Restaurant Info View the Listing >> Written by: Ronan Doyle What’s the story with Fade Street Tavern? “ That’s life, ” Dylan McGrath told The Irish Times in 2018. “ The world changes, the music stops, and you’re lucky if there’s a chair for you. ” More than once in the near quarter-century the chef has spent at the fore of Dublin’s restaurant scene, he’s been caught without one. Call it resilience, stubbornness, or sheer force of will – he’s just stayed standing. It’s been a bit of a wait for the music to start back up again this time. Where a whiplash pivot from crash-shuttered, Michelin-starred Mint quickly produced more downmarket success with Rustic Stone in 2010 and the first outing of Fade Street Social in 2012, the post-covid crunch has gradually ground the empire to a halt. After an effort to ride Celtic Tiger 2.0 with Shelbourne Social proved as ill-advised as Richard Corrigan’s subsequent crack at the same site, doors started to close as quickly as they once opened. But Fade Street’s is still swinging on the hinges, with McGrath’s name over it – if no longer on the letterhead. Sold off to Eclective , the artist formerly known as Press Up, the D2 institution has kept the core of its legacy leading recipe development, while looking to shake things up once again. So what’s the pivot this time? Stroll a few minutes in any direction from the door and you’ll see the same answer that a room-reader like McGrath can’t have avoided on his walk in to work. Curving queues snake down side streets, choke alleyways, pack pavements up and down the Georgian core - people just can’t get enough pizza. As the seasons shift, and those cold and wet weekends return, what better way to lure some of those punters away with the promise of a roof over their head, and (count ‘em) three distinct styles of pie. Sceptical? We might have been. Another short stroll from Fade Street will take you past the graffitied hoarding of long-promised Little Slice , another impending arrival looking to elbow in on the packed pizza market, but maybe we were nuts. Cos just taste these nuts . Beer nuts (€4.95) aren't often our first port of call, but as a statement of intent for a Chicago-style tavern they matter. An nduja dust coating has a sweetened sharp spice, with complexity from rosemary’s herbal hit and the savoury depth of roasted yeast. It's the texture that taunts us though, and we practically beg staff to share how half the almonds and cashews chew like currants. They’ve been boiled then caramelised, they reveal excitedly. Shut us up. Deep-fried lasagna (€10) takes it right to the competition. Mani ’s fritti has carved a niche as firm street food favourite - Fade Street sees it, and raises it. Braised beef cheek is key, alongside the sea of San Marzano it slips out into. There’s a lot more there than three crisp cubes can cup, so praise be for focaccia (€6.95). Whole honey roast cloves of garlic hidden in the delicate dough mean there’s no real need to double-dip into the herb-heavy parsley garlic butter – salvage the aged parmesan and have at the lasagna’s leftover spiced sauce instead. Or sod it all and skip straight to the pizza - you’ll need the stomach space. A first cynical sight of the menu might make you think three styles is a catch-all cash-in on what’s popular around town, but there’s more than novelty on offer. Make straight for a 14” bar pie for the best case-in-point. A polar opposite to the deep-dish cousin whose shadow it’s largely lived in, this Chicago stalwart is all ultra-thin cracker crust, a curiosity McGrath and co have mastered via a roasted malt dough. As the square-sliced shards yield with a brittle crack, it’s clear this is no bandwagon hopping – this nutty flavour is in a league of its own. The umami depth of wild mushrooms in scattered whole and buried duxelles form gives the fungi (€17.95) a complex counter to the bianca base’s oozing excess. That roasted malt is a revelation that rewards not overloading it – marinara or plain cheese would be good choices to let its distinct character sing. The latter topping felt a little lost on the square grandma pie (€30), a far airier crust swallowing the (four types of!) mild dairy whole. Pizza, as any restaurant offering three styles makes clear, is a matter of taste, and ours tends to thinner unless there’s real justification. Doom ’s Detroit-style and its caramelised cheese edges are a rare exception. Here, salt-flecked browned bubbles don’t bring enough crusty character to make the dough-to-topping ratio do it for us. If you like it thickk, you’re likely to love it. If you like it loaded, come to Daddy (€38). This 18” New York-style sharer is a signature in the making, sat squarely in Bambino ’s wheelhouse and at a price point that’s keenly competitive with their whole pies – for a sit-in setup especially. It’s pitched at two but you’ll happily feed double if adding starters and sides. Creamy stracciatella softens the spice layers of a signature tequila sauce dotted with nduja and pepperoni, all lifted by sour-sweet balsamic and herbal EVOO. But again: the crust . The roast malt is back here buffeted by rye, adding lively acidity and chew under the crisped edges. There’s a real confidence in offering one option only on this part of the menu, and it’s earned. This dough’s so good we’d down it dry, but you’d never forgive us skipping the dip. Spicy ranch (€3) is a solid crowd-pleaser, cautiously pitched to keep the more sensitive palates onside – nobody will be gasping for more water. Confit garlic and herb (€3) has better balance than the pat plopped alongside the focaccia, and works a dream with the grandma’s thicker tufts. If you’re sticking to bar pies, you won’t need to bother. Sides aren’t something you’ll be in need of either – but when have we ever said no to Ballymakenny spuds (€6.50)? The craggy edges are every bit the match of Kicky’s and Borgo ’s best in class, the sharp saltiness of ricotta salata caught in their crevices a mouth-puckering treat. We were less taken with the regular ricotta tucked underneath, less infused with garlic per the menu than plain inundated – as your breath soon will be. It’s a little much. An affogato (€9.50) is essential to wake up after all that, not to mention great value – the stracciatella soft serve alone is only 50c cheaper, making this double espresso about the cheapest coffee in town. The ice-cold cheese stands firm to the steaming stream; alternating leftover sips with spiked creamy spoonfuls is a real finishing treat. Fade Street’s focus on quality produce practically bleats from the pizza, but spare space for the mousse (€9.50) for an extra clear case. Aged white balsamic drizzled over the cloud of whipped dark chocolate takes this to a level even over and above Reggie’s EVOO-drenched take. A caramelised orange peel and pistachio crumb’s crunch is in like a chaperone, lest things get a little too sultry. There’s less danger of that with the tiramisu (€10), a rock-solid showing with a little less flair. Brioche is a welcome way to lighten the load, though we couldn’t detect much marsala within these well-ratioed layers. What should we drink? A smart cocktail collab with Bar 1661 is the most immediately eye-catching thing about the menu in here, but don’t sleep on the organic and biodynamic-centric wine list either. Like the food, it’s made for sharing – every last option going by the glass, carafe or bottle is a very nice touch. Lambrusco with pizza is one of the great Italian IYKYK pairings ( Boco , Bar Italia and Borgo are some of the only others around town on the train), and the Quercioli Rosato (€9.50) went down a wonder with our opening bites. Chipotle’s smoky depths played well off Don Julio in the spicy marg (€15), though the spice skews softer than we’d usually like – there’s a sense they’re playing it safe. We found more to mull over in a sherry-spiked whiskey sour (€15), with stone fruit notes underlining the sweetness of a Bulleit bourbon and Roe & Co blend. How was the service? As tight as it could have been. New concept or not, this is a room that’s seen plenty of action over the years. McGrath’s brother Billy is on-hand to oversee operations on the floor, with the main man himself appearing every now and then to lend a hand wherever it’s needed – this ship sails as smooth as ever. Speed of service never translates to a sense of rushing through things though - we spied several celebrating groups left to linger as long as they liked. Is it a pricey night out? It needn’t be. Bar pies clock in about the price you’d pay for plenty of smaller 12-inchers in the vicinity, and with far higher-spec toppings on them to boot – if you’re not starving you’d share one with starter or side. Gather a group of four to dip your toes in every part of the menu and you’ll still keep clear of the €50 mark with a good drink each. That’s no bad price to pay for a night spent shouting down each other’s opinions on which makes the best base. What’s the final verdict on Fade Street Tavern? From turning our nose up at yet another pizza place to going crackers for a crust you can’t get anywhere else, this smart pivot shows necessity’s the mother alright. As the days darken and a snug seat seems much more appealing than queuing in the rain, this Fade Street setup has not only the variety to lure people in, but the goods to bring them back. In doing things differently, Dylan McGrath has found another chair again. It’ll be the first of many pulled up here. New Openings & Discoveries More >>

Liath Damien Grey raises the game to a different level Posted: 19 Mar 2019 Neighbourhood Neighborhood Name Address Restaurant Address Website Website Name Restaurant Info View the Listing >> Written by: Lisa Cope What’s the story? Heron & Grey opened in Blackrock Market in 2016, and after winning a Michelin star within their first 10 months, the 22-seater restaurant, only open three nights a week (with one sitting per night, so 66 people per week), was soon the most sought after reservation in the city. It only became more difficult as time went on and word got out, and each month when the seats for the following month were released they sold out in minutes, leaving tranches of disappointed Dubliners virtually sobbing on social media. When owners Andrew Heron and Damien Grey announced in December that they were going their separate ways, it came as a shock - why would anyone give up on such a good thing? - but Andrew wanted a more balanced family lifestyle, and Damien wanted to change the feel of the restaurant, so they decided the time was right for them to part, and Damien to morph Heron & Grey into Liath (meaning grey in Irish - a name his daughters came up with), alongside kitchen team Róisín Gillen and Josef Radacovsky. They closed at the end of January for a two month refurb, and rumours of white tablecloths and an ambition for a second Michelin star started to abound (Grey has technically lost his star with the change, so needs to win it back with the new format). When the first block of tables for the March reopening were released on the 1st of February, 3,500 people tried to book a table simultaneously at 10am, leading the website to crash, and once again leaving lots of disappointed wannabe diners in their wake, but we were lucky enough to bag a table for night two, purely so we can tell you all about it. Where should we go for a drink first? We'd be tempted to say just don't, as why muddy your palate with anything else before sitting down in here, but if you insist, the best boozer on the main street in Blackrock is probably old-man style Jack O'Rourke's , there since 1897. Where should we sit? The new restaurant configuration has one table for six, three tables for four, and two tables for two, and lets face it, you'll be doing well to nab any of them, but we always like being closer to where the action (i.e. the kitchen) is, so you could request it when you book. Otherwise the two-seater at the far end looks very cosy and as private as you'll get in such a small space. What's good to eat? The menu consists of a ten-course tasting menu for €78 (they will cater for allergies but not dietary choices), and despite the fact you will leave with a hefty bill when drinks are included, it really does feel like excellent value - there are non-Michelin starred restaurants in the city with more expensive tasting menus whose food isn't at this level. This is boundary-pushing, sometimes head-exploding stuff, and often while eating here we've found ourselves shaking our heads in amazement at how someone's brain even begins coming up with ideas like these. Our 10 courses were a rollercoaster of tastes, textures and striking visual compositions, and there wasn't so much of an instant of boredom or a dish that didn't work, just a succession of wows from beginning to end. If absolutely forced to pick favourites, we'd single out the celeriac, the smoked eel cone, the pork and pineapple and the kaffir lime meringue, but you can see everything we had below in all its glory. Chicken broth with wild peas, cabbage and mushrooms Celeriac cooked on the yakatori grill with sheep's yoghurt, pesto and rosemary powder Pigeon with fermented beetroot and liver Textures of lemon with rapeseed oil Mackerel, sprouting broccoli, kimchi, lardo Feuille de brick with smoked eel, shallot, aged parmesan and fennel pollen Pork, allium, pennywort, pineapple - a riff on Grey's favourite dish from his Chinese take away, pork yuk sung An idea of a mango Rhubarb, kaffir lime, meringue Dark chocolate, preserves, raspberries What about the drinks? Most people at Heron & Grey used to go for the wine pairing, of either six or nine courses, with Andrew Heron showing up at the table throughout the meal with another white or red option once your glass had run dry. Liath is starting off with a six wine pairing for the time being, and there's been no major changes as of yet to the killer wine list, featuring tonnes of interesting wines (lots of them from the minimal intervention canon). We went for the pairing on this occasion and unfortunately a few of them didn't work (despite them all being very good wines in their own right), but we're putting it down to the fact that they'd only gotten into the space 24 hours earlier and didn't have the usual amount of time to painstakingly try each dish with a variety of wines. We're confident that this will sort itself out over the next few weeks once they have time to bed in and get back into their regular routine, but the á la carte list is full of great bottles at non-gouging prices if you want to fly solo. And the service? As poised and professional as always, without the formality that can often hang around Michelin-starred restaurants making everyone a bit uptight. Long-standing floor team member Ailish had slotted into Andrew's old place on the floor when we were there and was typically warm, welcoming and generous of time. The chefs also delivered a couple of plates to the tables, which we love because we get to quiz them on exactly how some of these mind-boggling dishes were born. The verdict? When we heard Grey wanted to make changes to his restaurant, like adding tablecloths, we didn't really get it. We thought it was pretty perfect as it was. But on walking in we realised that by doing what he's done, he's raised the game to a whole new level. This doesn't feel like a sparsely decorated corridor in Blackrock market any more. With the etched glass on the windows, the wooden slats, the black banquettes and the wall of wine, it feels more like Copenhagen or Stockholm than SoCoDub, the type of place that culinary tourists get on a plane for. The food scene in Dublin has never been as vibrant and fast-moving as it is right now, from street food trucks to fine dining, but we've never really had a restaurant to put us on the global culinary map. We only have one two-starred Michelin ( Restaurant Patrick Guilbaud ), haven't had a contender in the World's 50 Best Restaurants since Thornton's was included in 2003, and the main Michelin Instagram account doesn't follow any Irish restaurants and just one Irish chef (Martijn Kajuiter at Michelin-starred House at The Cliff House Hotel ), but things are moving fast, and we can't shake the feeling that Liath could be the one to change the game. We have no doubt that Grey's going to reclaim his star when the 2020 Michelin guide is released in October this year, but it's the very real prospect of a second that's just made things a whole lot more interesting. Liath Blackrock Market, 19a Main Street, Blackrock, Co. Dublin liathrestaurant.com New Openings & Discoveries More >>

Andhra Bhavan Take a deep dive into Southern Indian cooking without leaving Dublin Posted: 7 Feb 2024 Neighbourhood Neighborhood Name Address Restaurant Address Website Website Name Restaurant Info View the Listing >> Written by: Lisa Cope & Ronan Doyle What's the story with Andhra Bhavan? Andhra Bhavan opened on Marlborough Place (just off Talbot Street) last November, with the bold claim that they were " Ireland's 1st Authentic South Indian Restaurant ". This is not exactly true - both 3 Leaves in Blackrock and Indian Tiffins on Parnell Street serve Southern Indian food, and food truck Dosa Dosa has given dosa their moment in the spotlight, but Andhra Bhavan has certainly brought the most extensive menu yet. The guys behind it are two friends, originally from Southern India, who've been working in Dublin for over 15 years. Praveen Madire is an entrepreneur and CEO of two tech companies, while Sainath Reddy was a brand manager for a pharma company. They say they missed the dining experience of home, and wanted to bring the food, ingredients, decor, hand-drawn paintings and the right chefs to Dublin, so that people living here could taste real Indian cuisine from the five states of the South, like Dosas, Idlis, Vadas, Uttapams and Pani-Puri (there's a counter where they make it fresh but it wasn't operating on either of our visits.). Andhra Bhavan is named after the famous government-run canteen in Delhi where food is highly subsidised, ensuring every resident can eat very well. The owners say they interviewed hundreds of chefs in India before hiring their kitchen team, led by head chef Venkata Ramana Manthri, and moving them to Ireland to get started on the menu. We were already struck by how overwhelmingly positive their online reviews were, with mostly Indian-expat customers declaring it the taste from home that's been missing in their lives, but when Indian born, Dublin-residing food writer Vritti Bansal declared various elements "fearless" and "worthy of applause", we found our fingers promptly making a booking. Where should we sit? They've packed the tables in so it isn't exactly roomy, but it fits with the canteen vibe of feeding as many people as possible. The room at the front has banquettes, whereas the one at the back has standard tables and chairs, and there's a lovely high table with a tree in the centre of it that's perfect for solo diners who don't want to take up a table. What's on the menu? The menu is huge - a novella to Southern Indian cuisine - and while we tried to get through as much of it as possible over two visits, it would take 20 to do it justice. There are 11 sections, including an all day breakfast menu, and here's what we loved, liked, and have already forgotten from what we tried... First the loves . Don't leave without doing a dosa. That is a direct order. Vritti recommended the onion rava, which is served everywhere in India but hasn't appeared here before now. It's the size of a full length adult arm, with frilly, crispy edges, and just cooked onion inside. Tearing it apart piece by piece and scooping up the brilliant peanut, coconut and ginger chutneys is some of the most fun you can have in Dublin for €11.99. There's also sambar, a watery lentil stew, that you'll probably (happily) eat most of with a spoon. Also on the breakfast menu are Medu Vada, which are no exaggeration, a revelation. You’ll find these savoury deep-fried lentil flour doughnuts in other places around town, but none come close to these, with their crispy-soft contrast of crust and filling. The three pieces again come with a generous pot of sambar and the three chutneys, and the mix-and-match flavour possibilities would bring us back here again and again. The other dish there was almost a fight for (also from the breakfast menu, guess we really love Indian breakfasts) was the Chole Bhatura. The chole is the spiced, tangy chickpea curry. The bhatura is the soft, fluffy, deep-fried bread. Once again hands are needed here to tear and dip and scoop, and expect to fight off other hands in the process. Veg manchurian is an Indo-Chinese dish of fried vegetable balls in a spicy, sweet and sour sauce, and having never seen them here before we had to add them to our order. Beautiful textures range from soft batter to crispy veg, and the sauce is just spicy enough to have you come back for another, and another. Onto the likes . Like the American pancake counterpart to the dosa’s crepe-like thinness, Uttapam is another Southern Indian staple with seven options on offer here including plain, tomato and cheese. We went with onion, and unlike the dosa approach of filling and wrapping, toppings are baked directly into the dough pizza-style, for a loaded tear-and-share that works well with a crowd. We’re more partial to the satisfying crisp of a dosa, but this is the way to go if you like something a bit thicker. If you want to know where everyone's favourite celebrity restaurant got its name, it's from the spicy soup-like dish with a base of tamarind, herbs, spices, lentils and vegetables, served here with idlis - little fluffy pancakes made from fermented rice and lentil batter. It's full of flavour, and full of spice, with the idil crumbling in your mouth and the rasam keeping your palate wide awake. We were disappointed that they didn’t have saag paneer on (despite what many Indian restaurants in Ireland advertise, saag is made with mustard greens rather than spinach), but as consolations go the all-spinach palak paneer did nicely. The lightly-spiced sauce has a flavour as intense as its bright-green colour, and the mildly-melted curds of what tasted like homemade paneer are a tangy treat to dig for. You’re offered plain rice or paratha on the side, but scooping greedy pools with the flaky dough will win out for us every time. Our server recommended we tried the Mutton Chettinadu, prefacing it with the question - "do you like spice?" We do, so we did, but buyer beware - there's Irish spice, and Indian spice. We downed at least three 1.5 litre jugs of water while eating just a few spoons of this, and if there was a fire extinguisher close by someone would have probably undid the safety and let it rip. You'll need a lassi for your digestive system, and a napkin for the sweat. The meat is also on the bone, so look out for small shards in the sauce. Mains come with a choice of steamed rice or paratha, and you'll probably end up with both if you have a few dishes. We also dried the roti and found it surprisingly dry and lacking in flavour. The paratha is the superior bread, but if you're counting calories... Beside a lot of what we tried, the Hyderabadi chicken dum biryani stood out less. The fragrant steamed rice packs plenty of flavour to accompany the tender, rendered fat of buried drumsticks, but this is more standard staple than standout special – you can safely skip this section of the menu and save room for the bigger highlights. There are a few traditional desserts, like gulab jamun, and jilebi (a pretzel-like dessert soaked in sugar syrup), but seen as it was a wintry Dublin day we tried the Semiya Payasam, a soup-like pudding with cardamom-infused milk, vermicelli, sugar, nuts and raisins. It's warm and soothing, and while it might jar to be eating what we're more used to as noodles/pasta for dessert, the perfumed, sweet, fruit and nut-filled mouthfuls are very satisfying. A whole bowl is a lot however so sharing is the way to do it. What about drinks? Drinks are standard softs, beer and house wine, but the lassis are what you want to be drinking. We tried both mango and rose and both were cooling, fresh and sweet - but not too sweet. They were gone before the food arrived. How was the service? Very slow. This was the main downside of eating here. We had to wave servers down for menus, water, napkins, we had to order drinks twice because they didn't arrive the first time, and it was a struggle to get anyone's attention. When we did staff were lovely and very helpful, but maybe there needs to be more of them. What was the damage? Everything we ate was over two visits, but you could eat very well in here, with leftovers to take home, for €35-40 a head, including a lassi. Head in for breakfast and dishes are on average €10-€12. And the verdict? Andhra Bhavan aren't the first ones to cook authentic Southern Indian food in Dublin, but they are the first to bring a menu this extensive. A visit here is as close as you're going to get to the government-run Delhi canteen without having to leave the capital, and having our own Southern Indian enclave in which to take a deep dive through dosas, uttapams and vadas have made Dublin's food scene sizeably richer. New Openings & Discoveries More >>

Pakistani/Eastern food that's adored by locals and should be booked well in advance. Small plates include the 'Molly Malone Masala' with cockles and mussels, and mains lean heavily into their Tandoor grill. Meat is Irish with free-range chicken and locally-caught fish, and they like to include modern twists on dishes that diners might be familiar with. Taza Website taza.ie Address 2 Ardcollum Avenue, Beaumont, Dublin 5 Good For Tag 1 Cuisine Tag 1 Once Over Read our Review >> The Story Pakistani/Eastern food that's adored by locals and should be booked well in advance. Small plates include the 'Molly Malone Masala' with cockles and mussels, and mains lean heavily into their Tandoor grill. Meat is Irish with free-range chicken and locally-caught fish, and they like to include modern twists on dishes that diners might be familiar with. Where It's At Nearby Locales Goat's Gruff Banco Bah 33 Mark Moriarty Studio Gaffe at Leonard's Corner Sano Pasta Yibu by Janet Little Canton Dak @ Bar Anam 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

From the team behind Indian Konkan on Clanbrassil Street and in Dundrum, Kari was opened to be a bit more specialised, informed by husband and wife Bala Nayak and Nidhi Joshi’s experiences and memories of home. There’s a general focus on India’s south and south-western states, with Irish produce integrated nicely, like in the kale and samphire pakoras. Don’t miss the smoky meats from the Tandoor, and the date and coconut naan has to be tried. Kari Website kari.ie Address 205A, Emmet Road, Inchicore, Dublin 8 Good For Tag 1 Cuisine Tag 1 Once Over Read our Review >> The Story From the team behind Indian Konkan on Clanbrassil Street and in Dundrum, Kari was opened to be a bit more specialised, informed by husband and wife Bala Nayak and Nidhi Joshi’s experiences and memories of home. There’s a general focus on India’s south and south-western states, with Irish produce integrated nicely, like in the kale and samphire pakoras. Don’t miss the smoky meats from the Tandoor, and the date and coconut naan has to be tried. Where It's At Nearby Locales Goat's Gruff Banco Bah 33 Mark Moriarty Studio Gaffe at Leonard's Corner Sano Pasta Yibu by Janet Little Canton Dak @ Bar Anam 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

One of a new wave of modern Irish restaurants currently reinvigorating the city, Old Street was opened in early 2017 by husband and wife Mark and Adriana, who spent eighteen months (and spared no expense) renovating two cottages on Malahide’s Old Street. Seasonal dishes and locally sourced ingredients come from a talented kitchen team, and the hospitality is taken as seriously as the food. Extensive, interesting wine list. Old Street Website oldstreet.ie Address Old Street, Malahide, Co. Dublin Good For Tag 1 Cuisine Tag 1 Once Over Read our Review >> The Story One of a new wave of modern Irish restaurants currently reinvigorating the city, Old Street was opened in early 2017 by husband and wife Mark and Adriana, who spent eighteen months (and spared no expense) renovating two cottages on Malahide’s Old Street. Seasonal dishes and locally sourced ingredients come from a talented kitchen team, and the hospitality is taken as seriously as the food. Extensive, interesting wine list. Where It's At Nearby Locales Goat's Gruff Banco Bah 33 Mark Moriarty Studio Gaffe at Leonard's Corner Sano Pasta Yibu by Janet Little Canton Dak @ Bar Anam 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

Chef Gaz Smith's only restaurant after closing his original Michael's, and the next door wine bar Little Mike's, to focus on this bigger Blackrock site. The freshest of fish caught off the coast each day, with daily specials that keep diners coming back again and again. Worth a detour. Big Mike's Website michaels.ie/big-mikes/ Address 57 Deerpark Road, Mount Merrion, Co. Dublin Good For Tag 1 Cuisine Tag 1 Once Over Read our Review >> The Story Chef Gaz Smith's only restaurant after closing his original Michael's, and the next door wine bar Little Mike's, to focus on this bigger Blackrock site. The freshest of fish caught off the coast each day, with daily specials that keep diners coming back again and again. Worth a detour. Where It's At Nearby Locales Goat's Gruff Banco Bah 33 Mark Moriarty Studio Gaffe at Leonard's Corner Sano Pasta Yibu by Janet Little Canton Dak @ Bar Anam 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

Forest Avenue Wine Bar Champagne, terrines & all the carbs Posted: 22 Mar 2022 Neighbourhood Neighborhood Name Address Restaurant Address Website Website Name Restaurant Info View the Listing >> Written by: Lisa Cope What’s the story? God loves a pivot (isn't that the saying?), and in the last two years a few people and places have done so many pivots they're practically spinning on the spot. Sandy and John Wyer started off 2020 with high end restaurant Forest Avenue (which people have been tipping for a Michelin star for years), and small plates and wine focused Forest & Marcy around the corner, which was initially supposed to be a wine bar but you couldn't just drop in for wine, so we never put it in that category. There was also the whisper of a third restaurant coming soon into the fold - an Italian in Blackrock, heavily delayed due to building issues. Enter covid, and a total restaurant shutdown. It didn't take long (about two weeks) for Forest Avenue to reopen as the city's poshest new grocer, with everything from sourdough and juniper doughnuts to freshly rolled pappardelle, and a constant queue down the street. With wine upstairs and deli items to go, they made the very best out of a bad situation, and the punters lapped it up. In November of that year, Little Forest finally burst open its doors for takeaway pizza only, with Reggie White (the former owner of Pi) making the pies, and the reaction was rapturous. Pizza hasn't gotten this many plaudits since, well, Reggie was making pizzas in Pi. The deli and pizzas kept the team busy until things very slowly started to get back to normal, and in September 2021 they made the surprising announcement that Forest Avenue (tasting menu and all) was moving to the smaller Forest & Marcy site, and a few weeks ago news followed that the Forest Avenue grocer was turning into a wine bar at night. A city can never have too many (good) wine bars, so this was very good news, and we were in there like Flynn to check it out. Where should we sit? There's bar/high table seating and low tables like the old days, but in a wine bar we love a bar counter, so that's always our first choice. The views, the chat, the general elevation - it all adds to the European capital wine bar vibes. You might also want to be over near the kitchen if you like eyeballing the chefs, and if you have a preference be sure to mention it when you book. We also spotted a long table upstairs which looked ideal for a group. What's the food like? The menu is exactly what we want to see from a wine bar - those places calling themselves wine bars and serving a three course menu, we're looking at you with irritation. Oysters, meats, terrines, rillettes, bread based snacks - it's an A-Z of first rate wine bar fodder. Depending on how many of you there are you might just want to start at the top and work down - which is what we did but got defeated half way through. Starting with John Wyer's immense sourdough and whipped salted butter is not optional, and a great sign of things to come. Oysters (they didn't specify which and we forgot to ask) came beautifully presented topped with tarragon oil and pickled shallots, and were so deliciously vivid and palate awakening that we bet even your friend who says they hate oysters would be asking for another. Is a wine bar without anchovies even a wine bar? In our book no, but Forest Avenue have taken it up a gear with two types of Cantabrian anchovies served together - some in vinegar (which you might know as boquerones) and some cured in salt, in a dressing of green olives, parsley and capers, with some pickled red onion on there too. It tastes exactly as good as it looks and sounds. Terrines can be hit or miss - we've spent many a night choking down a slab as dry as cardboard with all the flavour of a day old sock - but their duck and foie gras terrine with black fig paste and a celeriac remoulade is one huge hit. Chunks of meat melt away as you slice your fork through it, and it would be hard to think of a better accompaniment than that sweet, punchy black fig paste. The celeriac brought a lovely lightness between mouthfuls, and you definitely should not miss this one. The potato paillason are similar to hash brown fries or deep-fried confit potatoes, and they tick the chic chips box nicely, but we did find them a little oily so didn't want more than a couple, for fear of filling up too fast. The vadouvan mayonnaise (a spice blend that's been described as a French version of masala) was a very enjoyable alternative to the usual dipping suspects. If you like a swanky toastie, you'll love the pastrami and pickles on toast with truffle and aged parmesan, the perfect combination of rich meat and cheese, fluffy bread and crunchy pickles. We would definitely want to share this or you won't have room for much else, unless you're just popping in for a sambo and a glass of wine. Marinated shiitakes with radish and kelp was a pleasant bowl to pick at while snacking, but we wouldn't mark as a must-have. However the more delicate flavours may have gotten lost amongst everything else, so if you're ordering it see if you can get it at the top of the meal. We were close to being carbed out by the time our comté, ham and truffle tart arrived, and wished we'd gone for the trout rillette or grape and blue cheese salad instead (we just get very excited around delicious sounding carbs). It was nice, but felt too similar to something we might make at home with a packet of pastry and the right ingredients to hand. The salad on the side tasted very strongly of parsley - our least favourite herb. We were close to admitting defeat, but never before dessert (committed to the cause). A custard tart with rhubarb came on a dense pastry base with a crunchy brûléed top, and a side of tart rhubarb topped with the lightest, airiest ice-cream topping. The rhubarb itself was the standout. We'd also ordered the beignet with blood orange curd, but the order hadn't gone into the kitchen, so the chefs had to be called back to make it. Unfortunately when they did arrive they weren't cooked through, so weren't as pleasant as they should have been, but when cooked properly who doesn't like a mini doughnut, and the curd was delightful (and delightfully seasonal). What about the drinks? Anywhere that has a dedicated grower Champagne by the glass list gets our vote. They're not cheap, but for €22 - €28 a glass around town all you're going to get is big brand, corporate tasting Grand Marques, and these are a world apart - it's like buying a steak in Tesco verses driving out to Higgins in Sutton. We tried the Stephanie Regault Chromatique (light, fresh, elegant), and the Georges Remy Bouzy Rosé (weightier with more power and roundness), and they were both top tier fizz. If you've ever paid €25 for a glass of Moet et Chandon, treat yourself to this and consider it penance. The rest of the wine list is just as lovingly put together, and there was a lot on it we wanted to drink. Prices start at €10 a glass and go up to €26 for a white Burgundy from Rully, so it's easy for the bill to ratchet up, but when we're in a wine bar we want to drink really nice wine - that's literally the reason they exist. We really liked the Albert Mann Riesling (Alsace) and the Luis Seabra Xisto white field blend (Portugal), as well as their own Forest Avenue red Burgundy which was lush and soft with lovely red fruits. We also splurged on a €20 glass of Hirsch Vineyards Pinot Noir (California), because it's a winemaker we've never seen poured by the glass here and it's very special stuff. Sweet wines to match the desserts, a Hungarian Tokaji and an Austrian blend, were excellent too. And the service? The staff could not have been nicer, practically hugging us when we arrived, and the warmth kept going all night. Dishes came really nicely spread out, one or two at a time, never overwhelming proceedings, and the whole experience felt very relaxing. And the damage? Around €125 a head with service, which was more than we were planning to spend, but take off two glasses of grower Champagne and the €20 glass of Pinot and you'd be down at a more respectable €90 a head. The verdict? We think Forest Avenue's most recent pivot might be their most clever one yet. There were more similarities than differences between Forest Avenue and Forest & Marcy, and now there's a clear line differentiating them. We'd bet the newly situated Forest Avenue around the corner still has a star in its sights, while the laid back newbie in its place is the wine bar Dublin 4 needed. Go often, go early, go easy on the bread, and order the good champagne. Forest Avenue Wine Bar 8 Sussex Terrace, Sussex Road, Dublin 4 forestavenuewinebar.ie New Openings & Discoveries More >>

Gaffe Dublin's best new burger is just the start of things on Leonard's Corner Posted: 25 Aug 2026 Neighbourhood Neighborhood Name Address Restaurant Address Website Website Name Restaurant Info View the Listing >> Written by: Ronan Doyle What’s the story with Gaffe? We arrive for Sunday lunch to the classic sight of a city in flux. To the tune of Svaneborg Kardyo, some flavour of football flashing down from the walls, an American visitor has just stood a regular a pint. He does not appear to need it. Warily but not without affection, the bar staff watch on as he offers a hug in return. You’d expect less soft Swedish electronica than Temple Bar trad to score such a scene, but even in gentrification, this corner of Portobello is humming its own tune. Flash back fifteen years or so and Leonard’s Corner was a cluster of darkened pubs and greasy spoons, places you fell out of and into. Glow-ups came like the bankruptcy we were crawling out of - gradually and then suddenly. 57 The Headline brought craft beer and Sunday roasts in 2013; Bastible brought fine dining in 2015, before a Michelin star followed in 2022; now here come The Libertine and new residency Gaffe in Leonard's Corner’s' namesake bar, with two distinct twists on classic pub grub on opposite sides of the road. The Libertine's flash fitout boasts smoked cheese croquettes and tuna tartare. Gaffe ’s window beckons you in for a burger. Should we be booking? We don’t for our first Friday visit and snag an early evening walk-in; for that Sunday second, a 3pm sitting is all that’s going a week in advance. Word’s getting out that the tall man crouched in the small kitchen back there is doing something special. The six tables snuggly fit into a back area they’ve set aside for Gaffe fill up fast, so best to book in for busier times. Bar and back counter space are ideal for solo and duo drop-ins - if you’re peckish in the vicinity, it’s well worth chancing your arm. Who’s the tall man? That’ll be Dan Chambers, a Yorkshire chef who punctuated his years at kitchens in Utrecht and London with popups across Europe. He doubled down last summer and traded in a gig leading London’s Bambi for a cross-continental string of supper clubs and residencies from Brussels to Bangkok. That’s a lot of fast-paced recipe development just landed down at Leonard’s. What can we expect? Fittingly for a project honed of itchy feet and varied facilities, the menu’s a moveable feast - dishes tweaked, tailored, tossed entirely as seasons and circumstances dictate. Don’t be distraught if you see something online that doesn’t show up on the day. Though you won’t likely be, with swap-outs like these - we forgot all fantasies of a now-gone ham hock terrine on first sight of merguez (€11) snuggled up against a pile of peas and coco de paimpol, all glistening like pearls plumbed from the deep. They’re just as precious, holding firm to first bite until yielding to a satisfying pop of pleasure. Casablanca had it wrong – a hill of beans amounts to a lot when it looks like this. We were so taken with them we’d hardly touched the merguez – good thing as the apologetic late arrival of a side of pickled chilli saved the slight-spiced, fat-saturated lamb sausage from feeling too rich. We couldn’t but wonder if something was similarly missing from the soft shell crab (€10). For all the floods of sea salt flavour gushing out of the trout roe, light lemon yogurt and barely charred corn left the sweet meat too little to play off to really register. No such trouble for the squid (€20), whose leek and butter bean base we’d drink even without the braised rings and pickled mussels. This classic cassoulet blanc gets sublime sweetness from soft-sweated leeks, lush against the just-right bite of the beans and the gentle crunch of pickled celery. This is a treat of well thought-out texture, all emphasising the squid’s stewed softness – it’s the best we’ve had around here in an age. Bread (€4, not made in-house) might be wise for mopping - our fingers did just fine. “Psst… Try the burger. Trust us.” Trust them. Not for nothing is this the one dish that reliably lands for lunch and dinner every week – it’s the kind of plate that could never leave, would never be allowed to. We came dangerously close to ordering it both times. The chonky quarter pounder (€15) is slapped on a bumper bed of sliced pickles – no meagre coins here – and slathered in melted cheese and house sauce with a sharpness the fatty patty demands. A lightly-toasted bun comes as a reminder that, yes, hard surfaces do still exist. The table is one. Grab it. Hold on tight to keep from falling to the floor. Sides sing. A baby gem salad delights the way mere leaves are rarely allowed to, ice-crisped curls cupping a dressing that's intense in all the right ways - a flash fire doused with a pail of water. Alternated with bites of the burger it's like coming up for air. Crispy spuds show the under-explored potential of new potatoes. More often steamed or smoked, they're roasted here to a fudgy texture we couldn't get enough of. Only by figs (€7) were we left a little wanting – sat in a pat of caramelised white chocolate, sprinkled with a scatter of sweet hazelnuts halves, they’re the over-stretched star of a show they can’t carry, the red-ripe colour of the season’s best specimens nowhere in sight. This would have worked a treat with finer fruit. Is Sunday lunch any different? Not as much as we’d like, nor as might make for a destination experience. When the former 57 The Headline shut up shop and sold to the folks behind the Libertine, it left a gap in the market for a great Sunday roast – one the new site has only half-embraced with a pair of sharing plates. That leaves an open goal for Gaffe and one a little more time and testing might well see scored. Meaty depth from roasting juices in the half chicken’s (€22) honey-mustard couldn’t quite compensate for under-crisp skin or flabby fat layers – with city centre competitors like Caribou and The Legal Eagle offering better with all the trimmings for €25 they’ll need to step this up. Plaice (€22) proved a bigger problem, with under-salted skin leaving the toagarashi topping too great a weight to carry, for all its zesty character. Green peppercorn butter had much more of the former than latter – unevenly flavoured forkfuls are almost impossible to avoid. Maybe all that was with sugar snap and samphire side salad (€5) in mind, but by the time we got there the sea veg, and all salty succour we could imagine it brought, was no more. The sharp citric kick of preserved lemon alone didn’t quite do it. Simple lemon sorbet (€7) gave much better balance and a proper palate cleansing. Slim slivers of crisp apple showed all the fruit intensity we missed in the figs (since dropped) – when they get it right here, they really do. We've no doubt of better Sundays to come. Anything decent to drink? A bit better beer selection on tap than most other pubs in the area, but limited wine pours that aren’t about to excite you. Canned beers and cocktails show a bit more of a sense of adventure. What with Chambers’ wine bar pedigree we’d be keen to see a little more of an offering develop in that department to add to the food, but it’s early days yet. How was the service? Initial pleas for patience as Chambers ran the show solo in his opening weeks – doing the dishes and all – have ceded to more of a public pitch now that a kitchen porter’s in place. They seemed to take the eventual full house on our first Friday visit in their stride. Sensible spacing they can flex helps there, with more or fewer tables dedicated to food service as kitchen capacity allows – another thing that makes this a great call for walk-ins if you don’t mind risking a wait. Will we rack up a bill? Not without leaning a lot more on the bar than the table. Keep it quick with a burger and side and you’ll be about as satisfied as can be for a clean €20. Double-down for a three-course Sunday spectacular and you’ll still make out with change from a €50 – and a real pain in the gut first thing Monday morning. What’s the final verdict on Gaffe? You can see all of Dublin’s past and present packed around Leonard’s Corner - Victorian pubs and Georgian homes; Algerian coffee and Ukrainian cakes ; mushroom butchers and master bakers . Across the road they’ve gone back to the future with a glittering restoration and a menu to match it. Here it’s simpler stuff, but no less special. This is smart seasonal cooking with a real sense of restless invention. We'll be back again to see where time takes it. New Openings & Discoveries More >>

Chob Thai Website chobthai.ie Address Chob Thai Restaurant, Vernon Avenue, Clontarf, Dublin 3, Ireland Good For Tag 1 Cuisine Tag 1 Once Over Read our Review >> The Story Where It's At Nearby Locales Goat's Gruff Banco Bah 33 Mark Moriarty Studio Gaffe at Leonard's Corner Sano Pasta Yibu by Janet Little Canton Dak @ Bar Anam 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

B Skewers Make a beeline for Brazilian BBQ on Bolton Street Posted: 12 Jul 2022 Neighbourhood Neighborhood Name Address Restaurant Address Website Website Name Restaurant Info View the Listing >> Written by: Lisa Cope What's the story? Brazilian couple Bruno Amado and Thaís Eloá started B Skewers in 2019 to "democratize barbecue", by setting up stall at various food markets. Having worked in hospitality in Dublin running restaurants for other people (Bruno for places including The Intercontinental and Pacino's) they decided they wanted to be their own bosses, and after dipping a toe in the BBQ market and getting the reception they were looking for, they felt confident enough to look for a permanent site. B Skewers opened on Bolton Street in early 2021, and rather than pitch themselves as a Brazilian BBQ shop initially, they said they wanted to showcase BBQ street food techniques from around the world (this now seems to have flipped back to Brazilian BBQ). That kind of catch all approach, as well as the strong focus they had on delivery apps, didn't initially get us fired up, but over the last year we've seen more and more chefs and laymen (whose opinions we take seriously) descend on B Skewers for steak on sticks, charcoal-grilled chicken hearts, and what several were calling the best burger in Dublin. We were in. Where should I sit? This place is teeny, with three high tables, five counter seats and some tables outside. We didn't realise that you can book online , and when we arrived there was nothing free, but the resourceful staff just lifted a table in from outside and sat us beside the till, then moved us to a high table when one became available. You've got to love a can do attitude. The counter seats are perfect for a quick pitstop, allowing you to peer into the kitchen as you eat, and the outdoor tables will do the job if you want to sit in the fresh air, even if it's not the most glamorous set up in town. Our pick would be the high tables looking out onto Bolton Street. What's the food like? The menu consists of skewers, burgers and sides, and the prices make it feel very accessible (and easy to over order, but you can always take extras home). Also be sure to check out the combo deals where you can mix and match it all, even if a substantial amount of brain power is required to decipher the best way to order what you want. We asked the owner Bruno what he recommended, which was a good decision because he loves to talk about food as much as we do. Basically, "everything is amazing", but he really wanted us to try the pork belly, the steak, the chicken legs, and the cheese and onion sausage. We wanted to try the burger after seeing it all over the 'gram, and the chicken hearts for offal novelty. He also gave us a substantial amount of interesting information about their sides and sauces, and where the dishes and recipes come from, including cassava/yuca prepared three different ways. They suggested we start with the burger and "fried yuca snacks", and if this dish hasn't been created with the 'gram in mind it was a very happy accident. Cutting it in half and flashing each side back on the grill for those all important grill marks manages to make it look that much more appetising. The burgers (fresh from FX Buckley each morning) are dripping with meat juices and cheddar cheese, have a slick of herby mayo, and are served medium-medium/rare - brave in today's health and safety obsessed society but they feel their sourcing is good enough to go for it. Once you've had a non-overcooked burger it's hard to go back, and it's very difficult to find one outside your own home these days, so we just hope this one manages to stick around. Yucca (or cassava) is a carbohydrate filled root vegetable, from the same family as potatoes, sweet potatoes and taro. It's native to south American and consumed daily in Brazil in numerous forms, including flour. Here it's on the menu in three different ways, including these deep-fried balls of silky smooth, starchy yuca snacks, with small chunks of smoked sausage mixed throughout, and a crunchy shell keeping it all in tact. Beer snacks don't get better. There are nine skewers to choose from and you could forego the burger and try them all between two, but with limited stomach space we picked four. The best were the beef (tender, marinated Angus) and the pork belly (melting and sweet), both tasting like something straight from a São Paulo Churrascaria. The cheese and onion sausage is made especially for them by a Brazilian sausage maker in Dublin, and has chunks of melting cheese amongst the salty pork, but as sausages go it didn't leave a lasting impression. The chicken hearts are for offal aficionados only, and we didn't love them, but you might. Bruno also recommended we try the boneless free-range chicken legs, and we meant to order the halloumi but forgot in all the excited discussion about the menu. Two of many reasons to go back. While the steak was filled with flavour on its own, it was taken to a new stratosphere by the addition of some "vinaigrette" and farofa. The vinaigrette is a tangy, mouth-puckering mix of tomato, onion, spring onion, olive oil and lime juice, and does the same job (probably better) as a spoonful of chimichurri with a nice slab of Bife de Chorizo. In Brazil they often sprinkle farofa (another form of cassava with a texture similar to polenta) over barbecued meats, and while you might wonder whether its necessary to fling additional carbs onto some perfectly good meat, we have now discovered that it is. A chunk of steak sprinkled with farofa and topped with a spoon of vinaigrette made for a massively memorable mouthful of food, and really highlighted how little additions can take a meal from good to great. For cassava #3 , it was a mashed version, similar to very smooth potatoes, but also creamy and cheesy. It had more depth of flavour than potato, and tasted more savoury, and it would be very easy to just eat this by the spoon (which we did). We also tried the buttered sweetcorn which was a bit sweet and a bit spicy, although we felt it could have had a bit more of a bite. There are five sauces to choose from and we ordered the salsa verde (tangy and full of fresh herbs) and the garlic pâté (like a very good garlic mayo made with roasted bulbs). They also brought us an African pepper sauce to try, saying they had been working on the recipe for ages, and this is one for the chilli chasers, but despite its heat it's fruity and rounded. Just don't eat too much in one go. There's only one option for dessert - a dulce de leche stuffed toasted brioche bun, and while no one needs a dessert like this, sometimes a bit of indulgence is required. It's excellent dulce de leche in an excellent toasted bun, and while at first we thought it needed some ice-cream, there was something OTT in a good way about carb on carb. If you can eat a whole one of these you've got a higher sugar tolerance than we do, so we recommend one to share, between four. What about drinks? It's no surprise that the drinks list is basic, but they do a mean Aperol Spritz, as well as Campari spritz, a Spanish beer called Madri, and some unexciting but drinkable wines. When we arrived we liked the look of the Aperol Spritz but they had no ice so we ordered prosecco instead. About 20 minutes later we saw some ice arrive, and before we even had a chance to ask, two ice-cold glasses were delivered to our table FOC. This kind of generous hospitality feels very rare these days, and seems to sum up what the place and its owners are about. How was the service? From the first smiles on walking in, to the generosity of time and spirit in explaining the food and menu, to the warm farewell on departure, it felt like being a very welcome guest in someone's home, and a genuine opportunity to learn about new foods you may not be overly familiar with - something that's not possible in the same way without the right, wholly impassioned people serving it. And the damage? Around €65 for two with one drink each on the bill and leftovers to take home. In a world of rising prices, we think places like this which can deliver such sincere, delicious food at such great prices are going to ride high for the foreseeable future. The verdict? You know when you leave somewhere you liked so much that you can barely wait to tell someone about it? That was us with B Skewers, phone in hand before the door shut had behind us. We were completely endeared by the whole, heartwarmingly honest operation, the people behind it, and the new flavours and ingredients they're serving up to infatuated customers, sick of the same old dishes citywide, although we'd love to see a stronger focus on provenance and quality ingredients - they've told us it's on their agenda. We've never found a Brazilian BBQ worth shouting about, and although there's another currently on our to try list, right now we've got all the love for Bruno, Thaís and their little Brazilian BBQ on Bolton Street. B Skewers 47 Bolton Street, Dublin 1 www.bskewers.com New Openings & Discoveries More >>

Sourdough pizza and free-range chicken wings are Vice’s reason for being, and opening so close to Trinity College was a smart move. Their “elevated sourdough crusts” are finished with seeds, while similarly elevated toppings include chilli-infused pineapple and toasted fennel powder. Wings and tenders come with various levels of heat, and don’t skip the dip. There’s plenty of seating upstairs and downstairs and it’s ideal for a quick, inexpensive bite en route to somewhere else. Vice Website @vicedublin Address 5 Merrion Street Lower, Dublin 2 Good For Tag 1 Cuisine Tag 1 Once Over Read our Review >> The Story Sourdough pizza and free-range chicken wings are Vice’s reason for being, and opening so close to Trinity College was a smart move. Their “elevated sourdough crusts” are finished with seeds, while similarly elevated toppings include chilli-infused pineapple and toasted fennel powder. Wings and tenders come with various levels of heat, and don’t skip the dip. There’s plenty of seating upstairs and downstairs and it’s ideal for a quick, inexpensive bite en route to somewhere else. Where It's At Nearby Locales Goat's Gruff Banco Bah 33 Mark Moriarty Studio Gaffe at Leonard's Corner Sano Pasta Yibu by Janet Little Canton Dak @ Bar Anam 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

Notions @ Two Pups Superior spring plates and a new place for natty wine, right in time for the sunshine spell Posted: 15 Apr 2025 Neighbourhood Neighborhood Name Address Restaurant Address Website Website Name Restaurant Info View the Listing >> Written by: Ronan Doyle What should we know about Notions? It’s the age-old Irish, casually thrown out there cut-down for anyone getting ideas above their station - the notions . Nearly ten years into their tenure on Francis Street, with a second site in Fairview opened in 2023 and a new bakery Bold Boy serving both sites just launched in January, it’s no surprise Two Pups have given their after-hours wine bar venture a tongue-in-cheek title. Sure what are they at. Expectations are high here, with Two Pups’ longstanding reputation for top-class coffee and quality, well-sourced ingredients across their brunch offerings giving plenty of cause to hope for another new hot spot in Dublin’s growing wine bar scene . The idea of seasonal small plates and a small natty wine menu spilling out into the street just in time for this mid-spring sunshine spell had us racing to the Liberties to get an early look at Notions . Where should we sit? Outside, if the weather and your timing will allow it – the original walk-in only policy has already pivoted to bookings by Instagram DM , so you can request an al fresco spot if you’re early enough. It’ll be into the summer before the sun gets high enough in the sky to hit these seats directly, but it’s still a super spot to enjoy some fresh air. Inside, the three open, vintage-furnished rooms have plenty of two and four-top tables at various levels of privacy – we spied an assortment of gabby group catch-ups and intimate date nights that all looked equally at home in the spots they’d settled in. There’s another outdoor space to the rear they haven’t opened up yet, but are actively considering if demand builds up. What’s on the menu? It’s split into nibbles, snacks and plates (small and large) with no demand that you have to order a certain amount – a two-course minimum joint this ain’t, we’re glad to report. Notions is very much eyeing up the neighbourhood bistro vibe, welcoming all from the post-work glass-and-olives gang to the more gluttonous, work-your-way-through-the-whole-menu hordes. No points for guessing where we landed. Polenta chips with truffle aioli (€8) had set up camp in our minds long before we arrived, courtesy of this Instagram post , and we couldn’t wait to sink our teeth into those golden crusts. They yielded less crisp satisfaction than we’d fantasised about, as though they’d gone in the oil just a moment too early - with a touch more crunch, the well-seasoned cornmeal would be an amuse-bouche worthy of all the hype. If we’re venturing into improvements, we might also switch out their sauce for the mustard aioli that’s dabbed under and atop the ham hock croquettes (€9) – its nose-wrinkling kick has much more to offer than the artificial earthiness of truffle (oil) aioli. Versus the one-two punch saltiness of the tender shredded ham and molten smoked Gubbeen cheese within, it’s a perfect trio. It will have been a springtime for the ages if we have another seasonal plate half as good as what came next. Crunchy, lemon-dressed radishes (€9) are halved and scattered over a chunky romesco sauce bathed in wild garlic oil, finished with a flurry of grated hazelnut. Regular readers will know we’re nerds of the highest order when it comes to seasonal eating, so trust us when we say that every forkful, then spoonful, then wiped-finger-ful of this dish is the optimum taste of spring. One plate like that is good grounds to get booking at some point – two is cause to drop everything and go now. The asparagus dish (€14) is as ravishing as the radishes, with tender pan-fried spears and crunchy-crisp cavolo nero sat in a pool of parmesan cream, topped with caramelised cubes of guanciale. There’s a profoundly satisfying simplicity here - birdsong, sunny spells, and quietly confident cooking like this are what make spring so special. Since our visit this one has been bumped up to large plate status with the addition of pan-fried gnocchi – more soakage for that sauce can only be a good thing. More seasonality came in a "charred seasonal greens" salad (€12) that threatened to spill out over the table at the first hint of a fork – we’ll not lament the impression of an almighty portion, but a bigger plate or smaller serving was dearly needed. We found little evidence of the menu’s promised “charred” greens" among the assorted baby spinach and wild rocket leaves, though buried bunches of tender stem broccoli did look to have met with a pan. With ample anchovy chunks in the Caesar-style dressing however we didn’t take long to finish the refreshing lot. Fungiphiles’ hearts will be aflutter at the oyster mushroom plate with shimeji, black garlic and tarragon (€12). Not content enough with the mushroominess of crisped oyster and crunchy shimeji, they add duxelles-esque puree and airy cream in for what feels like a treatise on the essential flavour profile of the humble mushroom. Fans like us will lap it up, and not for the first time we got the sense that the Notions team has thought very deeply about what they’re cooking, and how to bring its best qualities out. A classical treatment is sometimes the answer to that - enter the Iberico pork cheek cassoulet (€26). The mound of meat disintegrated at the sight of a knife, so tenderly braised in its stew of butterbeans and nduja, that the resultant rich, deep flavour profile can’t help but bring on sighs of satisfaction. Salsa verde on top is a necessarily fresh, zesty intervention, lest you be tempted to slump into a coma. Once again, this is food to make you swoon. What are the drinks like? We liked the wine menu’s layout, with by-the-price sections for go to, treat yourself, or spoil yourself style nights – vital for the price conscious customer. However vital too is value, and while we found the atmosphere and experience worth the final bill, markups that go above even the usual absurdity of Dublin were the only thing here that really did reek of notions. For context, the sparkling Sampagnino below is €55 by the bottle here, and €41 in Lena , Portobello. The Vina Illusion white Rioja is €55 here and €44 in Uno Mas . The El Troyano which is €52 here is €42 in Hera . None of these places work off low margins. A better selection on the cheaper end of the menu, or wine mark ups that feel less like a knife to our bank balance would go a long way, particularly considering that barely anyone is eating out as much as they did 12 months ago, because of, ya know, the bleedin' price of everything. Instagram posts attest the staff’s involvement in building out the selections and it shows – their knowledge is second to none, with tasters and tips offered in abundance. We started with the Bulli Sampagnino frizzante, a pleasantly dry sparkling alternative to the bog standard Prosecco found in most places, then the Sassara Pinot Griso, an earthy orange that opened up the radishes and romesco. Our server was endearingly enthusiastic about the Colbacco Quarto Protocollo from the funky section as a pairing for the pork, and its smoky, volcano soil character was an excellent rival for the nduja spice. How was the service? Best seen when discussing the wine, the team here is really into what they’re doing, and it’s infectious. Everyone is casual, chatty and completely clued-in to the menu and how to help you make the most of it. The food is reason enough for us to come back - knowing what a warm welcome you’ll get is the cherry on top. And the damage? €128.50 to sample almost all of the menu and enough wine to get a good sense of the standard – the things we do for you. A go to glass and one of the smaller plates would keep you closer to €20 a head if you fancied a quick pit stop – go on, you deserve it. What’s the verdict on Notions? The very notion of “notions”, if you will, is a double-edged sword. It's an Irish attitude of comic modesty, sure, but a sometimes-suffocating aversion to the new too, a sense that we can’t be having with those nice, y’know, continental things. As we glugged the last of our over-priced glasses and looked out at the outdoor tables of punters stubbornly pretending it’s still warm enough to sit out after the sun sets, we were grateful that aversion is fading faster all the time. We may not have the weather, but in an increasing number of places like this we have a quality of ingredients, a talent for using them, and a growing culture for embracing it all that does Irish food proud. We'll always cheers to notions like those. New Openings & Discoveries More >>

Some of the best ramen in the city (if not country), with everything homemade in house, from the noodles to the broth. You'll find lots of fermented foods here, from kimchi to kombucha, all the small plates to share, and the space is large and laid back. Plenty of big tables for group gatherings. Soup Two Website soupramen.ie Address 44 - 47 King St North, Smithfield, Dublin 7 Good For Tag 1 Cuisine Tag 1 Once Over Read our Review >> The Story Some of the best ramen in the city (if not country), with everything homemade in house, from the noodles to the broth. You'll find lots of fermented foods here, from kimchi to kombucha, all the small plates to share, and the space is large and laid back. Plenty of big tables for group gatherings. Where It's At Nearby Locales Goat's Gruff Banco Bah 33 Mark Moriarty Studio Gaffe at Leonard's Corner Sano Pasta Yibu by Janet Little Canton Dak @ Bar Anam 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

Modern Irish restaurant Delahunt is probably most famous for being the place Harry and Megan ate when they visited Dublin in 2018. They moved to a tasting menu post-Covid and the seasonal menu is big on Irish ingredients. Delahunt Website delahunt.ie Address 39 Camden Street Lower, Dublin 2 Good For Tag 1 Cuisine Tag 1 Once Over Read our Review >> The Story Modern Irish restaurant Delahunt is probably most famous for being the place Harry and Megan ate when they visited Dublin in 2018. They moved to a tasting menu post-Covid and the seasonal menu is big on Irish ingredients. Where It's At Nearby Locales Goat's Gruff Banco Bah 33 Mark Moriarty Studio Gaffe at Leonard's Corner Sano Pasta Yibu by Janet Little Canton Dak @ Bar Anam 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

Nomo Ramen Dublin's new ramen shop opens to all the buzz Posted: 17 May 2022 Neighbourhood Neighborhood Name Address Restaurant Address Website Website Name Restaurant Info View the Listing >> Written by: Lisa Cope What's the story? The hype train certainly came in with this Nomo Ramen didn't it (which we take partial responsibility for). Our fair city's general lacking in ramen-ness has been a point of concern for many of you over the years, so talk of a new ramen shop, which owner Kevin Hughes had been painstakingly planning for years, had food circles alight with talk of a 7-hour chicken broth, 24-hour marinated eggs and noodles imported from David Chang's favourite supplier in the US - Sun Noodles . They cleverly planned a soft launch for their first weekend with reduced menu prices and tickets which unsurprisingly sold out, and the feedback was as good as the team there could have hoped for, with many proclamations across social media (and in newspapers ) that it was the best ramen in the city. While they started with just two ramens - one topped with pork and one vegan - they recently added a spicy version of each, with rayu on top, so we thought it was a good time to pay the bear a visit in person. Where should I sit? This is fast food (in the best way) so you won't be settling in, and the hard back seating reflects that. There are low tables, window seats perfect for one, and counter seats looking in at the chefs in the kitchen. We loved that most of the window seats are sectioned off one by one, meaning no awkward leg touching with your neighbour, and the perfect excuse for a bit of solo dining, people-watching and ramen eating in peace. What's the food like? There are four sides and four ramens for the moment (but really a spicy and non-spicy version of the same two ramens). It looks like they will be expanding the menu over time, and it would be nice to have more variety with the ramen in particular. We tried all of the sides except for the gyoza (they're not homemade so we didn't waste the calories / money) and our favourite was the hirata bun. It's a bao bun filled with 24-hour marinated pork, homemade pickles and hoisin sauce, and it's a beautiful meld of soft, smoky pork with tangy, crunchy pickle, spring onions and a little smear of homemade hoisin far more subtle than the one in your fridge door. An all round excellent start. to a meal here. Next up the Izakaya chicken wings marinated in Nomo's "specially blended sauce", which is a bit sweet and quite a bit salty, so keep a drink on hand. The crispiness has been nailed, and our only major complaint is that they're not from free-range birds - hopefully they can find a source for this in the future. Lastly we tried the mushroom karaage with hoisin mayo dipping sauce. We've lost count of the amount of message we've had from readers telling us how much they loved these juicy, meaty mushrooms in their pefectly light and crispy batter, but we felt they could have done with a bit of seasoning. The tangy dipping sauce definitely helped, and you'll crunch through them nicely while waiting for your ramen. For the ramen there's just two options - a meat and a vegan. The OG Nomo Ramen (€14.99) is made with a 7-hour simmered creamy chicken broth (tori paitan) hiding those wavy ramen noodles (the shape is supposed to catch more broth), and topped with slow-cooked and blow-torched chashu pork, shredded leek and half a 24-hour marinated egg. The broth is so creamy you'll be scratching your head wondering what's in there, the pork melts to the touch, and the egg is just perfect (although it would have been nice to have the second half - you can add it for another €2). The wavy noodles have more bite and chew than what you might be used to, which is what they were going for, and it's a very satisfying bowl of flavours and textures. It's a more simple offering than most ramens around town, but they're going for quality over quantity. The San Diego ramen (€13.50) is the vegan version, and comes with marinated tofu, roasted tomato (incredible) and caramelised onion, whose layers pull out one by one, acting like a little boat to scoop up the broth. It's similarly creamy from the use of oat milk, and while we loved the veg, we can't see why you'd order this if you weren't vegan - that pork and egg are too important. You could however order it and add on pork or eggs as extras, but we'd rather add the tomato and onion to the regular OG version. Saying that, add on another half egg, a tomato and the onion and you're looking at €21 for a bowl of ramen - inflation eh? The new two 'Karai' ramens just involve adding some homemade rayu on top (an extra €1.50) so we asked for a portion on the side, and were very glad we did. While the broths were rich and creamy on their own, the addition of the chilli oil kicked them into another flavour space, and if you love spice it's a must-order. If not you'll be fine without it. We can definitely see the argument for small but perfectly formed, but another couple of ramen options would definitely be welcome here, and would give diners more reasons to return. What about drinks? Very basic - Kirin or Whiplash beer, a couple of soft drinks and water. Seems like a missed opportunity to increase the spend per head, particularly for non-beer drinkers, but maybe they just want you in and out. How was the service? So lovely, jovial, welcoming. How any new opening is finding such great staff in times like this is hard to fathom. And the damage? With three sides between two, a bowl of ramen each, water and a tip it came to €30 each for lunch, which felt punchy enough considering we had no drinks or dessert, but that's probably because the whole set up feels so casual. Add on some ramen extras and a couple of beers and you'll be closer to €50. This kind of pricing pushes it somewhat out of the casual lunch stop space, but it's worth noting that the ramen is less expensive than both The Ramen Bar and Soup (both starting at €16, although you get more toppings), so by current city standards it's not out of step, and the work involved in the kitchen processes here are clear to see. The verdict? There's lots to love about Nomo, and ramen obsessives will no doubt love the simplicity of the concept and quality of what's in the bowl. We'd love to see the chicken and meat move to free-range, a few more ramen options on the menu, and a couple more drinks options, but they don't look like they'll be sitting still any time soon. Nomo Ramen 4 Charlotte Way, Dublin 2 www.nomoramen.ie New Openings & Discoveries More >>

Rush lucked out with 2023 opening Noisette, serving pastries and sourdough loaves from Vaarsha Baugreet (previously head baker at Bread Naturally in Raheny), and partner Jérémy Pastor (formerly at Tartine and Bread 41). You can expect long morning lines for their hand-kneaded and rolled croissants, danishes and ciabattas, but the staff make it all worthwhile when they hand over the good stuff with a smile. They serve Imbibe coffee and Belgian hot chocolate, and have free plant milk on offer - a major plus for the normally-penalised dairy-free drinkers. Noisette Website @noisetteartisanbakery Address 3 Upper Main Street, Rush, Co. Dublin Good For Tag 1 Cuisine Tag 1 Once Over Read our Review >> The Story Rush lucked out with 2023 opening Noisette, serving pastries and sourdough loaves from Vaarsha Baugreet (previously head baker at Bread Naturally in Raheny), and partner Jérémy Pastor (formerly at Tartine and Bread 41). You can expect long morning lines for their hand-kneaded and rolled croissants, danishes and ciabattas, but the staff make it all worthwhile when they hand over the good stuff with a smile. They serve Imbibe coffee and Belgian hot chocolate, and have free plant milk on offer - a major plus for the normally-penalised dairy-free drinkers. Where It's At Nearby Locales Goat's Gruff Banco Bah 33 Mark Moriarty Studio Gaffe at Leonard's Corner Sano Pasta Yibu by Janet Little Canton Dak @ Bar Anam 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

Waterfront dining on the docklands from the Bereen brothers, also behind Coppinger Row (now closed) and Orwell Road. The menu uses Irish produce, often with a Mediterranean spin, and the pre-theatre menu is ideal if you're going to a show in the Bord Gáis Energy theatre. Charlotte Quay Website charlottequay.ie Address Charlotte Quay Dock, Millennium Tower, Ground Floor, Ringsend Road, Dublin 4 Good For Tag 1 Cuisine Tag 1 Once Over Read our Review >> The Story Waterfront dining on the docklands from the Bereen brothers, also behind Coppinger Row (now closed) and Orwell Road. The menu uses Irish produce, often with a Mediterranean spin, and the pre-theatre menu is ideal if you're going to a show in the Bord Gáis Energy theatre. Where It's At Nearby Locales Goat's Gruff Banco Bah 33 Mark Moriarty Studio Gaffe at Leonard's Corner Sano Pasta Yibu by Janet Little Canton Dak @ Bar Anam 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

One Pico A new energy about an old classic Posted: 9 Nov 2021 Neighbourhood Neighborhood Name Address Restaurant Address Website Website Name Restaurant Info View the Listing >> Written by: Lisa Cope What’s the story? You know One Pico . We know One Pico. Everyone knows One Pico. You were probably brought here for a graduation lunch, an anniversary dinner, or a private meal for your Granny's 80th in the Polo Room upstairs. It's been open since 1997 and has always been classic, consistent, dependable, but lacking somewhat in fireworks, and the culinary climbing of sister restaurant The Greenhouse ( awarded two Michelin stars in the 2020 guide ) meant it was over-shadowed by its younger sibling. The Greenhouse remained shut for the duration of the pandemic (two star food doesn't really translate to prepare at home meal kits), and in May of this year Head Chef Mickael Viljanen announced he had quit and was taking over Chapter One (below) as chef-patron, with Ross Lewis still involved in the background. That's proved to be a very good decision , but The Greenhouse remains empty and doesn't appear to have a reopening plan. Those of you with vouchers were getting anxious about whether or not you'd be able to use them, so there was a bit of relief when One Pico said they could be used there instead. Outside of this, we've noticed a slow but steady rumbling about what's coming out of the kitchen in recent months. There's always been a (generally older) cohort insisting One Pico should have a Michelin star, but it feels like something has shifted lately, with the lionizing getting louder and spanning more age groups, and it was enough to send us back for a midweek lunch to see what was happening. Where should we sit? The dining room is as classically formal as it gets, from the velvet seats to the white tablecloths, the lack of any background music to the staff crumbing your table after each course. In one way we've always felt this old-fashioned approach has held One Pico back, it's not generally what the youth are looking for in their food adventuring, but it does suit the older, monied crowd, of which One Pico's customer base is primarily made up of. On the other hand a bit of formality can be quite soothing and escapist at times, and we'd be lying if we said a midweek lunch on velvet seats with silver service wasn't very enjoyable. Tables are well spaced with covid-friendly dividers against one wall, and there's a nice banquette running along the back of the room for extra cosiness. We get a lot of questions from you guys about where to book for groups and special occasions, so take note of The Polo Room upstairs where you can dine in private from a set menu - exactly how many can attend will depend on Covid restrictions at the time (or maybe one day we'll be living in a Covid free world again, imagine...) What's the food like? Lunch is a set menu of €45 for two courses or €55 for three, with bread, tea/coffee and a petit four included. For dinner it's a three course set for €85, which is quite the jump considering a lot of the dishes are the same, but the supplements on some dishes are lower. Either way lunch is where the value is at. You can see current menus on their website . A beautiful bread basket of sourdough, brown and fruit breads set the tone for the meal, and the offer to replenish the pounced upon basket was a nice touch (just say no kids, we know it's hard). We'd seen the dramatic looking venison and beetroot tartare with blackberries and nasturtium on head chef Ciarn McGill's Instagram account and had to have it. It's a beautiful dish, with the mineral earthiness of the venison nicely balanced by tart beetroot and sweet blackberries. Our only complaint was that it was slightly over-seasoned with black pepper dominant, but as complaints go it's minor. Our other starter was their homemade ravioli that seems to be a cornerstone of the menu. At the moment it's filled with an aged parmesan and truffle bechamel, in a crystal clear cep mushroom consommé that's been clarified three times, with more truffle shaved on top, and it's the most perfectly hedonistic bowl of Autumn flavours. Don't miss it. When faced with a set menu there tends to be a tendency to "get your money's worth" with a meat or fish dish as opposed to the vegetarian option. We fought off those urges here because the Potimarron squash with Roscoff onion, gnocchi, chanterelles and pickled squash contained so many of our favourite things, and it's the best vegetarian dish we've had in months - and there wasn't even any cheese to be seen. There was more grated truffle on top though - tick. Chunky, chewy, crispy gnocchi, sweet onions, fruity chanterelles, what tasted like a considerable amount of butter. The squash still had a bite in the middle, which at first we wondered was a mistake, and then realised how much that little bit of crunch added to the dish's textures. Little pickled slices of squash were the acidic icing on the cake, and we were so sad to eat the last forkful. Our other main of Wicklow Sika deer was another powerful plate of food, thanks to perfect cooking and interesting accompaniments. A pear chutney for sweetness, last year's elderberries for tang, parsley root purée to soothe, a potato crisp in the shape of a leaf for crunch, and a few more chanterelles, because why not. Nothing out of place, nothing without a good reason for being there, and a beautifully cooked piece of meat. What is going on with potatoes? Everywhere we go lately places are majorly upping their spud game. The once afterthought of the sides menu is becoming the must order, and that's the case here too. Their charlotte potatoes were served with parmesan, crispy onion and shaved Autumn truffles (no you cannot have too much truffle in one meal but thanks for asking), and were salty, umami packed little flavour bombs, with excellent added crunch from the onions and sea salt. Something else we'd been giving the glad eye to since seeing it on social media was the dessert of "Poire Belle Hélène" - One Pico's riff on the original Escoffier dish of poached pears with chocolate sauce. If Michelin were giving out stars for desserts, this deserves one. The chocolate covered ring covered an almond sponge and a pear and vanilla mousse, chunks of pear so sweet and ripe they tasted almost fake (such is the general pear standards across the country), a Valhrona chocolate sauce, and a Poire Williams (pear liqueur) sorbet. This is in the top tier of desserts in the country right now, and we insist that you taste it. The other dessert of baked Guinness custard with blackberries and blackberry ice-cream we picked mostly out of curiosity, and are relieved to say did not taste of Guinness. There was a savoury, grain-like flavour to the custard, which was on the denser side, and the various blackberry elements from sauce to sorbet gave it a nice balance, but the previous dessert was in another league. Good coffee and a rich chocolate truffle finished off a pretty absorbing lunch, before sadly stepping back out into reality. What about the drinks? Wine prices are eye-watering and you'll struggle to find much under €40. It's very clear who this list is aimed at, and it's not the same people who spent the weekend in Note wine bar . The old world, particularly Burgundy and Bordeaux, takes up most of the list, and there are a number of big brands on there - presumably to soothe the TDs or those dining out on company cards who want to look like they know what they're talking about. The cheapest sparklings, a Crémant de Bourgogne and a Prosecco, are €75 - ouch - but needless to say, if you or the person you're dining with has endless cash under the mattress you can drink very well in here. Despite the classic lean, there are a few more organic/biodynamic/natural-ish wines hidden within, and their sommelier will happily give you recommendations - just make his life easier and tell him what you want to spend. We drank 'Le Mas' from Domaine Clavel, a grenache/syrah blend from the Languedoc at €52, and it was bright and juicy, pairing well with all of the dishes. The other thing you get for those prices is an elevated wine service - the cork left on the table, a side table for your wine. It's all very conducive to making you feel like a VIP for a few hours. And the service? Formal, smooth and very professional. You probably won't be cracking jokes with your waiter, but none of them will miss a beat, making for a very stress free experience. The only thing you'll have to think about is eeking out the food and wine for as long as possible. And the damage? Around €90 a head after tip with one lower priced bottle of wine between two. Not cheap by any means for lunch, but thoroughly recommended for a midweek skive every now and then. The verdict? It feels like there's a new energy about One Pico at the moment, like they're striving for something bigger, and of the multiple meals we've had here over the years, none impressed as much as this one. The pandemic was harsher on some restaurants than others, and places like One Pico who were dependent on tourists and corporate business more than some of their contemporaries, had it harder than others. We wonder whether it's made them think more about targeting the local food obsessives who spend each month scrambling for reservations in Variety Jones, Chapter One and Uno Mas, ditching the velvet chairs and white tablecloths, and easing out the suited smart set bit by bit. Maybe that's wishful thinking on our part, but the next time you're looking for somewhere for a special occasion meal, a food and wine splurge (we all need one now and then), or to taste the best pear and chocolate dessert of your life, head for Molesworth Place. One Pico 5/6 Molesworth Place, Dublin 2 www.onepico.com New Openings & Discoveries More >>

Mani Join the queue for perfect pizza to perk up the New Year Posted: 9 Jan 2024 Neighbourhood Neighborhood Name Address Restaurant Address Website Website Name Restaurant Info View the Listing >> Written by: Lisa Cope What's the story with Mani? If you haven't already heard of Drury Street's latest pizza slice shop, you must have been on an enforced social media blackout for the last few months, because Mani has been everywhere (and that's going to continue for the foreseeable future). Owner Ciaran McGonagle used to work for Coppinger Row, before founding Catch Events, and later setting up food truck Ciao Cannoli . At some point an obsession with Roman-style pizza al taglio took hold, and realising it wasn't readily available in Ireland, he decided he was the man to bring it. He spent a year mastering the dough from Italians in the know, then went to Ballymaloe for their famous 12-week course to focus on the rest. He tested the water with a food truck which popped up at various locations like Clontarf, Dublin Castle and the House of Peroni, but when Blazing Salads vacated the Drury Street premises they'd been in for 23 years, McGonagle got lucky with a lease. As luck would have it, chef Rory Shannon, who'd recently wrapped up Pala Pizza and Trattoria in Foxrock in search of somewhere more central, was available for hire, and these two Roman pizza nerds came together in a solid case of all the stars aligning. Are there seats? Yes but they're limited to eight stools inside (five facing out onto Drury Street with glorious people watching opportunities) and picnic benches outside. Some are covered, but we imagine all will be eventually, because you know, Ireland. What's on the menu? Pizza slices, dips, panini, and a few fried bits (Fritti) which are a Shannon specialty. Sadly the fritti weren't available on the day we visited, but we've had his suppli and oogled his lasagne fritti online so we feel confident reccomending them even without having tasted them. Of the five pizzas available on the day we visited, three were vegetarian and one vegan, so plenty of options for any non meat-eaters in your life. There's also a vegan panini with melanzane parmigiana, as well as porchetta and mortadella options. You'll be able to eye up the slices up in the display window before making your choice, although you might feel frazzled if there's a queue and not feel comfortable leaving it for a browse. The staff then whisk it off to be reheated in the oven and give you a buzzer that goes off when it's ready. Fear not, this is how many slice shops in Italy operate, and nothing is lost with the pre-cook, reheat later method. Because of the high hydration, the dough gets even crispier after a second trip to the oven. The margherita (€6.50) is always the first test of any good pizza place, and Mani's comes with homemade tomato sauce, Toonsbridge Fior di Latte, stracciatella, basil and EVOO. Whether you've had Roman style pizza before or not, the base here with its 80% hydration and three-day fermentation before baking will knock you sideways - so light while losing nothing in texture, so crisp without being dry or hard. Sweatshop levels of exertion have gone into this dough preparation and cook, and you can taste it as soon as it hits your mouth. Toppings were perfectly judged, with bright tomato under an oozing double cheese combo. The Carbonara slice (€8.50) is what catapulted Mani from fondly-thought-of food truck to social media superstar, and it's an eye-catcher, with pancetta, guanciale, Pecorino Romano, Toonsbridge Fior di Latte, black pepper, and a generous coating of free-range egg yolk over the top (we're dying to know what happens to all of the egg whites, maybe there's a pavlova spin off in the works). The toppings here outweigh any saintly lightness from the base, but the carbonara flavours are all there and then some. Too many pizza places can be tight with the toppings, but shouldn't be any complaints about that here. Wall to wall pancetta, cheese and egg yolk will make the masses happy, but the richness factor is high so we wouldn't plan on eating much more if you're having a whole one. We didn't realise the potato slice (€6.50) was vegan until after we'd eaten it, the cream di nocciola bringing a creamy, nutty, sweetness that deftly disguised the lack of cheese. Irish rooster potatoes are sliced wafer thin, and it's topped with cress for added freshness. The other meat option is the salsiccia (€7.50), with housemade fennel sausage, vodka sauce, fior di latte, pink onions, salsa verde and Pecorino Romano. The salsa verde is a clever touch, bringing a lemony freshness to a meaty, cheesy slice, and like everything else in here is beautifully balanced. Of the four dips (€2 each) we tried three - garlic sauce, hot chilli and honey, and cacio e pepe. We would heartily reccomend all of them (the garlic is perfection), but the Carbonara slice dipped in the cacio e pepe sauce is an OTT trip that cheese lovers won't be forgetting any time soon. Panini (€10.50 - €11.50) are no relation to the ultra-processed bread pox that landed in Dublin some time in the last century (and are still readily available in delis and bad pubs across the country). These have the same light, ultra-crisp dough as the pizzas, baked into sandwich form, sliced through the centre and stuffed with fillings like porchetta and cheesy aubergine. When we heard the mortadella option came with pistachio cream, curiosity got the better of us, and of all the things we ate that day, this is one we've been reliving daily. The mild, porky, slightly smoky flavour up against the slightly sweet, pesto-like sauce sounds so wrong, but tastes so incredible. Owner McGonagle's other business Ciao Cannoli plays a supporting role here, with Nutella, classico and pistachio options (€5.50 each) all made to order. We've had these several times and they're always pitch perfect, but these felt a bit smaller than what we've had in the past so we wouldn't share between any more than two (if you're feeling generous). What about drinks? They're basic but do the job, with a very drinkable organic Nero D'Avola by the glass (€8) or bottle (€45) and a Gavi for white (same prices). Beers are Ichnusa (or Peroni 0.0) and they have soft drinks too. How was the service? Pleasant but perfunctory. You place your order at the till, pay and take a seat with your buzzer. Once your order is ready you go up to collect it. Just prepare to feel slightly stressed if you have questions about the menu and there's a snaking queue behind you - there's only one till and hungry people are easily irritated. What was the damage? €60 for more than enough to feed three - we took leftovers home but could have been greedier and finished the lot. What's the verdict on Mani? We wanted to like Mani, but we LOVED it. McGonagle has cut zero corners, determined to get the Roman specialty just right for a clearly appreciative Irish audience, and having Shannon for start-up support makes Mani a powerhouse. We think Shannon has grander Trattoria-style plans down the line, but if the temperaments work, we think these two could have an imressive run of restaurants in them. God knows it's easier having a business partner than going it alone, especially when you operate with the same fervour and work ethic to attain a perfect product every time. With appetites (and wallets) for premium-priced dining experiences dropping by the day, we think it's ultra-accessible, ultra-delicious places like Mani that are going to soar in 2024. New Openings & Discoveries More >>

Forêt The Wyers do it again with fine dining French bistro cooking at accessible prices Posted: 26 Nov 2024 Neighbourhood Neighborhood Name Address Restaurant Address Website Website Name Restaurant Info View the Listing >> Written by: Lisa Cope Tell us about Forêt? It's the new French bistro from Sandy and John Wyer in the upstairs room formerly home to The Sussex gastropub, which quietly closed a few months ago. The couple opened Forest Avenue next door on Sussex Terrace in 2013, and the more wine bar leaning Forest & Marcy around the corner three years later. The past decade has seen some chopping, changing, moving and closing, with Forest Avenue at one point moving into the old Forest & Marcy space after it closed, and the original turning into " Forest Avenue Wine Bar ", but eventually it moved back to its first home. (Forest Avenue) The Wyers are also behind bakery Una in Ranelagh, which opened earlier this year, and became an instant queue generator, with their bacon jam escargot , pain au chocolates promising 50% more chocolate, and quiches the size of a baby's head. (Una Bakery) They don't put many feet wrong when it comes to food, so when whispers started a month or two ago that their next adventure was going to be a fully fledged French bistro in the old Sussex site, the ooohs and aaahs were heard in every corner of the industry. It's one of Dublin's major culinary gaps, with nothing to rival Paris's or London's best - was Forêt going to be the change-maker? What's the room like? They've done remarkably little to the room, and yet it delivers all the French bistro vibes. Dark wood, green walls, an open fireplace, and wall-mounted metal sconces with exposed bulbs, give the room a warm, cosy feel, that was especially lovely to step into on a baltic winter evening. There's nothing stuffy or uptight about Forêt - it gives the vibe of somewhere you could just as easily pop in for a glass of red and a terrine de campagne, as a multi-course French feast spanning a few hours. In an environment where more and more diners are being priced out of dinner, it all feels refreshingly accessible. As you walk upstairs and through the door you're met with the bar on your right, and a few tables straight ahead to your left. A narrow corridor joining the front and back rooms has three high tables for two, with a bird's eye view into the kitchen and pass. The room at the back is the cosiest though, and one you might have to be surgically removed from later. The leather seats, the low lights, the candles, the gentle hum of people having a lovely time - you might find your two hour dinner slot insufficient. A drink while deciding? There's a nice opening menu of aperitifs, cocktails, beer, cider, sparkling wine and non-alcoholic options, all designed to make you part with your cash while browsing the menu, and why not. As far as fizz, Albert Mann's Cremant d'Alsace (€17 a glass) is an good an opening gambit as we've had in a while, and not at Champagne's break the budget prices either. What's the menu like? Here's where the problems start. Have a good long look at the menu before coming in because you're going to want it all. There are eight snacks before you even get to starters, and if you have the willpower to skip them, well you need to live a bit more. In an effort to try as much as possible we kept it to one main, and then suitably over-ordered to make up for it with four petites assiettes, three entrées, and two desserts. Here's what we (happily) over ate... The order... Egg mayonaise with celeriac rémoulade - You'll find oeuf mayonnaise on nearly every bistro menu in Paris, but what's usually a basic boiled egg with homemade mayo has been given the John Wyer treatment. A half soft boiled egg comes tossed in and on top of a gribiche-like sauce, snowed under with crispy breadcrumbs and chives. Sometimes the old ways aren't always the best. Fish cake with sauce ravigot - A perfect square of breaded, deep-fried fish sitting in a puddle of sauce ravigote, which is like a mayonnaise without eggs. Instead Dijon mustard, white wine vinegar and other additions like capers, shallots and herbs make a beautifully acidic, creamy accompaniment. Leeks vinaigrette - This is not a classic leeks vinaigrette, it's basically the egg mayonnaise dish but with leeks instead of egg. Very delicious, the leeks not remotely stringy, but not the usual preparation. White anchovy, ratte potato, fresh cheese - A beautiful combination of ingredients, perfectly prepared and balanced, that will have all of your taste receptors firing. Rillettes of trout, cucumber, horseradish - A delicate, dill-laced dish (albeit not a looker on the fish side thanks to gelatine), with crunchy vegetables, horseradish yoghurt, and that Forest Avenue sourdough bring every conceivable texture to the plate - so lovely to eat. Chicken liver parfait with fig chutney - We nearly didn't order this because once you've had 100 chicken liver parfaits, can any really stop you in your tracks? It turns out the answer is yes. This is knock you down good, so silky, so richly flavoured, the toasted, buttered sourdough and fig jam such incredible bedfellows you might have to muffle your moans. Steak tartare - Missing the bright red colour of a made to order steak tartare, the meat having more of a grey tinge, presumably due to an earlier preparation. This was all forgotten however from the first bite, and we're still mentally retasting it trying to work out exactly what combination of cornichons, capers, egg yolk, shallots, chives, mustard, Worcestershire sauce (?) is in there. Top of the class. Chicken au Vin Jaune with riz à la paysanne - Forêt: making chicken cool again since 2024. A wow way to serve the often all too boring bird. That juicy flesh, that shatteringly crisp skin, the depth of flavour in that Vin Jaune (a nutty, oxidative wine from the Jura) sauce with cream, morels and chunks of wild mushrooms. Spell-bindingly good. Recipes for riz à la paysanne don't seem to exist outside of a couple of old French cookbooks, and you won't find one on Google. We gather the rice is cooked with bacon, onion and tarragon pilaf-style, and the fragrant end result is served with more tender chunks of chicken on top. Croissant pudding, Calvados ice-cream, custard - Can it get better? Yes it can, with the pudding made from Una's leftover croissants. So chewy, so caramelised, even when sitting in custard with soft, melting ice-cream on top. A modern day miracle. Warm chocolate mousse, vanilla ice-cream - A replica of the one from The Sportsman in Kent's cookbook , which later found its way onto the menu at Noble Rot in London (there with a milk sorbet). It was a divine ending in both of those places, and it is here too. After all that we couldn't venture into cheese, but they're all French, and always will be - like it should be. Tell us about the drinks? The wine list is all French (we do love when they fully commit), with glasses ranging from €14 - €22 (or €34 for Champagne). There's no glass size specified but we hope it's a 175ml for those prices. Bottle prices seem average for the city, with a good range of regions and styles, and we drank a silky, spicy Chénas (Beaujolais, made from the Gamay grape) from Anthony Thevenet (€58), which was light enough to work well with everything. How's the service? Very welcoming, warm and chatty, with dishes coming in twos at most so we were never overwhelmed. It was all just very relaxing, and while we had a two hour eating window we never felt rushed - it was midweek though, can't guarantee the same for peak weekend. What was the damage? €197 before tip for three snacks, three starters, a main, two desserts, a glass of Crémant, a bottle of Beaujolais, and a coffee to finish. If you're not as greedy and stick to two starters, two mains, a shared dessert and one of the least expensive wines you could have a very nice meal for closer to €130, which in today's market feels like exceptional value. What's the verdict on Forêt? How soon can we go back? With approximately zero dining low points we've now made it our mission to taste everything on this menu. There's nothing not to like about Forêt , from the food, to the room, to the prices, to the feeling of everything just coming together, and while it's definitely on the fine dining side of French bistro cooking (there's no slapped out slow-cooked stews, or redundant salad garnishes), we've got no complaints. New Openings & Discoveries More >>

Milo's Dublin 9 gets the buzzy brunch spot it's been waiting for Posted: 16 May 2023 Neighbourhood Neighborhood Name Address Restaurant Address Website Website Name Restaurant Info View the Listing >> Written by: Lisa Cope What should we know about Milo's? Milo's is the second café from Taurean Coughlan and Kevin Roche, who own Two Boys Brew down the road in Phibsborough. The premises on Drumcondra Road Upper (opposite the Skylon Hotel) was a dancewear shop called Dimensions for decades, and this is a much needed upgrade. Any inhabitants of the hood will tell you that the area was in desperate need of a somewhere to stop for excellent coffee, cake and brunch, so the arrival of Milo's has been a bit of a big deal. Where should we sit? Milo's is more petite than its big bro down the road with around 18 seats inside and another 8-12 outside. They also do everything for takeaway if you want to grab and go (when we visited there was a line of people waiting for their orders to be bagged up and brought out). The lovely Griffith Park is a 12 minute walk towards town, and the Botanic Gardens a 20 minute walk or a five minute drive if you feel like a picnic. What should we have? Milo's has all the beautiful brunch sensibility of Two Boys Brew , with so much made in house that it's hard not to raise an impressed eyebrow. Pastries, breads, jams, nut butter, compotes, granola, chutneys - seeing this amount of effort put into a menu definitely helps to alleviate any price pain you might be feeling when eating out. Breakfast and brunch range from more simple options like granola, overnight oats and banana bread, to French toast, avo toast, and breakfast baps, with toasties served after 11am. There's also a cabinet full of cakes and pastries by the till that you'll need much willpower to swerve (we don't possess said willpower). We went twice so managed to try most of it (and more cakes than we'd care to admit). First things first, we need to talk about the banana bread. Thought you OD-ed during lockdown? This will rekindle your love. They make it in house, toast a fluffy inside/chewy outside banana-filled slice, then serve it with homemade hazelnut butter (the absolute best) and honey. For €6 we think this is one of the best (and best value) breakfasts you could eat in Dublin right now. Overnight oats (€8) came with plum compote, hazelnut butter and dark chocolate almond crumb (we'd expect the combinations to change regularly). and if you're someone who likes to dress dessert up as breakfast, this is for you. It was slightly heavy on mint throughout the oats (not listed on the menu), so if you happen to have an aversion you might want to avoid, or ask if it's in that day's batch. The fan-club worthy TBB granola is also on the menu, with raspberry compote so bright and sharp you'd almost think they grew them here, thick Greek yoghurt, and cinnamon oatmeal crumble for extra oomph. The Milo's brekkie bap comes with free-range scrambled egg, cheddar cheese, caramelised onion, streaky bacon, Milo's spicy tomato jam and rocket on brioche. Sandwiches like this can sometimes be sickly and OTT but we though this was pretty much perfect, the soft bun melding beautifully with the soft, folded eggs and cheese. some bite from the bacon, sweetness at the top and bottom from the jam and caramelised onion, and freshness from the rocket. We also tried the avo toast with confit cherry tomato, free-range fried egg, feta, sesame seed and hazelnut crumb, Two Boys Brew hot sauce (one of the best), and lime on toasted Firehouse sourdough (€13.50). This is not a dish lacking in flavour and every bite brings a taste of something new, although we found the thick bread slightly hard to cut and eat and would have liked a second egg on the other half of the toast (you can add one for €1.50). If you're more sweet than savoury, you'll probably find it difficult not to order the French toast, currently with rhubarb jam, vanilla mousse, roasted almond ginger crumb and maple syrup (€13.50 or add bacon for €17.00). With homemade brioche, and homemade everything else, this is an ordering choice we endorse, and the puffed up fluffy toast, tart jam and crunchy nuts somehow managed to once again make it feel balanced and not too much. There's plenty of homemade cakes and pastries, and while choosing was torturous, we went for a cinnamon knot and a chocolate and hazelnut babka. They were both great, but we'd caution that the babka is very dense so fitting this in on your own after another dish may be tough going. On another visit we took home a chocolate covered marble cake and a chocolate chip cookie, and both were top rate. What about drinks? Coffee is always on the money in Two Boys Brew and it was the same at Milo's. They use Root & Branch which is roasted in Belfast, and if you're a decaf drinker (by choice or force) theirs is one of the best around. Teas, ice coffee and hot chocolate are also available, as well as soft drinks including San Pellegrino and ginger beer. How was the service? Lovely, welcoming, lots of smiles, and the food and coffee came out fast on both occasions. We also love that they've put a no smoking sign up for the outdoor tables (why don't more places do this!?), because who wants second hand smoke blown in their face while trying to enjoy brunch in the sun. What's the verdict? Dublin 9 has been a café desert for as long as we've been around, so the arrival of Milo's is big news for the parish. Everyone wants to live within walking distance of somewhere like this, with consistently great coffee, thoughtful food, and a kitchen putting in more effort than most of us could contemplate on a daily basis. Locals around here are very lucky, and from the constant stream of customers coming to eat in and takeaway, they know it. Milo's 124 Drumcondra Road Upper, Drumcondra, Dublin 9 twoboysbrew.ie New Openings & Discoveries More >>

Kari South Indian specialities come to Inchicore Posted: 30 May 2023 Neighbourhood Neighborhood Name Address Restaurant Address Website Website Name Restaurant Info View the Listing >> Written by: Ronan Doyle What should we know about Kari? We first spotted the signs of a restaurant fitout in the ground floor of one of Inchicore’s new apartment buildings back at the start of the year, but word was hushed on just what Kari might be - though a little digging on a planning permission notice showed up some connection to Clanbrassil Street’s Konkan . It ’s almost twenty years since husband and wife team Bala Nayak and Nidhi Joshi opened those doors, and over ten since a second branch sprung up in Dundrum. With Kari , named from the Tamil word for sauce, which gives us the English word curry, they’re looking to trade on the reputation they’ve already built to bring us something a little more specialised. Where should we sit? The bright, spacious room has been nicely kitted out with a gold-grey colour scheme, consistent from ceiling to walls to even the padded leather seats. The large, partly-frosted windows which face out onto Inchicore’s main street bring the right mix of light and privacy, while the geometric mirror wall to the rear spreads the brightness through the space - you can’t go wrong no matter what table you land at. What’s on the menu? There’s a general focus on the cuisine of India’s south and south-western states here, Goa and Kerala chief among them. Nayak and Joshi are loathe to use the word “authentic” given the wide variety of styles between and even within the country’s many regions, but the menu’s very much informed by their own experiences and memories of home - with a few concessions to more familiar dishes. We got started with poppadoms, as is only right and proper - these crispy appetisers are hard to get wrong, but done really right the little differences can often stand out as a strong statement of intent. At Kari they came served with a lightly-spiced creamy tomato sauce, and a punchy, fruity chutney we were shocked to learn was turnip - our server, beaming at the surprise, said they aim to incorporate Irish ingredients wherever they can (we’d just missed a rhubarb chutney, gutted). Just as standout a fusion foodstuff were pakoras of kale and samphire, a real showcase of Kari’s Irish-Indian instincts. Lightly-battered shreds of the two veg are deep-fried to a fragile crisp, dolloped with a tangy tamarind-ginger chutney and scattered with pomegranate seeds. Kale’s ragged surface area lends itself especially well to a perfect pakora crunch, and if samphire’s thicker strands can make for some uneven mouthfuls, it’s a fair price to pay for the salty satisfaction of an inspired take on the street food treat. Gobi 65 is another south Indian street food favourite that’s made its way onto Kari’s starter selection: blanched florets of cauliflower are tossed in a thick, richly-spiced batter before being fried to a dry finish. Pooled pockets of sauce caught among crisped cauliflower branches make for a great clash of textures in every forkful - this is one of those plates you start off sharing but wish you could keep to yourself. Each of the main dishes’ grill options can also be ordered in starter form, so we ordered a smaller serving of Chicken Angarey and were not long regretting it. These bone-in chicken thigh tikka are given a spell in a fiery yogurt marinade before a roasting in the high temperature of a tandoor oven: the result is an otherworldly balance of blackened extremities and tender fatty flavour, cut through with a powerful spice kick. If tikka is your thing, don’t make our mistake - go all in on making this a main. If you can forgive the mild annoyance of the same limp side salad scattered across multiple plates, the only damp note in our selection of starters was the Goan crab and prawn kebabs, three soft cakes of seafood laid out over a sauteed cabbage and coconut slaw. We can’t fault the flavour but structurally these were a mess, crumbling under first touch of a fork - good luck dipping them by hand. The accompanying coconut chutney seems a mismatch for this flavour profile too, its cooling effect hardly called for in a dish that’s all about subtle spicing. The batting average came in just a little lower across the mains we tried, though it’s not beyond the bounds of possibility we were just starting to fill up by then - a light bite to eat Kari is not. The cauliflower and potato ghassi skewed slightly forgettable: a vegan twist on a classic Mangalorean chicken dish, we couldn’t help but suspect those absorbent subbed veggies had dulled all the heat of the dried chili and roasted coconut base. The flagship chicken kari was always going to need a look-in and we’re glad to say it stands on firmer feet. The base sauces between this and the ghassi aren’t actually all too different, only fresh coconut and an earthier spice character setting this aside, but it’s enough to make for a standout difference. Generously chunky chicken breast pieces help too: the slight resistance they offer before yielding to the bite is worlds apart from the cauliflower’s sodden softness. Kari’s care and attention to detail comes through best in the dum biryani: this traditional technique of slow-steamed layers of rice and meat gives a delicate depth of flavour and deceptively light texture to the rice that plays well off the fatty excess of the lamb. If not exactly a showstopper dish it's still a showcase of the instincts that underlie the place. Many restaurants striving for speed and scale will just go ahead and do this in an oven, and it’s often quite good, but taking the long way round here is a testament to the place’s core mission statement: sharing good home cooking, the way it ought to be done. Most mains (the biryani is an understandable exception) come with a choice of turmeric and ghee or plain basmati rice, but as far as sides are concerned, the bread is where it’s really happening. We could not get enough of the date and coconut naan. In essence a pimped-up peshwari, its deeply sweet taste is the perfect pairing for the spicier of the curry choices, and could happily serve as a dessert in its own right (we're not ashamed to say we kept picking away at it long after there was nothing left to mop up). We took a tip from the staff and threw in a paratha too, the flaky, dense dough an ideal vessel for the lighter dishes. What are the drinks like? The wine list is broadly functional, with a mix that feels more tailored to catch-all crowd pleasers than any particularly interesting pairing options, but everything comes in at under €50 a bottle. Cocktails are curious, with the rioja, raspberry and peach schnapps of the “Indian Cobbler” a little too assertive against the food - the elderflower and hibiscus prosecco spritz managed to mingle more discretely. Beers are basic, with Moretti and Tiger on tap, while non-alcoholic options are impressively broad and range from assorted Irish producers to an in-house mango lassi we wish we’d had the stomach space to sample. How was the service? One little bugbear with Kari is the way the space is set out, with the dining area distinct from a service and reception section - we get the zoning, but when the staff retreat there it can be tough to catch an eye until they’re already en route to another table. There’s no fault though when you do get their attention - from walking you through that one flavour you can’t quite place, to offering advice on what to order, every server in here was brimming with knowledge. And the damage? Dinner for a greedy three with one drink each clocked in at €133 - we might easily have fed another for that were we less eager to get a taste of everything around us. There’s a more pared-back, street food oriented menu available for lunch on Fridays to Sundays and it’s very reasonably priced at around €15 a head - we’ll be back in to try that. What’s the verdict on Kari? A very welcome addition to a part of the city not exactly awash with great Indian food, Kari’s menu strikes a balance between quality classics to draw in a crowd, and lesser-known dishes that should help it stand out from the crowd. It seems admirably intent on building a neighbourhood restaurant rep, and a kid’s menu that’s both fairly priced and not patronising in its options speaks especially to that - we saw several families drop in while we visited. Inchicore locals are in for a treat; those of us further afield won't regret travelling. Kari 205 Emmet Road , Inchicore , Dublin 8 www.kari.ie New Openings & Discoveries More >>

We didn't think the team behind BIGFAN could usurp themselves, but what did we know. Their collaboration with Fidelity Bar and Whiplash beer at 'Fidelity Studio' was a smash hit from night one, and God knows where the crowds are coming from, but they keep on coming. The menu has a lot of crossover with BIGFAN, but the big draw here is the use of spent grain and brewery products in Sister 7-only dishes. Sister 7 Website fidelitybar.ie/food Address Fidelity Studio, Queen Street, Smithfield, Dublin 7, Ireland Good For Tag 1 Cuisine Tag 1 Once Over Read our Review >> The Story We didn't think the team behind BIGFAN could usurp themselves, but what did we know. Their collaboration with Fidelity Bar and Whiplash beer at 'Fidelity Studio' was a smash hit from night one, and God knows where the crowds are coming from, but they keep on coming. The menu has a lot of crossover with BIGFAN, but the big draw here is the use of spent grain and brewery products in Sister 7-only dishes. Where It's At Nearby Locales Goat's Gruff Banco Bah 33 Mark Moriarty Studio Gaffe at Leonard's Corner Sano Pasta Yibu by Janet Little Canton Dak @ Bar Anam 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

Kaldero Different concept, same old Press Up Posted: 10 Dec 2024 Neighbourhood Neighborhood Name Address Restaurant Address Website Website Name Restaurant Info View the Listing >> Written by: Lisa Cope What's should we know about Kaldero? Press Up's new melting pot of cuisines was cooked up in record time after the group announced they were closing Wagamama on South King Street with immediate effect at the end of September. The press release for Kaldero flew in a week before opening, and the only thing that interested anyone was that Bahay 's Richie Castillo was attached to it, along with two other UK-based consultant chefs who'd worked on the menus for now shuttered Press Up restaurant Rice Chinese , and their Indian concept Doolally . Neither made major waves on the eating scene here, and neither chef actually cooked your dinner - the non-descript Press Up kitchen team does that. When the press release landed we mistakenly thought Castillo was the chef, with input from the other two occasionally flying over, and thought what a brilliant pairing for both. Small time chef with big kitchen talent gets backed by a group known for bland food in a beautiful setting. Book us in. But when we got there and saw no sign of him in the kitchen, we quickly found out that all three chefs were only drafted in to create the menu, and wouldn't be manning the stoves. Suddenly it all felt very Press Up, and any excitement was gone in a poof. Where should we sit? The narrow, high ceilinged room still harks of its Wagamama heyday, although the kitchen has moved from the back to the left hand side. It's dimmer and moodier with sleek booths replacing wooden benches, but anyone who spent their youth making a veggie katsu curry and a beer last for two hours will find the basement room very familiar. The tables for two on the right side of the room are far too petite - if it's not full you'd be advised to ask can you trade up for more space, especially if you plan on sharing dishes. The sleek, red leather booths in the middle are where it's at, with the high tables at the front feeling a bit removed from everything and a bit too close to the stairwell. What did you eat? A mash up of Chinese, Indian and Filipino dishes (there's one Malaysian too) which feels a bit food court-esque, a bit please-all, and like there hasn't been enough attention given to any one cuisine - so far, so normal for this group. It's not in sections either which might make things confusing for anyone who wants to know the origins of what they're eating. There are 15 small plates and six large, with sides like egg-fried rice and masala fries at the bottom. It's a menu for sharing, and with three of the large plates priced from €33 - €39.50, you’ll probably want to. We started with dynamite lumpia (Filipino), long green chillies stuffed with pork mince and smoked scamorza with a sweet and sour honey dip. They were pleasant enough, but dull enough, with no sign of the scamorza, and no danger of us coming back to order them again. Next from the Filipino hymn sheet came tofu kare kare, in a bland, under-seasoned peanut sauce, with tofu whose batter had lost its crispiness. The added aubergine was the best thing about it, and the dish went back to the kitchen unfinished. Onto China and the sticky pork "gula melaka", which our server gushed was an amazing choice. The only thing amazing about it was the brix levels in the sauce - this should be in the dessert section. There's caramelised ginger, crispy leek and gogi berries in there too, but when your mouth's coated in this much sugar it's hard to detect any nuance. Onto India then and Amritsari fish in chaat masala spiced butter with mint chutney. The fish tasted far from fresh, with tough curled up bits where flaky chunks could have been, and the mealy batter gave the whole thing a texture verging on unpleasant. The best of the lot was the burrata chaat, possibly because it was more assembly than cooking, with chickpea salad, tamarind chutney, sev and yoghurt sitting under a good ball of creamy burrata. There are so many more authentically Indian versions of this dish they could be serving, but why let that get in the way of fashionable balls of cheese. After that underwhelming stream of mediocre dishes, there was a chance to save things with our single large plate - a sizzling seafood clay pot. They'll be channelling Thai-inspired Kiln in London surely, some of the most photographed, lusted after clay pots in Europe? Sadly it seems they haven't been. The sauce was sizzling, while also sickeningly gloopy, thickened beyond belief with what looked like corn flour, and for the princely sum of €34 we got three prawns (rubbery and presumably from the freezer), two scallops (one brutally overcooked), and a single piece of seabass (maybe the rest dissolved). The barely cooked courgette, pepper and onion slices were pedestrian at best, lazy at worst. Is there a camera somewhere filming our reactions? No? You're actually charging people this? For this? Oh okay, yeah cool. We were desperate to get out of there by this stage but dessert was the noose holding us to the table. We only planned to try one (how much torture is too much torture) but after telling our server we were surprised (to put it politely) at the lack of seafood in our main for the top shelf price, she insisted on bringing us a panna cotta with caramelised cornflakes, chocolate shards (like a Cadbury's flake) and calamansi pickled kumquat. I t was the best thing we ate all night. Creamy with proper wobble, sweet tangy citrus, chocolate - finally something with flavour, and flavours working together. The 70% chocolate with coconut, kiwi, and chilli and lime syrup on the other hand was another "who would want to eat this?" moment. It's like an extremely thick ganache, ruining the delicate slices of golden kiwi on top, and had no sign of any chilli or lime honey until our server told us it was all around the side and we had to scrap it in to our tastes. Alrighty then. It's hard to imagine anyone finishing anything this rich, and we'd wager it's a dish that produces a lot of waste. What about drinks? As in the other Press Up venues, the cocktails are where it's at, with a menu devised by The Vintage Cocktail Club's Gareth Lambe, and staff who can execute. A pandan ginger fizz and a chrysanthemum tequila spritz wouldn't have been out of place in some of the city's better cocktail bars, but at a price tag of €14 you might not want to stay on them all night. The short wine list doesn't have much to excite, but a glass of Carl Koch Riesling was very pleasant and worked well across many dishes. There's no beer on the menu, but they do have some basic brands if you ask. How was the service? When you order five small plates and one large for sharing, and you're sitting at a very small table, you don't expect everything to land at once, but after four dishes were sat down at once with our server going back for the fifth, we had to call a halt to proceedings. Two, maybe three plates at a time, for the love of God - inevitably some of it hit our lips cold. Our server was lovely and very helpful with all any requests, but her effusiveness about every dish we ordered felt a bit scripted once we started eating and realised that none of our choices were in fact that good. What was the damage? €148.60 before tip for a meal for two with three drinks. We'd have preferred a yaki soba, some gyoza and a plum wine for a fraction of the price. What's the verdict on Kaldero? With all the talk of a UK-based investor talking over Press Up's hospitality division in September, we thought the group might finally have turned a corner and realised the potential it had to be the Ennismore or the Caprice Holdings of Ireland, finding killer concepts across the world and executing them to perfection in high end rooms alongside first rate drinks. If they'd backed Richie Castillo alone to open Bahay in one of their premises, we'd have an opening worth talking about. Kaldero is not that. Surely there are chefs in this group with talent, with harboured loves for handmade pasta; Singaporean street food; Sri Lankan hoppers, anything but these copy and paste flavour voids on a plate. And if not, can't they go and find some? And have them actually cook the food, rather than committing to a week then sailing off to their next gig? When we were leaving we met a group of young Filipinos in the lobby upstairs. They had come excited after hearing about a new Filipino restaurant in Dublin. Did they like it? Much shaking of heads. "Food's not very authentic. Lacking flavour." We told them to follow Bahay for updates on where they might appear next. New Openings & Discoveries More >>

Legit Coffee Co. Upping the Northside's brunch game Posted: 14 May 2019 Neighbourhood Neighborhood Name Address Restaurant Address Website Website Name Restaurant Info View the Listing >> Written by: Lisa Cope What’s the story? Legit Coffee Co. started on Meath Street in the Liberties, Dublin 8 in 2015, after French man Daniel Vossion saw a gap in the market for a café serving interesting food and good coffee. They were accepted into the area with open arms, and even made it into the Lonely Planet's guide to Dublin , and last summer opened their second location in Phibsboro, where Daniel and his partner live. Between here, Two Boys Brew and Loretta's , Phibsboro is relatively spoilt for brunch these days, but there's something about the quiet confidence of Legit that we really liked the look of - the sleek food images on their Instagram page probably helped. They open as a café seven days a week, with breakfast, lunch and brunch every day, but it's the latter we were interested in, as we are clearly a city obsessed with it - every time we even mention the B word the website goes mad. Consider us fulfilling our civic duties. What’s the room like? There's a good amount of seating, at regular tables, at a high table and in the window. They also have highchairs if you're coming with a child in tow. The whole thing is very industrial chic with greenery dispersed throughout, and there's more natural light in the front, the back suffers from a lack of windows. We loved the window seats in the front for the people watching (and the view of Mountjoy Prison, you never know you'll see coming out), but the back is calm and private and there's good distance between tables if you're coming for a gossip. What's good to eat? One of the things we really liked about Legit Coffee Co is that the brunch menu isn't full of the same sad greatest hits seen on most menus, and everything has a twist. We thought the pulled pork benedict was genius, with two eggs on toasted brioche with caramelised apple and hollandaise. Pulled pork is usually a take it or leave it affair, and we thought it might be too salty, but it was expertly balanced and the brioche was better than any English muffin. We also really loved the rolled up French toast, stuffed with berries, apple and cream cheese, before being dipped in egg and milk and fried, then drizzled with maple syrup - something that's going to be attempted (for better or worse) at home very soon. The eggs and greens deserves a round of applause for making breakfast time cabbage taste good, and is a nifty way to get your five a day, with avocado, spinach, beetroot hummus and pomegranate. It was also just very tasty without feeling like too much food or that you were over doing it (not looking at you pulled pork benedict), which is good because you need to leave room for cake. A halloumi plate was another out of the ordinary option, with a homemade flatbread, soy portobello mushroom, garlic hummus and mixed salad. The menu said it also came with slaw and pickled onions, neither of which were on the plate when it arrived, but on asking, the pickled onions materialised. We were told the slaw had been replaced with salad, but we think slaw would have been better. It was a nice alternative to a full Irish, but the halloumi was quite chewy (an upgrade to Toonsbridge would be just the job) and it really needed the bite of the onions, so if we hadn't gotten them it would have felt a bit flat. It is also a lot of food so only order if hungry. Definitely save room for cake, all of which are homemade. The canelé, with either salted caramel, dulce de leche or chocolate are the best we've had here (maybe ever), and the 3 layer flan, on staff recommendation, had really interesting consistencies, and was smooth, creamy and delicious. Neither tasted too sweet. What about the drinks? The excellent house coffee is from Baobab Coffee Roasters in Kildare, with regularly changing guest roasts, and they do speciality teas from Wall & Keogh. Cold pressed juices are made fresh in house and worth the €3-€4 price tag. And the service? Everyone's so nice in here that at times we've thought they must all be the owner. You order and pay at the counter and they bring the food to you, but they're more than happy to take time to talk you through the menu or make recommendations. And they smile, a lot. There's just a very welcoming vibe to the place. The verdict? Legit has become one of our favourite places for brunch in Dublin, due to the unfailingly excellent coffee, inventive, delicious food, lovely staff and ample seating space. The next time you're near the North Circular Road make a beeline for it - or just make this your next brunch destination. It's worth any effort it might take to get there. Legit Coffee Co. 394 North Circular Road, Dublin 7 www.legitcoffeeco.com New Openings & Discoveries More >>

First rate coffee and quality food have had Two Pups secure a place on every "Dublin's best café" list since they opened in 2016. Daily specials, great cake, and they love to see dogs coming in with their owners. Two Pups Website @twopupscoffee Address 74 Francis Street, The Liberties, Dublin 8 Good For Tag 1 Cuisine Tag 1 Once Over Read our Review >> The Story First rate coffee and quality food have had Two Pups secure a place on every "Dublin's best café" list since they opened in 2016. Daily specials, great cake, and they love to see dogs coming in with their owners. Where It's At Nearby Locales Goat's Gruff Banco Bah 33 Mark Moriarty Studio Gaffe at Leonard's Corner Sano Pasta Yibu by Janet Little Canton Dak @ Bar Anam 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

Jaru's Meal Kit A Korean hot pot to warm up a winter evening Posted: 11 Jan 2022 Neighbourhood Neighborhood Name Address Restaurant Address Website Website Name Restaurant Info View the Listing >> Written by: Lisa Cope What’s the story? Although restaurants are technically still open, a lot of you seem to be side-stepping the early dinners, and we've been inundated with questions about where to get restaurant meal kits over the next few weeks, until normality hopefully resumes - read more about what's available here . Korean food producers Jaru started out as a street food stall, but over the last couple of years have morphed into retail, ready-meals, takeaway, and meal kits, all from their Nutgrove production unit in Rathfarnham. Their Dublin-wide delivery service made them a favourite of ours throughout multiple lockdowns, and their heat at home meals, pots of kimchi, and Asian ingredients lit up many a meal round ours in pandemic times. A few months ago they launched a new monthly meal kit highlighting a different region of Korea, and January's "Jeongol hot pot" looked like a good substitute for your Friday night reservation getting canned. It's a dish that's usually served on New Year's Day, so it felt apt for our first once over of the year. How do I get it? Place your order on their website , for delivery on Wednesday or Friday (€6.95 or free over €100), or for collection from Nutgrove at no extra cost. Order cut-off is two days before. It's not hard to get up to €100 and avoid the delivery charge - fill up on noodles, kimchi and sauces from their Mart , or order some extra heat at home dishes for the fridge or freezer. What's in the kit? The star of the show here is the hot pot, but you get other sides and dessert too. The largest component is a huge tray of vegetables - cabbage, pak choi, butternut squash, carrot, pepper, courgette, assorted mushrooms, beansprouts, spring onions, greens - forget 5 a day, you'll easily get 10 in with this one - and there's tofu too. You also get a very generous amount of beef brisket suyuk (meaning boiled), Venus clams and hake Jeon (Korean style fried fish), as well as a bag of soy beef dashi. For the non hot pot items, a Winter salad comes with squash, feta, orange slices, pecans and greens, all zippily lifted by a ponzu dressing. As January salad ideas go it's a clever combination now firmly cemented in our brains. Jaru's kimchi has taken up permanent residence in our fridges over the past few years, and while the apple one with this kit was nice, it didn't have the depth of flavour we've come to expect, as if it hadn't had enough time to ferment - more salty than sour. Then the main attraction. For maximum show off points you would have a Nabe pot and a portable induction hob to cook in the centre of the table (particularly impressive if you've got guests over), but for us Nabe-less folk any wide bottomed pot will do - ideally cast iron. They tell you to arrange your vegetables, meat and fish in a clockwise direction, but there's so much here that you'll end up having to layer some and shove others in wherever they'll fit. Then you carefully pour in the broth, bring it to the boil, stick the lid on and let it cook for five minutes. When you lift the lid you'll find it's sunk down a bit, so don't worry about jamming it all in there to start with. They recommend eating at this stage, then when you've had the meat and fish, put the pot back onto the boil (either on the hob or at the table), add the noodles for three minutes, then go back for round two. We loved every bit of this hot pot - the veg lucky dip, the buttery soft beef, the firm chunks of hake, the flavours in the broth. They also give you four dipping sauces - sesame; soy; honey mustard; and gochujang, which added different flavour profiles to each bite and were integral to the whole experience, so don't forget about them. You also get a double portion of soy glazed salsify and carrot rice (one between two was plenty), which had a lovely savoury flavour and chewy texture, but it dried out a bit in the microwave. Next time we'd splash some water on top before heating - generally a good rice trick. For dessert there's a berry, orange and pistachio semifreddo (again a double portion when one between two would probably do most people). We presumed it would be an afterthought and the least interesting part of the meal, but we were wrong. Take it out of the freezer five minutes before you want to eat it, then delve in the fruity, frozen mousse that feels just light enough to squeeze in no matter how much hot pot you've eaten. The kit says it feeds two - three people, and we comfortably had enough for two very stuffed bellies, with generous leftovers for lunch the following day, and another semifreddo in the freezer for a future evening when dessert is desperately needed. What should we drink with it? We had a fruity Italian Friulano which worked well with the variety of flavours. We think a Riesling or an orange wine would also be a good pairing, or you get in some Korean beer if you want to really commit. And the damage? €55 for the kit, plus €6.95 for delivery if you don't spend €100. We thought it was really good value for money. The verdict? Jaru have been flying the meal kit flag in and out of lockdowns, so they're a great one to know about when you want to plan a night in without the heavy lifting in the kitchen. This kit was seriously enjoyable to make and eat, and there was a welcome bit of theatre - something we could all do with on these dark, January, curfew-filled evenings. This one's available until the end of January and if you want to order for this weekend head here . We don't think you'll regret it. Jaru 3A Nutgrove Enterprise Park, Nutgrove Way, Rathfarnham, Dublin 14 www.jaru.ie New Openings & Discoveries More >>

A steak house for the Tiktok generation, with an industrial fit out and casual dining prices. Neon slogans invite diners to "gather the herd" for sharing steaks, double smash burgers, and sides like truffle and parmesan fries, onion strings and mac n'cheese. Bovinity Website bovinity.ie Address 123 Capel Street, Dublin 1 Good For Tag 1 Cuisine Tag 1 Once Over Read our Review >> The Story A steak house for the Tiktok generation, with an industrial fit out and casual dining prices. Neon slogans invite diners to "gather the herd" for sharing steaks, double smash burgers, and sides like truffle and parmesan fries, onion strings and mac n'cheese. Where It's At Nearby Locales Goat's Gruff Banco Bah 33 Mark Moriarty Studio Gaffe at Leonard's Corner Sano Pasta Yibu by Janet Little Canton Dak @ Bar Anam 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

Just south of the city centre, bordered by the Grand Canal, head to Portobello for café culture, Michelin-recommended dinners, and homemade pasta. Portobello Our Take Just south of the city centre, bordered by the Grand Canal, head to Portobello for café culture, Michelin-recommended dinners, and homemade pasta. Where to Eat Alma Bibi's Brother Hubbard South Dash Burger Aungier Street Lena Little Bird Richmond Sprezzatura Camden Market