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Dublin has a new Michelin-starred restaurant, as D'Olier Street joins Variety Jones , Bastible and Glover's Alley in the acclaimed club after this evening's 2024 Michelin awards ceremony. Owner and head chef James Moore had previously been head chef at two-Michelin-starred Atera in New York, so expectations were very high since he opened the restaurant with wife Jane Frye (who diners will know from front of house) and business partner Anthony Smith (who also owns Mr Fox ) just over a year ago in December 2022. The guide said the restaurant "boosts Dublin’s dining scene with visually striking and technically accomplished dishes." A second new one star went to The Bishop's Buttery in the five-star Cashel Palace Hotel, lead by head chef Stefan McEnteer. The guide said the restaurant " offers top-quality produce and great natural flavours to Cashel Palace Hotel. " A third new one star for Ireland was awarded to Homestead Cottage in Doolin, which only opened last summer. Owned and run by Robbie McCauley, formerly head chef at Gregan's Castle , inspectors praised his " delicious cooking (which) makes a visit to the rural west coast all the more appealing." The country also has a new two-star, as Terre in Castlemartyr Hotel in Cork was upgraded from last year's one, which it was awarded within months of opening. The guide said, " Vincent Crepel and his kitchen team have made impressively quick work of crafting a bold, assuredly two Stars experience." Despite predictions from many sides, Library Street , Allta , Uno Mas , One Pico , Mae , Lignum and more continue to be passed over for a star, and the inspectors have yet to decide Chapter One by Mickael Viljanen will be Ireland's first three-star restaurant - something critics have been shouting for since it opened. No restaurants in Ireland have lost stars this year, but Aimsir in Kildare has been removed from the guide as it's not currently open. The Wild Honey Inn in Clare is still listed as having one star in the guide, despite the fact that the website says they will not be serving dinner this season. Someone must have forgotten to tell the inspectors.

What should we know about Tacos Lupillo? Just a month on from opening, Tacos Lupillo has built a strong following off the back of overwhelmingly positive Mexican expat reviews, and a snaking queue leading from an unmarked pink door that can’t but catch the eye of anyone passing by. Tacos were the family trade of chef and owner Jose Guadalupe Zamudio back in Mexico, and now he’s sought to bring those true-to-home flavours to this unlikely Inchicore outlet. What should we have? A smart plan for when to visit, if the evening and weekend crowds that gather here continue. Tacos Lupillo has taken off at furious pace, and if you time things badly you could be a long while waiting to get your order in, You’ll also have next to no chance of snagging one of the four small seating spaces inside, although Cleary’s, the old-fashioned boozer beside, has smartly agreed to allow Lupillo patrons bring their food in – it hasn’t been this lively in years. There’s starters of a sort in the form of nachos, quesadillas and baked potatoes, though the tiny, two-manned kitchen is so frantic you shouldn’t expect to get things in any order other than when they’re good to go. We tried the regular nachos and aside from the cheese, which seemed more standard issue squeezey sauce than the melted cheddar the menu claims, these were great: proper crunchy homemade chips buried beneath mounds of moreish guac and tangy sour cream, with a welcome blast of heat from pickled jalapenos.   Not on the board but also available is a bowl of beef consommé, like a spicy oxtail soup with strands of super-tender beef swimming throughout. If you take just one tip from us today, do not miss this. From the grandmotherly figure who descends the back staircase with two bowls at a time, to the intense umami hit that blasted through the January cold, this is the dish that best sums up Tacos Lupillo’s homely appeal. The main event involves your choice of six fillings in any of six dishes, from burritos and alambre bowls to sandwich-like tortas and fried tortilla volcanes. Given the name, we had to go in for the tacos – it’s the dish that’s most often attracted the expat stamps of approval too – with al pastor. The house special marinade gives the pork a deep flavour that’s well balanced with sliced red onion and coriander, though we found the optional house salsas were needed to avoid everything feeling a little too dry.   Gringas are flour tortillas draped over a cheese and onion-laden filling fried on the grill, before being wrapped and seared themselves, and it's one of Lupillo’s standouts. The minced beef barbacoa had succulence to spare, and was superb laden with more of that salsa. It’s a substantial portion too; any one of these dishes would be more than enough of a meal for most right-minded diners. Why should I go? Against some solid options for Mexican food scattered throughout the city, Tacos Lupillo stands out first and foremost for its bare bones authenticity - this is a menu that knows there are no frills needed when the basics are this good. Don’t be surprised to see this place land a bigger outlet before long. Tacos Lupillo 53 Sarsfield Road, Inchicore, Dublin 8 instagram.com/tacoslupillodublin

The crisp and toastie pairing that Irish dreams are made of, the seasonal special highlighting some of our best food producers, and the prettiest Turkish/Georgian set menu mash up. Here's the five things we want to eat in Dublin this week... 1) Ham, Coolea cheese and leek pizza,  Coke Lane Coke Lane Pizza owner Dave Holmes made a new year's resolution to use their monthly pizza specials to highlight Ireland's best food producers, and January's went live yesterday. They've taken free-range ham hocks from Whole Hoggs , given them the roasted honey and mustard treatment, and paired it with Coolea cheese, roasted celeriac and organic baby leeks from McNally's Family Farm . Find it on menus now at Lucky's and The Circular , both in Dublin 8. Up with this sort of thing. 2) The Tayto toastie, Hawksmoor British giants Hawksmoor have given the ultimate nod to Ireland by teaming up with the people's prince of Ireland, aka Mr. Tayto. Until the end of March, the ham hock and four cheese toastie in their bar will come with a side of Tayto Cheese & Onion, topped with scallion mayo and more ham hock. The collaboration has already gone viral so show our country some pride and make it your civic duty to hop on over to the bar at Hawksmoor for one of these bad boys. De Valera would be proud.... 3) Shortrib flatbread with French onion dip, Row Wines Right, we're well into January and the urge to be good is wearing thin. This short rib French onion dip from Row Wines is your sign that it's time to resume regular programming. A 24-hour braised short rib is loaded onto a torched flatbread, with a creamy celeriac remoulade, and topped off with a lil cornichon pickle. Paired with a French onion dip on the side, this looks like one of those dishes that could get seriously messy, but in the worth it kind of way. 4) Smoked Gubbeen croquettes, Slice Let's face it, Dublin loves a croquette, and we're at peak croquette with these smoked Gubbeen beauties from Slice in Stoneybatter. Who doesn't love fried cheese, let's get real. Served on a bed of roasted veggies and McNally greens, it's the perfect deep-fried yet colourfully healthy dish for this dreary month. 5) Scallops with walnut and coriander zagismari, Margadh RHA These scallops served on a walnut and coriander zagismari sauce, dotted with basil and chilli oil are part of Margadh RHA's Black Sea inspired January tasting menu. Georgian cuisine is only starting to become a thing in Ireland, and trust us, you need to get on board. Don't even get us started on the wine.....

For some reason, Dublin has historically lacked a proper Sunday roast culture, particularly in comparison to our friends in the UK. There have always been notable purveryors of course, fighting the good fight to keep us in beef striploin and roasties over a pint and the Sunday papers, but they've been more of a rarity than found on every corner. Dublin's roast game however is on the up, and several new openings over the past year are finally giving Sunday lunch the treatment it deserves. Here's where to go when you're raring for a roast... City Centre Hawksmoor, College Green The Hawksmoor Sunday Roast is without doubt one of the best, and best priced in the city. For €23 you'll get a couple of slices of dry-aged beef rump, beef-dripping roast potatoes, Yorkshire pudding, roasted carrots, buttered greens, roasted garlic, and bone marrow gravy, with optional add-on sides like macaroni cheese. Or you can pick a sharing steak from the blackboard (they recommend prime rib or chateaubriand) and add on all the trimmings for €7 per person. ATF Insiders got a first look when it started and we can confirm this is a great roast, plus, that dining room... FX Buckley (Dublin 2, Dublin 7 and Monkstown) FX Buckley offer their famous Sunday roast in all of their venues - Crow Street in Temple Bar, Pembroke Street near St Stephen's Green, the Bull & Castle near Christchurch, Ryan's in Stoneybatter, and FX Buckley in Monkstown. For a great price of €22.50 they're serving roast rib of beef (cooked medium) with Yorkshire puddings, mash, duck fat roast potatoes, confit shallots, roast carrots, tenderstem broccoli and gravy. Bloody Mary's, made with spicy F.X. Buckley seasoning, tomato juice, fresh lemon and vodka are €8, and you won't go wrong with either. The Legal Eagle, Inn's Quay The newly reopened Legal Eagle on Inn's Quay have a (current) choice of lamb rump, half chicken or Black Angus striploin for their Sunday roast (priced from €24 - €27). All are served with roasties, green cabbage, honeyed carrots and parsnips, turnip and carrot purée, stuffing, Yorkshire puddings and gravy. We gave it the once over in November and the root veg was the surprising star - have a read here . Bovinity, Capel Street A rare Saturday roast option as well as Sunday, steakhouse Bovinity on Capel Street have a similar offering to competitor Hawksmoor, with a choice of roast beef or a sharing steak with all the Sunday trimmings. If you go for the classic it's dry-aged rump served with creamy mash, beef-dripping roasties, seasonal vegetables, Yorkshire puddings and gravy (€23 per person), or go for a spendier cut from the blackboard with sides an additional €5 per person. Roasts are served from 13:00 - 16:00. Fade Street Social, Fade Street Fade Street Social have great options if you're sick of roast beef (but they do that too if you're not). You can go for stuffed roast pork with Pink Lady apple compote; chicken, ham hock, duck liver and tarragon pie (both €20.50); and there's even a veggie pie (€19.50) for non meat-eaters, all served with roast potatoes, Yorkshire puds and seasonal veg. The classic roast sirloin of Yearling beef (€24) comes with caramelised red onion marmalade and fresh horseradish. Brookwood, Baggot Street Brookwood on Baggot Street is another great option when you just want the classic striploin, although it's one of the priciest roasts in town at €29. Their Irish beef comes with Yorkshire puddings, roast carrots, smoked cheese & pancetta cabbage, creamy mash and gravy. South Dublin Lottie's, Rathmines Sunday lunch at Lottie's is ideal when you have a mix of roast lovers and haters. The lovers can pick between Sheelin roast striploin or Andarl Farm pork belly with all the bits. The haters can have bavette, sea bass or gnocchi, and with €10 corkage on Sundays it's a great excuse to crack open a special bottle at not much more than at home prices. There's also a goujon-free kids menu with mini roasts, bavette, fish and more. The Dunmore, Rathmines Plush Rathmines newcomer The Dunmore got straight in there with their Sunday roast offering, with a choice of dry-aged roast beef (€27) or roast free-range chicken (€25). All come with duck fat roast potatoes, seasonal greens, confit garlic & gravy, and either onion & sage stuffing for the chicken, or buttermilk Yorkshire puddings for the beef. The Old Spot, Beggar's Bush It's Pat McLoughlin's chicken or beef at The Old Spot on Sundays, all served with duck fat roasties; roast carrots; greens; cauliflower cheese; sage, onion, walnut & apricot stuffing, and gravy. No likey roasts? No problem. There's a full a la carte menu to choose from too, in cosy pub surroundings. Brighton Road, Foxrock The €42 three-course Sunday lunch menu at Brighton Road in Foxrock (formerly Pala Pizza & Trattoria and before that Bistro One ) features roast beef and chicken, or you can go rogue with fish & chips, plaice or wild mushroom risotto. Look out for specials like crispy roast duck with stuffing, and there's a generous amount of starters and desserts to choose from so rest assured you'll find something you like. Yew Tree, Terenure The former owners of 57 The Headline (known for superb Sunday roasts and a wine list a step above your average pub) sold up and moved out last year, but Clanbrassil Street's loss has been Tenerure's gain. They've now opened neighbourhood restaurant Yew Tree , and they didn't dare leave the Sunday roast behind. Pick from Black Angus beef or free-range chicken with roasties, carrots, sage & onion stuffing, green beans and gravy. A roast will set you back €26, or you can add a small plate like crispy calamari or pork terrine for €33. The Butcher Grill, Ranelagh Meat specialists The Butcher Grill (it's in the name) have three roasts on the go every Sunday. Pick from Irish beef striploin with horseradish (€27), corn-fed chicken with chicken sauce (€24), or free-range pork rack with apple sauce (€24). All come with yorkshire puddings, duck fat roasties, gravy, stuffing, peas and carrots, and you can start with seafood starters and cocktails if you're settling in for the afternoon. Oxhorn Grill, Dublin 4 Dublin 4 newbies Oxhorn Grill are keeping it simple with chicken or beef for their Sunday roast, but they've got some of the best prices in Dublin, with striploin and bearnaise for €22, or half roast chicken with mushroom jus for €19 (it's not free-range though). They both come with Yorkshire puddings, duck fat roasties, baby vegetables and red wine jus, or you can do like the other steak houses and ditch the roast beef for a sharing steak. Eleven, Loughlinstown From the same group as The Butcher Grill (as well as 777 and Dillinger's), Eleven has injected some serious life into this site in Loughlintown on the edge of the N11. As well as serving lunch and dinner from Thursday - Saturday, Sunday lunch is a big deal in here, with the same options as The Butcher Grill - beef (€27), corn-fed chicken (€23) or free-range pork rack (€23). All come with Yorkshire puddings, duck fat roasties, gravy, stuffing, peas & carrots, and the wines and cocktailsshouldn't be missed, so best to travel here by public transport, or bring a designated driver. Bresson, Monkstown Bresson in Monkstown offer a roast as part of their Sunday lunch menu , with two courses for €40 and three for €46 (or €32/€38 without the €8 roast supplement). It's Hereford prime roast beef around here, with duck fat roasties, veg, Yorkshire puddings and gravy; or a very posh 'Poulet' from free-range Feighcullen Farm, with pork, apricot and chestnut stuffing, sprout tops, roast carrots, duck fat roasties, roast chicken jus, and bread sauce 'Anglais'. Served Sundays from 11:00 - 15:00. North Dublin Old Street, Malahide Sunday lunch at Old Street in Malahide has been a thing since day one, with Roast Rib of Beef and all the trimmings for €26, or the less classic Chorizo-Crumbed Chicken Supreme, with pumpkin and sage purée, chantilly baby carrots, preserved lemon and tarragon piccata, and fermented black garlic mashed potato (€25). There's also fish, burgers and pasta for any non roast lovers. L Mulligan Grocer, Stoneybatter L Mulligan Grocer serve their Sunday roast from 13:30 until they're sold out, with a choice of organic chicken with sausage meat stuffing (€24.50), organic pork collar with black pudding bon bons (€24.50), or for the veggies there's an organic courgette & squash nut roast with tofu bon bons (€19.50). Each comes with s easonal veg, roasties, mash and gravy, and you'll need a scotch egg to start. The Coachman's Inn, Cloghran We wouldn't have considered ourselves carvery connoisseurs - in fact we were quite happy to leave them behind in the 90's with Glenroe and dial-up internet - but Emer & Esther's Sunday Roast podcast had us wondering what we were missing. Their trip to The Coachman's Inn near the airport drew us in with talk of home potato croquettes "the size of sliotars', expert gravy ladling, and Emer giving it a massive 9/10 scoring, and with a full portion €14.95-€15.95, and a half €10.90, it's one of the best value options around for the very hungry. Fagan's, Drumcondra The other Northside carvery to beat is found in the pub made famous by Bertie Ahern - Fagan's in Drumcondra. €15.50 will get you a plate with beef, turkey, ham, multiple types of potatoes and all the veg you can handle, and it's the loveliest pub to while away a Sunday in. Did we miss a great Sunday roast? Let us know by emailing info@allthefood.ie .

The low/no alcohol life is swiftly becoming not just a January thing but a movement that’s gaining serious traction on social media ( hashtag sobertok). Popular with the Gen Z-ers - it’s finally becoming less taboo to ditch the booze, without being asked if you're pregnant/driving/in recovery. Thankfully there's an increasing amount of spots in Dublin that are embracing the sober buzz with really good alcohol-free options - be gone concentrated fruit juice medley "mocktails" that cater only towards a child's palette for €9 a pop... Board, Dublin 8 The newest completely booze free bar to grace our fair city is Board - a board game café-slash-bar. Their mocktail list is very impressive, featuring house made cordials and premium non alcoholic "spirits" from Lyre , Three Spirit and Siegfried . Not to mention they have one of the largest selection of non alcoholic beers in the city, and they're outwardly child and dog friendly - hop to it! Bar 1661, Dublin 1 Swiftly moving from a completely non alcoholic bar to a very alcoholic bar, Bar 1661 shake up some of the best cocktails around, so you know you’re in good hands when it comes to perfectly made mocktails. We like the look of the Birdie, with green tea, peppermint, rhubarb, plum and bitters, and you won't miss the booze with drinks this good. Bull and Castle, Dublin 2 FXB’s Bull and Castle location near Christchurch has non drinkers surprisingly well covered. Zero proof wines by the glass to pair with their ( world famous if you don't mind ) steaks, along with a dedicated non-alcoholic cocktail list that actually looks good - we're talking smoked old fashioneds made with cherry wood smoke and a 0.0 Guinness reduction, along with salted caramel espresso martinis. No need to feel like you’re missing out here when you’ve ditched the hooch. The Old Spot, Dublin 4 The Old Spot is a sober friendly spot. With one of the most varied selections on this list, they have red and whites by the bottle, a nice selection of beers, and a whole non-alcoholic cocktail list, as well as low abv cocktails. Lots of options for those who want to dial things back, or skip the hangover altogether. The Shelbourne, Dublin 2 Probably not on most people's N/A radar, The Shelbourne  is the ideal place for those off the grog. They've recently partnered up with   Lucky Saint   - a non alcoholic craft beer brand who are passionate about 0% beer that actually tastes good. So passionate that they've stuck to the traditional brewing methods, and operate out of a 400-year old Bavarian brewery. It's not just beer to be had at this boujie Stephen's Green hotel, they also have N/A wines and a full cocktail menu taking advantage of Lyre's   non-alcoholic spirits. This ain't a January thing either, the Shelbourne are keeping them on year round. D'Olier Street, Dublin 2 In one of the finest tasting menu restaurants in the city, you won't have to sacrifice the full dining experience if you've cut out the booze. As part of their twelve course tasting menu, D'Olier Street offer a full non alcoholic cocktail pairing to complement each course. What a time to be alive. Astopia, Dublin 2 Stay dry by going to Ireland's premiere cyberpunk Asian fusion mocktail bar - Astopia on Aungier street. Their exciting mocktail list features interesting elements from a frozen blooming flower, to a cheesy cream foam. Go for the menu descriptions of the mocktails alone, you won't regret it. Read our two minute review here . Shouk, Dublin 9 Shouk 's aura reads wholesome. Their menu is packed full of vibrant dishes heavy on the veggies, and you can expect the same vibe when it comes to their drinks. For those off the sauce, they have a sophisticated selection of freshly squeezed juices (we love the green apple, carrot, and ginger), virgin cocktails, homemade mint lemonade, and a decent selection of gazoz - that's fruit flavoured sparkling water to you. Did we miss somewhere with a great non-alcoholic drinks selection? Let us know by emailing info@allthefood.ie .

Oh lads. The blessed month of January is upon us. If like us you overindulged, spent too much and drank all the booze, we got you. Whether or not you're on the dry, doing Veganuary, or after all the stress of December you just need a little treat, we've rounded up our go to spots for January, and as a post Christmas win, there are plenty of deals to be had. For the boujie January bargains: Hawksmoor, Dublin 2 2024 so far is shaping up to be the year of the bargain, (ok maybe the €2 coffee on Drury Street got us excited) and Hawksmoor  are starting this list off with guns a-blazing. This month they're going in with a double January whammy - aka balanced boozeless bargains. They're offering a lean rump steak & a side for €23, and three interesting looking non-alcoholic cocktails specials for €6 a pop. Their steak and side deal runs Monday to Saturday from 12:00 - 15:00, and again for the 17:00 sitting for the early birdies. Get on this stat. For the cheap, cheerful, and calorie conscious: Nutbutter, Smithfield & Grand Canal Dock Got the January blues? Nutbutter will sort you out. . A solid option for a quick lunch, or if you're in need of a healthy dinner spot they open again from 16:00 - 21:30. There's a small selection of beer and wine, but also kombucha and juices for those on the dry. The menu has lots of great options from tacos to poke bowls, tostadas and pho. Guilt free goodness right here. For a veggie friendly January treat: Yves at Brother Hubbard, Ranelagh Brother Hubbard ’s Yves ' French-inspired casual dining menu in Ranelagh has some really nice veggie and vegan options for those taking it easy with the meat this month. Save a few pennies too by opting into their BYOB deal with Redmond's wine shop. They open Wednesday to Friday from 17:30 and hold a small number of walk-in tables nightly. To get us through this cold snap Andhra Bhavan, Marlborough Street Andhra Bhavan snuck up on us relatively recently and we've been hearing really great things about this new Indian oening. With a focus on the southern part of the country, they describe themselves as "pioneers of authentic South Indian breakfast", and boast a good variety of dishes, including dosas, idlis, vadas, uttappams, and peserattu. All mains are under €20, which is great news for the current month we're in. God knows we all need a bargain. For when you're doing Dry January: The Shelbourne Hotel, Dublin 2 For those in their mocktail era, The Shelbourne have added a bunch of new low and no alcohol drinks to their menu and have recently partnered up with Lucky Saint - a non alcoholic craft beer brewed in a 400-year old Bavarian brewery. Their cocktails are made with Lyre's   non alcoholic spirits, with some pretty interesting options (we like the look of the blood orange spritz), and the menu is available not just for January, but year round. Livers rejoice. For when you need a bit of flavour after all the turkey and ham L-Blanc Mezzes, North Strand On Friday and Saturday nights, North Strand's favourite coffee shop Cloud Café turns into a brand new mezze restaurant, with the food at L-Blanc looking whopper and their set menus a serious steal - one main, two mezze and a glass of vino is €35. Hearty Turkish dishes, along with a varied selection of mezze plates, make this spot a great place to go with a group of pals. Share the whole menu and get those veggies into ya. For when you need one more January deal: BAH33º, Dublin 2 This month, Brazilian bastions BAH33º are including two glasses of house wine with two Gaucho Rodízios BBQ experiences - a four course menu where you pick your meat option from the servers walking by. There's lots of interesting options including rump, flank, fillet wrapped in bacon, chicken hearts, twelve-hour ribs, and cinnamon smoked pineapple. Sounds like a much needed fun injection over the next few drab weeks.

Our first 9 Giveaways of 2024 have arrived, and it's a restaurant bonanza! Five star dining, a Middle Eastern supper club for four, all the roast duck you can eat, and loads more. Our ATF Insider service is how we remain ad free, pay our writers, pay for our meals, and operate independently to give you the only advice you need about eating out in Dublin, so if you appreciate our content, we'd appreciate your support to keep it going... Everyone signed up to ATF Insiders by midnight on the 17th January will be entered into the draw, and winners will be picked and notified on the 18th January. Here's what we've got lined up for you this month... 1) Lunch for two at The Shelbourne with drinks from their alcohol-free menu and a hamper from Lucky Saint Beer Our recent Instagram poll showed that a sizeable 36% of you are doing dry January, and apparently 2024 is going to be the year of the moderate drinker, so it's good timing for The Shelbourne to launch their new no and low-alcohol menu. As well as a partnership with alcohol-free beer Lucky Saint , they've got new cocktails, spirits and wines on the list, and it's now available year round. We've got lunch for two to give away in No. 27 Bar this month, with a selection of drinks from the new menu, as well as an alcohol-free, beer-filled hamper from Lucky Saint . ( T&Cs: Nontransferable and subject to availability) 2) A €100 voucher for Bullet Duck & Dumplings Dublin has never had enough places to gorge on Peking roast duck if you ask us, and with the recent closures of CN Duck in Ranelagh and Duck on Fade Street, it now has two less. So thank your lucky stars that Bullet Duck & Dumplings is still doing the business on Mary Street Little, with roast Silverhill duck cooked in a specially imported bullet oven, char siu pork and handmade dumplings on the menu. They're open seven days a week from 12:00 - 21:00, and we've got a €100 voucher to give away so one of you can do the dog on it. 3) A three-course vegan menu for two from The Purty Kitchen As well as dry January, Veganuary is also taking up a lot of headlines this month, so The Purty Kitchen in Dun Laoghaire have dived in with a fully vegan menu (€35 for three courses) on top of their regular à la carte, available until the 28th January. The menu will focus on local and seasonal ingredients, with dishes including Pear and Beet Salad, Chargrilled Cauliflower Steaks, and Frangipane with Raspberry Sorbet, and we've got a three-course menu for two with wine pairings to give away to one of our Insiders this month (value €120). Reservations are recommended via purtykitchen.com . 4) A €100 voucher for dinner at Root, Skerries We were so impressed by a recent lunch at newly opened Root in Skerries (beef cheek toasties with truffle mayo for the win), that we immediately started plotting a return for one of their dinners (and they're open on Valentine's Day). Local owner Alex Lee and chef Andrew Kelly (ex-Potager and Bastible) take food and flavour very seriously, and the menu screams that this is not your run of the mill suburban café. We've got a €100 voucher for dinner at Root to give away this month, and we might see you there because we just can't stop thinking about crumpets with cheese custard and nduja . 5) Dinner for four with wine at L Blanc Mezze It was ATF Insiders who first alerted us to L-Blanc Mezze 's weekend supper club at Cloud Café in the North Strand, telling us we needed to check it out asap. Started by longtime friends Arda and Anil, the menu draws inspiration from the Mediterranean and the Middle East, with mezze include baba gonoush, atom and tarator, and mains including Hunkar Begendi (slow-cooked beef) and Imam Bayildi (roast aubergine). A set menu including two mezzes, a main and a glass of wine is just €35, or €40 with dessert, or you can pick six mezzes to share with a bottle of wine for €75. We've got the full experience for four at L Blanc Mezze to give away this month, with a bottle of wine of your choice. 6) Two tickets to an 'Asian Kitchen Cocktails' showcase at Asia Market and a €50 voucher Asia Market , the go-to grocery store for all of your favourite far eastern ingredients, has announced their schedule of events and experiences to celebrate the Lunar New Year, and there's a packed programme from Saturday February 10th to Sunday February 25th. We've got two tickets to Master Mixologist and award-winning Spirits Writer, Oisin Davis' special ' Asian Kitchen Cocktails ' showcase at their Ballymount store on Saturday February 17th, showing you how to make world-class drinks at home using ingredients and spirits available from Asia Market , which you'll sample while enjoying some tasty snacks. The winner will also have a €50 voucher to spend in any of its stores (Drury Street, Dublin 2, Ballymount, Dublin 12, or their newly opened Mini Asia Market in Maynooth), or online where you can get nationwide delivery. 7) €100 to spend at El Fuego Tacos and Pastiamo Trucktorria at Eatyard Have you tried the tacos from El Fuego at Eatyard ? We did and we haven't stopped thinking about them. The crispy shells, the pitch perfect pork carnitas, the birria consommé on the side - these are undoubtedly some of the best in the city. And right next door you'll find the death row carbonara from Pastiamo Trucktorria - you can also level up by going for the one with black truffle. (They're taking a break from Eatyard until February for unit upgrades, but you can also find them at The Place Street Food on Grand Canal Street.) We really want all of you to try both of these, so one of you will be winning a €50 voucher for each, which should get you most of the menu. 8) A €100 voucher for Fayrouz Middle Eastern Fayrouz in Dublin 8 has got to be offering some of the best value food in the city, with the mezzas a brilliant way to eat your way through kibbeh, arayess, hummus and fatoosh for very little money. The free corkage on drinks just adds to the incredible value, and the €100 voucher we've got to give away this month will go a very long way. You can also order for takeaway (and you'll feel much better than after a chipper), and it's the ideal pre-gig eating spot before heading into Vicar Street. Check out Fayrouz here . 9) A monthly fermentation subscription from 4 Hands Food Studio Rose Greene and Margaux Dejardin started 4 Hands Food Studio in 2018 after a previous life working in Michelin-starred kitchens and on organic farms, followed by restaurant pop-ups and food collaborations in Ireland. These guys are fermentation fanatics, and an example of a genuinely sustainable business . Their new monthly subscription sees a changing selection of their naturally fermented products like sauerkraut, kimchi and kombucha delivered to your door for €60, with optional add-ons like hummus, sourdough and granola. We've got a monthly subscription with add ons to give away this month worth over €100, to give your gut the New Year boost it's been waiting for. Email 4handsf@gmail.com to sign up. Everyone signed up to   ATF Insiders   for January (new and old) will be automatically entered into the prize draw - you don't need to do anything. If you're not signed up yet join here  before midnight on the 17th January to be in with a chance of winning. You'll be supporting independent content in Dublin and beyond, and be able to get answers to all of your burning questions about eating out, here and abroad, directly from us.

Our 30 hottest list features the most talked about restaurants in Dublin right now, based on column inches, Insta love and the general pain involved in getting a booking. There are the restaurants with all the buzz, in alphabetical order, with four new entries for January... * This list doesn't include cafés or lunch only options, everywhere here is open for dinner at a minimum

For all the grim news of closures that’s kicked off the year, it’s a crowded slate in our first new openings report of 2024, with a whole host of outfits arriving on the scene across the last few weeks. The north of the city fares better than usual with plenty of action in the suburbs too – a sign, as if we were in need of another, that central area rents are going beyond the reach of small and new businesses... Board, Clanbrassil Street Arriving right on time to ride the dry January wave, alcohol-free bar Board opened its doors last week with a half-price promo that saw plenty of curious crowds pour in to check out the new venture from BodyTonic, they of The Bernard Shaw and WigWam among others. Impressive shelving units in the downstairs pub and upstairs café area hold a host of board games to enjoy as you sip on the range of non-alcoholic draught beers, wine and cocktails they’ve pulled together, with a house rule that the loser buys the next round a clever marketing pitch to keep the bar busy. The brunch and evening pizza menus aren’t anything overly eye-catching, but should cater to most tastes. Honey Honey, Bath Avenue Portmarnock staple Honey Honey has been reliably thronged since its 2018 opening, but it’s a surprise to see them expanding to a second site on the other side the city. Their standout yellow branding has taken over the Bath Avenue space that was previously home to Farmer Brown’s, and we’ll bet the smell of pecan honey crunch cinnamon rolls has started turning heads as it wafts its way through D4 too. Menus are expected to change on the regular, but alongside the all-day cakes and pastries you can expect granola, porridge and breakfast brioches for breakfast with a choice of sandwiches and quesadillas for lunch. Panacea, Sandyford Converting its spacious conservatory area into a new art deco dining space, Sandyford House opened up Panacea at the end of November, a higher-end alternative to the gastropub fare previously offered. Pastries and sausage rolls dominate the breakfast menu while seafood abounds for lunch; at dinner, yellowfin tuna and foie gras front a fancier offering that also includes Andarl Farm pork chops and slow-cooked short rib. They’ve made a particular pitch of their “carefully sourced and curated” cellar wine list, and while the reds look the part, there’s just five bottles of white listed – not quite what we expected with this much fish on offer. Boom, Francis Street The inside track for Inchicore residents has always put Boom right up there as the best coffee around, so Liberties locals will be glad to see they’ve chosen Francis Street for their second outlet. Sat beside Turkish café Rumi , another recent opener here, it’s a significantly bigger site with the kind of stop-and-savour space the original’s limited room always struggled to provide - all the better to enjoy their selections of Tartine pastries and vegan and gluten-free cakes from Rua. With beans supplied from Bell Lane in Westmeath, Boom are pitching themselves as the best value specialty coffee in D8 – a bold claim. Tacos Lupillo, Inchicore Anyone passing through Inchicore in recent weeks can’t have failed to notice the head-turning queues snaking out from Cleary’s pub. Tacos Lupillo is the culprit, a Mexican restaurant crammed into the tiny kitchen space that occupies one corner of the building. Strong word of mouth from Mexican influencers in Dublin seems to have driven the rapid, rabid following that’s engulfed the place and sent crowds flocking to its street food selection, including tacos, gringas, quesadillas and more. You’ll have little hope of snagging one of the three tiny tables inside; luckily Cleary’s have smartly agreed to allow punters eat in the pub, too. El Fuego, Eatyard Eatyard at the Bernard Shaw has added a new vendor in the form of El Fuego , the taco truck that’s gone from strength to strength since starting out in Laois early last year, and adding gradually more markets and festivals to its roster. It’s a pared down offering here from the mobile kitchen with just tacos and sides rather than the burritos and bowls they offer elsewhere, but their beef birria with a consomm é  dip on the side was all we had eyes for either way. They’ll be there every week from Thursday to Sunday. Krewe, Portobello New Orleans-inspired Krewe on Capel Street has been reliably packed since reopening post-pandemic (their original ill-timed arrival at the end of 2019 never let them build up much steam), and for all the faults we found on a visit last year , their range and keen pricing has kept them thronged enough to make this second arrival inevitable. It’s set within the new Charlemont Square development in Portobello – you know, the one that pushed out the Bernard Shaw’s previous incarnation – and looks to have ample space to mop up all the interest it should attract on this side of town with its Creole-inspired cuisine. L-Blanc Mezes, North Strand Road With a growing list of closures only a week in, it’s looking like 2024 will be another challenging year for the industry. In such an environment, we’re expecting to see a lot more supper club popup entries like L-Blanc arrive on the scene. Opening Friday and Saturday nights in North Strand Road’s Cloud Café , this Turkish mezze restaurant is offering a focused menu with eight small plates and three mains – sounds like the perfect size to try everything in one go to us. Three prix fixe menus ranging from €35 to €70 look like especially good value in the current climate. Daata, Blackrock After cracking the Dublin market in 2021 with a third opening in Glasthule, Pakistani restaurant Daata has inched further into the capital with a fourth site in Blackrock. Taking over the sizeable premises that previously housed Flash Harry’s, they’ve given the space just the love and attention you’d expect from their other locations. The family-run business, which originally set up out of Wicklow as far back as 1999, offers plenty of variety across its wide brunch, lunch and dinner menus, with a great value kids’ menu and signature cocktail selections only adding to the appeal. Andhra Bhavan, Marlborough Street If the high praise of Vritti Bansal’s review wasn’t enough to turn our heads towards Andhra Bhavan , the chorus of Indian expat feedback on Google declaring it tastes just like home surely would be. This new arrival to an unassuming stretch of Marlborough Street has racked up an impressive reputation in just over a month of operation. Open Tuesday through Sunday for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, it’s got an extensive menu of South Indian dishes, many never or rarely seen across Dublin. The promising word of rasam, manchurian and top-tier dosa has us very keen to get in and try it for ourselves. Yew Tree, Terenure After dropping hints of things to come since as far back as September, Yew Tree has opened in Terenure, a new neighbourhood restaurant from the people who brought us Clanbrassil Street’s 57 The Headline, which shuttered after ten years when the building was sold. It’s more of a wine and small plates vibe than the previous premises’ beer and (high-end) pub grub, with duck pâté and black pudding croquettes among the standout selections of the evening menu. They’re also offering a range of toasted sandwiches as a weekday lunch option, with Sunday roasts a holdover from the Headline days. Honest2Goodness, Botanic Avenue After leaving the Glasnevin farmer’s market that bore its name for 14 years at the end of last year, Honest2Goodness wines have moved on to a new home nearby in Botanic Avenue (the market remains open for now and a new operating team are looking for a location to move to in the future - there's a new Instagram page here ) . They’re offering a small selection of snacks and wines by the glass in this small corner site, as well as a retail outlet for their extensive selection of imported wines – if you’ve ever attended any of their excellent tastings, you’ll know this is one to keep a close eye on. Coming soon... Vice, Phibsborough The good news for the Northside just keeps coming: Vice , home to some seriously good pizzas and wings over on Merrion Street since late 2022, is opening a second outlet in Phibsborough. They’ll throw open their doors on the 24th.

You won't find any dry January or Veganuary resolutions around here - we only tend to go in for behaviour improvements we have a hope of keeping long-term, so gut health, grocery refills, and buying better meat are high on the agenda for 2024. Here are the New Year's resolutions you might actually stick to this year... Give your gut a leg up 4 Hands Studio 's Rose and Margaux have been busy fermenting anything and everything in Westmeath for the past few years, and their new monthly subscription is a great way to boost your gut health in 2024. You'll get kombucha, sauerkraut, apple cider vinegar, fermented chilli jam and more for €60 a month, and there are optional add-ons like sourdough, hummus and granola. Email 4handsf@gmail.com with your name, address and phone number and they'll send you a payment link. Buy better meat We don't go in for Veganuary around here, but we do go in for eating a bit less meat, but spending more money on it. That's where a quality butcher like The Village Butcher in Ranelagh comes in, and with nationwide delivery you don't need to worry about lugging pork shoulders and lamb legs into the boot or onto the bus. Apart from all the usual kitchen staples you can experiment with Irish rose veal and buffalo, French wild boar, and Japanese Wagyu, and the team there are great for prep and cooking advice. Learn to make your favourite restaurant food at home Great 2024 news - M&L's dumpling making classes are back on Sunday 28th January. If you've had their handmade, chunky dumplings the likelihood is you've thought about them a lot since, and now you can learn their tricks to recreate them at home. For €50 you'll learn to cook and eat beef, pork, prawn and vegetable dumplings, and you can book a place by texting 0877542775. Get to know Irish, organic vegetables It's a case of use it or lose it when it comes to Irish veg (especially the organic kind), where growers seem to be giving up and leaving the market every week. Yes it can be more expensive to buy local (and definitely to buy organic), but we'll happily drop one lunch out or a few coffees to upgrade our veg shelf to the good stuff from Green Earth Organics . Apart from the age old "you are what you eat" mantra, we want these guys to be around next year, and the one after that, and unless more people realise the true price of homegrown produce, Dutch peppers and Moroccan raspberries might be our only option in the next few years. Refill, refill, refill It's all too easy to stick to the same shopping habits month after month, but if you make one change for 2024, find a grocery refill station and head there with your containers in hand, instead of adding to plastic mountains across the globe. There's Minimal Waste Grocery in Raheny, Noms in Phibsborough, The Souce in Rathmines, and The Good Neighbour in Dundrum, with the latter hoping to open more refill stations in 2024. Once you get into the swing of it it'll become second nature, promise. Eat at local and independent restaurants Not to be dramatic, but it feels like we're on the cusp of a tidal waves of closures, with each week bringing more shockers. It can't be said enough that if you want somewhere to survive, you need to support them, so the next time your Insta-hun friend wants to book The Ivy for a getogether, set them straight and divert that money towards the places where your booking really matters.

We're back with at least one veggie dish (for the month that's in it), a main course inspired by a cocktail, and a wintery cruffin, as some of the 5 things we want to eat most in Dublin this week... 1) Steamed Cod, Hang Dai Hang Dai are celebrating their kick ass cocktails with a collaboration where bar meets kitchen. Their steamed cod, chilli and ginger dish is inspired by their Chili Chili Yaw cocktail, and features a special blend of pepper, chili shrub, bay leaves, and coriander seeds. What a pairing. 2) Veggie Bap, Honey Honey Cafe This Toonsbridge halloumi, smashed avocado, fried egg veggie bap, served with homemade vegan ketchup, from the new Honey Honey Café in D4 is the perfect way to ease yourself into a meat-free January. You could drop the cheese and egg if you're doing Veganuary, but why torture yourself. 3) Pepperoni pizza, Minetta Deli The pizza-by-the-slice game has got its game face on in Dublin at the moment. With the recent arrival of Mani , we love to see more top notch pizza sold by the slice (perfect for people with commitment issues). Sisters Nicola and Deboragh Hughes of Minetta Delicatessen - an Italian/NYC inspired café/deli are slinging out this little pepperoni number with hot honey if you find yourself on the Sutton side of the city. 4) Blood orange super split, Mr Fox The retro super split dessert has been a fixture at Mr Fox since day one, but it's been given a January 2024 update with the addition of blood orange. We approve. 5) Apple crumble cruffin, Bread 41 There's still plenty of time to eat all the wintery desserts, and this spiced apple butter and custard cruffin from Bread 41, topped with a cinnamon glaze crumble has us in a low key chokehold. Clearly we didn't treat ourselves enough over Christmas so we may as well keep going...

ATF Insider's last 9 Giveaways of 2023 are here! We've got a food and culture filled hotel stay in Dublin, vouchers to try the city's hottest new openings, food and drink-filled Christmas hampers and more. Our ATF Insider service is how we remain ad free, pay our writers, pay for our meals, and operate independently to give you the only advice you need about eating out in Dublin. If you enjoy our content and haven't signed up, maybe this will be the month you cave... Everyone signed up to ATF Insiders by midnight on the 17th December will be entered into the draw, and winners will be picked and notified on the 18th December. Here's what we've got lined up for you this month... 1) A stay in The Croke Park Hotel for their 15-minute Dublin experience, worth over €300 The Croke Park hotel (part of family-owned Irish luxury hotel group, The Doyle Collection) will be putting up one ATF Insider (and guest) overnight in a luxury guest room on Thursday 11th January, for their 15-minute Dublin: Peter Pan at The Gate experience, with breakfast the following morning, and a pre-theatre dinner in the Hawthorn restaurant. The Croke Park Hotel is the official accommodation partner of The Gate Theatre, and the new city escape packages are aimed at giving guests an insider’s track to the city, changing throughout the year to highlight the cultural richness of the local area, including the Gate Theatre. To find out more click here . 2) Saturday lunch for two at Tom Foster's residency at Mamó Howth's Mamó is one of our favourite places to spend a few hours in the capital, and from January 12th - February 4th, Australia's best young chef , Tom Foster, is taking over the kitchen and dining room. At 29 Tom’s career has spanned restaurants including The Ledbury in London and Cirrus Dining in Sydney, and most recently he was head chef at ELE By Federico And Karl. He and his team will be cooking a seven-course menu over four weekends, with a wine pairing also available, and we're sending one of you there for a long Saturday lunch to see what all the fuss is about. Tickets are available here . 3) A €200 voucher for Bootleg The guys behind Big Fan, Sprezzatura and Bow Lane have come together to create a new wine bar, Bootleg , in a former Starbucks on Drury Street, and with Big Fan chef Alex Zhang in charge of the Mediterranean-ish food, you know this is going to be good. Wines are natural leaning with a vintage "back catalogue" list for the serious drinkers, and there's an Apertivo cocktail list. Recyling is big on the agenda, with the bar and high tables made from sheet material removed from the walls, and from the New Year they'll be doing wine nights, live music and more. We've got a €200 voucher to give away for Bootleg this month, that can be spent on food, drinks or events (excludes their vintage wine selection). Book a table here . 4) Lunch for two with wine at  Cellar 22 A new wine destination has opened at St. Stephen’s Green, and we're most interested in the fact that they're making 80% of their charcuterie in house. Cellar 22  is a cosy, downstairs space with a wide-ranging wine list and an all-day dining menu featuring that charcuterie, breads, cheeses, tartare, crudo and more. Chris Maguire (ex-Frank's and Delahunt) is in charge of the kitchen, while sommelier Victor Nedelea (ex-Sole) is in charge of wine, and this month we're sending one of you for lunch in Cellar 22 to be spoilt by both. 5) A €150 voucher for Mani on Drury Street There's no danger of anything to do with Christmas over-shadowing the buzz about Mani opening at breakneck speed on Drury Street. Since opening for business last weekend there's been a constant queue down the street, and we've officially lost count of the amount of people we've seen saying their carbonara slice is the best pizza in the city. Ex- Pala Pizza owner/chef Rory Shannon has joined Mani creator Ciaran McGonagle in the kitchen, and if that ain't a dream team what is. We've got a €150 voucher for Mani to give away this month so one of you will be seriously splurging on slices, suppli and deep-fried lasagne. 6) A Premium Irish Hamper from Lotts & Co worth €125 Premium grocer Lotts & Co specialises in the best Irish and international food, craft beers and wine, and every visit there unearths something we absolutely must have in our fridge/press/drinks cabinet. As well as their in-store stock and monthly food and drink subscriptions , they also do a keen line in hampers, and this month we've got one of their premium Irish hampers worth €125 to give away, with products like Cloud Picker coffee, Crossogue preserves, and Skelligs chocolate. Check out their hampers and gifts here . 7) Bar f ood & cocktails for two worth €100 at Kinara Kitchen Ranelagh Ranelagh's Kinara Kitchen has recently done a revamp of its bar space, so customers can now enjoy their award-winning cocktails and Pakistani nibbles in an even more intimate setting. From date nights to friend meet-ups this festive season, they've also announced extended operating hours, with all three restaurants open from 12 pm-7 pm on Christmas Eve, and reopening on the 27th - k eep up to date by following @kinara_group on social. To celebrate its new cocktail space, Kinara Kitchen is giving one lucky ATF Insider a bar bites & cocktails experience for two worth €100. 8) A Roe & Co Distillery experience and hamper Roe & Co Whiskey  is made from hand-selected stocks of Irish malt and grain whiskys and aged in bourbon casks, with flavours of vanilla, toffee and spiced orchard fruits. The Dublin 8 Distillery and Visitor Experience opened in  June 2019 focused on cocktails, and they won 'Best Distillery Tour 2020' at the International Spirits Challenge. We're sending one of you off to Roe & Co on a blending or flavours experience, and you'll also be sent a bottle of Roe & Co Whiskey, glassware, a box of Tara Gartlan chocolates, a Christmas decoration and a tote bag. Check out their experiences here . 9) i-Stil Vodka and  Ballymaloe  Vodka  Cranberry  sauce Ballymaloe Foods have partnered with i-Stil 38 Premium Irish Vodka to use their pink berry vodka in a more grown up take on cranberry sauce.  i-Stil 38 is produced in West Cork and is the number one selling premium vodka in Ireland. Their ' pink berry' is made with distilled Irish grains and Irish berries, and they recommend enjoying the resulting vodka cranberry sauce with roast turkey, nut loaf, brie cheese or even mixed into a festive cocktail. We've got three bottles of i-Stil 38  vodka and three jars of the cranberry sauce winging its way to one ATF Insider this month, and we won't tell anyone if you pass the other two off as last minute Christmas presents. Everyone signed up to   ATF Insiders   for December (new and old) will be automatically entered into the prize draw - you don't need to do anything. If you're not signed up yet join here  before midnight on the 17th December to be in with a chance of winning. You'll be supporting independent content in Dublin and beyond, and be able to get answers to all of your burning questions about eating out, here and abroad, directly from us.

What should we know about Fusco's Cafe? Fusco's has been around for donkey's years - it celebrates its 60th anniversary next July - and it's one of the OG Dublin chippers, getting bonus points for the ability to sit in. They're are known for being one of the few that still serve ray, which is "very Dublin", but we did find a good few others including La Costa in Clontarf, Macari's in Glasnevin, C.Aprile in Stillorgan, Tony's Super Takeaway in Coolock, The Lido on Pearse street, and Roma in Clondalkin. What did you have? Their menu has all the usual suspects, from burgers to fish, fried chicken to kebabs, and an all day breakfast. We rang a day in advance to secure the ray (lighter in taste than cod, and more delicate) as we heard it sells out. It arrived (via table service if you don't mind) beautifully battered and steaming hot. The trick is to open it like a book (Norina, the owner Filippo's daughter advised) and work around the bones. We encountered a couple, but they're more like cartilage in texture, and we hear some people eat them. The flesh was light, fluffy and a nice change from the ubiquitous cod. We also ordered the smoked cod, a good litmus test for any chipper worth their salt (soz). It was beautifully smoked, super fresh, and falling apart on our forks. When you see a Warley burger on a chipper menu, you know you're in for a good time. Also known as "wurley" burgers, Norina told us that they were invented in Fusco's, and consider us starstruck. A regular who went by the name of Warley (who only passed away last year) used to come in and ask for a quarter pounder patty to be battered, and hey presto - the iconic Dublin delicacy was born. Our burger was nicely assembled, with the batter giving an interesting texture contrast, but we'd save this one for a hangover. Another good test of chippers is their battered sausage. Fusco's have used the same recipe since day one - a combination of beef and chicken, with a heavy hand on the spices. The flavour's almost closer to black pudding - it's not your traditional battered sausage. Their chips are fluffy, crispy, very well seasoned, and were gone in minutes. Excellent chipper chips to be had here. Norina recommended we try the curry roll and who are we to refuse. It's a curried rice log that they get from their neighbouring Chinese takeaway, and in classic chipper fashion they toss it in the fryer. It comes with a side of curry sauce and ladies and gentlemen, may we present to you, the deep fried 2 in 1. The flavours were all there, but the texture was a bit stodgy and homogeneous. It was a trip all the same. What is there to drink? They offer all the usual soft drinks, along with tea and coffee, and for those that way inclined you can go full retro with a pint of milk. Why should I go? Come for the history, the ray, and Filipio's iconic kick boxing portrait on the wall. The charming staff, fresh fish, and above average chips are three more reasons to pay a visit to this Dublin city institution . Long live Fusco's! Fusco's Café 27 Meath St, The Liberties, Dublin 8

An old school sherry, a once a year truffle brie, and a Greek classic are all calling our names this week... 1) Sherry Trifle, The Pig's Ear Does it get any more old school than a sherry trifle, the marmite of desserts? The Pig's Ear have made a bold move featuring the Christmassy classic on their menu, seen as they're synonymous with grannies and ladies named Vera, but we'd much rather eat one made by a professional - our Grannies never made them this pretty. 2) Shrimp Saganaki, Shouk We adore Shouk , and it's not every day they get a new menu item. Warm up with their newest dish - slow cooked shrimp in a Mediterranean tomato sauce with hints of anise and Bulgarian cheese, flamed in their woodfired oven and served with freshly baked bread made in house. 3) Pumpkin Risotto, Note We're still in our pumpkin era, and this pumpkin risotto with taleggio and sage looks like the perfect wintery plate to cosy up with at Note . Grab a seat at the bar, order a glass of La Palazzina's Nebbiolo, and forget about all the Christmas presents you still have to buy. 4) Dongé Truffle Brie, Sheridan's Sheridan's once a year Dongé truffle brie has landed, and what is Christmas if not fresh St. Jean black truffles from Burgundy sandwiched between layers of creamy young brie and double cream cheese. Ripened in the Cousances-les-Triconville cellars of the Dongé family, this should take pride of place on your Christmas cheese board. 5) Caramel Tart, Daddy's Cafe December is the month of indulgence, and this caramel tart from Daddy's is the sweet treat you don't need, but will want. It's layered with a thick dulce de leche and topped with a crumbly coconut sponge - in for a penny and all that.

What should we know about Just Chubby's? Just Chubby's taco truck was a long held dream of 147 Deli 's flavour master Barry Stephens, and was meant to open pre-covid. Almost two years later than billed, they finally opened their hatch outside Lotts & Co. in Clontarf in Summer 2022, and immediately queues and early sell outs became the status quo. While they initially parked their truck in front of the multi-coloured, specially commissioned mural, they're now inside the warehouse behind it, meaning cover and more seats. What did you have? There's tacos, sides and salsas which cost extra (more on that later). You're here for the tacos, and up until last spring they were €5 a piece, but they've risen sharply to €6.50. Assuming you'll want at least two, and maybe a salsa for each at an extra €2.95 a piece, you're looking at €20 before you've touched anything else. Comparing this with El Milagro 's food truck in Herbert Park, where you'll get two tacos for €12 with your choice of salsa on the side for each, we're in the rafters here (and we've had many complaints about El Milagro daring to charge €6 a taco). We tried all three, with the ale-braised pork marginally out in front. The sweet, tender meat comes with salsa verde and an onion/coriander mix on top for freshness, but we would have liked more salsa to drown it with. The chicken, with chipotle and honeyglazed red pickled cabbage, salsa verde and jalapeños needs a warning - we were almost crying trying to refill our water bottles. A particulary spicy batch of jalapeños maybe, but it was hard to taste anything during the brief period our taste buds were burnt off. The veggie had charred sweet potato, onions, white cheese, epazote (a Central American herb) and chipotle salsa, and we really liked this too, with its milder spice and sweet/savoury flavours. What it was all missing though was free-flowing salsas. At almost €3 each it will chunk up the bill considerably to add a few to your order, and it was anathema to us not to include a small pot on the side, or offer a selection as a considerably cheaper add on - salsa is around 50% of the fun of eating tacos. Corn ribs were put on the Dublin map by Big Fan back in 2020, and the ones here come deep-fried with chipotle butter, but when they arrived we realised we'd paid €8.95 for a single ear of corn. It was excellent corn, cooked but with crunch, doused in an earthy, smoky, sweet butter. but €9? That's a tough kernel to swallow. Big Fan's are €7.50 and it's a sit in restaurant. The best thing we ate was the hand-cut nachos. A portion with just jalapeño cheese and salsa roja is €8.95, and adding on the same pork or chicken will add another €3.95 (so €12.90). We added the pork and it was a huge portion, the best value dish we had, with the nachos no relation to anything in a bag, and all the accompaniments being fought over by clashing crisps trying to scoop up as much as possible in one bite. What is there to drink? Soft drinks, water and a couple of craft beers. You won't be settling in for the night. Why should I go? Just Chubby's has a legion of fans travelling for their tacos each weekend, and if you're in the Clontarf area there aren't many better places to eat, but we're a long way from peasant food here - these are sit in, restaurant prices. If that works for you then go forth and chow down, but if you're one of the many feeling particuarly price sensitive at the moment, you may find €3 salsas and €9 corn push you over the edge. Just Chubby's 46 Clontarf Rd, Clontarf, Dublin 3 justchubbys.com

Each year Christmas sandwich hysteria seems to reach new heights, and 2023 has seen the most creative sambos yet - and it's not even December. Do you want house-roasted turkey or smoked chicken? Wicklow brie or mozzarella? Gravy on the side or gravy mayo? Here's our running list of where to get one in Dublin right now, and keep an eye out for our verdicts on how some of them actually taste... City Centre 147 Deli, Parnell Street 147 Deli have been keeping us all waiting this year, only releasing their Christmas sandwich this week, and it's the same special that earned them top spot in last year's Christmas sandwich verdicts list . It's got glazed ham, steamed turkey, bacon fat sprouts, crispy bacon bits, hazelnut, sage and cranberry stuffing, Brie and cranberry mayo served on granary bread, and it's served with a chicken wing gravy. A beast is right. Mr French, Dublin 2 We do love a Christmas sandwich with a difference, so claps to Mr French for serving their 'Christmas Sleigher' on chunky focaccia. This one looks like a monster, with roast turkey, honey and mustard glazed ham, sage and onion stuffing, smoked cheddar, cranberry mayo, wild rocket, and turkey and stuffing flavoured crisps. It's available from Wednesday 6th December and it better live up to the high expectations we've got for it. Fairmental, Grand Canal Dock Fermentation specialists Fairmental have just added their 'Christmas Turketta' to the menu, and if you like your monster lunch to come with tangy ferments this one's for you. It's got rolled turkey breast, ndjua stuffing, cranberry labneh, relish and leaves, all served on fancy bap-style bread. Brother Hubbard, Dublin 1 The 'Chrimbo' is officially on the menu at Brother Hubbard on Capel Street and it's our first meatloaf sighting. Their homemade bread comes with turkey and sausage meatloaf, baked ham, their special stuffing sauce, brussel sprout and cranberry slaw, and a seasonal side salad. Honey Truffle, Pearse Street Honey Truffle 's festive sandwich never fails, with proper turkey and ham, sage, thyme and onion stuffing, and an orange, port and cranberry sauce. It comes toasted but you can request non-toasted if that's more up your street. Carved, Grand Canal Dock Grand Canal sandwich specialists Carved aren't holding back this year with ham, turkey, sausage stuffing, red cabbage, chestnuts, brie, cranberry sauce, garlic aioli and homemade gravy on top - wowza. The Commons @ MoLI, St. Stephen's Green The Commons @ MoLI have just launched their 'Santy Toastie', with roast turkey, baked ham, stuffing, cranberry sauce, and the lesser spotted lettuce and mayonnaise. Doughboys, Dublin 2 This year's effort from Dough Boys looks nicely messy, with house roast turkey, honey mustard glazed ham, braised spiced red cabbage, sage and onion stuffing, caramelised onion mayo, cranberry orange sauce, and a gravy dip. No danger of this one lacking moisture. Lisboa, Dublin 2 Lisboa 'ultimate Christmas sandwich' is a spin on the famous Portugese Francesihna, with some festive substitutions like ham and turkey in place of steak and chorizo. The Cake Café, Dublin 2 The Cake Café are calling this one "the Christmas sandwich of your dreams, and with smoked chicken, honey baked ham, stuffing and either their homemade cranberry sauce or spiced mango (eh yes) heaped onto their sandwich bread. It's served with a side of homemade gravy and we're sold several times over. Urbanity, Smithfield Urbanity 's annual 'Chrimbo Sambo Slam' is back with a Croque Monsieur and brisket bang. Over the next three weeks they'll have two Christmas sandwiches on the menu every week, running a poll on which one reigns supreme, with the 'Ultimate Chrimbo Sambo' crowned on December 16th. The winning sandwich will be available for the week before Christmas, and keep an eye on their socials for each week's options.⁣⁣⁣ North Dublin Two Pups, Fairview Two Pups in Fairview have shown up with the lesser spotted veggie Xmas toastie. It's got potato and Brie gratin, spiced apple chutney, and brussels sprout stuffing on Firehouse sourdough, and if you need meat you can add their home baked ham. Slice, Stoneybatter Slice 's Christmas toastie is up there in the pretty stakes, and just look at that bread. Theirs has honey baked ham, cranberry relish, melted brie, herb stuffing, chive mayo and house pickles which we applaud - there are nowhere near enough pickles on this list. Milo’s, Drumcondra Milo’s Christmas toastie has come on the scene with no description, but we spy turkey, ham, stuffing, spinach and cranberry sauce, along with a side of relish. While it looks like one of the drier options on this list, we have it on reader authority that the stuffing is anything but. Puck Lane, Whitehall God bless Puck Lane for finally giving Whitehall residents somewhere to eat, and now they have a Christmas sandwich to boot. Roast turkey and ham come with stuffing, Brie and spiced cranberry sauce, and there's an option of hot gravy or gravy mayo for dipping - be cheeky and ask for both. Perfect Day Café, Kilbarrack The Kilbarrack/Raheny area is positively spoilt for Christmas sandwiches, but the cranberry mayo in Perfect Day 's 'festive melt' has us positively interested, as well as their thickly sliced turkey and ham. Add some stuffing, brie and wrap it all up in sourdough and she's complete. Perky's Coffee House, Raheny Perky's toasted Christmas sambo has roast turkey, ham, stuffing, caramelised red onion marmalade, mayo and cranberry sauce on toasted sourdough, and it comes with a side of garlic mayo which is never a bad idea. Their vegan version is on a ciabatta with nut roast, caramelised onion, cranberry sauce and vegan mayo. Lab, Raheny Food truck Lab did an oozing Christmas sandwich special back in August, and it's back for December with the addition of ham as well as turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce, mozzarella (controversial but we love it) and caramelised onion, and while the August sambo looked considerably juicier, if you eat it immediately you should get the mozz at optimum melt. McNally Family Farm, North County Dublin McNally Farm 's veggie and vegan Christmas baps are back on the menu at the farm shop and café, and we promise you won't miss the meat. They come with roasted carrots, sprout slaw, herby stuffing, cranberry and port sauce, mayo (regular or vegan), and the veggie version is topped with Corleggy peppercorn cheese. Don't skip the mince pies for dessert. South Dublin Junior's, Beggar's Bush Junior's is something of a mecca for Dublin sandwich lovers, and their 'Christmas Cracker' is already drawing the crowds. Their chargrilled ciabtta comes with roast turkey, baked ham, crispy bacon, herb and onion stuffing, homemade mayo and cranberry relish. Daddy's, Rialto Daddy's are going different for the second year running using spiced beef instead of turkey and ham. There's also McNally's Brussel Sprout, Horseradish and Cranberry Slaw, and Nigel's Herb and Apple Stuffing. Happy Out x Together Academy, Dun Laoghaire Toastie Kings Happy Out have been kind enough to deliver a Christmas version, with turkey, ham, stuffing, cranberry sauce, mayo, rocket and a gravy dip. We hear preceding it with a very cold plunge makes for optimum enjoyment. Greenville Deli, Rathmines, Inchicore & Monkstown While supplying many of Dublin's cafés with their sandwiches, Greenville Deli operate a different menu out of their own three locations, so their in-house Christmas sandwich is a bit different. You'll find roasted in-house turkey breast, homemade maple glazed ham, parsley, sage and onion stuffing, pickled red cabbage, Wicklow brie, mustard aioli (oooh) and cranberry sauce. It's served with a cranberry mayo dip and a small bag of crisps, in case you needed more convincing. The vegan one has roasted sweet potato and green lentils, vegan stuffing, mustard mayo and cranberry sauce. Foodgame, Beggar's Bush Two words. Bacon. Crumbs. That's what Foodgame are bringing to the table this year, along with sliced turkey, cranberry mayo, sage and walnut stuffing and brie on sourdough. They had us at bacon. Daddy's, Rialto Never one to row in with the masses, Daddy's have ditched the turkey and ham in place of spiced beef. Add in McNally's brussell sprout, horseradish and cranberry slaw, and a herb and apple stuffing, and it's everything a turkey and ham hater could wish for. Park Life, Harold's Cross Park Life in Harold's Cross are the only place on this list brave/clever enough to include crispy potatoes in their 'Crambo Sambo'. There's also turkey, ham, stuffing, unspecified cheese, and cranberry sauce. See you there for the potatoes. Barnhill Stores, Dalkey Barnhill Stores are flying the flag for Dalkey this year. Their Christmas sandwich comes with baked ham, roast turkey, herb stuffing, cranberry sauce and sage mayonnaise (what!?), and it's served with warm gravy. Joy to the world. West Dublin Ian's Kitchen, Kimmage Ian's Kitchen (from the same owners as Cluck Chicken in Tallaght) have made gravy and mulled-wine glazed ham their USP. Their ciabatta comes filled with buttermilk-brined roast turkey, that ham, nduja & chestnut stuffing, and cranberry mayonnaise, with a spiced turkey gravy for dipping (or pouring which is how they seem to be doing it). It's available Tuesday - Friday as part of their soup and sambo combo. Farmhouse Café, Walkinstown Farmhouse Café's open Christmas sandwich made its return last week, consisting of toasted sourdough topped with cranberry mayonnaise, roast turkey, herby bacon stuffing, Durrus cheese, cranberry sauce and dressed leaves. It's a whopping €15.95 so it better be good. Pickles, Kimmage The Pickles Christmas sandwich is pretty standard with turkey, ham, Brie, stuffing, red onion, spinach and cranberry sauce, and comes on their own low GI brown or another bread of your choice. Goat's Gruff, Strawberry Beds Drive through coffee shop Goat's Gruff 's 'Santa Baby' has returned for 2023, and the wood-fired sandwich once again has turkey, ham, Brie, cranberry sauce and stuffing on sourdough ciabatta, with garlic mayo for dipping. Baa Baa, Chapelizod Baa Baa don't tend to do things by halves, and it's no shock that their Christmas toastie is a little different. Organic sourdough comes stuffed with Derg cheddar AND Wicklow Brie, cranberry & pear jam, honey roast ham and sage butter. That'll be a *need* then. Various Locations Poulet Bonne Femme, Various Locations Another winner from last year's sandwich tasting, Poulet Bonne Femme 's 'Ho Ho sandwich' is back and it's about time. What made this for us was the soft white bread filled with their juicy free-range roast chicken, along with honey roast ham, house made stuffing, cranberry sauce, mayo and mustard. You won't regret this one. Find them in Suffolk Street, Ballsbridge, Monkstown, Blackrock and more. Greenville's Wholesale Sandwich, Various Locations Greenville supply over 30 cafés and delis across Dublin so expect their wholesale Christmas sandwich to pop up all over the place, including Grump's in Foxrock, Surge in Clontarf and Cob Coffee Company in Rathfarnham. It's got sliced FXB turkey breast, sliced FXB glazed ham, homemade parsley, sage and onion stuffing, mustard mayo and cranberry sauce. Póg, Various Locations Póg's Christmas sandwich is now available in all of their locations, and has turkey, ham, brie, homemade stuffing, cranberry sauce and mayo on sourdough. Have you had a Christmas sandwich we need to know about? Let us know by emailing info@allthefood.ie.

It's the most wonderful/stressful/financially depleting (delete as applicable) time of the year. Our best advice for you is get those Christmas presents done early, lists are your friend, don't overspend, and rather than buying things that will eventually end up in landfill, say it with food and drink. Here's what we'd like to be waking up to this year... A West of Dingle Sea Salt Gift Pack, €26 We are low key obsessed with West of Dingle ’s salts. The whiskey smoked adds a deep layer of umami to everything, the smokehouse rub makes every dish taste like it's come off a charcoal grill, and the lemon and rosemary have taken our oven roasted vegetables from satisfactory to showstopping. Gift the four-pack to your favourite foodie. Five Farms Irish Cream, €34.95 Warning: After you taste Five Farms Irish cream , it will be impossible to go back to bog-standard Baileys. This is farm to table booze, made from single batches of Irish cream sourced from five family-owned farms in Cork, and premium Irish whiskey. There is no going back. Bon Chocolatiers Chocolates, €30 We're similarly obsessed with Bon Chocolatiers , which - we're saying it - are the best Irish chocolates we've tried. Pricey, yes, but just one with your evening coffee or tea feels like a treat worthy of a special occasion. The Festive Treats collection features Christmas spiced s’mores and Cointreau and blood orange, and a twelve piece, four flavour box costs €30. Asia Market Hampers, from €28 Asia Market do a great range of hampers, from sushi-making ones to Korean noodle ones to Asian beer ones, and they're available for nationwide delivery. Check them out here . Burren Smokehouse Christmas Hampers, from €54 Clare-based Burren Smokehouse have eight hampers to choose from all based around their award-winning smoked salmon. There's a breakfast one, a cheese one, a whiskey one, and an ultra luxe one if you really want to spend the g's. Tara Gartlan Chocolates, €26 Tara Gartlan Chocolates are like mini works of art, and as well as chocolate collections containing flavours like kalamansi, Timur pepper and spiced apple caramel, you can also buy chocolate inspired Christmas cards . Fallon and Byrne’s Christmas Hampers, from €45 Fallon and Byrne's Christmas Hampers range from €45 to as much as €1000 for The Showstopper ! There's options for everyone, including vegans and gluten-free eaters, and expect an abundance of cheese, wine and Irish produce Drinks Wall and Keogh's X-Mas Gift Box, €24.99 Combining two Christmas themed teas and a heart shaped infuser, Wall and Keogh's X-Mas Gift Box would be a perfect secret Santa or stocking stuffer for the tea-lover in your life. Mulled Wine & Hot Whiskey Syrup from Dublin Cocktail Lab, €24 Once you've tried Dublin Cocktail Lab 's hot whiskey syrup and mulled wine mix, you'll wonder how you ever did Christmas without them. They're available in a gift pack for a €3 saving, and if buying for some lucky alcohol-lover in your life, be sure to add on one of each for yourself. Off the Cuffe's Irish bitters, from €16 Angostura have had the bitters market covered for as long as we've been alive, but Irish brand Off the Cuffe are giving them a run for their money in the quality stakes. Get them in flavours like marmalade, chocolate and coffee for €16 a bottle, or if you really love someone there's the ' Everything ' bundle featuring their entire selection of drinks for €110 (€150 value). Upside Coffee, from €12 What's Christmas without some festive coffee, and Upside Coffee’s Christmas blend is €12, with free shipping for orders over 1kg. There's a Christmas gift trio too featuring two espressos as well as the festive coffee. Craft Cocktail’s Christmas Collection, from €12.50 Every year we look forward to the release of Irish Craft Cocktails’ Christmas collection , and this year there's a 'Gingerbread Punch', a 'Festive Old-Fashioned', and a 'Mistletoe Margarita', for €12.50 for a double serve or €35 for a bigger bottle that serves seven. Their factory ‘Cuckoo Lane’ off Capel street will also be transformed into a Merry grotto where you can try the cocktails, buy the cocktails, and pick your own selection box, which includes six small cocktails and garnishes for a special in-store only price of €62.50. Experiences Tickets for Big Grill Festival 2024, price TBC Europe’s biggest BBQ and food festival Big Grill is making its way back to Ballsbridge next August for another weekend of food, experiences, chef talks, music, and more, with a line up that's bound to be as impressive as always. Tickets are due to go live this month and will be available here . A Cookery Class at the Dublin Cookery School, from €95 Kick start a new skill for someone this year with one of Dublin Cookery School 's courses in modern vegetarian food, handmade pasta or 'the joy of baking'. They're not cheap, but they're hard to beat for the best instructors and a generous amount of food to eat or take home. Check out their course calendar here . Subscriptions ATF Insiders, €55 If you know someone who lives to eat, wants access to exclusive events, and loves a bit of Insider info, an ATF Insider subscription is €55 a year, and includes entry into nine giveaways a month, event invitations, exclusive content and direct access to our team to ask all and any of their pressing questions about eating out. We do gift bundles too . Lotts & Co's Seasonal Subscription, from €60 We love the idea of a Lotts & Co. seasonal subscription dropping onto our doorstep each month, with the chance to try new products you might not have picked up off the shelf, that could soon become household favourites. It's €60 a month or €175 for three month's prepaid, and we're big fans of gifts that keep giving long after the 25th. Greenman Wines, price TBC Greenman Wines ' Wine Club Subscription is reopening in December 2023, and is THE most perfect gift for anyone wanting to learn more about wine (or just treat yourself to a happy dance once a month when the box arrives). Keep an eye on their website for their release. Smoked Salmon from Burren Smokehouse, from €136.45 As well as their hampers, Burren Smokehouse also do a smoked salmon subscription - how boujee. Starting at €136.45 (very specific) you can send someone enough salmon for 1-2 people for three months, with three different varieties in the box. Olive oil tasting club from Sarah and Olive, €125 Sarah and Olive ’s award-winning olive oils are a world away from what's on your supermarket shelves, and their tasting club is the ideal way to geek out on the very best. For €125 they'll send a premium bottle every quarter, with tasting notes, food pairing suggestions and a recipe to try, and if you're not invited over to try the results then that's just rude. Cheese Club, Little Cheese Shop, from €42.50 We've been firm fans of Mark Murphy's Dingle-based Little Cheese Shop for years, and their Irish-only cheese club is still the best way to discover the very best of what's being produced on our little island. You can sign up for 1-12 months, and the excitement of the post-person bringing that month's delivery never gets old. Books Flavour! Mark Moriarty Mark Moriarty's new cookbook Flavour is on a roll of awards, recently adding An Post's 'Cookbook of the Year' to his list of accolades. While he's known for Michelin-star cooking, he aims to show readers how to do basics, focusing on everyday food packed with flavour. The New Ballymaloe Bread Book Ballymaloe Cookery School is world renowned at this stage, with their students taught by bread making experts including Darina herself. Now she's laid down her secrets in The New Ballymaloe Bread Book, and whether you know someone who's never baked, or just wants to up their game, this one covers it all. Buy it here . The Blasta Books Collections Blasta Books are now gearing up for series three of their lovely collections of cookbooks (to be released in 2024), each highlighting Irish authors and chefs. Each specialises in a different type of food, from Bahay's 'Masarap', to Lily Ramirez-Foran's 'Tacos', and cost €15 each or you can buy a bundle of four for €50. Buy one of the first two bundles to have wrapped under the tree, or pre-order the next collection for recipe joy delivered throughout 2024. Bake, Graham Herterick Of all the cookbooks we've had in recent years, none has us coming back as often as Graham Herterick (also known as The Cupcake Bloke)'s Bake. From basics like brown soda bread and Victoria sponge, to 'modern twists' like the PB&J sandwich and the tahini and black sesame cupcakes, there's no such thing as a recipe fail. It's worth buying for the chocolate chip cookie and brownie recipes alone. Spice Box, Sunil Ghai Anyone who's eaten in Pickle on Camden Street has likely thought about it on repeat for week's after, so when we heard Sunil Ghai was releasing his own book focused on easy, everyday Indian food, we immediately made space on our bookshelves for Spice Box . True to description these are uncomplicated recipes, with ingredients any avid homecook will have to hand, and yes the goat keema is in there. All we need now is the goat.

The fanciest brunch in the city, an injectable cruffin, and a crab sambo in the form of a homage are among the 5 things that have caught our eye this week. Feast your eyes on these... 1) Hazelnut & chocolate cruffin, Drop Coffee It's a double hazelnut and chocolate cruffin with an injectable shot of Baileys - what is there not to love? Pop on down to Drop Coffee in Drumcondra and get the festive season started. 2) Sautéed gambas, Juno Juno aren't messing around in the kitchen, and this week their sautéed fresh Irish prawns are served with garlic, ginger & jalapeño butter, sesame & sourdough. Like come on, jalapeño butter!? Dzvine. 3) Banoffee French toast, Happy Out, Donnybrook The sheer concept of banoffee French toast had our ears perking up, and that was before serving it with a cinnamon mascarpone and topping it with a dulce de leche sauce. These lads at Happy Out know what's up. Brb, hightailing it to Donnybrook. 4) Irish lobster brunch, Gigi's Eggs Florentine? Who's she. Gigi ' s in Ranelagh are taking the humble brunch up several notches with this Irish lobster eggs Benedict. Who says brunch can't be fancy AF? 5) Crab Toastie, Chimac We love this tribute Chimac have made to Table Wine , the chilled out small plates/wine bar/restaurant that closed in November 2022. Their signature dish was a legendary crab sandwich that Chimac have paid homage to with their latest toastie -with-a-twist, and they've spoiled us by dropping the recipe. The combo of fresh crab, gruyere, cheddar and Sriracha caramel sounds unmissable in the taste stakes.

From bougie bars to a Ballsbridge steakhouse, a beloved Italian restaurant's new daytime deli to a curious Korean sandwich could-be franchise, here’s everything that’s new in Dublin city and surrounds, with a lot more yet to come... Dosa Dosa, Adamstown Long one of our go-to recommendations for the best Indian street food about town, Dosa Dosa have been happily attracting queues at their various mobile locations since setting up shop back at the start of 2020. Now, two years on from being among the launch partners at the Grand Canal Street market, they’ve added a second fixed spot in Adamstown right outside The Crossings shopping centre. As you’d expect, these guys are slinging by far some of the finest dosas in town, along with top-tier parotta, curry, and kathi rolls. It’s open evenings from Thursday through Sunday. Masa, Camden Street Pandemic “art diner” Dig In never quite managed to live up to the name of its predecessor Green 19, and after going on the market early this year the building has now become the second home of Masa , the Drury Street taqueria from the people who brought us Bunsen. It’s not at all hard to imagine this faring particularly well along this stretch of street, with plenty of keenly-priced tortilla chips, tacos and quesadillas to offer as little or as much soakage as the passing pub trade might wish for. It’s open every day for lunch and dinner. Amuri by Day, Chatham Street We’re living for the ongoing good news saga that is Amuri : after taking the chance to open their own premises in 2022 in the pandemic-abandoned upstairs tasting room of wine merchants The Corkscrew, Sicilian brothers Andrea and Luca Licciardello have now taken on the ground floor too, following The Corkscrew’s move to a bigger premises right round the corner – win win. Amuri by Day is now open from 08:00 every day but Monday, for deli-style servings of panini, arancini, cannoli and charcuterie, and judging by the happily waving staff and wide-eyed first customers we spotted as we strolled past over the weekend, there’s just as much to savour here as there is upstairs. Goat’s Gruff, Adamstown It’s a great week to be living in Adamstown: as if getting their own Dosa Dosa wasn’t good news enough for the southwest suburb, Strawberry Hall pizza and sandwich stalwart Goats Gruff have gone and set up shop there too – right beside, in fact. Their wood-fired oven is still a work in progress so you’ll have to wait just a little bit longer for the full suite of pizzas, but for now there’s plenty in the sourdough toasties (yes, including their Christmas classic), baked goods and Imbibe coffee to choose from, with early opening hours every day. Pen & Player, Harcourt Street The latest arrival to Dublin’s ever-more crowded craft cocktail space, Pen & Player in The Green hotel just off Harcourt Street is going in heavy on the literary vibes with a space it’s called “The Library” and some drink descriptions that look like they’ve been through a copywriter with grand aspirations. Whether it’s a “complex post show indulgence with the heroine in her emerald attire” or “a loosening of collars and bowing out with a warm handshake”, we’re none the wiser what any of these things actually taste like but they do look the part. A short, small plates food menu seems to know what it’s doing, and cocktails start at €15. Hey, copywriters are expensive. Oxhorn, Ballsbridge Quick on the offing after Mespil Road’s longstanding Keshk Café closed its doors for the final time back in September, steakhouse Oxhorn has taken on the premises promising to fill what it says is a gap in the market, and spare locals the trouble of trekking into town for a cut of beef. While we have to raise an eyebrow at that – it’s a short stroll over the canal, lads, you’re not crossing the Amazon – they’ve got most of that nearby city centre competition beat in a straight shoot-out over price. A soup and special lunch deal at €19.90 should go down well with the midweek crowd, while their Sunday roast pricing ranks well against the swelling city competition, at €19 for chicken and €22 for beef. Bad Egg, Clanbrassil Street No not Mad E gg , but confusingly close in name if not in offering: this curious new arrival to Clanbrassil Street has all the look of an international franchise and arrives here from Pakistan, with expansion allegedly due in Canada and Australia soon too. We’ll add a pinch of salt, so, to Bad Egg ’s Korean egg drop sandwich specialty, though it does get the nod for going free-range. These loaded beasts of scrambled egg and various fillings on milk bread look like an almighty feed, and the all-day menu is also stacked with fries, tacos, and burgers to boot. Coming soon... Cellar 22, Stephen’s Green Soft-launching this week is a new wine bar for the city in the form of Cellar 22 . This Stephen’s Green basement bar has kept schtum so far on just what food and drinks it plans to offer, but we’re expecting all to be revealed following a soft launch later this week. Mani, Drury Street After the hard slog of years of food truck and popup stints, Roman pizza and Tuscan panini vendors Mani are getting a long-sought space of their own on Drury street. Prep is well and truly underway with a menu and opening date due soon, and Rory Shannon (the man behind Pala Pizza and Trattoria) will be in the kitchen. We're excited. The Dunmore, Rathmines As if Rathmines residents didn’t have enough to choose from, the owners of Waterford’s Strand Inn Hotel have arrived in Dublin 6 with a new spot named after their hometown. The Dunmore 's early menu hints don’t do anything massive to set the world alight, but we’ll hold judgement until the full thing drops – it’s due any day now. Love Tempo, Thomas Street Thomas Street’s iconic Clock pub shut up shop back in February of this year, and we’ve been wondering what might step in to take over the sizeable premises. Love Tempo is the answer, a new joint venture from the people behind Parnell Street bar The Big Romance and queer club night Mother. It’s coming in December. Popup Meyhane, Dame Street It’s not at all long after mainstay chipper Beshoff Bros bailed out of Dame Street and their spot is already bearing signs of a popup to come. The spritzed-up fitout gave little immediately away when we popped our nose in the other day, but looks like this is to be a meyhane – a kind of traditional Turkish tavern that leans in to the latter part of food and drink combos. No trace on social yet, but we’ll be keeping a close eye.

There's lots of socialising to be done in December but it's hard to avoid the over priced set menus that somehow always feel like a swizz. The good news is there are plenty of restaurants to dine in that don't succumb to the greed, and places to go to when you want to avoid the madness, so here's where we'll be eating out in December. Christmas menus, be gone! For the splash out with your best friend dinner: D'Olier Street, Dublin 2 D'Olier Street offer one of the best tasting menus in the city and there's no sign of a Christmas menu on their site, thanks be to god *blesses one's self*. The snacks are fire, the seeded pretzel with smoked Gubeen a delight, and their desserts never fail. Go here with your bestie for a proper treat. For a final hurrah: Loretta's, Phibsborough November saw many a closure and we are devo that Loretta's have made it onto that ever expanding list. We've never had a bad dish here, and their wine list is not only popping, but their cocktails are surprisingly excellent too. Their last service is on the 23rd of December, so if you can get in for a final send off and wish the lads well. For when it's freezing out and you need comfort in the form of food: Piglet, Cow's Lane Come out of the cold and head to Cow's Lane to chow down on some continental comfort food - Piglet 's hearty menu will set you straight. Their confit duck gizzards taste fa r better than they sound, and there's no way you can leave without trying their bacon & scallop dish which is available as a nibble, starter and main so literally no excuse. Their wine list is always on point, and you're guaranteed to be looked after by the lovely French staff. Oo la la. For when you're out with your pals and need a crowd pleaser: Fallon & Byrne's Wine Cellar, Dublin 2 With lots of sharing options, a separate plant based menu, and a corkage charge of €1 on any wines off the shelf from Sunday - Tuesday (or €10 from Wednesday - Saturday), Fallon & Byrne is a great shout when you're getting a group of mates together to celebrate the festive season. Grab a cheese board and drink all the wine. It's mother flipping Christmas after all. For when everywhere decent in the city centre core is booked out: The Legal Eagle, Four Courts Ever so slightly outside of the main drag of town is your best bet when all the good restaurants dead centre are booked out, and the Legal Eagle is a steadfast choice. Their à la carte menu is still on for the month of December, with only groups needing to opt for their Christmas set menu. Their fermented beetroot, dill & cashew dip is not to be missed, and we loved their braised ox cheek with bone marrow. Their Sunday roast is also a delight. Read our once over here . For when you're Christmas shopping in town and need something quick but delicious: Tang, Dawson Street & Abbey Street Tang is the perfect spot for a healthy, quick and delicious bite, with two of their locations either side of the city near Grafton Street & Henry Street. How very convenient indeed. They're open from 08:00 - 15:30 Monday to Friday, with a slightly later closing time of 16:00 on Saturdays. For breakfast, they're rolling out classics like shakshuka, pancakes, and mushrooms on toast, whereas lunch leans more into a Middle Eastern vibe. We're talking flatbreads, hummus, tzatziki, Moroccan lamb, salad plates.... you get the gist. Our kinda Thang. For when you need to carb load, because yano, it's winter: Bar Italia, Dublin 1 It's no secret that we are big Bar Italia backers (read our once over here ), and this is the place to load up on cosy carbs in these wintery months. Fluffy La Levain sourdough bread is served with every starter (get in!) and you can't go wrong with fresh pasta or their 72-hour fermented pinsas (aka Roman fluffy pizza) for mains. Heck, get both. Bonus - not a Christmas menu in sight, and at time of writing quite a few tables are free for the month, even on those coveted December weekends. Get booking. For that long luxurious lunch, for the month that's in it: Note, Dublin 2 Note is one of those places where you can sit at the bar and graze while catching up with a pal for hours, making your way slowly through their snacks, starters, mains, desserts, and more importantly, their wine list. What more could you want people? Get your lazy luxe lunch on here, and afterwards nip into The Gingerman for a cosy Christmas pint.