Boco Clontarf Is this the Northside's answer to Reggie's? Posted: 7 Apr 2026 Neighbourhood Neighborhood Name Address Restaurant Address Website Website Name Restaurant Info View the Listing >> Written by: Lisa Cope Tell us about Boco in Clontarf? The original Boco opened on the corner of Bolton Street and Capel Street in 2017, and has always flown somewhat under the radar when it comes to the continuous conversation about Dublin's best places to eat. Despite a loyal band of customers shouting about them every chance they get (we see your DMS), and consistently sky high scores on review sites, they've never quite managed the same column inches as places like Bambino/Reggie's/Pi. In the mid-Covid world of 2020 they opened a pizza fire truck at the back of the beautiful Harry Byrne's pub in Clontarf, serving pizza to grateful locals who soon became Boco loyalists. When word got out that they were looking for a second location with a roof and walls to call home, those people were VERY excited. They secured the former Pigeon House site at the start of 2025, but it's been the longest, slowest wait for them to open the doors and fire the ovens, so when they finally announced that the day had come a few weeks ago, celebrations were heard up and down the Clontarf Road. Where's the best place to sit? There's a few distinct seating areas in here. Towards the back you've got high tables seating up to four, with prime views of the pizza ovens working overtime. The front section has nicely spaced out tables and was full of families, high chairs and buggies when we visited early evening. If you want more privacy/peace try to get a table around the corner in the alcove-type area - this section would be great for a group/party too. Then at the front you've got an expansive indoor/outdoor space with heaters and a retractable roof. Let us lay it down in print - these will be the most in demand, spritz-filled tables in Clontarf this summer. Boco, Clontarf What's on the menu? Small plates, salads, pizzas and dips are the gist, with a nice mix of deep-fried bits and healthier veggie add-ons like padron peppers and rocket salad. You can take the small plates as starters or sides, and staff happily fired ours first with the pizzas to follow after. We've been finding a LOT of A-grade focaccia in Dublin over the past year, and Boco's crunchy on the bottom, fluffy on the inside, lardo and leek draped masterpiece (€7) is up there with the best. To get that brittle bottom you need to use more oil than we'd dare to home, and the equally melted and crisped up lardo is the focaccia hack we'll be putting to use at home. Deep-fried onion strings with buffalo garlic mayo (€7) are worth an order too - tempura-crisp without being greasy, with the buffalo garlic sauce having the perfect amount of spice and tang. Multiple diving hands meant these mysteriously disappeared within seconds of landing on the table. There are three substantial salads, all with an amount of thought well beyond 'menu filler', with ingredients like a Wildwood elderberry and star anise vinaigrette a good illustration. The most appealing to us was the prosciutto and black grape, with mixed leaves, artichoke, walnuts, Pecorino and that vinaigrette (€14), and if you ended up here with a coeliac/non pizza lover they won't feel like they've had a second rate experience. Chips were surprisingly great too (how often do you say that in a pizzeria?), fried in oil hot enough to give those burnished edges that shatter on biting. We went for Parmesan (€6.50) which came with roasted garlic mayo, and finished off the silver cup wondering if there was anything that these guys would fall down on. It didn't happen with the pizzas anyway. As Neapolitan bases go, Boco's would make you emotional. The puffed up cornicione, the blistered charring, the crusts so tender there was little work in the chewing - there's a fine art to pizza, and if they can consistently deliver this kind of base, we have no concerns about them keeping their seats full. Get the # 7 for no other reason than to taste this vodka sauce, which is like getting a mouthful of ripe tomatoes in Puglia mid-summer. Typically vodka sauce has cream in it - this is pure tomato and all the better for it. The Fior di Latte, salami soppressata, j alapeños and Parmesan are loaded on in perfect proportions, and this just needs a glass of Lambrusco on the side for optimum enjoyment. Any pizza with miso in the name is going to grab our attention, which is how the # 9 with miso butter, wild Irish mushrooms, Stracciatella and porcini crumb ended up on the table. You know when you build something up in your head and then it's just not as good IRL? This was the opposite, umami flying all over the place, the texture contrasts a home run. One of the main reasons we raced to Clontarf was the promise of an Osso Bucco pizza with gremolata, but it was short-lived (apparently it was too time-consuming and customers didn't get it - who are these people and where can we lock them up?) Begrudgingly we changed our pre-planned order to the # 10 with mascarpone, Tallegio, Italian sausage, kale, confit garlic, Parmesan, and pickled shallots. This one had a lot going for it, but was missing the oomph moment. Shallots tasted raw rather than pickled, and the sausage was under seasoned. Was it a bad pizza? Definitely not, we're very much into nit-picking territory, but we'll try others next time. Desserts follow the pizzeria standard of creamy things in cup-like vessels, and if it ain't broke don't fix it. Both the Key Lime Mess and Stout Tiramisu were valiant endings, both with enough interesting elements so as not to feel like something thrown together post the main event. If you like a boozy dessert both the affogato with Frangelico and the biscotti with PX sherry will tick the box nicely. Like your dessert in liquid form? There's three dessert cocktails too, including a frozen Irish coffee, and a salted caramel espresso martini. Is there anything these guys can't/won't do? It's a pizzeria. Are the drinks any good? The first line on the wine list says " all of our wines are organic " - another stake in the ground that shows you how much thought has gone into every part of this operation. The majority of bottles are under €50, with a nice variety of grapes, countries and styles - you'll find something you like here. There are also four house cocktails, six classics, and seven spritzes, including Aperol, Limoncello and Basil. Tick, tick tick. The beers, soft drinks and no alcohol options have plenty of interesting options too - everything is covered. If you come to a pizzeria and don't drink Lambrusco you should be shown the door (just our humble opinion), and the Quercioli here does the job nicely, at a saintly 11.5% alcohol. We also tried a pleasantly fizzy, well-balanced Sbagliato - like a Negroni with Campari, Vermouth, and prosecco instead of gin to lighten the alcohol. How was the service? Young, eager and very pleasant - they've hired for personality and it comes across. If anything was slightly delayed there were apologies, and information (plus wine tastes) were offered up graciously. We never felt stranded or in need of anything for too long, and the food was nicely paced as per our request, despite the place being packed to the rafters. What did the bill come to? €133 before tip for three small plates, a salad, three pizzas, two dips, two desserts and two drinks - easily enough for three hungry people, or four normal ones. This felt like the best value meal we'd had in ages. What's the verdict on Boco in Clontarf? Boco is somewhere that many Dubliners have taken for granted for too long. Maybe because of its unglamourous Bolton Street location, or its student associations being a one minute walk from TU Dublin, but with this second location we're wagering that's about to change. If you need a reference point, this is the Reggie's of the Northside, and we're predicting a similar demand. During our meal many, many people were turned away at the door after some sad sniffs of what was coming out of the kitchen, and longing gazes at clinking glasses filled with Aperol Spritz. Don't be like them - get planning your visit now. New Openings & Discoveries More >>

Just north of the river Liffey to the west of the city centre, Smithfield used to be home to inner-city farm yards and an open-air market, but is now home to fried egg sandwiches, Cardi-Bs, and one of Dublin's best places for seafood small plates and natural wine. Smithfield Our Take Just north of the river Liffey to the west of the city centre, Smithfield used to be home to inner-city farm yards and an open-air market, but is now home to fried egg sandwiches, Cardi-Bs, and one of Dublin's best places for seafood small plates and natural wine. Where to Eat Biang Biang Bonobo Fish Shop Mad Yolks Matsukawa No Messin @ Proper Order Nutbutter Smithfield Oxmantown Smithfield Sister 7 The Legal Eagle Urbanity

Northern Mexican taqueria run by a trio of women who were missing their favourite foods from home. The Northern aspect means more of a focus on wheat and beef, than corn and pork, and the prices undercut all the big chains, for far better flavours. Pickosito Website instagram.com/pickosito.taqueria Address Pickosito Northern Mexican Taqueria, Upstairs, Mary Street, North City, Dublin 1, Ireland Good For Tag 1 Cuisine Tag 1 Once Over Read our Review >> The Story Northern Mexican taqueria run by a trio of women who were missing their favourite foods from home. The Northern aspect means more of a focus on wheat and beef, than corn and pork, and the prices undercut all the big chains, for far better flavours. Where It's At Nearby Locales Yibu by Janet Little Canton Dak @ Bar Anam Mongoose Chongqing Hot Pot Boco Clontarf Bell Pesto Bang Gloria Osteria Cantina Valentina D'Lepak Pera Borgo Amai by Viktor Kaizen Chubbys Badam Table 45 Comet Daruma Malahide Lena The Pig's Ear Notions @ Two Pups The Rooftop @ Anantara The Marker Sofra

This local’s favourite coffee shop has two joints in South County Dublin – the original in Glasthule which serves 3fe coffee and homemade pastries only, and a larger shop in Blackrock which is offering a broader brunch menu alongside their usual fare. Their cinnamon swirl won silver at the 2021 Blas na hEireann awards and is exclusive to the Blackrock shop so make sure to save room for one of these. Hatch Coffee Website @hatchcoffee Address 4 Glasthule Road, Sandycove, Co. Dublin Good For Tag 1 Cuisine Tag 1 Once Over Read our Review >> The Story This local’s favourite coffee shop has two joints in South County Dublin – the original in Glasthule which serves 3fe coffee and homemade pastries only, and a larger shop in Blackrock which is offering a broader brunch menu alongside their usual fare. Their cinnamon swirl won silver at the 2021 Blas na hEireann awards and is exclusive to the Blackrock shop so make sure to save room for one of these. Where It's At Nearby Locales Yibu by Janet Little Canton Dak @ Bar Anam Mongoose Chongqing Hot Pot Boco Clontarf Bell Pesto Bang Gloria Osteria Cantina Valentina D'Lepak Pera Borgo Amai by Viktor Kaizen Chubbys Badam Table 45 Comet Daruma Malahide Lena The Pig's Ear Notions @ Two Pups The Rooftop @ Anantara The Marker Sofra

Portugese bakery and café just off Capel Street specialising in pastéis de nata and coffee, selling tea leaves to take away from Europe's only tea plantation in The Azores. The fact that they're as good as much of what you'll find in Lisbon has lead to daily sell outs, and the plan is to add wine and small plates by Autumn. Cafe Lisboa Website @cafelisboa_dublin Address 28 Mary Street Little, Dublin 7 Good For Tag 1 Cuisine Tag 1 Once Over Read our Review >> The Story Portugese bakery and café just off Capel Street specialising in pastéis de nata and coffee, selling tea leaves to take away from Europe's only tea plantation in The Azores. The fact that they're as good as much of what you'll find in Lisbon has lead to daily sell outs, and the plan is to add wine and small plates by Autumn. Where It's At Nearby Locales Yibu by Janet Little Canton Dak @ Bar Anam Mongoose Chongqing Hot Pot Boco Clontarf Bell Pesto Bang Gloria Osteria Cantina Valentina D'Lepak Pera Borgo Amai by Viktor Kaizen Chubbys Badam Table 45 Comet Daruma Malahide Lena The Pig's Ear Notions @ Two Pups The Rooftop @ Anantara The Marker Sofra

Note opened in October 2021 and in about three minutes became the go-to place for the city's wine lovers. An eclectic, ever-changing wine list, and delicious bistro style dishes meant they were an instant addition to the Dublin's hottest restaurants list. Sundays sees hospitality staff flood in to drink the serious stuff, but it's packed with cool kids every night. Note Website notedublin.com Address 26 Fenian Street, Dublin 2 Good For Tag 1 Cuisine Tag 1 Once Over Read our Review >> The Story Note opened in October 2021 and in about three minutes became the go-to place for the city's wine lovers. An eclectic, ever-changing wine list, and delicious bistro style dishes meant they were an instant addition to the Dublin's hottest restaurants list. Sundays sees hospitality staff flood in to drink the serious stuff, but it's packed with cool kids every night. Where It's At Nearby Locales Yibu by Janet Little Canton Dak @ Bar Anam Mongoose Chongqing Hot Pot Boco Clontarf Bell Pesto Bang Gloria Osteria Cantina Valentina D'Lepak Pera Borgo Amai by Viktor Kaizen Chubbys Badam Table 45 Comet Daruma Malahide Lena The Pig's Ear Notions @ Two Pups The Rooftop @ Anantara The Marker Sofra

Chubbys The former taco truck gets very serious in a drop dead gorgeous space Posted: 23 Jul 2025 Neighbourhood Neighborhood Name Address Restaurant Address Website Website Name Restaurant Info View the Listing >> Written by: Ronan Doyle What should we know about Chubbys? If you were looking to tell the tale of Dublin’s food scene over the last fifteen years, there are few better figures you could do it through than Barry Stephens. His crash-era opener 147 Deli steadily built up a rep on Parnell Street as one of the city’s very best sandwich shops, rotating specials (their best in class Christmas sandwich included) descended upon by ever more hungry hordes of workers as the city bit by bit got back on its feet. But as the pandemic knocked us all right back down again and rampant inflation followed, input costs’ rapid escalation saw Stephens’ pitch of quality and creativity in casual convenience food become a harder and harder sell. That didn’t hold him back from branching out, with taco truck Just Chubbys popping up in Clontarf in summer ’22 to bring the same ethos – and the very same crowds. We impatiently waited after the sad shuttering of the Deli and an extended Christmas break for the truck with a promise of bigger things to come, and come they now have in the fancy form of Chubbys , a radical reworking of the warehouse space the truck once sat in for a big new chapter. Where should we sit? Stephens’ wife Jen, with a long CV of design and branding jobs behind her, is the mastermind behind this gorgeous glow-up popping with pastel pinks – whether or not you’d been in the prior iteration, you’ll stroll in slack-jawed through the giant glass double doors at one of Dublin’s nicest new spaces. Plump down on any of the soft accent chairs and you’ll feel right at home. A duo of long communal tables in the middle of the floor (and a few two-tops between them that can be made into the same thing) are a group dining dream if you have the foresight to book far enough in advance – reservations have gone like lightning. We were landed at the banquette set opposite the kitchen pass, ideal to take in the atmosphere and any what’s-that-they’ve-ordered-there FOMO. As teased on socials for ages by the endearingly excited chef, the kitchen fitout is the stuff of cooking nerd dreams, with a custom smoker and wood-fired grill making the counter seats the ones you want – they’re often held for short stay walk-ins, so if you want to be sure of getting a seat you’ll have to make do with craning your neck to flashes of flame from afar. What’s on the menu? We lost count of the times over the years (more recent ones especially) where people we raved about 147’s sandwiches to sneered over the price. Too often that’s the rub with casual food’s cognitive dissonance, an expectation that we can have the best in quality without bulking up the bill - as though an added two or three euro to know where your food’s come from was that one bridge too far. All that’s to cushion the blow of the beef birria (€8.50) and confit carnitas (€8) tacos – Chubbys was already at the top end of the city’s scale for taco pricing, and these latest tweaks take things further. But that’s true for flavour as well as price point; in the low and slow overnight McLoughlin’s beef cheek, shin and brisket just as much as the copper cauldron-cooked Salters free range pork and bacon belly, there is the kind of quality, time and attention that doesn’t come cheaply. You can taste where your money's going. Creativity costs too, and what a wallop of it in the pork rolls (€12), crisp-skinned snacks landing in the dreamscape space between chimichanga and spring roll – this is a bite that’ll stay with you for weeks, even before you get to the beautifully-balanced smoked lime and jalapeño salsa on the side. Watch on with glee as others order them around you and let out lusty sighs of delight as the deep-fried skins pour out slow roast pork juices. Only the sharing nachos (€13.50) came up short on value. Despite their hand-cut and tajin-seasoned superiority over the usual fare, and a house cheese sauce we’d drink from the dish, the higher price and smaller portion versus the ones we loved on our trip to the truck not too long ago was a let down. A smaller snacks section option with salsa matcha and guac looked more palatable at a full €4 cheaper – it’s rare we get food envy for a smaller plate. Chipotle and lime butter-basted corn ribs (€8.50) made amends, with a cheaper price tag and chunkier portion than our last visit. Subtly sweet, smoky flavour permeates every dripping kernel here - there’s no shame in slurping, everyone else is at it. Sticky-sweet honey and soy chicken (€14.50) is a prime example of the new Chubbys' more varied flavour profile. The Asian influence that often streaked through 147 is on full display, with bangs of garlic, ginger and chilli to the fore in every crisp, spicy bite. Good prep goes a long way but as is ever the case with fried chicken, quality is everything – the tender taste of Rings Farm free-range birds shines. The smoker is the crowning glory of Stephens’ new setup. We arrived intent on ordering the Jamaican jerk lamb ribs, but the sights and scents of a neighbouring table’s beef short rib (€37) caused a quick pivot. McLoughlin’s again brings the goods with dry-aged prime cuts, rubbed and smoked for ten hours to give a blackened exterior barely encasing the tender meat beneath. It slides off the bone into a peanut-textured and makrut lime leaf-scented curry that we’d bathe in given half the chance. Slow-tweaking flavours is a hallmark of Stephens’ style, and with this interplay of smoky sweet meat and softly-spiced sauce he’s hit on a primal harmony that had us enter a bliss state (see also: garlic naan for mopping). Not that we were done yet – sticky toffee spring rolls (€9.50) aren’t something we would pass on. You’d want to be confident to offer only one dessert option - they are, and have every reason to be. There’s more than a hint of baklava in the syrup-soaked, nut-sprinkled notes here, but novelty too. Like everything else at Chubbys, this is casual comfort food shot with a playful streak of energetic invention. What are the drinks like? House cordials and reductions drove us straight to the cocktail list (all €12) – beers via Zingibeer and Whiplash and a tap-heavy wine list will offer enough variety and value to keep most punters happy. The best of the bunch was a picture perfect Cherry Float, ruby red from Regal Rogue vermouth and cherry soda, citrus-spiked from sumac sprinkled on the dense vanilla foam, with the fresh flavour of smoked lapsang. The Shaken Stephens played like a milder Moscow mule, Valencia Island vermouth and IPA reduction in place of vodka – light and lively. There wasn’t the same balance or freshness to be found in the Mango SuperSplit, with alleged salt and chilli flavours all subsumed in tawny port. How was the service? This team’s ample honesty gives eye-opening insights into the challenge the hospitality biz is up against, and they’ve begged clemency more than once for the kind of intro hurdles all new openings face as they get the measure of things and struggle to hire to meet demand. Against that kind of difficulty, we’ll always give a lot of leeway, but when we were told 30 minutes on from our opening time seating that the all-at-once glut meant the kitchen might need another ten minutes to take our order, we wondered why phased seating and/or a slower scaling-up wasn't being utilised. That sense set in all the more as tables around us politely corrected the orders wrongly set down before them. Staff were all very friendly and funny, but it’s clear they were flustered too – demand like this (it’s now nine weeks until the next available table) is hard to plan for, and with the baptism of fire they’re in for they’ll need to tweak things quickly to keep hangry heads happy. Setting expectations more clearly or starting people on snacks upfront would go a long way. Our advice? If you’ve going in soon, check the menu in advance and order ASAP. And the damage? This greedy glut (it’s professional diligence, swear) clocked up a €147 bill before tip – mental maths on most tables around us put the average order in and around €50-60 a head. You’d be well fed for that, and with far better stuff than many other options around town where you'll spend the same. What’s the verdict on Chubbys? Understandable opening jitters aside, Chubbys has all the makings of Dublin’s latest success story – and we’ve got every faith in a team that’s never been short of the ability to learn quick and rise to it. That two month-plus run of full houses ahead of them speaks to the high esteem and expectations they’re held in - once again, here’s proof they’ve earned it. Often more candid than can-do, the refreshingly honest 147 Deli story spoke to the passion needed to weather the mounting challenges of making genuinely good food work in the environment we’re in. To see that passion make the leap to a space like this would fill your heart as well as your stomach. Many great restaurants feel like stepping into someone’s home. Chubbys feels like you're getting a window into Stephens’ life, witnessing something earnestly sincere, and altogether special. New Openings & Discoveries More >>

Kaldero 2 Finally Dublin has the Filipino food destination it deserves Posted: 16 Sept 2025 Neighbourhood Neighborhood Name Address Restaurant Address Website Website Name Restaurant Info View the Listing >> Written by: Lisa Cope Why are you back at Kaldero when you reviewed it last December? After our lacklustre review of the newest Eclective (formerly Press Up) opening Kaldero last December, someone in charge saw sense and did exactly what we suggested. They pulled the trio of consultant chefs nonsense (none of whom were actually cooking in the restaurant), and made their first ever sensible food move, by offering up the running of the restaurant solely to Bahay 's Richie Castillo and Alex O'Neill. The Filipino food-cooking couple had been looking for their own place for the past few years after the success of their food truck (dreamt up mid-pandemic), and countless pop ups at places like Hen's Teeth in Dublin 8, and Warehouse Market in Harold's Cross. At one point they announced they were opening in Dublin 15 , but it fell through. Its felt like a long struggle to get to this point, where they finally have a permanent location to show off Castillo's family recipes and others from the couple's travels, and the industry has rowed in behind its latest good news story . Where should we sit? The room is unchanged from our first review, with those ludicrously tiny tables for two still in situ. There's not much they can do about it without ripping up the whole restaurant, but if you do have the misfortune to be sat there, make it clear that you want no more than two plates at a time - anything more and your stress levels will get uncomfortably high. The red leather booths running down the centre of the room are the best seats, sitting four - six on each, and while we were initially told we couldn't sit there as a two, they later relented and told us we just needed to be gone by a certain time. There's a large area at the back that's screaming "group dinner", with all kinds of seating combinations possible. How has the menu changed? We're in unadulterated Filipino territory now, a real deep-dive into the Southeast-Asian country's dishes and cooking methods. Expect to see ingredients you might need an explainer on, like banana ketchup, humba glaze, and bagoong - staff, predominantly Filipino when we visited, will enthusiastically explain what they all are. The first section of the menu, "Pulutan", are snacks served with drinks in the Philippines, so get your order in for those and something to sip as soon as you sit - it'll make those tough menu decisions slightly easier. The 'Inihaw na Manok' (€4 each) are synonymous with Bahay at this stage, chicken thigh skewers barbecued on a custom Smokin' Soul grill, in a rich, tangy banana ketchup. A perfect cocktail accompaniment, although the lack of provenance/free range indication with chicken always gives us the ick. Okoy are deep-fried fritters usually made with shrimp, but these ones made from shredded leeks (€6) are of the "once you pop you can't stop" variety. Dipping crunchy handfuls into an aggressively vinegary sawsawan dipping sauce, we were brought back to the mouth-burning days of Mini Chips , when you just can't stop reaching for more. If ceviche/aguachile is on your death row dinner menu, don't miss the Kinilaw, meaning 'eaten raw' (€16). Chunks of Goatsbridge trout which have been cured in vinegar, come in a rich, vivid coconut and jalapeño sauce, with slivers of pickled red onion, citrusy Calamansi vinegar and shards of lumpia crackers (similar to spring roll skins), with more on the side for piling it on top of. We can't imagine any of these plates going back to the kitchen without being completely wiped clean. 'Sinigang' is a savoury Filipino soup or stew with sour tamarind as a core ingredient, so we were unsure what the connection was to the 'Sinigang' here (other than tamarind). Meaty, juicy, tempura oyster mushrooms (€12.50) come doused in tangy tamarind salt, with whipped tofu underneath for dipping. It's a nice dish, but a few bites was enough before we lost interest, and that price felt high for the portion size. 'Sisig' is a popular bar food in the Philippines - crispy pork parts fried with onions, garlic, chillies, soy, calamansi and more. This one (€17.50) has crispy pig's ear and pork jowl mixed through with spices and onions, while the egg yolk on top waits to be pierced and smeared through the lot. Delicious? Yes. Good for your arteries? Definitely not. Share to minimise the impact. We had the creamy, peanut sauce based kare kare (€25.50) with tofu on our last visit , and thought it was lacking in flavour. It's back here with oxtail instead, and the missing ingredient on the side - bagoong. The spicy, pungent, fermented fish condiment gives the mild nutty sauce the flavour kick it needs, and it's also great smeared on top of Castillo's essential garlic fried rice (€4.50). We love seeing under used cuts of meat like this too, which offer much better value for money. Adobo is probably the most well-known Filipino dish, but you're more likely to have come across it as chicken or pork, braised in vinegar, soy, peppercorns, garlic and bay leaves. Kaldero's squid adobo (with squid ink - €18) is a more elegant creation, with rich seafood flavour from the softest squid swimming in peppercorns, and more of that tang that's a thread amongst all of the food here. It's a must order for seafood fans. Our server talked us into ordering the stir-fried greens with garlic and soy (€6.50). It's a dish Castillo's father has always cooked him, and now he's brought the recipe here - if you needed a heartstring tug, this is it. It's just stir-fried cabbage, but there's a simple magic woven here - it's the kind of recipe we all need in our lives. For dessert don't even think about skipping past the leche flan (€8) with Mungo Murphy's seaweed salt, a burnished, silky, perfectly formed triangle of set caramel custard, only improved by the salty sprinkling on top. It's Castillo's granny's recipe, and granny could take on Uno Mas in the flan wars . Another of ube (purple yam) soft serve (€7) with Irish strawberries and elderflower vinegar was light and refreshing but too light on the vinegar - we could barely taste it and it all needed an acidic lift. What about drinks? The cocktail menu has taken a leap forward since our last visit too, with a light firmly shone on Filipino ingredients (there's been even more new additions since). We loved a spicy pineapple margarita with calamansi, a 'Mangga't Alat' with mango, rum and fish sauce, and a calamansi paloma with a burnt grapefruit wedge. A 'white Filipino' with vodka, Kahlua, coconut cream, condensed milk and pandan leaf should only be undertaken in place of dessert. How was the service? Almost everyone who served us was Filipino, and could give personal viewpoints on the dishes they were bringing and how they're served in the Philippines and in their own family homes. This would be a difficult thing to bank on, but it really added to the experience. They couldn't have been more pleasant and helpful, but did keep interrupting conversations to ask if everything was okay, which will undoubtedly irritate some people. Well-trained servers watch for moments of discomfort or diners in need before sweeping in. How much did you spend? €100 a head for far too much food (we brought some home) and two cocktails a piece, but if you're also on the cocktails you probably won't spend much less. Be aware also that as of publishing, the prices we paid were substantially higher than those on the menu on their website, with several dishes jumping by €2-3, and the sisig jumping from €12.50 to a whopping €17. What's the verdict on Kaldero #2 ? Finally the restaurant group known for middling food have made a smart kitchen move, and the talented Bahay team have somewhere to build on their fanatical following. Kaldero has gone from muddled melting pot to Filipino food headquarters, the only place in the city that you can eat food from this part of the world, at this standard of cooking, and that's exciting. New Openings & Discoveries More >>

A natural wine shop/bar, model on the type that seem to be on every corner of Paris. You'll find a regularly changing by the glass list on the board above the till, or you can drink anything from the shelf and pay a corkage fee. Iconic cheese toasties and small plates are also available, and you can carry on the party by buying more wine and cheese to take home. Loose Canon Website loosecanon.ie Address 29 Drury Street, Dublin 2 Good For Tag 1 Cuisine Tag 1 Once Over Read our Review >> The Story A natural wine shop/bar, model on the type that seem to be on every corner of Paris. You'll find a regularly changing by the glass list on the board above the till, or you can drink anything from the shelf and pay a corkage fee. Iconic cheese toasties and small plates are also available, and you can carry on the party by buying more wine and cheese to take home. Where It's At Nearby Locales Yibu by Janet Little Canton Dak @ Bar Anam Mongoose Chongqing Hot Pot Boco Clontarf Bell Pesto Bang Gloria Osteria Cantina Valentina D'Lepak Pera Borgo Amai by Viktor Kaizen Chubbys Badam Table 45 Comet Daruma Malahide Lena The Pig's Ear Notions @ Two Pups The Rooftop @ Anantara The Marker Sofra

Did we even smash before Dash? Get into a heated debate about Dublin's best burger with anyone in the city and Dash will top the list again and again. Double and triple smash burgers, chicken tendies, fries and sauces make up a simple menu that needs nothing else. Dash Burger Capel Street Website dashburger.ie Address 159 Capel Street, Dublin 1 Good For Tag 1 Cuisine Tag 1 Once Over Read our Review >> The Story Did we even smash before Dash? Get into a heated debate about Dublin's best burger with anyone in the city and Dash will top the list again and again. Double and triple smash burgers, chicken tendies, fries and sauces make up a simple menu that needs nothing else. Where It's At Nearby Locales Yibu by Janet Little Canton Dak @ Bar Anam Mongoose Chongqing Hot Pot Boco Clontarf Bell Pesto Bang Gloria Osteria Cantina Valentina D'Lepak Pera Borgo Amai by Viktor Kaizen Chubbys Badam Table 45 Comet Daruma Malahide Lena The Pig's Ear Notions @ Two Pups The Rooftop @ Anantara The Marker Sofra

Kodiak in Rathmines is one of the best things to happen to beer in Dublin in decades. The global selection will impress even the most hardcore craft beer lovers, and the small but punchy pizza menu is the perfect pairing. From the same owners as Bonobo in Smithfield, the famous potato and pancetta pizza is here too, as well as sausage with rayu, and mortadella with pistachio. The high ceilings and long tables are made for group get-togethers, staff are lovely and efficient, and the cocktails are't too shabby either. Kodiak Website kodiakdublin.com Address Kodiak, Rathmines Road Lower, Rathmines, Dublin 6 Good For Tag 1 Cuisine Tag 1 Once Over Read our Review >> The Story Kodiak in Rathmines is one of the best things to happen to beer in Dublin in decades. The global selection will impress even the most hardcore craft beer lovers, and the small but punchy pizza menu is the perfect pairing. From the same owners as Bonobo in Smithfield, the famous potato and pancetta pizza is here too, as well as sausage with rayu, and mortadella with pistachio. The high ceilings and long tables are made for group get-togethers, staff are lovely and efficient, and the cocktails are't too shabby either. Where It's At Nearby Locales Yibu by Janet Little Canton Dak @ Bar Anam Mongoose Chongqing Hot Pot Boco Clontarf Bell Pesto Bang Gloria Osteria Cantina Valentina D'Lepak Pera Borgo Amai by Viktor Kaizen Chubbys Badam Table 45 Comet Daruma Malahide Lena The Pig's Ear Notions @ Two Pups The Rooftop @ Anantara The Marker Sofra

The Legal Eagle An old favourite takes flight again with sizeable Sunday roasts and a great wine list Posted: 14 Nov 2023 Neighbourhood Neighborhood Name Address Restaurant Address Website Website Name Restaurant Info View the Listing >> Written by: Ronan Doyle What’s the story with The Legal Eagle? Despite a couple of stuttered mid-covid re-openings and a handful of popups, we’d started to worry The Legal Eagle might be destined to go down as one of the more high-profile pandemic casualties as its doors remained closed well into this year. But fear not, the once and future hot spot gastropub recently took flight again with a revamped menu and a return to its famed Sunday roast offering. Our Insiders are forever asking us where to get a really great feed of a Sunday lunch – could we have a new easy answer? Where should we sit? Nigh-on four years since the Eagle last opened its doors for any real length of time, stepping into its mahogany and exposed brick interior brings as much of a sense of nostalgia as the unmistakable smell of roast meat and veg in the air. If you’re looking for old reliable comforts, the heady whiff seems to say, you’ve come to the right place. The leather sofa seating lining the walls is where you want to find yourself here – there’s just not the same satisfaction of leaning back stuffed in a hard-backed wooden dining chair or, heaven forbid, a high stool. What’s on the menu? The revamped menu keeps the classic Irish gastropub vibe – all the lamb stew, coddle, and chowder you could want on the lunch menu – with a higher-end twist through its focus on meat and veg provenance and a tilt toward the western Mediterranean, especially across the smaller plates. Most of the dinner menu is available at Sunday lunchtime for those of us whose eyes are bigger than our bellies, with the large plates’ sides swapped out for all your typical trimmings. You’ll be steered to snacks and small plates, if you’re so inclined, as your server advises it’s a twenty minute or so wait for the roasts – don’t mind if we do. Homemade crisps are a reliable favourite from plenty of prior visits and are like an embrace from an old friend, with the salty-sharp slap of bacon and cheese dust. Marinated Gordal olives are glistening with oil and gloriously meaty, generous in number and giant in size – there’s plenty here to keep a full table happy. Conscious of the heaped plates of roast we’d passed en route to our table, we heroically held ourselves back from over-ordering and stuck to two of the more modest small plates. Pan con tomate pairs chewy, airy slices of house focaccia with salty, garlicky puréed tomato. The bread’s a delight, golden crust and soft, stretched crumb the perfect host for the tangy tomato, especially as alternating with olives and crisps we found the salt in it a little overbearing. The trio were each great in isolation, but all together left us a bit parched. Seared tuna tostada might not quite fit the Sunday roast brief, but trust us here: this is a detour worth taking, and a fine showcase of the Eagle’s new lease of life. The crisp tortilla and firm-fleshed tuna make for a wildly satisfying small bite, with the sweetness of avocado puree and punch of pickled carrot and togarashi pepper making every morsel a moreish treat. Hold back a little focaccia to mop up every last blob of sriracha mayo, if you can. And so to the main event, even with that hard act to follow. There are three choices for the classic roast plate, with whole-roasted fish and courgette options there to cater to pescetarian and veggie tastes – neither gets the full trimmings. The Black Angus striploin is two thin slices of rare beef just glistening with juices - it’s tender, fatty, flavourful stuff. Wafer-thin slicing gives the meat a texture we wouldn’t see lost to thicker cuts, but a third slice here wouldn’t go amiss. Wood-fired half chicken feels more substantial by contrast with its meat oozing juice, and the black, blistered skin’s crackle – classic comfort food. Root veg are the star of the show where sides are concerned, with slivers of honey-roast carrot and parsnip bringing sweet and earthy tones to the plate, and a carrot purée dissolving into the gravy for an endlessly rich sauce you’ll slather on every forkful. Stuffing and Yorkshire puds are spot-on in their simple satisfactions, but the roasties make for a disappointing damp squib with a softened crisp shell and over-dry interior that bear all the tell-tale signs of having been kept warm. There is no substitute for oven-fresh, and no sorrow like good spuds spoiled. What are the drinks like? A solid if smallish craft beer selection on draught should keep most happy, even if Guinness as the priciest pull here had us scratching our heads. We stuck with the similarly small and serviceable list of wines by the glass – the light acidity of the Azevedo Alvarino was a welcome balm from the mouth-puckering saltiness of those first few plates, while the Coquard Beaujolais 69’s red fruits and low tannins came to life with the beef. The top tip here is to bring some friends and dive into the bottles, an unusually exciting list for a pub, and one running lower margins than some of the competition around town on standouts like Preisinger's 'Puszta Libre' and Ponce's 'Reto'. How was the service? Happy and helpful – that little nudge on small plates feels more like a friendly FYI than an opportunity to upsell, and we really appreciated a little extra jug of gravy brought over to the table after the plates arrived, “so you don’t have to ask in a minute”. You’ll be well looked after here, but note they expect to be busy on Sundays so table times are kept strictly at a two-hour turnaround – no latecomers or lingering. And the damage? €115 for two each of snacks, small plates, roasts and a glass of wine with 10% tip automatically added. There is more than enough here in the main event to sate you, especially for lunch, so in and around €30 a head is more like what you can expect if not drinking. As Sunday roast prices around the city go, it's on the higher side - their beef roast is €27 in comparison to FX Buckley at €22.50, Hawksmoor at €23, and The Old Spot at €28. What’s the verdict on The Legal Eagle? Every bit a return to form, The Legal Eagle has landed again with a welcome mix of old favourites and new flutters that should satisfy fans of yore and newcomers alike. If there’s an occasional slight touch of the production line to things here, it’s one easily forgiven in the high calibre food and great value wine on offer. Taken together with the warm, welcoming vibe of the staff and space here, there’s all the makings of a classically comforting Sunday lunch. Except the roasties. New Openings & Discoveries More >>

A beacon of solid pizza and pints for the good folks of Inchicore and surrounds. Tucked inside a quiet little industrial estate, Rascals really took off during the pandemic with its lively, covered outdoor seating area the perfect place to catch up with a group over an evening. On colder nights, the vibrant indoor space is always buzzing with a great view of the vats brewing away in the background giving a boozy equivalent of the farm-to-fork experience. Monthly food and drink specials mean there's always something new for regular visitors, but we always come back to the black pudding-dotted 'Dublin Ate'. Crisp crusts and dip servings that don't skimp seal the deal. Rascal's Brewing Co. Website rascalsbrewing.com Address Goldenbridge Estate, Tyrconnell Road, Inchicore, Dublin 8 Good For Tag 1 Cuisine Tag 1 Once Over Read our Review >> The Story A beacon of solid pizza and pints for the good folks of Inchicore and surrounds. Tucked inside a quiet little industrial estate, Rascals really took off during the pandemic with its lively, covered outdoor seating area the perfect place to catch up with a group over an evening. On colder nights, the vibrant indoor space is always buzzing with a great view of the vats brewing away in the background giving a boozy equivalent of the farm-to-fork experience. Monthly food and drink specials mean there's always something new for regular visitors, but we always come back to the black pudding-dotted 'Dublin Ate'. Crisp crusts and dip servings that don't skimp seal the deal. Where It's At Nearby Locales Yibu by Janet Little Canton Dak @ Bar Anam Mongoose Chongqing Hot Pot Boco Clontarf Bell Pesto Bang Gloria Osteria Cantina Valentina D'Lepak Pera Borgo Amai by Viktor Kaizen Chubbys Badam Table 45 Comet Daruma Malahide Lena The Pig's Ear Notions @ Two Pups The Rooftop @ Anantara The Marker Sofra

One of the city’s best vegetarian and vegan restaurants for over 30 years, Cornucopia is about casual, wholesome dining, just off Grafton street. We love the window seats on the ground floor but there's a large upstairs too. Cornucopia Website cornucopia.ie Address 19-20 Wicklow Street, Dublin 2 Good For Tag 1 Cuisine Tag 1 Once Over Read our Review >> The Story One of the city’s best vegetarian and vegan restaurants for over 30 years, Cornucopia is about casual, wholesome dining, just off Grafton street. We love the window seats on the ground floor but there's a large upstairs too. Where It's At Nearby Locales Yibu by Janet Little Canton Dak @ Bar Anam Mongoose Chongqing Hot Pot Boco Clontarf Bell Pesto Bang Gloria Osteria Cantina Valentina D'Lepak Pera Borgo Amai by Viktor Kaizen Chubbys Badam Table 45 Comet Daruma Malahide Lena The Pig's Ear Notions @ Two Pups The Rooftop @ Anantara The Marker Sofra

Un'Altra Pasta Bar A new fresh pasta bar for Blackrock, but we left deflated Posted: 4 Feb 2025 Neighbourhood Neighborhood Name Address Restaurant Address Website Website Name Restaurant Info View the Listing >> Written by: Lisa Cope What should we know about Un'Altra Pasta Bar? We're always banging on about restaurants not using their windows to full effect, so when we discovered a new opening in Blackrock (via the medium of OpenTable ), making fresh pasta right in the window (via the medium of Instagram ), we were in there like designer Italian swimwear. We could find scant background on Un'Altra (which means 'another') through the usual online stalking channels, but their takeaway pasta bar opened in Sallynoggin in 2021 to good reviews. This is their first sit down restaurant, and once we were sitting down, managed to prize out of our server that the owners are Romanian, with the chef of the two obsessed by pasta. He's worked in various restaurants here and in Italy, and owns a few cafés in Dublin, but this is the dream becoming real. The website (which looks more like a takeaway's, as does the signage outside) hypes up their Neapolitan pizza recipes, developed by " esteemed partner Antonio Carlos Garcia, a two-time Neapolitan pizza world champion ", delivering " mastery in every slice ". We met the champ himself, a Spaniard now living in the UK , and he told us he was just over to help out for the few couple of weeks, and was heading home to his own pizza business in Lincolnshire a few days later. Where are we sitting? As good as an idea it was to use that window for pasta making instead of tables, they didn't really think about the customers in the restaurant getting a view of the action. The best vantage points are at the counter overlooking the pizza oven and across to the pasta making, but it won't work for more than two, or three at a push, to sit side by side. Larger tables are lower, set further back, and blocked by the counter, so sit there and you're missing the chance to see any pasta or pizza making. You can get up and walk over for a look, but the restaurant could have been laid out so much more cleverly to maximise the live action experience. What's the menu like? Extensive, with some pretty out there flavour combinations. We did raise our authentically-inclined eyebrows at the inclusion of pasta with chicken, garlic bread, and Nutella-fried gnocchi on the menu of a restaurant pitching themselves as authentically Italian, but we wanted to give the benefit of the doubt to anyone putting that much effort into the pasta. Some of the flavours however feel very misguided, like the special pasta with steak, red peppers, carrots and garlic, lightly tossed in soy sauce (!?) and finished with Parmesan and mozzarella for a " fusion of flavours ". Or the carbonara finished with truffle oil, which will have one of our national food critics fulminating if she crosses the threshold. There aren't many starters, and we skipped doughballs, bruschetta (no tomatoes in January please), and an €11 rosemary and sea salt focaccia (no explanation for the price), for the Crocchette di Riso (€12), crispy rice croquettes stuffed with nduja and Provolone cheese. They arrived more anaemic than they should have been, with a dry, claggy filling, and barely a hint of what they were supposed to be stuffed with. They were inexplicably covered in what tasted like a marie-rose sauce - we still don't understand why anyone would do this to a croquette. A simple aioli or marinara would have been so much better. Nonna's Polpette (Grandma's meatballs, €12) were fine, like something you'd make at home in a hurry. They didn't taste of long and slow cooking, and we weren't going to be banging on the kitchen door begging for the recipe (like we were tempted to at Hera a couple of weeks ago). The blackened leaf of basil on top was unnecessary. There are 24 pastas to choose from, including all the staples like amatriciana, fettucine al Ragù , and lasagne, but we only had eyes for the flambéed tagliatelle with fresh black truffle and a crispy Grana Padano crust, finished tableside on a wheel of Parmigiano Reggiano (€24.50). " A luxurious dining experience " apparently - consider us sold. We waited for the Parmesan wheel to be pushed over to our table and the show to begin, but then realised the action had already started over at the window, and we'd missed the flambéeing - we're still no wiser as to why you would flambée pasta, or what it was set on fire with. We asked what had happened to the tableside show, and they said there wasn't enough space to push the wheel over. They might want to rewrite the menu.... The pasta, cooked in the kitchen and tossed in sauce, is swirled around the wheel, then twirled up onto tongs and (for reasons unknown) placed into a heart-shaped casserole dish. It was then brought back into the kitchen, where we presume the truffle was grated on, and delivered to the table under a heart-shaped lid. By the time the palaver was over it was barely lukewarm, one note creamy, and had no sign of any " crispy Grano Padano crust ". A textbook example of over-promising and under-delivering, when the best restaurants do the opposite. From the stuffed pastas, capellacci with ricotta and spinach (€19.50) were a strange, over-sized shape, not the little hats we were expecting, and had little discernible flavour. We thought the Ragù Toscano might lift things, but it was over-salted and under-whelming. Good ragu takes time (see Marcella Hazan's recipe for the only one you'll ever want to make), and this didn't taste like an appropriate amount of time had been allotted. Maybe we'd do better with those award-adjacent pizzas. We went for the Un'Altra special with fior di latte, olive oil, stracciatella, mortadella, rocket and aubergine chips (€19.50). These are cold toppings on a warm pizza base, with the oily aubergine the dominant flavour, and while the dough was good, there was barely any sign of leoparding on the crust. They'll need to do better to poach customers from Little Forest , which is just a few doors down. You cut it with a scissors, for another TikTok touch . We wanted to give it a final spin with Tiramisu but it hadn't set, so we settled for an affogato. The coffee was good, but the ice-cream had none of the overt creaminess that makes this dessert so loved. It also had hard iced bits in it, like it had slightly defrosted and been refrozen. What about drinks? There is no information on the wine list about producers and vintages - just grapes and regions, which will cause frustration to anyone who likes to know what they're drinking. What is welcome though is the alcohol levels (on most). Watch out for those reds by the glass, two of which are 14% and 15% - too much of that is a recipe for a hard headache the next day. We tried the Corvina by the glass (€9, 12.5%) and it was passable, but seemed to get less so the longer it sat there, and a decent Aperol Spritz. We wouldn't have taken a chance on a bottle without knowing what we were buying, and you can ask them to bring you the bottles if you want to know more, but it's an unnecessary tension point during what should be a relaxing meal out. How was the service? Very friendly and pleasant, but there were a lot of questions about whether we liked the food, and how much we liked it, and isn't it all just amazing? When that hasn't been your experience you can either lie and get out of there, or watch their hearts break as you point out everything that wasn't amazing. We reluctantly got pulled into the latter, and they took any criticisms well, saying they were new and working to be better. What was the damage? €108 before tip for two starters, three mains, and two drinks (we took some food home and they left the dessert off the bill). Not a bad price for dinner, but we were in for lunch - they desperately need a lunch deal or daytimes will remain empty. We were one of only two tables over a full sitting. What's the verdict on Un'Altra Pasta Bar? Is this a bad restaurant? No. Is it Blackrock's answer to Grano / Bar Italia / Amuri ? Also no. Un'Altra seem to be angling to deliver "what people want" instead of "what people need but don't realise it yet", evidenced by the Irish crowd-pleasing additions that any Italian would go to war rather than cook (see the note on Bar Italia's menu stating " please DO NOT ask for chicken in your pasta! ") We have a lot of admiration for anyone putting in this kind of effort and making all of their pasta from scratch, we just wish that same effort had travelled through the ingredients, flavours and time spent perfecting dishes in the kitchen that any Italian Nonna would be proud of. While you don't need to be Italian to run a truly excellent Italian restaurant (see Trullo and Padella in London, and the late Russell Norman's empire ), you do need to have the soul of the boot shaped country running through your veins, and we couldn't feel it here. New Openings & Discoveries More >>

The newest addition to the Mamó Howth empire is this lovely wine bar hidden behind St Stephen's Green, with possibly the best value evening tasting menu in town. The Cantabrian anchovy toast with preserved lemon aioli became an instant hit, and the olive oil aged in sherry barrels is one of the best things you'll taste there, or anywhere. The wine list is in the upper echelons of delight, and staff are as charming as in every other site from talented partners Jess D'Arcy and Killian Durkin. Lunch is a simpler affair of sandwiches and salads. Margadh RHA Website margadh-rha.ie Address RHA Gallery, 15 Ely Place, Dublin 2 Good For Tag 1 Cuisine Tag 1 Once Over Read our Review >> The Story The newest addition to the Mamó Howth empire is this lovely wine bar hidden behind St Stephen's Green, with possibly the best value evening tasting menu in town. The Cantabrian anchovy toast with preserved lemon aioli became an instant hit, and the olive oil aged in sherry barrels is one of the best things you'll taste there, or anywhere. The wine list is in the upper echelons of delight, and staff are as charming as in every other site from talented partners Jess D'Arcy and Killian Durkin. Lunch is a simpler affair of sandwiches and salads. Where It's At Nearby Locales Yibu by Janet Little Canton Dak @ Bar Anam Mongoose Chongqing Hot Pot Boco Clontarf Bell Pesto Bang Gloria Osteria Cantina Valentina D'Lepak Pera Borgo Amai by Viktor Kaizen Chubbys Badam Table 45 Comet Daruma Malahide Lena The Pig's Ear Notions @ Two Pups The Rooftop @ Anantara The Marker Sofra

Speciality coffee by the sea in Clontarf, with morning pastries and lunchtime sandwiches from Greenville Deli. Also runs as a wine bar from Thursday - Saturday, with an interesting natural wine list, and simple cheese and charcuterie plates. Surge Coffee Website surgecoffee.ie Address SURGE Coffee Clontarf, Clontarf Road, Clontarf West, Dublin 3, Ireland Good For Tag 1 Cuisine Tag 1 Once Over Read our Review >> The Story Speciality coffee by the sea in Clontarf, with morning pastries and lunchtime sandwiches from Greenville Deli. Also runs as a wine bar from Thursday - Saturday, with an interesting natural wine list, and simple cheese and charcuterie plates. Where It's At Nearby Locales Yibu by Janet Little Canton Dak @ Bar Anam Mongoose Chongqing Hot Pot Boco Clontarf Bell Pesto Bang Gloria Osteria Cantina Valentina D'Lepak Pera Borgo Amai by Viktor Kaizen Chubbys Badam Table 45 Comet Daruma Malahide Lena The Pig's Ear Notions @ Two Pups The Rooftop @ Anantara The Marker Sofra

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

New Places to Eat in Dublin New Openings & Dishes New Openings More new restaurants. More >> New Dishes & Recommendations More food you need to eat. More >> Join ATF Insiders Make the Most of Every Meal. Join Us

Set in an iconic building overlooking the Liffey and the Ha'Penny Bridge, the same team behind The Winding Stair serve a varied menu featuring some of the best Irish produce from breakfast till late, seven days a week. The outdoor terrace is the place to be for people-watching when the sun shines. The Woollen Mills Website thewoollenmills.com Address 42 Ormond Quay Lower, Dublin 1 Good For Tag 1 Cuisine Tag 1 Once Over Read our Review >> The Story Set in an iconic building overlooking the Liffey and the Ha'Penny Bridge, the same team behind The Winding Stair serve a varied menu featuring some of the best Irish produce from breakfast till late, seven days a week. The outdoor terrace is the place to be for people-watching when the sun shines. Where It's At Nearby Locales Yibu by Janet Little Canton Dak @ Bar Anam Mongoose Chongqing Hot Pot Boco Clontarf Bell Pesto Bang Gloria Osteria Cantina Valentina D'Lepak Pera Borgo Amai by Viktor Kaizen Chubbys Badam Table 45 Comet Daruma Malahide Lena The Pig's Ear Notions @ Two Pups The Rooftop @ Anantara The Marker Sofra

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

Chef Niall Davidson's nomadic restaurant finally settled down in Grand Canal Dock in 2024, with an à la carte menu of the country's finest meat, fish, vegetables and more, cooked in surprising, inventive ways. Industrial space with seating at low tables, the kitchen table or the bar. Allta Website allta.ie Address allta, Three Locks Square, Grand Canal Dock, Dublin, Ireland Good For Tag 1 Cuisine Tag 1 Once Over Read our Review >> The Story Chef Niall Davidson's nomadic restaurant finally settled down in Grand Canal Dock in 2024, with an à la carte menu of the country's finest meat, fish, vegetables and more, cooked in surprising, inventive ways. Industrial space with seating at low tables, the kitchen table or the bar. Where It's At Nearby Locales Yibu by Janet Little Canton Dak @ Bar Anam Mongoose Chongqing Hot Pot Boco Clontarf Bell Pesto Bang Gloria Osteria Cantina Valentina D'Lepak Pera Borgo Amai by Viktor Kaizen Chubbys Badam Table 45 Comet Daruma Malahide Lena The Pig's Ear Notions @ Two Pups The Rooftop @ Anantara The Marker Sofra

All The Food's travel itineraries - how to eat well in Malaga, Rome, Turin and more Explore ATF Travel Itineraries BOOK THE FLIGHTS. WE'LL PLAN THE FOOD. Our how to eat brilliantly guides are designed to answer one question: if you only had a few days in a new city, where should you eat and drink? All you need to do is book your flights and accommodation - we'll take care of the rest. Every time we travel, we get the same question: "How do you find these places ?" It's not luck. It's weeks of research, trawling newspaper reviews, food guides, Google reviews, chef recommendations, Reddit threads, Instagram rabbit holes and countless menus, then narrowing hundreds of possibilities down to a handful that are worth getting on the plane for. In each guide you'll find a carefully planned four-day itinerary, the restaurants we'd go to, what to order, where to drink coffee, wine and cocktails, where to buy the best local produce, and the practical tips that make a trip run smoothly. Life's too short for mediocre holidays, and your time is too precious to spend hours agonising over this tapas bar or that one, the cacio e pepe here or there. How much would you pay to not have to do 20+ hours of research for one city break? If you're the kind of traveller who plans their trips around what they're going to eat and drink, these guides aren't just inspiration - they're the reason to book the trip in the first place. We're starting with Rome, Malaga and Turin. More coming soon... Four-day itineraries, restaurant recommendations, booking strategy, must-order dishes, coffee, wine, food shopping and a private Google Map. We've done the research so you don't have to. Travel blogs • Hundreds of recommendations • Generic "Top 20" lists • Hours deciding where to go • Guess what to order How to Eat Brilliantly ✓ One carefully planned itinerary ✓ Every recommendation tested ✓ Exactly what to order ✓ Private Google Map ✓ Every meal already planned 4-day Itinerary How to eat brilliantly in Rome - 2026 edition €29.99 Price View Details 4-day Itinerary How to eat brilliantly in Málaga - 2026 edition €29.99 Price View Details 4-day Itinerary How to eat brilliantly in Turin - 2026 edition €29.99 Price View Details 3 for 2 The Eat Brilliantly Collection €59.99 Price View Details Travel features More travel features More >>

Go to McNally Family Farm in North County Dublin for the organic vegetables, stay for the darling café next door, where focaccias, baps, salads and cakes are made with whatever’s seasonal that week. It opens from Wednesday - Saturday, 09:00 until sell out, and the piled high cake stands are too hard to resist, so don’t even bother trying. You’ll spend too much money in the farm shop next door on everything from veg and herbs to jams and chutneys, and you won’t regret a cent. McNally Family Farm Café Website mcnallyfamilyfarm.ie Address Balrickard, Co. Dublin Good For Tag 1 Cuisine Tag 1 Once Over Read our Review >> The Story Go to McNally Family Farm in North County Dublin for the organic vegetables, stay for the darling café next door, where focaccias, baps, salads and cakes are made with whatever’s seasonal that week. It opens from Wednesday - Saturday, 09:00 until sell out, and the piled high cake stands are too hard to resist, so don’t even bother trying. You’ll spend too much money in the farm shop next door on everything from veg and herbs to jams and chutneys, and you won’t regret a cent. Where It's At Nearby Locales Yibu by Janet Little Canton Dak @ Bar Anam Mongoose Chongqing Hot Pot Boco Clontarf Bell Pesto Bang Gloria Osteria Cantina Valentina D'Lepak Pera Borgo Amai by Viktor Kaizen Chubbys Badam Table 45 Comet Daruma Malahide Lena The Pig's Ear Notions @ Two Pups The Rooftop @ Anantara The Marker Sofra

Note Bistro Get In Quick Before It Joins The Impossible To Book Club Posted: 28 May 2022 Neighbourhood Neighborhood Name Address Restaurant Address Website Website Name Restaurant Info View the Listing >> Written by: Lisa Cope What's the story? Note's evening wine bar and daytime bureau (café to the lowly amongst us) opened at the end of October to all the adulation , with promises that the 'bistro' part of the trilogy was coming a few weeks later. Weeks and months passed and still no sign of a fully fledged menu, but their bar snacks got slowly more interesting - to the point where two national critics went in to review on the basis of those alone - bet they're raging now. Still, we waited, until a couple of weeks ago when a post appeared on their Instagram page announcing bistro bookings were now being taken, with lift off 10 days later. Note is owned by three friends - Andy Collins who owns the aesthetic Eden that is Indigo & Cloth in Temple Bar, and brothers Acky (the Creative Director of a design company) and Essa Fakhry (the chef). We first came across Essa after a stand-out meal at NY-style Mexican 777 a few years ago, finding out afterwards that he was heading up the kitchen, and when we saw him travelling off to other parts of the globe to stage in some uber-cool restaurants we knew he wasn't messing around. From the first night the bistro menu launched we were getting exclamation-laden messages from readers containing sentences like "the croquettes changed my life!", and "just had the best tuna I've ever tasted!", and we knew from a quick social stalk that they weren't Essa's sister/aunt/housemate, so we were feeling optimistic sitting down to dinner. Where should I sit? It's basically a choice between the bar or the main floor. We love the banquettes by the window so that would be first pick, but sometimes you just want to have the elevation of a bar counter, and if you're dining alone there's no better place to sit and have the chats with staff. What's the food like? This kind of menu is our all-time favourite, with snacks, small plates and larger ones, and no minimum order or demand on your time and wallet to have three courses. A few weeks ago there was also a chef's menu for €70pp where they brought you food with no decision-making involved, but that seems to be on hiatus for now. Most likely because at the time we visited it was just Essa and a commis chef in the kitchen - which became all the more impressive as the dishes started to roll out. For the first time in quite a long time we wanted every single dish on the menu, all killer, absolutely zero filler, and whittling it down to a generous amount for two was as close as we've (thankfully) come to slow, painful torture. Begrudgingly and after at least 20 minutes of torment, we settled on a snack, three small plates, a medium and a large. Coming here with a group would be a great way to get through most of the menu and leave having ticked every bistro box - but be aware, it's changing all the time so could be completely different when you visit. We skipped the sourdough with Glenilen butter because once we saw 'anchovy toast' there was no other option. At first it just tasted like really good toasted sourdough dripping with butter, but then you come across a little nugget of anchovy and an accompanying salty explosion. A great start. We go all starry-eyed emoji seeing ceviche on menus (it happens so rarely in this country of ours so full of fish), so we were right onto Note's Stonebass ceviche with lime, oregano and jalapeño, with unmentioned orange segments and slices of radish. It wasn't just a highlight of dinner, it was a highlight of the entire year so far. Staff told us Essa prepares it like an aguachile (soupier and less marinating time) and you will be fighting over the last few drops of that turbo-charged juice with the slightest hint of heat at the end. Ceviche, aguachile, whatever it was, it's difficult to imagine it could tasbetter than this, and if it doesn't stay on the menu permanently we'll be first in line with our placards. Next another ingredient so rarely seen on menus here, white asparagus, with Shepherd's Store cheese and toasted hazelnuts. The asparagus was barely cooked so still had crunch, and was generously covered in the nutty cheese sauce, with another flurry on top, and toasted hazelnuts hiding within. White asparagus has a brutally short season, and if we only get to eat it once a year we want to eat it like this. Next, another dish we've never seen on a menu here (are you sensing a theme?) - Vitello Tonnato, a Piedmontese dish of cold, sliced veal with a kind of tuna-flavoured mayonnaise on top. Super juicy, delicately flavoured meat, a dollop of subtly tuna tasting mayonnaise, and some caper berries to jolt your palate back to reality, resulted in another dish with forks clashing at the end, and not even a smear of sauce left. We'd ordered the lobster au homard (which technically means lobster au lobster) not knowing what to expect, but out came three stuffed mezzelune in a soupy bisque, with some chopped cucumber and more lobster meat on top. We love lobster in all its forms, and this had it coming at you from every angle - in the pasta, in the sauce, in the chunks on top. Everything else on the plate shone a light on the star ingredient, from the deeply flavoured bisque to the finely diced cucumber, with nothing threatening to overtake its subtle flavour - skillful and sensitive cheffing. We also tried a side of their potato mousseline, which was basically potato flavoured butter - and there ain't nothing bad about that. Desserts were on the more simple side - an affogato with hazelnuts and homemade coffee liqueur poured over the top (you won't need that post-meal espresso), and madeleines that would give St John a run for their money. If you don't end a meal here with them, you haven't really been. What about drinks? Even though Note is a wine bar first, they haven't let standards slip on cocktails, beer or cider. Bar manager Alan makes his own limoncello, the coffee liquor for the affogato, and no doubt countless other concoctions to be found within the cocktail list. For us the only way to start is with a glass of their grower champagne, a (relative) steal at €17 a glass, when many places around town are charging €25 a glass for Grand Marques muck. In a place like this we love to drink by the glass and try as much as possible, and the person you want making recommendations is the wine brains behind the operation - GM Katie Seward. We basically let her take the wheel bringing us pairings for each dish, and over the night tried Fiano from Campania, Vital (a new grape on us) from Lisbon, dry Pedro Jiminez from Catalonia, Cru Beaujolais, and Loire Valley Chardonnay. Without fail, every pairing made the dish in question taste even better, and we could count on one hand the amount of places with a hit rate this impressive. The only addendum we'd add is that the low margin wine prices we raved about at the start have taken a bit of a jump. There's still value to be had, particularly at the higher end of the price range (that Marguet Shaman grower champagne is less than €15 more than you'd pay retail to drink in), but prices at the lower end now feel more in tandem with average prices around town. How was the service? As lovely and professional as you would hope for. Food and drinks were perfectly paced, and we were never left to wave someone down or with empty glasses or plates for long. And the damage? €195 for two before tip, including champagne and cider to start, a wine for every dish, and an extra to end the night. Definitely on the higher end of dining out spends, but you could do it for considerably less if you just got one bottle of wine on the lower end of the scale. Our advice though would be to go and do it right. The verdict? Regular London or Paris goers will recognise the need for a wine bar/bistro like Note in Dublin, and we've finally got it - hopefully the first of more to come. This is somewhere that would hold its own in any buzzing European city, and we selfishly dread word getting out and it joining the "impossible to book" club of Library Street, Variety Jones and the rest. Rather than "giving the people what they want", Essa Fakhry is stirring, saucing and banging pots to his own drum. Rather than looking exhausted and stressed at serving an entire restaurant with such little backup, he seems relaxed, confident, invigorated - like he's finally cooking the food that's at his core. We've already got our next booking for Note Bistro in the bag, and suggest you do the same before everyone finds out about it. Note Bistro 26 Fenian Street, Dublin 2 notedublin.com New Openings & Discoveries More >>

The latest restaurant from the Bereen brothers opened just after their most famous restaurant Coppinger Row shut, with Daniel Hannigan (ex-head chef at Mister S) in the kitchen. An ambitious, often unexpected menu, served in a beautiful but compact room, from a young, enthusiastic team. Orwell Road Website orwellroad.com Address 8 Orwell Road, Terenure, Dublin 6 Good For Tag 1 Cuisine Tag 1 Once Over Read our Review >> The Story The latest restaurant from the Bereen brothers opened just after their most famous restaurant Coppinger Row shut, with Daniel Hannigan (ex-head chef at Mister S) in the kitchen. An ambitious, often unexpected menu, served in a beautiful but compact room, from a young, enthusiastic team. Where It's At Nearby Locales Yibu by Janet Little Canton Dak @ Bar Anam Mongoose Chongqing Hot Pot Boco Clontarf Bell Pesto Bang Gloria Osteria Cantina Valentina D'Lepak Pera Borgo Amai by Viktor Kaizen Chubbys Badam Table 45 Comet Daruma Malahide Lena The Pig's Ear Notions @ Two Pups The Rooftop @ Anantara The Marker Sofra

Turkish grill and pidehouse just a few metres from the Ha'penny Bridge. Weekend mornings sees a "royal breakfast spread" served with almost 30 different elements for €25 pp, while the rest of the day, sees pide, kebabs and Turkish salads served at big bang for buck prices. There's no alcohol but try the şalgam (fermented vegetable juice) or Ayran (a salted yoghurt drink). Sultan's Grill Website instagram.com/sultansdublin Address Sultan's Grill, North Lotts, North City, Dublin 1, Ireland Good For Tag 1 Cuisine Tag 1 Once Over Read our Review >> The Story Turkish grill and pidehouse just a few metres from the Ha'penny Bridge. Weekend mornings sees a "royal breakfast spread" served with almost 30 different elements for €25 pp, while the rest of the day, sees pide, kebabs and Turkish salads served at big bang for buck prices. There's no alcohol but try the şalgam (fermented vegetable juice) or Ayran (a salted yoghurt drink). Where It's At Nearby Locales Yibu by Janet Little Canton Dak @ Bar Anam Mongoose Chongqing Hot Pot Boco Clontarf Bell Pesto Bang Gloria Osteria Cantina Valentina D'Lepak Pera Borgo Amai by Viktor Kaizen Chubbys Badam Table 45 Comet Daruma Malahide Lena The Pig's Ear Notions @ Two Pups The Rooftop @ Anantara The Marker Sofra

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

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

Host The neighbourhood restaurant every neighbourhood wants Posted: 5 Mar 2019 Neighbourhood Neighborhood Name Address Restaurant Address Website Website Name Restaurant Info View the Listing >> Written by: Lisa Cope What’s the story? Host was opened in September 2017 by partners Chloe Kearney (front of house) and Niall McDermott (head chef) after 10 years working in London, and the residents of Ranelagh rejoiced to have another quality looking restaurant on their door step, with a definite London feel. Initial reviews were mostly very positive, with Catherine Cleary calling it "a shiny new star", and Katy McGuinness calling the pumpkin capellacci "a magnificent dish", and pretty soon it was difficult to get a table. Fast forward 18 months and Host is as popular as ever. You'd still want to give plenty of notice to get a weekend table, and every time we ask our followers what their favourite restaurants are, Host is mentioned again and again. It's not often we see somewhere with such a loud, loyal following, so that alone rocketed it to the top of our 'must-eat-in' list (it's a long one). Where should we go for a drink first? Ranelagh has loads of good drinking options. The Exchequer Wine Bar is a few doors down for wine or good cocktails, The Taphouse is a two minute walk away and has an enormous selection of beers on draught and in bottle, and there's always McSorley 's for a bit of nostalgia if you had a tendency to hang out in Ranelagh in your twenties because it was so much posher than town (just us?). Where should we sit? Once again you have quite the array of options. For twos we'd advise sitting at the counter, having the chats with the lovely staff and getting a proper look at the open kitchen. If you're after a bit more intimacy and/or hand-holding, the standard tables will do the job. Otherwise there are high tables, or seats in the window if you'd rather look outside than into your dinner companion's eyes. What's good to eat? Short menus where everything appeals are fast becoming our firm favourites. Host has that, but goes one better by offering a chef's menu for two with what seems like most of the main menu (except the mains where you just choose one) on there. They also tell you exactly what you'll be getting so you can make an informed decision. No messing around. It's also better value than if you ordered everything separately. Job done. Homemade focaccia to start comes with bright green, grassy olive oil, and oozing, creamy burrata on a bed of smokey aubergine with fresh mint leaves on top and more excellent olive oil at the bottom. Save some bread for moppage. The other starter of tuna, black radish and sesame came with pickled onions, barely seared tuna and thinly sliced radish in a really delicious dressing. Also, black radish - new favourite radish. The portion also felt generous for what's normally a pricey fish. Both homemade pastas we tried were standout, and if we lived around here, dropping in regularly for a plate of pasta and a glass of wine after work would be way too tempting. Duck papardelle came with the richest ragu, the type that tasted like it had started cooking 36 hours earlier. Pumpkin Cappellacci with sage and walnuts was so naturally sweet it was almost caramel like, the bite from the walnuts and the scent of the sage taking things to another level. It hasn't become their signature dish for nothing. For the main event there was a choice between Piri Piri chicken, Hake or Rib Eye, and after hearing so many people talk about the steak it had to be that, even with the €21 supplement, and it was an excellent piece of meat from Peter Hannan , perfectly seasoned. Bonus points for not asking us how we wanted it cooked - there's only one way with a steak like this. Our only complaint is that we would have liked some kind of sauce with it - maybe we're too married to the bearnaise at Etto. A side of charred broccoli with pistachio yoghurt and hazelnuts was good enough to order as a veggie main, and another of roasted peppers, onions and chorizo was also good with a nice tang, but we could have done without more meat on the side of meat. Could definitely see the appeal with the hake. Dessert was burnt ricotta cheesecake and it was a simple, seasonal, not too sweet end to a meal full of colour and interest. The only major thing we felt was lacking is more provenance information on the menus, as apart from the steak we didn't know where any of the meat, fish or vegetables were coming from, and as nice as the staff were, it's always uncomfortable giving someone the third degree about their food sourcing. What about the drinks? The wine list is exactly the type of esoteric, natural focused list we love. There's a really nice selection of bottles, but we would have liked to see more than four whites and four reds by the glass (although we enjoyed everything we had), and anything other than prosecco for sparkling - it just feels jarring in a place where everything else is so slick and sophisticated. To be fair they said they've tried them and they haven't sold, so please people, whenever you see crémant, cava or Champagne by the glass, order it. You're doing the wine lovers of the city a public service. And the service? Everyone was super charming and helpful and the food came at a really nice pace. They also asked us a couple of times if we were ready for the next dishes, which is a really nice touch that we don't see enough of, ensuring guests are having the experience they want. They also seemed really laid back yet in control - the best combination. The verdict? It's really clear to see why Host has so many devoted fans - it's the neighbourhood restaurant every neighbourhood wants. They have all of the boxes ticked when it comes to food, wine, service and general vibe, and it really does feel like it's been lifted out of London and placed on the main street in Ranelagh. Now if only we could convince them to bring Host number two to the Northside. Host 13 Ranelagh, Dublin 6 www.hostrestaurant.ie New Openings & Discoveries More >>