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In our view the best place for fish and chips in Howth, connected to noted seafood retailer Kish Fish. Pick from fresh or smoked fish, scampi, oysters, chowder and more, with indoor and outdoor seating. It can get packed on sunny days so prepare to wait a while. We don't recommend taking away and eating on the pier, unless you want half your food nicked by aggressive seagulls. Baily Bites @ Kish Website https://www.kishfish.ie/retail/our-cafe/ Address Baily Bites at Kish, West Pier, Howth, Dublin, Ireland Good For Tag 1 Cuisine Tag 1 Once Over Read our Review >> The Story In our view the best place for fish and chips in Howth, connected to noted seafood retailer Kish Fish. Pick from fresh or smoked fish, scampi, oysters, chowder and more, with indoor and outdoor seating. It can get packed on sunny days so prepare to wait a while. We don't recommend taking away and eating on the pier, unless you want half your food nicked by aggressive seagulls. Where It's At Nearby Locales D'Lepak Pera Borgo Amai by Viktor Kaizen Chubbys Badam Table 45 Comet Daruma Malahide Lena The Pig's Ear Notions @ Two Pups The Rooftop @ Anantara The Marker Sofra Little Geno's Mama Shee Nutbutter Smithfield Shaku Maku Mad Yolks Rathmines Una Choux Bakery Parnell Street Bakery Baily Bites @ Kish Spice Village Terenure

Caribou Not content with having the best drinks, interiors and staff, Caribou are now conquering food too Posted: 12 Nov 2024 Neighbourhood Neighborhood Name Address Restaurant Address Website Website Name Restaurant Info View the Listing >> Written by: Lisa Cope What do we need to know about Caribou? Born in Galway in 2016 and transported to Dublin in May 2024, Caribou is the latest opening in the capital from Shane Clifford, Hugh Farrell and Declan Murphy. The trio also own Kodiak in Rathmines, Bonobo in Smithfield, Impala in Cork and Jackal in Navan, and previously ran P Macs (where Caribou is now) for its former owners, before going out on their own. Galway's loss has very much been Dublin's gain, and even though tears were shed by some over the closure of P Macs, they were short-lived when they saw what replaced it. Caribou has been an upgrade on every front, and we think few operators understand what Dublin bar-goers want as well as these guys. With their other Dublin sites sticking to Neapolitan pizza for food we thought it would be business as usual here, but we thought wrong, and swiftly after opening, word of a bar food menu that was majorly over-delivering hit our shores. Where should we sit? These guys were either interior designers in another life, or pay very good ones to design their bars. Classic wooden furniture is broken up with leather seats, 70's-style light fixtures, textured walls, enough art to open a gallery, and assorted dressers and bookshelves that look like Grade A flea market finds. Candles, plants and real flowers sit on every surface, and everything combined makes it a place you'll want to stay in for an extended period of time. Sit in the main room if you want all the space and natural light (parents will love all the room to park buggies and pull up high chairs; travellers will find plenty of places to park suitcases and backpacks), or head into the back for cosy nooks to settle into for private chats, where low tables are lit by lower lights. What's on the menu? There's only a weekday and weekend lunch menu for now, served until 16:30 on weekdays and 17:00 at the weekend (Friday - Sunday). While Kodiak and Bonobo have stuck successfully to Neapolitan pizza, Caribou is going all in on food, with Patrick Byrne installed as head chef. He formerly owned food truck " Taco de Town " which operated between Sligo and West Cork, and spent six years previous to that cooking in New Orleans. Weekday and weekend lunch menus vary slightly, with the main difference being the addition of roasts at the weekend, because why should roasts be relegated to Sundays? Eyes might widen at €7 for olives as you browse, but they're big, juicy and lovingly dressed, and it's the only thing on the menu that doesn't feel like exceptionally good value. A chopped Caesar salad (€11) is an utterly perfect example of the naughtiest thing you can do with a plate of lettuce, Romaine leaves generously coated in Caesar dressing with shavings of Grana Padano and baguette-style croutons to amplify cheesiness and crunch. You could have stuck a fork in us here and we'd have left happy. You can add add grilled or fried chicken (not free range) for €4 to up the protein. Our Reel last week on Caribou's steak frites (€15 for a 6oz midweek and €24 for a 10oz at weekends) got a lot of well-deserved love, and we're still wondering how they're getting that just-off-the-barbecue flavour, how they've made fries that stay crispy for the duration of the meal, and how many different types of peppercorns are in that glorious sauce. We weren't asked how we wanted our steak cooked and would have preferred it a little less done, so be sure to specify if you're equally picky. Either way we can't remember having a better steak-frites than this in Dublin, and we've tried plenty in hope. The fish sandwich (€13) came with a hunk of fresh not frozen, IPA beer battered cod, topped with chunky tartare and sitting on mushy peas, all in a burger bun. A beautiful thing, fish cooked to the point of being hot and juicy while not overdone by a second, it was only missing seasoning on the fish/in the batter. On a second visit the peas had been ditched for shredded lettuce and house pickles, which sound even better. We're not a town that excels in Sunday roasts the way many, many towns in the UK do, so we're always excited to see a new player enter the game. We weren't however expecting Caribou to casually sail in at the top of the pile - is there anything this kitchen doesn't excel at? Beef from McLoughlin butchers (€19.50) comes with a dazzling line up of: miso glazed carrot and parsnip; mash, (PROPERLY CRISPY) roasties, stuffing, grilled tenderstem broccoli (al dente), celeriac purée, a giant Yorkshire pudding, and a Guinness gravy we'd like to drink by the flask (unlimited if you want more). Controversially there was no horseradish brought to table, but once our brains started popping off with all these flavours we forgot we wanted it. Also in the roast line up is Caribou's version of bacon and cabbage (€19.50), with Buckfast glazed ham, sautéed cabbage, parsley sauce and the rest of the roastie sides. We will happily stake the claim that there's no better tasting plate of bacon and cabbage in the city, and it makes of a mockery of what's served to tourists in twee pubs in Temple Bar. Any childhood scars from bad versions of this dish will be salved, and lest we forget to mention, at €19.50 these are some of the least expensive (quality) roasts in Dublin right now. Despite the very generous roasts, we added on sides, because All The Food and all that, and Caribou's charred broccoli with romesco, hazelnuts and feta (€5) is the kind of thing you try to casually fling together at home but you leave the broccoli on the grill for too long or make the Romesco too bitter - they don't do that in here. The only issue is that one plate isn't enough. Those shatteringly crispy triple-cooked fries can also be ordered on their own with garlic mayo (€5), but we'd actually avoid the pungent dip because there's so much good stuff going on with the food here that you don't need it over-powered by garlic breath. There was no dessert either time when we visited, but there was on earlier menus, so hopefully there'll be a return to form once things settle down. What about drinks? These guys are known for their craft beef and support for Irish breweries, and big beer fans will love looking through the tap and bottle list to find something to pique their interest. The selection isn't at the level of Kodiak in Rathmines, but we can't think of many other bars that are. Cocktails are another high point, with a Paloma, a clarified rhubarb sour and a Hugo spritz all going toe to toe with the city's best cocktail bars. Wines are more basic bar, with the exception of a couple of rotating bottles "from our friends at Grapecircus" - whatever they're pouring we're drinking. How was the service? Of all the visits that all of the members of our team have made to all of these guys' bars, the service has always stood out - they seem to have hiring for personality and general human loveliness down to an art. We've never been scowled at, ignored or treated with apathy by exhausted staff who'd rather be anywhere else. We've always been greeted like we've just walked into a friends house, showered with smiles, and had any questions answered with enthusiasm and a willingness to go and find out the answer if they don't already have it. In an environment where finding staff for hospitality jobs has never been tougher, this kind of achievement shouldn't go unnoticed. What was the damage? We ate this over two meals, but midweek you could have a very solid lunch with a drink for around €25, and at the weekend, €30 will get you a roast, a pint and cover your tip. What's the verdict on Caribou? Shane Clifford, Hugh Farrell and Declan Murphy are the guys to beat for bars right now, and in their determination to get every little thing right, they've delivered a bar food menu and kitchen team that make so many others look like they're not fit for purpose. If they can do it in a setting like this, with prices like these, served by staff who look like they genuinely like being there, why can't everyone else? And why would you want to go anywhere else? Go for the roast, go back for the steak-frites, and harangue them to bring in food in the evenings - the city's crying out for "bar food only better" menus like this. New Openings & Discoveries More >>

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

Sprezzatura Handmade pasta with an Irish accent Posted: 14 Jan 2020 Neighbourhood Neighborhood Name Address Restaurant Address Website Website Name Restaurant Info View the Listing >> Written by: Lisa Cope What’s the story? The story of a new handmade pasta place coming to Dublin in October, where no plate would cost over €10, and practically all the produce was Irish, was our second most read story of 2019 , and we can't say we were surprised. There's actually quite a bit of fresh pasta to be found in Dublin (which we proved here ), but nothing in the fast, cheap, good (and exciting) category, so there was clearly a gap for a Padella-style operation here - and every Irish person who's ever set foot in London comes home talking about Padella so we were clearly primed and ready for it - see here for why. Sprezzatura say they're making Italian food with the best Irish ingredients - their suppliers list reads like a who's who of Irish food - and with their commitment to sustainability including no paper on site, compostable packaging and renewable energy, we're not sure it's possible to be any more tuned into the zeitgeist. The man with the plan was Thom Lawson, formerly of Lucky Tortoise , who split with his business partners at the end of last year to focus on new projects. He's known as someone who like a concept and is good at executing them - and we know he has a few other ideas up his sleeve so watch this space. He joined forces with the guys at Grantham's who had the space and Sprezzatura was born. They got off to a rocky start (not that you would have know by the amount of ' influencers ' and celebrities coming through the doors), and an initial visit left us disappointed, but after a change up in the kitchen and some new chef talent (one of whom was formerly at Forest Avenue), things were looking up. Reports seem to be getting better every week, particularly when it came to value for money, so we thought a few follow up visits were in order. Where should we go for a drink first? Around here your options are endless. For a pre-dinner cocktail head to the Sitting Room above Delahunt for a Cognac and orange or a pisco lemonade, and for wine the excellent First Draft is a 5 minute walk away. For a pint head to Devitt's down the street, or if you like your pubs a bit cosier try Bourke's next to Whelan's where getting a seat at the weekend feels like winning the Euromillions. Bonus: you can get through to Whelan's at the back if you fancy a quick dance before or after dinner - there will be many carbs to burn off. Where should we sit? The large communal table at the front seats up to 20 but is reserved for walk-ins (it's worth asking if you have a group though), and is a great place to sit if you're not concerned about private conversation or personal space. You can also have a drink here before moving into the main room, which has tables for two and four, as well as some booths which would fit six at a squeeze. What's good to eat? The beauty of Sprezzatura is that it's all such good value, with no plate costing over €10, so there's a strong justification to over order - and you can take any leftovers home in a planet-friendly cardboard box. The regularly changing menu is divided into plates and pastas, with the former consisting of small plates, cured meat and fish crudo. Castelvetrano olives to start are the real deal - bright green, grassy, juicy - and the potato focaccia from Bread 41 arrives in a pool of rapeseed oil. The bread is pillowy and chewy in all the right ways, but rapeseed oil is not not olive oil and never will be - we appreciate the ethos of using Irish though. The lamb shank croquette is a must, and at €3.50 it would be rude not to. The flavours are rich and deep, the meat thready and soft, and it's all wrapped up in a crunchy coating. You can taste the time that went into making them. We stupidly never asked what was in the accompanying mayonnaise dip, but it tasted mildly of mustard. A plate of Toonsbridge stracciatella was decent moppage material for the focaccia, but if your reference point for the Italian soft cheese is the original, generously topped with olive oil, this may seem a little anaemic in comparison, with a lack of the typical stretchy, stringy consistency. Another place of 'fish nduja brandade' (fish not specified) was punchier with salt and mild heat from the nduja, and a nice touch of fine, toasted breadcrumbs on top. You will definitely want bread for both this and the cheese. There's six or seven homemade pastas on at any one time, and they change regularly, but the tomato and basil, bolognese and cacio pepe with rotating pastas look to be permanent fixtures. We tried the cacio e pepe with pappardelle and spaghetti on separate occasions and thought the spaghetti won hands down. The sauce seemed to congeal to the larger sheets of pasta quicker, whereas with the spaghetti it was still possible to twist and swish the pasta around the plate towards the end. Again this is made with Irish cheese instead of Italian Pecorino so it's not by the book, but it's very good. Another highlight was the tagliatelle with wild mushrooms, which was a perfect plate of simple ingredients coming together beautifully. The pasta was al dente, the mushrooms buttery and the thyme and cheese brought it all together. We really enjoyed the gnocchi too, which came with chorizo, ricotta and pine nuts on the night we were there. It's light and fluffy as opposed to stodgy, and there was a really nice balance between the creamy cheese, spicy chorizo and crunchy pinenuts. The only dish we weren't crazy about was the ricotta and nduja tyres, which when we had it was head-blowingly spicy, and generally unbalanced, but that was on visit two so they may have tweaked the recipe by now. The only dessert option is a 'popcorn panna cotta', and while it's a very loose interpretation of a panna cotta (the lack of any gelatinous consistency made it more similar to a crème brûlée without the crispy top) it is very good, with a salty caramel layer above set cream, and fresh salty popcorn on top. Even the initially suspicious were using their spoons to scrape the last bits from the side of the cup. It's a simple, sweet, satisfying end, and at €3.50 you may as well try it. What about the drinks? Sticking with their sustainability ethos, all cocktails, wine and beer are on tap, and their beautiful tap installation has been the subject of many, many social media posts at this stage. The Aperol Spritz is very good for an opener with some olives, but we felt the espresso martini was a bit watery - saying that it is €6 so hard to complain. When it came to wine we particularly liked the lambrusco (dry, fizzy red) and the Les Tètes red from the Loire in France, which was juicy and vibrant and a perfect pairing for anything tomato based or with a hint of spice. Drinks, like the food, are very good value, with wines by the glass ranging from €6.50 to €9. They also have two beers, gin and tonic, vermouth and kefir. And the service? Over the course of three visits the young staff were friendly and helpful, and special mention to one smiling, charming staff member who served a large group of us on his first night and was the personification of hospitality, despite being petrified he would make a mistake or forget something. A case in point for hiring for personality and the ability to make your guests feel welcome above all else. The verdict? Over three visits to Sprezzatura it was better each time, which is a good sign that the only way is up. This certainly doesn't seem like a team that's sitting still, and every time we open Instagram they seem to be trying out to recipes and flavour combinations. It's not quite Padella London levels, but if they keep pushing they could get there yet. Sprezzatura 5/6 Camden Market, Dublin 8 sprezzatura.ie New Openings & Discoveries More >>

Chapter One by Mickael Viljanen You deserve this €65 lunch Posted: 28 Sept 2021 Neighbourhood Neighborhood Name Address Restaurant Address Website Website Name Restaurant Info View the Listing >> Written by: Lisa Cope What’s the story? Mickael Viljanen is one of only four chefs in Ireland (ever) to be awarded two Michelin stars, in 2019 when he was head chef at The Greenhouse on Dawson Street (now closed, with the building apparently in the hands of a large hospitality group). It felt like a very long road to get there (but if it was easy to get it wouldn't mean as much), with critics and food writers declaring the food to be at that level long before Michelin made it official, and protesting that if The Greenhouse was in London or Paris it would have been elevated earlier. At the ceremony in London, Viljanen almost collapsed with relief, years of tension and back-breaking work flooding out of his body as he flung his arms around chef Raymond Blanc, lifting him into the air, before they both fell over mid-jubilation. The entire room was immersed in the joy unfolding on stage, and everyone holding an Irish passport felt their heart swell and their cheeks burst from smiling. His achievement felt like our achievement, our little island moving up the global culinary ranks. The Greenhouse was badly affected by the pandemic. They had no outdoor seating, and this level of food does not lend itself to finish at home meal kits. So there was nothing to do but lay everyone off, and hope they would hang around and wait for indoor dining to be allowed again, but they didn't. In May of this year, news erupted that Viljanen had resigned from The Greenhouse and was taking over the kitchen at one-Michelin starred Chapter One as Chef-Patron, forming a partnership with Ross Lewis, who was hanging up his apron (he's since put it back on to cook at Osteria Lucio, his other restaurant near Grand Canal Dock). The majority of the kitchen team came with him, leaving The Greenhouse defunct. Some thought this was a genius by the Finnish chef, reasoning that one star plus two stars equals three (not quite sure Michelin maths works like that but we'll see). Some wondered why the chef hadn't just gone it alone with his own, brand new vision. Almost everyone cheered the fact that he would finally have the dining room his food deserved (The Greenhouse's split a lot of people), and absolutely everyone was thrilled at the thought of what was to come. In August, Chapter One by Mickael Viljanen welcomed its first guests, and a month in we gave their €65, three-course lunch menu a once over. Where should we sit? The main dining areas feel lighter and more spacious than they did at the old Chapter One, and our favourite tables are by the window (both for light and for ventilation in covid-times). Tables are well spaced, so private conversations shouldn't be an issue, and there are cosy booths if you prefer a velvet couch to a velvet chair (both equally lovely places for your derrière). There are also seats at the chef's table which seats groups of four - six (€150 for the tasting menu and the dream meal as far as we're concerned) as well as a private dining room for up 10, and another private dining area for six. What's the food like? We were here to try the €65 lunch menu, which sounded too good to be true from a value perspective, particularly compared to some other menu prices around town where the food isn't in the same universe as this. You can do a tasting menu at lunch for €120 but last orders are at 13:30, so you'd want to be sitting down by 13:15. The set lunch is a three-course menu with snacks, bread and petit fours, and one choice for each course, so the ideal way to do it is with a friend/partner/family member who doesn't mind swapping plates half way through. Then the only decisions you'll have to make will involve what you're going to drink. There is a suggested wine pairing for each dish (when we were there prices varied from around €8 - €25), but they're happy to recommend others too. First out are the snacks. These change frequently but expect a miniature tart of some type containing Flaggy Shore oysters or Irish Angus bavette, maybe a bite of comté with truffle, and hopefully you'll get to try what's bound to become a restaurant signature - chilled borscht with smetana (like sour cream) and caviar. It's in a cocoa butter shell so it melts and pops in your mouth, releasing the borscht in one of the most magical mouthfuls of your meal. Then comes bread. Fresh, crunchy, chewy sourdough, with rich, yellow, perfectly salted butter. The dishes seem to change every day, so you may or may not have any of these as options when you visit, but there wasn't one dish that was even a mild disappointment, so just go with it. We had a steamed comté mousseline with Vin Jaune and truffle (paired with Lustau's amontillado sherry), and this is another dish we can see becoming a signature (and regaining the chef those two stars). It came with a side of perfectly dressed leaves, and while they seemed superfluous, it was salad to savour. Our other starter was Wicklow sika deer tartare (the chef loves game, and many think Autumn is the best season to eat his food), with smoked pike roe, horseradish and watercress. This also appeared at The Greenhouse, and is the kind of dish you want to nibble very slowly, possibly shedding a tear when the last forkful is gone, leaving you in no doubt as to why the Michelin guide think Viljanen's food is "worth a detour". It's worth a detour from France. Onto mains and expect more potentially tear-inducing dishes to arrive, like our wild sea-bream with fennel sitting in the most outrageously complex bouillabaisse sauce, with a side of lobster saffron rice that deserves its own restaurant. Just bowls of this. We will literally pay any money to make this happen. This is one of those taste memories you'll have for years after eating it, and if it's not on the menu when you visit we sincerely apologise for telling you about it. The other main on the day we visited was a Viljanen classic - Anjou pigeon 'en crépinette', with confit cèpe and date vinegar sauce. The description alone probably has you smacking your lips together, and it was even better than you're imagining. The meat wasn't gamey or strongly flavoured, it was delicate and subtle, with the cèpes, date vinegar and baby pickled onions ticking every box on the flavour wheel - savoury, salty, sharp, sweet, with no one taste over-powering the others. We went for broke with the wine pairing of 2011 Chateau Tayac Margaux at €25 a glass, and as pairings goes this one is a 10/10 (even if Bordeaux isn't usually your bag). Ever wondered why your mash isn't as good as the ones in certain high end (usually French) restaurants? It's because you wouldn't dare to put that much butter in it at home. Continue to live the lie that they just have a better technique for boiling potatoes than you do while you spoon the last scraping of this from the side of its silver bowl. For dessert expect another Viljanen signature - the part art, part dessert, swirl of deliciousness. Ours was Tuscan-made Amedei chocolate with white miso and honey vinegar, and a salted milk sorbet on the side. Does chocolate get any better than when it's laced with umami miso and a flicker of sweet vinegar? We've yet to be convinced. Our other dessert was more of a Chapter One classic, the soufflé, this one a Piedmonte hazelnut version with hazelnut sauce and citrus sorbet. The theatre of this is when they bring it to the table, cut into it and pour in the sauce - get those cameras ready millennials. It's perfect, like everything else. You'll finish with beautiful petit fours - our included brioche Tropezienne (brioche filled with orange cream) and clementine pâte de fruit with batak pepper and lemon thyme, and if you don't order an Irish coffee at this point from the famed Chapter One trolley we can't be friends. What about the drinks? The wine list at Chapter One has always been more classic than trend-chasing, and this still feels like Chapter One's wine list. You won't find much of the New California, Georgian skin contact numbers, or Pet Nats around these parts, and it's more Grand Marques than grower Champagne (although there are a few), but you will find several pages of Burgundy and Bordeaux, and some of the world's best producers among them. The wine pairings for lunch were well thought out and worked nicely with the dishes, but with a few exceptions we generally felt the food outshone the wine. And the service? The service is still very much Chapter One too, which will come as a sigh of relief to anyone who's experienced it. From the minute you walk in it's smile after compliment after joke, and you're immediately put at ease despite the starched tablecloths and somewhat hushed tones. It's not often you'll find food at this level of dining with such friendly, informal service, and it feels like a very Irish way to do a two-starred Michelin experience, one that we should be proud to see international visitors experience. And the damage? If you do the three course lunch with all three wine pairings you're looking at around €100 a head (depending on what's on that day). Add on an Irish coffee and service and you'll be more like €120, but in our book it's worth every cent, and you can always get a bottle if you want to bring the cost down. The verdict? We don't use this word often but this food is "thrilling". Thrilling because of the art-like beauty of the dishes, thrilling because they taste even better than they look every single time, thrilling because you know you're experiencing some of the most exciting cooking on the island, a chef and kitchen team pushing to be the best, that will be part of Ireland's culinary history in years to come. We're going to have to wait another few months (date TBC) to see whether Michelin give Viljanen back his stars, elevating Chapter One from it's current one to two, but we really can't see a situation where this doesn't happen. Blending two different restaurants together must have its challenges. Two kitchen teams, sommeliers, service staff, owners, all with their own ideas about how to do things, all bound to clash at times over the right way. If this is the case you wouldn't know it from our meal, which was practically flawless, but we can imagine over time you might see subtle changes as two become one. The €65 lunch at Chapter One is one of the best ways to spend your money in Dublin right now, and you don't just need to experience it, you deserve to experience it. It's been a shocking 18 months for a lot of people, the restaurant industry in particular, but if anything will give you hope for what's to come for "Irish Food" and put goosebumps on the back of your arms, this is it. Chapter One By Mickael Viljanen 18-19 Parnell Square, Dublin 1 chapteronerestaurant.com New Openings & Discoveries More >>

Taco Libre Bar food, but make it delicious Posted: 8 Feb 2022 Neighbourhood Neighborhood Name Address Restaurant Address Website Website Name Restaurant Info View the Listing >> Written by: Lisa Cope What’s the story? Taco Libre, a new Mexican at the bottom of Capel Street, seemed to have lots going against it. It's the latest opening from Galway Bay Brewery (their 15th in total), who also own The Black Sheep across the road, Against The Grain on Wexford Street, and recently opened The Beer Temple on Parliament Street. Why would a brewery care about food? Surely these places are just a way to sell more beer? However, in getting the story for this new openings piece , we discovered several things that made us sit up and take a closer look. 1) Their head chef Bruna is Mexican (always a good start), but also has Brazilian and Japanese heritage which she described entwining into the menu. 2) They're sourcing much of their ingredients from Picado on Richmond Street, so were clearly looking for the best. 3) They told us that everything, from the tortilla chips to the tortillas for tacos, were homemade. After the feature we threw a few options out to our ATF Insiders on where they wanted us to go for our next once over, and Taco Libre won by a considerable margin, so on a wet and murky February evening we tentatively set off for Dublin 1. Where should we sit? They've done a great job on the design in here - it's colourful, welcoming, and there are lots of seating options, from bar stools to booths, high tables to cosy little spots for two. There's a front and a back room, separated by a narrow corridor. The back is closer to the kitchen but further from the bar, so a bit better for privacy, while it fees like there's more action happening/more to look at out front. What's the food like? It's all small plates/sharing style, which suits us just fine, and if you're a table of 3 or 4 of you could easily get through the whole menu. It's split into bar bites, tacos, nachos, sides and sweet (currently just alcoholic milkshakes), and tacos are priced individually which is great because you can try more of them. There's no provenance information on the menu, but they told us that everything not sourced from Picado is sourced in Ireland, using local where possible, and beef, pork and chicken are Irish. It would be against the law not to start with their homemade tortilla chips, which come with guacamole and two salsas of your choice. There's salsa roja, hot sauce, crema, pico de gallo, and smoked roasted morija, and they all get a big fat tick from us, as do the tortillas. Homemade are just better - so fresh, so crunchy, so salty, so hard to stop jamming them into your mouth. Seen as 'moqueca' is emblazoned on the wall as you walk in, that was our next order. Bruna had said the prawn and cod cakes with dende oil (a fragrant, red Brazilian oil extracted from palm nuts) was inspired by her Brazilian heritage, and while we weren't expecting much from a regional spin on a fishcake, we were happy to be wrong. The delicately-flavoured breadcrumbed balls pack in a lot of flavour, with discernible pieces of fish and a crispy (but not oily shell), the chilli sauce on the side kicking it into an optional spicy space. We loved. Next up, their cousins in the same panko shell - elote croquettes. Again, expected little. Again, over-delivered. The menu said "toasted sweetcorn, cheese, jalapeño and coriander", and we could taste every ingredient. These have a bit of heat in them from the jalapeño, and the accompanying crema was the perfect dipping companion. 'Papas fritas' come with homemade chilli jam, crema and queso fresco (made in house and the real deal), and was a very tasty plate of potatoes, with sweetness and spice from the jam, saltiness from the cheese, creaminess from the crema, and the addition of micro coriander bringing another clever and complimentary layer of flavour. Then onto what we were really here for - the tacos. The tortillas are homemade (we presume from masa harina and that they're not nixtamalizing the corn themselves), and there's a choice of five. We tried four (side-stepping the chicken as it didn't say whether it was free range). Tortillas were nicely imperfect looking and the right thickness, and each of them had plenty of flavours going on. The tempura prawn comes with crema, white radish pickle and nori seaweed vinaigrette (another nod to the chef's Japanese hertiage). Is it Mexican, it is Japanese - when it tastes this good we really don't care. The beef taco comes with toasted sweet corn, sweet pickled red cabbage, avocado puree, diced onion, salsa roja and coriander, and was also enjoyable, if over-filled and a bit messy to eat. But our favourite was the pork, with marinated minty pineapple, crema and diced onions. Usually we'd be throwing the salsas onto tacos, but this needed nothing. It's a knockout, and the closest thing we've had to tacos al pastor for a long time. We also tried the 'tacos dourado' - a crispy pan-fried taco with mashed potato and onions, salsa roja, lettuce, tomato, queso fresco and crema. Another tasty small plate with great textures, but it needed the salsas to liven up the flavours - that is however exactly what they're there for. Currently dessert consists of two boozy milkshakes - a bourbon chocolate praline one, and a margarita one - "oh no" we hear you cry. We tried the margarita with lime whipped cream and salted lemon caramel sauce (more like lemon curd) and if we wanted 500 calories with our alcohol we'd definitely order again, but as you can imagine it's pretty heavy. A sip or two each would be plenty. What about the drinks? A brewery owned establishment could easily railroad the entire drinks menu into serving only their beers, but they're not that shortsighted here. Many other Irish breweries are named on the beer menu, with interesting choices from abroad too, making it a great spot for craft beer drinkers. It's mainly their own beers on tap, and we really liked both the Weights and Measures (a citra IPA) and the Bay Ale (a red ale). Wines are basic, and cocktails come from Irish Craft Cocktails around the corner. And the service? Very friendly and welcoming but casual. All of our food arrived at once so order in stages if that irritates you. No one checked in on whether we were enjoying it or needed anything else, but that's generally the vibe in most bars - we were probably lulled into feeling like we were in a fancier restaurant because the food was so good. You might also notice from the photos that several of the staff weren't masked, which felt sadly strange after the last two years. This will bother some of you, whereas others don't seem to care anymore now that we're edging closer to the old normal. And the damage? €70 for enough food to make three feel uncomfortably full, with two drinks. Can't argue with that kind of value for this quality of food. The verdict? We're struggling to stay focused on the fact that Taco Libre is a bar first and foremost, because so few bars have food this good, food that ends up becoming the main attraction over and above the drinks. When we were there an English couple had wandered in after watching the rugby, clearly not able to believe their luck in the level of soakage they'd stumbled upon, and ever since our visit we've been dreaming of a world where the bars you want to meet your mates in put the food on the same level as the decor/cocktails/toilets and we never have to round everyone up to go and get food somewhere decent. Taco Libre are the exception right now - a menu with a genuine Mexican feel, and a kitchen with a talent for flavour, in a bar that you could just as easily drop in for a pint. We'll be back, and next time we're bringing a gang and settling in. Book it before word gets out. Taco Libre 199 King Street North, Dublin 7 galwaybaybrewery.com/tacolibre New Openings & Discoveries More >>

Modern café from sisters Domini and Peaches Kemp in a beautiful basement attached to the MoLI museum, just across from St Stephen’s Green. A simple menu of eggs, toasties, soups and salads, with a hot dish or two and all the treats for afterwards. The terrace out the back is a particularly lovely place to escape the city centre crowds. The Commons At MoLI Website moli.ie/cafe-gardens/the-commons Address 86 St Stephen's Green , Dublin 2 Good For Tag 1 Cuisine Tag 1 Once Over Read our Review >> The Story Modern café from sisters Domini and Peaches Kemp in a beautiful basement attached to the MoLI museum, just across from St Stephen’s Green. A simple menu of eggs, toasties, soups and salads, with a hot dish or two and all the treats for afterwards. The terrace out the back is a particularly lovely place to escape the city centre crowds. Where It's At Nearby Locales D'Lepak Pera Borgo Amai by Viktor Kaizen Chubbys Badam Table 45 Comet Daruma Malahide Lena The Pig's Ear Notions @ Two Pups The Rooftop @ Anantara The Marker Sofra Little Geno's Mama Shee Nutbutter Smithfield Shaku Maku Mad Yolks Rathmines Una Choux Bakery Parnell Street Bakery Baily Bites @ Kish Spice Village Terenure

Juno Forget the pints, get into Juno for brilliant bar food Posted: 13 Jun 2023 Neighbourhood Neighborhood Name Address Restaurant Address Website Website Name Restaurant Info View the Listing >> Written by: Lisa Cope What's the story with Juno? Juno is from the same people behind Happy's Bar & Street Food (formerly Happy Endings) on Aston Quay, and Brian McCarthy from Bedlam Events, who also owns The Fourth Corner in Dublin 8. While takeaway, casino and bookie-filled Dorset Street may not seem like the most obvious place to open a very of the moment bar and restaurant, the area has been the subject of urban renewal talks for years now, with a large flat complex due to be demolished to build new homes and community spaces and lots more regeneration plans - even if it's all moving a bit slowly - so getting in on the ground early could be a very smart move, and a sign of more good things to come. Juno pitch themselves as a bar, restaurant and event space, but it's not often you see a bar menu this interesting - battered sausages, pepper sauce smash burgers, and cheese and onion chips all had our interest piqued - and the word on the street (i.e. from ATF readers who are great for the intel) was that the food was exceptionally tasty. It sounded like it needed a visit. Where should we sit? It wasn't clear from their website or social feeds but they have some quality outdoor seating here, with early evening prime time for sun-downers and dinner bathed in a warm (possibly sweaty) glow - we'll take all and any rays whenever we can get them. There's plenty of seating inside too over a couple of rooms, with loads of space for whatever size group you're going with. Decor is a mix of "old man pub" with a new paint job and some eye-popping art. It's clear it was a fit out on a budget but we think they've done a decent job of updating the space. What did you eat? This is not your average pub menu, and like sister restaurant Happy's it's a mash up of "global flavours", with a nice injection of Irishness (see their crispy fried Gubbeen and bacon & cabbage arancini). The sourcing is also above and beyond for a bar, with fresh fish from Sustainable Seafood Ireland , free-range chicken from Rings Farm in Kilkenny, and breads from Oakesmoke Bakery . We've had multiple messages from readers about their black pudding and thyme battered sausage, and this is some dirty delicious bar food. Where your local chipper's is greasy this is crisp, while theirs is a sad rubbery length of meat this is soft and fragrant, pork speckled with black pudding rather than it taking over. The black garlic mayo and crispy onions take it up another couple of levels on the flavour scale, and we can see what all the fuss is about. It's obviously heavy though so one of these followed by a main and your digestive system probably won't thank you. This, some (excellent) chips and a pint? Stick a fork in us, we're done. Crispy fried Gubbeen is an upgrade on the 'fancy starter' deep-fried brie of yesteryear (it's actually still everywhere), and comes drizzled with hot honey and sesame seeds. We'd take this over the original any day, but the cheese needed a bit longer in the frier as it was still semi-solid inside. We love a good Irishing up of a non-Irish dish (as a country we don't exactly have a repertoire of recipes that went global) so loved the idea of the bacon and cabbage arancini, and loved it on the plate too. It's more ham than bacon, and spring greens than cabbage, but it all works, and the Cashel Blue fondue it's served with deserves icon status. They do a really nice job in here of lifting fatty/carby food with high acid sauces and spice, and they're big on pickled onions, designed to pull your palate back from the cliff face. It's a balancing act and they're skilled at the fatty food tightrope. The mains are more in line with standard pub grub - burgers; nachos; fish and chips; sausages and mash - except nothing is standard in here. The Hot Fish Sandwich came with a giant slab of spankingly fresh hake, jalapeño tartare, pink pickles, American cheese and iceberg lettuce on a sourdough bun. When the fish is this pristine and juicy, with a shatteringly light batter, it almost makes a burger feel like a health food - almost. There was debate in parts over whether it had enough flavour, but we think that was more to do with some slightly uneven spreading of the tartare. It's a great fish burger. We tend to stay away from chicken when eating out in casual places as the provenance is almost always pants, but the sourcing from Rings Farm (as well as the fact we don't think we've ever seen the Italian/US dish on a menu here) made us order the Vodka Chicken Parm, with smoked provolone, basil mayo, Parmesan and lettuce on a sourdough bun. It's a hell of a hybrid, with a perfectly pankoed, flattened chicken patty, the perfect amount of rich vodka sauce bursting with sun-ripened tomatoes, bit of cheese, bit of herbs, bit of greens, lot of delicious. The chips at Juno need a moment. On the menu as "twice-cooked rustic fries", they're clearly hand cut, clearly par-boiled, and are a chunky, crispy, fluffy sensation, drained properly and tossed in what looked like paprika. The "cheese and onion chips" come with pickled onions, crispy onions, and that Cashel Blue crema again, and while we can't say they tasted like Tayto, they didn't last long. The crema was pretty scarce though - we could have asked for more but dipped them in the leftovers from the arancini. We also tried the "smokey pep chip" with three peppercorn sauce, smoked provolone and those two types of onions again. We couldn't taste any provolone (and in retrospect don't think there was any on there), but the peppercorn sauce was clearly not from a packet, and had some serious heat alongside its pungency/sweetness/fruitiness. More than once we had to reach for the water to cool down, before sticking the fork back in. They also do this sauce on their beef burger - the "peppercorn smash". For added veggies we tried the fennel and mint slaw which was mistakenly brought with the small plates, and by the time we got to it was limp and watery. Dessert is a one choice affair, an "affogat-oh Jeaysus", billed as brown bread and Baileys ice-cream, brown bread crumble and an Irish coffee pourover (virgin version available). It's a very basic offering from a kitchen where dessert is clearly not high on the agenda, and came missing the brown bread crumble - the server tried to tell us it was in the ice-cream, hmmm... It was all fine, if a liquidy mess by the end. What about drinks? Cocktails and beers are where it's at here, with craft breweries like Kinnegar and White Hag alongside the more commercial operators. The cocktail list is a good one, and there were no complaints about a blood orange and rosemary margarita, or a not-too-sweet strawberry lemonade as an N/A option. Wines are basic, but will satisy your average bar crowd. How was the service? Ropey to start with, but got better with the arrival of more staff. We'd gone back to the bar after ordering to ask that the small plates come out first, with the big plates and sides afterwards, after having a panic that everyone would come at once and we'd end up eating half of it cold - is there anything more irritating? Despite this being noted and sent to the kitchen, the side of fennel slaw arrived in the middle of the small plates. We told the server about the error, she looked confused, then said okay and took it away, before returning with both portions of chips. We nearly had to lie down. After a detailed conversation about wanting the chips to arrive with the burgers, and not before them, they were taken away, but there wasn't anything resembling an apology and it was a tension point that shouldn't have happened. As two dedicated floor servers arrived in addition to the staff behind the bar things improved a lot, with suddenly people there to take plates, ask questions to and check if we needed anything else. And the damage? Around €105 for three smalls, two bigs, three sides, one dessert and three drinks - easily enough to feed three. We thought the quality to price ratio was excellent. What's the verdict? Juno might be pitching themselves as a bar but to come here for drinks and overlook the food would be a big mistake. There's very little in this neck of the woods just outside town, and very little in this fast food genre that would make us want to go back and eat it all again. If more bars did food like this we might spend less time in restaurants. Juno 58 Dorset Street Lower, Dublin 1 junobar.ie New Openings & Discoveries More >>

We heard whispers about this Turkish charcoal grill for months before we stuck our heads in for a taste, and it didn't leave us wanting (either in portion sizes or value for money). You'll find foods here that you won't find anywhere else, like Tombik bread and Iskender lamb, and the food comes back. The best is best for group meet ups and family dining, the front if you want to watch all the action. Pera Website instagram.com/peradublin Address 61 Mary St, North City, Dublin 1, D01 XP94, Ireland Good For Tag 1 Cuisine Tag 1 Once Over Read our Review >> The Story We heard whispers about this Turkish charcoal grill for months before we stuck our heads in for a taste, and it didn't leave us wanting (either in portion sizes or value for money). You'll find foods here that you won't find anywhere else, like Tombik bread and Iskender lamb, and the food comes back. The best is best for group meet ups and family dining, the front if you want to watch all the action. Where It's At Nearby Locales D'Lepak Pera Borgo Amai by Viktor Kaizen Chubbys Badam Table 45 Comet Daruma Malahide Lena The Pig's Ear Notions @ Two Pups The Rooftop @ Anantara The Marker Sofra Little Geno's Mama Shee Nutbutter Smithfield Shaku Maku Mad Yolks Rathmines Una Choux Bakery Parnell Street Bakery Baily Bites @ Kish Spice Village Terenure

Shouk Mezze, shawarma and arayes straight from the Levant Posted: 13 Nov 2018 Neighbourhood Neighborhood Name Address Restaurant Address Website Website Name Restaurant Info View the Listing >> Written by: Lisa Cope What’s the story? Shouk opened quietly a year ago with zero fanfare - they have social media but not even a website. Slowly rumours started to go around about what sounded like a ramshackle operation on the grounds of St Pat's college in Drumcondra serving really exciting Middle Eastern food. Catherine Cleary reviewed it six months later and the word was officially out. It's actually not in St. Pat's College, it's right next to the train station and the Arts and Business Campus, and it backs onto a yard with a few covered market stalls selling various handmade bits and pieces. Owner Alon is Israeli with Irish roots, and insists on everything being made fresh, and it's in no small thanks to this that in 12 months Shouk has gone from suburban unknown to somewhere you'd be lucky to get in without a booking. Where should we go for a drink first? This isn't really the land of wine or cocktails. Your best bet would be a pint or a gin and tonic in Fagan's (Bertie Ahern's fav) or Kennedy's , or just go straight to Shouk which is BYO. Where should we sit? Inside is warm and 'cosy', with a few bar seats and tables which are quite close together, but we can guarantee it won't bother you much once the food starts coming. There's also a wonderful outside area which is a total suntrap and was the place to be during the summer. We were thinking of how sad it is that this space is going to go to waste for the next six months or so until the weather gets better again, when they told us that work is about to get underway on building walls to enclose the space that will be able to go up or down depending on the weather, as well as a retractable roof. Genius. What's good to eat? Honestly? Everything. We've been three times and were wowed by it all. Don't miss the mezze platter, but be warned, it's enormous, so one between two (or two between four) is plenty, unless that's all you want to eat. Everything in Shouk is homemade and it's so obvious when you start eating. The flavours are so intense and vibrant, we spend most of our time there making yummy noises and shaking our heads rather than talking. You can order all of the bits separately from the snacks menu but the mezze is a really good overview of what the kitchen are doing. The chicken shawarma is another winner, albeit more difficult to share, and is packed with spiced chicken, pickled and fresh veg and loads of hummus in a fresh pita. For €8.50 it's one of the best sandwiches we've had this year. The menu is mostly vegetarian, and the chargrilled aubergine, with tahini, harissa, cherry tomatoes and more of that amazing pitta is as good an example as any to give meat a break. It is very charred and strong-tasting, so you might not want a whole plate to yourself but it's a definite if you're sharing. *Secret menu item alert* - Through some fortuitous twist of fate (an older member of a group asking where all the meat was) we discovered the beef and lamb arayes - stuffed pitta breads deep-fried and served with labneh, charred vegetables and a cucumber, onion and tomato salad. This is heavy and probably the least healthy item in here but oh so worth it - total table silencer. They're hoping to launch new menus soon and we're told this will be on there, but if not ask for it. They only had one dessert the last time we were there - Malabi, an Israeli milk pudding. Usually desserts like this wouldn't overly appeal, but our server convinced us to give it a go and we were so glad she did. A coconut cream base was topped with rosewater, shaved coconut, caramelised almonds and pistachios, and was a perfect combination of lightness, zippiness and sweetness. We shared one and were very tempted to order another, but had already eaten our body weight in pitta so restrained ourselves. What about the drinks? Another brilliant thing about Shouk is that it's BYO - €4 for wine, €1 for beer, but this might go up soon as it's very cheap. This started as they initially didn't have an alcohol license, but despite recently securing a wine list they're going to keep allowing BYO as it's been so popular - three cheers for Shouk. They're currently working on a wine list too so if you don't want to BYO (or forget to) they will have options. And the service? There's a really positive atmosphere in Shouk and everyone really seems to like working there. This is probably partly down to the fact that they are deluged with customers telling them how much they enjoyed their meal and can't wait to come back. It's like walking into a big love bubble. The verdict? This the most exciting, best-value Middle Eastern food we've found in Dublin. The dishes and flavours set the bar for this style of cooking, and if we had this in Israel, never mind Ireland, we'd be delighted. Every time we've gone the bill has seemed paltry for the amount and quality of food we had, and the fact that you can BYO makes it ideal for special occasions. Go soon, and be sure to book in advance. Shouk 40 Drumcondra Road Lower, Drumcondra, Dublin 9 shouk.ie New Openings & Discoveries More >>

Gertrude Website gertrude.ie Address 130 Pearse Street, Grand Canal Dock, Dublin Good For Tag 1 Cuisine Tag 1 Once Over Read our Review >> The Story Where It's At Nearby Locales D'Lepak Pera Borgo Amai by Viktor Kaizen Chubbys Badam Table 45 Comet Daruma Malahide Lena The Pig's Ear Notions @ Two Pups The Rooftop @ Anantara The Marker Sofra Little Geno's Mama Shee Nutbutter Smithfield Shaku Maku Mad Yolks Rathmines Una Choux Bakery Parnell Street Bakery Baily Bites @ Kish Spice Village Terenure

Frank's Small plates and all the wine on Camden Street Posted: 23 Jul 2019 Neighbourhood Neighborhood Name Address Restaurant Address Website Website Name Restaurant Info View the Listing >> Written by: Lisa Cope What’s the story? Unless you've had your head under a rock for the past two months you've probably heard of Frank's , the new wine bar serving small plates around a communal table, from the guys behind Delahunt a few doors up. Industry chatter for months before they opened was about how they were going to bring a better value wine offering to Dublin, and that the inspiration came from London wine shop and bar P Franco in East London, which has a similar set up. Where they differ, is that Frank's don't really want you sitting at the communal table unless you're eating, so in effect it's only a wine bar if you're happy to perch on the ledges either side of the window (or maybe if it's not busy - we certainly wouldn't attempt it at peak times on Friday or Saturday night). And if you were planning on pitching up and snacking on olives and almonds your plans might be scuppered too - you can only order their smoked almonds with a glass of amontillado sherry, as apparently people were coming and just ordering those. Smoked almonds and sherry are a great match, but it seems like an oddly constraining rule to come up against on a night out. The other thing it's really important to know before going is that you can't book, it's walk-in only, and they won't take your name and let you go off for a drink (there's no phone), so you just have to hang around. This wasn't filling us with joy when we arrived just after 19:30 on a Friday evening to be told there was a two hour wait for seats. There's also no wait list, so you're just counting on the staff to remember who got there first, which seems unnecessarily anxiety-provoking (and will surely end in a scrap one night). We decided to have a drink (sherry, because we were starving and needed those almonds), and thanks to at least one waiting couple giving up and leaving we were sitting down after an hour, which goes by fast if you've brought someone with good chat. Where should we go for a drink first? The queue here is where you will be having your drink, because no one wants to risk an hour long wait for food while already tipsy, and they have good wine. Where should we sit? You'll likely have no choice unless you're first in, but if you do it's the dilemma of whether to go close to the action where the chef is cooking and risk leaving smelling like your dinner, or back away and sit closer to the window, standing a better chance of keeping your perfume/cologne on. Either way communal dining won't be for everyone, but if it's your thing you'll love it. What's good to eat? We can vouch for the wait snacks of almonds and gordal olives, and after that we just told them to bring everything - blame the queuing time. The menu has been changing a lot, and every review we've read has featured different food, so it could be totally different by the time you get there, but we imagine they'll settle into some favourites after a while. Head (and only) chef Chris Maguire had previously been the head chef at Locks , and before that worked at two-Michelin starred The Ledbury in London, so you know you're in good hands, and the same over-riding focus on quality produce is the main driver for the menu. From the six main small plates (not including cheese or dessert) the standouts were the chargrilled squid with a padrón pepper sauce and violet artichokes (a pretty perfect plate of food, in flavour and texture), and the hen of the woods mushrooms with charred corn and smokey chicken wing meat, which we would have ordered another of if we'd had enough time. What a dish. Burrata with heirloom tomatoes and pickled onion was simple but obviously made with quality ingredients, including tomatoes that tasted like they were grown on sunnier shores, and mackerel with gooseberry and horseradish would give that unfairly judged fish a less stinky reputation, just barely fried and still pink in the middle, lifted by the tart gooseberries, although we couldn't taste the horseradish. We'd been eyeing up the whipped chicken liver with pickled strawberries and brioche on Insagram all week, and while it was pleasant we felt like the chicken liver needed the flavour turned up, or maybe a bit more seasoning. It was hard to imagine the pickled green strawberries or the brioche getting any better. The only plate we didn't love was the morcilla with salt-baked beetroot and cherry, whose flavours seem to fight against rather than compliment each other. Dessert and cheese ended things on a high, as all meals should. We'd been daydreaming about the peaches, ricotta and brown butter crumb, and we're still daydreaming about it. The peaches were like none we've tried here before (maybe we're going to the wrong fruit shop) with an almost cartoonish, over-exaggerated flavour, smooth, creamy ricotta mellowing out the sweetness, with the brown butter crumb adding a rich savouriness and texture. It's already on the "best things we've eaten this year" list. Cheese was a perfect rectangle of Shepherd's Store from Tipperary, with a vivid looking and tasting purée of dried raspberries, which beats any chutney we've tried recently by a long stretch. What about the drinks? If you like wine you will not go thirsty in here. There's an extensive selection of sherry, sparkling wine, white, red and dessert wines at very reasonable prices, which is one of their hooks. We spotted wines that are €9/€10 on other city centre wine lists on here at €6.50-€7. You will probably end up drinking more rather than spending less, but the wines are great with that minimal intervention slant that tends to result in less of a hangover, so that's okay. The serious value seems to be in the glass selection, but they do have an additional few pages of bottles (including magnums that we could see ourselves having some group fun with) and we'd advise just telling the staff what you like and letting them make suggestions. You're unlikely to go too far wrong - we tried a lot of different glasses and there wasn't one disappointment. One thing you should be aware of is that you'll be holding onto the same glass for the night, so if you're switching from sherry or red to white or fizz you might want to ask for a rinse. And the service? Pretty to the point at queuing stage but warmed up considerably once we managed to sit down. Staff were happy to chat and recommend wines, despite being run off their feet, and dishes were delivered by the chef, although we would have liked a bit more chat in terms of what we were about to eat - to be fair he's pretty busy in that solo kitchen so we get it. This is a very lean operation and they have to be given credit for keeping things running as smoothly and calmly as it was when we were there, and keeping smiles on their faces throughout. The verdict? Frank's has brought a lot of things to Dublin that it was in desperate need of - somewhere that you can always (attempt to) walk in without a booking, non-gouging wine prices allowing us to drink better while spending the same money, and the kind of counter, communal dining that's so popular in other cities but which we're lagging behind with. We would love to see things loosen up a bit to the point where you can just go in for a bottle of wine, but at the same time understand that priority needs to be given to people who want to eat, so for now there's the ledges on either side of the window. If they can improve their wait list system it will do much to alleviate any queuing-related anxiety you may experience while trying to eat and drink there, but once you sit down all is likely to be forgiven. Frank's 22 Camden Street Lower, Dublin 2 www.instagram.com/franksdublin New Openings & Discoveries More >>

Opened by owner Shona McCabe after years of working in restaurants across Australia and New Zealand, Kerb draws on several different cuisines. They originally focused on Middle Eastern food a modern twist - this is definitely not the greasy late night kebab that we all know and love, but the evening menu has more of a Mexican spin with tacos, totopos and tostadas. Plenty of options for both veggies and vegans, and a great place to stop for coffee. Kerb Website kerb.ie Address 1B Brighton Road, Foxrock, Dublin 18 Good For Tag 1 Cuisine Tag 1 Once Over Read our Review >> The Story Opened by owner Shona McCabe after years of working in restaurants across Australia and New Zealand, Kerb draws on several different cuisines. They originally focused on Middle Eastern food a modern twist - this is definitely not the greasy late night kebab that we all know and love, but the evening menu has more of a Mexican spin with tacos, totopos and tostadas. Plenty of options for both veggies and vegans, and a great place to stop for coffee. Where It's At Nearby Locales D'Lepak Pera Borgo Amai by Viktor Kaizen Chubbys Badam Table 45 Comet Daruma Malahide Lena The Pig's Ear Notions @ Two Pups The Rooftop @ Anantara The Marker Sofra Little Geno's Mama Shee Nutbutter Smithfield Shaku Maku Mad Yolks Rathmines Una Choux Bakery Parnell Street Bakery Baily Bites @ Kish Spice Village Terenure

Weel-heeled part of the southside stretching from Leeson Street just outside the city centre across to the Aviva stadium, and down through suburbs Ballsbridge, Donnybrook and Sandymount. Money doesn't always mean amazing food, but there are a few places worth your money. Dublin 4 Our Take Weel-heeled part of the southside stretching from Leeson Street just outside the city centre across to the Aviva stadium, and down through suburbs Ballsbridge, Donnybrook and Sandymount. Money doesn't always mean amazing food, but there are a few places worth your money. Where to Eat Angelina's Baan Thai Bujo Crudo Forest Avenue Forêt Junior's Mae Paulie's The Old Spot Yoi Ramen

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The Grayson Go for the chips, the margaritas and the marble bathrooms Posted: 18 Sept 2018 Neighbourhood Neighborhood Name Address Restaurant Address Website Website Name Restaurant Info View the Listing >> Written by: Lisa Cope What’s the story? Up until January of this year, the four-storey building at 41 St. Stephen's Green was home to former private member's club Residence and the upmarket (and suitably priced) Restaurant Forty One . When it was announced late one Friday evening that Press Up Entertainment had bought the building and it would close it immediately for refurbishment, there was a collective groan amongst much of the food and drink industry. Press Up (owned by Paddy McKillen Jnr, son of multi-million/billionaire developer Paddy McKillen) are commonly accused of being "all fur coat and no knickers" (based on their beautiful fit outs but generally average food), and independent restaurants say they can't compete with their deep pockets when vacant sites come available. Press Up disputes this, saying they rarely bid on properties, and on it rumbles. You can read more about that situation in this very good Irish Times article by Catherine Cleary and Una Mullally. Whether you like them or not, it's hard to argue with the fact that when it comes to fit outs and design few people do it better, and they have undoubtedly brought something new to the Dublin dining and drinking scene - rooftop bars with panoramic views of the city, the ability to use a swing on a night out, and the plushest cinema in the country to name a few. We were very interested to see what they would do with 41 Stephen's Green, and the initial publicity photos were as impressive as always, but where Press Up sites tend to fall down is the food. With Roberta's in particular receiving less than glowing reviews from the critics last year after it opened, we were hoping this one might be the exception to the rule, but we are also acutely aware that we are in the middle of a major chef shortage , and we can't figure out how they're managing to staff so many sites. Where should we go for a drink first? If you're going here you should have the full experience, which means a pre-dinner drink in the atrium cocktail bar. It's a stunning space with seating at the bar and at high tables, and up the stairs at the end leads to a very plush smoking area with a retractable roof. The cocktails are well priced by city centre standards at €10 - €12.50, and of the ones we tried, our favourites were the excellent Second Floor Margarita with tequila, blood orange liquor, blood orange syrup and lemon, and the Prickly Honey, with pisco, pineapple liqueur, honey, lemon, egg white and soda water. We were less keen on the Angi, with lemon infused gin, white chocolate, lemon and egg whites, which was a bit too sweet for an aperitif. Staff couldn't have been nicer, and offered to make us any cocktail we could think of. Where should we sit? As well as main dining rooms on the ground, first and second floors, there are a few little private rooms off the stairways, which would be great for a small private event or if you're really trying to impress a date. Try to nab a table near the window on either floor for the great views out onto St Stephen's Green. We also thought the light on the first floor was slightly better if being able to read the menu/post pictures of your dinner on Instagram is something that's important to you. What's good to eat? Frustratingly we didn't find any knockout dishes, but we did hear people talking about how much they enjoyed their meal, so if you're easier to please than us you might love it. Of the starters, the best were the roast pork belly with pulled pork croquette, puy lentils, orange and watercress salad (although it was very filling), and the whole king prawn with tempura prawn and baby prawn salad, bloody mary jelly and baby gem leaves. The most disappointing dish was the sesame seared tuna with avocado and wasabi purée, watermelon and pink ginger, which couldn't have looked more different to the publicity shot, and which was really just a hot mess (without the hot part). The four tiny pieces of tuna tasted of nothing, and the wasabi purée improved things but there wasn't enough of it. When it came to the mains, at first taste, both fish dishes we tried were good. Pan fried halibut was well cooked and came with crispy okra (which tasted of nothing but oiliness), nduja ratte potatoes, toasted sweetcorn and samphire sea herb (which we're pretty sure is just samphire), and at the start it felt like a flavour-packed combination, but once the initial punch wore off, we found the salt and fat overpowering. By the time we were halfway through our palates were jaded, and a good chunk of it went uneaten. It was a similar situation with the seabream with roasted artichokes (which tasted like the jarred variety), crab salad and vierge sauce. Too much salt. Not enough flavour. Not all eaten. We found the oversized, branded salt containers on each table (which seem to be in all of their venues) quite ironic. Duck breast with confit leg meat, crushed sweet potato, charred broccoli and duck jus was another of the better choices and had good flavour (despite being slightly overcooked), but once again, after a few bites the salt became overpowering. Maybe the kitchen's on commission for how much of those branded salt containers they can get through. Of the sides, a salad of bumble bee leaves, mixed beetroot, heirloom tomatoes, feta whip and smoked almonds tasted once again overpoweringly of salt - this time from the first bite. We have no idea how it's possible to over-salt salad leaves to this extent, unless you did it for a dare. Tempura courgettes were okay if needing work when it comes to the batter, but the crispy hand-cut skinny fries topped with nduja, chilli mayonnaise and parmesan were very good. Definitely one of the highlights of the meal. Another highlight was dessert. Vanilla ice-cream with chocolate soil (groan), chocolate shards, chocolate and caramel sauce and house made honeycomb, came in the form of an ice-cream sundae and was a deliciously nostalgic way to end a meal, although it was extremely rich. The same goes for the chocolate delice, with hazelnut crunch, salted caramel sauce, milk chocolate chantilly and salted caramel ice cream. A skillfully made, beautifully presented dessert, but half would have been enough. Blueberry cheesecake was also very good, but apple tart tatin had unpleasant pastry and was completely solidified to the plate - not what we generally look for in food. What about the drinks? The cocktail list is great and most of what we tried was a cut above the average you'll find around town. Wines by the glass are limited and not particularly interesting, and Paddy McKillen's Château La Coste (from his vineyard in Provence) takes centre stage as the house wine, as it does in all of Press Up's sites. There are some nice options on the bottle list, but mark ups are high and you're looking at €40-45 a bottle for anything decent. If you have cash to splash there are some serious bottles on there but we're talking €60/70 plus. The staff who served us were not well-versed in the wine list so if you want to spend that much and you don't know what to go for ask for a sommelier. And the service? The initial welcome and the atrium bar staff couldn't be faulted. The restaurant staff were very pleasant but felt inexperienced. We were asked if we were ready to order three times before we actually were, staff reprimanded each other in front of us, and acknowledged that they didn't know anything about the wines. They were all very nice, but it wasn't quite a tightly-run ship. Teething problems we would hope. The verdict? If food is your first priority in life this probably isn't going to knock your socks off, but if you want an injection of gold-plated glam, good cocktails and marbled-decked bathrooms you will probably love it. We heard the table next to us, and another in the adjoining room saying how much they'd enjoyed their food, so maybe we need to go and join Marina O'Loughlin in Snobland , or maybe those other people are just more easily pleased. The Grayson 41 St. Stephen's Green, Dublin 2 thegrayson.ie New Openings & Discoveries More >>

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 >>

NYC-style pizza slice shop with triangular and square slices, gigantic 20" whole pies, and a small, well-chosen drinks selection. The ricotta is housemade, the sausage comes from Andarl Farm pigs, and greens come from McNally Farm in North Dublin. Bambino Website bmbno.ie Address 37 Stephen Street, Dublin 2 Good For Tag 1 Cuisine Tag 1 Once Over Read our Review >> The Story NYC-style pizza slice shop with triangular and square slices, gigantic 20" whole pies, and a small, well-chosen drinks selection. The ricotta is housemade, the sausage comes from Andarl Farm pigs, and greens come from McNally Farm in North Dublin. Where It's At Nearby Locales D'Lepak Pera Borgo Amai by Viktor Kaizen Chubbys Badam Table 45 Comet Daruma Malahide Lena The Pig's Ear Notions @ Two Pups The Rooftop @ Anantara The Marker Sofra Little Geno's Mama Shee Nutbutter Smithfield Shaku Maku Mad Yolks Rathmines Una Choux Bakery Parnell Street Bakery Baily Bites @ Kish Spice Village Terenure

Rei Momo Brazilian bar food and killer Caipirinhas having all the fun with flavour Posted: 28 Oct 2025 Neighbourhood Neighborhood Name Address Restaurant Address Website Website Name Restaurant Info View the Listing >> Written by: Lisa Cope What's the scoop on Rei Momo? The new(ish) Brazilian bar on Drury Street used to be Bootleg , whose short-lived attempt at bringing vintage wines, disco nights and Spanish-style small plates to the city centre never really caught fire. A collaboration from the people behind Big Fan, Sprezzatura and Bow Lane, they cut their losses and put their thinking caps on about a new concept in the same space. What they came up with was Rei Momo (which translates to King Momo, the King of Carnival), a Brazilian bar serving all the iconic snacks, grilled meats, and an almighty list of caipirinhas. The food seems to centre on their Brazilian chef Bruno, who regularly features on their social feeds, and they're pitching it as a fun place to go with friends, or just stop for drinks and snacks on the eternally buzzing Drury Street. In a city where once again it's become impossible to get a table anywhere good without extreme levels of planning, more places like this encouraging spontaneity, walk ins and no minimum order can only be a good thing. Where should we sit? First things first, this is a bar, not a restaurant, and a lot of the chairs are high ones at high top tables. If you're coming with a gang you can request the large table in the centre which sits up to 12, or the ones on the side could seat six. There's bar seating at the counter too if you feel like dropping in solo for a drink and a snack, and don't want to take up a whole table. If you have a friend or family member who likes their feet on the ground and proper back support, ask for the booth seating on the right hand side of the room, and if you're into city centre people watching, ask to sit inside the window. We'd least like to be sat at the low tables for two in the middle of the room, which feel a bit lost at sea and are too small for the amount of food we'd end up ordering. What are we drinking? When in a Brazilian bar, it's mandatory to start with a caipirinha, and this must be the best selection in the city. There are six flavours, from classic to coco verde, and three frozen ones, with mango, açaí and a whole young coconut. You can also get batidas (a creamy cocktail with condensed milk), spritzes, Brazilian beers, and a "tiny beer" for €2.50 (we've been waiting for tiny cocktails to hit Dublin, but beer beat them to it). There's a decent wine list and a really excellent N/A selection too, featuring soda, juice, Brazilian lemonade, N/A beer and wine, as well as beer and coffee. No one will be left wanting. We had to dive right in with a frozen mango caipirinha (like a fruity, freezing cold slap to the face), and a coco verde caipirinha, and both just made us want to try more from this list. They're both high on alcohol and sugar though, so we're not sure we could do more than a couple. What about food? Again, it's important to remember that this is bar food, and not a three course meal. A lot of it is fried and meaty, so perfect for soaking up cocktails, but it might feel like overload if you're picturing a three-course meal situation. Start with the bougiest version o f Pão de Queijo we've ever seen, the cheesy, chewy, dough balls coming with the lovely addition of whipped Parmesan butter (€7 for three). Then move onto coxinhas, Brazil's famous teardrop-shaped, deep-fried croquettes, on the menu here in four better the average flavours. We had to try the Irish crab and Gruyère with chilli jam and lemon mayo, and while you can't go far wrong with Irish crab anything, we couldn't taste any Gruyère (maybe a stronger cheese, higher quality version or more of it was needed). The fact that they arrived lukewarm didn't help. The smoked short-rib version with requeijão (a Brazilian ricotta-like cheese) and guava ketchup was much better (€14 for three) - a mound of meat collapsing into a pool of more lemony mayo, with a tangy dot of guava on top (we would have liked more). Salt cod is another ingredient synonymous with Brazil, as are bolinhos de bacalhau - salt cod fritters (€12 for three). We thought these could have gone lighter on the potato, and heavier on the fish, but they came alive with the little pops of sweet and spicy peppers, and a squeeze of lemon over the top. Pastels, a deep-fried pastry pocket, are again more upmarket than you might have seen on the streets of São Paulo, and we went for the one stuffed with oxtail and Durrus cheese (€13). It's a sizeable snack and could be enough to fill a gap on its own at lunch time, but we did find a chunk of the pastry at one end was empty, which is always a bummer. The vinagrete on the side provided the perfect lift to all that meat and cheese. One of the must orders here is the wood-fired garlic butter chicken hearts (€12), even if they came without the advertised caipirinha yoghurt. It didn't matter, because a squeeze of lemon is all they needed, and if you're squeamish about offal, just trust us and pop your cherry with these. Also from the grill you can get Peri Peri chicken, pork ribs and moqueca prawns, but it had to be pichana with thyme and chimichurri after Entrecote-gate a few streets over. Despite being more cooked than we would have liked, it had great flavour, and we love dipping it in the accompanying farofa which brings welcome texture to the soft meat. There was nowhere near enough chimichurri, but staff brought more when we asked. If you're stuck on which sides to order, our favourite was the white rice with coconut milk and crispy garlic, with the deep-fried "punched" potatoes with garlic mayo coming in second. Charcoal sweetcorn with fondue lacked any bite and we found the cheese slightly random (don't worry, it was still eaten). Desserts didn’t overly appeal, with more deep-frying in the form of a pastel de dulce de leite, gelato, or the condensed milk based brigadeiros, but they tick the box for something sweet in a bar setting. How was the service? Despite the bar not being busy when we went for lunch, there was a long lag between ordering and any food arriving, to the point where we started to panic that it was all going to come at once. We asked that a few plates be brought out at a time, but almost immediately four arrived together. To add insult to injury, three weren't hot enough and had obviously been cooling in the kitchen as we sat outside riddled with anxiety about having to eat too much food at once. Our advice? Order as you go. It's a bar so they won't mind you ordering two-three plates at a time rather than the full order at once. Saying that, we did find the staff hard to wave down when we needed anything, and at times some seemed more interested in their phones, but the online reviews for service are fantastic, so we think we were unlucky and maybe someone more senior was off. What's the verdict on Rei Momo? In a city where bar food offerings are more often than not dire, Rei Momo joins the ranks of places like Caribou and Sister 7 where dinner is not just a mid-drinks afterthought. Added to that, Brazilian food is having a real moment in Dublin right now, finally rising above the comfort food spots that expats flood into each day for a taste of home, and Rei Momo is having more fun with flavour that most of the rest. We might not come here for a three course meal, but for casual sharing plates between friends, alongside a drinks list we'd like to deep dive into, it's worth a space on your "to eat in list". New Openings & Discoveries More >>

Cantina Valentina The (pricey) Peruvian opening we've been praying for Posted: 25 Nov 2025 Neighbourhood Neighborhood Name Address Restaurant Address Website Website Name Restaurant Info View the Listing >> Written by: Lisa Cope What do we need to know about Cantina Valentina? It's been a long four/five years since The Central Hotel on Exchequer Street closed its doors, and a long three since we found out the international group The Hoxton were taking over, bringing with it all the design-led, lifestyle-focused, ultra-modern touches familiar to anyone who's stayed in any of their boutique hotels before. As well as the resurrection of the famous Library Bar , the thing we were most excited about was that the group's Peruvian restaurant, Cantina Valentina , would be installed on the ground floor. We've been bleating on about Peruvian food being a massive gap in the dining scene here for longer than we can remember, and The Hoxton have a tendency to get things right, so this was a good news day. Cantina Valentina started out as a concept in The Hoxton's incubator space underneath their Holborn hotel in 2021, devised by the hotel group's food and beverage director Jules Pearson, along with chef Adam Rawson, who's travelled extensively in Peru and worked at London's Pachamama . He wanted to bring a mix of cosmopolitan and historical dishes, from coastal villages to isolated mountain towns, and the restaurant opened proper in Brussels in 2023. Based on its success the group picked Dublin as their second location (London has tonnes of fantastic Peruvian restaurants - lucky them), and it opened officially last week, after a week or so of soft launching with some chosen influencers. Where should we sit? The room is in two sections. There's the front room where you walk in featuring the bar, and the back room featuring the raw bar. There's lots of different table configurations and they'd easily sit eight without a problem if you're planning a group night out, even though it's not a huge restaurant. It's all very tactile and comfortable with most tables featuring a banquette, and you'll probably spend as much time as we did taking in the lighting, the cushions, the artwork, the ornamental touches dotted around the place. For anything up to four people you could sit at the raw bar and see your food being prepared - it's curved so you should still be able to talk to each other - and there's a few nice corners for intimate encounters. The lighting is also low, which some might see as cosy and romantic, while others will bemoan squinting to read their menu. What's the menu like? Modern Peruvian by way of London. For the most part this is less what the grannies are eating in Cusco, and more what the gastro tourists are eating in Lima. There ' s plenty drawn from the country's most famous dishes and ways of eating - ceviche being number one. There are six different types (including a veggie option), and it should be a large focus of your meal here. Other typical Peruvian dishes include grilled skewers, pollo a la brasa, quinoa-based salads, and carapulcra - a rich stew made from dried Andean potatoes. To potentially save you a Google, 'Aji' and 'Rocoto' are types of chillies. Ají Amarillo is sweeter, Ají Panca is smokier, and Rocoto is very spicy. Cancha, is toasted Andean corn. A bite while you wait? We wanted all four but with some measure of restraint we stuck to the chicharrones with aji lime salt (€9), and holy hell these are now the ones to beat citywide. Rendered and crisped to such perfection you may think you're hallucinating, these will wipe all memories of flabby, fatty pork belly from your mind, along with tooth-breaking cracking. The sweet amarillo mayo on the side is just added lux. After that you'll need some ceviche - the culinary equivalent of a lightning strike to the mouth. Scallop ceviche (€18) comes with jalapeño tiger's milk, green apple and cancha (toasted corn), with two corn tortillas to scoop it up onto, and it's been so long since we had ceviche this precisely perfect that it was almost an ' I've just got something in my eye ' moment. There's seabream and tuna versions too, and we're going back for all of them. We ordered the 'fried calamari ceviche' (€17) ready to tear it apart - how can anything fried be ceviche! Well if this is wrong, we don't want to be right. A mound of lightly-spiced, barely breaded, tender as a baby's cheek calamari rings come with a bowl of 'Tiger's milk a la chalaca' - a milky-looking ceviche marinade with lime juice, coriander, possibly some fish stock and kernels of crunchy corn. Throw a ring in the bowl, scoop it out with a spoon and throw your head back in glee as a new core food memory is created. Absolutely no notes, now or ever. From the 'Anticucho' (skewers) section, the lomo saltado (typical Peruvian, super savoury, stir-fried beef) comes with Hereford beef, shoestring fries and a piquillo pepper sauce. It's already in chunks so easily shareable, and the flavour from marinading, grilling and painting it with that sauce runs so deep, the fries adding a tiny bit of extra texture to the silky meat. From the bigger plates, we were floored by some of the pre-opening menu prices, with a duck and rice dish priced at €52, a Herford dry-aged rib-eye for €54 (no sides), and a whole Peruvian (presumably farmed) sea bream to share at €72. Who would ever pay this we thought! And they obviously thought twice, because when we got there the duck dish had been reduced to just the leg for €32, and a new 'pollo a la brasa' had been added, also for €32. However, there's been an insane decision to raise the price of the 450g rib-eye to €90!? Again, we wonder, typo? The same size rib-eye in Hawksmoor is €58 (no fries for that but still). In FX Buckley it's €69 with a side and sauce. If you pay €90 for a steak here you have more money than sense. We have more sense than money, so it was the 'signature' free-range pollo a la brasa, with lamb's lettuce and aji amarillo mayo (€32). Most people will want to add fries (€6), so this is not a cheap version of chicken and chips by any stretch, but it's a very good one. We rarely order chicken for obvious reasons, but we would if more tasted as juicy and smokily skinned as this one, that amarillo mayo and just dressed lamb's lettuce a double chef's kiss. Fries were excellent too - hot, crisp and perfectly salted. We were interested to try their version of carapulcra, a rich, dried Andean potato stew that usually comes with pork or beef (or llama), but is one of the vegetarian options here, with mushrooms and fresh truffle (the part that presumably justifies the €32 price point). In Peru potatoes are often sun or freeze-dried to make them last longer, rehydrating them when needed. This might not win 'most attractive dish of the night', but it's at the top of the table for flavour, those potatoes almost concentrated, the mushrooms bringing deep umami in every bite, and the (scant) truffle adding additional luxury. It's one of those dishes where you think a couple of forkfuls will be enough, but you can't stop going back for more. Their 'Peruvian-braised lamb' (€38, Slane Valley's best slow-cooked) gets the South American treatment with coriander sauce (barely discernable), black kale and frijoles. Lamb feels as much of a high end ingredient as truffle these days, and this one was so well cooked it was practically spoonable, but we found the flavours extremely rich and salty. A whole plate for one would have tipped us over the edge, but you probably know someone whose street it would be right up. A side of grilled broccoli and peanuts (there was chilli too) had one of the best treatments of a cruciferous veg we've had in a while, but the broccoli itself was overcooked and soggy. Hopefully a one time misdemeanour. There are four desserts, and they felt to us like more of an add on than a main event. We're regretting now not ordering Peru's famous 'suspiro de limena' with custard, meringue and passion fruit, thinking it might be bland and/or plain. Instead we went for the tres leches (€12, more Latin American than strictly Peru), named for the evaporated milk, condensed milk and whole milk in the mix. It's soft, sweet and mild, with the coconut on top and berries at the side adding texture and tartness. Pleasant? Yes. A must order? No. What's a dessert menu without a chocolate tart, and Cantina Valentina's (€12) come with cacao, toasted quinoa ice-cream and dulce le leche. They recommend cracking the wafer and mixing it all in, and we couldn't really ascertain where the tart was. It felt more like a splodge of chocolate, a splodge of dulce de lecha, and some toasty ice-cream with a slightly grainy texture. There was nothing not to like here, but equally we don't think it's an essential ending. The yuzu sorbet Pisco Colonel (€11) would be a lighter, boozier end to dinner. What should we drink? There are three signature drinks on the food menu - a classic Pisco Sour, a Spicy Margarita and an N/A Chicha Morada. The Pisco Sour is as good as in our rose-tinted memories of Peru, and the Chicha is a really refreshing alcohol-free choice, with purple corn steeped in fresh pineapple, apple, cloves and cinnamon, topped up with fresh lime juice and soda. There's a larger cocktail menu too with eight 'house' options, featuring more Pisco, Tequila, Gin and more. As with any hotel wine list, it's never going to light us on fire with excitement, and prices are very high. There's only three bottles on the whole list under €50, with most in the region of €50-€60. The most interesting thing here is that they've managed to source Peruvian wine, both a Chardonnay and a Syrah (€11.50 a glass or €55 a bottle). We tried a glass of the Chardonnay, and while it was crisp, clean and refreshing while chilled, as it warmed up it became clear what a simple wine it is. Good for a try, but we wouldn't go back for a bottle. How was the service? Very pleasant but more training is needed. We had to ask for water every time, the empty carafe pushed to the front of the table not enough to nudge the standstill staff into action. We had to request a glass of wine twice before it was delivered, and we were one of only a few tables there, so we hope they can tighten things up before they get busier. Staff were very friendly and asked us lots of times how our food and drinks were, but they need to do better at anticipating diners' needs before they have to raise a hand. What was the damage? We paid around €80 a head for a generous amount of food for three and one drink each. You could definitely order less than we did (we overdid it) but a few more cocktails and wine and your bill will be in the big leagues. This is definitely in the "pricier restaurants" category. If you're on a budget, go for a Pisco sour, some chicharrónes and a bowl of ceviche and you'll be out for under €40 before tip. Otherwise go large. What's the verdict on Cantina Valentina? After an all time wait, Dublin finally has Peruvian food of a standard we've only seen in London and Peru - we think that's worth getting excited about. Yes it's expensive, and sometimes it feels like we're living in an alternate universe, getting more and more detached about the prices of food and eating out. It's becoming harder and harder to discern what's good value, what's too much, what's worth spending the big bucks on, and there's so much noise, opinions and crying out from every side on what's fair and right (both diners and restaurants). In the end all we can judge on is whether or not we think the food, drinks and experience are worth your time and money. In Cantina Valentina , we've found dishes we've been attempting to manifest here for at least 10 years, so (budget allowing) our answer is a big fat yes. New Openings & Discoveries More >>

Fish, chips, snacks, wine. Casual, bar counter dining at its best, with lovely service from warm staff. Brilliant wine list full of interesting discoveries that the team will be more than happy to talk you through. There's nowhere better for fish, chips and a bottle of Champagne. Fish Shop Website fish-shop.ie Address 76 Benburb St, Smithfield, Dublin 7 Good For Tag 1 Cuisine Tag 1 Once Over Read our Review >> The Story Fish, chips, snacks, wine. Casual, bar counter dining at its best, with lovely service from warm staff. Brilliant wine list full of interesting discoveries that the team will be more than happy to talk you through. There's nowhere better for fish, chips and a bottle of Champagne. Where It's At Nearby Locales D'Lepak Pera Borgo Amai by Viktor Kaizen Chubbys Badam Table 45 Comet Daruma Malahide Lena The Pig's Ear Notions @ Two Pups The Rooftop @ Anantara The Marker Sofra Little Geno's Mama Shee Nutbutter Smithfield Shaku Maku Mad Yolks Rathmines Una Choux Bakery Parnell Street Bakery Baily Bites @ Kish Spice Village Terenure

Upscale seafood restaurant from the owners of O'Connell's pub not far away. Local produce is important and the menu takes risks that plenty of others in the seaside village don't. The Pier House Website thepierhouse.ie Address West Pier, Howth, Dublin 13 Good For Tag 1 Cuisine Tag 1 Once Over Read our Review >> The Story Upscale seafood restaurant from the owners of O'Connell's pub not far away. Local produce is important and the menu takes risks that plenty of others in the seaside village don't. Where It's At Nearby Locales D'Lepak Pera Borgo Amai by Viktor Kaizen Chubbys Badam Table 45 Comet Daruma Malahide Lena The Pig's Ear Notions @ Two Pups The Rooftop @ Anantara The Marker Sofra Little Geno's Mama Shee Nutbutter Smithfield Shaku Maku Mad Yolks Rathmines Una Choux Bakery Parnell Street Bakery Baily Bites @ Kish Spice Village Terenure

Clontarf's wooden bridge would feel empty without café container Happy Out to grab an iced coffee and a toastie from. Queues can be lengthy but smiley staff keep things moving, and there are outdoor and indoor tables so it works for all weathers. Happy Out Website happyout.ie Address Bull Wall, Bull Island, Clontarf, Dublin 3 Good For Tag 1 Cuisine Tag 1 Once Over Read our Review >> The Story Clontarf's wooden bridge would feel empty without café container Happy Out to grab an iced coffee and a toastie from. Queues can be lengthy but smiley staff keep things moving, and there are outdoor and indoor tables so it works for all weathers. Where It's At Nearby Locales D'Lepak Pera Borgo Amai by Viktor Kaizen Chubbys Badam Table 45 Comet Daruma Malahide Lena The Pig's Ear Notions @ Two Pups The Rooftop @ Anantara The Marker Sofra Little Geno's Mama Shee Nutbutter Smithfield Shaku Maku Mad Yolks Rathmines Una Choux Bakery Parnell Street Bakery Baily Bites @ Kish Spice Village Terenure

A brunch/lunch institution, seating 250 in their Capel Street café and restaurant. A Middle Eastern influenced menu with plenty of fresh, healthy choices, and there's a general food store at the front stocking Irish artisanal brands and coffee roasted in-house. Open from breakfast to dinner with everything made in house, including breads and cakes. Brother Hubbard North Website brotherhubbard.ie Address 153 Capel Street, Dublin 1 Good For Tag 1 Cuisine Tag 1 Once Over Read our Review >> The Story A brunch/lunch institution, seating 250 in their Capel Street café and restaurant. A Middle Eastern influenced menu with plenty of fresh, healthy choices, and there's a general food store at the front stocking Irish artisanal brands and coffee roasted in-house. Open from breakfast to dinner with everything made in house, including breads and cakes. Where It's At Nearby Locales D'Lepak Pera Borgo Amai by Viktor Kaizen Chubbys Badam Table 45 Comet Daruma Malahide Lena The Pig's Ear Notions @ Two Pups The Rooftop @ Anantara The Marker Sofra Little Geno's Mama Shee Nutbutter Smithfield Shaku Maku Mad Yolks Rathmines Una Choux Bakery Parnell Street Bakery Baily Bites @ Kish Spice Village Terenure

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 D'Lepak Pera Borgo Amai by Viktor Kaizen Chubbys Badam Table 45 Comet Daruma Malahide Lena The Pig's Ear Notions @ Two Pups The Rooftop @ Anantara The Marker Sofra Little Geno's Mama Shee Nutbutter Smithfield Shaku Maku Mad Yolks Rathmines Una Choux Bakery Parnell Street Bakery Baily Bites @ Kish Spice Village Terenure

Floritz, where the Cliff Townhouse used to be on St Stephen's Green, is Dublin's answer to Hakkasan in London. Asian influenced dishes in a glitzy floral and velvet filled room, where no expense has been spared on interiors. Head chef Matt Fuller is pushing the boat out when it comes to sourcing and flavour, and the quality of both is sky high. The larger than average menu may give you a pain in the head trying to decide what to order, but portions are small and it just means more reasons to come back. Floritz Website floritz.ie Address Floritz, Saint Stephen's Green, Dublin 2, Ireland Good For Tag 1 Cuisine Tag 1 Once Over Read our Review >> The Story Floritz, where the Cliff Townhouse used to be on St Stephen's Green, is Dublin's answer to Hakkasan in London. Asian influenced dishes in a glitzy floral and velvet filled room, where no expense has been spared on interiors. Head chef Matt Fuller is pushing the boat out when it comes to sourcing and flavour, and the quality of both is sky high. The larger than average menu may give you a pain in the head trying to decide what to order, but portions are small and it just means more reasons to come back. Where It's At Nearby Locales D'Lepak Pera Borgo Amai by Viktor Kaizen Chubbys Badam Table 45 Comet Daruma Malahide Lena The Pig's Ear Notions @ Two Pups The Rooftop @ Anantara The Marker Sofra Little Geno's Mama Shee Nutbutter Smithfield Shaku Maku Mad Yolks Rathmines Una Choux Bakery Parnell Street Bakery Baily Bites @ Kish Spice Village Terenure

Bright and beautiful brunch dishes (order anything with their homemade nutbutter), and an emphasis on Middle Eastern flavours at lunch, with wraps and salad plates. A café passionate about climate change, political activism, and doing the right thing, and it's contagious. Tang Abbey Street Website tang.ie Address 9A Abbey Street Lower, Dublin 1 Good For Tag 1 Cuisine Tag 1 Once Over Read our Review >> The Story Bright and beautiful brunch dishes (order anything with their homemade nutbutter), and an emphasis on Middle Eastern flavours at lunch, with wraps and salad plates. A café passionate about climate change, political activism, and doing the right thing, and it's contagious. Where It's At Nearby Locales D'Lepak Pera Borgo Amai by Viktor Kaizen Chubbys Badam Table 45 Comet Daruma Malahide Lena The Pig's Ear Notions @ Two Pups The Rooftop @ Anantara The Marker Sofra Little Geno's Mama Shee Nutbutter Smithfield Shaku Maku Mad Yolks Rathmines Una Choux Bakery Parnell Street Bakery Baily Bites @ Kish Spice Village Terenure

Gertrude Fried chicken for breakfast is always a good idea Posted: 8 Jan 2019 Neighbourhood Neighborhood Name Address Restaurant Address Website Website Name Restaurant Info View the Listing >> Written by: Lisa Cope What’s the story? When rumours started circling last year that 3fe's Colin Harmon was bringing a new all day dining restaurant to Pearse Street, it instantly became one of the most hotly anticipated openings of the year. A series of delays had us thinking it was never going to open (it was a tie between Gertrude and Uno Mas for who had us chewing our fingernails more), but finally it did in early December and seemed to be an instant hit. They've since backed away from the all-day dining concept, with separate breakfast, lunch and dinner options from this week, but that hasn't resulted in too many changes to the menu. It's located about half way between Trinity and Grand Canal Dock, and the kitchen is headed up by Holly Dalton, formerly head chef at 3fe's café on Grand Canal Street. She had a very good reputation at 3fe so we were eager to see what she'd do at Gertrude with a dinner service and more scope for experimentation with the menu. The wine list was put together by Peter Conway, a well known face on the wine scene who was formerly involved with Green Man Wines in Terenure, so we knew it was in good hands - we'd even heard rumours of sherry. Where should we go for a drink first? There are plenty of good boozers in the direction of Trinity, like The Ginger Man on Fenian Street and The Lincoln's Inn on Lincoln place but if it's wine you want just come straight here. If you're out for the night and want somewhere with cocktails and/or a view you could head to Charlotte Quay or the rooftop bar in The Marker Hotel . Where should we sit? The table in the window at the front is the one to bag (especially if you like taking photos of your food - guilty), as it's prime people watching real estate and you can see t he whole restaurant, but any of the tables against the window are nice to sit at. There are also tables in the centre of the restaurant which we imagine would be good for a group or if you have a buggy/general child paraphernalia, and there are are some high tables on the other side if being elevated is your thing. What's good to eat? We tried all three snacks on the current menu and our favourites were the Cooleeny croquettes with beetroot ketchup (hot cheese - what's not to like?) and the bacon and cabbage dumplings which we thought were genius and packed so much flavour. They were both generous portions for €6 too. Whole Hoggs salami spread with sauerkraut on Bread Nation toast was also good, but we thought it was a bit unbalanced in the direction of spice, to the point where our tastebuds took a bit of time to recover, and it generally wasn't as memorable as the other two. We'd heard loads about the pork tonkatsu sandwich with kewpie mayo and shredded white cabbage on Bread Nation batch bread, so were pleased to find it delivered and is something we will definitely be going back for. It was also huge, so go hungry. Our other favourite was the buttermilk chicken and pancakes with honey butter, fermented hot sauce and orchard syrup, which is one of the best things we've eaten in 2019 (dinner at Variety Jones last weekend is also up there). The chicken and pancakes were both perfect and we'd quite like to bribe Holly for that punchy hot sauce recipe. Also, honey butter. Just when we thought it couldn't get any better. We also tried the duck buns which had good bao and meat but which we thought were a bit too salty, and the game pie which was one of those uber comforting dishes perfect for a cold day, but felt it could have done with some kind of green salad to balance the heft, which wasn't an option as a side. For dessert we loved the apple fritters and custard (which tasted more like a crème anglaise - not a complaint), and while the fritters were denser than we were expecting they had a good amount of apple and a gorgeous cinnamon sugar coating which reminded us of times gone by, when doughnuts were simple things costing 40c from a stand on O'Connell Street. It's also worth noting that there are extensive options for kids, with a dedicated menu featuring five choices, or you can get a kids size portion of anything on the main menu for half price - more of this please. They also have highchairs and a baby change, so a very child friendly place to bring the nippers when you don't want to compromise on food quality. What about the drinks? Coffee is obviously excellent, and since we visited they've introduced free top ups on filter coffee and tea. It's obvious that the wine list has been lovingly put together, with loads of minimal intervention options, vermouth and sherries, and there was a lot we wanted to drink. If you're day time drinking try the red Puszta Libre from Claus Preissinger which is only 11.5% and as juicy as a punnet of cherries. And the service? The staff were all really wam and full of smiles, but on both occasions the food took a long time to come out, with 45 minute gaps between snacks and mains. We imagine these are teething issues in a new kitchen and that they are aware of it, but if you're nipping in at lunch and are pressed for time it might be worth letting them know. The verdict? Gertrude really kept us waiting, but she's finally here and we think this is a brilliant addition to the Grand Canal Dock area. They announced this week that they were dropping the all day dining concept in favour of separate breakfast, lunch and dinner menus, and while we will admit to being gutted when we heard this, as we felt it was something really missing from the Dublin dining scene, in reality not a lot has changed, and they say that people weren't ordering spatchcock chicken for breakfast and a full Irish for dinner anyway. The most important thing is that the buttermilk chicken and pancakes are still available for breakfast and lunch (and hopefully dinner - TBC). Gertrude 130 Pearse Street, Grand Canal Dock, Dublin gertrude.ie New Openings & Discoveries More >>

Cooking with fire from chef Keelan Higgs, with an emphasis on family-style dining, homemade pasta and big flavours. A wine list full of unusual options and a minimalistic room, which was immediately touted as one of the most exciting new restaurants of the year when they opened in 2018. Michelin agreed and awarded them a star just nine months later. Variety Jones Website varietyjones.ie Address Variety Jones, Thomas Street, The Liberties, Dublin, Ireland Good For Tag 1 Cuisine Tag 1 Once Over Read our Review >> The Story Cooking with fire from chef Keelan Higgs, with an emphasis on family-style dining, homemade pasta and big flavours. A wine list full of unusual options and a minimalistic room, which was immediately touted as one of the most exciting new restaurants of the year when they opened in 2018. Michelin agreed and awarded them a star just nine months later. Where It's At Nearby Locales D'Lepak Pera Borgo Amai by Viktor Kaizen Chubbys Badam Table 45 Comet Daruma Malahide Lena The Pig's Ear Notions @ Two Pups The Rooftop @ Anantara The Marker Sofra Little Geno's Mama Shee Nutbutter Smithfield Shaku Maku Mad Yolks Rathmines Una Choux Bakery Parnell Street Bakery Baily Bites @ Kish Spice Village Terenure

Big flavours in a small space, Italian inspired Etto, owned and run by partners Liz Matthews and Simon Barrett, is a must-try on the Dublin food scene. Compact menu with rarely (or maybe never) a disappointment, and one of the most interesting wine lists in the city. Sister restaurant to Spanish/Irish Uno Mas on Aungier Street. Etto Website etto.ie Address 18 Merrion Row, Dublin 2 Good For Tag 1 Cuisine Tag 1 Once Over Read our Review >> The Story Big flavours in a small space, Italian inspired Etto, owned and run by partners Liz Matthews and Simon Barrett, is a must-try on the Dublin food scene. Compact menu with rarely (or maybe never) a disappointment, and one of the most interesting wine lists in the city. Sister restaurant to Spanish/Irish Uno Mas on Aungier Street. Where It's At Nearby Locales D'Lepak Pera Borgo Amai by Viktor Kaizen Chubbys Badam Table 45 Comet Daruma Malahide Lena The Pig's Ear Notions @ Two Pups The Rooftop @ Anantara The Marker Sofra Little Geno's Mama Shee Nutbutter Smithfield Shaku Maku Mad Yolks Rathmines Una Choux Bakery Parnell Street Bakery Baily Bites @ Kish Spice Village Terenure