Little Canton A smart switch to Cha Chaan Teng classics Posted: 14 Jul 2026 Neighbourhood Neighborhood Name Address Restaurant Address Website Website Name Restaurant Info View the Listing >> Written by: Ronan Doyle What’s the deal with Little Canton? Spend five minutes in the front window of most restaurants and you’ll get a good sense of the distance they’ll go. We had that perch at Nan back in the winter, and wondered over an affordable dim sum deal to compliment their higher-end Huaiyang cuisine, if the passing crowds that barely seemed to see the place could be bad news for its long-term future. Two seasons and a canny refit later, Ryon Weng and Ian Keegan have pulled the plug and pivoted to Little Canton , a cha chaan teng. We’re settled in the same spot, the glass between us and a growing queue fogging up from gasps at our lunch bowls, and the whole roast duck from the chef’s counter behind. Safe to say they've made the right move. Cha chaan teng? In a nutshell, it’s a diner done Hong Kong-style, with the madcap mix that comprises the international city’s cuisine at the heart of a largely cheap and cheerful menu. Despite what you might have seen on social and at least one national review (sigh), it’s not a new concept to Dublin – or even to D2. Eva Pau’s Hong Kong Wonton , where Duck used to be, brought the idea and much of the same interest to the area in the dying days of 2024, but just fifteen seats and a chaotic order-and-collection setup put a ceiling on its success (though they’re not taking the new neighbourhood competition lying down ). Wen and Keegan lean into opportunity just as often as innovation, so scaling up a similar concept is small surprise – just look at Chongqing Hotpot . What’s on the menu? Steamy summer or no, don’t skip the soup (€3.50). A small bowl of the daily rotating special is as good an appetiser as it gets, light broth shot through with aromatic airs and golden fat from pork chunks plunked plentifully within. Rehydrated lily flowers bring crunch and complexity in every ladle. You’ll get no clearer taste of the East-West fusion emblematic of Hong Kong cuisine than in the curry fish balls (€6.50), whose neon yellow soup has the distinctive bang of a suburban Chinese circa 1994. You’re clutching the wrong kind of pearls if you reckon these squidgy specimens are an acquired taste – we popped them like the down and dirty candy they are. We still think back on the duck spring rolls we had at the late, lamented CN Duck (whose menu Little Canton brings to mind more than once) – we were nostalgic for their sub-€6 price point after chowing down these two (€9.50). Inflation, we know, but that’s a helluva leap the relative quality just can’t cushion. Save your spend for elsewhere. Like, for one, the weekday lunch deal, where from 12:00 - 16:00 any roast meat is heaped on top of a generous bowl of rice for €9.99, with a €3/5 supplement to add one or two meats (plus €1 to debone the poultry), and €2 to upgrade the base to egg fried rice or noodles. A final bowl of bone-in chicken and duck on fried rice (€14.99) is stellar value for the provenance of free-range chicken and Silverhill duck. The latter deserves all the window-side gawping it got, air-dried skin shattering to a treasure of melted fat beneath – we’d never dream of deboning and depriving ourselves of the joy of gnawing off every last ligament of marinated meat. But going again we’d skip the soy chicken, where neither skin nor meat are half as penetrated with flavour and feel flabby and lifeless by contrast. Char siu pork hovers on the verge of the same turf, for all the eye-catching colour shot through these slices. This leaner-looking cut lacked the marbling we’d want to really achieve the signature succulence of this Cantonese BBQ classic – we’ve had a lot better. Stick to the crisp pork belly, where skin and fat layers yield the same crack-to-chew ratio we relished in the duck. We had it over stirred lo ding instant noodles (€16, or €11.99 for weekday lunch), a HK classic whose nostalgic feels explains its popularity throughout the room. Who’d have guessed the vegetables section would throw up one of the top talking points – though Nan’s green beans did the same. They’re back here too but it’s the salt fish aubergine clay pot (€15) that called out to us – and us to it, with squeals of joy at each chunk of fermented fish we found in the bubbling cauldron. We only wished there were more hiding amidst the ginger-rich stir fry. It sums up the speed of service here that we were warned one dish might take up to fifteen minutes, as though it were an eternity, but twenty later there was still no sign. A complimentary portion of salt and pepper chicken wings (€6.50) was flown down to distract us – it did that and more. The great gush of meat juice that bursts forth from crisp skin is a lesson in why to never settle for less than free-range, and a vision of what the roast breast could be with the right rethink of the glaze. The delayed dish was roast pork chop with tomato and cheese (€16), another HK staple ordered by at least half the tables around us. Too low an oven heat was the reason for the delay, and our cracked crater of a plate versus their gushing volcanos the result – the dried-out crusty cheese had all the pull of Temple Bar at 2am. Underneath we got more of the intended taste, with fresh and full-flavoured cherry tomatoes bringing tang to the typically ketchup-spiked sauce, and chunks of fried rice crisped off the piping plate like a paella’s socarrat. However even done right this would be too dense for our tastes. Not worth the wait, or the weight. Hong Kong-style French toast whisked out to neighbouring diners didn’t look half as appetising as the Hong Kong Wonton take , not that we’d have had stomach space for something so soupy-sweet either way. A lighter option in the pineapple bun (€4) is where it’s at, stuffed with a fat pat of butter like the best jambon-beurre. This sweet, soft, salty confection will be a breakfast hit if they ever open earlier than 12. The name’s a nod to form rather than flavour, with the cross-hatched sugar coating a riff on Mexico’s concha. There's more migration routes in the egg tart (€5), a play on the Portuguese classic but one whose crisp visible layers slope to a soggy bottom – skip it. Anything to drink? A small, serviceable wine list and better-fitting beers by the bottle are there for anyone in for dinner, but it’s the assorted hot and iced teas that you should sample for the real cha chaan teng vibes. A bear-shaped ice mould might yield Weng and Keegan’s best ROI yet if its ubiquity on TikTok already is anything to go by – made with tea rather than just water, it melted into our lemon tea (€5) without dulling the fresh flavours that were very welcome of a sunny summer afternoon. Hot milk tea (€3.50) is less tannic than the one we had at Hong Kong Wonton, both silkier and sweeter too – it would wash down a pineapple bun wonderfully. How’s the service? Briskly efficient – the walk-in only setup makes for some craned-neck queues and a heavy demand for the metal-topped tables to be wiped down and turned over, stat. Food comes fast, with wide-rimmed bowls leaving little space alongside blocky wooden cutlery caddies, so order in stages if you’re out to try a lot. What’ll it cost? Come for weekday lunch and you’d struggle to spend more than €20 unless you’re really doing the dog on it. But even a by-night blow-out with a whole roast duck, beers and sides to share wouldn’t likely see you inch over €50 a head. So, should we go? The “grand opening” balloon columns still fluttering in the summer breeze almost a month on speak as much to the lessons learned from Nan’s slow decline as the duck draped in the window behind and the heavy branding – give ‘em something to stop and stare at. They might not find food as good when they get in, but at least they’ll find it. Even great restaurants can’t survive empty seats. Little Canton is a market spotted and served, sometimes very well, and almost always at a fair price. Between this, the branding and the outside optics, we'd wager a bet that this group are onto another winner. New Openings & Discoveries More >>

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

Yibu by Janet Dublin's dumpling queen's two-for-one deal - are they both worth it? Posted: 28 Jul 2026 Neighbourhood Neighborhood Name Address Restaurant Address Website Website Name Restaurant Info View the Listing >> Written by: Ronan Doyle What’s the story with Yibu by Janet? The spacious but strangely split space that houses Yibu can no more contain Jianan “Janet” Liu than can the word “hostess”. That term’s genial hospitality lands about eight levels below what she’s going for in this new double-concept kitchen spun off in dream-come-true style from her eponymous Eatyard dumpling truck. Most restaurants are happy enough to make you feel welcome; here, it’s more like she’s determined you’ll never leave. We wind up wondering if we ever will as she swoops in for a second round of hugs and thrusts jars of siphoned sauces and spices into our arms. “Do you want to take a seat at the bar?” one of the staff asks knowingly as she darts back to the kitchen for more, “she always does this.” Wait, what’s with the dual frontage? You’re not the first to wonder. Parked the opposite side of Cusack’s Corner, where tucked behind the bustle of Stephen’s Green the quieter York and Mercer Streets meet, we watch the silent movie-style spectacle of several parties tugging desperately at the yellow Mercer door unaware of the purple York entrance ‘round the corner cast wide to welcome them (signage has smartly been stuck up since). The Arthaus hotel that houses Yibu is built wrapped round a Q Park, the awkward L-shaped ground floor with a kitchen on the corner and no public passage between – the result is two restaurants, really, but a shared sensibility they’re pitching as “two entrances, two vibes, one Yibu”. What’s behind door number one? The sunny yellow “by day” door we watched someone practically pull off the hinges in a demented dumpling lust on that first evening visit reveals what was once the breakfast bar space of Laszló’s (no, us neither). It’s still the breakfast bar space of the Arthaus, we realised as we passed the continental counter and saw several American visitors eyeballing our Yibu breakfasts from behind their distinctly sadder plates. Save for a Yibu collage against the kitchen wall, all furniture and décor in here is unchanged from the previous tenant, an odd upcycled wall mural joining the slow stream of yawning Yanks to give this half of the place a decidedly divided identity – two vibes indeed. Still, it’s worth weathering the weird split for the Shanghai stack (€16). These stuffed scallion pancakes have all the chewy cheese crisp of a quesadilla and the flaky pastry layers of a paratha – a cross-continental answer to the buffet behind us. Dual textures of melted mozzarella – crisply caramelised oozed-out edges and silky, stringy innards – make for mouthfuls of full-fat excess to fill you through to dinner, cut through only by the sweet, sharp shock of a bacon jam’s cooked-down complexity – we wondered if a little chilli oil wouldn’t kick it up another gear. Only the sad side salad let this one down, limp and lonely rocket crying out for a dressing. Zheng steamed egg (€16) carried more appeal on page than plate, less the silky chawanmushi-style custard we expected than a soggy scramble whose loose ridges saw chilli oil unpalatably pooled. With a stir it gives the one-note eggs a necessary lift, but not one that left us any better able to finish the lot, spoon soon deployed to carve off chunks of pancake instead. We’re not shocked to see it seems to have been dropped from the menu since. Any better in the evening? It’s night and day, let’s say. Between the dedicated space siloed from the hotel lobby and much more focused service led by the namesake lady herself, the much busier, buzzier York street side proves the “two vibes” theme – it really feels like a separate thing over here. Shanghai stack or no, we’d stick to dinner. “Irish spicy or Asian spicy?” Janet, eyebrows cheekily cocked, asks as we order, before one of her team pops a jar of chilli oil in the latter-style down like a tester paint pot, carefully watching on lest our faces rush with blood. The good-cop-bad-cop style is a smart way to scope out over-ambitious local palates without making overt assumptions – the smoke-forward spice here sits squarely within our tolerance, but keep things Irish-style if you’re unsure. Even without any at all these prawn crackers, less sprinkled than sprayed with big flavour seasoning, would keep you happy while you wait for the rest. As at the truck, service is speedy, leaving our first plates landing almost as fast as our cocktails. Repeat appearances across the assorted dumplings, bao and specials make it easy to get a good variety across a few shared small plates even with two - with a gang you’ll happily taste the lot. A switch-up to single bao servings at €8.50 for one or any four for €32 since our visit makes mix-and matching easier, though we had no complaints about having to ensure a second Hong Shao pork belly. The slow-simmered, sticky-sweet streaked meat spills out of the soft bun barely able to contain itself. One bite in and we could relate. It’s all about the sauces in here. We can’t begrudge anyone doing a spice bag (€15) these days (look to Little Canton ’s takeaway-only option for evidence they bring in the bucks), but it’s rare one sounds interesting enough to tempt us. Trust Janet. A yangnyum-style sauce is her novel evolution of Ireland’s national dish, and it’s inspired in texture as much as taste. Tossed tight over the chips, the sauce cools to a crisp coating that spares them the soft stodge fate that usually demands indigestive wolfing to enjoy it. Salt and chilli seasoning can skew bland at times but boosted here by fermented gochujang kick it works wonders – this is a very clever twist. It’s not the only Korean foray of the chiefly Chinese menu. Kimchi brings more fermented flair paired with pork in the dumplings (six for €13, or mix two styles for €2 extra), moreishly moist from rendered fat and tangy brine – it’s in the ballpark of soup dumpling. Tearing through the hand-rolled wrappers, steamed soft with a pan-contact crunch below, we couldn’t but wonder if the mapo tofu had been done Irish spice style after all, minimal Sichuan tingling left in their wake. The extra chilli oil came in handy here. With a name like that, the Taipei fire wings (€13) could stand to bring more heat too, though there’s no fault in the flavour. Salt and chilli dry-rub does wonders for crisp, crackling skin that keeps the fatty flesh beneath sealed in and ready to spill out. If you’re the tingling-lip thrill-seeker type like us, it’s the firecracker edamame (€6.50) to make for, plump pods coated in sea salt flakes and chili, all ready to wrinkle your lips to the point of parched – you’ll lick them clean. Self-assembly on the Peking duck pancakes (€15) is another thing that’s out since we visited – socials since show them landing pre-rolled, a prettier plating for sure and one that saves any awkward excess of veg-to-wrap ratio for the last one to dig in. For all its solid spicing and soaked succulent fat, the meat’s sorely lacking any of the classic crisp we expect on seeing the P-word, a let-down leaving only julienned various veg to add any crunch to the package. What about drinks? We side-eyed the standard-issue Japanese slipper slotted into the signature cocktail menu, but after one sip of these terrific creations our minds are newly open. The folks behind Barebone are among the backers here, and they’re parachuted bar manager Daire Smullen in to assemble the Asian-influenced drinks list. The Golden Hour (€14) pairs Toki whiskey and Stillgarden Glas 55 for a passion fruit-forward herbal highball that’s smooth and subtly sweet. Cosmo fans should make right for the Lucky Cat (€15), with guava and tonka bringing fruity, nutty notes to elevate the Absolut. You’d while away a helluva night in here. How’s the service? There isn’t a room out there we can imagine Janet not filling, and as she darts around the place practically demanding a good time all round, you get a clear sense why the Arthaus handed her the keys. Still, it’s a tight ship she runs, with smart pairing of more and less experienced staff in play across our visits – it’s quick, casual, and competent to the last. What should we budget? A pared-back quick dinner to sample shared bao, dumplings and spice bag would take you to €25 a head, not bad value at all if you choose wisely. You’ll tilt toward €60 if you arrive with an appetite and dig in to the cocktail menu while you’re at it – money well spent. What’s the verdict? Janet’s ecstatic embraces on our way out the door were in answer to our asking about ingredients, as were those takeaway extras so we could recreate the flavours ourselves (have a hash brown spice bag for brunch and thank us later). It’s that giddy generosity and goodness of spirit that enlivens the space and the experience as much as the food, and exactly what a foot traffic-free area like this will need to pull in the crowds – just maybe not for breakfast. Come share in a dream made reality – it’s contagious. New Openings & Discoveries More >>

ATF Wine Club with Lilith Wines Drink. Better. Wine. The ATF Wine Club The restaurant quality wines you should be drinking, delivered to your door JOIN THE CLUB ATF X LILITH WINES Get four bottles of restaurant-quality wine delivered to your door each month, selected by us and Lilith Wines . The first time we walked into Sophie Robson's Stoneybatter shop (named after feminist icon Lilith) we knew we were kindred spirits. The shelves heave with the very best wines on the Irish market, and after a browse of the sections on volcanic wines, the Jura, and Cru Beaujolais, we knew this was a passion project first and foremost. Each month’s box will feature four wines that we think you need to try, along with information on how to best enjoy them. We'll also tell you which restaurants have them on the list, helping you drink better when you're out. There might be a theme, or there might just be four delicious bottles with no link. We're aiming to offer the best possible value and you'll never pay more than shop price, with free delivery included (and the option to add on more bottles in the same delivery). Membership will initially be limited to 100 to ensure we can get enough of the wines, some of which are made in very small quantities. Once full we will operate a waiting list. What you get Four wines every month Four wines we're excited about and think you need to try, a mix of sparkling, white, orange, pink or red All the info you need Stories, tasting notes, what to drink it with, and which of your favourite restaurants have it on their wine list Be part of the club Get explainer videos tasting through each wine, invites to exclusive tasting events, and the chance to ask questions €100 per month including delivery October's case (€115 worth of wine!) Somehow we got a Premier Cru red Burgundy into this one The forgotten white grape of Burgundy that's making a comeback A midweek Pinot to have some fun with An incredible value fizz made from the same grape as Champagne SIGN UP TO THE ATF WINE CLUB The T&Cs This is a recurring subscription. Payment will be taken on the 3rd of each month, with cases delivered on the 11th of the month. Subscriptions can be cancelled on Lilith's website at any time, but cancellations received after the 24th of the month won't be effective until the following month (by this stage the wines will have been ordered). Wine selections cannot be tailored. This is a wine club for adventurous drinkers who want to learn about all types and styles.

Modern Irish cooking with big flavours and beautiful combinations of the best produce. No choice tasting menu in the evening, with a wonderful wine list. The best seats are downstairs looking into the open kitchen, or you can sit at the bar and order some small plates. Forest Avenue Website forestavenuerestaurant.ie Address 8 Sussex Terrace, Sussex Road, Dublin 8 Good For Tag 1 Cuisine Tag 1 Once Over Read our Review >> The Story Modern Irish cooking with big flavours and beautiful combinations of the best produce. No choice tasting menu in the evening, with a wonderful wine list. The best seats are downstairs looking into the open kitchen, or you can sit at the bar and order some small plates. Where It's At Nearby Locales Yibu by Janet Little Canton Dak @ Bar Anam Mongoose Chongqing Hot Pot Boco Clontarf Bell Pesto Bang Gloria Osteria Cantina Valentina D'Lepak Pera Borgo Amai by Viktor Kaizen Chubbys Badam Table 45 Comet Daruma Malahide Lena The Pig's Ear Notions @ Two Pups The Rooftop @ Anantara The Marker Sofra

Table 45’s owners, Daniel and Daniel, lived above the restaurant when it was The Square Ball, but when that business moved out and they risked losing their home, they decided they’d take on the whole building instead. Inspired by the Chilean Daniel’s home country, they’re now serving tapas, cocktails and South American hospitality to an audience who are utterly endeared with them. They push the fact that they’re Queer and dog-friendly, and are a safe space for everything to enjoy good food and a warm welcome. Table 45 Website table45.ie Address Table 45, Hogan Place, Dublin 2, Ireland Good For Tag 1 Cuisine Tag 1 Once Over Read our Review >> The Story Table 45’s owners, Daniel and Daniel, lived above the restaurant when it was The Square Ball, but when that business moved out and they risked losing their home, they decided they’d take on the whole building instead. Inspired by the Chilean Daniel’s home country, they’re now serving tapas, cocktails and South American hospitality to an audience who are utterly endeared with them. They push the fact that they’re Queer and dog-friendly, and are a safe space for everything to enjoy good food and a warm welcome. Where It's At Nearby Locales Yibu by Janet Little Canton Dak @ Bar Anam Mongoose Chongqing Hot Pot Boco Clontarf Bell Pesto Bang Gloria Osteria Cantina Valentina D'Lepak Pera Borgo Amai by Viktor Kaizen Chubbys Badam Table 45 Comet Daruma Malahide Lena The Pig's Ear Notions @ Two Pups The Rooftop @ Anantara The Marker Sofra

Pi If this isn't the best pizza in Dublin we'll eat our smartphones Posted: 13 Jul 2018 Neighbourhood Neighborhood Name Address Restaurant Address Website Website Name Restaurant Info View the Listing >> Written by: Lisa Cope What’s the story? We'd heard rumblings of a new pizzeria opening on George's Street for a while, and to be frank we weren't particularly excited. In the realm of pizza/burgers/fried chicken it takes a lot to make us want to give up a meal for what's often over-priced, under-whelming fast food, but something about this one seemed different. After a bit of digging we found out that Laois native Reggie White, the man behind the perfect pizza, had been working in an auctioneer's in Dublin, before jacking it to follow a career in food. After a three-month course at Ballymaloe, his existing pizza obsession grew further, and after various cheffing jobs, and a stint at his brother's award-winning Italian restaurant Flour + Water in San Francisco, he came back intent on finding a site to showcase the Neapolitan-inspired pizza he's spent the past few years perfecting - the problem was where and how with the city's current property situation. It all started to come together when a friend introduced him to the man who would become his business partner, John Savage, who Reggie says had a "carbon copy" business plan of bringing the best pizza to Dublin. John managed to secure a prime site on George's Street, just off Dame Street, and oversaw the high-end fit out. They quietly opened a couple of weeks ago (no pre-opening fanfare here) and we thought now was a good time to find out if it was the real deal. Where’s good for a drink beforehand? We'd head for the newly opened Loose Canon Cheese and Wine , either before for some tasty natural wine or after for a cheese plate (and some tasty natural wine). For cocktails, Bonsai Bar is just across the road and has been getting great reviews for its Japanese inspired creations . You're pretty spoilt for good pub options in this part of town, with The Stag's Head , The Long Hall and Grogan's all a few minutes walk away. What’s the room like? Slick and almost futuristic, all red, black, grey and chrome. This was not a cheap fit out. There are low tables and chairs at the front and back, and high tables and stools in the middle. There's also counter seating in the window which is perfect for a quick solo meal or if you just like people watching. We loved the sleek white tile effect on the high tables (will we be shot for using the term 'insta-friendly?), and the red leather-look high stools and banquettes made it feel more like New York (or any ultra cosmopolitan city for that matter) than Dublin. The high ceilings give a sense of space that's not often found in city centre eateries, and the chrome wall that's supposed to look like used tomato tins is dramatic to say the least. What's good to eat? The menu is short and simple which makes the job of choosing easier. There are no starters or sides, just eight pizzas, three sauces and two desserts. The aim is to do a few things very well rather than spreading themselves too thin. If you only get one pizza, make it the margherita. It's rare that you eat something where the quality in every ingredient is so explicit, but here, the individual flavours of tomato, extra virgin olive oil and Toonsbridge Fior di Latte were almost shockingly good. The crust was the best we've had in Dublin (if not Ireland, if not the world) - springy and chewy but also so light from the four day fermentation the dough goes through before being put into the Stefano Ferrana pizza oven at almost 500°C. We recently heard an Italian pizzaiolo say that the mark of a good pizza is that you could eat another one, and we can't remember the last time we ate a whole pizza and didn't feel uncomfortably full. Three of the eight pizzas are biancha (no tomatoes), and we loved the 'Funghi', which comes with grana padano, spinach, 'hen of the woods' mushrooms, fontina, garlic and sage cream. An incredible amount of flavour, but really well balanced and not overpowering. The 'Zuccha', with Grana Padano, basil, courgette, garlic, house ricotta and salsa verde was another table silencer. Pizza bianca has a tendency to be slightly dry, due to the lack of tomato sauce, but the homemade ricotta on this one had a silky consistency and a lovely lemony tang. Salsa verde added another level of freshness, and the grana padano added a rich saltinesswhich really highlighted the fresh courgette. Both dips we tried were excellent, although the basil aioli was more addictive than the chipotle mayo for our money. Dessert options consist of a chocolate 'budino' (described as a chocolate pot with sea salt but really a set custard, they just didn't think that would sounds as appealing) and vanilla ice-cream with extra virgin olive oil and sea salt, with the sub-heading, 'Delicious... just trust us!' It was delicious, and one of the most simple, inspired, luxurious desserts we've had. The chocolate pot was so rich it was only a few steps away from being solid. We have no idea what chocolate they're using in this but we need to find out. One square a day and life's daily challenges would be a lot more manageable. We've also come to the conclusion that almost all desserts are infinitely better when chunks of sea salt are added to them. What about the drinks? Three white and three reds by the glass and bottle, and a frizzante (basically prosecco) on tap. We tried the Sangiovese (the ultimate pizza wine) and Sauvignon Blanc which weren't particularly exciting but perfectly acceptable for pizza. The beer list has been put together with love and they have an interesting selection of cans and bottles. We tried the unfiltered lager from Ichnusa which was a crowd pleaser. There's also a decent selection of soft drinks. And the service? Charming if a little unconfident, but they've just opened so they can be forgiven for that. On one visit there was a mistake with a pizza but it was rectified immediately. Everyone was extremely pleasant. The verdict? We're not fans of hyperbole, but if this isn't the best pizza in Dublin right now we'll eat our smartphones. There's magic happening here and you'd be advised to go soon because once word gets out it's going to be rammed. People keep talking about how the restaurant scene in Dublin is overheated, and that we can't take any more openings. They have a point in terms of the current chef shortage , the general difficulty in recruiting hospitality staff, and the rising city rents, but Pi shows why new openings are so important - in with the great, out with the mediocre. Dublin has a lot of great pizza places, but a new bar has been set with Pi. Pi 10 Castle House, 73 - 83 South Great George's Street, Dublin pipizzas.ie New Openings & Discoveries More >>

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

Kicky's A big, buzzy new arrival, but is it as accessible as it claims? Posted: 28 Nov 2023 Neighbourhood Neighborhood Name Address Restaurant Address Website Website Name Restaurant Info View the Listing >> Written by: Ronan Doyle What's the story with Kicky’s? You’re not likely to have missed the pre-opening buzz about Kicky’s since it was announced back in July by co-owners Eric Matthews (former head chef at the previous incarnation of Chapter One), and Richie Barrett (previously general manager at Bang, aswell as roles as Etto and Uno Mas). The pair’s shared concept for a casual, accessible Mediterranean-esque eatery at the heart of the city has found its home on George’s Street, and arrives with the modest self-stated aim of being a laidback space people can return to again and again. Where should we sit? The bespoke mural that flanks the kitchen pass, directly opposite the entrance, invariably draws you toward the heart of this warm, welcoming space – those who love watching a chef at work will be very happy at the bar. Otherwise there’s not much variation to the long and narrow room’s host of low two-tops lining the walls, though the pair of wraparound booths towards the windows onto George’s street lack in lighting and ambience what they make up in added comfort. What’s on the menu? (*Two of ATF's staff writers ended up in here the same week, so we're including thoughts from Maggie as well as Ronan who wrote the review*) The dish you’ll almost certainly have seen on social already is the 72-hour potato focaccia, though you’ll likely have seen a more alluringly crusty corner slab than the tall, twee square we were served. While there’s nothing to fault in the airy texture and fermented flavour of the bread, the absence of crust leaves little scope for the kind of carbonara butter scooping we were promised . The thick spread is closer to buttercream in texture, and for all we admired the deranged decadence of this perorino, parmesan and guanciale-sprinkled serving, the intensity of highly-salted fat upon fat upon fat gave us mild jitters for what might be to come. Taleggio, leek and nduja croquettes brought us at least temporarily back from the brink: these crisp-coated morsels of spicy sausage and sharp, melted cheese are a brilliant burst of flavour, an inventive introductory bite we wished we’d gone for first. Menus both online and on-site list it as a serving of three, but we found four on the plate; if they’ve honed the serving size to more and slightly smaller in their opening weeks they’ve made the right choice – these are perfect. (Croquettes had comforting and indulgent cheese with a bit of spice from the nduja. The leek was a good flavor cutter and the crisp on top was great - Maggie ) https://video.wixstatic.com/video/79af6f_f6a7b3da9a7c4c0fa8d3b2e567df092a/720p/mp4/file.mp4 The ”to share” section has some of the menu’s most interesting options, heavy on the house pastas that have been touted from the get-go as one of Kicky’s core appeals. On paper an egg yolk raviolo with autumn truffle butter would have been one to make a beeline for, but it’s truffle oil instead of the genuine article – always a shame. We went with cacio e pepe, the cheese and pepper classic that first showed up on the menu with Lambay crab, but perhaps in response to unreceptive early reviews , looks to have lost it (though just €2's been knocked off the price - it's now €14). This kind of seemingly-simple plate that’s deceptively difficult to do just-right, should land as a solid crowd-pleaser, even if some stray, stringy lumps nestled among our (very good) pici suggested this went a few sprinkles of cheese wide of the perfect balance. (This is a heavy dish that we only manage to get through half of. It's similar in flavour to the butter so maybe get one or the other. Those traditional worm-shaped noodles were good quality and cooked well - Maggie ) You don't come across a rabbit bolognese all too often in Dublin, and who are we to refuse a novelty. It’s a fine plate, a charred slab of sourdough toast spread with flavourful ragu, piled with chanterelles and sprinkled with a chives and Cais na Tire. There's a lovely interplay of flavour between the gaminess of the meat and earthy umami of the mushrooms, and while we might have liked a slightly sharper cheese to seal the deal, but this is a dish those disposed to rabbit should devour. (Nice for a novelty but we found this dish quite h eavy and salty. It had very good flavours, but with the rest of the food we'd ordered it felt a bit laborious - Maggie ) (We also tried the Jerusalem artichoke with raddichio, hazelnut and Young Buck. Again we found it oily and heavy for a veggie dish, couldn’t get the taste of the Young Buck cheese, and walnuts were used instead of the hazelnuts listed on the menu. We weren't sure if this one was supposed to be served hot or cold as everything came at once and we attacked it towards the end, but think it would have been more palatable warm - Maggie ) (We ordered the steamed and chopped Roaring Bay Water mussels with kohlrabi, smoked eel, taramasalata and chopped eel thinking it might be a lighter reprieve, but not so much. It's a fresh, nicely citrusy plate, but pretty heavy for a fish dish, with lots of thick, salty taramaslata - Maggie ) Mains are more of a stumbling block than sharing plates, not for any issue with the food but for the shock of the price: you're knocking on the door of €40 for the cheapest of the charcoal-grilled mains at Kicky’s before adding sides at €6 a pop, and that will be a bridge too far for many a diner. We stuck to one, a hunk of bone-in monkfish swimming in lemon butter with Lissadell cockles and Castletownbere shrimp. The moist, meaty fish comes beautifully to life with the acidic intensity of the sauce and sprinklings of pickled red dulse, while the shellfish duo add welcome sweetness and texture. Absent something to soak up that very buttery sauce though, the finished and flooded plate can’t help feel short of something. Sides are sensational, happily, with the Ballymakenny potatoes the most direct delivery on Kicky’s self-stated aim to just give people good food: quality ingredients unfussily elevated by confident cooking. The gloriously crispy skins and fluffy flesh work wonders with the mounds of confit garlic, slivered spring onions and pecorino shavings. We didn't think to ask who Mrs H is, but the dressing that bears her name served over the house salad should be sold by the bucket. Its mouth-puckeringly tangy taste is a lesson in how vinaigrette ought to be done. We were sorry to find the gorgeous looking éclair with chestnut and quince wasn't on the menu the night we visited. In its place was a brioche-based take on a tarte tatin, introduced at the table by its creator, egged on by Matthews – it’s a nice touch to see other chefs given creative space and, crucially, credit. The crusty, sweet brioche worked well to balance out the intense tartness of the concentrated apple, though the crème fraiche felt like a poor substitute for the tonka bean ice cream the menu promised. The ‘Irish coffee’ twist on a tiramisu is another of the items Kicky’s seems intent on turning into a thing, and the presentation certainly speaks to Instagrammable ambitions. Though the sole macaron shell at its base might not have the absorbency factor to match the Italian dessert this creation tips its hat toward, there’s a lot to like here, from the richness of the butterscotch toffee sauce base, to the double-caffeine kick of a coffee-chocolate crumb and coffee ice cream. (A really nice dessert. The home made meringue at the bottom was a great texture contrast with the " chocolate soil", and the coffee ice cream. We were too full to finish it, but it was yum - Maggie ) What are the drinks like? Cocktails are one of the purported allures at Kicky’s, but as laid out on the menu they seem closer to a modest tweak on classic formula than anything really unique, so we stuck with the wine. The list is a mixed bag with just a few worthwhile by-the-glass options scattered among the more commercial pours. Casa Belfi Rosso made for an offbeat sparkling intro to things that added to the intrigue of those excellent croquettes. Chateau Pajzos Tokaji is dry and sharp, a happy balance to the rich excess of the monkfish’s sauce. There's more of interest for serious wine lovers by the bottle. (We tried two cocktails. The avocado one was well balanced, with an interesting texture from the avocado. Loved the tajin rim. The Tropical Sour was very heavy on the passionfruit and overall too sweet. It looked good though - Maggie ) How was the service? Just about all you could want in terms of friendliness and knowledge – staff here seem very invested in the menu and the mood, with a good sense of camaraderie obvious among the team as they move around the floor. Food comes promptly with plenty of time left to linger and languish if needed before ordering dessert or more drinks to cap off the night. (Agreed. We sat at the bar and staff were great. Our only issue was that we ordered all the small plates and they ALL came at the same time, so we ended up eating cold dishes. We mentioned this to the staff and they apologised and gave us a cocktail on the house which was nice - Maggie ) And the damage? So here’s the rub: we clocked up a €150 bill with two glasses of wine and a volume of food (including one shared main) that could hardly be called excessive. That’s not an appalling amount for the general trend in Dublin these days, but many might want a main apiece and more sharing plates and snacks, plus a bottle of wine or round of cocktails, and that will quickly take you well north of €100 a head (maybe €150 depending on the drinks) before tip. For a great many Dubliners that will be a far cry from the kind of accessible, come-time-and-again vibe Kicky’s has been keen to pitch itself as. The arrival since our visit of a €72 set menu for the Christmas season is another jump in price, with supplements for steak and cheese, but to be fair to Kicky's, it's what many of the city's restaurants do for December - which is why we keep eating out around Christmas to a minimum. What’s the verdict on Kicky’s? We loved the look and the lively atmosphere at Kicky's, but comparing what’s on the plates and the bill to what's on the social feeds trying to draw people in, seems to tell a different story about the kind of place Kicky’s wants to be. When prices which come in steeper for the same volume of food than nearby highlights like Uno Mas and Library Street - and not lagging all too far behind somewhere like Variety Jones – are presented as accessible, we can only ask… accessible to who? Costs are crazy right now, and Kicky’s staff and suppliers deserve to be paid a fair wage, but no less than punters, drawn in here and told they’ll want to return again and again, will need decent value to make them want to come back. Despite some superb standouts we'll be thinking about for a while, most of the food is very, very rich – often drowning in butter and dripping with cheese. Those aren’t things we ever expected to announce as an issue, but when it’s plate after plate of such servings, well, is it any wonder we went so wild for that salad. (We really liked the look and vibe at Kicky's, but found the food very heavy with little respite - I still felt sluggish the next morning. We're no strangers to indulgence, but the addition of some lighter dishes would help to balance things out - Maggie ) Despite our qualms, Kicky's is clearly off to a flying start, with the Christmas buzz well underway and barely a table to be had. If they can take the indulgence levels down a notch, and offer a little more value for our euros, we're sure they can continue it well into 2024 and beyond. 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 >>

Mani’s Roman-style pizza styles have been responsible for a permanent queue down Drury Street since they opened at the end of 2023. Hiring ex-Pala Pizza’s Rory Shannon as head chef was a great move from fellow pizza nerd and owner Ciaran McGonagle, and the power of these two seems to multiply by being in close proximity to each other. Crispy, twice-baked slices featuring the most moreish of toppings, and some deep-fried naughtiness for good measure. Basic but quality drinks, and loads of outside seating, as well as a few stools inside. Mani Website instagram.com/mani.pizza.panini Address Mani, Drury Street, Dublin, Ireland Good For Tag 1 Cuisine Tag 1 Once Over Read our Review >> The Story Mani’s Roman-style pizza styles have been responsible for a permanent queue down Drury Street since they opened at the end of 2023. Hiring ex-Pala Pizza’s Rory Shannon as head chef was a great move from fellow pizza nerd and owner Ciaran McGonagle, and the power of these two seems to multiply by being in close proximity to each other. Crispy, twice-baked slices featuring the most moreish of toppings, and some deep-fried naughtiness for good measure. Basic but quality drinks, and loads of outside seating, as well as a few stools inside. Where It's At Nearby Locales Yibu by Janet Little Canton Dak @ Bar Anam Mongoose Chongqing Hot Pot Boco Clontarf Bell Pesto Bang Gloria Osteria Cantina Valentina D'Lepak Pera Borgo Amai by Viktor Kaizen Chubbys Badam Table 45 Comet Daruma Malahide Lena The Pig's Ear Notions @ Two Pups The Rooftop @ Anantara The Marker Sofra

Craft Neighbourhood dining that's a steal in Harold's Cross Posted: 5 Aug 2020 Neighbourhood Neighborhood Name Address Restaurant Address Website Website Name Restaurant Info View the Listing >> Written by: Lisa Cope What’s the story? Craft opened in February 2016, and was immediately touted as the neighbourhood restaurant Harold's Cross had badly needed. Head chef/owner Philip Yeung had previously been head chef at Town Bar & Grill (remember the boom?) and Bang on Merrion Row, and a string of glowing reviews for his first solo opening followed, with Catherine Cleary in the Irish Times calling the Dublin 6 suburb "a better place to be thanks to the arrival of Craft." The following year they got the news that they'd been awarded a Michelin Bib Gourmand for 2018, given to restaurants that Michelin deem good quality and good value - for Ireland it must be €40 or under for three courses - and held onto it for 2019 but lost it for 2020. It was a year of shock deletions, with Etto, Bastible, Forest & Marcy, The Pig's Ear and Delahunt all losing their Bib too, so we didn't pay too much heed and presumed it might be more to do with menu pricing than food quality for most places. Luckily it hasn't seemed to make any dent in their customer base, who mostly seem to be locals, delighted to have something like this on their doorstep, when so many other suburbs don't. Where should we sit? There’s a front and a back room, but we’d probably opt to sit in the front as it feels a bit brighter and airier. We did however spot a couple with a young baby in the back and thought it was perfectly suited to a bit more privacy. There are only five tables in the front post-Covid, all adequately spaced, and the two in the window are ideal if you’re an avid people watcher. What's the food like? We came for the neighbourhood menu (only served on Thursdays), as we figure a lot of people are probably looking for maximum bang for their buck right now, between job losses, pay cuts and many businesses in unknown territory after the past few months. It’s a very good deal at €27 for two courses and €32 for three, but there only a choice of mains so you wouldn't want to be a fussy eater or have too many dietary requirements – they do cater for veggies though and one main will always be meat-free. We started with seedy, treacle brown bread and Glenilen Farm butter, dense and crunchy enough to fill the hungry gap until the food proper started to arrive. The starter was a plate of heirloom tomatoes, burrata, charred peach and smoked almond pesto - ideal summer eating (for a grey, rainy evening in July). There were little dried tomatoes in amongst the mix, which added bursts of flavour in every other forkful, but we thought the whole thing needed more seasoning, which they brought on request. Our main was a meaty piece of expertly cooked Kilkeel hake with a prawn tortellini (whose filling was more mousse-like than fluffy fresh prawn), an intense pea purée, fresh peas, chard and a foaming shellfish sauce. Again it felt perfectly suited to the time of year, and like the kitchen is giving serious consideration to what we might want to eat on any given week. It was also light enough to ensure we were looking forward to (rather than holding our stomachs at the thought of) a chocolate dessert. With the fish came a side of crunchy, fluffy potatoes (they've thought of everything), but just two each, so again not enough to steer you into uncomfortable tummy territory. For a set menu that already felt like good value, the main really pushed it into the "this is a bit of a steal" category. Dessert was "chocolate mousse and raspberry", with various elements of each - an airy mousse, a crispy chocolate cracker, a raspberry sorbet, fresh raspberries, raspberry sauce and what looked and tasted like puffed rice. It was a nice mix of richness and freshness, and the chocolate tasted dark enough so as not to veer into sugar overload territory. What about the drinks? The wine list is very short with few options by the glass – maybe Covid-related – and we thought it was in need of an injection of interest. Perhaps they’re trying to cater for the locals with tried and tested options. We did think the prosecco was unusually good – to the point where we questioned if it might have been something more upmarket like a Crémant, and a Kir Royal was a perfect aperitif. And the service? Staff were all masked and very welcoming and friendly. The food came out at nice intervals, and the open kitchen appeared entirely calm. The verdict? The neighbourhood menu at Craft offers serious bang for your buck, with a three course meal for two and a bottle of wine easily coming in at under €100. We have a feeling it’s not the kitchen’s best work, but it’s more than solid cooking, and even more reason to go back for the Friday and Saturday tasting menu at €52 for four courses (including snacks). If value for money is your top priority right now when it comes to eating out, the neighbourhood menu is a great dive into Craft at a not so great price. We started with seedy, treacle brown bread and Glenilen Farm butter, dense and crunchy enough to fill the hungry gap until the food proper started to arrive. Craft 208 Harold’s Cross Road, Harold's Cross, Dublin 6W. craftrestaurant.ie New Openings & Discoveries More >>

Bastible A new reason to visit the Dublin 8 favourite Posted: 25 Feb 2020 Neighbourhood Neighborhood Name Address Restaurant Address Website Website Name Restaurant Info View the Listing >> Written by: Lisa Cope What’s the story? Bastible opened in 2015, the first restaurant from couple Barry Fitzgerald and Claremarie Thomas (who also own Clanbrassil House and Coffee Shop ), and after Catherine Cleary called it the best restaurant she'd been to that year, there was something of a stampe, with months of tables booked out in an instant. Since the initial pandemonium it's enjoyed steady success, and it's safe to say it would feature on most (if not all) food writers and critics' 'best restaurants in Ireland' lists, but in the middle of last year there was an interesting development when it was annouced that ex-Geranium (three-Michelin starred restaurant in Copenhagen) and Noma (two-stars, also in Copenhagen) chef and Dublin native Cúán Greene had come home and taken up the mantle of head chef. Cue mammoth excitement about having someone who's worked at that level of globally recognised dining home and cooking in Ireland. They kept it quiet to start, letting Greene find his feet and explore the local (and greater) Dublin area for what could be foraged, fermented and found in woodlands, fields and probably even gardens, but you can't keep a secret long in this town, and as soon as Catherine Cleary found out there was fresh blood in the kitchen she was straight in. Another rave review followed, with her saying "there's a new level of cooking in town", and Leslie Williams in the Irish Examiner following close behind saying that what's happening here "needs to be experienced". We don't need any more convincing than that. Where should we go for a drink first? If you're after bubbles or wine, recently opened The Wine Pair on Clanbrassil Street should be top of your list. The neighbourhood wine bar has a mostly European selection, with plenty of organic and natural options and €10 corkage on anything off the shelf. If it's a pint or a G+T you fancy head for 57 The Headline who specialise in craft beer and have an enormous range of gins. Where should we sit? The dining room is pared back and minimalist, with lots of wood and steel, and moss green on the walls - very Scandi-esque. There are tables against the wall and in the centre of the room, and a six seater at the window. We do prefer a window seat, but if there aren't that many of you we'd opt for the wall every time. There's also some counter seats with a good view of the kitchen, which we imagine are in demand on busy evenings. What's good to eat? We visited for Sunday lunch which is the best value meal of the week at Bastible. The 'set menu' (really a tasting menu) is €45, whereas on other days a similar spread costs €52 at lunch or €65 at dinner. Just think about the extra money you'll have to spend on wine. It opened with 'ox tongue shish, kelp and dried mushroom', and if the thoughts of eating that part of an animal has the potential to turn your stomach, this is the tongue to change your mind. We're talking "OMG what is happening in my mouth right now and how can I make it last longer" levels of deliciousness. It had been sliced wafer thin, threaded onto a branch made of beech (for the flavour), barbecued and glazed before serving. Imagine the softest, most melt in the mouth, deeply-flavoured brisket, which had finished over fire to make it extra 'extra', and given a sticky, slightly sweet coating. What an opener. Next up came doorstop sized slices of homemade sourdough bread with Greene's cultured butter, the bread soft and tangy, the butter creamy, sweet and almost fluffy. We're also not sure whether it was deliberate or not but we're really on board with the idea of serving the bread and butter as its own course, rather than as an accompaniment to more exciting dishes. What's more exciting than really excellent bread and butter? After that came what felt like a beautiful looking palette cleanser of very finely sliced kolhrabi, sorrel and orange blossom, served cold and eaten in one or two bites. It was an interesting, light bite, but it won't be consuming our minds like some of the other dishes. Then it was back into OMG territory with a dexter beef tartare topped with a Jerusalem artichoke cream and cep crumbs. If there's a better tartare in the country we need to know about it, because it's unimaginable to think of any tasting better than this. The cream was almost like a rich, earthy custard, with the slightest crunch from the crumbs contrasting with the velvet softness of the tiny cubes of meat. A perfect plate of food. After that life high came a dish we'd been lusting after on Instagram for weeks - the baked swede with pumpkin seed mole, pumpkin seeds and ginger oil. It's one of the prettiest plates of food you're likely to eat this year, with soft, delicate flavours, but it didn't have the oomph or impact of some of the other dishes so felt over-shadowed in the grand scheme of the meal. Although 10 points for making turnip not taste like turnip. Then it was onto the main course proper - quince lacquered sea trout with glazed potato flatbread, smoked yoghurt and fermented gooseberries. The fish was rich and sweet and flaking apart, the potato flatbread pillowy, chewy and slightly sticky, and the smoked yoghurt with sea lettuce on top jacked everything up to peak flavour. The only thing we didn't get was the fermented gooseberries, which were tangy and sour in a very funky way that we found marginally unpleasant. They also only brought one tiny bowl of each for three people which felt a bit mean. They brought more on request but there was a five minute wait while the chef prepared it. Nevertheless this is a spectacular combination of flavours and textures, and much moaning was uttered during its consumption. Dessert was a beautiful, unusual combination of sheep's milk yoghurt mousse, fermented plum, marigold leaf sugar and woodruff oil. After so many rich flavours it was nice to end on something so light and delicate, with the sugar giving a lovely crunch against the airy mousse, and each flavour defined yet melding together so well. Plates were scraped clean. Finally as a petit four we were brought a juniper caramel wrapped in blackcurrant leather, a sweet, sour, salty, satisfying end to a pretty spectacular meal. What about the drinks? The wine list here is impressive, with many of our favourite winemakers featured and loads from the natural canon, as well as sherries and grower Champagnes - notoriously hard to find on Dublin wine lists. We loved the Gaston Chiquet Champagne and the Emmerich Knoll Riesling, but you can't go far wrong with a list like this. And the service? Staff were all lovely and accommodating, and knew exactly what was in each dish and how it had been prepared - a rarity. We did have to flail around a few times trying to flag someone down to order more wine or request more of that immense smoked yoghurt, but once they got there they were very helpful. The verdict? Bastible has been one of Dublin's top restaurants since it opened in 2015, but the arrival of Cúán Greene has taken it to the next level, where foraging, pristine sourcing and defining Irish food takes centre stage, and stars undoubtedly await. It's no secret that Greene harbours ambitions of opening his own restaurant, and how far away that is we don't know, but we'd recommend trying his food here as soon you can, and you'll be guaranteed to follow him wherever he goes next. Bastible 111 South Circular Road, Dublin 8 bastible.com New Openings & Discoveries More >>

Did we even smash before Dash? Get into a heated debate about Dublin's best burger with anyone in the city and Dash will top the list again and again. Double and triple smash burgers, chicken tendies, fries and sauces make up a simple menu that needs nothing else. Dash Burger Aungier Street Website dashburger.ie Address Unit 2, College Court, 6-11 Kevin Street Lower, Portobello, Dublin 8 Good For Tag 1 Cuisine Tag 1 Once Over Read our Review >> The Story Did we even smash before Dash? Get into a heated debate about Dublin's best burger with anyone in the city and Dash will top the list again and again. Double and triple smash burgers, chicken tendies, fries and sauces make up a simple menu that needs nothing else. Where It's At Nearby Locales Yibu by Janet Little Canton Dak @ Bar Anam Mongoose Chongqing Hot Pot Boco Clontarf Bell Pesto Bang Gloria Osteria Cantina Valentina D'Lepak Pera Borgo Amai by Viktor Kaizen Chubbys Badam Table 45 Comet Daruma Malahide Lena The Pig's Ear Notions @ Two Pups The Rooftop @ Anantara The Marker Sofra

French pizzeria and bakery, topping pizzas with Emmental instead of Mozzarella. Couple Giles (Gaillot, French) and Emma (Gray, Irish) started off with a food truck in Greystones, which was such a success that they upgraded to permanent premises. Coffee and freshly baked pastries in the mornings, soup, sandwiches and salad at lunch, and thin based, wood-fired pizzas with traditional French toppings from 4pm. Lovely garden out back to enjoy it all in. Gaillot et Gray Website @GaillotGrayP Address 59 Clanbrassil Street Lower, Dublin 8 Good For Tag 1 Cuisine Tag 1 Once Over Read our Review >> The Story French pizzeria and bakery, topping pizzas with Emmental instead of Mozzarella. Couple Giles (Gaillot, French) and Emma (Gray, Irish) started off with a food truck in Greystones, which was such a success that they upgraded to permanent premises. Coffee and freshly baked pastries in the mornings, soup, sandwiches and salad at lunch, and thin based, wood-fired pizzas with traditional French toppings from 4pm. Lovely garden out back to enjoy it all in. Where It's At Nearby Locales Yibu by Janet Little Canton Dak @ Bar Anam Mongoose Chongqing Hot Pot Boco Clontarf Bell Pesto Bang Gloria Osteria Cantina Valentina D'Lepak Pera Borgo Amai by Viktor Kaizen Chubbys Badam Table 45 Comet Daruma Malahide Lena The Pig's Ear Notions @ Two Pups The Rooftop @ Anantara The Marker Sofra

Precise, original Sichuan cooking that draws diners from across the city and beyond, for the ‘Man and Wife’ beef slices, ‘waltip’ pork and chicken dumplings, and whole fresh Irish lobster with egg noodles. It's not cheap, but it's one of the best Chinese restaurants in the country. China Sichuan Website china-sichuan.ie Address The Forum, Ballymoss Rd, Sandyford Business Park, Sandyford, Dublin 18 Good For Tag 1 Cuisine Tag 1 Once Over Read our Review >> The Story Precise, original Sichuan cooking that draws diners from across the city and beyond, for the ‘Man and Wife’ beef slices, ‘waltip’ pork and chicken dumplings, and whole fresh Irish lobster with egg noodles. It's not cheap, but it's one of the best Chinese restaurants in the country. Where It's At Nearby Locales Yibu by Janet Little Canton Dak @ Bar Anam Mongoose Chongqing Hot Pot Boco Clontarf Bell Pesto Bang Gloria Osteria Cantina Valentina D'Lepak Pera Borgo Amai by Viktor Kaizen Chubbys Badam Table 45 Comet Daruma Malahide Lena The Pig's Ear Notions @ Two Pups The Rooftop @ Anantara The Marker Sofra

Middle Eastern, pocket-friendly food that consistently delivers. Hummus, falafel and vine leaves are some of Umi's standouts, but it's all flavour-packed and feel good. Umi Falafel Rathmines Website umifalafel.ie Address 180 Rathmines Road Lower, Rathmines, Dublin 6 Good For Tag 1 Cuisine Tag 1 Once Over Read our Review >> The Story Middle Eastern, pocket-friendly food that consistently delivers. Hummus, falafel and vine leaves are some of Umi's standouts, but it's all flavour-packed and feel good. Where It's At Nearby Locales Yibu by Janet Little Canton Dak @ Bar Anam Mongoose Chongqing Hot Pot Boco Clontarf Bell Pesto Bang Gloria Osteria Cantina Valentina D'Lepak Pera Borgo Amai by Viktor Kaizen Chubbys Badam Table 45 Comet Daruma Malahide Lena The Pig's Ear Notions @ Two Pups The Rooftop @ Anantara The Marker Sofra

Bless Up Home-inspired Afro-Caribbean food to feast on and to share in Posted: 31 Oct 2023 Neighbourhood Neighborhood Name Address Restaurant Address Website Website Name Restaurant Info View the Listing >> Written by: Ronan Doyle What's the story with Bless Up? With a history more steeped in emigration than immigration, Dublin has often sadly lagged behind many even comparably-sized UK cities when it comes to the diversity of food on offer. This has started to change and change quickly in recent years, but we’re still playing catch-up in many terms. That’s a big part of why Bless Up caught our eye as it opened in Tallaght back in September: this isn’t the first restaurant in Dublin to offer Sub-Saharan African food, but the scale of its fit-out suggests plenty of confidence that it could be the best. The flashy décor speaks to the ambition to make this a community space as much as a restaurant, and there’s an impressive speaker setup in place to allow Bless Up to host all kind of music night events. The Nigerian-Irish and Nigerian-British owners have plenty of front-of-house experience from the likes of Carluccio’s and Fifty50 but this is their first time manning a kitchen. Where should we sit? Expect to walk in and be wowed – the space here has been transformed with low lighting and red curtains pairing with the smart seating and marble-effect tables for a premium late-night lounge vibe. To the rear there’s an area closed off by a sliding glass door that can be booked as a private room. The tables lining the walls have cosier seating than the wooden chairs of the handful of two-tops out on the floor; we’d recommend sticking to the wall that runs perpendicular to the bar to avoid the minor annoyance of an Instagram-friendly flashing welcome video projected on the wall. What's on the menu? We knew going in that half the mains were going to need our attention so for starters we stuck only to suya, a spiced and grilled meat dish made in this case with a mix of beef, chicken and goat. You’ll more often find this marinated in the characteristic dry-rub – a deep-flavoured powder of roast peanuts and spices including paprika and cayenne – and barbecued on a skewer but here it’s doner-thin slices layered up in a bowl. The meat is tender and juicy, teeming with flavour from the rich rub; the three kinds of meat make for a mouthful-to-mouthful variety that keeps it from ever seeming one-note. This is a great starting salvo apart from the tragic side salad – it’s there to add colour, but it’s really just taking up space. For all its pitching itself as an Afro-Caribbean restaurant, there’s no doubt Bless Up skews solidly to the former part of that hybrid. Jerk chicken on the mains list is the major exception: this Jamaican dish is a classic of Caribbean cooking, spicy-sweet from a lengthy marinade in an allspice and hot pepper-dominated mix and smoky from the grill. Those duelling flavours play well off the thigh’s fatty richness but we would have liked a little more heat – especially given they asked if we wanted it really spicy (of course). “Rice and peas” (actually kidney beans, as per tradition) on the side are simmered in coconut milk and the same spicing for a complimentary, more mellow flavour – these work really well together. Back to Nigeria for the efo riro, a seasoned and sauteed spinach with full flavours from a fried onion and tomato base. If we’re honest we had lowest expectations for this plate but the depth of flavour had us eating our words along with our greens. Our server suggested a side of goat meat to go with it and who were we to argue – this was a definite highlight of Bless Up’s simple satisfactions, gorgeous grilled slices of succulent meat with a sprinkle of spice. Goat remains a real rarity in Dublin restaurants and it’s a great shame – the quality take on it offered here is one of the major reasons to haul yourself out to Tallaght. Both efo riro and jerk chicken come served with a generous side of fried plantain – here they cook the starchy banana varietal to a caramelised crisp that’s positively addictive. It's good news for the greedy that two of the mains are also available in smaller side form, and that’s how we opted to enjoy the jollof and chakalaka – both come with plantains and grilled meat when ordered as a full-fledged main. The jollof – a staple West African rice dish seasoned with spice and simmered in tomato sauce – is delicious, a warming feed of flavour we can see working especially well on those coming colder nights. Chakalaka, a spiced-up riff on baked beans from the south of the continent, has more of that stewed vegetable complexity and gets great texture from the corn and peas flecked through the bowl. We would have happily eaten both of these as mains. We can’t tell you how much our eyes lit up when our server said the dessert of the day was a plantain split – we weren’t through with this delicious fruit yet. Three scoops of caramel-drizzled vanilla ice cream straddle the two wedges of banana, and if it isn’t quite as crisp-charred as its savoury dish cousins, it at least has all the same sweet softness. Puff puff is the menu option we most often saw praised by diners across early reviews on Google and TikTok and it’s hard to argue: these icing sugar-dusted deep-fried dough balls are airy, indulgent, and absolutely addictive dipped in the caramel on the side. Both desserts have a kind of confident simplicity that makes for a nice finish to a meal characterised by layered, complex flavours – a pared-back wind-down to send you out into the street well and truly stuffed. What about drinks? The wine list is relatively slim and with little of any real interest – we expected to see a bit more South African options but it gets no more attention than the other typical regions with three to four bottles and one or two by-the-glass each. Prices are fine, but there’s nothing here that’s good enough to count as a bargain. How was the service? Lovely! Everyone we spoke to seemed genuinely delighted people were trying the place out and keen to know how we’d come across it. Staff are attentive and all over the menu, quick with suggestions to help you try out as much as you can. Everything was ready in super-quick order too, though there was no speed the other side in trying to hustle us out of the place – you will feel very welcome here. What was the damage? What we ordered came to much more than enough for two – though we still ate every bite – at a very reasonable €88. Portion sizes are plentiful, so if you’re watching your spend you could happily fill up on just a main with plenty of change from a twenty. Families will be keen to know they’re very kid-friendly with high chairs on standby and a special kids menu offering goujons, jollof or fried rice for €6.95. And the verdict? At a time when slimming margins and uncertain outlooks are (understandably) pushing more and more new openings to go for the same style of small plates, it’s a thrill to see something as unique as Bless Up land in Dublin. There’s a clear confidence to both the space and the cooking here that seems to suggest those behind it know they’ve got something special on their hands. This is great hospitality, home-inspired food to feast on and to share in. With the broad range of cuisines that fall under the Afro-Caribbean remit we can only hope they continue to add to the menu – already since we’ve visited they’ve added gizdodo, the Yoruba delicacy of gizzards and plantains, and honestly we’re checking the timetables to Tallaght as we write. New Openings & Discoveries More >>

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Storyboard Not your average brunch Posted: 1 Oct 2019 Neighbourhood Neighborhood Name Address Restaurant Address Website Website Name Restaurant Info View the Listing >> Written by: Lisa Cope What’s the story? Storyboard opened in Islandbridge, Dublin 8 (near Heuston Station) in 2017 with chef Laura Caulwell (ex- Fumbally ) at the helm, and within months Catherine Cleary in the Irish Times had written that it was the best café food she'd eaten in Ireland. It was already busy, being in a good-food-starved part of the city, but it got busier. Caulwell quietly slipped out the following year, going back to help The Fumbally in their mission of changing school dinners in the The Warrenmount Canteen , but Storyboard continued their trajectory as one of the city's best brunch spots. We love a brunch with a difference and the images on their Instagram feed were causing serious cravings for kimchi pancakes , so we went to see how things were faring two years in. Where should we sit? It feels like a tight squeeze inside when it's busy so if it's in any way sunny we'd be trying to nab an outside table. Otherwise edge your way onto a table of two of four, and there may be a wait at the weekend. There didn't seem to be a queuing system when we got there, and while we got a table quickly we hope they have some way of telling who's first in line. There was a queue but we couldn't tell who was waiting to pay, who was just there for takeaway coffee and who wanted a table. What's good to eat? From the brunch menu we tried two of the Storyboard classics - the kimchi pancakes and the "spuds", and a new kid on the block - 'Beet & Figs' - which turned out to be our favourite. The beetroot and figs come served on a thick slice of Le Levain sourdough toast topped with sumac mascarpone with hibiscus, and lemon tea reduction (almost like a curd), with McNally's mixed leaves. A great and unusual combination of flavours and textures, although we would liked the pieces of beetroot to be a bit less enormous. You also only get one slice of toast for €10.50 so if you're very hungry this might not fill you. The kale kimchi pancakes are a nice savoury rework of a breakfast classic, and we rarely pass up an opportunity to eat the pungent, fermented cabbage in any form. These had a slightly chewy, slightly crumbly texture, and came with perfectly soft scrambled Wicklow free-range eggs on top, as well as sunflower shoots, scallions, house teriyaki sauce and homemade spicy mayo. Maybe we didn't read the menu properly as we were disappointed that the "spuds" was literally just a plate of spuds. They were well cooked with rosemary and salt, but neither the accompanying buffalo sauce, pea purée or minted frisee leaves leaves did much to amplify it much beyond a plate of potatoes. We wishes we'd added two free-range fried eggs or some Gubbeen chorizo from the sides, which probably would have made all the difference, but by itself it felt like an incomplete dish. The price tag of €10.50 added insult to injury. They'd run out of quite a few cakes/treats when we got there (but they'd been restocked by the time we were leaving), so we settled on a chocolate covered peanut butter ball (rugby not soccer), which was dense and extremely peanutty, dipped in excellent dark chocolate - what a snickers wishes it was. Perfect if you have a sweet tooth to satisfy but don't want a full on cake fest. What about the drinks? Coffee is excellent, as you would expect, and they had both Imbibe and Bonanza Coffee Roasters in stock when we were there. Other drinks are very limited, and if you were hoping for something other than kombucha, ginger fizz or sparkling water you'll be disappointed. And the service? Chaotic. They really seemed as if they needed more staff. We were passed several times while trying to figure out if there was a queue for seats without being acknowledged, and had to almost walk out in front of someone to get their attention to ask. They were very nice, but some seemed addled, others too relaxed. Once we did sit down we waited 25 minutes for a flat white to arrive, having asked after it three times, and watch customer after customer leave with takeaway cups in their hands. They took it off the bill but it's hard to recover from a start like that. The verdict? Storyboard is still one of Dublin's most interesting places for brunch, with an ever evolving menu and a thoughtful use of Irish produce. If you favour peaceful weekends you might want to get in early and hopefully beat the rush, but if you're not in a hurry and like a bit of buzz it's probably right up your street. A walk in the Phoneix park afterwards should help you work up an appetite for lunch. Storyboard Clancy Quay, Islandbridge, Dublin 8 storyboardcoffee.com New Openings & Discoveries More >>

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Coppinger The boys are back and better than ever Posted: 6 Aug 2024 Neighbourhood Neighborhood Name Address Restaurant Address Website Website Name Restaurant Info View the Listing >> Written by: Lisa Cope What's the story with Coppinger? You remember Coppinger Row right? Opened mid-recession in 2009; became a central player in Dublin dining for the next 12 years; was engulfed in a social media meltdown after Beyoncé and Jay Z were papped having dinner there; closed abruptly at the end of 2021 after their pesky landlord decided to put their lease on the open market. Name-checked everywhere from Vogue to Goop , Coppinger Row had a fanatically nostalgic fanbase, who despaired at the news it was pulling down the shutters for the last time, but lo and behold, those clever Bereen brothers managed to get the lease back into their hands after two and a half years of refusing to give up the fight - what an entirely exhausting palaver. The result is Coppinger Row 2.0. They've dropped the 'Row' to become ' Coppinger ', completely reinvented and redesigned the restaurant space, and unveiled a far sexier menu from Executive Chef Daniel Hannigan and team - the days of black pudding salads and open meatball sandwiches have been parked. Where should we sit? There are quite a few different areas so this is somewhere you might want to specify a seating preference when you book. There's bar seating (ideal for solo dining or if you like to watch things from up high), outdoor seating, two circular tables perfect for group catch ups, and a long line of tables for two/four/six along the left wall in the front room looking out onto Coppinger Row. There's also two sections towards the back of the restaurant which feel a bit more private and removed from the buzz of the main floor. The section at the very back has private dining written all over it. What should we order? Good luck making choices here because everything sounds better than the thing before it. Order a couple of snacks while you read it from top to bottom 18 times. On being handed the menus we were told to order what and how we want - refreshing in a world where we're increasingly told to order three courses or get out. You might be wondering what tarama is. Stop wondering and ask them to bring it. The silky cod's roe based dip (€6.50) comes with a puddle of sweet fennel jam (why is this not more of a thing) and a generous sprinkling of furikake over the top. It's one of the nicest things we've eaten this year - sweet, salty, savoury joy in each scoop. The kitchen also sent up some muhamarra with marinated red pepper and candied walnut (€6.50) which we hadn't ordered. It's smoky and piquant with contrasting textures and you'll need an order of foccaia (€4) to mop both of them up. If you stop in for one plate at the bar, make it the tuna crudo with peach, oregano and fennel (€19). It could so easily be a case of the Coco Chanels - just take one thing off. It's not. It's an incredible flavour combo, with sweetness, spice and herbal notes offsetting the fatty fish - we've never tasted anything like it. Those garlic and chilli gambas a la plancha are back, and still as monstrous as ever. They come in small (€16) or large (€30), and four of them as a starter swimming in that spoonable garlic, chilli and lemon butter sauce with half a slice of sourdough felt like good value. A round flatbead, piled with sticky, savoury lamb belly, comes with a Belvedere pineapple mint chimichurri (€16) - clearly dreamt up by someone with a flair for flavour. Every bite brings savoury, sweet, sharp, fruity, creamy - consider this an order to order it. Octopus rice, evidently cooked in squid ink, came with nicely cooked BBQ octopus and dollops of sunny saffron aioli (€17) - an enjoyable dish which the under-seasoned rice and under-flavoured aioli somewhat took away from. Long, fluffy, crisp pan-fried gnocchi (€26) comes tossed with peas, meaty maitake mushrooms and Hegarty's cheddar, and it's a killer vegetarian dish, easily enough to make you pass on meat or fish, but a little too oily for our delicate taste buds - we couldn't quite finish it which doesn't happen too regularly. A lighter hand with the fats is all that's needed. Crisp Ballymakenny spuds (€6.50) are hash browns for the 2024 diner, sitting in a pool of Parmesan custard with more of the good stuff on top. This is another dish you'd regret skipping if you saw it pass by on the way to another table, but try to share or you'll struggle to entertain dessert. The dessert menu is more on the simple side with ice-creams, sorbets and a couple of plates proper - a panna cotta; and a strawberry and elderflower cruller with ice-cream (the menu said strawberry but we think we got vanilla - €12). The well made pastry is partly soaked in syrup by the time it arrives, spilling over with summer strawberries, and the lime zest keeps everything from feeling too sweet. What about drinks? The wine list isn't going to get oenophiles' pulses racing, but it's a good one for covering all the bases, and having bottles to satisfy all tastes. There are three sparkling wines for sub €60 (fizz fans will be delighted), and having whites and reds between €35 and €40 will make a lot of squeezed diners very happy. We really liked the Valle des Aigles Cazot Orange, which stood up well to those big flavours. There's a decent by the glass selection too with bubbles, white, orange, rosé, reds and fortified, and mark ups are not as painful as some of the other restaurants around town. It's clear they want people to see Coppinger as a regular dinner spot, rather than a once a year treat, and we get the feeling they've worked hard to keep prices on the more accessible side. How was the service? For the second week in a row it felt like we'd been busted on arrival. Service was very friendly, and twice extras arrived from the kitchen that we "just need to try". Despite this, there were long lulls in service at times, and we spent an hour more there than necessary waiting for various courses to arrive. A lot of the staff are back from the original Coppinger Row, and all seem very upbeat and happy to be home, but things could do with a bit of tightening up - whether that's on the floor or in the kitchen we couldn't tell. It's early days though. What's the verdict on Coppinger? The lads behind Coppinger must have thought the world was falling down around them when that lease got pulled from under their feet, but from our vantage point it's the best thing that could have happened to them. We've heard the Bereen Brothers say that Coppinger Row was never really about the food - well Coppinger is, and this update, 15 years after the original opened its doors, couldn't feel any more of the moment. New Openings & Discoveries More >>

High end Italian seafood and pasta with an extensive Champagne and wine list that's become a focal point for some of the city's big spenders. Gregarious owner Luca likes opening the top end bottles and teaching customers how to sabre Champagne. Rosa Madre Website rosamadre.ie Address 7 Crow St, Temple Bar, Dublin 2 Good For Tag 1 Cuisine Tag 1 Once Over Read our Review >> The Story High end Italian seafood and pasta with an extensive Champagne and wine list that's become a focal point for some of the city's big spenders. Gregarious owner Luca likes opening the top end bottles and teaching customers how to sabre Champagne. Where It's At Nearby Locales Yibu by Janet Little Canton Dak @ Bar Anam Mongoose Chongqing Hot Pot Boco Clontarf Bell Pesto Bang Gloria Osteria Cantina Valentina D'Lepak Pera Borgo Amai by Viktor Kaizen Chubbys Badam Table 45 Comet Daruma Malahide Lena The Pig's Ear Notions @ Two Pups The Rooftop @ Anantara The Marker Sofra

Neighbourhood café in the heart of Dublin 8, with all food made on site using seasonal, mostly organic ingredients, and a yoga studio on site. Their menu is all vegetarian with plenty of vegan options, so you can enjoy a plant-filled feast after you’ve worked through your sun salutations. Little Bird Website little-bird.ie Address 82 South Circular Road, Portobello, Dublin 8 Good For Tag 1 Cuisine Tag 1 Once Over Read our Review >> The Story Neighbourhood café in the heart of Dublin 8, with all food made on site using seasonal, mostly organic ingredients, and a yoga studio on site. Their menu is all vegetarian with plenty of vegan options, so you can enjoy a plant-filled feast after you’ve worked through your sun salutations. Where It's At Nearby Locales Yibu by Janet Little Canton Dak @ Bar Anam Mongoose Chongqing Hot Pot Boco Clontarf Bell Pesto Bang Gloria Osteria Cantina Valentina D'Lepak Pera Borgo Amai by Viktor Kaizen Chubbys Badam Table 45 Comet Daruma Malahide Lena The Pig's Ear Notions @ Two Pups The Rooftop @ Anantara The Marker Sofra

A Do Pop's potato curry has them lining up in Malahide Posted: 31 Aug 2021 Neighbourhood Neighborhood Name Address Restaurant Address Website Website Name Restaurant Info View the Listing >> Written by: Lisa Cope What’s the story? There are approximately 50 places to eat in the small, seaside town of Malahide, but approximately 40 of them have more or less the same menu - if you want burgers, fish and chips or seafood tagliatelle you've come to the right place. On the other hand, if that makes your eyes glaze over, you need to know about A Dó , which opened from a hatch on New Street in April, serving potato curry boxes, filled rotis and chicken salad with mustard slaw, and immediately stood out, because it was like nowhere else around. This is a proper family affair, with brother Krishna out front, sister Anna Maria in the kitchen cooking their father's Indian recipes, and another sister Róisín helping out too. They were busy from day one, with coffee, porridge and pastries in the morning, and the Indian influence kicking in from lunchtime, and the smells alone will draw you to their window if you're close by. Where should we sit? As the world (and Fingal County Council) got on board with outdoor dining, A Dó went from being a hole in the wall takeaway to having six or seven tables for outdoor dining throughout the summer. New Street in general is a really atmospheric place to soak up some sun over breakfast, lunch or dinner, but with the pedestrianisation of the town's main thoroughfare due to be reversed in Autumn, they may be back to takeaway only until 2022. If that's the case when you visit, grab your food and head for the newly redeveloped green at the Marina, one of the benches overlooking the sea along the coast or estuary, or head into Malahide Castle for acre after acre of green space. What's the food like? It's one of those small but perfect menus. No fillers, no crowd-pleasers, just the food they want to serve. It's so real and unapologetic, even before you get your food you know it's going to be good. Their 'Pop's potato curry' box is a mainstay, and come with a freshly made roti, Asian slaw, green chilli chutney and yoghurt sauce. You know those perfect plates/boxes/dishes where every single element is a knockout, nothing is an afterthought, and everything works so beautifully together you could almost weep with joy? That. Pop knew what he was doing in the kitchen. There are no shop bought pastes or powders here, you can see and taste the freshly ground and whole spices in everything. On weekends you might find specials like a beef curry box or a butter chicken one (just as good), but the potato is there all week. You can also get one of those freshly made rotis stuffed with potato curry and yoghurt, topped with carrot and green chutney, and eating it as a whole bread between two hands shows off its buttery, flaky magic to maximum effect. It's also got to be one of the best fivers you could spend on food in the entire capital. At the weekend you might find other curries stuffed in rotis also, like their beef version, and we've yet to be disappointed with anything. But we're not done with Dad's potato curry yet. In one of the most impressive showings of carb on carb action we've seen in years, they also stuff it into lavash bread from Tartine to make a potato curry sandwich. Admittedly this did initially cause us to raise eyebrows, but like everything else that comes out of this kitchen, it just works (and is an incredible hangover helper). The other pillar of A Dó's menu is their chicken salad, which comes either in a box or in a sandwich. It looks and sounds so simple but the additions of mustard mayonnaise, apple and pomegranate make it pop, and even makes the celery palatable (sorry celery lovers). Cakes and cookies are predominantly vegan from Oh Happy Treats , and we loved the chocolate banana bread which was so dense with banana and didn't suffer in the slightest from non-dairy chocolate. A brownie was a bit too thin and fudgy for our liking, but that's being picky. They have other more mainstream treats like those mini doughnuts you see all over the place, vegan power balls and muffins, but we're sending you here more for the savoury than the sweet. What about the drinks? Standard café fare - coffee, tea, soft drinks and sometimes slushies. Coffee is from Ariosa and often we've found it quite bitter, but that might be a matter of staff training rather than the beans being used. It's definitely on the stronger side of coffee blends. And the service? Staff are always very pleasant, but you'll get the best interactions from the owners. Customers love to tell Anna-Maria how much they loved her food, ask if they can buy her chutneys by the jar, tell her never to change a thing, while her brother jokes about not giving her a big head. This is the antithesis of a chain café or restaurant, and eating here will make you feel so much better than if you went to the Starbucks down the road, on a lot of levels. And the damage? We've eaten here a few times but the last visit comprising of two mains, two cakes and an iced coffee came to €23. We almost felt we were ripping them off. The verdict? A Dó café is the most interesting thing to happen to Malahide's main thoroughfare in years (and we're include the 'Save Malahide Village' protests in that). Go for the homemade rotis, stay for the potato curry, beg for some chutneys to take home. You'll feel revived. A Dó Café 2 New Street, Malahide, Co. Dublin www.instagram.com/ado_coffeetogo New Openings & Discoveries More >>

Neopolitan woodfired pizza (many of our readers name it as the best in Dublin) and handmade pasta a couple of minutes walk from Stephen’s Green. Bread and ice cream are also made freshly in house. Cirillo's Website cirillos.ie Address 140 Baggot Street, Dublin 2 Good For Tag 1 Cuisine Tag 1 Once Over Read our Review >> The Story Neopolitan woodfired pizza (many of our readers name it as the best in Dublin) and handmade pasta a couple of minutes walk from Stephen’s Green. Bread and ice cream are also made freshly in house. Where It's At Nearby Locales Yibu by Janet Little Canton Dak @ Bar Anam Mongoose Chongqing Hot Pot Boco Clontarf Bell Pesto Bang Gloria Osteria Cantina Valentina D'Lepak Pera Borgo Amai by Viktor Kaizen Chubbys Badam Table 45 Comet Daruma Malahide Lena The Pig's Ear Notions @ Two Pups The Rooftop @ Anantara The Marker Sofra

Tiller + Grain's owner/chef Clair Dowling worked for Ottolenghi and Skye Gyngell in London, before bringing her flavour-popping salads and sandwiches to Dublin city centre. Meat and fish is cooked on an indoor barbecue, bread is from Bread 41, fruits and vegetables are predominantly Irish and seasonal, and it's hard to surpass the flavours in their salads. Tiller And Grain Website tillerandgrain.ie Address 2 Frederick Street South, Dublin 2 Good For Tag 1 Cuisine Tag 1 Once Over Read our Review >> The Story Tiller + Grain's owner/chef Clair Dowling worked for Ottolenghi and Skye Gyngell in London, before bringing her flavour-popping salads and sandwiches to Dublin city centre. Meat and fish is cooked on an indoor barbecue, bread is from Bread 41, fruits and vegetables are predominantly Irish and seasonal, and it's hard to surpass the flavours in their salads. Where It's At Nearby Locales Yibu by Janet Little Canton Dak @ Bar Anam Mongoose Chongqing Hot Pot Boco Clontarf Bell Pesto Bang Gloria Osteria Cantina Valentina D'Lepak Pera Borgo Amai by Viktor Kaizen Chubbys Badam Table 45 Comet Daruma Malahide Lena The Pig's Ear Notions @ Two Pups The Rooftop @ Anantara The Marker Sofra

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 Yibu by Janet Little Canton Dak @ Bar Anam Mongoose Chongqing Hot Pot Boco Clontarf Bell Pesto Bang Gloria Osteria Cantina Valentina D'Lepak Pera Borgo Amai by Viktor Kaizen Chubbys Badam Table 45 Comet Daruma Malahide Lena The Pig's Ear Notions @ Two Pups The Rooftop @ Anantara The Marker Sofra

First rate coffee and quality food have had Two Pups secure a place on every "Dublin's best café" list since they opened in 2016. Daily specials, great cake, and they love to see dogs coming in with their owners. Two Pups Website @twopupscoffee Address 74 Francis Street, The Liberties, Dublin 8 Good For Tag 1 Cuisine Tag 1 Once Over Read our Review >> The Story First rate coffee and quality food have had Two Pups secure a place on every "Dublin's best café" list since they opened in 2016. Daily specials, great cake, and they love to see dogs coming in with their owners. Where It's At Nearby Locales Yibu by Janet Little Canton Dak @ Bar Anam Mongoose Chongqing Hot Pot Boco Clontarf Bell Pesto Bang Gloria Osteria Cantina Valentina D'Lepak Pera Borgo Amai by Viktor Kaizen Chubbys Badam Table 45 Comet Daruma Malahide Lena The Pig's Ear Notions @ Two Pups The Rooftop @ Anantara The Marker Sofra