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La Gordita , the new tapas bar from the owners of Las Tapas de Lola opens today, 10 years after their big sibling stormed onto the Dublin food scene (who remembers the month long waits to get a table?). The second restaurant from owners Anna Cabrera and Vanessa Murphy (whose name means 'little fat one') is aiming to be more casual than the original, with bodega-style food and drinks, and barrels outside to stand around sipping sherry alongside a plate of Jamón Ibérico. The menu is made up of 'Pica-Pica' (nibbles), 'Entrantes' (small plates), and 'Segundos' (the main deal), as well as sides, desserts and cheese. For those with deep pockets you can order organic Spanish caviar with potato crisps and crème fraiche for €65, or snack on gildas (€3.75), boquerones (€10), or Mojama - Almadraba cured tuna from Cádiz with almonds (€12.50). Small plates include deep-fried aubergine with sugar cane honey; lamb sweetbreads; and a tortilla of the day, while larger plates include grilled octopus tentacles with romesco and potatoes, and fried lobster with potatoes, padrón peppers and fried eggs. There's plenty of interesting bottles to drink on the wine list too with seven sherries by the glass (mostly from Lustau), and wines from superstar Spanish producers Raventos, Raul Perez, and Commando G. La Gordita opens Wednesday - Friday from 17:00, and Saturday - Sunday from 13:00. Bookings are now live on their website . La Gordita 6 Montague Street, Dublin 2 lagordita.ie

We're nearly there guys. One more freezing spell this week before we inevitably get to a tropical St Paddy's Day, and then it's plain sailing to summer from then on. Here's what want to eat this week to make that final wait that much easier... 1) Breakfast Taco, Los Chicanos Taco You want to bring a great Mexican taco maker to an Irish food festival. There's only one thing for it - Irish breakfast tacos. Scott Holder's Los Chicanos Tacos will be popping up at Me Auld Flower Festival with this bacon, egg and avo creation, and we'd eat it at any time of the day. 2) The Bacon Seduction Burger, Pitt Bros BBQ While we don't condone the use of the word 'seduction' when naming dishes, this bacon burger from Pitt Bros BBQ certainly grabbed our attention this week. They top a beef pattie with caramelised onion, cheddar cheese and bacon jam, and wrap it in a brioche bun, and you can find it in their George's Street restaurant or at their pop up at Me Auld Flower Festival next weekend. 3) Bolognese Pizza, Rua Wood-Fired Pizza Usually we have to wait until we go on holidays to eat pizza with Bolognese on top (you'll find us rifling through the freezer section of many a Spanish supermarket)️, but Rua in Phibsborough are bringing the holiday feeling to us this week. Their special come topped with pork and beef Bolognese, mozzarella and fresh chilli, and comes topped with rocket and a ball of burrata cheese. Beats the one from Mercadona. 4) Cassata Siciliana, Dolce Sicily If you've ever visited Sicily you've probably come across their famous jewelled dessert - 'Cassata Siciliana'. While they come in many different combinations, it will always include sponge cake soaked in fruit juice or liqueur, layered with ricotta and candied fruit, encased in marzipan and topped with eye-popping designs, including lots more candied fruit. We've never seen one in the Irish wild until now. If you want one as much as we do pop an email to orders@dolcesicily.ie. 5) The Sunday Roast, Hen's Teeth Dublin is somewhat bereft when it comes to Sunday roasts that make us want to leave the house, but Hen's Teeth are trying to right that wrong, and here's the pic to prove it. Their Sunday roast comes with a choice of roast pork; roast chicken, mushroom and tarragon pie; or cauliflower and durrus pie, along with seasonal greens, braised red cabbage and roast potatoes. It clocks in at €60 for two with a bottle of wine, or it's €22.50 just for the roast.

Along with the rest of the nation, we are buzzing for the Oscars this year. Our little island has a record 14 nominations, and whatever happens on the 13th March, it will be a historic day for Ireland. While we’re busy watching as many of the Oscar nominated films as we can, we’re also reflecting on some our favourite movies that centre on our favourite subject – food. This selection is just a few of the films that have inspired us over the years to either get into the kitchen, pop open a bottle, reserve a table, or book a flight. With each of the movie choices, we also thought we’d give you a steer on where you might want to eat in Dublin right after the end credits run. Pass the popcorn. The Menu (2022) Ralph Fiennes plays a celebrity chef in this comedy horror, joined by Hong Chau (excellent in The Whale, earning her an Oscar nom) as his front-of-house manager, and alongside Anya Taylor-Joy, Nicholas Hoult, and John Leguizamo, who play diners attending his exclusive restaurant. This definitely rests in the not so joyful category of food movies, but one which parodies the world of fine dining deftly – paying eye-watering amounts of money to be served questionably edible food in a strained atmosphere. Let’s just say it brought to mind this recent article by Farrah Storr in The Times. Where to go in Dublin: If The Menu hasn’t turned you off fine dining completely, you won't get much better than Chapter One by Mickael Viljanen for an incredible high-end experience – with none of the gore. Big Night (1996) Written, directed by, and starring Stanley Tucci, this Italian-American comedy drama set in the late 1950s is a heart-warming story of a restaurant run by two Italian brothers. Under pressure to bring in cash, their flashy restaurateur neighbour offers to invite a famous jazz musician, Louis Prima, to dine in their restaurant. They then embark on a quest to prepare a spectacular dinner and make one last ditch attempt to keep their American dream alive. The cast is superb, with Tucci starring alongside Minnie Driver, Ian Holm, Isabella Rossellini, Allison Janney and Tony Shalboub. From seafood risotto to timpano – a drum-size cake of pasta, meatballs, hard-boiled eggs, and sauce, to the beautiful simplicity of an omelette, Big Night is also even credited with kicking off a revolution in American food culture, as the type of Italian authenticity in the movie was relatively new to Americans in the 90s. Where to go in Dublin: When we think about family-run, authentic little Italian restaurants in Dublin, Terra Madre on Bachelor’s Walk immediately springs to mind. Great for antipasti, authentic meat dishes and pasta, including the most perfect black truffle & cheese fondue ravioli, and a solid wine list (sadly we’ve yet to see Timpano on a menu anywhere, but we'll keep looking). Chef (2014) If you’re looking for a feel-good movie with a great cast, a banging soundtrack and scenes that will have you running to your nearest food truck, look no further. Chef tells the story of a head chef (Jon Favreau) who quits his day job, triggered by a viral video where he publicly confronts the restaurant critic who panned his cooking. With his career seemingly in tatters, he gets the opportunity to refit an old food truck with his old colleague Martin (played by a fantastic John Leguizamo), and his young son. The movie turns into a raucous buddy road trip movie as they take the truck across America, with some eye-watering food scenes including the 'Mojo Pork' - essential to crafting the famous Cuban sandwiches their food truck sells. There's a pretty epic grilled cheese scene too. Where to go in Dublin: We couldn’t suggest anywhere other than La Cocina Cuevas , the Californian Mexican street food truck in the Naul – mainly because Jeremy Cuevas combined his love for this very movie with family inspiration to cook Mexican food. ¡Qué chido! Babette’s Feast (1987) This Oscar-winning Scandinavian film is the ultimate film about food, and a deeply beloved, timeless cinema classic. It also happens to have one of the best feast scenes in cinematic history, featuring a seven course menu consisting of turtle soup, blinis with caviar and sour cream, quails in puff pastry with foie gras and truffle sauce, endive salade and a rum sponge cake with figs and candied cherries. Adapted from a story by Isak Dinesen, it's set in late 19th century Denmark and tells the story of a Parisian housekeeper with a mysterious past who brings an exquisite meal to a family and congregation of villagers. The lavish banquet tempts the family, who usually renounce pleasures such as fine food and wine (can't relate), and shows how good food can help heal and reconnect. Where to go in Dublin: If you're lusting after Babette's seven course feast, head to sophisticated French restaurant Dax on Pembroke Street Upper. Located in the cosy basement of a Georgian townhouse, Dax serves elegant French food in a refined, underground atmosphere. Ratatouille (2007) This Oscar-winning Pixar creation tells the story of Remy the rat (voiced by Patton Oswalt), who appreciates good food and has quite the refined palate. Via the TV in an unsuspecting farmhouse, Remy becomes a superfan of chef Auguste Gusteau (inspired by real-life chef Bernard Loiseau, who died of a broken heart after his restaurant, La Côte d'Or, lost a star). When Remy ends up in a sewer beneath Gusteau's restaurant, he sets out on an adventure to realise his dream of becoming a chef. Ratatouille was also voted one of the 100 greatest motion pictures of the 21st century by the BBC , and we would tend to agree – c’est magnifique! Where to go in Dublin: If you’re inspired to eat some deliciously decadent French food after watching Ratatouille, try La Maison on Castle Market for size. From confit duck to Coquilles St Jacques, coq au vin to poisson de jour, La Maison will tick the French craving box. Sideways (2004) Fair warning, you’ll want to have a bottle of wine in close proximity when you’re watching this movie - ideally not a Merlot. A struggling writer and wine enthusiast played by Paul Giametti takes his soon-to-be married friend on a trip to wine country for his last days of singledom. It soon transpires that they have very different ideas of what they’re looking for out of the trip, and soon there’s plenty of drama involving two great performances from Sandra Oh and Virginia Madsen. Sideways received widespread critical acclaim and won the Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay, and the film was also credited with being a boon for Pinot Noir, with production increasing by 170% in the decade after Sideways was released. It’s also likely responsible for depressing the merlot market based on the classic line: “ If anyone orders merlot, I’m leaving. I am not drinking any f****** merlot!” Where to go in Dublin: If you’re thirsty for a glass or two of wine after this movie (you will be), head to Loose Canon on Drury Street, and sample some of the natural wines they have on offer, with a cheese toastie or small plate on the side. Julie & Julia (2009) A movie written and directed by Nora Ephron, you say? Starring Meryl Streep, Amy Adams and Stanley Tucci? About the life and work of the legendary cooking teacher, author and TV personality Julia Child? Sold. This is a biographical comedy drama, based on a novel (based on a blog!), contrasting the life of Julia Child with a young New Yorker, Julie Powell, who decides to work her way through every one of the 524 recipes in Child’s 1961 cookbook Mastering the Art of French Cooking . There’s plenty of fantastic food scenes, whether it's making Hollandaise sauce or meringue, pastry rolling, and the recipe that plays the biggest part in the movie - the Boeuf Bourguignon (hot tip: dry the beef in paper towels or it won’t brown. Thank you Julia). Where to go in Dublin: We’re not sure anywhere in Dublin does a Julia Child-level Boeuf Bourguignon, but Bresson in Monkstown is a good place to start. You'll find French onion soup, duck rillettes, and Black Sole Veronique on the menu amongst much more. Ooh la la. Jiro Dreams of Sushi (2011) The only documentary on the list, this beautiful and thoughtful Japanese-language film follows Jiro Ono, an 85-year-old sushi master and owner of Sukiyabashi Jiro, previously a Michelin three-star restaurant. The restaurant has just 10 seats, serves only sushi, and is located in a Tokyo subway station. In 2014, then-President Barack Obama joined Japan’s then-PM Shinzo Abe and said it was the best sushi he had ever eaten. Indeed, it was this exclusivity and difficulty in getting a seat, likely exacerbated by the film, that saw the restaurant dropped from the Michelin guide in 2019. The film follows Jiro’s two sons, who are both sushi chefs, and is a gorgeous meditation on work, family and the art of perfection, and it will definitely have you craving sushi by the end. Where to go in Dublin: Look, we all know that great sushi is not Dublin’s strong point. We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again, get in the car and go to Wa Sushi (formerly Wa Café) in Galway, or Ichigo Ichie in Cork for something more Netflix worthy. Pig (2021) A truffle-foraging recluse and former chef, played by Nicolas Cage, goes on the hunt for his stolen pig in this mystery/thriller/comedy. When the trailer hit the internet back in 2021, there was a massive reaction – equal parts joyful and confused – about the Nicolas Cage missing pig movie, but the film has received rapturous reviews and a 97% rating on Rotten Tomatoes no less, and has heralded somewhat of a comeback for the actor. Like ‘The Menu’ it takes some digs at the pretensions of high-end dining, but the message running throughout the film is the power of food to connect, to heal us and to release long suppressed emotions. Where to go in Dublin: If you’ve managed to be lucky enough to visit the three two-star Michelin restaurants in the city, check out the one-star restaurants, Variety Jones , Bastible and Glovers Alley Chocolat (2000) Based on the novel by Joanne Harris, Chocolat tells the story of Vianne Rocher (Juliette Binoche) who arrives in a picturesque little French village at the beginning of Lent with her six year old daughter Anouk, and opens up a small chocolaterie. Vianne’s presence causes quite a stir and soon influences the lives of the somewhat repressed townspeople. The Comte de Reynaud (played by a brilliant Alfred Molina) is the opinionated curé of the parish, and highly disapproves of this display of temptation. As Easter Sunday approaches, Vianne prepares for a chocolate festival and Reynaud is desperate to win back his flock. There’s so much chocolate to lust after in this movie, but one scene that always springs to mind is when Vianne prepares a hot chocolate that you can almost taste through the screen – it's rich, dark and smooth, uplifted with vanilla and the warmth and spice of ground chile. Where to go in Dublin: Thankfully we have no shortage of great Irish chocolate producers, many of which are widely available in retailers across the city. For your cocoa fix, try Koko Kinsale , Cocoa Atelier , Bean & Goose , Arcane Chocolate , Skelligs Chocolate , Hazel Mountain Chocolate , and current ATF fav Bon Chocolatiers .

What should we know about Russell Street Bakery? It's just opened right next to Croke Park , in the space that formerly housed Rossa Crowe's 'The Lady From Shanghai' bakery (he closed it after developing a gluten intolerance). The space has been taken over by Thibault Peigne, whose organic bakery Tartine started off small, but now as well as supplying bread to some of the city's top restaurants, you can find their loaves stocked in supermarkets from Dunnes Stores to Donnybrook Fair. This neighbourhood bakery is his attempt to bring it back to where it all started, and showcase his baking skills with no commercial constraints. They open from Tuesday - Saturday, selling freshly baked breads, pastries, cakes and foccacia, as well as tea and coffee, and some organic dairy products. What's the menu like? The bread, pastry and cake selection will change daily, but expect to find the butteriest croissants, pain au chocolats, almond croissants, Pain Suisse and danishes, as well as seasonal specials depending on the month. Every pastry we tried was tears in your eyes good. This is old school French baking, and while there's definitely a time and place for stuffed up, over the top pastry creations, this is flour, butter, time and love, and will make it very clear why the classics became classics in the first place. The crispy outsides and buttery insides leave you in no doubt about how fresh everything is, and there's always something that's just out of the oven. For breads there's sourdough, baguettes, brioche loaves and buns, lavash and foccacia. We took home a seeded sourdough, a brioche loaf and a lavash (a very high water content bread from the Middle East), and all were perfection. It's really hard to find good, freshly baked brioche so don't skip that one, and the lavash was so chewy and deeply flavoured, ideal with soup later that day. We were lucky enough to arrive as a fresh slab of foccacia was being cut into chunky squares, and with sun-blushed tomatoes, goat's cheese and basil, it was one of the best we've had in recent memory, dense and chewy with just the right amount of oil. There's also a dessert case up front which had madeleines, bakewell tart, chocolate tart, brownies and more. Leave here without spending a small fortune and we'll be impressed at your restraint. The only downside is a lot of what we bought was given to us in plastic (they're hoping to find a recyclable solution but are not there yet), so bring your own bags if you can. What is there to drink? Coffee is from Imbibe and was made beautifully. There's also tea, chai and matcha, as well as kombucha, juice and other soft drinks in the fridge. Is there seating? Unfortunately not, you'll have to take your purchases and sit outside, or head on home to enjoy. Why should I go? Every so often we get a message from a French person or someone who's spent time there asking where they can get really good French style pastries. They don't want OTT croissant specials, cruffins, or gimmicky hybrids - they just want croissants, pain au chocolats and really great bread, just like you'd find in the best French bakeries. From now on our response will be "head for Russell Street Bakery". Any homesickness will be lifted on entry. Russell Street Bakery Unit 2, Behan Square, Russell Street, Dublin 1 instagram.com/russellst.bakery

If you're been reading ATF for a while you'll know we're big fans of natural wine, and not just because they're cool right now - they're better for you, better for the environment, and by and large tend to be way more interesting to drink than the commercial, manipulated bottles made in the millions. Le Caveau is the biggest importer of natural wines in Ireland, and one of the main suppliers to some of the city's best restaurants including Note, Frank's, Host, Chapter One by Mickael Viljanen, D'Olier Street, Mamó, Grano, Bastible, Hen's Teeth and loads more. Each year they open their portfolio of bottles for the trade so they can taste and plan what they want on their wine lists in the months ahead, and this year they're going to open it up exclusively to ATF Insiders . This is your chance to taste bottles from the wine lists at some of the city's top restaurants, mark down your favourites, and pick wines with a bit more confidence the next time you're out and about, learning what you like and what you could leave behind. The Le Caveau X ATF Insiders tasting will take place in Smock Alley in Temple Bar on Tuesday 7th March from 18:00 - 19:30. Tickets are €15 (plus €1.34 Eventbrite fee) and each Insider can buy an additional ticket for a plus one. We've also got a couple of offers for you if you want to grab a bite to eat afterwards (offers only valid that night). Piglet are offering our readers 15% off all wines on their 'Petite List' (with over 40 to choose from), when eating in. Mention the offer when booking and you'll need to show your ticket to the wine tasting. Daruma are offering our readers a free cocktail when dining - either the 'Wasabi' or the 'Yuzu'. Just mention the ATF offer when booking, and you'll need to show your ticket to the wine tasting. Get tickets for the wine tasting here , and if you're a new sign up to ATF Insiders and need the password just send us an email or a DM on social media.

Following on from our recent visitor’s guide to Irish food in Dublin , which focused on the city centre, we thought we’d take you on a journey to Dublin's Northside. If you’ve got visitors in town and more than 24 hours on your hands in the city, it’s more than likely you'll end up taking a trip to some of Dublin's suburbs and outskirts, and let's face it - a mere 15 minutes outside the city-centre can transform any tourist’s opinion of the place. Home to the most stunning beaches in Portmarnock, Sutton, Howth, Malahide and Skerries, incredible green spaces like the Phoenix Park, St Anne’s and the Botanic Gardens, the Northside also has its fair share of great restaurants and cafés (although we admit it's still playing catch up with the southside). Whether it’s a seaside village or a leafy suburban neighbourhood, there’s plenty to keep you occupied for a day of eating and drinking, and here are our top spots... Breakfast Honey Honey, Portmarnock This cosy café in Portmarnock village is a little shot of sunshine. Serving breakfast and lunch, it’s always thronged with hungry queues out the door for takeaway and sit-in. Honey Honey has been open since 2018 and filled a much needed gap for a decent café in the area. Serving great coffee, delicious homemade granola and warm sausage rolls, they also have a regularly changing lunch special menu which never disappoints. Nearby Portmarnock beach is a great spot to blow off the cobwebs and get your dose of vitamin sea, flat white in hand. Fuel, Clontarf Calling themselves a ‘health food cafe’ - don’t let that put you off – Fuel keeps the good people of Clontarf going with great coffee, brekkie, brunch and lunch. Previously a small sit-in space, since the pandemic hit Fuel started to operate as a takeaway with a hatch to the outside street, and has kept it that way. We can’t say we mind too much as the promenade is a stone’s throw away, stretching all the way to Dollymount, with plenty of places to have a picnic (weather permitting). There are specials everyday, but also reliables like breakfast baps and granola, and good vegan/vegetarian options too. The Rock Bakery, Skerries The Rock Bakery in Skerries is worth the trip out to Skerries alone . The ‘micro-patisserie’/artisanal bakery is currently operating out of a pub, ‘The Snug’ (but a permanent home is coming soon ), with a seasonal monthly menu, and they sling delicious baked goods from Thursday to Sunday. Honey chili garlic focaccia, chorizo cheese danishes, pain au citron, ferrero croissants - what’s not to love? Bodega Coffee, Howth Offering the best cup of coffee in the village, Bodega Coffee in Howth market is always our first stop on a day out to the seaside fishing village. Influenced by a retro New York vibe, a little bit of Melbourne and a dash of Irish hospitality, they’ve been operating since 2017 and have also recently opened up a Drury Street outpost in George’s Street Arcade. Bodega serves excellent coffee (Full Circle Roasters), and delicious sweet and savoury treats to fuel yourself as you head off on the Howth Cliff Walk. Lunch St Anne's Market, Raheny The former home of the Guinness family, St Anne's is an extensive public parkland and rose gardens, and a really beautiful green space to while away a few hours in. Bonus is that every Saturday from 10:00 - 16:00 there’s a market to help you refuel after that walk around the park/playground time/game of tennis/Parkrun. One of the market’s recent additions, Bread 41 , has - obviously - been a runaway success (with the queues to prove it) but thankfully they arrive well stocked. Food stalls change regularly, but you’ll find everything from falafel, noodles and Indian food, to baked potatoes, burgers and empanadas – and so much more. Goat in the Boat, Skerries This sweet little spot in Skerries serves gelato, coffee, glass and homewares. Situated in a prime setting right on Skerries harbour, Goat in the Boat is a great place to enjoy sunny seaside coffees and waffle cone gelato, as well as warming up with Belgian hot chocolate and homemade cakes in the colder months. Their glass studio, located at the back of the cafe, was a lockdown project that they fell in love with, and the glass art is available for sale in their shop. Inspired by the landscapes and seascapes surrounding the area, it’s a great place for visitors to pick up some non-tacky souvenirs too. Picnic Park, Malahide Situated right beside the Marina in Malahide, this collection of food trucks has something for everyone – or just for you, if you’re hungry enough and fancy a bit of everything (which we often do). Currently in Picnic Park you can pick from Puck Burger, Paddy’s Pizza, Lick ice-cream, and Puck Coffee. Bites by Kwanghi and El Milagro recently had food trucks here but have moved on, however Adobo Mexico, a truck run by a husband and wife duo from Oaxaca, Mexico, has just joined the crew. Goat's Gruff, Strawberry Beds This little food truck started out in August 2019 serving specialty coffee and Neapolitan pizza, inspired by a visit to a community pizza night in Vermont. From fresh pastries for breakfast to sourdough wood-fired sambos for lunch and Neapolitan pizza every evening (made with dough fermented over 48 hours), Goats Gruff is always thronged, for good reason. To top it all, they’ve got a lovely relationship with the Strawberry Hall pub next-door, and share the beer garden where you can enjoy your Goat’s Gruff grub and a Guinness in style. We also love taking a coffee and Media Luna pastry to the Phoenix Park for a stroll. Dinner Margadh, Howth Starting life as a food and wine shop, Margadh has turned into a wonderful cafe and wine bar, serving toasties and sausage rolls during the day, and small plates in the evening. The sister (or child?) of Mamó , just a few doors down, it's also spread its wings with Margadh RHA, boasting one of the best value tasting menus in town. Margadh is a must-stop in Howth, whether it’s picking up a delicious toastie or the makings of a picnic from their deli shelves during the day, or choosing how many plates you can fit in the evening with a few glasses of seriously good wine. From Cantabrian anchovy toast with preserved lemon aioli, to winter truffle linguine and moules mariniere, the only problem is choosing what to order. Mamó, Howth Since Mamó (Irish for grandmother) opened its doors on Harbour Road in Howth back in 2019, we've been well and truly hooked. It’s been firmly at the top of our recommendation lists for anyone visiting Dublin, and word is most definitely out. Run by ex- Etto front of house Jess D'Arcy and chef husband Killian Durkin (ex-Thornton's, Chapter One and Charlotte Quay ), the menu changes seasonally and is always focused on sustainable ingredients, sourced from Ireland’s most committed producers, and using the best of North County Dublin produce. Your visitors must not leave Ireland without trying the ‘cod chip’, confit potato chips with taramasalata - Mamó's take on fish and chips. King Sitric, Howth Down beside the pier in Howth, King Sitric is ideally located for you to kick back and enjoy the view across Howth Harbour and Ireland’s Eye. The restaurant and guest house been around for over 50 years but most recently handed over the reins to the younger generation, who have turned it into a less formal dining situation and seafood bar, serving the best of Irish fish and shellfish. The seafood here is fresh as it gets, with an abundance of oysters, crab, Dublin Bay prawns and lobster served either whole steamed, in butter sauce, garlic butter, Thermidore or ‘Dublin Lawyer’, a whiskey cream sauce. They're very child and dog-friendly too - always a bonus in our books. Shouk, Drumcondra When it comes to Middle Eastern food in Dublin, there's nothing better than Shouk in Drumcondra. The vibrant flavours pack a serious punch, and at a great price too. Their pitas and mezze platters are five star-dishes, and we dream about the ‘batata’ - a whole baked sweet potato filled with onion sumac labeneh sauce, Shouk-style beef and lamb mince, radish, scallions and parsley. The arayes are also a must-order - chargrilled pitta served with beef and lamb, cherry tomato confit, grilled red onion and green chili. As always with Middle Eastern food, there’s loads of veggie options, and they do a nice selection of cocktails too. La Cocina Cuevas, Naul Destination Cali-Mex food in North County Dublin. La Cocina Cuevas was opened by Grandma Cuevas in the glorious sunny town of Lodi, California in 1974, where she shared her wisdom with her grandson Jeremy. After almost a decade working in some of London’s top restaurants he decided to bring his Mexican culture and love of food to Ireland. The menu changes every few months, but you’ll always be guaranteed juicy and authentic Cali-Mex style tacos and burritos. Do not leave with ordering the papas fritas – little crispy golden nuggets of potato, served with salsa rojo on the side. You can also get them loaded, where they’re smothered with grilled onions, melted cheese, jalapenos, salsa, guacamole and coriander. Yes. Da Mimmo, North Strand This family-run Italian restaurant started life as a fish and chip shop, run by a husband and wife who emigrated from Casalattico (between Rome and Naples) in the 60s. Fast forward to 2010 when it was taken over by their son, Tino Fusciardi, and Da Mimmo was born. Serving homemade wood-fired pizzas, pasta and anti-pasti, with regularly changing specials, delicious desserts and a good wine list – Da Mimmo is a consistent and great Italian restaurant in the city, and one we’ll go back to time and time again. Just Chubby's, Clontarf After years of trialing recipes, followed by a pandemic-related delay, the team at 147 Deli brought glorious tacos to Clontarf via Just Chubby's in June 2022. It was a rip-roaring success, selling out constantly and very very quickly (much to the dismay of taco-loving northsiders), but in September they announced that due to a chronic staff shortage they’d be going on a break. So you can imagine the joy and rapturous delight when they announced they were making a comeback on Thursday 2nd February. Serving three tacos – beef, chicken and veggie – and lots of sides like corn ribs and nachos, just come hungry and order everything. Taco early, taco often. Kinara Kitchen, Clontarf Opened by none other than Clontarf’s best boy Brian O’Driscoll back in 2001, Kinara Kitchen is an institution and probably one of the best located restaurants in Dublin, right beside the wooden bridge and with delicious views over Bull Island and Dollymount Strand. This is great Pakistani and Indian cuisine – flavourful, consistent and the well-executed menu has a universal appeal. Kinara also has a good wine list and whopper cocktail menu, with lots of nods to local places. Potager, Skerries One of the biggest and buzziest openings of a restaurant in this neck of the woods for a while, Potager should be on your list for dinner or a fancy lunch if you're anywhere near the seaside village of Skerries. Run by ex-Chapter One head chef Cathal Leonard and partner Sarah Ryan, since 2019 Potager has been showcasing the best of North County Dublin meat, fish, fruit and veg. It’s also located in the home of the old Munster and Leinster bank in Skerries (and the wine is in the vault – makes sense). This is fine dining but in an unfussy and laid-back setting. It's a set menu for dinner and Sunday lunch, and there’s a veggie option too.

If you're like us (and we think you are), you'll know that it's not only acceptable, but necessary to eat pancakes for breakfast, lunch and dinner, on this, our most holy day. Hopefully you had time to make a stack before work, but if you need a bit of help getting your pancake allocation in for the day, here's who's serving some of the best... Daddy's, Rialto Daddy's fluffy pancake selection is surprisingly under-stated for them, with a choice of Harry's Crunchy Nut Butter, Roast Banana and Honey, or O'Neill's streaky bacon, with creme fraiche + honey. If it ain't broke n all that. The Cake Café, Dublin 2 So far the only spotting this year of Crêpes Suzette, so if that's up your street (and how could it not be) head for The Cake Café 's lovely courtyard off Camden Street. Urbanity, Smithfield Urbanity don't tend to do things by halves, and this Shrove Tuesday is no different. Pick from American style buttermilk pancakes with pistachio and vanilla mascarpone, blood orange compote and pistachio crumb. Or go savoury with their version of smoked salmon blinis, with cracked black pepper and dill sour cream, lemon “caviar” and pickled onion, on top of chive pancakes Flower & Bean, Dublin 8 Of course Flower and Bean on Cork Street in Dublin 8 are going to bring the seasonality, with poached Irish rhubarb and blood orange. Top them off with vanilla mascarpone, rum honey, pistachio, edible flowers and mint, and you've got a plate worth prioritising on pancake day. Mrs Reid's, Dublin 8 Mrs Reid's on Kevin Street Upper gets extra points for this lovely box they're serving their pancakes in today. Get them with berries and almonds, or chocolate and banana. Slice, Stoneybatter Slice in Stoneybatter aren't ones to take Pancake Tuesday lying down, and they have no less than three options this year, all with their fluffy buttermilk pancakes. 1) Fried Banana with chocolate cremèux, pecan and hazelnut butter, orange and maple syrup. 2) Caramelised apple with a vanilla crème pâtissière and a pistachio and hazelnut crumb. 3) Poached fruit with salted caramel, Feuilletine, vanilla mascarpone and toasted walnuts. We wouldn't know where to start choosing between those, so best round up two pals and order them all. Alma, Portobello Alma are bringing the goods this year, with these boozy Malbec pancakes. Buttermilk pancakes come with Malbec poached pears, blood orange, toasted hazelnuts, brandy and orange mascarpone and a spiced Malbec reduction. Wow. Za. South Bank Café, Harold's Cross South Bank Café have two options on today for your eating pleasure - a sweet version with Hokey Pokey butter, honeycomb, mascarpone cream & brownie crumb, or a sweet/savoury version with crispy streaky bacon, maple syrup & maple butter. Grove Road, Rathmines Sister café Grove Road is also getting in on the action with these American Style Pancakes with crispy bacon & maple syrup, or berries, compote, vanilla cream & maple butter. Little Bird, Portobello Little Bird have a sweet and savoury pancake option on today. Sweet with berries and almonds, savoury with some kind of veggie based sauce and a fried egg. We'd like more detail, but both look good. The Orange Goat, Ballsbridge If you like your pancakes in excess, head to The Orange Goat in Ballsbridge for this Nutella-Banana-Pancake-Cake. It doesn't look like you'll need lunch afterwards. Regular pancakes are also available. Lahoya Greens, Terenure We love the simplicity of this sugar and lemon zest topped crêpe from Lahoya Greens in Terenure, who are doing coffee and a crêpe from €5. Farmhouse Café, Walkinstown Farmhouse Café in Walkinstown are keeping it classic with two options on today - streaky bacon with maple syrup, or fresh berries, lemony Greek yogurt, toasted almonds and compote. Greenville Deli, Rathmines & Inchicore Greenville Deli are serving boxes of homemade crêpes in their Rathmines & Inchicore sites, with wild berry compote, lemon mascarpone, a slice of lemon and powdered sugar. Grumps, Foxrock Grumps in Foxrock are serving Nutella and strawberry, or lemon and sugar crêpes all day today for €2.50 a pop. Póg, All Locations Póg are geared up for their busiest day of the year across all locations, with extended hours and walk-ins only in their city centre locations. Their protein pancake menu comes with a tonne of options for toppings, sauces and premium add ons like Kinder Bueno and Biscoff sauce. Cornucopia, Wicklow Street Cornucopia on Wicklow Street are keeping with simple with sugar and lemon or chocolate sauce, and they've got vegan and gluten-free options. We'll update this article throughout the day.

* This event is now fully booked * ATF Takeover of Pala Pizza & Trattoria - Wednesday 8th March @ 7pm We've been following, eating and loving chef Rory Shannon's food since his days cooking in London, and we did a hip-shaking happy dance when he moved home just before Covid. After bedding into his family's restaurant in Foxrock, eventually he took over completely, and Bistro One became Pala Pizza & Trattoria in Autumn 2022. We went, we ate, we loved , we vowed to return at every available opportunity. Shannon has a longtime love affair with Rome, so when we asked if he would consider closing the restaurant for one night to cook some of his best dishes for our subscribers, he said yes, if he could make it all about Rome. Some dishes he's already perfected (like his supplì quattro formaggi, and cacio e pepe rigatoni), some he wants to try on you for the first time (like Pizza Baciata with corned ox tongue, and 'Trippa alla Romana'), but we think the tasting menu he's put together for us is incredible value for €56 a head (including a glass of Lambrusco). Here it is... All The Food's takeover of Pala Pizza and Trattoria takes place on Wednesday 8th March at 7pm . The booking email will be sent to everyone signed up to ATF Insiders at 1pm on Monday 13th February . Tickets are first come first served, and you will find out on Monday if you were successful, with a follow up call to take payment ( please include your phone number when you email to book ). Seats must be purchased in twos, and each Insider can purchase a ticket for one non-Insider to bring with them. This is a group dining event so you may be sitting with other Insiders on the night. Sign up to ATF Insiders here .

What should we know about Fairmental? It's a brand new café and 'lab' based around fermented food and drinks, where Barrow Market used to be near Grand Canal Dock. It's owned and run by chef and fermentation obsessive Valentin Ivancenco, and Mihaela Ivancenco - the two are married. Valentin has been a chef for 20 years and has worked in Dublin, the UK, Copenhagen and Japan, everywhere from burger joints to fine dining restaurants. Fairmental started during the first lockdown in 2020, with the couple creating products like slaw, kimchi and garlic hot sauce, and soon they started appearing in cafés and delis across the city, including Tír and 147 Deli . You can buy some of their ferments in Fairmental including pickled Irish cabbage and garlic hot sauce, and we imagine the selection will grow over time. What's the menu like? It's a simple menu with three main choices - rice bowls, broths or wraps, and everything contains ferments and other gut-friendly ingredients. The rice bowl comes with Jasmine rice, house fermented vegetables, rayu and avocado, with a choice of chilli chicken, sesame salmon or marinated tofu. We ordered salmon and were a few spoons in before we realised we were eating chicken, so got to try a bit of both. The sticky, salty salmon won out for us on the flavour front, but the chicken is from Ring Farm in Kilkenny, so they're both good options. We loved all the tangy veg, creamy avocado and fresh leaves, but you do need the garlic hot sauce to drizzle all over so don't skip it. Broths (bone or mushroom, €11) come with tamago egg, noodles, seaweed and rayu, and you can add chicken or tofu for €3. We went for bone broth and it's a deep, savoury bowl of health, the eggs perfectly jammy, the noodles springy. We didn't love the seaweed, but it's the kind of bowl that will make you feel good for the day. It will also thank you for some hot sauce. Wraps come with the same elements as the rice bowl, and a choice of chilli chicken or tofu and mushroom - we went for chicken. We wouldn't be the type to get excited about a wrap, but this one could give wraps a good name. The crispy outside housed soft, creamy avo and rice, against crunchy pickled veg, tender chicken and rayu, and again, that garlic hot sauce does not go amiss. What is there to drink? They serve their own house-fermented drinks like kombucha and kefir alongside freshly pressed juices from The Punnet on Mount Street around the corner. We tried a raspberry & hibiscus kombucha and an orange juice and both were incredible, the kombucha nicely vinegary, and the juice with an almost melony hint to it. There are gut-friendly drinks from other companies too, like SynerChi and King of Kefir, and you won't find any commercial soft drinks here so don't ask. Is there seating? There's seating inside and outside, and we predict those sunny outdoor tables will be in high demand this summer, so get there early or risk extreme disappointment. Why should I go? Who doesn't want to do something nice for their gut? Fairmental is the perfect stop when you want to eat out but don't want to feel sluggish for the rest of the day. Don't forget some ferments for home to keep the good gut feelings going up all week. Fairmental 10 Grand Canal Street Upper, Ballsbridge, Dublin 4 instagram.com/fairmental_

A 3fe favourite returns, Artybaker open a third venue, and the owner of Tartine takes it back to the start with a new micro-bakery - here’s everything you need to know about the latest openings (and reopenings in Dublin). Russell Street Bakery, Dublin 1 Tartine Organic Bakery founder Thibault Peigne has opened a micro-bakery just a stone’s throw from Croke Park (where Rossa Crowe's bakery 'The Lady From Shanghai' used to be). Russell Street Bakery sourdough breads, scones and pastries we're told rival any in Dublin right now, and we’re loving the cool and cosy look of the place with boards of baked goods stacked temptingly in the window. Good news here for coffee nerds too: they’ve invested in the best machinery with a custom Sanremo Café Racer, while the coffee itself comes from D8’s Imbibe . Artybaker, Sandymount Artybaker are not stopping still as they open their third branch in Sandymount, just four months out from setting up shop in Kimmage. All of their breads and pastries are made on site in the newly fitted-out kitchen, and we can only imagine the smell. Fresh loaves and baguettes are laid out to the side with a full store-width counter piled high with pastries and cakes opening up before you as you come in the door. Their limited February special Ferrero Rocher croissant is all the reason you need to get down and check it out before the end of the month. Fairmental, Grand Canal Street Upper A natural next step for chef Valentin Ivancenco, who first starting experimenting with fermentation during lockdown before launching a series of products that have cropped up on dishes all over Dublin, Fairmental brings his full range of sauces, kefirs and kombuchas direct to customers, together with a small menu of salads, bowls and wraps. Pitched as a deli and lab, the new venture is focused on the positive gut and brain benefits of fermented foods. We love the wall of supplier shout outs, with the likes of Ring’s Farm chicken and Glenmar Seafood among the providers namechecked. Read our two minute review here. Be Sweet, Clarendon Street A boutique, design-led confectionary brand available in retailers like Avoca since 2014, Be Sweet expanded onto the café scene last week with this Clarendon Street space straight across from Powerscourt Shopping Centre. Inside and out the décor is heavy on florals, ferns and feathers with an eye to offering an escapist getaway in the city centre - or maybe they're just courting the Instagram crowd. For the moment it’s just coffees, cakes and chocolate on offer but hot food options are coming soon. Four-legged friends are also welcomed. Pawn Shop, Dame Street It’s been a long road to opening for new cocktail bar Pawn Shop , which took over the Dame Street space that played home to Berlin Bar until its closure under the cloud of that infamous covid controversy - the new owners reckon that incident might have played a part in delaying their licence so long. It’s a dive bar vibe with the re-fitted space sporting neon-lit cabinets of pawned jewellery and electronics along the walls, and Mexican food truck Órale are taking up a permanent residence, after a few successful popups while the bar was wrangling its way through the courts. The Storyteller, Grand Canal Street Lower Hot on the heels of their Arnott’s opening, the team behind Griolladh have gotten into the pub trade, reopening Becky Morgan’s on Grand Canal Street under the new name The Storyteller . The polished black lamps and heavy focus on Guinness give it a classic Dublin pub vibe that extends to the all-wood interior, more refreshed than revamped from the previous venue. The food menu is strictly on the casual side with “snacks and shares” - colour us intrigued by the fried cacio e pepe - aged beef burgers, prawn banh mis, and Caesar salads. They're serving drinks until 23.30 seven days a week. Gertrude, Pearse Street It was starting to feel like 3fe’s much-loved brunch spot might be permanently shut after its pandemic closure never lifted, but we’re glad to see Gertrude back in business with a reopening announcement out of the blue last week. They’re starting slow with service from 11:00 to 16:00, Friday through Sunday, and the menu has been revamped. It’s no surprise to see granola, pancakes, eggs and avocado toast, but more standout items include a short rib hash, fennel and blood orange salad, and bacon and treacle-stewed beans. Quick counter bites are also available for the coffee-and-croissant-to-go crowd. Brickyard, Dundrum After being closed for the past few months for renovation, Dundrum gastropub Brickyard has just reopened. It's had a full refurb, complete with a new brick wall running through it (no more questions about why it's call what it's called), and they've got some new dishes on the menu, including tender stem broccoli pakora with coriander chutney, mint yoghurt and fermented jalapenos, and 10-hour braised iberico pork cheek with mustard mash and caramelised onion gravy. Brickyard opens for food and drinks seven days a week. Coming soon... Eleven, Loughlinstown The latest addition to a restaurant stable that includes 777, Dillinger’s, The Butcher Grill and Amy Austin, details are thin on the ground so far for Eleven , but it's promising a wood-burning grill, cocktail bar and live jazz once it opens upstairs in Whelehan's Wines in Loughlinstown. La Gordita, Montague Street We’ve been patiently (and sometimes impatiently) waiting for La Gordita since first reporting it as on the way last year, but with a licence granted last week it’s got to be close. Anna Cabrera and Vanessa Murphy’s Las Tapas de Lola has become a Dublin institution since opening a decade ago, and the couple’s new Bodega-style bar round the corner is named after their pet pug.

February's monthly 9 giveaway is here! And it's another killer line up, with overnight stays, whopper bar tabs and the chance to try some of the city's best food right now - for free. Our nine monthly giveaways is one of the ways we thank our subscribers for letting us do what we do, with no #ad, #collab or #invite in sight. Everyone signed up to ATF Insiders by midnight on Friday 17th February will be entered into the draw, and winners will be picked and notified on Saturday 18th February. Here's this month's line up... 1) An Overnight Stay In Belfast To Celebrate Belfast Restaurant Week If you haven't been to Belfast recently, what have you been doing with your weekends? On a recent trip we had major decision-making anxiety about whether to do brunch in Neighbourhood or Established Coffee , lunch in Roam or Home , and if decision making isn't your forté either, heading up during Belfast Restaurant Week is the best way to try as many places as possible. From Monday 20th - Sunday 26th February, almost 50 of Belfast's restaurants have signed up to offer a £10 lunch and a £20 dinner , with others offering specials like a £10 breakfast at Stock and a £22.50 three-course menu at The Waterman (both high on our list of places to eat). You'll find offers across the city, and the famous St George's Market will host cooking demos at the weekend. We've bagged an overnight stay at The Clayton Hotel for one of you with B&B plus dinner, so you can start getting your teeth into Belfast's food scene, either next week or whenever suits. Check out participating restaurants and menus for Belfast Restaurant Week here . 2) Dinner For Two At Bar Italia With Wine Pairings We fell hard for Bar Italia recently, visiting twice before giving you the lowdown on their Roman pizzas, giant plates of risotto and what might be the best Carbonara in the country (wear loose pants). We can't wait to send one of you in for a three course meal for two with wine pairings. Our advice? Go for the specials (and the Carbonara, obvs). 3) A €250 Bar Tab For Kodiak, Rathmines If you read our two minute review of Kodiak in Rathmines, you'll know we think it's one of the most exciting bar openings in the city in a while. These guys are just getting it all right, and plenty of others should be taking notes. We've got a whopper €250 bar tab for one of you this month, and if there was ever an excuse to work your through their exhilarating beer list, original cocktails and premium pizzas, it's this gift from the bar Gods. See what Kodiak are up to on Instagram here . 4) 'D Big Lime' Caribbean Feast From AA Caribbean AA Caribbean have brought their 'Rum Parlour' to Bow Lane Social until the 11th of March, serving Trinidad meat patties, chargrilled gambas with homemade pepper sauce, and Scorpion butter wings, alongside Caribbean cocktails like rum punch. They've given us a sharing feast ('D Big Lime') big enough to feed 3-4 very hungry people, with gambas, patties, chicken, fresh sides and loads more, and one of you will be very popular with your friends if you win this one. 5) A Three-Course Meal With A Bottle Of Wine At Lottie's, Rathmines Lottie's in Rathmines is due to open at the end of the month (where Lenehan's used to be), with Ted Ostache (ex-head chef at Mister S ) heading up the kitchen. Quite the hire. They're aiming to be a neighbourhood joint with great wine and cocktails, and it's the second opening for Valence Hospitality, owned by Domini Kemp and Brian Montague, who also opened Nancy Hands a few months ago. We're sending one of you straight in for a thee-course meal with wine, and we expect a full report. 6) Four 'Whole Shebang' Tickets Worth €200 For 'Me Auld Flower' Festival There's an exciting new Irish food and drink festival coming to Dublin this spring and we've got four tickets to give away to one lucky ATF Insider . Kicking off next month's St Patrick’s weekend festivities in Dublin on Thursday 16th March, Me Aul Flower food and drink festival will take place over four days in the historic, Victorian fruit, vegetable and flower market on the city’s northside. The new festival is aiming to bring the best of Ireland together with a modern take, focusing on Irish food and drink culture, with restaurants, chefs, producers, distillers, brewers and makers under one roof. Our winner and three of their friends will miss nothing with four Whole Shebang tickets , which permits access to all of the six sessions over the four day festival lineup, which also includes live demonstrations, talks, DJs and live music. Visit: meauldflower.com for more information and tickets. 7) A Copy Of Soup And Every Cookbook From Blasta Books Independent publisher Blasta Books have just published the newest addition to their recipe book series - ' Soup ', by Blanca Valencia, Dee Laffan and Mei Chin (there's a great feature by Katy McGuinness in the Irish Independent about it here ). There are three more books to come this year - ' Tapas ' by Anna Cabrera and Vanessa Murphy (Las Tapas De Lola), ' Wasted ' by chef Conor Spacey, and ' Masarap ' by Richie Castillo and Alex O’Neill (Bahay), and we've got one of every book in the series to give away to one of you this month, as well as a "Well read & well fed" tote bag. Follow Blasta Books on Instagram here . 8) Food & Drinks For Four From Benjamin's Hot Chicken & The Vintage Inn Benjamin's have brought their Nashville Hot Chicken (and softshell crab buns, and prawn po' boys) to The Vintage Inn in Ringsend, giving you yet another reason to visit. A few more are the fact that they're dog-friendly, have a great outdoor space, show all the big sports games, and have a live DJ playing disco every Saturday night. We've got dinner and drinks for four to give away to one of you this month, up to the value of €160, and we think you're going to have a very good time. 9) A €100 Voucher For Graft Coffee South Dublin has a brand new speciality coffee shop. Graft has just opened in Deansgrange, from three 24-year-old friends (two of whom worked for a coffee roaster for two years), brewing Carrow Coffee from Sligo, with pastries from Medialuna and treats from Thyme Out in Dalkey. Savoury options including sausage rolls and sandwiches are coming in the next few weeks. They've been trying to open their own café since before Covid, and they've finally done it, so to celebrate they've given us a €100 voucher for Graft so you can take a gang of your nearest and dearest and give them the full once over. Everyone signed up to ATF Insiders for February will be automatically entered into the prize draw - you don't need to do anything. If you're not signed up yet join here and support independent content in Dublin and beyond, and get answers to all of your burning questions about eating out, here and abroad, directly from us.

Ireland is having a Lion King moment. You know when Simba’s dad sits him down on Pride Rock and explains that “everything the light touches is our kingdom”? Seems that a pile of Dubs have taken it literally and seem to think it applies to the Kingdom. If you’re one of the many drivers of D-reg cars setting out for a slice of life beyond the N7 in the coming weeks, here are some of the best places to eat around Kerry's top summer destinations. Dingle If you’re packing your vaccine passport, extended family, luggage, pets, and anxieties up for a week, Dingle is an excellent choice for some R&R. Rugged scenery, hidden beaches, and a buzzing artsy town means there’s lot to do, plenty of outdoor activities, and no shortage of independent places to eat. First make your way to Green Street. Start with The Fish Box ; the family-run restaurant serving the freshest seafood from their own trawler. The portions are huge and you’ll find classics like fish and chips (made from local Maharees potatoes, of course) plus loads of specials that change depending on what’s caught that day. Fish kebabs with homemade salsa, buffalo hake bites, prawn Thai red curry, fish spice boxes - we’ve never had a bum meal here. Currently operating take-away with some outdoor seating. Be warned that it gets busy so we’d recommend ordering online, and taking your food for a stroll to a nearby bench if you can’t secure a table. They also sell beer from neighbouring Dick Mack’s pub and brewery, and there’s a surprising number of vegetarian and vegan options for a seafood restaurant. Speaking of Dick Mack’s , head for the pub’s courtyard and you’ll find two food trucks - Chewy and the Beast selling wood-fired pizzas, burger, and chips, and Cáis , a toastie truck. If eating from food trucks in the back of pubs is your thing, and it totally is ours, Mex West Dingle is tucked away behind Paddy Bawn Brosnan’s and serving tacos, nachos, brunch, and daily specials with homemade salsas and sauces. They’re on a short break but back from July 20th. Next stop down the street is Bean in Dingle , a coffee shop that does their own roasting. Keep an eye out for sausage rolls with Anascaul black pudding, and lots of cakes and desserts. There’s a Bean in Killarney too. On the market for an ad-hoc picnic? We have the ultimate dream team. You’ll spot Bácús Bakery on the corner and need to go there for traditional made-from-scratch bread and some of the best baking in Munster - their cinnamon buns alone are worth the trip. What you may not spot as easily is The Little Cheese Shop that’s right behind it. Walk into the small shop and you’ll find a massive selection of Irish cheeses, charcuterie, chutneys, crackers, cultured butter, and just random, beautiful things. It’s basically a cheese tardis. At the bottom of Green Street, veer left and keep an eye out for beards and checked shirts as the coffee hipsters gather; you’ve found My Boy Blue . Great coffee, epic brunches, and excellent bakes await you inside the blue door. Across the way, you might clock Reel Dingle Fish Co. and dismiss it as just another chipper, but the sheer number of McKenna’s Guide plaques over the door will leave you in no doubt that there’s something special here. Fresh fish, proper chips, homemade tartare sauce with the John and Sally McKenna seal of approval. For lunch by the water, Out of The Blue is our favourite kind of seafood restaurant. The menu, hand-written on a blackboard, is completely dependent on what comes off the boat that day, nothing’s frozen, and you won’t find any chips. You’ll need to reserve a spot on their outside terrace, but it’s worth the planning. On Main Street Land to Sea is a Dingle institution and we predict indoor tables will be in high demand once they’re able to open fully but, until then, they’ve pivoted to a Lebanese menu for takeaway. If you’re staying in Dingle and fancy a night off from cooking, Solas Tapas is operating on a book and collect basis. Currently on a little break, they’re back from July 22nd so you have ample time to squeeze in some pulpo gallego, manchego croquettas, Pollack kiev, or Cromane oysters with mirin. Ring of Kerry and Valentia Island If the idea of a 180km drive along cliff edges and narrow, sheep-dotted, coastal routes has been on the bucket list but also terrifies you, the lack of coach tours this year might mean you have an opportunity to experience it without having to compete with buses for the limited road space. Obviously, the main draw here is the sights, but nobody can enjoy a view on an empty stomach. Killarney Poor ol’ Killarney has had a rough 18 months without the normal influx of tourists, but lots of restaurants have outdoor dining options in place, ahead of indoor dining plans, to cater to visitors and locals who are sticking around this summer. The town is packed with restaurants and pubs serving food so you’re likely to stumble upon something that interest you, but here’s a few of our favourites. You’ll see Quinlan’s fish counters and seafood takeaways dotted around the county, and their Killarney restaurant The Mad Monk is a continuation of their tide to table attitude. Currently there’s outdoor dining available on a walk-up basis. Menu is traditional (think chowder, Portmagee crab claws, lobster salad) and exceptionally well done. The Hungry Donkey , the food truck from chef Chad Byrne, has developed a really loyal following since it launched earlier this year and, having eaten pretty much everything on the menu there over the last while, we can see why. Prawn and chicken spice bags (with an option to add scallops, which is a necessity rather than an option as far as we’re concerned), proper Kielbasa hotdogs, and tacos, it’s a good call for a take-away to eat while sitting on the grass around Ross Castle. It’s also right next to an off-licence; you know what to do. The INEC venue is normally best known for Nathan Carter tours but that’s all changed. Damn you, Covid, can’t we have anything? This summer, you’ll find Eleven77 Food Bus parked outside and serving up a pretty interesting mix. There’s coffee and tea, housemade chai and bakes, but you’ll also find croissants packed with crab, lachha bread with khati chicken, smash burgers (on their holidays from Dublin), tacos, and Cubano sandwiches. Not your average food truck. At the very bottom of High Street, under a sign that has lost several of its letters, you’ll find Petite Delice , a French boulangerie and patissierie that also serves coffee. The bread is great and there are lots of sandwiches and filled rolls for lunch, but the real draw here is the pastries. We don’t care what you have to leave behind you, you will want to keep car-boot space free to bring as many home with you as possible. They also have a spot in Cahersiveen. At the time of writing, indoor dining is still not open and, given the chopping and changing that have plagued planning along the way, we don’t think anyone is sure of what July 26th will bring. Once you’ve had your full vaccines, can recite the Greek alphabet backwards, don’t mind offering-up your firstborn, and are therefore allowed to eat indoors, The Celtic Whiskey Bar and Larder is definitely one for your list. Contemporary Irish menu and an extensive drinks list, they unfortunately weren’t able to open for outdoor seating. Kenmare Possibly the jewel in the Kerry eating crown, Kenmare isn’t a huge town but it punches well above its weight when it comes to dining options. Between cafés, Lorge Chocolate , Kenmare Ice-Cream shop and lots of lovely little boutiquey shops, you’ll easily spend a day there eating and shopping exceptionally well. Before you even hit town, you can start eating. As you drive past a bright yellow and red cottage called The Strawberry Field near Moll’s gap between Killarney and Kenmare, you’ll likely do a double-take and ask yourself “did that sign say pancakes?” It certainly did and you need to take that as a sign from the pancake gods that you should pull in to a world of sweet and savoury pancakes, Dutch apple tarts, and soups. But really, you’re here for the pancakes. There’s a lovely garden outside for al fresco pancakage. Top of our list is No.35 which, unfortunately, is closed until indoor dining resumes. Until then, start planning on when you’re going to reserve your table in the cosy restaurant, and dream about when you can get your hands on locally-sourced, seasonal ingredients, and pork from their own farm. Similarly, keep an eye out for when The Lime Tree re-opens. No. 35 / The Lime Tree Thankfully open for business is Boka on Henry St. which is operating a takeaway menu and has outdoor seats. The menu is casual with a focus on seafood, burgers, salads and healthy rice bowls. Davitt’s benefits from a pretty sizeable outdoor eating area, and good food in a relaxed environment. Possibly the only place we’ve seen in Kerry lately with Jambalaya on the menu. Mulcahy’s Restaurant and Bar describes what they do as having an “emphasis on simplicity”, and that’s fine by us as “simplicity” covers crab and lobster croquettes, and brioche stuffed with lamb. Currently operating a scaled-back street menu for takeaway or outside dining, it’s a popular spot so plan to reserve a table if you want to get inside when restrictions allow. Davitt's/Mulcahy's We love Kerry and we don’t think it’s ever right to compare it to Dublin because there’s just no comparison between what a small rural town can sustain businesswise compared to a city, but if we could wave our magic wands, we’d clone Maison Gourmet and move it to Sandymount or Drury Street. Until the technology to clone cafes is invented, you’re just going to have to drive to Kenmare to stock up on breads, light lunches, and some of the best patisserie on the island. Cahersiveen As you drive through Cahersiveen, you may wonder why there's a church with picnic benches outside - you’ve found The Oratory Pizza and Wine Bar . While indoor dining is in the lovely and atmospheric old church, the grounds are a pretty lovely place to sit and watch the world go by. Pizzas range from the classic Margherita to a blue cheese and peach number. Quinlan and Cooke is a boutique townhouse with accommodation and also houses QC’s Seafood Restaurant. Head here for cocktails and outdoor dining with lots of local seafood and steaks. Currently takeaway only, Fertha Bar and restaurant has a pretty classic menu with soup, chowder, smoked salmon, and some unexpected surprises like squid puttanesca. Outdoor dining right by the water is always going to mean a battle for tables so we would recommend booking if you want to bag a table at O’Neill's, The Point . Don’t worry if you miss out, they’re doing takeaway also. As you’d expect, the menu is seafood heavy and with fresh crab, prawn pil pil, and Atlantic lobster, we wouldn’t want anything else. Valentia Public service announcement: you should not visit Kerry and skip Valentia. It’s beautiful and every turn gives you something new to take in. You will definitely need a car, though, but fitter people than us (hey, we eat for a living, do not judge) would probably break out the bikes. Cable & Co. Food Trucks is a collection of colourful trailers not too far from the waterfront and ferry (you can drive onto Valentia, but for the full experience on a sunny day, opt for the ferry from just outside Cahersiveen), selling coffees, pizza, burgers, loaded fries, hotdogs and shakes. Set your sat-navs for Valentia Ice-Cream . It’s an ice-cream shop housed on a dairy farm so super fresh and plenty of flavours, plus there’s waffles. There are little benches at the front but walk behind the shop to the end of the carpark and enjoy the best view with your dessert. Driftwood Surf Café is the restaurant that Valentia reserves - okay it's just outside Valentia in St Finian's Bay, but close enough. We stumbled upon it on a recent trip and were just blown away at so many things - the beautiful building with giant glass wall opened out to views over the bay and the Wild Atlantic Way, the morning yoga classes, some of the cutest Highland cows in the adjoining field, and the food; local, seasonal and so fresh. We loved it. There’s lots of picnic tables outside but they fill up quickly. Lunch is walk-ins only, but you can book a table for the evening menu. Just below, as you walk towards the bay, you’ll find An Bothán , their sister-trailer selling coffees, cakes, and occasionally fish and chips. Pro-tip: if you see a sign for Geokaun Mountain, follow it. It’s €6 per car to drive all the way up to the top where you have a 360° view across Dingle Bay, the Kerry mountains, Skelligs, and what feels like half of the Atlantic Ocean. At the very top, you’ll find seating areas carved into the landscape so bring a picnic.

Ummm Galway. Slow down being so great for food and drink. There we were thinking we could fit all the best spots into a weekend but how wrong were we? Very. We did our best and ate very, very well, but clearly a return trip is on the cards based on this lot. Here are six places you do not want to miss on your next trip to Galway, and if you haven't got one planned we would advise doing so as soon as financially possible. Éan Bakery + Wine Bar We had originally planned to eat in Michelin-starred Loam , but a covid case caused the restaurant to close so we ended up in their new wine bar (and weekend bakery) Éan , which was quite the consolation prize. It's headed up by Christine Walsh, formerly of Allta and before that Loam, and the industrial style space is unlike anywhere in the capital - lucky Galway. The menu is small plates heavy with one sharing dish for two, and you'll want all of it. The tomatoes with preserved lemon, basil and burrata is one of the best things we've eaten this year, and their squid toast with blond miso and bonito is an illustration of how they're doing things differently. Don't even think about missing their weekend pastries and sourdough, but get there early as there can be queues. The Universal It's a pub, but with really good food, and the natural wine list of your spontaneous fermentation dreams. Is this heaven? No it's The Universal , and if we could clone it and pop one in every country we wouldn't think twice. All the vibes, all the delicious plates (like whole roast turbot in caper brown butter; and shallot, fennel and goat's cheese tart with a citrus salad), all the brilliant, fairly priced wines. You could just go here every night and return home very, very content. Wa Café Barely a day goes by where one of you bemoans of the lack of exciting sushi in Dublin to us. We hear you, it's not the capital's strong point, but turns out it's Galway's, and Wa Café is worth getting in the car for. At the moment they're takeaway only so take your salmon katsu roll, spicy tuna roll and teriyaki chicken roll to Spanish Arch around the corner. We're hoping they're back open properly the next time we visit so we can try their omakase menu, prepared by Japanese chef/own er Yoshimi Hayakawa. Ard Bia @ Nimmos Ard Bia @ Nimmos is one of Galway's go to brunch spots, but they're open for dinner too (there's no outside seating at night though). The menu is creative and fun, with dishes like sour ale aubergine fritters with harissa and pickles; lamb with broad beans, feta, buckwheat and salsa verde; and roast tomato and chard risotto with fior di latté, olive and hazelnuts. It's on the more expensive side of dining options so watch your ordering exuberance as the bill adds up quickly, or go for brunch which is far more pocket friendly. Tartare Chef J P McMahon's Tartare is wine and small plate central, with an evening menu you'll want everything from. During the day it's a simplified menu of a few plates and sandwiches, but the lovely, natural-focused wine list goes all day. We loved the beef tartare with smoked egg, pickled onions and sourdough toast, and a steak sandwich with wild garlic pesto, Hegarty's cheddar and leaves was impeccably cooked. U Liotru There are two major reasons to go to casual Sicilian spot 'U Liotru - arancini and cannoli, and you should order copious amounts of both. You'll find at least 10 different types of arancini, with ragu, with sausage and broccoli, with blue cheese and walnuts, and they're all fresh and made for eating out of one hand as you walk the city's streets, pretending you're in Palermo. The cannoli might not look as Instagrammable as some of the new kids on the block, but it does Sicily proud. Do you have a favourite place in Galway we should know about? Let us know by emailing info@allthefood.ie.

It’s less advent calendar than advent cascade when it comes to Christmas food in Dublin this year, with every day bringing a fresh flood of classics, creative twists, and out-there surprises. Read part one of our guide to the best here if you haven’t already, otherwise read on for even more... Mince Pies, Scéal We noted last time that it’s a crowded space for mince pies, but we’ll always make room for one calling out its flour supplier. Oak Forest Mills are behind the super-flaky pastry of Scéal ’s pies, which add an oat crumble topping and demerara sugar crust for added crunch. It’s an epic-sounding combo, even before the brandy butter gets lashed on. Christmas Pie, Southpaw Once you’ve seen the sight of brie bubbling under the heat of a Neapolitan pizza oven, no other way of preparing it might ever do. Southpaw ’s cheesy pizza dough squares get a seasonal twist with roast turkey breast, sage and onion stuffing and cranberry sauce, all left to soak up that sizzling cheese. Rings Xmas Cracker, Cluck Chicken Cluck Chicken have been knocking it out of the park all year with their guest burgers, and they’re closing things out in style with this collaboration from Rings Farm in Kilkenny. Their signature free range fried chicken is finished in a cranberry glaze, then topped with pulled turkey and ham, a sage and onion stuffing, fried brie, and a gravy mayo. We can’t get a hold of this one soon enough. Argentinian Pan Dulce, Bakeology Christmas centrepieces don’t get much cuter than this. Low-key Liberties hotspot Bakeology is bringing the pan dulce, South America’s answer to the ubiquitous Italian panettone, to Dublin this year in two flavours. You can order a chocolate or nut version for collection on one of their three designated dates, but move quickly -supplies are limited. Cranberry and Orange Tart, Honey Truffle While it turns up all over the place in mayos, sauces, and slaws at this time of year, cranberry doesn’t often get the chance to shine as the central ingredient, but Honey Truffle don't do things like the rest. Their cranberry tart has a crisp, shortcrust pastry case, spiked with slivers of orange peel, and it’s a flavour combo we love to see in the spotlight. Christmas Burger, Chimac Quickly becoming as much a sign of Christmas in Dublin as snowfall in front of the Guinness gates, Chimac ’s festive feast of a burger is back in both locations. The stuffing spice breading is a major part of the draw here, but sprout kimchi, cranberry mayo, and sriracha candied bacon help whet the appetite too. Daily numbers are limited, so you’ll need to be quick. Mince Pie Bakewell, Slice Mince. Pie. Bakewell. We’re all aboard. One of the most enjoyable aspects of covering the Christmas beat this year is seeing the imagination and creativity of Dublin’s many great bakeries in putting a personal slant on their mincemeat creations, and Slice ’s is a sure standout in all its frangipaney delight. Christmas Croissant, Bread 41 We don’t doubt there are plenty of you appalled at the notion of a Brussels sprout croissant, but if anywhere is going to pull it off it’s Bread 41 . Their veggie dinner-in-a-pastry has brie, house sourdough stuffing, and cranberry sauce, with drizzled honey giving it an irresistible sheen. Christmas Stick crepe, Mister Magpie Christmas is nothing if not a time for excess, so why wouldn’t you go all out on a loaded stick crepe? Mister Magpie has rolled out this special studded with glacé cherries and mixed peel, slathered with custard cream and finished with a sprinkle of more cherries, for good measure - ‘tis the season, after all. Christmas Brioche, Two Boys Brew We can’t get enough of all the mince pie twists popping up all over town, and this latest from Two Boys Brew has aged mincemeat in a brioche bun, with a layer of crème patisserie and a mixed spice crumb for added crunch. Dec the Halls, Goats Gruff The Christmas pizza you never knew you needed, and how well turkey works on a pizza we’re dying to know. Goat's Gruff also add parma ham, brie, stuffing and cranberry sauce to round out the Christmassy toppings. White Hot Chocolate, Southbank Café Southbank Café launched their white hot chocolate a week ago to make up for us not getting a white Christmas this year - it’s a good thing they’re better baristas than they are weather forecasters. They take white chocolate, mix it with coconut milk, and bury it beneath a topping of cream and coconut flakes. Festive Mini Desserts, Old Street It’s a good thing Old Street 's wintry dessert pots come in small sizes, because we'd want to try them all. Dark chocolate ganache, brandy-soaked Christmas pudding, red velvet sponge and caramelised almond nougat: if you’ve made it through all that without cravings forming you’re made of stronger stuff than us. Mince Pie, Elliot’s ENOUGH with the mince pies, we hear you scream. However, hear us out here: no. Not with places like Oxmantown sister bakery Elliot’s showing up with versions like this brown butter and quince-laden pie to spice up the competition. The flaky, irregular pastry case just adds to its charm. Christmas Spring Roll, Benjamin’s Hot Chicken Benjamin’s Hot Chicken landed a new home in Irishtown’s Vintage Inn recently and they’ve hit the ground running with this first special in the new site. Sage-spiked sausage stuffing with apple and parsnip isn’t a spring roll combo we’ve come across before, but with chicken gravy for dipping on the side, we’re all for trying it. Christmas Pudding Ice-Cream Sandwich, Café en Seine You can’t move for the number of creative takes on a mince pie about town, but we’ve not seen many innovations on the Christmas pudding front this year. Enter Café en Seine , who’ve decided an ice-cream sandwich is the right way to pimp a pudding. Looking at this level of dunking action, who are we to disagree.

More and more people are finding that certain foods they love don't love them back, and one of the most popular issues gluten. We often get asked where are the best place to eat if you're gluten-free, and to be honest it's a bit of a minefield, as most cafés and restaurants don't have a separate food prep and cooking area, so cannot guarantee to be coeliac-friendly, but if it's a gluten-intolerance you or your loved one has, as opposed to full-on coeliac disease, many of our favourite places to eat will happily cater for you. While it really does depend on the individual and the severity of your allergy (you know best), here's a list of the best places that have gluten-free dining options in Dublin, and even go the extra mile with gluten-free beer and sauces. *Please note that most of the places listed below will not guarantee your meal to be 100% gluten free as there is no separate kitchen. Always ask if you are unsure about anything. Cafés Tiller & Grain, City Centre Tiller & Grain have a gluten-free salad box option when ordering online so you can avoid the queue and enjoy salad knowing it's guaranteed GF. They also have daily gluten-free treats like lemon polenta cake. Honey Truffle, Pearse Street Honey Truffle is another café in the city with good GF options and an order online option, just select the 'free from gluten' option when ordering your salad box. The GF sweet treats on offer include coconut and freeze dried raspberry bites, lemon syrup, pistachio, almond cake with caramelised nut topping and triple chocolate sea salt & almond biscuits. Cornucopia, City Centre Cornucopia not only cater for vegans and vegetarians, they have loads of great GF options on their menu , which has a clear allergen list. GF breakfast options include almond, pumpkin seed and banana granola, overnight oats, and they also have gluten-free bread for their scrambled tofu or smoked baked pinto beans. For lunch and dinner their main courses and salads change daily, but the clear allergen list transfers to their daily board so you'll know which ones are GF. They have cake and pastry options too, and a GF chocolate and hazelnut brownie. Bibi's, Portobello & Dun Laoghaire Bibi 's in Portobello and Dun Laoghaire have a gluten-free bread option to ensure you soak up every last bit of the sauce, juice or dish on their regularly changing menu - squash Turkish eggs FTW. Lunch Yeeros, Drumcondra & Wexford Street Get your gluten-free gyro at Yeeros , with their GF pita bread option for an extra €1.50. They also have good lunch deals for under a tenner which is increasingly rare in Dublin. Happy stomach and happy pocket. Mad Yolks, Smithfield Mad Yolks have gluten-free buns available so you can get your mad yolk, bad yolk, fresh yolk or buff yolk suited to your dietary requirements. They can also serve all their sandwiches in a bowl instead of a bun if preferred. 147 Deli, City Centre 147 Deli know a thing or five about making sandwiches, so sandwich lovers on a GF diet will be very happy to hear they have gluten-free bread available. Take your pick of the reuben, Korean pork, ham and cheesus, turkey and chorizo club, Mexican club, coronation chicken, the 147 cheese steak, or the weekly special. Dinner ViCE, City Centre ViCE have recently added gluten-free bases for their 12 inch pizzas, and 16 inch ones are coming soon. You don't miss out on pizza, your gut doesn't hate you, win win. Fish Shop, Smithfield Who knew Fish Shop ' s battered fish could be made with gluten-free batter? We did. Their other gluten-free options include shellfish and the baked fish of the day, and the advice is to inform the restaurant of any dietary requirements when booking. Bunsen If you're used to having to order your burgers without the bun, Bunsen offer gluten-free buns for an extra 50c so you can get back to enjoying the full burger experience. They do note that they can't guarantee that burgers served with a gluten-free bun are gluten-free they work in an environment that has other gluten-based products, so take your own personal precautions based on your allergy. Note Love fine dining but worried you won't be able to eat anything? Note have an allergen menu available on request with the GF options marked out so you can see clearly what to avoid and what's going to work for you. Apertivo, Nassau Street Another spot with a clear allergen menu is Aperitivo , and while many Italian dishes tend to be gluten heavy, there's plenty of GF options here, including calamari, gamberi fritti, arancini, gnocchi, risotto, pollo Milanese, and other options that can be made GF on request. Sprezzatura Love pasta, hate gluten? Sprezzatura have GF pasta available which is made on site daily. They also have GF pasta sauces and GF small plates on their menu, so no fear of having no choice. Grano, Stoneybatter Another option for pasta lovers, we can already hear the rejoicing when we tell you that most of the pasta dishes at one of Dublin's best, Grano in Stoneybatter, can be made with gluten-free pasta. Featherblade, City Centre Featherblade can make most of their menu gluten-free, including their steaks, burgers and fries. They also have gluten-free Peroni to complete your GF dining experience. Yamamori, City Centre Yamamori have many dishes that are naturally (or can be made) gluten-free, as well as gluten-free beer and soy sauce. As always we recommend you specify any allergies you may have to your waiter so they can let the kitchen know. Mak, Ranelagh If you like being presented with a menu featuring clearly marked GF options, you'll love Mak in Ranelagh, which has a full coeliac menu , including starters, mains, noodles and sides for you to make your way through. A great option for dine in or takeaway. Osteria Lucio, Grand Canal Dock Another Italian with GF options is Osteria Lucio , with gluten-free bruschetta, buratta and pastas, and for dessert the chocolate mousse. The full three courses, and no compromise. Manifesto, Rathmines Manifesto in Rathmines not only have GF pizzas, they also cook them in a completely different area to be extra careful. That's the kind of effort you love to see. And for dessert... The Bakery by The Cupcake Bloke, Rialto The Bakery by The Cupcake Bloke do a GF cupcake every Saturday, with flavours like lemon, and blackberry and almond. All the flavour, none of the flour.

An extra bank holiday, a stretch in the evenings, February is here and spring is in the air. Brighter days bring joy, as does food, and here's what we'd like to bring joy to our mouths this week... 1) Crispy Soft Shell Crab Bun, Benjamin's Hot Chicken The latest addition to Benjamin's Hot Chicken is this crispy soft shell crab bun with chilli salt, Asian pickle slaw, and Szechuan and lime mayo, all served in a potato bun which is suddenly all we can think about. It's available at The Vintage Dublin from Thursday - Sunday - race ya. 2) Pain Suisse, Bread Naturally There are not nearly enough Pain Suisse sighting in Dublin, so praise be to Bread Naturally in Raheny for adding another one to the game. Crispy croissant dough is filled with vanilla custard and chocolate chips, and they're available every Saturday until sell out. 3) Tangyuan, Big Fan Bar Big Fan 's black sesame and peanut Tanguan special with osmanthus and goji sweet broth is said to bring good luck (we'll take any we can get). It's traditionally eaten during the Lantern festival which falls on the first full moon in February (Sunday just gone) but we're hoping they keep it on a bit longer. 4) Dark Chocolate and Pistachio Tart, The Old Spot There's chocolate, and then there's chocolate, and this silky dark chocolate and pistachio tart from The Old Spot , looks like the second type. The roasted banana ice-cream is an added bonus. 5) The Reuben, Stay With Us Café Sandwiches - so good when they're good, so bad when they're bad, but we're confident the Reuben with spiced pastrami, swiss cheese, pickles, sauerkraut and homemade Russian dressing from Stay with Us is going to be one of the good guys.

Jaru's are bringing Korean food to Dublin 8, a second space for Kind as Folk, and a New Orelans pop-up. Here’s what’s new in Dublin this month... One Kinda Folk, Upper Leeson Street One Kinda Folk have opened their second location on Upper Leeson Street, in the former home of now closed Forest & Marcy. Their original location is a little hatch hidden away off Dartmouth Road in Ranelagh, so this is a move to coffee shop proper. Expect breakfast and lunch, cake and pastries, and all the different coffees. Space Jaru, Dublin 8 Korean food producers Jaru have opened their first restaurant, Space Jaru , on Meath Street in The Liberties. Pork Jeyuk and Chicken Dakgalbi Korean BBQ bowls, Korean fried chicken and sides like seaweed gim, lotus roots and their famous kimchi are some of the options on their lunch menu . For dinner it's a similiar vibe with the addition of small bites like beef galbi dumplings, double fried boneless chicken thighs and slow braised kimchi and pork stew. Check out the full dinner menu here . Space Jaru opens Wednesdays to Sundays for lunch and dinner and for lunch on Sundays. Gumbo Etc, Dublin 7 There's a new pop up in The Glimmerman in Stoneybatter, while Vietnom take a hard-earned holiday. Gumbo Etc. specialises in classic New Orleans dishes, like chicken and smoked sausage Gumbo, roast beef Po'Boy sandwiches, and smoked sausage beans and rice. Keep an eye on their Instagram for weekly specials.

We hope you’ve all made it safely to the 763rd week of January. Seriously, it’s still January. Dark days and grey skies aside, at least there’s been plenty of delicious food to keep our bellies happy throughout this month, and a Happy Lunar New Year to all who celebrate. Here’s what our eyes have been popping over this week – get your Google maps out and start pinning.... 1) Fried Calamari, Pala Pizza & Trattoria Foxrock’s Pala Pizza & Trattoria is slowly introducing new dishes to their menu of antipasti, pizzas, pastas and suppli/fritti (fried snacks), and one of the latest is this classic fried calamari and lemon. We can almost hear the crunch and are in a drizzly Dublin suburb no longer, but transported to the courtyard of a little trattoria in sunny Riomaggiore… 2) Massive Burgers, Meltdown They’re heeeere! Meltdown , home to the cheesiest of toasties, has introduced burgers and we’re ready for it. First up is the ‘OG Meltdown Massive Burger’, featuring a double serving of Courtney’s beef smashed patties, smoked Applewood cheddar cheese, smoked streaky bacon, Meltdown’s special burger sauce, baby gem lettuce, Meltdown hot sauce and caramelised onion on a brioche bun. It's the size of a small child but we're up for the challenge. 3) Cherry, Pistachio and Chocolate Pastry, Noisette Artisan Bakery We’ve been waiting impatiently for new artisan bakery Noisette to open in Rush for months (they're currently offering click and collect/local delivery ), and we reckon these pastries would be worth the spin out alone. Filled with cherry compote, toasted pistachios and chocolate ganache, these treats are little works of art. We'll keep you posted on their opening date. 4) Rabbit Saddle, Woodruff We couldn’t not include a rabbit dish in the year of the rabbit, so here it is. It helps that Woodruff 's (always interesting) menu option is accompanied by black pudding, fermented barley, maitake mushroom (also known as hen-of-the-wood) and preserved blackberry. Think a trip to the neighbourhood bistro at the foot of the Dublin mountains is in order. 5) Winter Greens Salad, Nutbutter One of the additions to Nutbutter 's newly launched Winter menu is a twist on the classic Irish dish of bacon and cabbage. The Winter Greens salad serves up smoked Irish brussel sprouts, plant-based coconut bacon, rainbow carrots, candy beetroots, tamari pepitas and herbs, with a cashew dressing, plant-based Parmesan and furikake. It mightn’t be bacon and cabbage like your Mammy used to make, but it’s a solid (and vegan friendly) alternative.

What should we know about Hellfire? This one came out of nowhere for us. The slick website and social channels appeared at the start of January with the news that Dublin's newest restaurant centred on " Ireland’s first Hornos HBE® charcoal oven " was coming to Westmoreland Street (where Thai Orchid used to be).

What should we know about The Fresh Market? The Fresh Market in Marino is run by the third generation of Smyths to sell fresh fruit and vegetables in Dublin. It all started in 1924, when Nicholas Smyth set up his stall in the Victorian food market in Mary’s Lane (closed for renovation by DCC in 2019 and still no timeline for redevelopment in sight. Dublin, get your sh*t together). Inspired by the food-loving way of life in San Sebastián, you might feel transported to another city when you cross the threshold of the quaint Marino shop. From the outside it just looks like a greengrocers, but since 2019, they’ve been serving daily specials based on seasonal produce from their shop, and the menu has expanded since then. They’ve also got baked goods from Wicklow’s Firehouse bakery , and breads from Le Levain, so don’t forget your ATF tote bag , because you will be LADEN down when you leave. Dedicated to sustainability, they're big on supporting local producers and independent businesses, and rice, pulses, spices, oats, nuts, and more are sold loose by weight, so customers can bring their own containers and fill up – something we would love to see more of across the city. What's the menu like? Their daily lunch menu includes a small but perfect list of toasties. On a recent visit, they were serving a tuna melt with lemon, capers and fennel; ‘the ham hock’ (that we ordered), ‘the braised beef’ cooked with red wine and black pepper, horseradish crème fraiche, pickled red onion and cheddar; and ‘the ploughmans’ which is ‘the ham hock’ minus the ham. Their salads included blood orange tabbouleh; roast cauliflower with celery, hazelnuts and bulgur; and Ras el Hanout aubergine with roast garlic tomatoes, rocket and mint yoghurt dressing. As for soups, they’ve always got something interesting on the pot, like ham ribollita, courgette and rosemary, or chorizo and cannellini bean. Our ham hock toastie and lunch box were delicious and generous - we enjoyed some of the tortilla de patata heated up on the pan for breakfast the next day. The salad was roasted cauliflower with pomegranate and bulgur, and the cheese was a creamy Brie. The toastie had juicy ham, a zingy crunch from the pickles, and sweet caramelised onion to offset the nutty cheddar. The lunch box was grab and go, but we had to wait or the toastie (always a good sign) and there’s plenty in the shop to keep you occupied. What is there to drink? Great coffee – they serve Upside here, the neighbourhood specialty coffee roasters. They also carry a decent selection of juices. Is there seating? Unfortunately, there’s no seating so you’ll have to take your lunch to go. In warmer weather you’re only a short stroll away from Fairview Park or the Clontarf seafront if you want to find somewhere outdoors to sit and enjoy your lunch. Why should I go? Championing the best seasonal Irish produce and local, independent businesses, this type of high quality, local grocer turned deli and coffee shop is something every neighbourhood needs. We can only imagine the challenges of running a shop like this, but it’s something that the Dublin food-loving community needs to get behind, and we'll be back. The Fresh Market 6 St Aidan’s Park Road, Marino, Dublin 3 thefreshmarket.ie

January's monthly 9 giveaway is here! And no surprise it's got a bit of a New Year, new me theme, from vouchers for new openings, to feel-good brunch, to a Lunar New Year inspired hamper - we're confident that winning one of these will be sure to rid you of any January blues. Our nine monthly giveaways is one of the ways we thank our supporters for letting us stay #ad, #collab and #invite free, and keep the focus on telling you about the best food, without compromise. Everyone signed up to ATF Insiders by midnight on Tuesday 17th January will be entered into the draw, and winners will be picked and notified on Wednesday 18th January. Here's what's in this month's line up... 1) Weekend lunch for four at Hang Dai Chinese Hang Dai Chinese are now open on Saturdays and Sundays from 2pm, meaning there's a new long lunch spot in town, and to celebrate we're sending one of you plus three of your most loved friends for an afternoon in one of Dublin's coolest restaurants. You'll start with bubbles, snacks and small plates, before moving onto a family style feast for mains featuring their signature Skeaghanore roast duck and market fish, as well as other dishes and sides. And in case that's not enough there's going to be wine and cocktails too. What a day... (You can book in here ) 2) Dinner and drinks for four at 57 The Headline 57 The Headline on Clanbrassil Street has moved from bar to restaurant over the past few years, with an increased focus on food and wine at good value prices. From their much loved Sunday roast to their legendary smash burgers, and 14 wines by the glass as well as a small, frequently-changing bottle list at reasonable mark ups, it's not hard to see why it's become a local favourite in Dublin 8. This month one of our insiders will be able to work their way through most of the menu with dinner and drinks for four people to the value of €120. Check them out here . 3) Sunday brunch for four at As One We are always looking for new places for Sunday Brunch, so we were excited to hear that from January 29th As One will open on the last Sunday of the month for all of your breakfast muffin, potato hash and mimosa needs - with an all in option for €32 a head. We've got brunch for four to give away, including a brunch dish, small plate, dessert and a cocktail each, and we recommend bringing food sharing friends so you can try the whole menu . 4) A €100 voucher For Umi Love falafel? Who doesn't, especially when it comes from Middle Eastern flavour specialists Umi , whose falafel mix is prepared fresh every morning with fourteen ingredients. We've got a €100 voucher for Umi to give away which can be used at any of their locations in Dublin, Cork or Belfast, and if you've yet to try their ultra tasty, incredible value food, it won't take more than a couple of bites to see what the fuss is about. 5) The Nutbutter tasting experience for four Nutbutter have just launched a three-course tasting experience for anyone wanting to tip their toe into flexitarianism, and we're sending one of you to try it out with three friends. You'll start with a chef's selection of plant-based and meat tacos, for mains everyone chooses a bowl and protein of their choice accompanied by chef's sides, and you'll finish with dessert of either plant-based chocolate mousse, coconut sagu or miso panna cotta. Check out Nutbutter here , 6) Two bumper hampers from Asia Market The 2023 Lunar New Year starts this week, and who better to kick off celebrations than Asia Market . They've given us one of their 'Taste The Trends' Bites Boxes , to give away, with sweet and savoury snacks like salted egg popcorn, crispy Korean-style seaweed with almonds, and hot chilli chicken ramen. You'll also get their Lunar New Year Celebration Cocktail Kit , so you can welcome the year of the rabbit in style with the fiery ‘Soju Mule’ - an Asian twist on the classic 'Moscow Mule', and a creamy strawberry-flavoured Snowball-esque, ‘Yaku Chika’. Check out their hampers here . 7) A €100 voucher for V-Face V-Face , one of the city's best spots for vegan and vegetarian food, have launched their first ad campaign on social media and at bus stops in Dublin. They want us to 'give animals a break', imagining all the things they might get up to in their free time - like pigs doing yoga and hens having a party - rather than the shock tactics more commonly used to put people off eating meat. We've got a €100 voucher up for grabs this month, and we strongly recommend you try their ' Hot Chick ' burger. 8) A foraging tour for two with Howth Foraging Nicole Dunne runs foraging tours around Howth year round, ranging from identifying edible mushrooms, to wild-growing winter greens, to a special love-themed walk for Valentine's Day featuring edible flowers and wild berries, and ending with sloe gin prosecco cocktails. You can see details of upcoming tours here , and we've got a €100 voucher to give away to one of you this month which will get you a tour for two. Follow Howth Foraging on Instagram here . 9) A €100 voucher for Yeeros Greek souvlaki bar Yeeros have arrived on the southside, so no more trekking to Drumcondra for gyros, grilled meat platters and loukoumades (Greek donuts) if you live on that side of the city. You'll find them on Wexford Street , next door to The Jar and just across the road from Against The Grain, and it's got to be one of the best (and best value) options for a quick bite to eat in this bar-filled stretch of town. The lunch deals are particularly good value, as are their sharing platters, but one of you can try it all with a €100 voucher. Check out Yeeros here . Everyone signed up to ATF Insiders for January will be automatically entered into the prize draw - you don't need to do anything. If you're not signed up yet join here and support independent content in Dublin and beyond, and get answers to all of your burning questions about eating out, here and abroad, directly from us.

After the success of our first "speed-mating" event last September, leading to loads of new food friends, a group trip to Chapter One, and an ATF Insider whatsapp group (!) we're back and starting 2023 with another chance to meet like-minded foodie friends. We're taking you to Soup Two in Smithfield on Thursday, 26th January for a six-course menu exclusively designed for ATF, and for you to share with your new dining buddies, along with a Midori sour when you arrive to settle any nerves (but going off the last event this won't be an issue. People were making friends in the queue before even getting inside.) Tickets cost €65 (including Eventbrite booking fee) and include a welcome drink and six courses of food, and are limited to one per Insider . You'll sit on six tables over the evening, with something different to eat at each one, and additional drinks can be ordered as you go. Here's the menu... Tickets are now on sale here , and if you've just signed up to ATF Insiders and need the password just shoot us a message. We can't wait to forge some more beautiful new food-based friendships ❤️🍴