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When Coppinger Row was forced to shut at the end of 2021 after their landlord decided to put their lease on the open market, the sobs were heard across the country. After a two and a half year battle (during which they opened Orwell Road and Row Wines), the Bereen Brothers finally got the premises back, and relaunched the newly renamed 'Coppinger' ready to take on 2024. The 2.0 version is a big improvement on the original, with a far sexier menu and room, and while much has changed, the gambas on sourdough, great cocktails and accessible prices have remained. Coppinger Website bereenbrothers.com/coppinger Address Coppinger, Coppinger Row, Dublin, Ireland Good For Tag 1 Cuisine Tag 1 Once Over Read our Review >> The Story When Coppinger Row was forced to shut at the end of 2021 after their landlord decided to put their lease on the open market, the sobs were heard across the country. After a two and a half year battle (during which they opened Orwell Road and Row Wines), the Bereen Brothers finally got the premises back, and relaunched the newly renamed 'Coppinger' ready to take on 2024. The 2.0 version is a big improvement on the original, with a far sexier menu and room, and while much has changed, the gambas on sourdough, great cocktails and accessible prices have remained. Where It's At Nearby Locales Mongoose Chongqing Hot Pot Boco Clontarf Bell Pesto Bang Gloria Osteria Cantina Valentina D'Lepak Pera Borgo Amai by Viktor Kaizen Chubbys Badam Table 45 Comet Daruma Malahide Lena The Pig's Ear Notions @ Two Pups The Rooftop @ Anantara The Marker Sofra Little Geno's Mama Shee Nutbutter Smithfield Out of gallery

Madame Pho Website madamepho.ie Address Madame Pho, Exchequer Street, Dublin 2, Ireland Good For Tag 1 Cuisine Tag 1 Once Over Read our Review >> The Story Where It's At Nearby Locales Mongoose Chongqing Hot Pot Boco Clontarf Bell Pesto Bang Gloria Osteria Cantina Valentina D'Lepak Pera Borgo Amai by Viktor Kaizen Chubbys Badam Table 45 Comet Daruma Malahide Lena The Pig's Ear Notions @ Two Pups The Rooftop @ Anantara The Marker Sofra Little Geno's Mama Shee Nutbutter Smithfield

Mongoose If you have one pasta dish this summer, make it this one Posted: 2 Jun 2026 Neighbourhood Neighborhood Name Address Restaurant Address Website Website Name Restaurant Info View the Listing >> Written by: Lisa Cope What should we know about Mongoose? It's the much delayed second site from the Michelin-starred team behind Variety Jones , in their former, smaller location on Thomas Street. Originally slated to open three whole years ago in 2023 after VJ moved to a bigger, shinier premises a few doors down, a shock fire in the new site sent them scrambling back to the old premises, while repairs, refurbishments, and arguments over who should be liable for the fire damage dragged on and on. It took until early 2025 until they could move back into the new restaurant, and they settled in there for a further 12 months before resurrecting plans for the more casual, affordable Mongoose , currently only open from Sunday - Tuesday, so the team are working a seven day week! They're hoping to expand days once they've got a more solid, Mongoose-specific crew, and if you're wondering about the name, it was another of the aliases used by infamous criminal Roger Thomas Clark /Variety Jones ( read that story here ). Owner/chef Keelan Higgs describes the Mongoose offering as " simple food " at " a good price ", with " a more casual approach to cooking. Two - three things on a plate, not overly complicated, a lot of it cooked over fire. " With Variety Jones very much in special occasion territory, is it any surprise that a more affordable, casual offering from the same team would blow up from it's first sitting? Where should we sit? If it's a warm day, try to sit as close to the door as possible. There's no A/C in here and those tables at the back beside the kitchen are in a sweaty, humid eco-system of their own. On the plus side you do get a birds-eye view into the kitchen - just keep some iced water on hand, either to drink or pour down your top. The Variety Jones chef's table for two remains - two seats sitting directly at the pass - and because of the shape of the room, most tables are for two, so if you're a four or six you'll need to be more prepared to secure one of the few larger tables. What's our first drink? White port and tonic if you know what's good for you. Failing that go for a Vermouth for Spanish vibes, or a glass of pet nat, because when is that ever a bad start to a meal. Let's get down to business. What MUST we order? Talk about impossible questions. If you, like us, enjoy All The Food, passing on anything here will be difficult - a table of four - six is the only way to try it all and not feel mugged off. Grilled baby turnips with cods roe and a pool of rich olive oil (€11) is the kind of simple, Mediterranean, expertly salted opener that walks the walk after all that talk. If you see white asparagus (€11.50) you'll need them too, the tender, silky spears caramelised on the grill but retaining just enough bite, and what genius came up with a Hollandaise x Tartare sauce hybrid!? Padron Peppers (€10) must be different too. Not content with just being smoked up on a hot grill, doused in olive oil and salt, they come topped with even more flame-licked flavours from roasted red peppers in a sharp vinaigrette. This is live fire BBQ levels of smokiness. Bread (a very good focaccia, €2) is one of the sides, but they'll bring it before your pastas arrive so it can use it to mop up the sauces (finally some respect paid to La Scarpetta ). On reflection they're probably just saving us from ourselves, because otherwise we'd all have our heads in these bowls rabidly licking the last drop. If you leave without ordering the Parmesan agnolotti with butter and black pepper (€16) we don't want to hear about it. Filled with a Parmesan custard that bursts into your mouth on biting, this is one of the best things we've eaten this year - we had to order a second, and stop ourselves going for a third. Also appearing to have been made by the hands of angels is the featherlight gnocchi with walnuts and sage in a brown butter sauce (€15). The potato dumplings are so light you'd barely register them in your mouth, with all the perfumed sage, and crunch from big chunk of walnuts. Any leftover butter doesn't stand a chance against that focaccia (or a spoon, or your finger). Sausage and fennel ragout (€18.50) with fettucine is the white kind, all chunky meat, teeny diced veg, warmth and sweetness from the fennel, and sitting in yet another pool of buttery sauce, that yet again not a drop of will remain on the plate once you're done. There are generally four meat and fish mains, with a fifth option of a whole chicken to share (limited numbers available). We had a chunky, flaking tranch of halibut on the bone (€25), which came with anchovy and chilli spaghetti topped with breadcrumbs, and .... ? You guessed it. A buttery sauce. If you're wondering at this stage if this was getting to be too much pasta, and too much butter, we're here to tell you the answer is no. It turns out you can't have enough of either. Another bread order might need to be on the cards. Our other main was a couple of lightly spiced lamb koftas (€17.50), with braised onions and one of the most interesting accompaniments we've seen on a plate - polenta cooked with buttermilk and nduja. The work of a mastermind, our groans were embarrassingly audible tables over. Sides of "spuds" (€5) and "salad" (€6) are refreshingly simple - baby potatoes doused in herby butter, and the good salad leaves simply dressed. Desserts at Variety Jones have always been on the simpler side, cake in one form or another, and Mongoose is rowing in with the same format. A classic sticky toffee pudding (€10) came swimming in the requisite amount of sauce, topped with rich Jersey milk ice-cream. When you've had a meal this good you may as well continue the excess into dessert. A second of deeply-coloured brown butter cake (€10) came in a pool of macerated Irish strawberries with vanilla ice-cream. There will be no complaints about either, from anyone. A simple cheese course of Cremeux De Bourgogne (€10) came with Variety Jones' hallmark seeded crackers, and the warm temperature of the room meant the soft cheese was spreadable - bonus. How are the drinks? There's a limited but tight drinks list, and the value they're offering in the food doesn't follow through here, with margins of the Michelin-star variety. Glasses of wine are priced from €13 - €20, with bottles only starting at €50. At those glass prices, if you're ordering more than one glass per person you'll get far more value by the bottle. There are four aperitifs, each picked for maximum refreshment (hard to beat that white Port and tonic though), and our Ameztoi 'Rubentis' Txakoli Rosé (€54) with its slight sparkle was all too easy to knock back in an attempt to cool off. There's nothing we wouldn't want on this wine list though, and there's a couple of Whiplash beers and premium soft drinks too. And the service? Depdning on your table size and time of booking you're given different time limits on your table. Twos seem to be only ever given 90-minutes, whereas fours can be allocated one hour and 45 mins - two hours depending on the time of booking. We were four and luckily weren't asked to move until closer to two hours - we wouldn't have had time for dessert otherwise. Food came promptly but nicely spaced out, sometimes delivered by the chef himself, but drinks service was less focused, and a few times we were left with empty glasses as food arrived, scrambling to wave someone down to take an order. There was also a blankness when we asked what the cheese on the cheese plate was, with guessing at first, then going into the kitchen to ask when we pressed. Another body on the floor might have made all the difference. What was the bill? Just over €80 a head, for no shortage of food and a couple of drinks each. That's also including a 12.5% service charge so that is the actual final figure. What's the verdict on Mongoose? While we're not quite buying the "simple food" philosophy (try making a lot of this at home and see how simple it is), to have a more casual, accessible offshoot from a Michelin-starred stable is a special thing, and to say Mongoose has delivered on their promises would be underselling what's happening in here. We're always cautious when places start out offering particularly good value. A lot of the time, once the reviewers have been in, price creep takes hold and the value that everyone shouted about slowly disappears, but if Mongoose can keep these prices, for this standard of cooking, it's going to entail Chubby's/Uno Mas/Grano levels of pre-planning to get a table. New Openings & Discoveries More >>

777 Tostados, tortillas & addictive margaritas Posted: 17 Oct 2018 Neighbourhood Neighborhood Name Address Restaurant Address Website Website Name Restaurant Info View the Listing >> Written by: Lisa Cope What’s the story? 777 is no new kid on the block. Part of John Farrell's restaurant group, which also includes Dillinger's, The Butcher Grill, the contemporary Mexican opened in 2012 without a trace of Tex-Mex, which prior to this was pretty much all Dublin had experience of. Goodbye burritos and refried beans, hello tostados, tacos and carnitas. Like everything else that John Farrell touches, the interior design is first rate (not that you'd know from the unassuming outside), and they opened to some very good reviews , but like everything the buzz eventually dies down. In the past few months however, we feel like we're constantly being told to go there, that the kitchen's turning out fantastic food and the margaritas are worth a trip alone. So we took it upon ourselves to see if the rumours were true. Where should we go for a drink first? If you don't want to come straight here for a margarita (you're crazy, or on a mission), you could go to Loose Canon on Drury Street for a glass of natural wine, the soon to be open (any day now) Bar Giuseppe on Castle Market for an aperitivo, or any of the great pubs in the surrounding streets for a pint - Grogan's , The Foggy Dew or The Stag's Head to name a few. Where should we sit? The bar is good for singles or couples, and there are booth-style tables for big groups, although even fitting four is cosy. There are also a couple of bigger tables at the front if you have a group, but they don't take reservations for under six people, so you might have to wing it (or get more friends). What's good to eat? Honestly there wasn't a dud dish, and this was the closest we've found to Mexico City cooking in Dublin. The kitchen has the flavours and textures down, and there was really no comparison with our last Mexican experience here. Standouts for us were yellowfin tuna tostados with crispy shallots, chipotle mayo and habanero, and Mezcal marinated soft shell crab tortillas with chipotle, pickled onion and avocado, both of which we wanted more of. Chorizo tortillas were equally good, if very rich, as were the portobello mushroom ones with chipotle pesto, crema and pumpkin seeds, and an oyster shot with tomato and hananero citrus broth would be a great intro to oysters for the uninitiated. We tried one larger dish of Lamb Tlayuda, which is a Oaxacan dish that's like a Mexican pizza, and it came with BBQ lamb, pickled mushroom, chimichurri, wild garlic and feta fondue on a chargrilled flatbread. The meat was exceptional - we would happily go veggie six days a week if we got to eat this on the seventh - and the flavours were stunning. We were struggling to fit more in at this point but we powered on and finished the lot because it was so good. We would only get to share in a group as it's so large and filling, and if you had it on your own you probably wouldn't be able to manage much else. We also tried sides of elotes and papas fritas, both of which were good, but the crispy potatoes with garlic and manchego knocked patatas bravas out of the park for us. We imagine leaving any in the bowl would be a feat of Olympic proportions. Desserts are limited to bread and butter pudding with dulce de leche and vanilla ice-cream, and a selection of sorbets and ice-cream. We tried the former (purely in the name of research), and it was the type that's soaked and blow-torched, meaning the inside was cold and was left uneaten, but the flavour was good and the dulce de leche a nice addition. What about the drinks? Go margaritas or go home. Mondays the house ones are two for €14 (usual price €12) so that's the night to go if you're feeling thirsty, but we've heard the Margarita Especial is even better than the house (unfortunately we only heard this after we'd been). Neither the beer or the wine list are particularly inspiring, but that's not really the point of the place. Cocktails are where it's at. There are also some lovely sounding mocktails, like the Pinky Tuscadero with cranberry juice, jalapeno & rosemary syrup, lime and rhubarb. And the service? Functional. They got the job done but we wouldn't say there was an abundance of hospitality. Some of them looked like they had better places to be and we were holding them up. Others were more helpful. The verdict? For our money, this is the best place to eat real Mexican food (like in Mexico) in the city right now. You can keep your burrito chains and mediocre tacos. These guys have it down. It is very loud, so only go if you're happy with a side of ear-bursting hiphop, and we've lost count of how many stories we've heard about people getting carried away with food and drinks and getting a shocker of a bill, but if you choose carefully and keep a tab you should be able to get out while holding onto next month's rent. On Sunday all dishes are €7.77, Mondays are two margaritas for €14 and on Tuesday tacos are two for €6, so these are the days to go if money's tight, but we can't see you being disappointed whatever day you go. 777 7 Castle House, South Great George's Street, Dublin 2 777.ie New Openings & Discoveries More >>

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Aobaba Obsession-worthy banh cuon on Capel Street Posted: 12 Dec 2018 Neighbourhood Neighborhood Name Address Restaurant Address Website Website Name Restaurant Info View the Listing >> Written by: Lisa Cope What’s the story? A few weeks ago we asked on Instagram what people's favourite cheap eats in Dublin were, and Vietnamese Aobaba on Capel Street came up quite a few times, with much enthusiasm from the recommenders. More than once we heard "this is my favourite place to eat in Dublin", and we were given various tips on what to order when we went. After a bit of investigation we found out that it opened in 2012, and is connected to four other Aobaba's in London. It's had nothing but positive reviews since then on various Dublin-based websites and blogs, but funnily enough, it doesn't seem to have come to the attention of any of the national restaurant critics, something we'd like to see rectified. Where should we go for a drink first? We're big fans of McNeill's pub, just down the road, with their consistently warm welcome and nightly trad music. It feels a bit like stepping back in time, and we've heard the Guinness is very good (the gin is too). There are plenty of other pubs on Capel Street like Slattery's and The Boar's Head, and Panti Bar is a bit of fun if you fancy a 90's style, super-sweet cocktail served by flamboyant bartenders. Where should we sit? It's pretty cosy in here. There a few four top tables, which you will definitely be sharing if there aren't four of you, a counter at the wall to the right and another facing out onto Capel Street. That would be our preference for the people watching, but it was so packed when we visited that we just had to take whatever we could find. What's good to eat? Since eating here we developed a complete obsession with Banh Cuon - Vietnamese steamed rice rolls filled with pork, mushrooms and shallots, with a fish sauce based dip. They have the strangest, gelatinous texture, but are one of the best things we've eaten this year. What we could have done without was the sheets of plasticy, ultra-processed pork that came with them, but next time we'd ask them to leave them off and save the food waste. If that's your thing, go nuts. We're big fans of Bun Cha, the cold noodle dish, with vegetables, herbs and peanuts, topped with meat, prawns or spring rolls, and served with a sauce to either dip in or pour over (we prefer the latter). Aobaba's is the best we've had in Dublin. Perfectly crispy spring rolls packed with flavour, on a really well balanced base of noodles, vegetables and herbs, and the accompanying sauce brought it all together incredibly well. A 'happy pancake', or Banh Xeo was also good, but we think Pho Viet 's on Parnell Street is better. The rice flour and coconut milk batter pancake was crispy with good flavour, but was a bit lacking in the filling of pork, prawns, beansprouts and other vegetables. It was also missing the traditional lettuce leaves and mass of herbs are usually used to wrap up pieces of pancake before dipping it into sauce. We asked for herbs, and at first they said no, then they brought some. That was the only surprising (and disappointing) thing about Aobaba. The norm in Vietnamese restaurants is to provide an abundance of fresh herbs to mix into or eat with your food. We were recommended to try the special Pho with beef, pork, chicken, tofu and prawn, and it was huge with a really flavoursome broth. It was a great example of Pho, but as always happens in these situations we find ourselves wondering about the provenance of the meat. Some of the beef was quite fatty, and we didn't see any descriptions denoting free-range anything, so it's probably safe to assume that it's not. Aobaba is very cheap, the bill for an enormous amount of food for two people came to €29, with a tonne of leftovers to bring home, and obviously with more ethically sourced meat the prices would rise, so unfortunately this is often the trade off for cheap food. We would have happily paid a few more euro per dish for free-range anything, but they obviously feel that cheaper prices are more important to their customers. What about the drinks? There are a tonne of drinks to choose from, like iced teas, milk teas, bubble teas and Vietnamese cofee, but no alcohol, and they don't do BYO. They probably don't want people hanging around as space is so limited. And the service? Ranged from sweet and smiling to brusque and barking with a side of eye-rolling, depending on who you got. You order and pay at the counter and then they bring the food to you when it's ready. The wait was only around 5 minutes, and they're clearly operating a tightly run ship. Take away boxes to bring home leftovers are 30c each - or save plastic and bring your own if you have a habit of over-ordering like we do. The verdict? This is currently in the lead for our favourite Vietnamese in the city. Despite a few flaws, the food is of a seriously high quality, and it's great value. Prepare to wait for a seat as it always seems to be jammed, and don't leave without trying those addictive Banh Cuon. Aobaba 46A Capel Street, Dublin 1 aobaba.com New Openings & Discoveries More >> !

Some of the best ramen in the city (if not country), with everything homemade in house, from the noodles to the broth. You'll find lots of fermented foods here, from kimchi to kombucha, all the small plates to share, and the space is large and laid back. Plenty of big tables for group gatherings. Soup Two Website soupramen.ie Address 44 - 47 King St North, Smithfield, Dublin 7 Good For Tag 1 Cuisine Tag 1 Once Over Read our Review >> The Story Some of the best ramen in the city (if not country), with everything homemade in house, from the noodles to the broth. You'll find lots of fermented foods here, from kimchi to kombucha, all the small plates to share, and the space is large and laid back. Plenty of big tables for group gatherings. Where It's At Nearby Locales Mongoose Chongqing Hot Pot Boco Clontarf Bell Pesto Bang Gloria Osteria Cantina Valentina D'Lepak Pera Borgo Amai by Viktor Kaizen Chubbys Badam Table 45 Comet Daruma Malahide Lena The Pig's Ear Notions @ Two Pups The Rooftop @ Anantara The Marker Sofra Little Geno's Mama Shee Nutbutter Smithfield

Notions @ Two Pups Superior spring plates and a new place for natty wine, right in time for the sunshine spell Posted: 15 Apr 2025 Neighbourhood Neighborhood Name Address Restaurant Address Website Website Name Restaurant Info View the Listing >> Written by: Ronan Doyle What should we know about Notions? It’s the age-old Irish, casually thrown out there cut-down for anyone getting ideas above their station - the notions . Nearly ten years into their tenure on Francis Street, with a second site in Fairview opened in 2023 and a new bakery Bold Boy serving both sites just launched in January, it’s no surprise Two Pups have given their after-hours wine bar venture a tongue-in-cheek title. Sure what are they at. Expectations are high here, with Two Pups’ longstanding reputation for top-class coffee and quality, well-sourced ingredients across their brunch offerings giving plenty of cause to hope for another new hot spot in Dublin’s growing wine bar scene . The idea of seasonal small plates and a small natty wine menu spilling out into the street just in time for this mid-spring sunshine spell had us racing to the Liberties to get an early look at Notions . Where should we sit? Outside, if the weather and your timing will allow it – the original walk-in only policy has already pivoted to bookings by Instagram DM , so you can request an al fresco spot if you’re early enough. It’ll be into the summer before the sun gets high enough in the sky to hit these seats directly, but it’s still a super spot to enjoy some fresh air. Inside, the three open, vintage-furnished rooms have plenty of two and four-top tables at various levels of privacy – we spied an assortment of gabby group catch-ups and intimate date nights that all looked equally at home in the spots they’d settled in. There’s another outdoor space to the rear they haven’t opened up yet, but are actively considering if demand builds up. What’s on the menu? It’s split into nibbles, snacks and plates (small and large) with no demand that you have to order a certain amount – a two-course minimum joint this ain’t, we’re glad to report. Notions is very much eyeing up the neighbourhood bistro vibe, welcoming all from the post-work glass-and-olives gang to the more gluttonous, work-your-way-through-the-whole-menu hordes. No points for guessing where we landed. Polenta chips with truffle aioli (€8) had set up camp in our minds long before we arrived, courtesy of this Instagram post , and we couldn’t wait to sink our teeth into those golden crusts. They yielded less crisp satisfaction than we’d fantasised about, as though they’d gone in the oil just a moment too early - with a touch more crunch, the well-seasoned cornmeal would be an amuse-bouche worthy of all the hype. If we’re venturing into improvements, we might also switch out their sauce for the mustard aioli that’s dabbed under and atop the ham hock croquettes (€9) – its nose-wrinkling kick has much more to offer than the artificial earthiness of truffle (oil) aioli. Versus the one-two punch saltiness of the tender shredded ham and molten smoked Gubbeen cheese within, it’s a perfect trio. It will have been a springtime for the ages if we have another seasonal plate half as good as what came next. Crunchy, lemon-dressed radishes (€9) are halved and scattered over a chunky romesco sauce bathed in wild garlic oil, finished with a flurry of grated hazelnut. Regular readers will know we’re nerds of the highest order when it comes to seasonal eating, so trust us when we say that every forkful, then spoonful, then wiped-finger-ful of this dish is the optimum taste of spring. One plate like that is good grounds to get booking at some point – two is cause to drop everything and go now. The asparagus dish (€14) is as ravishing as the radishes, with tender pan-fried spears and crunchy-crisp cavolo nero sat in a pool of parmesan cream, topped with caramelised cubes of guanciale. There’s a profoundly satisfying simplicity here - birdsong, sunny spells, and quietly confident cooking like this are what make spring so special. Since our visit this one has been bumped up to large plate status with the addition of pan-fried gnocchi – more soakage for that sauce can only be a good thing. More seasonality came in a "charred seasonal greens" salad (€12) that threatened to spill out over the table at the first hint of a fork – we’ll not lament the impression of an almighty portion, but a bigger plate or smaller serving was dearly needed. We found little evidence of the menu’s promised “charred” greens" among the assorted baby spinach and wild rocket leaves, though buried bunches of tender stem broccoli did look to have met with a pan. With ample anchovy chunks in the Caesar-style dressing however we didn’t take long to finish the refreshing lot. Fungiphiles’ hearts will be aflutter at the oyster mushroom plate with shimeji, black garlic and tarragon (€12). Not content enough with the mushroominess of crisped oyster and crunchy shimeji, they add duxelles-esque puree and airy cream in for what feels like a treatise on the essential flavour profile of the humble mushroom. Fans like us will lap it up, and not for the first time we got the sense that the Notions team has thought very deeply about what they’re cooking, and how to bring its best qualities out. A classical treatment is sometimes the answer to that - enter the Iberico pork cheek cassoulet (€26). The mound of meat disintegrated at the sight of a knife, so tenderly braised in its stew of butterbeans and nduja, that the resultant rich, deep flavour profile can’t help but bring on sighs of satisfaction. Salsa verde on top is a necessarily fresh, zesty intervention, lest you be tempted to slump into a coma. Once again, this is food to make you swoon. What are the drinks like? We liked the wine menu’s layout, with by-the-price sections for go to, treat yourself, or spoil yourself style nights – vital for the price conscious customer. However vital too is value, and while we found the atmosphere and experience worth the final bill, markups that go above even the usual absurdity of Dublin were the only thing here that really did reek of notions. For context, the sparkling Sampagnino below is €55 by the bottle here, and €41 in Lena , Portobello. The Vina Illusion white Rioja is €55 here and €44 in Uno Mas . The El Troyano which is €52 here is €42 in Hera . None of these places work off low margins. A better selection on the cheaper end of the menu, or wine mark ups that feel less like a knife to our bank balance would go a long way, particularly considering that barely anyone is eating out as much as they did 12 months ago, because of, ya know, the bleedin' price of everything. Instagram posts attest the staff’s involvement in building out the selections and it shows – their knowledge is second to none, with tasters and tips offered in abundance. We started with the Bulli Sampagnino frizzante, a pleasantly dry sparkling alternative to the bog standard Prosecco found in most places, then the Sassara Pinot Griso, an earthy orange that opened up the radishes and romesco. Our server was endearingly enthusiastic about the Colbacco Quarto Protocollo from the funky section as a pairing for the pork, and its smoky, volcano soil character was an excellent rival for the nduja spice. How was the service? Best seen when discussing the wine, the team here is really into what they’re doing, and it’s infectious. Everyone is casual, chatty and completely clued-in to the menu and how to help you make the most of it. The food is reason enough for us to come back - knowing what a warm welcome you’ll get is the cherry on top. And the damage? €128.50 to sample almost all of the menu and enough wine to get a good sense of the standard – the things we do for you. A go to glass and one of the smaller plates would keep you closer to €20 a head if you fancied a quick pit stop – go on, you deserve it. What’s the verdict on Notions? The very notion of “notions”, if you will, is a double-edged sword. It's an Irish attitude of comic modesty, sure, but a sometimes-suffocating aversion to the new too, a sense that we can’t be having with those nice, y’know, continental things. As we glugged the last of our over-priced glasses and looked out at the outdoor tables of punters stubbornly pretending it’s still warm enough to sit out after the sun sets, we were grateful that aversion is fading faster all the time. We may not have the weather, but in an increasing number of places like this we have a quality of ingredients, a talent for using them, and a growing culture for embracing it all that does Irish food proud. We'll always cheers to notions like those. New Openings & Discoveries More >>

London-born steakhouse Hawksmoor decided it was a case of going hard or going home when it came to their first Irish opening, choosing the former National Bank building on College Green (previously home to Abercrombie & Fitch). Original features were restored, private dining rooms were added, and the opening of one of the most striking dining rooms in the city went off like a rocket. There’s a notable emphasis on Irish seafood and meat, with small producers islandwide profiled on their social media pages, and these guys are serious operators, so consistency should be a given. Save money on the bill by taking advantage of their €5 BYO offer every Monday (€25 every other day). Hawksmoor Website hawksmoor.ie Address 34 College Green, Dublin 2 Good For Tag 1 Cuisine Tag 1 Once Over Read our Review >> The Story London-born steakhouse Hawksmoor decided it was a case of going hard or going home when it came to their first Irish opening, choosing the former National Bank building on College Green (previously home to Abercrombie & Fitch). Original features were restored, private dining rooms were added, and the opening of one of the most striking dining rooms in the city went off like a rocket. There’s a notable emphasis on Irish seafood and meat, with small producers islandwide profiled on their social media pages, and these guys are serious operators, so consistency should be a given. Save money on the bill by taking advantage of their €5 BYO offer every Monday (€25 every other day). Where It's At Nearby Locales Mongoose Chongqing Hot Pot Boco Clontarf Bell Pesto Bang Gloria Osteria Cantina Valentina D'Lepak Pera Borgo Amai by Viktor Kaizen Chubbys Badam Table 45 Comet Daruma Malahide Lena The Pig's Ear Notions @ Two Pups The Rooftop @ Anantara The Marker Sofra Little Geno's Mama Shee Nutbutter Smithfield

Bustling neighbourhood wine bar and shop with a short, daily changing menu for lunch and dinner. Salads, sandwiches and sharing boards are constants, with hot dishes like fish cakes and sausage rolls making regular appearances. One of the best wine selections in Dublin with enthused staff always ready to make recommendations. 64 Wine Website 64wine.ie Address 64 Glasthule Road, Glasthule, Dún Laoghaire, Co. Dublin Good For Tag 1 Cuisine Tag 1 Once Over Read our Review >> The Story Bustling neighbourhood wine bar and shop with a short, daily changing menu for lunch and dinner. Salads, sandwiches and sharing boards are constants, with hot dishes like fish cakes and sausage rolls making regular appearances. One of the best wine selections in Dublin with enthused staff always ready to make recommendations. Where It's At Nearby Locales Mongoose Chongqing Hot Pot Boco Clontarf Bell Pesto Bang Gloria Osteria Cantina Valentina D'Lepak Pera Borgo Amai by Viktor Kaizen Chubbys Badam Table 45 Comet Daruma Malahide Lena The Pig's Ear Notions @ Two Pups The Rooftop @ Anantara The Marker Sofra Little Geno's Mama Shee Nutbutter Smithfield

Octopussy's Ultra fresh fish with a sea view Posted: 12 Jun 2018 Neighbourhood Neighborhood Name Address Restaurant Address Website Website Name Restaurant Info View the Listing >> Written by: Lisa Cope What’s the story? For such a picturesque coastal village, Howth has always suffered from a surplus of mediocre eateries, and we feel for tourists in particular trying to navigate the deluge of similar looking restaurants along the west pier, searching for the one that's going to live up to their Irish seafood dreams. King Sitric is the place to go for a blow out, and Aqua and Deep , also in the fine dining category, seem to have a loyal (if instagram deficient) following, but when you want something a bit more casual it can be a struggle to find something that doesn't disappoint. Octopussy's has always been talked about by those in the trade as the one to head for, and we've been impressed in the past, so we thought a sunny day in June was a good time to give it another once over. Where’s good for a drink beforehand? The Bloody Stream around the corner is great for a pint and has a sizeable outdoor terrace at the front if it's warm enough to sit outside. We quite like Wrights Findlater too, especially in Winter when the fire's on and it feels like a cosy respite from the harsh Howth winds. If you're up for a ten minute walk, we'd recommend walking up to The Abbey Tavern , one of Ireland's oldest pubs, which dates in some form to the 16th century. What’s the room like? Cosy. There are high tables and a couple of snugs inside, as well as counter dining at the window, but on a sunny day, the in demand seats are at the five outside tables. Whether outside or inside you should probably prepare for a wait, but food comes fast, so even though we were initially told it would be 40 minutes to get seated, it ended up taking only 10. Wherever you are you're likely to be sharing a table with strangers, so it's not the place to go for privacy and intimate conversation, but good if you like making new friends. Mercifully there is no smoking allowed at the tables outside, so you can enjoy your seafood in the sunshine without a side of cigarettes. What's good to eat? The shellfish platter is the must-order item, and great value at €19 for one, or €30 for two. The mussels in a cream and white wine sauce are genuinely some of the best we've had in Dublin, and the crab claws and Dublin Bay prawns taste like they were caught that morning. Gambas were fried with what tasted like paprika, and it's worth sucking the shells as that's where half the flavour is. On the platter for one you get three each of the Dublin Bay Prawns and crab claws, four gambas, a bowl of mussels and brown bread, so that alone would be enough to sate a non-greedy eater. If you're into oysters, the Carlingford served with lemon and tobasco are reliably good, as is the dressed crab, which comes on brown bread, and is a perfect example of something so simple being so delicious. If you feel like something deep-fried, calamari and scampi are both excellent, coming in light, crisp batters, rather than the ones that have the batter to fish ratio way off. We haven't had the lobster but we'd put money on that being great too. Sides don't overly excite, but the focus here is on fish and we've found in the past that they end up being superflous (with the exception of chips, obvs). We also tried a special of prawn and chorizo salad, with chilli pecorino cheese which just didn't work. The chorizo overwhelmed everything else and the cheese was rubbery. If that's all we'd had we would have run for the hills of Howth, but luckily it was just a blip in an otherwise excellent meal. What about the drinks? A serviceable if unexciting wine list with a large selection by the glass, and no other alcohol is served, so prepare any beer/spirits drinkers in advance. We've had a few dud glasses in here, but you'll be safe with Italian Verdicchio for white, and we spotted an open bottle of Viña Illusion's brilliant Rioja Joven as we were leaving, which we hadn't spotted on the menu. Glassware is awful, but you'll just have to get over it. And the service? Something that again has been mixed in the past, but on this occasional couldn't be faulted. Both of our servers were completely welcoming and helpful, making recommendations and having the chats. To be as rushed off their feet as they were and still come off that relaxed and friendly is no mean feat, so credit where it's due. The verdict? The best place in Howth for ultra fresh seafood in a casual setting, and if you can bag an outside table on a sunny day you'll be beaming (and possibly sunburnt) for days. We might not choose it for a special occasion when we want all the good wine, but after a walk on Howth Head or when we just want to be reminded about why Irish seafood is so fantastic, there are few places we'd rather be. Octopussy's Seafood Tapas Bar 7-8 West Pier, Howth, Co. Dublin octopussy.ie New Openings & Discoveries More >>

From two-Michelin starred dining to Brazilian meat skewers, the northside of the city centre has something for every budget, mood and dietary requirement. North City Centre Our Take From two-Michelin starred dining to Brazilian meat skewers, the northside of the city centre has something for every budget, mood and dietary requirement. Where to Eat Andhra Bhavan Bar Italia Blas Boco Chapter One by Mickael Viljanen El Grito Ella's Heaven Hong Kong Taste Bakery Kakilang Laine My Love M and L Chinese Mr Fox Only Oriental Bakery & Tea Pickosito Russell Street Bakery Sofra Sultan's Grill Tang Abbey Street Taste of Hong Kong Terra Madre The Winding Stair The Woollen Mills

Bang A bang-on ode to Iberian flavours and hospitality Posted: 10 Feb 2026 Neighbourhood Neighborhood Name Address Restaurant Address Website Website Name Restaurant Info View the Listing >> Written by: Ronan Doyle What should we know about Bang? Many of us have been passing these doors for years without the temptation to darken them, as Joe Barrett’s old institution mopped up Merrion Street’s office crowd clientele and corporate lunches, but stayed firmly off the city's hot lists. After bringing the brand back from the (cr)ashes in 2010, he’s made the very good decision to pass the Bang baton onto son Richie and business partner Eric Matthews, who together cooked up quite the storm with Kicky's just over two years ago. It’s a shrewd move on the part of a place in need of a kicking, this time taking cues from the Iberian peninsula - a more homogenous area than the broad “Mediterranean” brief they brought to George’s Street. Barrett and Matthews have brought in Bang 3.0, a different kind of reinvention - this is less a rethink for tighter times, than a glow-up amidst a glut of increasingly good options. instagram.com/bangrestaurant_ Where should we sit? Swapping out cool blues for splashes of red with copper accents, the instantly warmer vibe registers all the more inviting on the kind of miserable mid-winter night it feels like we’re never going to escape. A few steps up from the street, the airy mezzanine has a livelier energy from a restored wall mural and high ceilings, a space to start the night if ever there was one. bangrestaurant.com Downstairs, dimmer lights and cosier crannies are all about finishing things off – you would need to be prised out of here even before the feasting that follows. Thoughtful acoustics and low lamps ensure that for all their relatively dense population, the two-tops have a set-apart sense. Groups will get the benefit of the two larger wraparound booths, all the better to sink into with each passing plate. What should we have? Make right for mussel escabeche (€9.50) to complete the relaxing effect – we practically slid from our seats at first bite. Slathers of stracciatella are pressed with the pickled shellfish, the toast so top-heavy it threatens to topple. There’s no such imbalance in taste, with onion teased to a pre-caramelised point and the herbal hint of fresh fennel tops tempering the tang. The Portuguese dub their steak sandwiches “prego” for the way garlic is studded into the beaten-thin meat like a nail. Bang's "Prego" (€16) hits it right on the head. Super-soft bread greedily sopped in the rare meat’s juices mingles with the nostril-flaring fire of a house mustard, to big up best-in-the-biz beef in the form of Peter Hannan’s 40-day aged fillet. Leaning hard into quality, Bang’s elevation makes every cent of this premium price tag tasteable. From one homage to another, in the instantly iconic tortilla tribute to Barcelona’s Cal Pep (€14.50), from whose owner Matthews says he teased the textural secret of glorious gooiness. Good news for Dublin that he did - this is the best take on an omelette española you’re likely to get without a boarding pass in hand. Gubbeen chorizo flies the flag for local produce, studded in small dice among wafer-thin spuds and sticky-sweet caramelised onions. The pungent potency of a house alioli that isn’t playing around is all that kept us collapsing into a coma with each added bite. It's a choice to have made the fideuà (€14.50), a Valencian pasta paella, sans socarrat – but not, we would argue, the right one. The crunchy crust layer best achieved by a cast iron pan and the confidence not to stir it may have been omitted here to better highlight the perfectly crisp skin of the red mullet perched atop, but in the absence of it the stock-soaked noodles feel a little stodgy. A simple fix in this case is not a quick one. Mains are more akin to Kicky’s than the rest of the menu, courtesy of the wood-fire grill. The sight of secreto (€29) among the options set our eyes wide – in Spain el gato may be long out of la bolsa on this prize cut of Iberico pork, but its rarity on Irish menus had us huddled in hope. Pairing the nutty sweetness of the acorn-fed pig with the lush, buttery tenderness of marbled fat, the cut comes to life with a suitably simple treatment – seared to a crisp and sprinkled with flaky salt. Only over-iced radicchio losing a little bitter balance held this plate back from perfection. Monkfish (€32) can’t bring the same nudge-wink novelty, for all the good the grill’s heat gets out of it. The zing of chimichurri lifts the butter-basted medallions still threaded to the bone, smoky charred skin and soft, sweet meat to the fore in every wrestled forkful. With turbot and red mullet also among the bone-in bounties of the sea gracing the grill since opening, seafood lovers will be thrilled. The battle of Ballymakenny has raged for years as Dublin’s chefs seek to make the best side of these superb spuds, from Coppinger ’s hash brown-style chunky cuts, to Hera ’s taramasalata-topped crisps. For all its menu largely resists the obvious choices, Bang couldn’t but do bravas (€7) with them. They readily yielded the requisite crisp crags, but the interiors were just a little too firm - a shame as our mains sauces were crying out for some mopping. Bang will make a popular date spot so assertive desserts matter – all that alioli will take plenty of masking. The one-two punch power of Jamón ibérico fat caramel and a tooth-clogging hazelnut praline rises to the task, a tableside splash of Pedro Ximénez helping to cut through the intensity of 85% chocolate mousse (€12). This is near indecent stuff, dessert that taps deep reserves of gastric pleasure. Burnt Basque cheesecake (€12) is a dessert so often done a disservice that we’re never inclined to order outside Euskadi for fear of pale and chalky imitations. We rejoiced three years ago to find San Sebastian’s La Vina in the capital by way of Mr Croqueta – Bang's is just as good and better again. Enhanced even more by a baked pear, both cheesecake and fruit are so velvety soft they practically slice themselves at the mere mention of a spoon. The only-in-Ireland creaminess of Ballylisk cheese, and the floral depth of a heather honey sum up the singular appeal of this Hiberno-Iberian hybrid. What’s good to drink? Other than an obligatory glass of Pedro Ximénez to wash down that mousse? The family-focused wine list abandons the all-Iberian theme in favour of some French fancy, but there's plenty of fine stuff on there. BTG options are limited with the better stuff to be had for those sharing a bottle, though Juvé & Camps Gran Reserva 2021 cava (€16) is a brut beauty, even at a hefty margin. This seems to be the case everywhere these days, but we did spot some names that (slightly) undercut Bar Pez , so that's something. House cocktails are on the punchier side at €15 a serve, though there’s enough novelty in the likes of Kerrygold-washed whiskey and onion syrup to turn heads. Happy to see Wicklow’s Móinéir wines in the running we sampled a 'Strawberry Silk Road', and found its Saint Germain pushed things just a little too sweet. How was the service? Parachuting the Kicky’s model into the Bang business brings the advantage of two well-oiled machines in perfect harmony – there wasn’t a hiccup here. With the staff keen to know everything is landing right in the first few weeks, we won’t begrudge the immediate check-ins after every (no, really every ) first bite. Despite the inevitable public transport hurdles at the first hint of rain holding one of us up well into our reservation time, we’d never have known from our unrushed treatment that time was ticking down to the next booking. In a city where such things happen a lot, a little understanding goes a long way. What should we budget? Wining and dining to your heart’s – if not your belt buckle’s – content will see you rack up a €150-€200 bill for a table of two easily, especially with a better bottle. On the dry, you could have a shared main and side, two of the small plates and that all-important escabeche for closer to €40 a head. But life’s too short to be spent staring longingly at the food you didn’t order. Our advice is to round up a gang and get as close to ordering the lot as you can. What’s the verdict on Bang? If you're anything like us your meal here will end with a defeated whimper rather than a Bang, as heavy-lidded eyes proven bigger than now bulging bellies look hopefully upon ice cold digestifs planted down before us to soften the bill's blow. In Spain they call the post-prandial lingering over drinks "sobremesa", meaning "over the table", and that's how you're likely to be sprawled after this Spanish feast. This new ode to the flavours and the fulsome hospitality of the Iberian peninsula is totally bang-on. New Openings & Discoveries More >>

The original opening in the Kinara group is still going strong on Clontarf's seafront, with the best tables at the window. Pakistani food is at Kinara's core, but there's plenty you'll recognise from your favourite Indian. Kinara Kitchen Clontarf Website kinara.ie Address 318 Clontarf Road, Clontarf, Dublin 3, Good For Tag 1 Cuisine Tag 1 Once Over Read our Review >> The Story The original opening in the Kinara group is still going strong on Clontarf's seafront, with the best tables at the window. Pakistani food is at Kinara's core, but there's plenty you'll recognise from your favourite Indian. Where It's At Nearby Locales Mongoose Chongqing Hot Pot Boco Clontarf Bell Pesto Bang Gloria Osteria Cantina Valentina D'Lepak Pera Borgo Amai by Viktor Kaizen Chubbys Badam Table 45 Comet Daruma Malahide Lena The Pig's Ear Notions @ Two Pups The Rooftop @ Anantara The Marker Sofra Little Geno's Mama Shee Nutbutter Smithfield

Part of chef Joginder Singh's Irish empire, with other locations in Blessington and Terenure. A sit-in and takeaway operation above The Bird Flanagan pub, with dishes from a wide range of Indian states north and south, and a frill free room. They've clocked up all the buzz for their Keralan buffet lunch at weekends, with as much as you can handle of up to 20 dishes for a bargain price. Spice Village Website spicevillagerialto.com Address Spice Village Rialto, Above The Bird Flanagan Pub, South Circular Road, Dublin D8, County Dublin, Ireland Good For Tag 1 Cuisine Tag 1 Once Over Read our Review >> The Story Part of chef Joginder Singh's Irish empire, with other locations in Blessington and Terenure. A sit-in and takeaway operation above The Bird Flanagan pub, with dishes from a wide range of Indian states north and south, and a frill free room. They've clocked up all the buzz for their Keralan buffet lunch at weekends, with as much as you can handle of up to 20 dishes for a bargain price. Where It's At Nearby Locales Mongoose Chongqing Hot Pot Boco Clontarf Bell Pesto Bang Gloria Osteria Cantina Valentina D'Lepak Pera Borgo Amai by Viktor Kaizen Chubbys Badam Table 45 Comet Daruma Malahide Lena The Pig's Ear Notions @ Two Pups The Rooftop @ Anantara The Marker Sofra Little Geno's Mama Shee Nutbutter Smithfield

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

Walk east from the capital's famous shopping street for private dining rooms, quality steak and sensational salads. Grafton Street - Kildare Street Our Take Walk east from the capital's famous shopping street for private dining rooms, quality steak and sensational salads. Where to Eat Amai by Viktor Aperitivo Comet Dolce Sicily Dunne and Crescenzi Featherblade Gloria Osteria Library Street One Pico The Pig's Ear Tiller And Grain

September Seaside sharing plates show big ambition at this natural wine café in Blackrock Posted: 9 Jul 2024 Neighbourhood Neighborhood Name Address Restaurant Address Website Website Name Restaurant Info View the Listing >> Written by: Ronan Doyle What should we know about September? Now finally taking bookings after opening on a walk-in only basis back in April, September quickly slid into the space previously occupied for 14 years by Blackrock institution The Wooden Spoon café. A sit-down spin-off sister venture to Ballsbridge coffee truck Leroy’s – which just this week announced its closure – it’s a café-by-day, natural-wine-bar-by-night space, whose wide-reaching sea views and candlelit distressed interiors caught our eye as much as their impeccably pretty plating. Where should we sit? It's a space to savour. Arrive as the evening breaks over Dublin Bay and the fading light hitting September’s carefully-curated vintage furniture feels more Riviera than ‘rock. A large communal table anchors the room with a smaller trio set against the seafront window. We’re guessing the delay in rolling out a pre-book option was down to figuring out how to divvy up the seating. If you nab a place – you'll need to be quick – you’re almost certainly sharing a table. While the seating works well with the warm decor for casual intimacy from the go, the forced proximity and lack of soft furnishings mean that the space can get pretty loud – expect to be inching your chair forward and turning your ear towards your dinner companion when it's at its buzziest. A few stools along the bar are kept free for walk-ins, while the smaller tables on the little outside terrace are the ideal spot for a summer evening sip. What’s on the menu? There’s fierce competition on the Gilda index these days, and September comes in on par with best-in-class Row Wines and Yves at two for €5, even if the menu confusingly prices them solo at €3.50 a pop. They tick all the boxes with a mouth-puckering pop of pickled pepper, olive and anchovy - an essential intro over a first glass. The fennel salami with sour-sweet cornichons serves the same function - big flavours for appetite-whetting as the bigger plates are prepped. Corndale Farm have won a rake of prizes for this one and you won’t be left wondering why - the sharp seasoning and light, air-dried texture make for a snack you won't tired of, and some of the best Irish-made charcuterie on the market. Whether it’s the contrast with that peak pork produce that made the ham hock arancini pale a little in comparison, or just their oversaturation on the city’s menus we’re not sure - these staple Sicilian snacks are (sadly not literally) a dime a dozen in Dublin these days so it takes a lot to stand out from the increasingly packed crowd. For all the crisp crunch of the fried breadcrumb exterior and flavour kick of the smoked paprika aioli, there’s nothing here to pull ahead of the competition. This kitchen crew is well capable of leaving others in the dust though, and shows it off with a pair of small plates. The burrata and peach belongs on our list of the city’s best summer dishes , a rich symphony of creamy cheese and subdued sweet fruit flavours teased out by well-deployed dollops and drizzles of chilli jam and basil oil. Those same stronger notes tie together mackerel and pickled fennel in a sea of creamy ajo blanco. If those gildas suggest a San Sebastian influence, this dish makes it clear with a superb quality riff on a classic dish at Arzak – those without the budget for a flight to a three-star table will find a Dart ticket a steal in comparison for these bright bursts of flavour. Pasta plates are stauncher stuff, if a little less exciting. There clear craft in the home-rolled tortellini stuffed with ricotta, nestled in squash purée and bathed in sage butter, with plenty of well-balanced flavour, it does feel odd to enjoy such an autumnal combo over the smell of a summer sea breeze. Gnocchi studded through an nduja sauce pass the texture test, adding body and working with fast-dissolving dollops of stracciatella to moderate the sharp spice. Like the tortellini (indeed like almost everything that came before it), this is a showcase in confident cooking, putting quality produce to the fore without pretence or excess. We’ll blame the ease we took things in that we were too late to try any dessert, though a quick word of warning in our ear before the kitchen closed up wouldn’t have gone astray. The tiramisu looked terrific. What are the drinks like? The wine list, big on natural and organic producers has some really excellent choices, though those less thirsty might find the one-of-each-kind BTG options very lacking. Go in with a plan to share by the bottle and you’ll have your pick of producers like Claus Preisinger and Christian Tschida, with very well-invested staff on hand to help you pick. We struck a balance with the Koppitsch Rozsa rosé and found its light, versatile cherry and cranberry notes a great match for a range of flavours. How was the service? The lovely casual vibe of September is all down to the staff, wide smiles and quick check-ins putting everyone at immediate ease. In helping spec out and whittle down the menu options they are superb, offering to tee up the flow of food however you’d like. We weren’t remotely hurried as we neared the end of our allotted two hours, though it was the last seating so don’t bank on the same treatment if you’re in first thing. And the damage? All that and two small bottles of water – why they didn’t have bigger sharing sizes we can’t fathom – came to €150. If you skipped the pasta and stuck to one glass you could have a lovely light supper for a very solid €40. On a blow-out occasion you could pop a fancier bottle and not miss out on dessert for about €120 a head. What’s the verdict on September? There’s a touch of the previous tenant’s community café vibe to September, which does a good daytime business slinging coffee and Leroy’s-style sandwiches to passing commuter trade and locals alike. Its evening incarnation preserves that neighbourhood air while serving a menu worth travelling for. It has the few small hiccups and holdbacks any restaurant still finding its feet generally will, but we saw in that Arzak-esque mackerel dish a small glimpse of the future. There's huge ambition and ability in this little kitchen, and with time and more of the innovation and originality it allows for, we might come to have something very special here. New Openings & Discoveries More >>

Gráinne O'Keefe's first solo restaurant in partnership with the French Paradox wine bar downstairs, who look after the wine list. Modern Irish cooking and a regularly changing tasting menu, but the tarte tatin dripping in caramel will probably never be allowed a night off. Mae Website maerestaurant.ie Address 53 Shelbourne Road, Ballsbridge, Dublin 4 Good For Tag 1 Cuisine Tag 1 Once Over Read our Review >> The Story Gráinne O'Keefe's first solo restaurant in partnership with the French Paradox wine bar downstairs, who look after the wine list. Modern Irish cooking and a regularly changing tasting menu, but the tarte tatin dripping in caramel will probably never be allowed a night off. Where It's At Nearby Locales Mongoose Chongqing Hot Pot Boco Clontarf Bell Pesto Bang Gloria Osteria Cantina Valentina D'Lepak Pera Borgo Amai by Viktor Kaizen Chubbys Badam Table 45 Comet Daruma Malahide Lena The Pig's Ear Notions @ Two Pups The Rooftop @ Anantara The Marker Sofra Little Geno's Mama Shee Nutbutter Smithfield

Little Dumpling Website littledumpling.ie Address Drury Hall, 4 Stephen Street Lower, Dublin 2 Good For Tag 1 Cuisine Tag 1 Once Over Read our Review >> The Story Where It's At Nearby Locales Mongoose Chongqing Hot Pot Boco Clontarf Bell Pesto Bang Gloria Osteria Cantina Valentina D'Lepak Pera Borgo Amai by Viktor Kaizen Chubbys Badam Table 45 Comet Daruma Malahide Lena The Pig's Ear Notions @ Two Pups The Rooftop @ Anantara The Marker Sofra Little Geno's Mama Shee Nutbutter Smithfield

Traditional Nepalese food and an above average wine list that’s been served up by husband and wife team Shiva and Lina for an impressive 20 years. The downstairs wine cellar is ideal for private parties. Monty's of Kathmandu Website montys.ie Address 28 Eustace Street, Temple Bar, Dublin 2 Good For Tag 1 Cuisine Tag 1 Once Over Read our Review >> The Story Traditional Nepalese food and an above average wine list that’s been served up by husband and wife team Shiva and Lina for an impressive 20 years. The downstairs wine cellar is ideal for private parties. Where It's At Nearby Locales Mongoose Chongqing Hot Pot Boco Clontarf Bell Pesto Bang Gloria Osteria Cantina Valentina D'Lepak Pera Borgo Amai by Viktor Kaizen Chubbys Badam Table 45 Comet Daruma Malahide Lena The Pig's Ear Notions @ Two Pups The Rooftop @ Anantara The Marker Sofra Little Geno's Mama Shee Nutbutter Smithfield

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

Suertudo Jalisco and Oaxaca small plates set Dublin's newest Mexican apart Posted: 7 Jan 2025 Neighbourhood Neighborhood Name Address Restaurant Address Website Website Name Restaurant Info View the Listing >> Written by: Ronan Doyle What should we know about Suertudo? While Ranelagh stalwart Dillinger’s surprise closure back in November was leapt on by some with a point to belabour as yet more evidence of the sky falling in on the hospitality market, it’s actually more indicative of the industry’s invention than of a VAT-based doomsday staring it in the face. John Farrell’s flagship brand kicked off his now-sprawling empire ( 777 , Amy Austin and The Butcher Grill among others) back in 2009, so its shuttering might have seemed like the writing on the wall for one of Dublin’s most serially successful restaurateurs, but a quick pivot showed yet another trick tucked up his sleeve. A more cynical critique might see Suertudo as cashing in on a Mexican wave that’s swept across the city in the last 12-ish months, culminating in Parrilla popping up just around the corner. Given that Farrell got in on the ground floor with 777 back in 2012, and that wine bar Amy Austin 's small plates have been given the Mexico city treatment by Executive Chef Victor Lara, that's not the case here. Lara is also over the food at Suertudo, joined by Mexico City-trained Celina Altamirano, to make up a menu inspired by their respective homesteads of Jalisco and Oaxaca. Where should we sit? The left wall as you enter is flanked by four high and then six low two-tops, set to be cobbled together for any config of parties that may wander their way in - groups will be most at home here. A little nook inside the right window hosts a cosy high-top for five and a three-seater window ledge - if your idea of a dry January is hiding from the rain with a drink, this is the place to be. The wraparound bar’s dozen-ish places would make a fine pick for an evening perch, with spillover kitchen space meaning you’ll have plenty of action to watch as the place fills up. The only spot we’d avoid is a tiny table tucked right in the back corner, far too compact for comfort. What’s on the menu? We slipped in for Suertudo’s new(er) brunch-lunch offering available Thursdays to Sundays, which mixes and matches several of its evening plates with a few lighter bites catering to earlier-in-the-day appetites. Guacamole is a typical first port of call for any new Mexican arrival, and an early indication of how it stacks up to the ever-growing competition, but if you're only having one dip with chips, make it the camotito. This gorgeous plate of sweet potato purée has a smoothness and sweetness we couldn't get enough of, complicated in taste and texture by the smoky-spicy salsa macha, a flavour feast that plays like a Mexican chilli crisp. It comes in at top-tier value of €6 for the plate, better for your pocket as well as your palate than the €10 guac - avocados are pricier than sweet potatoes in fairness. That’s a match for the price point at Parrilla , and while the serving there seemed slightly more generous to us (and they add two house salsas to the mix), the quality here swings it even before the tortilla chips are taken into account. Unlike the local competition, Suertudo’s are made in-house from Altamirano’s own masa, a difference you can taste every step of the way. A delicate dusting of punchy spiced salt seals the deal. It's just as well the chips are top class, because we faced more in the form of chilaquiles - it really is a wise move to only get one of the sharing starters. The Mexican breakfast dish is a classic for good cause, intense savoury flavour coursing through every drop of the simmered salsa roja and chicken broth - expect to beg for a spoon to scoop up the last of it. The variously crispy and soggy textures of the chips play well off the piled-high shredded chicken, but this dish is all about that sauce. Its stark saltiness is tempered by crumbled queso fresco and drizzled sour cream, cut through by raw rings of onion. The citrus-spice smack of adobo rojo is the star of the pescado zarandeado, a thick fillet of seabream smothered in sauce and cooked to a just-blackening coat over the charcoal grill. Fresh fish and full flavours are always a winning combination and this is a textbook example, as well as a welcome lighter bite after all the heaving heaviness that came before. Plantain cream on the side does a solid tempering job, while the pickled pink onions have much more than just colour to bring to the feast. We're not known for our ability to pass up lamb birria tacos, with shoulder slow-cooked to a fall-apart texture, served alongside a consommé made of its juices. This Jalisco specialty is wanton to its core, the kind of plate best left ‘til last - you'll be in need of washing your hands, never mind in no state to manage any more food for a while. Beware the great gush of meat juice that’s liable to come spilling from these, lest the meaty goodness go wasted - at €19 per plate, you will not be wanting to miss a drop. Lamb lovers will, and should, devour these, but the consommé can’t compare to the one we tried at Tacos Lupillo (a dish in its own right rather than dip as here, to be fair). Once you’ve had some time to recover, the arroz con leche is a welcome ending to say adios on, though skipping it is a safer bet than anything else we tried. This Mexican take on rice pudding has the concentrated caramel tang of a dulce de leche foam that froths up over the dish if you don’t dig in quick enough. Regular ol’ popcorn propped on top struck us as a shame - a caramelised kind might have better fitted the vibe. What are the drinks like? Cocktails aside, the drinks listings are strangely nondescript with nothing more than the likes of “Rioja Crianza” or “Mexican beer” to clue you in to what’s in store. The tequila and mezcal options claim “brands you can’t find anywhere in Ireland and most of Europe”, though people who know more than us have cast a sceptical eye on that claim. Margaritas are another must-compare item, and Suertudo’s ticked the box just-so with nothing much to lift it above average - we expected more oomph. The smoke-scented Swashbuckler found better favour, with top marks for a mix where Frangelico really works - Tia Maria and mezcal were not what we’d have banked on as the best bedfellows. Te Quila Mockingbird makes hay with the syrup sweetness of grilled pineapple to balance out a bitter mix of Campari and lime - this is exactly the kind of sip-it-and-sigh-with-satisfaction sensation we felt missing in the marg. Lollapalooza comes out in a glass so tall and thin we were terrified of toppling it, but the spicy-sharp mix of tequila, grapefruit and jalapeño goes a long way to steeling those nerves. How was the service? The first week of the year is not a good time to gauge how any new venue is likely to act under pressure, but we were struck by the skill with which our server sailed through the menu, describing every dish with ease - there’s been proper investment in training here. We were impressed too by the speedy delivery of everything, though between a blustery January day and being the last lunch cover the kitchen had to worry about, they weren't under pressure. If there's been any teething issues in opening at the busiest time of the year, word has yet to reach our ears. And the damage? €139 for two rounds of cocktails and enough of a late lunch to see dinner skipped altogether. That’s a big step up in price from the more casual new entrants in Dublin’s Mexican market, but close to bang-on the mark for what we spent at Parrilla . We’d have to hand it to Suertudo for bringing better value. What’s the verdict on Suertudo? Suertudo is Spanish for “the lucky one”, and while Farrell might have chosen that name to pay tribute to the firstborn that started it all, everyone knows it takes a lot more than luck to keep pace with the changing trends and challenges in the restaurant scene. This remaking has what’s needed in spades - a new arrival that shows even crowded markets have space for invention. Ceding prime real estate and a well-established brand to a concept that’s not short on competition is less cashing-in on a trend, than the kind of bold move we badly need more of around town. Who knows what might happen if more places trust talented chefs to go where their skills are. New Openings & Discoveries More >>

Mamó A blast of fresh air for Howth Posted: 15 Oct 2019 Neighbourhood Neighborhood Name Address Restaurant Address Website Website Name Restaurant Info View the Listing >> Written by: Lisa Cope What’s the story? There are certain types of people residing in Dublin who frequently make grand statements such as "there's nowhere to eat in *insert suburban town/village/street here*", while others look on in confusion thinking, "but there's 36 restaurants there?" (We may or may not be guilty of such statements.) What this actually means is "I'm aware there are 36 restaurants there but none are exciting enough to make me get off my bum and pay someone a substantial amount of money to cook my dinner", and one of the postcodes that's fallen into this bracket over the years is Howth. Yes there are plenty of restaurants, yes there's a decent (could be better) amount of fresh fish, but it always felt like a trick was being missed, and the culinary dynamism that's been taking over the city centre at full force hadn't quite reached here. So when we heard that ex- Etto front of house Jess D'Arcy and chef husband Killian Durkin (ex-Thornton's, Chapter One and Charlotte Quay ) had signed the lease on a harbour facing site earlier this year we felt a shiver of excitement. They describe Mamó (Irish for grandmother) as "a contemporary European dining experience in a relaxed and friendly setting", and a showcase for North County Dublin's abundant produce, as well as lesser known fish that they can buy directly from the boats. With Jess coming from Etto we had high hopes for the wine list, and a quick look online showed sherries, lesser known producers and no prosecco. So far, so ticking all of our boxes. They opened the doors at the end of September, and initial reports suggested our excitement was going to be justified. Where should we go for a drink first? The good news is there's no shortage of pubs in Howth. The bad news is if you're looking for something other than beer or gin you may struggle. The Bloody Stream is a cosy place to huddle up with a pint if it's cold outside, the Abbey Tavern up the hill on Abbey Street claims to date from the 16th century, and if you're after a more "modern" selection of drinks head for Wrights Findlater . They also have a roof terrace if it's warm enough to sit outside. Where should we sit? The dining room is cosy and quite compact - be careful what you say as it's likely your neighbours will hear you. There are tables and counter seating (perfect for eating alone ) as well as four tables outside - we don't need to tell you how in demand these are going to be come spring. For the moment heaters have been ordered. The two tables at the window with a view of the harbour are the ones to plump for if you have a choice, or the counter's lovely for one or two. What's good to eat? The menu is divided into snacks, starters, mains, sides and desserts, and as seems to be the case more and more lately we're finding ourselves more drawn to smaller plates than larger ones - probably because it allows us to try more food. The menu is changing regularly depending on what's available but if they're on as a snack when you visit do not miss the confit potato chips with taramasalata - Mamó's take on fish and chips. Salty, vinegary, creamy, fishy, and exactly the type of culinary excitement we've been looking for from a restaurant by the sea. Herby, garlicky razor clams with a macadamia nut crust were perfection on a plate (the flavour still hasn't left us), and chicken liver parfait with chicken skin crisps and crispy onions was gone in seconds. Both are must-orders if they're on. Good sourdough bread comes as standard and they plan on varying up the butters. At the moment it's a Vadouvan butter (similar to a masala spice blend) with flakes of sea salt on top. It was whipped to the point of fluffiness, and the bread comes in very handy for mopping up the last few smears of chicken liver parfait. From the starters we had a mackerel tartare with orange and pressed cucumber, which was like a Peruvian ceviche cleverly served with crisps. We are very much here for the zing and freshness of a well-made ceviche and the accompanying crunch of salted crisps, and think that variations of this will be one of their signature dishes (read: please don't ever take it off). Another starter of tarragon gnocchi in a porcini broth felt like an ideal plate for a cold day, and managed to feel light despite the rich, savoury flavours. Killian is apparently known for his homemade pastas so we look forward to more of those hitting the menu over the coming months. A main of wild black pollock with sobrasada, Lambay crab and coco de paimpol broth was well balanced with a tingle of heat and excellent fish, but wasn't as memorable as some of the smaller dishes. They also do an Etto-style Côte de bœuf from Higgins Butcher to share with bearnaise sauce and crispy potatoes, so that's on the agenda for a return trip soon. We did have the crispy potatoes as a side and they're up there with Etto in terms of their ability to turn a table of adults into a pack of scrambling animals desperately fighting over the last few crunchy bits. Another side of carrot salad with tahini and pomegranate didn't really do it for us, and felt like it was lacking seasoning. For dessert the Howth honey tart with sea salt ice cream is another we're hoping is a permanent fixture. Honey comes from up the hill where there's also an allotment they're on a waiting list for, and it's hard to think of a more thoughtful, of-the-moment ending to a meal here. Another of dark chocolate ganache with blueberries and Italian meringue was luscious, but the portion sizes didn't allow either to feel overwhelmingly sweet. We're still regretting not ordering the Old Groendal cheese with poached pear and Guinness bread, so that's high on the list for next time. What about the drinks? We're big fans of small production/on the natural side wines, but have been growing weary of seeing the same names on every new wine list in town, so it was refreshing to see a lot of lesser known producers here, and Jess is more than happy to talk people through them and make recommendations. Anywhere serving sherry by the glass gets bonus points from us, and offering something sparkling other than prosecco by the glass gains more again - here it's a great value sparkling Chardonnay from the Loire called 'Tuffeau' from Domaine Plou. There are 13 wines by the glass and we asked them to bring what they thought would work for each dish. They were on the money every time, particularly a dry furmint from Tokaji in Hungary with the mackerel tartare. And the service? This is very much a family operation with Jess' brother helping her front of house and the rest of the crew calm and tight knit. Jess is very much the hostess making sure everyone is well looked after, and while we were there she had to graciously turn away guest after guest without a booking - but not without making sure they had the restaurant's card with booking details, and telling them they would love to welcome them another time. It's not often that people leave a restaurant this happy when they haven't been able to get in. The verdict? Mamó is a breath of fresh air in sleepy Howth and it feels like it's been a long time coming. We're looking forward to seeing it settle in and just hope that the tourists don't find out about it too soon or we may struggle to get a table forever more (especially in summer, picture the scenes). At the same time, we're excited about visitors experiencing this new iteration of Irish food in such a tourist hotspot and going home to tell everyone about it, so basically you can't win. A drawn-out, lazy Sunday lunch here would be just the way to end the week, or a midweek evening stroll along the harbour followed by ceviche, 'fish and chips' and all the wine sitting up at the counter would be as good an antidote to hump day as we can imagine. Mamó Harbour House, Harbour Road, Howth, Co. Dublin mamorestaurant.ie New Openings & Discoveries More >> !

Just south of the city centre, bordered by the Grand Canal, head to Portobello for café culture, Michelin-recommended dinners, and homemade pasta. Portobello Our Take Just south of the city centre, bordered by the Grand Canal, head to Portobello for café culture, Michelin-recommended dinners, and homemade pasta. Where to Eat Alma Bibi's Brother Hubbard South Dash Burger Aungier Street Lena Little Bird Richmond Sprezzatura Camden Market

Modern Chinese Hakkahan lit up Stoneybatter like the flames in their kitchen when they opened with dishes like basil Silverhill duck, black pepper shortrib of beef, and six different types of housemade dumplings. The narrow, pink-fronted restaurant is eternally busy so make sure to book ahead, and we advise not skipping the salt and pepper fresh squid and the pork yuk sung - both best in class. Hakkahan Website hakkahan.ie Address 32 Stoneybatter, Dublin 7 Good For Tag 1 Cuisine Tag 1 Once Over Read our Review >> The Story Modern Chinese Hakkahan lit up Stoneybatter like the flames in their kitchen when they opened with dishes like basil Silverhill duck, black pepper shortrib of beef, and six different types of housemade dumplings. The narrow, pink-fronted restaurant is eternally busy so make sure to book ahead, and we advise not skipping the salt and pepper fresh squid and the pork yuk sung - both best in class. Where It's At Nearby Locales Mongoose Chongqing Hot Pot Boco Clontarf Bell Pesto Bang Gloria Osteria Cantina Valentina D'Lepak Pera Borgo Amai by Viktor Kaizen Chubbys Badam Table 45 Comet Daruma Malahide Lena The Pig's Ear Notions @ Two Pups The Rooftop @ Anantara The Marker Sofra Little Geno's Mama Shee Nutbutter Smithfield

Mr Dinh Daytime-only dim sum on Capel Street Posted: 20 Aug 2019 Neighbourhood Neighborhood Name Address Restaurant Address Website Website Name Restaurant Info View the Listing >> Written by: Lisa Cope What’s the story? Mr Dinh sits at the far end of Capel Street, close to Parnell Street, in a site that formerly housed Vietnamese restaurant Hanoi Hanoi. We've been unable to find out whether the owner and manager of Mr Dinh are the same as Hanoi Hanoi, but they're both from Vietnam. This is not a restaurant we would have made a beeline for, due to their 'Asian fusion' menu featuring Japanese, Hong Kong, Malayasian and Thai cuisine - in our experience muddled menus usually don't make for spell-binding eating experiences - but then the Dublin restaurant whisper network started talking about Mr Dinh's daytime-only dim sum. If you speak to anyone from Hong Kong (or anyone who's versed in their food) about where to get good dim sum in Dublin you're likely to hear three names - Good World , Ka Shing and Mr Dinh . We hear that the pendulum swings between all three of them as the favourite depending on the week, but that amongst a certain group of Asian ladies who dim sum, Mr Dinh was currently in the lead. Dim sum is a day time food in Hong Kong, with small plates of everything from dumplings to turnip cake often accompanied by Chinese tea, and Mr Dinh only serves dim sum until 5pm, so it's lunch or a very early dinner if you want to get in on the dim sum action here. Where is there to go for a drink around here? If you're planning on having one of those long, drawn out lunches which turns into a boozy afternoon - great plan. We'd head around the corner to Bonobo in Smithfield, particularly if the sun's out and you can wile away a few hours in their beer garden. Otherwise McNeill's on Capel Street is great for Guinness and trad music, or if you're having a dry day but still want to stay out, head for The Virgin Mary for non-alcoholic cocktails. Where should we sit? There's plenty of space over two rooms so you should have your pick. If you're in a group the round tables complete with lazy Susans are great for avoiding awkward arm-stretching, but if you're looking for privacy you can easily slink into one of the corners on either side. What's good to eat? There are 32 types of dim sum on the menu, featuring everything from prawn dumplings to chicken feet (not recommended, even for lols). Of everything we tried our favourites were the pan-fried pork dumplings (deeply-flavoured with a perfect chewy, meaty texture), pan-fried vegetable and meat buns (light, slightly blistered dough filled with more flavoursome pork and green vegetables), and baked BBQ pork puffs - although the latter were barely warm and very sweet - proceed with caution. Prawn dumplings Chaozhou style were better than prawn and Chinese chive dumplings, whose thin, slippery wrappers had gotten completely stuck on the steamer, causing them to fall apart, and soup dumplings disappointed due to a lack of soup. Steamed turnip cake with a type of Chinese sausage split the table - you definitely have to be on board with the gelatinous texture and slightly too oily exterior, but we were, and sticky rice wrapped in lotus leaf was very sticky, with a layer of something like a thick gravy with pork pieces and sweetcorn between two slabs of rice. Enjoyable at the time but not particularly memorable. Steamed BBQ pork buns were decent, but we've had better in the city (looking at you Lucky Tortoise ), and again that overly sweet BBQ filling could have done with easing off on the sugar, and BBQ pork cheung fun (rice rolls) had the sweet/savoury balance much more on point, although they could have done with a bit more filling. Pork siu mai were slightly bland and a bit too pink for our liking, and they weren't finished. What about the drinks? We've yet to encounter an Asian restaurant in the Capel Street/Parnell Street area with anything of interest to drink, and unfortunately Mr Dinh lives up to the stereotype. Wines come under the heading "avoid", and beers are basic. Under some grilling they said they would allow BYO at around €10 per bottle of wine, but wouldn't commit to a corkage charge. Definitely worth considering if you want something stronger than Chinese tea with your dim sum. And the service? Friendly but pretty perfunctory. The manager was very happy to answer a myriad of questions, and tell us about the exciting new Malaysian, Japanese and Thai menu changes to come on the main menu in a couple of weeks, but sometimes the staff bringing the food just dropped them on the table without telling us what they were. They always came back with a smile though when we called them to ask what type of dumplings we were about to eat. The verdict? Mr Dinh is dishing up decent dim sum and while it's unlikely to change your life it's very cheap, very filling and parts of it are very tasty. For €25 a head we had more food than we could eat - you could easily leave well fed for €15 - and if you're someone who likes small portions of multiple dishes and sharing food for the purposes of getting to try more, you'll have fun working your way through the menu here. Even if you get the odd dud you're unlikely to feel hard done by at prices like these. For us the dim sum debates rages on. We've already given Ka Shing the once over, so Good World's next on the list to complete the holy trilogy. Look out for that one some time in Autumn. Mr Dinh 101 - 102 Capel Street, Dublin 1 mrdinh.ie New Openings & Discoveries More >>

Is it a chipper? Is it a gelato shop? Is it a bakery? Sorrento's may seem like it's suffering from multiple personality disorder, but when owner Cristian Proca can do all three so well, who are we to judge. Gelato flavours change daily, and his focaccia Pugliese have the locals queueing up. Sorrento's Website @sorrento_take_away Address 10B Arbour Hill, Stoneybatter, Dublin 7 Good For Tag 1 Cuisine Tag 1 Once Over Read our Review >> The Story Is it a chipper? Is it a gelato shop? Is it a bakery? Sorrento's may seem like it's suffering from multiple personality disorder, but when owner Cristian Proca can do all three so well, who are we to judge. Gelato flavours change daily, and his focaccia Pugliese have the locals queueing up. Where It's At Nearby Locales Mongoose Chongqing Hot Pot Boco Clontarf Bell Pesto Bang Gloria Osteria Cantina Valentina D'Lepak Pera Borgo Amai by Viktor Kaizen Chubbys Badam Table 45 Comet Daruma Malahide Lena The Pig's Ear Notions @ Two Pups The Rooftop @ Anantara The Marker Sofra Little Geno's Mama Shee Nutbutter Smithfield

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

Clontarf's wooden bridge would feel empty without café container Happy Out to grab an iced coffee and a toastie from. Queues can be lengthy but smiley staff keep things moving, and there are outdoor and indoor tables so it works for all weathers. Happy Out Website happyout.ie Address Bull Wall, Bull Island, Clontarf, Dublin 3 Good For Tag 1 Cuisine Tag 1 Once Over Read our Review >> The Story Clontarf's wooden bridge would feel empty without café container Happy Out to grab an iced coffee and a toastie from. Queues can be lengthy but smiley staff keep things moving, and there are outdoor and indoor tables so it works for all weathers. Where It's At Nearby Locales Mongoose Chongqing Hot Pot Boco Clontarf Bell Pesto Bang Gloria Osteria Cantina Valentina D'Lepak Pera Borgo Amai by Viktor Kaizen Chubbys Badam Table 45 Comet Daruma Malahide Lena The Pig's Ear Notions @ Two Pups The Rooftop @ Anantara The Marker Sofra Little Geno's Mama Shee Nutbutter Smithfield