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The sibling to Smithfield’s Fish Shop, Bar Pez describe themselves as “very much a bar” with seafood focused food. The depth and breath of the wine list is extraordinary (and you’ll need an extraordinary salary to delve into much of it), and the seafood is fresh and simply prepared. Sit at the counter for a view of the chef at work, or take a wooden table and settle in for a few hours. It’s walk in only so if visiting at peak times you might want a back up plan. Bar Pez Website barpez.ie Address Unit 3, College Court, Kevin Street, Dublin 8 Good For Tag 1 Cuisine Tag 1 Once Over Read our Review >> The Story The sibling to Smithfield’s Fish Shop, Bar Pez describe themselves as “very much a bar” with seafood focused food. The depth and breath of the wine list is extraordinary (and you’ll need an extraordinary salary to delve into much of it), and the seafood is fresh and simply prepared. Sit at the counter for a view of the chef at work, or take a wooden table and settle in for a few hours. It’s walk in only so if visiting at peak times you might want a back up plan. 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

Ruby Tuesday Jerk chicken & goat curry come to Dame Street Posted: 19 Feb 2019 Neighbourhood Neighborhood Name Address Restaurant Address Website Website Name Restaurant Info View the Listing >> Written by: Lisa Cope What’s the story? A couple of weeks ago we came across an article in the Dublin Inquirer about a new pop-up in Berlin on Dame Street - Ruby Tuesday's Jerk Chicken . Previously home to Lucky Tortoise , the bar has been playing host to some interesting kitchen concepts over the past year, and the promise of a secret jerk sauce recipe learnt from a Jamaican relative was too much to pass up. The Ruby in question was born in Brixton to Ghanian parents, and anyone who's been there will know it's a thriving hub of Caribbean families, food and music. She came to Dublin for the weekend 14 years ago and loved it so much she moved here. She worked in telecommunications before debuting her cooking at a music festival 10 years ago, but only seriously looked into making it a career after being made redundant last year. She started serving food in Berlin in November, and you can read more about her in that great Dublin Inquirer piece. Where should we go for a drink first? It is in a bar, albeit one without an inspiring drinks selection, so it depends what you're after. There was a decent martini made, but they won't be winning any awards for their beer, cider or wine selection. If you're particular about your drinks (*waves*), you might want to walk 5 minutes to The Sidecar in the Westbury (below) for brilliant cocktails which come with fat, juicy olives, mixed nuts and teeny glasses of prosecco while you wait (swoon). For wine, Piglet and Loose Canon and both less than a 5 minute walk away, and for a good old fashioned pub you're just a stone's throw from The Stag's Head . Where should we sit? The bar has two main sections, one with the door out onto Dame Court which had a DJ blasting 90's hiphop on a Tuesday night, and the other where the Dame Street entrance and the kitchen are (thankfully you can still hear the 90's hiphop from here - JLO + LL Cool J + Jerk chicken = good times). We'd sit on the kitchen side for obvious reasons, ideally on the banquettes. What's good to eat? This is very inexpensive food, so we ordered way too much of it, and with enough left for two take home boxes, it came to €17 a head. What we didn't realise was that a lot of the ingredients are in the same dishes so we ended up with four lots of fried plantain and a lot of uneaten rice, but we do like to try all the food. The plantain was surprisingly one of the highlights, and we all struggled to stop eating them - like a marginally healthier version of bar crisps. Ruby was not divulging what they were fried in, despite our pleas, but this is good stuff. From the snacks we also ordered the jerk chicken wings and the Jamaican beef patty. The patty was another resounding win and disappeared as quickly as it was put down. We'd go back for this alone. The jerk sauce on (mostly under) the wings was great, but we'd have preferred them to be cooked low and slow to render the fat down, making the skin nicer to eat, although this didn't bother others. We tried four of the mains, and the Jerk chicken with jollof rice and more of those fried plantains was the unanimous favourite. This time the fat was mostly rendered and the chicken was falling apart. So many good flavours and a nice kick of spice balanced by the milder rice and the sweet plantain. The oxtail stew with dumplings, butter beans and carrots, served with more rice and the meat on the bone, was a really rich, comforting dish with layers of flavour - this was obviously not cooked in a hurry and just what you'd want on a cold night. The other two dishes were fine, but wouldn't have us rushing back. Caribbean fishcakes were a bit 'nondescript fish and potato', and Jollof rice with Caribbean salsa and more fried plantain was a bit of a damp squib - but maybe we were rice and plantained out by that stage - certainly the vegans will be happy to be included. We were totally gutted to find out that the curry goat is only available at the weekend and plan on going back for that. We definitely over ordered with three snacks and four mains between four, but they do have takeaway boxes so you can take leftovers home - which you definitely should, down with food waste. What about dessert? There are currently no desserts on the menu, so you could head back down to Loose Canon for a cheese plate, or across the road to the recently opened Sweet Churro in Temple Bar, for the South American version of doughnuts filled with dulce de leche or chocolate. And the drinks? As stated earlier, it's not the most inspiring drinks list in the city. If you're happy with the usual suspects or spirits and mixers you'll be fine, otherwise you may want to get in, eat, and get out. We would have loved to see some Caribbean inspired drinks on the menu to go with the food, and think they're missing a trick. And the service? Ruby is like the mother hen, lavishing food on people and simultaneously blushing and giggling when they tell her how much they loved it. Bar staff were equally lovely. Our only complaint was that all seven items arrived to the table at the same time, which was way too much for the table to hold and for us to try to eat without a lot of it getting cold. So if you want snacks first followed by main after, make sure you tell them that. The verdict? "Authentic ethnic food" which also tastes great (not always a given, there are plenty of bad Irish stews made in this country on a nightly basis) is the holy grail for pavement pounding food-aholics. This tasted both authentically Caribbean and very tasty, and when you add in fast and cheap it's definitely worth using a meal token on. You could come out of here well fed for €10, and have a new cuisine to add to your repertoire. And if you go at the weekend, get the goat curry. Ruby Tuesday's Jerk Chicken Berlin D2, 14-15 Dame Lane, Dublin 2 www.facebook.com/RubyTuesdayJerkChickensaucedublinstyle New Openings & Discoveries More >>

Eleven All the potential in this roadside restaurant with wood-fired food and great cocktails Posted: 18 Apr 2023 Neighbourhood Neighborhood Name Address Restaurant Address Website Website Name Restaurant Info View the Listing >> Written by: Ronan Doyle What should we know about Eleven? Named in tribute to its roadside position just off the N11, the latest addition to John Farrell’s portfolio of Dublin diners (Dillinger’s. The Butcher Grill, 777, Amy Austin, and the late Luna are among the others) opened above Whelehan’s Wines in Loughlinstown late last month. Farrell’s MO is well-established by now, offering up conceptual dining experiences fronted by his own painstaking attention to interior design detail. At Eleven , it’s a smart-casual neighbourhood vibe they’ve gone for, with two distinct relaxed spaces set either side of a zinc-topped wraparound bar with counter dining. The Butcher Grill ’s Atish Bhuruth has been drafted in to design the menu in an Executive Chef capacity, and the wood-fired grill as well as a couple of other menu items clearly bear his mark. Where should we sit? The bar’s 20-or-so seats make a good choice for solo diners or duos who delight in watching the magic of cocktails in the making - more on those later - while the main open dining space is saved for four-top tables. The combination of deep red walls, warm wood tones and geometric rugs make this main area an especially welcoming first sight as you walk through the door. Down the back, there’s another area with two high tables that seat ten each, and are tailor-made for bigger groups or those who don’t mind sharing. Both areas are bright, open spaces by day and more intimate lamplit affairs by night - in the evening, there’s an ambient slide guitar soundtrack provided by a house musician tucked away in the corner. What’s on the menu? It’s a simple and streamlined menu neatly divided into small plates and mains, with standalone sections for the wood-fired grill and sharing steaks and fish dishes. The small plates mostly skew cold and cured, with seafood a recurring theme. We started with a hamachi ceviche bathed in blood orange, red onion, ginger and tapioca pearls. While the firm-fleshed fish was flavourful and well-textured, the salsa was more mush than fresh, with overly assertive ginger spoiling the balance. Between that, the fridge cold temperature of the fish, and the sad puddle on the plate, we couldn’t help but wonder if this had been assembled earlier rather than being made to order. We were surprised to see a summery dish like heirloom tomato, peach and burrata salad on offer in April, blue as the skies outside may have been. Neither the multi-coloured tomatoes nor the peach - served in both lightly-salted slices and a concentrated gel - at their very best this time of year, but the more muted flavours still played well off the mild bitterness of black and pink radish and lightly pickled lengths of fennel. Amidst all that colour we almost missed the measly mound of burrata, less the centrepiece ball we expected than a subtle spoonful. We couldn’t fault the flavour, but the serving size did seem to take the idea of a small plate a little too far, especially at €14 a plate. There were no notes needed for the sourdough on the side, with its crispy-chewy balance, and irresistible whipped smoked honey butter - a smartly sweet match for all of the small plates’ acidic overtones - keep this one on hand to balance out all the citrusy sauces. Bhuruth’s a noted fan of the flavours wood-firing brings, so be sure to order at least one of those options for the table. We found the prawns the most tempting of the bunch (there's also tuna and steaks), and our expectations of "grilled prawns with lemon and herb oil" came true on the plate. The blackened antennae speak to the high and dry heat of the grill, caramelising the meat to emphasise the natural sweetness of the shellfish, and a zippy lemon and herb dressing complemented the smoky-sweet meat for a dish that really gets across what Eleven is trying to do. We thought the same about the wolffish, definitely one of the menu’s standout attractions for us. You don’t see this ugly bottom-dwelling monster on Dublin menus all too often - more’s the pity, as its imposing size and diet of scallops and crabs make for sizeable and delicately sweet fillets. They’re given excellent treatment here, grilled to a perfect crust and bathed in a bonito butter so tasty we ate it by the spoonful. It's a great pairing of quality ingredients cooked in a simple style that let's it all sing. On the side we went with the parsley-buttered heritage carrots and smokey beans. Your choice of the six options is served with the wood-fired grill plates, while the other mains come unaccompanied - a distinction that left the wolffish especially feeling a little short-changed, especially with the €30 price tag. Both sides satisfied but neither were overly exciting - most of the choices have been brought over from The Butcher Grill’s menu and there’s a sense that these are meant more as supporting players than standout dishes in their own right. Also imported over from that menu is the Sauternes crème caramel, the only dessert option on offer (an unspecified selection of cheese for €14 is also an option). It’s a pretty and unpretentious plate, with the sweet wine-soaked golden raisins bursting with beautiful, boozy flavour, and the simple custard flan offsetting the rich intensity of the caramel sauce. What about the drinks? Wine is supplied by Whelehan’s downstairs, with bottle prices starting out reasonable and heading sharply upward from there: if there’s an occasion to celebrate, you can definitely do it here. By-the-glass options are fairly middle-of-the-road, though the earthy and fruit-forward Château Beauchene Côtes du Rhône we tried worked well with the smoked sweetness of the prawns. If you're there for a long lunch from Wednesday - Friday and the wine list doesn’t take your fancy, they also allow you to bring in anything from downstairs for €10 corkage. That got our attention. What caught our eye more were the cocktails. The bartender who’s developed them has previously been in 777 and Dillinger’s and was enthusiastically training up colleagues on his creations while we were in. He’s just as keen to walk you through what’s in them and tailor them to your tastes, right up to very considered non-alcoholic twists - an essential skill in a location likely to play host to plenty of designated drivers. The concoction he crafted for our non-drinker was a well-balanced tart-sweet blend of yuzu juice and pineapple shrub, finished with a liberal misting of orange blossom water from a perfume bottle - as much a performance as a pour. From the alcoholic options we tried a brown butter-washed bourbon, sage and celery bitters short-serve, with a delicious depth of nutty flavour. It wouldn’t be the worst idea in the world to skip dessert altogether and drink it instead. How was the service? Friendly and informal, nicely grounding the atmosphere - a room like this might easily feel stuffy if the staff weren’t as warmly welcoming and ready to chat. Bar seats are best to get the full experience if you want to explore the cocktail options, while the main area has a slightly more formal feel with suited servers mainly keeping a low profile. And the damage? Our bill came in at €138 before tip, a little on the steep side for a feast that didn’t quite fill and three drinks (one N/A) - but we feel like we're saying that about everywhere these days. You could easily go beyond €100 per person with a few more small plates and another round of drinks. There’s €2 oysters with €2 off cocktails from 17:00 - 19:00 Wednesday - Friday if you wanted to make it a little more budget friendly - or head in for the Sunday roasts, ranging from €23 to €27 and served with all the trimmings, to try it out for less. What’s the verdict on Eleven? There’s all the potential in this roadside restaurant, even if it might need a little more time to seek out and settle into its own niche. For a location like this to work, it’s going to need to become something of a destination - landing the Sunday roasts and making the most of the back terrace through the summer months might just make it that. We’d love to see the same attention and unique personality put into the small plates, but for now we're betting the cocktails, top-quality mains and those Sunday roasts will be enough of a draw for the curious to keep Eleven buzzing for the foreseeable. Eleven Bray Road, Loughlinstown elevendublin.ie New Openings & Discoveries More >>

Just past the city's main throughfares, follow Aungier Street as it turns into Wexford Street and then Camden Street, for one of the city's best selection of independent bars and restaurants. Aungier Street - Wexford Street - Camden Street Our Take Just past the city's main throughfares, follow Aungier Street as it turns into Wexford Street and then Camden Street, for one of the city's best selection of independent bars and restaurants. Where to Eat Big Fan Chimac Delahunt Frank's Hang Dai Chinese La Gordita Las Tapas de Lola Mad Egg Mister S Nomo Ramen Pickle Sprout & Co Camden Street Two Faced Tír Uno Mas Yeeros Wexford Street

Greek Souvlaki Bar where gyros stuffed with flame grilled meats are the speciality. The pitas are fluffy, the dolmades are fresh, and the chips are crispy. A little slice of Greece in Glasnevin. Yeeros Website yeeros.ie Address 19 Prospect Road, Drumcondra, Dublin 9 Good For Tag 1 Cuisine Tag 1 Once Over Read our Review >> The Story Greek Souvlaki Bar where gyros stuffed with flame grilled meats are the speciality. The pitas are fluffy, the dolmades are fresh, and the chips are crispy. A little slice of Greece in Glasnevin. 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

After doing the market scene for a couple of years, Korean Table owner Vivian Cho went permanent in a long, narrow room in Stoneybatter, previously home to Beo Wine Bar and Cow Lane tapas. The short menu ticks a lot of boxes, with Korean fried chicken, beef bibimbap and kimchi-fried rice, and there’s a basic drinks list. They don’t take reservations unless there’s 10 or more, so chance your arm with a walk up. Korean Table Website koreantablestoneybatter.com Address 50a Manor Street, Stoneybatter, Dublin 7 Good For Tag 1 Cuisine Tag 1 Once Over Read our Review >> The Story After doing the market scene for a couple of years, Korean Table owner Vivian Cho went permanent in a long, narrow room in Stoneybatter, previously home to Beo Wine Bar and Cow Lane tapas. The short menu ticks a lot of boxes, with Korean fried chicken, beef bibimbap and kimchi-fried rice, and there’s a basic drinks list. They don’t take reservations unless there’s 10 or more, so chance your arm with a walk 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

The 'Osteria Locale' from the guys behind Hera and Crudo exploded onto the scene at the end of summer 2025, with Phibsboro locals leading the demand. The menu is so full of snacks, antipasti and pasta that you'll struggle to choose, and the Italian-leaning dishes are cooked with the best Irish produce. The old bank setting feels grand, but everything else about Borgo, from the drinks to the prices, has its feet firmly on the ground. Borgo Website borgodublin.ie Address 162-165 Phibsborough Rd, Phibsborough, Dublin 7, D07 RX3P, Ireland Good For Tag 1 Cuisine Tag 1 Once Over Read our Review >> The Story The 'Osteria Locale' from the guys behind Hera and Crudo exploded onto the scene at the end of summer 2025, with Phibsboro locals leading the demand. The menu is so full of snacks, antipasti and pasta that you'll struggle to choose, and the Italian-leaning dishes are cooked with the best Irish produce. The old bank setting feels grand, but everything else about Borgo, from the drinks to the prices, has its feet firmly on the ground. 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

Chef de Partie < Back Chef de Partie Glas Apply Now Location Dublin 2 Employment Full-time Date Posted 2 June 2026 Website glasrestaurant.ie GLAS IS HIRING! ROLE: Chef de Partie We are currently looking for a Chef de Partie to join our kitchen team. We are a vegetable-led, fully gluten-free restaurant focused on seasonality, sustainability and progressive plant-based cooking. Our kitchen is driven by curiosity, precision and a desire to push vegetables to the centre of the plate in new and exciting ways. What we’re looking for: - Minimum 6 years’ experience in a high-level kitchen - A strong technical foundation and attention to detail - A genuine interest in modern, forward-thinking cooking - Passion for working with vegetables, seasonality and produce-driven menus - Ability to work cleanly, efficiently and as part of a small, focused team A culinary degree is a plus, but not essential if experience and skill set are strong. What we offer: - A creative and supportive kitchen environment - Opportunity to work closely on seasonal menu development - Exposure to refined plant-based techniques and modern cooking methods - A role within a kitchen that values quality, sustainability and innovation This is an ideal role for someone who wants to be part of a kitchen that is actively shaping the future of vegetable-focused cuisine. If this sounds like you, we’d love to hear from you. Email cover letter and/or CV to info@glasrestaurant.ie

Full-time Chef < Back Full-time Chef Volpe Nera Apply Now Location Blackrock, Co. Dublin Employment Full-time Date Posted 27 June 2026 Website volpenera.ie We're seeking a passionate, creative chef eager to learn and grow with our kitchen team - a great opportunity for someone ready to bring fresh ideas and energy to an ambitious, professional environment. Key aspects of the role include but are not limited to: Showing a strong passion for food by generating ideas and expressing creativity Assisting colleagues through hands-on support and leading by example Showing a willingness to learn Having the ability to multi-task and time manage through busy services whilst maintaining composure and without compromising standards Start date: Mid to end of July A full job description is available on application. To Apply Send your CV and a short cover letter outlining your background to: info@volpenera.ie

Neighbourhood café in the heart of Dublin 8, with all food made on site using seasonal, mostly organic ingredients, and a yoga studio on site. Their menu is all vegetarian with plenty of vegan options, so you can enjoy a plant-filled feast after you’ve worked through your sun salutations. Little Bird Website little-bird.ie Address 82 South Circular Road, Portobello, Dublin 8 Good For Tag 1 Cuisine Tag 1 Once Over Read our Review >> The Story Neighbourhood café in the heart of Dublin 8, with all food made on site using seasonal, mostly organic ingredients, and a yoga studio on site. Their menu is all vegetarian with plenty of vegan options, so you can enjoy a plant-filled feast after you’ve worked through your sun salutations. Where It's At Nearby Locales 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

Orwell Road The Coppinger Row guys go south Posted: 24 Jul 2022 Neighbourhood Neighborhood Name Address Restaurant Address Website Website Name Restaurant Info View the Listing >> Written by: Lisa Cope What's the story? At the end of 2021, the Bereen brothers who owned Coppinger Row (and still own Charlotte Quay), announced that the city centre restaurant where Queen Bey herself once ate, would shut its doors for good at Christmas, after thirteen years of trading. Rather than blaming bad business or anything pandemic related, a press release explained that the building was due to be redeveloped by the landlord, and the now familiar cries of "no more hotels" started to ring out. Memories were shared, the final Flo and Basys were ordered, and the doors shut, but soon rumours started to swirl about a follow up on the southside. They publically announced the details of Orwell Road in March, just five days before opening to Rathgar locals and anyone wanting to make the journey, and we were pleased to see Daniel Hannigan, formerly head chef in ATF fav Mister S , was leading the kitchen. They opened to plenty of positive reviews, but the prices were so punchy we reasoned we'd leave it for a special occasion. You guys had other ideas, and when we let our ATF Insiders choose the location of our next review, Orwell Road was the easy front-runner, so we set off for Rathgar for a weekend lunch. Where should I sit? It's a small room and we imagine it gets quite cramped when all of the tables are full. The booths at the window and along one side are by far the most spacious, and the bar seats look appealing too, with a view directly into the kitchen. What's the food like? The menu is à la carte, which will please you if you're tired of set and tasting menus, or the demand to order three courses each including a main course (always the most boring part, is it any wonder we just want all the small plates), but prices are high, and they feel like a shock in somewhere pitching themselves as a "casual neighbourhood restaurant". Some of the opening prices have risen even further in the four months since opening. Two croquettes have gone from €6.50 to €8. Côte de boeuf has gone from €70 to €75. A side of Ballymakenny spuds have gone from €5 - €6. Obviously inflation is high and food costs are rising, but consumers have never been more concerned about what's in their pockets. Meat and fish mains were €30, €34 and €35, and comparing this to other neighbourhood restaurants, in Locks, Spitalfields and Circa mains all stay below €30. In Volpe Nera the most expensive ones just hit €30. With all that in mind this level of pricing feels ambitious. A snack of mackerel tart (€5 for two bites) with chilli ponzu was a snappy start, with fish aged by Karl Whelan in Saltwater Grocery down the road, and plenty of citrus tang from the ponzu and heat from the chilli. The only problem was a very soggy bottom - perhaps they went OTT on the dressing or it sat for too long before serving. We were slightly disappointed to see that the Andarl pork croquettes we'd seen online had been demoted to "ham and cheddar", but they were very good, with spicy wholegrain mustard giving them an edge, and a cloud of more cheese on top. They worked out at €4 each though, which felt excessive. Onto starters and their signature seems to be the "chicken and scallops", served in two parts. On a top plate comes a deboned chicken wing stuffed with its own flesh - pleasant and richly flavoured, but added crunch like the version at Library Street would improve it. Lift that and underneath scallops swim in a chicken butter sauce, with slabs of the crispiest chicken skin imaginable scattered on top. We thought that the scallops would have been a stronger dish on their own without the distraction of the wing - perfertly cooked, plump and juicy, in a sauce so rich (and a little over-salted) you'll want to tread very lightly with your spoon. The chicken skin is a masterclass in how to do it. No weedy shards around here, this is some seriously crunchy business. We'd seen the new dish of kombu-cured cod with wakame and ginger on their social media feeds, and it's a visual delight, but we felt the flavours were too tame. While the wakame and ginger were pleasant and delicate, it was missing a punch of flavour that the meaty, ultra-fresh fish needed to cut through it. The Cais na Tire tortellini in a burnt onion broth is a beautiful dish. The pasta is on the thicker side, and a thinner one would let the flavour of that beautiful sheeps' cheese filling shine through a bit more, but the broth is deep with a smoky, allium-rich flavour, and cheese and onion are bedfellows for good reason. On to mains and this is where the prices really started to sting. A €34 plate of turbot with girolles, taramasalata and chicken butter sauce (the same as earlier), came with a piece of fish no bigger than a small child's hand, seven mushrooms, a few leaves of savoy cabbage, and taramasalata so salty it was unpleasant. You will most likely need a side (€6), meaning this is a €40 dish with potatoes. We know inflation is high but this was a hard one to swallow. The fish was cooked perfectly, snow white and flaking away, but for that kind of outlay we expect a lot more. The other dish, BBQ monktail with chorizo-stuffed razor clams and seafood bisque felt a lot more substantial for a euro more (€35), with the charred, meaty fish coming away in thick chunks and the baby courgette still al dente, but the razor clams tasted of chorizo and sodden bread, any fish flavour lost to the other ingredients. Monktail isn't something you see often, so it was nice to see it here and cooked so well. As a side we ordered the obligatory spuds - these ones from Ballymakenny in Louth, with a black garlic mayo that was more sweet than pungent. They were good, appearing to be fried multiple times, but some were crunchy while others were soft and/or chewy. The crunchy ones were excellent. Dessert is something that Hannigan has always excelled at (at one point during the pandemic he opened a dessert truck), so we presume at some (if not all) of the creations here are his. We tried his vacherin in Mister S, and it's gone up a notch again, this one with hibiscus on the outside, and strawberry sorbet and vanilla on the inside. Breaking it open with a spoon is very satisfying, as is eating it. Smooth sorbet, jammy strawberries and crunchy, scented meringue make for a delicately delicious dessert that's bang on season. A salted caramel tart was also excellently executed, but again there was too much salt in parts. A cherry sorbet was bright and deeply flavoured, with macerated cherries underneath, and together they made for a lovely combination. We hadn't ordered the third dessert, elderflower ice-cream with raspberry granita, but they brought it free of charge, saying we had to try it, and it was another perfectly pulled together plate - it's hard to imagine two more fitting desserts for an Irish summer than this and the strawberry vacherin. The flavours were pure yet punchy, the colour and taste of all the elements completely vivid. What about drinks? The wine list has plenty of interest, as well some less interesting crowd pleasers, and a large proportion is available by the glass, which is so nice (and relatively unusual) to see. We tried a Spanish blend from Cellar de Ruore, and the Sicilian Palmentino Rosso from Vino di Anna - the red won in the flavour stakes. The cocktails list reads well too, and the 'Bamboo' with dry vermouth, Lillet Blanc, Fino sherry, banana and black cardamom cordial, and bitters was pleasant to sip while waiting for snacks, but on the sweeter side. How was the service? Our server could not have been more full of warmth, smiles and helpful information, and apart from one grave suggestion of serving the Vino di Anna over ice because they didn't have one chilled, didn't put a foot wrong. Dishes came out at a perfect pace, but we were the only ones there so can't speak for a busier period. And the damage? A few euro short of €200 before tip for two adults and a child, which is into the realm of two-Michelin-starred Chapter One by Mickael Viljanen, where you could have lunch for two with a nice bottle of wine for the same price. The verdict? There's a lot to like about Orwell Road, but much that could be improved too. As noted in the Woodruff once over a few months ago, the lack of a good value lunch menu is a major turn off for customers, and just bad business (Woodruff have since introduced one ), and may explain why we were the only ones there for Saturday lunch. Dinner appears to be hopping and that night they were fully booked, but those weighty prices are easier to stomach in the evening. A good value lunch menu, an early evening menu, and more generosity in the plates of food would go a long way towards ensuring the longevity that Coppinger Row had. Orwell Road 48 Orwell Road, Rathfarnham, Dublin 6 orwellroad.com New Openings & Discoveries More >>

Vegan and vegetarian fine dining in the centre of the city. Forget about stews, soups and sloppy lasagnes, Glas are making vegetables sexy again, with kohlrabi rillettes, butterbean ceviche, and roast onion with flamed halloumi. Plant-filled, stylish space, and a great drinks list. Glas Website glasrestaurant.ie Address 16 Chatham Street, Dublin 2 Good For Tag 1 Cuisine Tag 1 Once Over Read our Review >> The Story Vegan and vegetarian fine dining in the centre of the city. Forget about stews, soups and sloppy lasagnes, Glas are making vegetables sexy again, with kohlrabi rillettes, butterbean ceviche, and roast onion with flamed halloumi. Plant-filled, stylish space, and a great drinks list. 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

Six By Nico We went so you don't have to Posted: 16 Dec 2021 Neighbourhood Neighborhood Name Address Restaurant Address Website Website Name Restaurant Info View the Listing >> Written by: Lisa Cope What’s the story? Once upon a time Six by Nico was probably an exciting concept. One chef (Nico Simone), six dishes, six weeks of a themed menu, then it's all change for the next round. We'd heard positive reports from the Belfast one (before knowing it was rapidly morphing into a chain), and were pretty excited to hear we were getting one of our own, but then the Instagram posts started. We stroked our chins and wondered where we'd seen this type of thing before - maybe their neighbour around the corner with the Instagrammable bathrooms, over-reliance on influencers, and questionable reputation on staff tips. We could smell the #invite tagged posts long before they appeared, and appear they did, in their multiples. There were so many gushing #invite and #guest posts to Six by Nico in the first few weeks (see a small selection here , here and here ) that we wondered whether it was actually possible to pay for food there, and you guys were hounding us for an honest, hand in pocket review of whether it was worth the Insta hype, so off we went to perform our eating duties, on the stormiest day of the year so far. Where should we sit? For the love of God, do not let them sit you near the front door. We had the misfortune of visiting on a very wet and windy day, and whenever someone went in or out, Storm Barra himself would whip into the restaurant, sending shivers down our arms and coats off the back of our chairs - no one thought to hang them up and save us bending down every six minutes. The sheer unpleasantness of being thrust into an icy draft at least once during each course was definitely one of our more original dining experiences this year, and when we asked staff why they didn't have a curtain to protect diners from the icy wind of death, they told us that one had been ordered. Yet they didn't think to sit us as far as away from it as possible, or offer us a hot drink. Or a fleece. A dining out in 2021 highlight came when a group of six arrived, opened the door, then stood half in, half out waiting to be seated. They had hats and scarves on so were okay, we did not so weren't, and frostbite may have induced us to jump up and wail desperately "close the door!?" Fine dining at its most relaxing. What's the food like? It's a set, six-course menu for €45, currently "The Chipper", which runs until the 9th of January, and there's a vegetarian version too. There's an optional snack and bread for €7.50, and the wine pairing is €39 (more on those later). As tasting menu prices go this is definitely on the lower side, which probably goes some way to explaining how they're booked pretty much solidly until the end of the year. Grace Dent in The Guardian last week called it "fine dining for the Pizza Express generation", which feels apt. We plumped for one snack, in case it didn't deliver - a smoked cod croquette with gherkin ketchup, rapeseed emulsion, pickled onion and malt vinegar powder. It was pleasant enough, like a slightly posher fish finger, but hasn't been cemented in the memory bank. This also comes with bread - good (we're guessing not homemade) sourdough, and shellfish butter, which didn't taste remotely of shellfish. If we didn't know better we would have said they just squirted a bit of food colouring in there. Course one was "chips and cheese". We love a curry chip as much as the next Irish person so were looking forward to this one, but the way it arrived felt disjointed. A cube of potato terrine with curry emulsion came on a plate, then you lift that to find a bowl with a parmesan espuma and curry oil underneath. Neither element wowed alone, but together did work, and we thought it was quite clever. Course two was "Scampi" - crispy monkfish cheek, with dill emulsion, gribiche, peas and beurre blanc. We've never had to saw through monkfish with a butter knife before, and if it was more than two bites we would have sent it back, but one bite into the rubbery, overcooked fish and it felt pointless in asking for more. The accompaniments were pleasant enough, but had a whack of childhood dinners off them. Onto course three! The "steak pie", with 24-hour beef shin, burnt onion ketchup, mushroom duxelle, and ‘meaty salsa’, which was marginally better than a tin of Fray Bentos. Mushy, mouth-puckeringly salty and one-dimensional, with raw mushroom shavings to really seal the deal. Then an upset. Course four. The only dish which really worked, and actually encompassed what they've set out to do - bring a taste of the chipper to a tasting menu. Shetland cod came on top of tangy confit fennel, samphire, pickled mussels and beer emulsion, and had crispy salt and vinegar batter bits on top. It was so good it was a shock after what had come before, and had all the flavours from that salt and vinegar doused box of fish and chips in a different form. Presumably it was dishes like this which started the hype train rolling, it's just a pity there weren't more of them. Then course five. The dish that shouldn't exist. The dish that needs to be banished to culinary hell and never show it's smoke covered face in this town again. "Smoked sausage". Throughout your meal, you'll find your sight, conversations and breathing interrupted by pungent plumes of smoke from the unfortunates at nearby tables. It's like having the dud seat at a barbecue, where you're annoyed because you've just washed your hair and know you're going to stink when you leave. Then it was our turn to have our heads submerged in the stuff. Underneath this madcap dome of exhaust fumes was nothing to assuage the situation. Three unidentifiable parts of a pig, black pudding so dry it was almost sand, and various sickly sauces, jus and the worst choucroute we've ever tasted. The faces at the table while trying to choke down the meat said more than words ever could, and at times we felt like we were on an episode of I'm A Celeb, where getting through the gnarly, chewy animal parts would result in meals for camp. It was offensive on several levels, and most of it went back uneaten. Staff didn't ask why. The final course, and an end to the madness is "deep-fried Mars bar". A chocolate opera, Irn Bru sorbet, chocolate soil, and a little slice of actual deep-fried Mars bar. Unfortunately the plate must have waited on the pass for too long as by the time we got it the Mars bar was solid again and the sorbet was melting fast. Despite this it was actually a very nice dessert, the opera in particular, and a definite nostalgia trip back to our fizzy drink and E number-filled childhoods. What about the drinks? If the food is the Pizza Express of fine dining, the drinks list is the Wetherspoons. Wines start at €4.50 for a 125ml, spirits around €5. If cheap booze is top of your agenda you'll love it. The wine list has nothing of note on there, and reads like it was written by the interior designer. Sometimes the wine name has the producer in there, sometimes the grape, sometimes the region, often "Domaine" is casually thrown at the end, like "Chablis Premier Cru 'Montmains' Domaine", which makes less sense than the curtain-less door. There's a suggested aperitif to start, which for the chipper menu is the "Sea Side Spritz", with gin, falernum, orange, lemon, thyme syrup and soda. It was pleasant and a nice light opener. We also tried the cheapest and the most expensive white wines by the glass - we didn't dare risk it on a bottle. A Sauvignon Blanc/Verdejo (€4.50) blend tasted like water with a hint of citric acid. An Albarino (€7) had marginally more discernible flavours - water with a hint of actual citrus. Both were wasted alcohol units, and we high-tailed it to The Sidecar afterwards to cleanse ourselves. While we're on the subject of liquids, be warned that there is a single cubicle for each sex (plus a disabled one which wasn't open), so you might want to keep them to a minimum. Ladies, expect to queue each time you need to tinkle, and return to your next course going cold on the table. Maybe this is all part of the plan to get you out faster. And the service? There's been a lot of comments online about how nice the staff are, and they are nice, in a totally detached, "I'm only here on a secondment" kind of way. Almost everyone we encountered was Northern Irish or Scottish, and we're not sure whether that's a result of the staffing crisis or whether they just wanted to send tried and tested team members to get things off the ground. They were there, but didn't really seem to care. When we asked one waitress what the incessant beeping was that went off every few minutes and didn't seem to be coming from the kitchen, (wondering if anyone else could hear it or if the smoke had made ours ears go funny), she said "good question! I don't know", and toddled off. We were rattled through courses at speeds not seen since Elaine Thompson-Herah won gold in Tokyo, and they managed to get us through an impressive (if uncomfortable) five courses in 50 minutes, until we pleaded for it to stop. And the damage? Around €65 a head before tip, with one snack between two, one cocktail and one glass of wine each. Not crazy money, but not an insignificant amount either. The verdict? There are people who will like Six by Nico, people for whom settings are more important than snacks, gimmicks are more important than the goods on the plate, and for whom the total on the bill is more important than how things taste. They're not the people setting alarms to get a Chapter One booking three months in advance, hanging on for a cancellation in Uno Mas on a Friday night, and dragging a bunch of friends to Slane to experience Allta's summer incarnation, and that's okay, we can all co-exist together. As far as the food goes (and we're all about the food), Six by Nico didn't deliver. We'd rather put our dining dollars into genuinely exciting eating experiences, from Library Street to Locks, Big Fan to Mr Fox, than somewhere churning out formulaic dishes with little love involved in the process. It might be "only" €45 for dinner, but for our money, there are so many better places to spend €45. Six by Nico 1 Molesworth Place, Dublin 2 sixbynico.ie New Openings & Discoveries More >>

Fast casual, inexpensive pasta and small plates, with almost every ingredient sourced in Ireland. Irish twists on Italian classics with a big focus on sustainability - all drinks are on tap, all packaging is compostible and they’re fully paperless. Sprezzatura Camden Market Website sprezzatura.ie Address 5/6 Camden Market, Dublin 8 Good For Tag 1 Cuisine Tag 1 Once Over Read our Review >> The Story Fast casual, inexpensive pasta and small plates, with almost every ingredient sourced in Ireland. Irish twists on Italian classics with a big focus on sustainability - all drinks are on tap, all packaging is compostible and they’re fully paperless. 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

Andhra Bhavan Take a deep dive into Southern Indian cooking without leaving Dublin Posted: 7 Feb 2024 Neighbourhood Neighborhood Name Address Restaurant Address Website Website Name Restaurant Info View the Listing >> Written by: Lisa Cope & Ronan Doyle What's the story with Andhra Bhavan? Andhra Bhavan opened on Marlborough Place (just off Talbot Street) last November, with the bold claim that they were " Ireland's 1st Authentic South Indian Restaurant ". This is not exactly true - both 3 Leaves in Blackrock and Indian Tiffins on Parnell Street serve Southern Indian food, and food truck Dosa Dosa has given dosa their moment in the spotlight, but Andhra Bhavan has certainly brought the most extensive menu yet. The guys behind it are two friends, originally from Southern India, who've been working in Dublin for over 15 years. Praveen Madire is an entrepreneur and CEO of two tech companies, while Sainath Reddy was a brand manager for a pharma company. They say they missed the dining experience of home, and wanted to bring the food, ingredients, decor, hand-drawn paintings and the right chefs to Dublin, so that people living here could taste real Indian cuisine from the five states of the South, like Dosas, Idlis, Vadas, Uttapams and Pani-Puri (there's a counter where they make it fresh but it wasn't operating on either of our visits.). Andhra Bhavan is named after the famous government-run canteen in Delhi where food is highly subsidised, ensuring every resident can eat very well. The owners say they interviewed hundreds of chefs in India before hiring their kitchen team, led by head chef Venkata Ramana Manthri, and moving them to Ireland to get started on the menu. We were already struck by how overwhelmingly positive their online reviews were, with mostly Indian-expat customers declaring it the taste from home that's been missing in their lives, but when Indian born, Dublin-residing food writer Vritti Bansal declared various elements "fearless" and "worthy of applause", we found our fingers promptly making a booking. Where should we sit? They've packed the tables in so it isn't exactly roomy, but it fits with the canteen vibe of feeding as many people as possible. The room at the front has banquettes, whereas the one at the back has standard tables and chairs, and there's a lovely high table with a tree in the centre of it that's perfect for solo diners who don't want to take up a table. What's on the menu? The menu is huge - a novella to Southern Indian cuisine - and while we tried to get through as much of it as possible over two visits, it would take 20 to do it justice. There are 11 sections, including an all day breakfast menu, and here's what we loved, liked, and have already forgotten from what we tried... First the loves . Don't leave without doing a dosa. That is a direct order. Vritti recommended the onion rava, which is served everywhere in India but hasn't appeared here before now. It's the size of a full length adult arm, with frilly, crispy edges, and just cooked onion inside. Tearing it apart piece by piece and scooping up the brilliant peanut, coconut and ginger chutneys is some of the most fun you can have in Dublin for €11.99. There's also sambar, a watery lentil stew, that you'll probably (happily) eat most of with a spoon. Also on the breakfast menu are Medu Vada, which are no exaggeration, a revelation. You’ll find these savoury deep-fried lentil flour doughnuts in other places around town, but none come close to these, with their crispy-soft contrast of crust and filling. The three pieces again come with a generous pot of sambar and the three chutneys, and the mix-and-match flavour possibilities would bring us back here again and again. The other dish there was almost a fight for (also from the breakfast menu, guess we really love Indian breakfasts) was the Chole Bhatura. The chole is the spiced, tangy chickpea curry. The bhatura is the soft, fluffy, deep-fried bread. Once again hands are needed here to tear and dip and scoop, and expect to fight off other hands in the process. Veg manchurian is an Indo-Chinese dish of fried vegetable balls in a spicy, sweet and sour sauce, and having never seen them here before we had to add them to our order. Beautiful textures range from soft batter to crispy veg, and the sauce is just spicy enough to have you come back for another, and another. Onto the likes . Like the American pancake counterpart to the dosa’s crepe-like thinness, Uttapam is another Southern Indian staple with seven options on offer here including plain, tomato and cheese. We went with onion, and unlike the dosa approach of filling and wrapping, toppings are baked directly into the dough pizza-style, for a loaded tear-and-share that works well with a crowd. We’re more partial to the satisfying crisp of a dosa, but this is the way to go if you like something a bit thicker. If you want to know where everyone's favourite celebrity restaurant got its name, it's from the spicy soup-like dish with a base of tamarind, herbs, spices, lentils and vegetables, served here with idlis - little fluffy pancakes made from fermented rice and lentil batter. It's full of flavour, and full of spice, with the idil crumbling in your mouth and the rasam keeping your palate wide awake. We were disappointed that they didn’t have saag paneer on (despite what many Indian restaurants in Ireland advertise, saag is made with mustard greens rather than spinach), but as consolations go the all-spinach palak paneer did nicely. The lightly-spiced sauce has a flavour as intense as its bright-green colour, and the mildly-melted curds of what tasted like homemade paneer are a tangy treat to dig for. You’re offered plain rice or paratha on the side, but scooping greedy pools with the flaky dough will win out for us every time. Our server recommended we tried the Mutton Chettinadu, prefacing it with the question - "do you like spice?" We do, so we did, but buyer beware - there's Irish spice, and Indian spice. We downed at least three 1.5 litre jugs of water while eating just a few spoons of this, and if there was a fire extinguisher close by someone would have probably undid the safety and let it rip. You'll need a lassi for your digestive system, and a napkin for the sweat. The meat is also on the bone, so look out for small shards in the sauce. Mains come with a choice of steamed rice or paratha, and you'll probably end up with both if you have a few dishes. We also dried the roti and found it surprisingly dry and lacking in flavour. The paratha is the superior bread, but if you're counting calories... Beside a lot of what we tried, the Hyderabadi chicken dum biryani stood out less. The fragrant steamed rice packs plenty of flavour to accompany the tender, rendered fat of buried drumsticks, but this is more standard staple than standout special – you can safely skip this section of the menu and save room for the bigger highlights. There are a few traditional desserts, like gulab jamun, and jilebi (a pretzel-like dessert soaked in sugar syrup), but seen as it was a wintry Dublin day we tried the Semiya Payasam, a soup-like pudding with cardamom-infused milk, vermicelli, sugar, nuts and raisins. It's warm and soothing, and while it might jar to be eating what we're more used to as noodles/pasta for dessert, the perfumed, sweet, fruit and nut-filled mouthfuls are very satisfying. A whole bowl is a lot however so sharing is the way to do it. What about drinks? Drinks are standard softs, beer and house wine, but the lassis are what you want to be drinking. We tried both mango and rose and both were cooling, fresh and sweet - but not too sweet. They were gone before the food arrived. How was the service? Very slow. This was the main downside of eating here. We had to wave servers down for menus, water, napkins, we had to order drinks twice because they didn't arrive the first time, and it was a struggle to get anyone's attention. When we did staff were lovely and very helpful, but maybe there needs to be more of them. What was the damage? Everything we ate was over two visits, but you could eat very well in here, with leftovers to take home, for €35-40 a head, including a lassi. Head in for breakfast and dishes are on average €10-€12. And the verdict? Andhra Bhavan aren't the first ones to cook authentic Southern Indian food in Dublin, but they are the first to bring a menu this extensive. A visit here is as close as you're going to get to the government-run Delhi canteen without having to leave the capital, and having our own Southern Indian enclave in which to take a deep dive through dosas, uttapams and vadas have made Dublin's food scene sizeably richer. New Openings & Discoveries More >>

This 14-seater Indian/Nepalese under a bridge in Clontarf was one of our favourite finds of 2025. It feels like being invited to someone’s house for dinner, who’s cooked every ounce of your meal from scratch, grinding spices and kneading naan. Badam’s food is alive with flavour, and they do takeaway at a reduced price if you want to try it at home. Badam Website badam.ie Address Badam Indian and Nepalese Cuisine, Howth Road, Clontarf West, Dublin 3, Ireland Good For Tag 1 Cuisine Tag 1 Once Over Read our Review >> The Story This 14-seater Indian/Nepalese under a bridge in Clontarf was one of our favourite finds of 2025. It feels like being invited to someone’s house for dinner, who’s cooked every ounce of your meal from scratch, grinding spices and kneading naan. Badam’s food is alive with flavour, and they do takeaway at a reduced price if you want to try it at home. 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

Some of the most exciting Indian cooking in the country in a no frills dining room in Blackrock Market. Husband and wife team Santosh and Millie (chef and host) have gained a serious following for their pani puri, daily changing curries and excellent value. At weekday lunch they serve a taster thali so you can try a bit of everything, and they've got options for meat eaters, vegetarians and vegans. 3 Leaves Website 3leaves.ie Address Unit 30, Blackrock Market, 19A Main Street, Blackrock, Co. Dublin Good For Tag 1 Cuisine Tag 1 Once Over Read our Review >> The Story Some of the most exciting Indian cooking in the country in a no frills dining room in Blackrock Market. Husband and wife team Santosh and Millie (chef and host) have gained a serious following for their pani puri, daily changing curries and excellent value. At weekday lunch they serve a taster thali so you can try a bit of everything, and they've got options for meat eaters, vegetarians and vegans. 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

The Park Café The all day dining restaurant that Dublin badly needed Posted: 29 Nov 2022 Neighbourhood Neighborhood Name Address Restaurant Address Website Website Name Restaurant Info View the Listing >> Written by: Lisa Cope What should we know about The Park Café? The prodigal chef returns home, bringing all day dining to Ballsbridge, in the site that formerly housed Dylan McGrath's Shelbourne Social . Richard Corrigan owns and runs several restaurants and bars in London, as well as the Virginia Park Lodge estate in Cavan (one of Ireland's most sought after wedding venues) and has been proudly shipping over produce from the grounds to his London locations for years. We're hoping The Park Café will see the majority now funnelled Dublin's way instead. Corrigan won Michelin stars early in his career, but over the years has successfully turned away from fine dining to just fondly feeding people. His cooking is generous, exhuberent, fun, and this idea of an accessible, easy-going, all-day canteen had all the right people talking before any opening announcements were made. Corrigan's last Dublin opening Bentley's , in 2008, barely lasted two years, but we had a feeling that The Park Café was going to have a different ending. Where should we go for a drink first? It's straight up to The Park Bar with you, their upstairs, roomy space full of large booths, high tables and shaded corners to hide away in. The vibe is cocktail bar meets laid back pub, with some of the country's best Champagnes being served alongside pints of Guiness. We recommend starting with an 'Aperitivo', which are all fairly priced at €10. We tried the 'Park Spritz' with Irish apple brandy, Aperol, Valentini vermouth and Champagne (which reminded us of a white Port and tonic, in a good way), and from the main list a 'Ramos Fizz', with gin, citrus and condensed milk. This one's heavier and next time we'd leave it until dessert. Where should we sit? There are banquette-backed tables along one wall, some tables in the middle of the floor, and counter seating too (which was all but empty when we visited so maybe they're being saved for walk ins). We generally prefer a table up against a wall than a free-wheeler, but if there's just two of you the counter looks like a great option too. It's been substantially built out from the Shelbourne Social days. What's the food like? It's been pitched as an all-day canteen (it's currently only open for dinner but extended hours to follow), and it's only when someone says it that you realise what a massive hole we've had in Dublin dining up to now for exactly this. It's the kind of place you could pop in at any time of the day or night and hop up on a bar stool for a glass of Champagne and some oysters, settle into a banquette for a Bentley's fish pie, or spend a very long afternoon there, lunch turning into dinner. They start by bringing homemade foccacia, which had great flavour but needed the accompanying olive oil (also very good). They forgot to bring it until we asked so make sure it arrives for dipping. You've probably seen the snail omelette doing the rounds on social media, and we're here to tell you that yes it is that good, and yes you need to get over your ick about escargot and order it. Prepare however, to feel like crying that the omelettes you cook at home will (probably) never taste as good as this. If there was an Olympics for eggs, Peter's omelette would run home with gold. The red wine Bordelaise sauce that accompanies it, with pancetta and those snails from a farmer in Cavan called Peter (hence the name) is a bonkers but brilliant combo, and it's topped with Parmesan and chives. We'd already picked the Frank Hederman’s Smoked Salmon with a Ballysadare Egg, Cream Cheese Ravigote and a Crumpet on the way in, and didn't even notice that on the menu we were handed it had been seriously downgraded to salmon, egg, Virginia roots, shoots and leaves. How could they take our cheesy crumpet!? After the initial disappointment we were able to reluctantly admit that it was still a lovely dish A fresh crab salad was generous, fresh and aniseedy from celeriac with mustard seeds and mimosa leaves, and burrata and beets (one of two vegetarian starters) could have been more generous with the burrata but the beets tasted like they'd been picked earlier that day, the leaves had abundantly more flavour than anything from a plastic packet in the supermarket, and pickled walnuts are always a good time. When we visited there were eight mains, with a further two for sharing (pork and steak), and each one sounded better than the last. After a lot of back and forth and horse-trading about who was going to order what, we gave the waitress our final answers. The 'La Jammet' kebab (named after one of Dublin's most famous restaurants ) is a deep dish of pumpkin dahl, raita and halloumi, on top of which sits two sizeable 'Old Castle Hill' lamb chops (we've searched and cannot find out where Old Castle Hill is), a skewer of liver and kidneys, and kofta pickles. It's a bountiful dish, with flavours coming over, under and across every bite, but there is a lot of offal so if you're not that way inclined you may leave a chunk behind. We'd be tempted to order it anyway, the lamb is that good, and it felt like stellar value for €26 (in our current times). Then came fish. A perfect fillet of black sole (€29) came with buttermilk beurre blanc, broccolini and grenobloise sauce (usually brown butter, capers, parsley and lemon), with a perfectly piped mound of mashed potato on the side. This should be the standard of fish dishes citywide, and at under €30? Practically unheard of. A yellowfin tuna schnitzel (€24) is a clever spin on the pork version more usually seen around town, and this is one for someone with a mighty appetite (even without any sides). It was another dish executed without fault, from the crispy coating, to the pink tuna inside, to the tangy gribiche. We couldn't finish it, but enjoyed trying. The only vegetarian main is a plate of hand-rolled kale and potato gnocchi, with cavolo nero and Corleggy Creeny cheese. The gnocchi were like puffed up clouds of potato, the cavolo nero adding a crisp texture on top, and the Corleggy cheese (from Cavan) rounded out its serious savouriness. They could do with at least one more vegetarian option, but in the meantime this won't leave anyone feeling short-changed. We didn't need sides, but we had to try them (for your benefit of course), and the thin-cut fries were perfection - crisp on the outside, fluffy within, perfectly salted and with immaculate aioli to seal the deal. Roasted roots had their sweetness intensified by a drizzle of honey, and added walnuts gave a pleasing crunch amongst the denseness. You won't need dessert here. Portions are so big you'll be fit to burst, but you only live once, and as much interest and inventiveness has gone into desserts as everything else. The most 'grammed is going to be the '99 soft serve with caramelised popcorn - smooth and creamy, with popcorn that keeps its crunch right until the end. 'Jellied winter fruits' came with pear and clementine, 'tipsy cake', and yoghurt, and felt light and fruity, without being an overly sweet ending. We also love that it's a brand new dish that you can only taste here (compared to Chequer Lane where we were able to predict every dull dessert before the menus landed on the table). A final steamed pudding with custard, cream and giner crumble tasted like something the Granny of our dreams would have made us (we didn't have that Granny but now we have Richard Corrigan so it's all fine). It's unsurprisingly rich though, so if you've done a proper job up to now a few mouthfuls will probably be enough to make you drop your spoon in defeat. What about the drinks? The first thing that you need to know, is that if you like to kick off a night with a bottle of bubbles, you won't be doing that here unless you plan to drop some mega bucks. We had this plan, and our faces collectively dropped when we saw that the entry level sparking wine was Prosecco for €74. The next was Piper-Heidsieck Champagne for €116. How they could find nothing that the average person would willingly spend their money on is beyond us, and we can only presume it's a case of limited wine suppliers, who don't have the catalogue of wines they desperately need. There are some very good producers and cuvées on this list, but prices feel high, and there's shockingly little under €50 (five bottles on the entire list). We drank a Sicilian Grillo, a German Riesling and a red Burgundy, and really enjoyed all of them, but we hope they're looking at adding some better value stat, as it's the only thing we can see putting some people off visiting, and/or coming back, especially if you're with a group for whom 'house wine' is the standard order. How was the service? Very pleasant, but we were expecting a bit more of the type of Irish hospitality Chapter One has become famous for. Things felt slightly more stilted, and a few times staff forgot to bring things we had asked for (including dessert wines which never arrived but were on the bill until we asked for them to be removed). There seemed to be some people there from Corrigan's London team to get things up and running, and we hope they can find some service stars in their own right on the ground here as things move forward. The damage? €96 per person before tip, including a cocktail upstairs in the bar first. It's really, really hard to argue with the value for money here considering how brilliantly put together every dish was, even taking into account the price of the wines. The verdict? Let us rejoice. After Dublin's last couple of celebrity chef restaurant disasters, finally someone has arrived who's giving the people what they want and need (even if they didn't know it). It's probably only after dining here that you'll realise the hole that existed in your dining life before now, but afterwards you'll be hoping for a Park Café in every suburb. It's not trying to be the very best food in the city, it's not striving for stars, there's no in-built attitude, they're just serving properly delicious, feel-good food, in generous portions, at fair prices. What more could you want? The Park Café 1 Ballsbridge, Shelbourne Road, Dublin 4 parkcafe.ie New Openings & Discoveries More >>

Stretching from Exchequer Street to Lower Stephen's Street, and South William Street to George's Street, Dublin's 'Creative Quarter' is known for design, boutiques and studios, but is also one of the best places in the city centre to head for food and drinks. Creative Quarter Our Take Stretching from Exchequer Street to Lower Stephen's Street, and South William Street to George's Street, Dublin's 'Creative Quarter' is known for design, boutiques and studios, but is also one of the best places in the city centre to head for food and drinks. Where to Eat 777 Amy Austin Bambino Cantina Valentina Caribou Coppinger Fade Street Social Fallon and Byrne's Wine Cellar Good World Handsome Burger Hong Kong Wonton Izakaya Japas & Sake Kicky's Loose Canon Mani Masa Nan Chinese Pi Rei Momo Row Wines Spilt Milk Sprout Exchequer Street The Pepperpot Café The Ramen Bar l'Gueuleton

The second opening from Japanese Daruma, whose first location is in Temple Bar. The Malahide outpost is less Japanese pub, more neighbourhood restaurant, with accommodating staff, a very good drinks selection, and commendably good ingredient provenance, including free-range pork from Carlow and organic salmon from Donegal. Sushi is excellent, and there's plenty to like from the hot section too - we love the chicken kaarage with yuzu mayo and the 18-hour beef short-ribs in a ginger soy glaze. Daruma Malahide Website daruma.ie Address DARUMA, New Street, Malahide, County Dublin, Ireland Good For Tag 1 Cuisine Tag 1 Once Over Read our Review >> The Story The second opening from Japanese Daruma, whose first location is in Temple Bar. The Malahide outpost is less Japanese pub, more neighbourhood restaurant, with accommodating staff, a very good drinks selection, and commendably good ingredient provenance, including free-range pork from Carlow and organic salmon from Donegal. Sushi is excellent, and there's plenty to like from the hot section too - we love the chicken kaarage with yuzu mayo and the 18-hour beef short-ribs in a ginger soy glaze. 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

This little hatch on Malahide's New Street serves Indian family recipes and more mainstream lunch options. Coffee is by Ariosa and seating is only outdoors, so best kept for dry days if you want to sit while you eat your potato curry or chicken salad. A Do Website @ado_coffeetogo Address 2 New Street, Malahide, Co. Dublin Good For Tag 1 Cuisine Tag 1 Once Over Read our Review >> The Story This little hatch on Malahide's New Street serves Indian family recipes and more mainstream lunch options. Coffee is by Ariosa and seating is only outdoors, so best kept for dry days if you want to sit while you eat your potato curry or chicken salad. 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

Vada Stoneybatter's newest tour de force with a chef to watch Posted: 27 Jan 2026 Neighbourhood Neighborhood Name Address Restaurant Address Website Website Name Restaurant Info View the Listing >> Written by: Lisa Cope What's happening at Vada? We previously reviewed Stoneybatter's Vada, " a neighbourhood café committed to sustainability " for their daytime offering, and while we loved some of their more inventive dishes, we saw room for improvement in others. Last July they started serving dinner from Thursday - Saturday, with a very appealing menu filled with all the lovely things, and a short natural wine list to go with them. Just five months later, the Michelin Guide announced they'd been added to the guide - HUGE news for such a new business, particularly when so many toil for years and never get recognition from the world's most respected restaurant guide. Michelin noted Vada's daytime offering, but said that " the kitchen steps up a gear in the evening with cooking that is a feast for the eyes and the taste buds ... flavour-packed dishes, like an original venison fattoush salad with baba ganoush. " The kitchen powerhouse responsible for this ultra quick ascent to glory is chef Hannah O'Donnell, American-born and previously head chef of The Gallery in Galway, with Kai also on her CV. She has a strong passion for zero waste and sustainable eating, as does owner Sarah Boland (who previously owned vegan burger brand V-Face ), so it seems like a match made in heaven. Where should we sit? It's a cute, bistro-style room, with dark greens on the walls, dark wood furniture and linen-style café curtains. The wine bottles, art and hanging herbs amp up the neighbourhood cool vibe, but there are more comfortable rooms to be in on a cold night. The premises is old and badly insulated, and we alternated between feeling a draught from the door, and flashes of hot air from a heater working over time. It was also very dimly lit - nice for vibes, less so for reading menus - older diners may need a phone torch. What should we eat? You know those menus where every line reads better than the last? Where there isn't one plate you wouldn't order? Where choosing takes extra long because every dish and ingredient is screaming "pick me!" We greedily (and begrudgingly) settled on two 'picky bits', four 'small plates', one large and one side, and with dessert afterwards it was too much. Aim for two, three, one and one for a safer stomach option. We've had varying experiences with focaccia in Dublin lately, with some a blasphemy on the name, but Vada's (€7.50) is up there with the best. Served warm, the crumb, the crunch, the plump interior - you don't think it can get better, and then you spread some whipped cashew basil cream on top. Tempura broccoli (€12) arrived at the same time, with romesco and green chilli-laden zhoug, and between the perfection that was the cooking and battering of this broccoli, and the cacophony of flavours leaping off the plate, there was a lot of silence as we ate this, taking it all in. Another 'picky bit', panisse (€11), came dolloped with feta and crispy onions, just begging to be lobbed into your mouth in one go. This had all the texture contrasts between the deep-fried chickpea snacks (crispy on the outside, smooth in the middle), the creamy feta and the crunchy onions, and we could have eaten many, many more. Scallops with fennel soubise and blood orange were in the price shock category, at €18 for two scallops (that's even more expensive than Sole , who give three for the same price). They were nicely cooked, but we found the fennel soubise extremely rich, more like a butter sauce than an onion one thickened by béchamel . The fresh fennel and blood orange gave needed freshness, but we would have preferred an overall lighter take. More (delicious) heaviness followed with the karaage chicken in a (this time literal) butter sauce with pickles. If you're calorie counting you'll want to avoid this. If you're not, it'll be hard to stop digging your fork into that fried chicken and smearing it through that mild, curry scented, very creamy sauce. Thank God for the pickles. We had to ask them to take the plate away to save us from our lack of self control. We'll make a confident bet that venison with walnut hashweh and tahini isn't on any other menu in the country right now - O'Donnell's food is genuinely unique. Hashweh means stuffing in Arabic, and it's usually a one-pot rice dish, but here she's used nuts, seeds and spices for a Middle Eastern flavour detonation. We needed more of the Blanco Ninos on the side to scoop up that tahini sauce - two crisps was never gona cut it - and topped with sticky, shredded venison, pickled onions and fresh mint, this is another one you'll remember. We only realised when looking back at pictures that the menu has a note at the bottom saying " a minimum of three dishes (including one large plate) are required per person ". It's probably for the best as few things get our backs up more than being told how to eat - does it matter as long as you order enough to justify your seat?? Thankfully it wasn't enforced, and we were let away with our solo Etherson's pork chop with pak choy, miso and turnip. We love a good pork chop, and this was a very good pork chop, a distant relative of those pallid, grey, chewy creatures on supermarket shelves. The jus, the creamed turnip, the pak choy, we loved every inch of it, but it's relatively high spice levels should have been advertised - we still have no clue where all that heat was coming from, but plenty of water was imbibed in the eating of this dish. A side of French onion spuds was very clever, caramelised onions drizzled on top of gorgeous, perfectly tender floury potatoes, with a flurry of Gruyère on top. We had absolutely zero room for dessert and were falling over the line at this stage, stomachs very swollen, but needs must, so forced rhubarb with custard panna cotta and a ginger biscuit it was. It was no more a panna cotta than the table was a tree trunk, just an odd, overly set custard that delivered little pleasure in the eating. The blushing rhubarb saved this dense splodge from being a complete fail. What is there to drink? Only wine, the majority of it natural - that's never a problem for us, but the older generations may struggle with it. All of these were right up our street, and we love the pet nats, the Uivo orange, the Xisto Ilimitado and La Nave's Mencia. Need to play it safer? Order the 3 Rios Alvarinho or the Vinasperi Rioja. How was the service? In a word, messy. We were frequently without water, cutlery, napkins, twice we ordered wine that didn't arrive, and we spent an inordinate amount of time just trying to get someone's attention, which really cut into our experience. The room seemed well staffed with four people for 12 tables, but every server seemed to be serving every table - if each just focused on three we might have been better looked after. An initial request to move table away from a sweltering heater was met with resistance, and despite asking that our eight plates were spaced apart so we had time to eat them hot, three arrived within five minutes of ordering, and another two hovered by the kitchen a few minutes later before a server apologetically asked if they could bring them too. We politely declined - they would have had to be placed the floor - but diners shouldn't have to worry that their next courses are being fried under heat lamps while trying to enjoy what's in front of them. When they brought the bill they had taken off dessert to apologise for the issues during the meal, and while the majority of the staff were lovely and obviously trying their best, the service we had needs sharpening. Hopefully we caught them on a bad night. What was the damage? €148.50 before tip for too much food for two and three glasses of wine. A bottle and a second main and you could be heading towards €200 after tip, which is pretty much in line with what you'd pay for this kind of food anywhere (barring Assassination Custard ). What's the verdict on Vada? Watch this chef - she's on an ascent to big things. Nothing sets a new menu apart like this kind of distinctiveness, food that excites and engrosses, rather than having to read and eat your way through the greatest hits dish compilation that so many fall prey to (while wondering why business is slower than they like). Stoneybatter seems to get cooler by the day, and Vada is its newest tour de force. New Openings & Discoveries More >>

The city's (maybe the country's) foremost dining experience. Formerly head chef at The Greenhouse on Dawson Street, Mickael Viljanen went into partnership with Chapter One owner Ross Lewis in 2021, taking over the stoves of the one-Michelin starred kitchen, and just months after reopening they were bestowed with a second. A meal here is a rollicking rollercoaster of tastes, visual feasts and pure joy from first bite to last, and while the dining room has had a makeover, the famous Chapter One service is as warm and inherently Irish as ever. Chapter One by Mickael Viljanen Website chapteronerestaurant.com Address 18-19 Parnell Square North, Rotunda, Dublin, Ireland Good For Tag 1 Cuisine Tag 1 Once Over Read our Review >> The Story The city's (maybe the country's) foremost dining experience. Formerly head chef at The Greenhouse on Dawson Street, Mickael Viljanen went into partnership with Chapter One owner Ross Lewis in 2021, taking over the stoves of the one-Michelin starred kitchen, and just months after reopening they were bestowed with a second. A meal here is a rollicking rollercoaster of tastes, visual feasts and pure joy from first bite to last, and while the dining room has had a makeover, the famous Chapter One service is as warm and inherently Irish as ever. 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

Open since 2007, Pakistani Kajal is consistently booked out at prime times, and locals know to reserve special tables weeks in advance. Staff are charming, drinks are thoughtful, and the chargrilled lamb chops are what meat-eating dreams are made of. Kajal Website kajjal.ie Address 7 The Green, Malahide, Co. Dublin Good For Tag 1 Cuisine Tag 1 Once Over Read our Review >> The Story Open since 2007, Pakistani Kajal is consistently booked out at prime times, and locals know to reserve special tables weeks in advance. Staff are charming, drinks are thoughtful, and the chargrilled lamb chops are what meat-eating dreams are made of. 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

John Farrell’s modern Mexican 777 opened in 2012 and is still as heaving as ever, thanks to innovative, ever-changing small plates and excellent margaritas. Sunday is the best day to visit when selected dishes are €7.77, and the covid born 'Afuera' area out the back is now a permanent fixture. They only take bookings for more than six people. 777 Website 777.ie Address Unit 7, Castle House, South Great George’s Street, Dublin 2 Good For Tag 1 Cuisine Tag 1 Once Over Read our Review >> The Story John Farrell’s modern Mexican 777 opened in 2012 and is still as heaving as ever, thanks to innovative, ever-changing small plates and excellent margaritas. Sunday is the best day to visit when selected dishes are €7.77, and the covid born 'Afuera' area out the back is now a permanent fixture. They only take bookings for more than six people. 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

Eoin Cluskey’s temple to bread on Pearse Street opened in a storm of publicity in September 2018, and we wonder what we ever did for bread in the city centre before they arrived. The cruffins are the stuff of legend, and weekly specials like Swedish semlor and quince croissants keep customers coming back week after week. Brunch and lunch is served upstairs in the eatery from Friday - Sunday. Bread 41 Website bread41.ie Address 41 Pearse Street, Dublin 2 Good For Tag 1 Cuisine Tag 1 Once Over Read our Review >> The Story Eoin Cluskey’s temple to bread on Pearse Street opened in a storm of publicity in September 2018, and we wonder what we ever did for bread in the city centre before they arrived. The cruffins are the stuff of legend, and weekly specials like Swedish semlor and quince croissants keep customers coming back week after week. Brunch and lunch is served upstairs in the eatery from Friday - Sunday. 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

Middle-Eastern leaning Brother Hubbard opened in Ranelagh in 2022 and the southside suburb suddenly had a new must-visit for all day brunch, all week long. Breads, pastries, pickles, ferments & preserves are made in house, and they have an impressive list of suppliers for the rest. Brother Hubbard Ranelagh Website brotherhubbard.ie Address 27 Ranelagh, Dublin 6 Good For Tag 1 Cuisine Tag 1 Once Over Read our Review >> The Story Middle-Eastern leaning Brother Hubbard opened in Ranelagh in 2022 and the southside suburb suddenly had a new must-visit for all day brunch, all week long. Breads, pastries, pickles, ferments & preserves are made in house, and they have an impressive list of suppliers for the rest. 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

Soup Ramen The best Dublin ramen discovery so far Posted: 3 Sept 2019 Neighbourhood Neighborhood Name Address Restaurant Address Website Website Name Restaurant Info View the Listing >> Written by: Lisa Cope What’s the story? Soup Ramen opened on Dun Laoghaire's main - in need of some TLC - George's Street Lower in summer 2018, adding life and a bright pink neon sign to an unloved part of town. It also gave Dubliners another place to go for ramen, in a city brutally under-served (yes first world problems but still). It's a joint venture from two friends - chef Conor Hughes and front of house Will Shannon - and their brightly coloured Instagram feed has been taunting us for months, along with flurries of online praise for the food, but apart from one pretty good review from Katy McGuinness in the Irish Independent and minimal information on their own website we didn't have a lot to go on. So off we went to Dun Laoghaire. Where should we go for a drink first? If it's a nice evening head for the terrace in Haddington House (and a deckchair if you're lucky) for a drink looking over the sea. If the weather's not with you, pop around the corner to " The Bar " for a cosy pint, or if you're looking for a cocktail head for The Lighthouse , which also has one of the most impressive non-alcoholic drinks lists we've seen - as do all of Bodytonic 's bars. Where should we sit? There's outside and inside seating, but we can't say the ones outside have the nicest views in the city - if it's warm you probably won't say no. Inside is bright and airy with three large communal tables made from Beach and Cedar trees downed in Roundwood, Co. Wicklow, and two high tables which seat two each. There's also bar seating. It's a small space but they've used it well for maximum capacity. What's good to eat? Obviously you're coming here for the ramen so that's a no brainer. We went for the tonkotsu pork - the original and the best - but there's also grilled chicken or a vegetarian one (which can be made vegan). The juicy pork came chargrilled with those delicious blackened bits, on top of an incredibly flavoursome broth containing homemade noodles (they've started making their own since Katy 's review), spring onion, fermented vegetables and a soft, seasoned egg on top. Another thing that's changed since that review is that their eggs and chicken have been upgraded to free-range, which makes us (and her we bet) very, very happy. You can choose your own seasoning but we asked them to bring it how they liked it, and there was definitely a hint of coconut in there which might not wash well with purists but makes for exceptionally tasty ramen. We're always on the hunt for three things that are notoriously hard to get excellent versions of here - freshly made tacos, sushi and ramen, and for us this is the best ramen we've found here to date. It should be noted that owner Conor was in the kitchen on the night in question so you'd expect it to be as good as it's going to get if the boss is cooking your dinner. The rest of the menu features small plates/sides and three salads with optional extras. We'd ordered some small plates of deep-fried kimchi and fried chicken thinking they would come out first, but everything ended up on the table at the same time, leading to the inevitable eating half your food cold, so if you want them as starters and mains request it when ordering. We don't know where deep-fried kimchi has been all our lives but we're just glad we got there eventually. Deep-frying something so intrinsically good for you is a smart move (let's just ignore what high heat might do to all that good bacteria), and they're kind of like more tangy, more chewy onion rings, in a crispy batter managing to avoid feeling in any way greasy. The fried chicken was the only disappointment of the meal. The brown meat and batter were surprisingly soft and bland, and the fermented chilli mayo and mango butter didn't do much to liven things up. Our other main was the umami salad, which has rocketed into the top three salads we've ever eaten in Dublin. It comes with pickled shimeji mushrooms, cannellini beans, parmesan crisps, smoked seasame, seasoned egg, cured cherry tomato and shoyu dressing. Who knew there was no such thing as too much umami? You can add chashu pork, grilled chicken, fried chicken or 'grilled' halloumi which we went for, but it was actually cubes of deep-fried halloumi - delicious but not what we were expecting. Nevertheless, this is a salad that we're going to spend hours trying (and no doubt failing) to recreate at home. We also ordered the triple-cooked fries with house BBQ sauce and spice blend, which was a gigantic portion - fine if there are three or four of you but for two it's a bit much. They're skinny fries and the BBQ sauce was good and not overly sweet, but we'd skip them next time to try the side salad with pickled veg, unless we were with a gang. For dessert we couldn't side-step the blackboard special of sweet crisp bread with yuzu curd, basil mascarpone, yoghurt and strawberries, and we're hoping it makes a comeback with each strawberry season. The fried dough, which seems to exist in most Asian cultures in some form, was light and crisp, and a perfect vehicle for getting the basil yoghurt, sorbet, yuzu curd and semi-frozen strawberries into our mouths. It's also nice to see places putting as much thought and creativity into their desserts as they do their savoury dishes. Next time we're going for the gingerbread nachos with chocolate and chilli sauce, and black chai ice-cream. What about the drinks? That creativity also runs to cocktails, like sake, strawberry, lemon and tonic, and soft drinks, with homemade kombucha flavours including honey and habanero and kumquat and star anise. We tried a yuzu spritz with yuzu liqueur, dry vermouth and prosecco which was a definite upgrade from your bog standard aperol, and an apple and honey lemonade, which was equally lovely. The wine list is small but better than we were expecting from a scout online, with two whites, two reds and a prosecco, all decent, and none likely to cause chronic hangover (not guaranteed). They also do one beer - Kirin Ichiban. And the service? Full of smiles and checks that we were okay, although we would have liked to have been asked about the pacing of dishes when we ordered. Apart from that it was hard to find fault. The verdict? Soup has been on the to-do list for a while and we only wish we hadn't waited so long to get here. The ramen is best we've found in Dublin, and if this was our local we'd be in here every week - particularly over those long, dark winter months. We live in hope that Soup Ramen 2 is on the cards, so that more people get to experience the joy of really great ramen, that spectacular umami salad and the wonder of deep-fried fermented cabbage. Soup Ramen 28 George's Street Lower, Dun Laoghaire, Co. Dublin www.soupramen.ie New Openings & Discoveries More >> !

Madame Pho The Belfast-born Vietnamese chain is expanding rapidly, but it needs a Pho-King rethink Posted: 29 Oct 2024 Neighbourhood Neighborhood Name Address Restaurant Address Website Website Name Restaurant Info View the Listing >> Written by: Ronan Doyle What should we know about Madame Pho? Established in Belfast in 2020 by a second-generation restaurateur, Vietnamese street food chain Madame Pho has seen explosive growth since its sale to new management last year, with four new openings in the North of Ireland in the space of just six weeks – a manic pace by any standard. Not content with keeping that many plates spinning, they’ve now begun an incursion south of the border, slipping into the Exchequer Street spot vacated by Ukiyo’s recent shock closure . Their livery can also be seen on the Thomas Street Boojum that’s lain idle since lockdown, due to open before the end of the year, with the sheer speed of scooping up long-term dormancies and high-profile casualties showing the surplus of ambition here. Where should we sit? The layout isn’t wildly different to what was there in Ukiyo, with the ground floor bar scaled-back to make room for a few additional two-tops on the floor. A fresh lick of paint, wood wall panelling, and Vietnamese light fixtures and décor join colourful new chairs and banquettes for a casual reinvention of the space that’s fresh but familiar. The basement level is a bit more lavishly appointed, with a less crowded layout and more upmarket banquettes retained from the previous tenant – we’d bet on this space getting a lot more use in the evenings. The wraparound booth tucked in the corner has to be our top pick if you’re in with a crowd. What’s on the menu? We got stuck straight in with the Vietnamese mainstay gỏi cuốn (summer rolls), plump parcels of rice paper-wrapped prawns, vermicelli and shredded veg. With a fair serving of fat prawns and a pleasant tang of pickled daikon, these are a strong start and a solid option for a quick snack on the go. Peanut sauce on the side isn’t our top pick for pairing at the best of times, but all the less with the one-note flavours of this version. It makes more sense, if equally little impact, with their chicken skewers. The menu lists these chargrilled chunks as satay-marinated but until we dipped in the sauce there wasn’t the slightest taste of peanut. Or, on that note, much to taste at all – under-seasoned and over-cooked, they were a bland block of middling meat with neither the fatty flavour nor crisp coating we’d expect. Wings were a massive improvement - tender, juicy meat basking in a sticky-sweet caramelised glaze for a showcase of all the skewers are not. The umami-rich tang of fish sauce is balanced with sugar and soy, with garlic and chilli bringing more assertive flavour. The little side serving of sriracha mayo will satisfy those seeking a more prominent kick, but it's a glaze that needs no adding to as far as we and our licked-clean fingers are concerned. The bánh mì marks a major bump in the road, with Madame Pho’s take on maybe Vietnam’s most famous street food staple not likely to have anyone booking a flight. The new owners have said they’ll be shipping their baguettes from Belfast until they find a suitable substitute down south, but short of cheaper prices up north we couldn’t detect anything in this basic bread worth importing – Dunnes across the road does them just as well. We’d believe you if you told us the “Vietnamese ham” came from there too, with little to note in the paltry pink slices. BBQ crispy pork neck has been pummelled to a thin, tough texture, with the coating joining the chicken skewers in the gravely under-seasoned stakes. We’d forgive some of this in a cheap and cheerful lunch joint; at €14 it’s a big misfire. The curry makes for a modest return to form, a substantial serving that’s creamy and rich with coconut milk and mild spice, studded with your choice of meat or veg. We went with roast duck and found more favour in the thin, tasty breast slices than the chunkier cuts, more flavour needing to be rendered from the fat. Still, the sum total worked well, with coriander and lemongrass lending a freshness and balance to the bowl. You could do a lot worse. Just how much worse we soon sampled, as we slurped up the broth from the Pho King and almost let it spill right back into the bowl. The menu talks a great game of deep sweetness and fragrant flavour derived from an eight-hour simmer, but perhaps they forgot to flick on the heat – this was as bland as it gets, less bone and marrow than… water and water. Short of the rich depth of a proper broth, the four kinds of meat are left to carry the can and they are, putting it mildly, not up to the task. With no hint of suppliers or provenance across their menus or sites, it's safe to assume Madame Pho isn't working with Ireland's best produce. Sliced beef hasn’t a trace of the medium rarity claimed, from-frozen meatballs have a denseness that’s deeply off-putting, chicken chunks are of a chewiness we’d sooner starve than relive, while more of those fat, farmed prawns practically come off as gourmet by contrast. We started to eat the side of sliced chilli by itself just to feel something, and left the bowl behind. Pho, the menu explains for those not in the know, is pronounced in Vietnam as “fuh” – we think this dish needs a Pho-King rethink. What are the drinks like? Vietnamese-style coffee is a big part of the pitch and happily more successful than some of the efforts elsewhere. Our iced black offering, drip filtered over a thick layer of condensed milk, was deeply tasty, and these are likely to sell well. Cocktails are an effort to parlay fast food vibes to a slower, more spenny atmosphere come evening – the relatively keen pricing at just under a tenner a pop should do a solid job. The Pho Signature we sampled was decidedly fruit-forward, with apple and passionfruit bringing a leading sweetness to hide any real trace of vodka or lime. Four Asian beer options and a short but sweetly-priced wine bottle list won’t rock the boat for anyone. How was the service? Like lightning – we were seated and served so quick we’d barely got our coats off by the time the food arrived. This is a machine well-oiled and well-intent on turning tables over as quick as it can. That’s not to say there’s any sense of being rushed, though the onslaught of food could leave you scoffing your starters for fear the curry will go cold. Textbook brand expansion is on full display, with a few Northern accents on the floor a sure sign that experienced staff from across the business have been parachuted in to see the new opening over the line. It’s all very slick, smooth and served with a smile. And the damage? Madame Pho’s owners have noted the far higher cost of doing business down south, with overheads running anything from 20 to 50% above what they’re dealing with in Belfast. It was a pleasant surprise then to see coffees and starters running in and around the same price both sides of the border. It’s a pretty good deal. That’s not a theme that holds up across the mains, alas, with the banh mis, phos and curries clearly making up the margins. Substantial mains will see you starting off at €18, while the cheapest banh mi comes in at €11. That makes for street food speed at sit-down spend, with the wildly varying quality making for occasionally very bad value. What’s the verdict on Madame Pho? Badly dropping the ball on your namesake dish is a very big stumble to recover from, and the Dublin debut of Madame Pho is already clocking up the sceptical user reviews to show it. There’s a lot of good will going for the OG Belfast branches, but everywhere we looked here we saw creaking signs of an overly cynical effort to cash in on a big brand name acquisition under this new management. Part of the case they’ve set out for expansion to these parts is a relative lack of competition in the Vietnamese food space, but what’s true in quantity isn’t at all in quality. At a ten minute stroll across the Liffey, Capel Street’s Aobaba is the one to beat at a far lower price point, with honourable mentions for Pho Kim and Pho Ta – Madame Pho isn’t just not in the same league, it’s not even playing the same sport. Even up against less established players in the market it falters, with Little Geno ’s bánh mì head and shoulders above for a full three euro less. The real USP Madame Pho offers is quick and cheerful service with enough space that you’re near-guaranteed a walk-in seat. In a city with restaurants that are often heaving and booked out weeks in advance, that might be enough to keep a hold of this corner for now, but it’s not likely to generate the same affection and repeat custom. There is much more of the business of food here than the pleasure, and maybe that's a sad sign of the times. New Openings & Discoveries More >>