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From upgraded chip butties to spice bag burgers, fried gnocci to French onion soup that's half cheesy toast, here are the 5 carb-laden things we want to eat in Dublin this week... 1) Cais Na Tire Tortellini In Onion Broth, Orwell Road Orwell Road , the new restaurant from the owners of Charlotte Quay with ex-Mister S chef Daniel Hannigan in the kitchen, looks like it's gotten off to a flying start. We've already got our order picked, and these Cais na Tire tortellini in an onion broth are right at the top of our wish list. 2) The Spice Bag Burger From Cluck Chicken We'll admit to not being spice bag aficionados, but when you involve free-range chicken and ex-Greenhouse chef Mark Moriarty, we're definitively more interested. The latest special from Cluck Chicken is covered In Mark’s spicy coating, with curry mayo, pickle chili & red onion, spring onion, and of course crispy chips, all in a steamed brioche bun. They're calling it a "beast of a burger", and we're up for the challenge. 3) Chip & Curried Crab Butty, The Woollen Mills Speaking of chips, what's better than a chip butty? A chip butty with curried Irish crab. Add some beet & apple relish, and The Woollen Mills have taken a guilt-tinged carb fest and turned it into the food of the Gods. 4) Fried Gnocci With Arrabiatta, Pasta Pronto If you've never made gnocchi at home, you're probably intimidated by it, even though it's way more idiot-proof than pasta. Whether or not you've given it a spin at home, this fried potato gnocchi with arrabiatta sauce from Pasta Pronto at Eatyard comes topped with pesto and mascarpone, and goes the extra mile we probably wouldn't bother with after all that kneading and rolling (there's really not much kneading or rolling). 5) French Onion Soup, East Village Is there anything worse than a bowl of French onion soup with a scabby little circle of toast on top, barely covered with a sprinkle of cheap cheese? Think of this version from East Village Café in Clondalkin, which is half soup, half floating cheese on toast, as the right to all of those wrongs.

We love how when the days get brighter the plates do too. Salads, rainbow veg everywhere, ice-cream in a multitude of colours and flavours - good weather means good food times. Add into this dripping chicken sandwiches, midweek deals and cookies either side of that ice-cream, and you've really got our attention... 1) Fried Chicken Bun, Spatched It feels like we have been waiting an eternal age for free-range fried chicken joint Spatched to open its doors and wave us inside, and they're still teasing us with pictures of their fried chicken buns, with optional drip. Next week you say... 2) Crispy Sea Bass With Sweet & Sour Sauce, Double Happy The guys behind Hakkahan are opening a new Chinese takeaway in Dublin 14 and their Stoneybatter based chefs are helping to get things off the ground. ' Double Happy ' will have a much smaller menu that the average takeaway, use the same noteworthy suppliers as Hakkahan, and will eventually hold tasting events for up to 14 inside, and if this 'Sang Shu Yu' crispy sea bass with house sweet and sour sauce is anything to go by, it's going to be good. 3) Buddha Bowl, Juanito's Even if the sunshine is lacking, Juanito's are determined to bring it to our plates. On Wednesday lunchtime any of their 'mindful bowls' are €9.95 (usually €13 - €13.50), and this buddha bowl with butternut squash, broccolini, quinoa, mixed leaves, tomato pepper salsa, radish, kalamata, tomatoes and baba ganoush has enough goodness to fully cancel out the weekend's chocolate fest. 4) Bao, Bao Bun Street Food Bao is never a bad idea. Hot or cold weather, daytime or nighttime, elated or downright depressed - those cheerful little pillows stuffed with meat, pickles and varying mayonnaise have rarely been known to cause diners regret. And here's another reason for them to make you happy. Bao Bun Street Food (on Bao/Aungier Street) are offering 15% off your entire order when you click and collect on their app from Tuesday - Thursday. 5) Salted Caramel Ice-Cream Sandwich, Treathouse Treathouse in Rathmines, by Irish vegan brand Nobó , might be a dairy free zone, but that's not stopping us lusting after their Salted Caramel ice cream sandwiches for even a single second. The coconut milk/avocado based ice-cream is sandwiched between two Treathouse chocolate chip cookies, that aren't just vegan, they're also grain-free.

Spring is in the air and so too are all things seasonal, foraged and fresh. With last week's splash of sunshine and the clouds now clearing after the long weekend we're finding ourselves craving continental dishes with a seasonal Irish twist. We're dusting off our sun glasses and going in search of places that make us feel like we're in bright and sunny climes - lying by a Ligurian lake, fingers in Sicilian sand or eyes on a Spanish sunset. Failing that, sunglasses can mask any foggy heads after a cocktail crawl , and these five things look like they would satiate our ever-hungry tums... 1) Pujada Solana, Margadh RHA We anticipate great things with the relaunch of Margadh RHA , and this Pujada Solana looks set to deliver. Cantabrian anchovy toasts and lemon aioli - sometimes it's best to keep it simple and let the product speak for itself. Given its location at the mouth of the RHA , it's no wonder this dish looks like a piece of modern art - minimalist yet mouth-watering. 2) Porchetta Pizza Portafoglio, Southpaw Recently opened in centre of Temple Bar, Southpaw serves Neapolitan style pizza, proved for two days, cooked in an Italian gas-fired oven, and then folded for those on the go. This porchetta slice with nutty comté, unpeeled garlic, rosemary, baby gem and, wait for it, *wild Tuscan fennel*, that has been slow roasted for six hours has us more than tempted to traverse the threshold of Temple Bar. 3) Buttermilk Ricotta Ice-Cream With Flowering Currant Granita, Frank's We could not be more excited to try the concise, self-assured menu from the recently reopened kitchen at the top of Frank's sharing table, and this oh-so-pretty and pink dessert caught our attention straight away. Buttermilk ricotta ice-cream with poached rhubarb, and a granita made from flowering currant sounds almost other-worldly. Pair with a glass of low-intervention wine, nab yourself the window seat and bask in the late afternoon sunshine. 4) Asparagus Pansotti, Burrata and Lemon, Grano Mamma Roma i s back in Grano rolling out her legendary pasta, and this week it's asparagus pansotti with burrata and lemon. These little half-moon pockets sound pillowy but fresh, and we think of authentic Italian Burrata as liquid gold - so basically everything we could ever dream of in a spring pasta dish. Asparagus season is also a rather short one, so make the most of the few tables still available this week. 5) Wild Garlic Sourdough Focaccia, Bread Man Walking Gerry Godley's microbakery in Dublin 8 serves sourdough, brioche and pastries, and if you're anywhere in the vicinity next weekend we would definitely advise pre-ordering this Wild Garlic Focaccia for collection on Saturday. DM Bread Man Walking on Instagram to place your order, or pick some up in Nobó in Ranelagh. After all, it's our civic duty to consume wild garlic for breakfast, lunch and dinner during its short Irish season.

There was a definite lack of the Sunday Scaries at ATF this week, possibly due to that glorious sunshine at the weekend and the seasonal affective disorder lifting, or maybe it's because of the kaleidoscope of textures and flavours bursting onto summer menus across the city. Either way we're sun-kissed, salivating and sprinting towards the five things we want to eat in Dublin this week... 1) Sautéed Potato and Onion Bread, Gopan Any self-control we professed to having went straight out the window when we saw these lightly sautéed potato and onion breads with butter and fried mayonnaise from Gopan . They're the first Japanese owned bakery in Ireland and have a zero waste policy so preordering is essential, and can be done through Instagram . 2) Peach Mille-feuille, Bread 41 A thousand times yes to this peach mille-feuille from Bread 41 . We doubt we'll be the only ones oogling the caramelised puff pastry, white chocolate mousse, orange roasted peaches and mint, so make your way there sharpish. 3) Squid, Courgette and White Asparagus, Allta This new dish from Allta sings of a squid-filled summer - delicate, light, seasonal, 8 legs - it's got it all going on. The all too short seasoned white asparagus makes us weak at the knees so this was never not going to make the cut, and there are still some bookings for this week if you want to eat this as much as we do. 4) Charred Spring Onion and Ballymakenny Mayan Gold Potato Slice, Pala Pizza We can barely wait to try a slice of this carb-meets-carb potato pizza pie . Those new season spring onions alone are enough to get us to Pala Pizza in Foxrock, and if you've never had a Ballymakenny Mayan Gold then you're missing out on a very special spud. All in all a solid reason to head southside. 5) Tiramisu French Toast, The Cake Café This Tiramisu French toast from The Cake Café practically jumped off our feed s , and by the time you're reading this we may have devoured those gargantuan doorstopper slices with espresso cream cheese and chocolate like the proud gluttons that we are. *Pastry chef's kiss*

We're loving the miscellany of summer fare that's filling up our feeds this week. From buratta to berry topped buns, lemongrass pork salad to summery-styled gnocchi, these are the five things we want to eat in Dublin this week... 1) Burrata with confit tomatoes, Kalamata olives & sourdough crumb, Spitalfields Our ideal kind of starter from neighbourhood gastropub Spitalfields - light, creamy, oozing burrata with an umami olive tang, a carby crunch and those sweet confit heritage tomatoes to tie it all together. We'll be pairing it with a glass of cava so the bubbles can work their magic on that rich ball of creamy goodness. 2) Lemongrass Pork or Tofu Salad, Two Pups The Liberties are having a moment this week, and just a short waddle down the road from Spitalfields to Two Pups you could be scoffing this colourful addition to their weekday menu - lemongrass pork or tofu salad. Knowing how busy Two Pups gets we'd recommend getting there early for this one. 3) Custard Buns, Bruni Bakery These custard buns from Bruni Bakery have been officially added to our must-bake list. We've always held a special place in our hearts (read: stomachs) for custard buns, whether of the steamed, Portuguese or Polish variety, so we feel obliged to try our hand at any and all recipes we stumble across. Subscribe to Bruni Bakery for unlimited access to recipes like this one and advice from the bakers behind the buns, Gosia and John. 4) Kimchi Beef Lasagne, Jaru Dissatisfied by the lack of Korean food in Dublin, Jaru began trading in 2016 and has gained a loyal following ever since, bringing their "new tastes of modern Korea" to Ireland. We consider the humble lasagne a dish for all seasons and occasions, and Jaru's slow roasted kimchi version is a twist that should satisfy traditionalists and radicals alike. Pre-order via the website before 12:00 for next day delivery in Dublin (or collection from their kitchen in Nutgrove ) or before 12:00 on Sundays and Tuesdays for next day dispatch nationwide. 5) Gnocchi with romesco and courgettes, Warehouse Food Market Tucked away on Greenmount Avenue in Harold's Cross, Warehouse Food Market is a food market, café and event space which started life in September 2019 as a quality fruit and vegetable delivery service, Weekl.ie . They host workshops by well known Irish chefs and cooks, and they've just launched their summer menu . There are some familiar favourites like eggs florentine and spanish omelette, but we've got our glad eyes on the homemade gnocchi, with romesco, courgettes and pine nuts (pictured on the top left).

Summer!? Where are you!?!? Usually by now we're well into salad plates, seafood platters and ice-cream, but God laughs while you're making plans, so instead we're eyeing up twice fried chicken popcorn, melting beef toasties and spicy curries, while we wait for Junior Cert weather to show its face... 1) Taiwanese Popcorn Chicken & Chips, Kakilang Twice-fried just sounds better than fried doesn't it? Especially when it's in reference to Taiwanese popcorn chicken with chips drizzled in sriracha mayo from Kakilang . Driver, take us to the quays... 2) Kid-Sized Everything, Daata We love when restaurants treat children like miniature humans rather than processed food trash cans, so felt all warm inside when we saw that Daata do half portions of some of their favourite dishes for your little restaurant lovers. Samosas, chicken tikka skewers, and prawn coconut curry are all available in kids sizes at an exceptional value €10 for three courses, and there isn't a goujon or bottle of ketchup in sight. 3) The Beef & Brie Melt, 147 Deli The only thing better than a 147 Deli sandwich, is a 147 Deli sandwich with a side of jus. This week's beef and brie melt special comes with red wine braised brisket, Brie cheese, confit plum tomatoes, roasted red onions, Dijon mustard, rocket, and that all important side of roasted garlic and beef jus. And if you've never had a toasted sandwich with a side of jus for dipping or pouring, get in here ASAP and see what you've been missing. 4) Raspberry Tart, Richmond Parisian patisserie or Portobello? We'll be very tempted to head for Dublin 8 next week if this raspberry, chocolate and hazelnut tart makes it onto the menu at Richmond . 5) The KimCheese Burger, Chimac A pandemic may have delayed them, but Chimac are teasing us about their long awaited second location coming soon. It's reminded us of how good their KimCheese burger is, with s samjang & cheddar cheese sauce, spring onion kimchi, and gochujang mayo, and that it's been way too long since we had one.

We're just about to hit the halfway point of 2022 and, while the first few months were mainly spent inside, we've definitely noticed an increase in group activities this summer. Whether you've hit Pride, fan-girled to Harry Styles, or spent a gazillion hours queueing in Dublin airport, it's safe to say that you're probably feeling a little peopled-out right now. To celebrate solitude, here are five things we want to eat in Dublin this week that you won't have to share... 1) Tomato and Comté Sandwich, Daddy's "Give me a bite of your tomato sandwich" is nothing any sane person would ever say, so you needn't feel bad about keeping this one to yourself. Plus, Daddy's heirloom tomato and Comté sandwich on Tartine sourdough is packed with bagna càuda (an Italian dip featuring an obscene amount of anchovy and garlic) meaning that you won't be top of anyone's up-close-and-personal list for a while. 2) Smoked Fish Caviar Wonton, Hang Dai Smoked fish, caviar, wontons; some of our favourite things in one perfect bite. Find it on the snack menu in Hang Dai , and if anyone asks to share, just make them order their own. 3) Fupiloco, Fuppindelish Look, we're not saying that the gang in Fuppin Delish , a taco and Mexican snackfood van that's resident in the beer garden of Humphrey's Pub in Ranelagh, have been inhaling too many exhaust fumes, but it's the only possible solution we can come up with for their Fupiloco. A bag of Doritos (or Hunky Dory or Tayto, if you're into fusion food) topped with cucumber, apple, pickled onion, peanuts, fruity-spicy chamoy sauce, and Tajin chili. Oh, and Gummy Bears are scattered on for a finish. Is it weird? Yes. Do we want to try it? Definitely. Do we think we might be alone in that? Very possibly. 4) Kimchi Mussels, Soup and Soup 2 The Soups (the original in Dún Laoghaire and Soup 2 in Smithfield) have launched their summer menu and it includes these mussels cooked in chipotle chili and a kimchi sake cream, and served with chargrilled bread with garlic oil. Thanks to decent window counter space, and just a generally relaxed buzz, we love Soup for solo dining, and the best way to avoid having to share is going full-hermit occasionally. 5) Tiramiwho Ice-Cream Sandwich, Cold Boi Is it socially acceptable to ask someone for a bite of their ice-cream sandwich? There are exceptions (mainly small children, and cute dogs) but we very much plan to keep this one from Cold Boi to ourselves. Two blondies stuffed with coffee, chocolate, and vanilla ice-creams with a coffee ripple, and some crunch from Savoiardi biscuits. Find them in St. Anne's park on Saturdays, via the website , or at various stockists across Dublin.

After months of us all screaming for it like a fishwife, summer has finally arrived, and across the city it looks like kitchens scrambling to up the colour, up the freshness, and up the sunshine feels. These are the 5 things we want to eat while basking in the sun this week... 1) Pineapple Tomato & Pickled Clams, Clanbrassil House It's been all change at Clanbrassil House since ex-Hen's Teeth chef Killian Walsh took over, and he hasn't hung around making his mark. If this chickpea wafer with pineapple tomato and pickled clams is just the first bite, imagine what else is coming up. 2) Pickled Eggs, Table Wine Eggs have been served as bar snacks since at least the 1800's, and Table Wine are keeping the tradition going with these bright as sunshine pickled eggs with house mayo and crispy shiitake. A few plates of these and a bottle of natural Riesling and you'll feel much happier than when you arrived. 3) La Perla Pizza, Wallace's Taverna Pizza but make it summer. Wallace's Taverna in the city centre top their w hite 'La Perla' pizza with scamorza cheese before it cooks, adding fresh burrata, mortadella, pistacchio and truffle oil once it's out of the oven. Eat it inside, on the terrace or get it to go and head for the park. 4) Poached Rhubarb & Coconut Rice Pudding, Bresson Who says rice pudding is just for eating after being soaked in a December downpour? Bresson have summered it up with swagger, by flavouring it with coconut and topping it with poached rhubarb, pistachio and strawberry ice-cream. 5) New Patisserie Selection at Goat In The Boat Skerries ice-cream and coffee favourite Goat In The Boat has gone very fancy with their new patisserie selection. We're not sure which we want to try first, but the rolled coffee cake and mango pineapple cloud are currently front-runners.

This temperamental weather currently has us craving comfort food one minute and light tapas-style dinners the next, and while we're still making the excuse that “it’s too hot to cook”, we may as well continue to treat ourselves (sure what else would we be doing). From fruit-filled pastries to pintxos, here are the 5 things we want to eat in Dublin this week.... 1) Maritozzi, Oxmantown, Phibsboro Oxmanstown dropped a teaser for their new bakery in Phibsborough this week, and we couldn't take our eyes off these fruit, pistachio and cream filled maritozzi. We also spied cinnamon knots, Basque cheesecake and plenty of sourdough. Race you to 330 North Circular Road. 2) Blueberry & Brown Butter Tart, Scéal Bakery, Dublin 8 Scéal Bakery are the masters of the seasonal pastry. This week’s Saturday special uses Irish grown blueberries from Malone fruit farm in Carlow, on top of a crisp pate sucrée shell, with blueberry jam and brown butter frangipane. Find a good hiding place and devour this all to yourself with a very good coffee. 3) Vieira Gratinada, Las Tapas de Lola Looking to change up your regular tapas order? *We still love you patatas bravas* Enter Vieira Gratinada, or scallops au gratin – a summer staple at Las Tapas de Lola . Scallops baked in their shell in a rich creamy sauce covered in melty cheese. The perfect hybrid of summery seafood and a wintery hug in a bowl, for the July that doesn't know what it is. 4) Morcilla Pinxto, Eivissa-Ibiza Tapas What do Irish and the Basque people have in common? We LOVE our black pudding. Evissa-Ibiza Tapas are serving up a new pinxto menu and the morcilla with toasted pine nuts is right at the top of our list. Grab a few plates to share, wash down with a jug of sangria and we practically guarantee a good time. 5) Pineapple Mille Feuille, Volpe Nera, Blackrock You had us at “Sichuan pepper ice-cream”. Summer desserts can be somewhat predictable, but the new addition to the Volpe Nera menu is definitely not that. Pineapple Mille-feuille contrasted with Sichuan pepper ice-cream mean we think Volpe Nera are onto a winner here.

This week we have a lot of questions - How is it August already? Is it safe to remove #LoveIsland from our muted list on Twitter yet? What’s that big fiery yellow thing in the sky? If you’re going to keep cool this week, there’s only one thing for it and that’s to eat wisely (and stay hydrated, keep shaded yada yada yada). This week we’re focused on five things we want to eat in Dublin that will make you admit you can’t stand the heat, so are getting out of your kitchen and heading to the nearest restaurant, café, bar, or food stall... 1) Savoury Tart from Fable Bakery, Phibsboro Good news Northsiders, there’s a new bakery on the block. Fable Bakery trades every Friday at the Phibsboro Market in Royal Canal Bank Park and a little walk down there to grab a savoury tart like this recent nectarine, pickled onion and feta version, and eat it while sitting in some cool grass is basically the best idea you’ll ever have. Also, there probably will be dogs, so basically best day ever. Tor those south of the river, Fable has also started trading in Herbert Park Market on Sundays. 2) Razor Clam Ceviche, Note On a sunny day, most normal people head to the beach, maybe get a surf in, build a sandcastle, frolic. We’re not normal people, we’re food people, and so we’re more seafood than see sea. The razor clam ceviche from Note is served with radish and a lime jalapeño aguachile so you know it’s going to be punchy, and because it’s Note, you know it’s going to be delicious. More amazing seafood please, Dublin. The sea is *sweeps hand* right there. 3) T-Bone Steak and Lettuce Parcels, Rustic stone The trick for most people in surviving global climate meltdown, eh, we mean a heatwave, is to eat little and often, but who are we to tell you how to live your life? If the meat-sweats are more your style, compromise by ordering the T-bone with parcels of lettuce, pickled vegetables, cucumber, spring onion, garlic and crispy shallots from Rustic Stone on South Great George’s St. The veg will keep your meal light, and that jumbo steak will remind you that Fred Flintstone never complained about Bedrock being too stuffy in summer. 4) Oysters from Circa If you are heading out for dinner, plan ahead and aim for a menu that’s light and won’t mean your legs are plastered onto the faux-leather taxi seats on the way home. Circa in Terenure’s new summer menu has been launched and it’s a) available à la carte (hurrah!) and b) packed with dishes like seabass ceviche and summery vegetables. The one that’s really caught our eye is the Connemara oyster with ponzu and dill sorbet from the snack menu, and while we love the sound of those flavours, the real draw here is marvelling at how they do such tiny quenelles. 5) Bulgogi Taco Fries from Jaru Despite the heat, you are going to have to have dinner at home at some stage so you may as well reduce cooking time and go with a ready meal. We’re not talking some sad meal deal with a free garlic bread here; a rise in temperatures doesn’t mean a drop in standards. Jaru deliver homemade Korean food nationwide and their range has just been updated. While kimchi mac & cheese and Korean fried chicken platters will definitely make it into our online basket, there’s a new item on the menu and we’ve never wanted anything more - bulgogi taco fries. Serving two, triple-cooked fries are loaded with bulgogi beef, cheese, corn, peppers, miso-fermented jalapeno, and gochujag mayo. Hot, in every sense of the word. Menus and delivery info is on their website .

Chocolate stuffed brioche buns, butter chicken wings, and freshly fried doughnuts are just some of the ways we'd like to distract ourselves from energy bills, climate change and general impending doom this week. WBU? 1) Doughnuts From Flower & Bean We're loving the look of everything from new Dublin 8 café Flower & Bean , and with Marta from Cakebox behind it there was never any doubt. Her bakes are as beautiful to look at as they are to eat, and our latest crush is her freshly fried and stuffed doughnuts. We spy lemon meringue... 2) Butter Chicken Wings, Happy Endings Happy Endings are bringing a new brand of 'fusion' to the capital, and it's one we can actually get behind. Their latest creation is Butter Chicken Wings - Sean Ring's free range chicken wings covered in a butter chicken sauce made from toasted spices, garlic, ginger, onions, tomatoes and of course, butter. They landed at the weekend and we're not sure how long they're going to hang around so we'd advise a prompt visit if they sound up your sráid. 3) Gyoza & Gherkins, Table Wine Not the combination we were expecting to see on a dreary Monday, but if Table Wine think gherkins and gyoza go together we're willing to test it out. Stuffed with lion's mane mushrooms and cabbage, you can find them on their set dinner menu from Wednesday to Saturday. 4) The Double Chocolate Frankie, No Messin' Honestly, we hadn't realised that double chocolate Frankies had ever left the No Messin' menu, and it's probably for the best, as when we spotted them on Insta with the tagline "making a comeback soon" we felt both panic and relief in the same split second. Happiness is chocolate brioche laminated with the best Irish butter and stuffed with Valhrona chocolate, and while you'd think it could be chocolate overkill, you would be wrong. 5) Bahubali Thali, Ruchii If food was a mood, Ruchii 's Bahubali Thali looks like euphoria, on happy pills. €42 will get you starters, curries, rice, naan, gulab jamun for dessert and a glass of beer or house wine, and we're not sure whether we want to stare at it or eat it more.

The number of new openings in Dublin is still running at breakneck speed, with rumours of another 25 to come before Christmas. We're particularly giddy about Uno Mas , a new Spanish opening from the guys behind Etto , Gertrude - all-day dining on Pearse Street from Colin Harmon of 3fe , and Missus - Vietnamese food from the guys behind Lucky Tortoise , but with new openings tend to come closures, as there are only so many restaurant-going bums to sit on all of these seats. Last week's casualty was Farmhill in Goatstown, which closed quietly after just under three years in business. They'd gotten off to a great start, securing Anita Thoma (formerly of Il Primo) as head chef, and gaining positive reviews across the press, but Thoma announced on twitter in June that she was moving on, and in recent months the restaurant had been offering free corkage in an attempt to attract customers. No word yet on what's going to happen to the site. But enough of the dreary news. Here are four new openings to get your teeth into. Crow Street Described as "Irish soulfood with an American twist", Crow Street opened in Temple Bar at the end of August in the site formerly occupied by Nick Munier’s ill-fated ‘ Avenue ’. From the guys behind The Sussex on Leeson Street and The 105 Café in Clonskeagh, Crow Street's menu includes buttermilk fried chicken, monkfish scampi and seafood cobbler. There's also a taproom upstairs serving small plates, craft beers and cocktails. They’re open for dinner 7 days a week from 5-11pm, and brunch on Saturday and Sunday from 12-4pm. crowstreet.ie Tang The Middle Eastern inspired, healthy-eating café opened its second site on Lower Abbey Street a couple of weeks ago to much excitement . The Dawson Street site is about the size of a small shoebox, and popping in for a takeaway salad can involve much bodily crushing, although bagging an outside table on a sunny day can feel like winning the lottery. The Abbey Street site has a lot more square footage so there's a much better chance of getting a table, and the menu has the same spin as the original. www.instagram.com/tangfood Fable and Stey This new café in Blackrock is from the same team behind Laine, My Love , Fia and Little Frieda's , which is pretty much all you need to know. They're open from 8am - 4pm Tuesday - Friday, and 10am - 4pm at the weekend, all of the cakes are made in house and much of the produce is coming from McNally Farm in North Dublin. *checks Dart timetable* www.fableandstey.ie Bread 41 Opening this Friday, Bread 41 is an organic bakery and café on Pearse Street from baker Eoin Cluskey and his business partner Stephen McKenna. Cluskey trained at Ballymaloe house and was involved in the set up of the infamous Firehouse Bakery in Delgany, and has been supplying the trade with bread and pastries for the past three months through their wholesale arm, Bread Nation (including new café Daniel on Clanbrassil Street and Fable & Stey , above). Bread 41 will open from 7am - 3pm Monday - Friday for breakfast and lunch and will sell bread and pastries to take away. They're hoping to expand to takeaway pizzas in the evenings from October. Loads more hunger inducing details in this Irish Times article . www.facebook.com/bread41

Four new openings to feast your eyes on this week, and more in the works... Bearmarket Coffee The "coffee lovers not coffee snobs" have just opened their fourth site on George's Street, and had all the press yesterday over their announcement that they've gone cash free. The jury's out but they reckon it's going to speed up service for everyone and make their staff more efficient. Coffee, pastries and treats can be paid for by contactless, apple pay or the Bear Market digital loyalty card. So futuristic. The Carrot's Tail Another week, another vegan eatery, this time in Rathmines. The Carrot's Tail , set up by couple Yeniree and Sebastian, opened at the end of last week and is selling vegan meatball subs, 'zalmon' bagels and vegan cheese, from cheesemaker Little Green Leaf in Cork. 30 Church Street The former Big Blue/Boqueria building on Church Street in Howth has been been taken over by the restaurant group that own Mulberry Garden in Donnybrook and Brookwood on Baggot Street. 30 Church Street opened last week serving seafood, steak and pizza, with some great sea views. As One New health food café and restaurant As One opened yesterday in the Grant Thornton building on City Quay (just down from Tara Street station), and is promising food from scratch to improve your well-being and gut health. There's a big focus on Irish ingredients, a strong 'food-to-go' offering, and sustainability-based business practices, like compostible packaging and a move towards zero waste. Ones to watch - We're eagerly anticipating the opening of John Farrell's new wine bar on Drury Street, due to open at some point this month - And there's another wine bar coming - even more excitement. Little Mike's is coming to Mount Merrion from the dream team behind Michael's , and you just know it's going to be the southside hangout of summer 2019 - Fine dining is coming to Skerries, with Potager due to open at the end of the month - The Townhouse Leisure Group (Farrier & Draper, La Cucina, The Green Hen) will open Le Perroquet on Leeson Street at some point this month, featuring "French inspired dishes with an Irish twist" - Dawson Street's getting a new spot for Sushi as Maneki are moving into the old Dolce Sicily site More when we get it.

Jam Park , the new "multi-sensory adult playground" in Swords from Bodytonic , will open to the public next Friday, the 24th May, but a series of soft opening events have already started. In what was formerly the Wright Venue, Jam Park will host weekly rooftop terrace parties, a Sunday market, movie and sports screenings, and bottomless brunch. The building has three levels and seven spaces, and gaming will be a running theme, with a "Tokyo-style arcade", disco crazy golf and ping pong, as well as shuffle board and "escape rooms" - we're still waiting on an explanation for that one. The first floor will host concerts, comedy, parties and exhibitions, with a capacity of 1200, three bars and an outdoor terrace. Food will be available at "Eatery Park" on the rooftop, with street food on the lower two levels in a similar style to Eatyard , Bodytonic's outdoor food market at the side of The Bernard Shaw. You can check out all of the food and drink options here . Pre-opening soft events include Bingo Loco - "Ireland's only bingo rave", a screening of the season finale of Game of Thrones, and a Spice Girls bottomless brunch, with bookings no w open on the site . It's fair to say that North County Dublin has seen nothing like this before, and we'd say it's set to be the social hub of the summer for all of those people who can't face the Swords Express to get into town. Jam Park opens on Friday 24th May at 11:00, and pre-opening events are on now. Jam Park Airside Retail Park, Swords, Co. Dublin Wed - Sun 11:00 - close www.jam-park.com

The new openings keep on coming, with three in the past two weeks and another this Friday. Read on for the details... Potager, Skerries North County Dublin has a new fine dining destination, as Potager opened last week from ex- Chapter One head chef Cathal Leonard and partner Sarah Ryan. It's in the same building as the long-standing Red Bank restaurant, which closed in January of this year after chef/owner Terry McCoy retired. The five-course set menu is €55 and features dishes like lobster choux bun and potato bread, ricotta, lovage and chive, but they say it will change regularly depending on what's available. Read more about Potager here . Nunki Tea House This new Chinese tea house in Dun Laoghaire has some pretty special cake game, and serves regional specialities like "Crossing-the-bridge noodles" (rice noodle soup), "Tangbao" (soup-filled buns), and Cong You Bing (scallion pancake). They say it's been set up by a group of Chinese young people in Dubin who were struggling to find really good tea made from fresh tea leaves, so you won't find any Lyons or Barry's in here. We are seriously eyeing up the the dumplings with chilli and black rice vinegar and the chiffon cake made from paper thin crepe layers. Check out Nunki Tea House here . Social Fabric Café The Stoneybatter food boom continues with the opening of Social Fabric Café , in the old post office on Manor Street. Opened by couple Karolina (chef) and Monika, and Karolina's brother Tomek, they're focused on making everything from scratch, with free-range eggs from Magners Farm , bread from The Bretzel Bakery and coffee from Cloud Picker . They say they want to provide a friendly, comfortable space for the community to gather in, and are open seven days a week for breakfast, brunch and lunch. Follow Social Fabric Café here . Also check out Chimac which opens this Friday serving Korean fried chicken on Aungier Street. Read the full story here . Ones to watch - We're still waiting for details on the opening of John Farrell's new wine bar on Drury Street. Hopefully soon - The Townhouse Leisure Group (Farrier & Draper, La Cucina, The Green Hen) will open Le Perroquet on Leeson Street at some point this month, featuring "French inspired dishes with an Irish twist" - Things seem to have stalled with Forest Avenue 's new Blackrock Italian, Little Forest. More when we get it

* Updated 19th September to include menu details Spitalfields , the much awaited "pub with a restaurant" from the owners of The Pig's Ear will open this Thursday at 5pm, with lunch and dinner served six days a week. Owned by chef Stephen McAllister and wife Andrea Hussey, with Declan Maxwell (ex- Luna ) in place as manager, they're describing the food as "traditional, classical restaurant cooking in a pub setting", with dishes like devilled eggs, grilled bread with anchovies, and beef cheek and bone marrow parker house rolls. Spitalfields was formerly home to Shanahan's pub, and takes its name from the street just behind it. Since whispers started circulating about it at the start of the summer, we've heard comparisons to Michelin-starred pub The Harwood Arms in London time and time again, and the idea from the get go seems to have been high quality food in a casual setting. There's seating downstairs at the bar where the open kitchen is, and the main restaurant is upstairs on the first floor. Spitalfields opens its doors at 5pm this Thursday, and will serve lunch and dinner from Monday - Saturday (no Sunday roast, sorry), but the pub will be open all day serving a snack menu. Opening night menu below, and it looks good. Spitalfields 25 The Coombe, The Liberties, Dublin 8 Open: Mon - Sat from 12pm www.spitalfields.ie

Closings, openings, it's the circle of restaurant life, but while there are most certainly more closings ahead this year, you can also count on plenty of exciting openings too, as the food scene continues its rise up the ranks of European eating. Here's four that have just opened (or are about to) that we think you should know about. Glas, Chatham Street Glas is a new vegetarian/vegan restaurant (there is cheese but no meat or fish) in the old Chatham Brasserie site off Grafton Street. It's owned by Paul Rooney (former owner of The Green Hen ) and Dualta Woods (Woods Wines), with Sam Moore (ex- Old Street , The Ice House and Bart's ) as head chef. They're calling it "‘innovative vegetarian and vegan dining that’s to everyone’s taste", and say they think Dublin needs more seasonal, sustainably-sourced food, particularly in the city centre. The opening menu features a lot of things we want to eat, like sweetcorn & jalapeno fritters with avocado, lime and crushed goji berries; beer-battered shimeji mushroom with herb salsa, lime glaze and umami sesame seeds, and smoked aubergine with buttermilk sauce, baby kale, quinoa & pomegranate. We're also intrigued by the polenta and chickpea fries with fermented black garlic mayo and the homemade agnolotti with salt baked celeriac, pickled carrots, carrot top pesto and goat’s cream. Glas will be open for lunch and dinner seven days a week with brunch at weekends, and they're promising "great cocktails and innovative wine". It's due to open next Monday 4th November. glasrestaurant.ie Lenehan's, Rathmines Rathmines' hardware store Lenehan's , which was open for over 70 years, has been taken over by Fallon & Byrne and turned into a neighbourhood restaurant with two terraces. They're calling it a "bar and grill", with four different indoor spaces and big screens in the bar for sport or events. The food is definitely of the "something for everyone variety", but with a definite focus on Irish producers. The opening menu includes Achill Island lamb meatballs with tzatziki; Roaring Water Bay Mussels with ‘nduja, tomato, olive and potato crisps, and Clogherhead monkfish on the bone with boulangère potatoes. They also do sharing boards, free-range chicken wings and a 35oz Wagyu Angus tomahawk for two. Lenehan's is now open for dinner seven nights a week, with lunch and brunch from Friday - Sunday. Sunday roasts start this weekend and they also have a full vegan menu. www.lenehansbarandgrill.com Woodruff, Stepaside Woodruff in Stepaside opened a couple of weeks ago and there's two things you should know about this new southside neighbourhood restaurant. Firstly, head chef Simon Williams takes sourcing very seriously, and was just starting to garner attention at The Gables in Foxrock last year before he left for other opportunities, with Gillian Nelis in her Sunday Business Post review saying "I can’t say enough about this chef’s attitude to sourcing; it’s a real joy to see such a commitment to supporting small food producers." Secondly, the wine list has clearly been compiled by someone who knows (and loves) what they're talking about, which is still a rarity, particularly outside of the city centre. Manager Colm Maguire has come from Pichet , with sous chef Francois Jacusse formerly the head chef in The Pigeon House in Delgany, and the suppliers name-checked on the menu include Higgins beef, Andarl farm pork, Kilmullen farm lamb, Beechlawn organic vegetables, Mooncoin beetroot, and Velvet Cloud yoghurt, with breads, butter, crème fraîche & vinegar made in house. The menu changes daily depending on what's available, but recent dishes have included house cured halibut with burnt aubergine, house cremé fraiche and rye cracker, and confit Skeaghanore duck leg with carrot & cardamom purée, cavolo nero, fondant potato, orange & duck sauce. House chips and kimchi mayo sounds like a must order. Pair it all with a bottle of the electric Spanish white UBE from Cota 45 or the haunting 7 Fuentes from Tenerife producer Suertes Del Marqués and we think you'll be very happy. woodruff.ie One Kinda Folk, Ranelagh One Kinda Folk is Ranelagh's newest coffee shop (and the only one behind an ivy-covered wall as far as we're aware) and officially opens its doors today. Irish owner Rachel moved to Byron Bay in Australia with her fiancé ten years ago and fell in love with their outdoor café culture. Ever since she says she wanted to move home and recreate it here. One Kinda Folk is attached to Yoga Dublin and the stone shed that it's situated in formerly stored yoga mats. For the past few months they've been working on turning it into "a Byron Bay inspired oasis", and they want the space to feel like a community garden where people can sit and chat. Coffee is from 3fe, their sticky loose leaf chai is handmade in Melbourne, and their raw matcha comes from Matcha Ninja, which they serve with their homemade lavender syrup. 'Treats' include vegan tracker bars, peanut butter and sea salt bites and caramel crispy squares, and come from local caterer Rua Food . In the nature of inclusivity babyccinos and dog treats are also available. In case you were wondering, the name is taken from a quote from Harper Lee's 'To Kill A Mockingbird': "There is only one kinda folk, folks." One Kinda Folk is open from 08:00 - 15:00 Tuesday - Saturday. www.instagram.com/onekindafolkcoffee

In what must be a record year for new openings in Dublin, even Christmas isn’t putting the brakes on things. Here's the deets on some December openings you might have missed... Little Dumpling Little Dumpling opened on Mary Street Little in mid-December in what was briefly Fudo Sushi (seems the team have regrouped and decided that soup dumplings are the way forward). Everything is handmade, including the Castletownbere crab and pork soup dumplings (below), and God knows there's a serious lack of soup dumplings in this country so everything crossed that these are the ones we've been waiting for. Krewe Another month, another new opening on Capel Street, which is Dublin’s version of a culinary UN at this stage. Krewe is a New Orleans-inspired bar and restaurant featuring a menu of NOLA classics such as jambalaya, Cajun blackened cod, crayfish rolls and some promising looking beignets from Head Chef Niall Smyth, formerly of House in Howth. Expect rye cocktails and lots of neon lights. The Wine Pair The former Salt + Stove site on the South Circular Road is now home to The Wine Pair , from husband and wife duo Canice and Mags McKee. They opened the doors in early-December promising lots of wine with cheese, meats, almonds, olives, and bread, and the pair say they want to offer a reprieve from “silly pairings” and keep things simple. Read more about The Wine Pair here . Bobby’s Wine Bar We were sad to hear about the closure of Cavern on Baggot St. earlier this year, but happy to hear the basement space has now been given a new lease of life. Bobby’s is a wine bar with some very interesting options on the list, and food from Holly Dalton, formerly of Gertrude . Expect bar snacks with a twist, meats, and cheeses. Read more about Bobby's here . Meltdown Meltdown have opened a second location bringing their massive toasties to Leeson Street Lower. That sound you hear is the rejoicing of D2 office workers who can now get a 'Mac Mama' fix on their lunch break. The Circular and Daddy’s Another South Circular Road opening, The Circular is the new bar and space from the people behind Lucky’s . The bar focuses on craft beer, with pizza from Coke Lane , and at the front you’ll find Daddy’s , a daytime café with breakfast, lunch, weekend brunch, and early dinner options. Oh, and Daddy’s is dog friendly (on what seems to be a trial basis for now) so you can take the whole family there after walkies. Ryleigh's at The Mayson In what feels like Press Up’s 475th opening of the year, The Mayson hotel swung open its doors on North Wall this month. With bike hire, amps and Smeg fridges in each room, this might be their most on-brand venue yet. For food, Ryleigh’s Rooftop Restaurant has an outdoor terrace that should give pretty spectacular views across the city on a clear night. Other eating and drinking options can be found in Dime Coffee Bar, The Mayson Bar, and The Bottle Boy Pub. Outpost Brewdog’s first foray in to the Dublin market is pretty huge. The site in Capital Dock, Dublin 2, features two bars, an on-site brewery, “Olympic-sized” shuffleboard (does anyone in Ireland know what a regular shuffleboard is?), a heated roof garden and terrace. Starting as a small brewpub chain in Scotland, Outpost is the group’s 100th bar and, while we haven’t seen much from the food menu yet, we’re told it features burgers, pizzas, salads, and wings. Of course, the big attraction here is the extensive beer menu, but with many priced at over €7 it’ll be interesting to see how they strike a balance between craft beer fans and office workers just looking for a session. Also, it’s dog-friendly, so there’s that.

Not even the Coronavirus can slow down Dublin openings, and these are three we're particularly looking forward to visiting once the doors are open. Fasta Pasta As if getting one pasta bar where every dish is under a tenner wasn't exciting enough, now there's another one on the way. Fasta Pasta will open under the vaults in Connolly station in April, with all of the pasta made in house and everything available to eat in or take away. Owner (and A&E doctor) Noel Reilly is the man behind it (along with his brother), blaming a disaster medicine course in Northern Italy for making him fall in love with fresh pasta, and returning at every opportunity to learn more about making it. He says he wants to make it accessible and affordable, with everything costing less than €10 and ready in less than five minutes. We for one cannot wait for this to open. Follow them on Instagram here . Póg There's much excitement about Póg coming to Harbour Road in Howth next month, adding to their Tara Street and Batchelor's Walk locations. The palace to pancakes and all things healthy/brightly coloured is due to open at the end of April, and will substantially improve the Northside's brunch/lunch game with their flavour-popping food combos that make you feel like you've done something nice for your body. Get planning what you're going to order here . Nutbutter 2.0 We were gutted with a capital G when we heard Nutbutter was closing a few months ago, so relieved with a capital R to hear they're coming back just around the corner. The new site is on Gallery Quay facing onto Grand Canal Dock and promises to bring back all of their most loved dishes, like the topped toast, grain bowls and PB & J porridge. We're counting the days. Read more about Nutbutter here .

Another week, another opening, and they seem to be getting more inventive by the month. Here's what's appeared over the last few weeks... Kakilang Dublin has a new place for bubble tea and it's already out the door. Kakilang has opened on Batchelor's Walk serving Taiwanese tea-based drinks, including fruit and milk teas with chewy tapioca balls, popping bobas and fruit jellies. They already have bestsellers, including the grape and mango cheese foam and the 'Snow Matcha', but promise there's something for everyone, however sweet or otherwise you like your drinks. Kakilang means "our own kind of people" in Hokkien-Chinese, and owner Winson Cheung (Irish born but of Hong Kong descent) says he wants to build a bubble tea community, where people expand their tastes outside of black with milk and sugar. A Taiwanese and Hong Kong food menu is going to be launched in the next few weeks, with dishes like bao buns, rice bowls and Taiwanese fried chicken, and they open from 12:00 - 20:00 seven days a week. Follow them on Instagram here . Fat Sandwich Talbot Street has a new place for breakfast and lunch with the opening of Fat Sandwich . It's the second café from owner Mark Keegan who also owns Keegan's Café in Glasnevin, and says he wants to serve "old favourites using fresh ingredients". There's a welcome focus on local producers and suppliers, with 3fe coffee, Tartine Bakery bread, Whole Hoggs pork and Bean and Goose chocolate amongst the ingredients being used. Some of the 'fat sandwiches' include a slow roast brisket torta, a goat's cheese ciabatta with apricot, and the 'fat club' with bacon, chicken, emmenthal and garlic mayonnaise. Their brunch menu also includes a potato hash, Mexican eggs and a brunch salad. Follow Fat Sandwich on Instagram here . Fx Buckley Victualler Butchers and Steak House operators F.X. Buckley have opened a "fine food grocer " next door to their Pembroke Street restaurant. No surprise that the focus is on highly quality Irish meats, including rare breeds and small producers, like Dexter Beef and Organic chicken from Rings Farm in Kilkenny. They're also stocking cheese, honey, bread, vinegars, oils and loads more from producers like Corleggy, Mossfield, Ballylisk, Tartine Bakery and the Dublin Honey Project. They're open Tuesday - Saturday from 10:00 - 19:00 and you can follow them on Instagram here . And read about three more openings coming soon here ...

At times it felt like it would never happen, but as of Monday 29th June restaurants are allowed to reopen, under what feels like daily changing guidelines. The rules still appear to be 2m between tables, or 1m if you can boot them out in 90 minutes (yes that makes as little sense as you think it does), and inevitably this week will bring more moving of the goal posts. While the 2m rule makes reopening for most places unfeasible, the reduction to 1m gives a little glimmer of hope, and the below places are forging on in whatever way they can - and we thank them greatly for it. (Please note, this is not a comprehensive list of every restaurant in the city that's opening next week, just some we think you might be interested in. For a wider range head to Res Diary or OpenTable to see who has tables for the date and time you want.) For A 'You Got Through Lockdown' Reward Potager, Skerries Potager in Skerries reopen on Friday 3rd July, and will open from Friday - Sunday to start, with their set menu for €60. From Wednesday 15th July regular opening hours will resume, with a quicker three course menu available for €45 on Wednesday and Thursday. Book here . Circa, Terenure Circa also reopen on Friday 3rd July with a new chef. Gareth Naughton has departed and Darryl Hynes is now in his place. They'll be doing two sittings, at 18:00 and 20:15, with each given a two hour dining slot. Book a table here . Mr Fox, Parnell Square Mr Fox reopen on Tuesday 30th June with decreased seating, and a 5-course menu for €55 per person. They'll be open from Tuesday - Saturday and you can book a table here . On The Grapevine, Dalkey Dalkey wine shop and bar On The Grapevine reopens on Thursday 2nd July, and if there was ever a time to treat yourself to a very special bottle of wine from the shelves with just €10 corkage, your first post-lockdown wine bar trip is it. Lunch is from 12:00 - 15:00 with dinner from 17:00 and there are three sittings. Book by calling 01 2353054 or emailing reservations@onthegrapevine.ie. M&L Sichuan haven M&L , just off O'Connell Street, reopen as normal on Monday 29th June. We can already hear the footsteps running for the handmade dumplings, deep-fried seabrass and those green beans with chilli. Email mlrestaurantdublin@gmail.com to book. Glas Veggie/vegan restaurant Glas had gotten off to a helluva start after opening in November, and they're hoping to pick up where they left off when they reopen on Tuesday 29th June. Book a table here . Cirillo's Takeaway pizza from a box will never be as good as sit-in pizza fresh from a wood-fired oven. So it's very welcome news that Cirillo's reopens on Monday 29th June with 90 minute dining slots. Book a table here . For The Special Occasion You Missed Dax Fine dining French enclave Dax on Pembroke Street reopens on Thursday 2nd July with 30% less seats and two dinner seatings at 17:30/18:00 and 20:30/21:00 from Wednesday - Saturday. They'll also open for lunch on Thursday and Friday. Book a table here . L'Ecrivain Michelin-starred L'Ecrivan reopens on Tuesday 30th June for dinner only. The restaurant was supposed to close permanently in July with chef patron Derry Clarke moving onto a more casual opening in Temple Bar, but this has all been put back due to the current circumstances, and the Baggot Street restaurant will now stay open until December. Book here . Glovers Alley The fine dining restaurant in the Fitzwilliam Hotel reopens on Tuesday 30th June with 50% less seats, two metres between tables, single use menus and a 'fogging' machine to disinfect it each day. Book here . Las Tapas De Lola The popular Spanish restaurant on Wexford Street reopens on Wednesday 1st July, and we hear a lot of tables have already gone. You might have had to cancel your summer holiday, but cosying up on their terrace with sherry, boquerones and a plate of jamón de Iberico isn't a bad consolation prize. Book by calling them on 01 4244100 or emailing book@lastapasdelola.com. Bresson, Monkstown French fine dining restaurant Bresson reopens on Thursday 2nd July with decreased seating and 2 metres between tables. They'll have two floors and the terrace open, and you can book here . Delahunt Camden Street ( and royal ) favourite Delahunt reopens on Tuesday 30th June with a new floor plan, new menu and new booking system. Bookings are due to open today via their website . For An Overdue Catch Up With Mates Sprezzatura Excellent news for pasta lovers, Sprezzatura is back from Monday 29th June. You can email eat@sprezzatura.ie for details of their Covid-19 policy, or book on their website . Pichet City centre bistro Pichet reopens on Tuesday 30th June, with tables re-positioned as per current government guidelines, daily deep cleans and advance booking only. You'll be asked to sanitise your hands on arrival and have your temperature checked (contactless), and a multitude of other safety procedures are being put in place, which they go into in great detail on their website . Make a reservation here . Doolally Press Up run Indian Doolally reopens on Monday 29th June. They haven't given any details on their social distancing measures but seen as the place is enormous it shouldn't be an issue. Book here . Lenehans Bar + Grill The Rathmines bar and restaurant which only opened in October reopens on Wednesday 1st July, but be warned, they're only giving an hour and 15 minutes for bookings. If you're a fast eater you can book here . Monty's Nepalese Monty's in Temple Bar reopens on Monday 29th June, with 1 metre between tables, menu sanitation and a new air decontamination unit. They're open seven days a week for lunch and dinner and you can book here . The Port House Tapas terminal The Port House reopen their South William Street, Camden Street and Dundrum sites on Monday 29th June. No details about new safety measures but you can book here . To Blow Off All That Lockdown Induced Steam Token Fast food restaurant slash arcade Token in Smithfield are reopening on Monday 29th June, with restricted capacity, socially distanced tables and a two hour limit on bookings. Tables are only for two - four people and must be booked in advance, and PPE will be provided as part of your package. Make a booking here . Ukiyo Japanese karaoke den Ukiyo reopens on Monday 29th June. They haven't given any details on a new set up or whether karaoke will be available, but you can book here . Piglet Temple Bar wine bar Piglet reopens on Wednesday 3rd July, and expect the outdoor tables to be in demand. Book via their website . Rosa Madre Another Temple Bar mainstay, Italian seafood restaurant Rosa Madre reopens on Thursday 2nd July, and they are excited . They're promising socially distanced tables and high levels of sanitation, and you can book here . For A Family Gathering The Old Spot The Old Spot 's legendary Sunday roasts are back from next week. They'll be open Thursday - Saturday from 17:00 and Sundays from 13:00. Book here . Hugo's Hugo's on Merrion Row reopens on Thursday 2nd July promising "the most rigorous safety protocols". You can make a reservation on their website . Suesey Street Basement bistro Suesey Street reopens on Wednesday 1st July for lunch and dinner Wednesday - Friday, and dinner on Saturday. They'll be detailing their Covid-related precautions via their website and social channels later this week, and their terrace (complete with retractable roof) will allow for plenty of outdoor dining. Book a table via their website . Wild Goose Grill The Wild Goose Grill in Ranelagh reopens on Monday 29th June from 17:00 daily. There's a reservation request form on the website or you can call 01 4912377. Fallon & Byrne The Exchequer Street food hall reopen their upper floor restaurant on Monday 29th June for lunch and dinner seven days a week. They say they've designed a new spacious and airy room, and there's new menus too. Book here . The Legal Eagle The gastro pub with the award-winning wine list opens on Monday 29th June and will operate seven days a week (just like pre-lockdown times, remember those?). Make a booking via their website . More Confirmed Openings: Mister S - Tuesday 7th July Laine My Love - Tuesday 7th July Chapter One - Wednesday 8th July Junior's - Wednesday 8th July Uno Mas - Thursday 9th July Bistro One - Thursday 9th July Clanbrassil House - Thursday 9th July One Pico - Tuesday 14th July Locks - Thursday 16th July Craft - Thursday 16th July Michael's - Thursday 23rd July

Yes you read that right. Activity is a foot in the city once again. Some have been borne from the lockdown, others were already in the planning, and ain't no pandemic gonna stop them from coming to fruition. Consider these the first green shoots since March, and consider us very happy to see them. No Messin' Bakery The new Smithfield bakery from the guys behind Proper Order is potentially more exciting than getting our first hair appointment since March (or for some of us, December - the absolute shame). It came about at the start of lockdown when the team, growing increasingly frustrated at the lack of quality baked goods suppliers in the city, found themselves with two talented bakers ready to work and plenty of time on their hands. Over the next few weeks the idea for ' No Messin ' was born, making pastries, cookies and cakes using local, Irish and homegrown produce. Proper Order reopened their doors three weeks ago, and started trialling the goods a week later, and it's fair to say that customers have been going a little bit wild for them, with a total sell out every day. Look out for the 'Cardi B' - a cardamom bun with cardamom infused fermented brioche, cardamom butter and a cardamom infused syrup, the brown butter and Valrhona chocolate chip cookie, and the wild cherry and amaretto rustic tart, but everything we've tried is worth braving the Luas for. What they bake depends on what's available, but in the past week there's been fruit from Elmhurst Farm in Drumcondra, foraged elderflower and lavender, and wild cherries, and if you're wondering where these guys sit on the Dublin pastry tier, we're talking right up there with Scéal and Bread 41 (i.e. the God tier). For the moment catch them in Proper Order in Smithfield, but they hope to be supplying other businesses very soon. Check them out on Instagram here . Griolladh A couple of weeks ago the residents of Malahide in North County Dublin fell victim to some serious rubber-necking when a bright yellow food truck serving cheese toasties set up shop in someone's front garden along the coast. The guys behind Griolladh are Jacob Long (The Well) and Jack Brennan (Xico), who saw a lockdown-inspired opportunity to bring good, fast food to the seaside village, along pastries from Tartine, cakes from Mud Bakery and coffee from Imbibe - talk to any coffee-loving Malahidian about the irony of a village with 95 cafés and no good coffee and you will understand how significant of a development this is. The truck's been run off their feet since opening, to the point where they initially had to ditch their daily specials as they couldn't keep up with demand, and the only options were cheese or cheese and ham, but they're getting more of a handle on things and started opening later to give them more prep time. Bread is from Tartine, cheese is a mix but the majority is Hegarty's cheddar, and when we last checked the ham was from Nolan's in Clontarf. Find them on the Coast Road in Malahide 7 days a week from 11:00, or check them out on Instagram here . Kerala Kitchen Kerala Kitchen on Baggot Street have long had an enthused fanbase for their thalis, curry bowls and masala kissed fries, so the news that they're opening site number two in the old Cowtown site in Stoneybatter was met with much excitement this week. They plan to open mid-July with a similar menu to the original as well as a new brunch menu, featuring Masala beans, an Indian omelette and plenty of their new spicy tomato jam. They'll be open for eat in brunch at the weekend and every evening, with takeaway available from 16:00 seven days a week. Follow their progress here . Toons Bridge Dairy, George's Street Seen as we'll be getting used to a lot more al fresco dining this summer, it's good to have some delis up your sleeve for picnics or easy take home dinners, and they don't come much better than cheesemaker Toons Bridge 's new shop on George's Street. It's where you'll find a slab of almighty Parmesan for €5, herby, chillied, vinegary boquerones by the kilo, and freshly filled cannoli that taste right out of Sicily. The olives, the caperberries, the focaccia, the tinned sardines, the pestos, we could go on, but this is a seriously impressive opening and we're struggling to think of anywhere in the city to get produce of this quality at these prices. Saturday mornings we're told you can hear more Italian spoke in the shop than English, and that some continental Europeans have almost wept at the sight of so many of their favourite foods in one place. They also do toasties and salads to go if you want maximum ease and they're open seven days a week. They're adding wine soon too . Check them out here or find them at 24 South Great George's Street, Dublin 2. Agave Agave is a new Mexican opening next week in the site which formerly housed Azteca on Lord Edward Street. It's run by couple Aldo and Costel, both chefs (Aldo was formerly in the kitchen at Azteca), and they say want to bring "traditional Mexican cuisine" to Dublin. They're sticking with the burritos, fajitas and tacos, but adding street food like the 'pambazo' - bread dipped in sauce then grilled and filled with potatoes, chorizo, lettuce, cheese and sour cream. Agave opens this Monday 29th June for eat in and take away. Find them on Instagram here . And... Sambulance Ambulance (Coming Soon) DJ/Chef/Influencer Marcus O'Laoire has found an ambulance and he's going to be bringing you sandwiches in it. Anyone who follows him on Instagram will know how much he loves food, and this has (randomly) been a dream of his for some time. The sambulance location and menu is currently TBC but they should be up and running in the next few weeks. Find them on Instagram here .

And they keep on coming. Here's five more openings we think you should know about this week... Canteen At The Marlin After starting in Blackrock market to rapturous praise, then moving to Celbridge, Canteen are now back in the capital at The Marlin Hotel near St. Stephen's Green. The move was planned pre-pandemic, and they opened last week once restrictions were lifted, to an immediate influx of critics (see here and here ). Early reports are good and there's an early evening menu with three courses for €34, or the regular dinner menu with bread, snacks and four courses for €58. We're liking the sound of the roast new season lamb, sweetbreads, tomatoes, anchovies and aubergine, and the chocolate crèmeux with feuilletine, coffee and praline ice cream. Book here . Póg, Howth As if Mamó coming to Howth last year wasn't exciting enough, now they're getting some of the city's best (and most photogenic) pancakes, with Póg opening their third site a few doors down. Owner Rachel Keane set up the first one on Bachelor's Walk in 2014 to show that healthy food could be "fun and delicious", and expanded to a second site on Tara Street 18 months ago. Now she's bringing it to her home town of Howth - a place in dire need of a good brunch option, so expect all the queues. The menu features lots of Póg favourites like acai bowls, nduja scrambled eggs and breakfast boards, and there's a separate menu for those protein pancakes, with almost 30 different toppings to choose from. They open this week (day TBC) and will be serving food seven days a week from 09:00 - 18:00, with plans to open for dinner from August. Keep an eye on their social channels for updates. Rice Rumours of a new Chinese restaurant from restaurant group Press Up have been circulating for at least 18 months, but for the moment it looks as if the idea has 'pivoted' to a new takeaway/delivery only option called ' Rice '. They're telling us to "forget chicken balls, 3-in-1's and everything you associate with takeout Chinese", but in reality the menu has a lot of things you'll find at your local Chinese, like spring rolls, hot and sour soup and Singapore noodles. On the slightly more unusual side you can get Mongolian Beef (in their 'special Mongolian sauce'), Tangra Prawns with chilli, sesame, soy, shaoxing sauce, peppers and scallions, and Dan Dan noodles. They're also doing a 'spice box', which is definitely nothing like a 'spice bag'. See the menu and order here . Dig In More pivoting going on over on Camden Street, where longtime bistro Green 19 has relaunched as " Dig in ", an 'art diner'. They're calling it "an intersection of the most pioneering art out there right now served with great food and drink, inspired by the art on the walls," and the first gallery collection features works by Banksy, Maser, Vader and Chloe Early. The opening menu is a bit of a please all with Buffalo wings, salt beef tacos and 'grannies' corned beef and cabbage, and cocktails are inspired by the art. They're open from 12:00 till late seven days a week, and you can book via their website . Bua Food trucks are on a roll right now - low overheads, little commitment and the ability to place them wherever permits allow makes them the perfect mid-pandemic opening. Bua is the city's latest and opens on Mobhi Road in Glasnevin (an area severely lacking in good coffee) this Wednesday. Coffee is from Roasted Brown with treats from Bear Lemon, and the menu will expand to sausage rolls and toasties in the next few weeks. Open Tuesday - Sunday 08:00 - 16:00.

Never one to let a global pandemic get them down, this week sees new openings from established restaurateurs and newbies alike... Hush, Rathmines Hush is the latest opening from chef Jules Mak, who also owns Mak at D6 in Ranelagh. During lockdown they experimented with a burger night on Tuesdays, and it was so popular that he and his business partner decided to make it a permanent fixture in Rathmines. Hush will serve sandwiches by day and burgers by night, and there's going to be a secret wine bar out the back. Sandwiches include the classic glazed grilled ham and cheese on sourdough (check out those ham ratios), and the carne asada with grilled steak, melted provolone, crispy onion and tarragon mayo. At night there's a classic double cheese burger, a beer-battered cod fillet burger, and buttermilk chicken burgers. Hush is due to open for sandwiches and coffee by the end of this week, with the burger menu following a week or two after. Follow them on Instagram for updates. V-Face, Stoneybatter After a much longer delay than owner Sarah Boland anticipated, vegan burger bar V-Face has finally opened a permanent space in Stoneybatter. Their legion of fans include vegans, veggies and carnivores alike, and they've now added wings, v-dogs and loaded fries to the menu - we're very much feeling the kimchi bomb fries with lime drizzle, cilantro, sriracha, cheese, mashed avocado & sesame seeds. The "lethal burgers without the killing" include the 'Magic Mushie' with a battered portobello mushroom, spinach, Gouda and garlic mayo, and the 'Classic John' with a beetroot and chickpea patty, lettuce, cheddar cheese, tomato, red onion, gherkins, ketchup & mayo, served on a beetroot bun. V-Face is open from 12:00 - 21:00 Monday - Sunday and you can book a table on their website . Café On 2 At Brown Thomas What was formerly Green Bean Café in BT's has been taken over by the unstoppable Kemp sisters (Domini and Peaches), and renamed 'Café On 2' - although this is due to be rebranded in the coming weeks. The menu however looks like a seriously welcome change for department store dining, with breakfast options including black rice pudding with mango, coconut milk and berries, lunch including pulled beef & kimchi on a brioche bun with kewpie mayo and fries, and desserts including warm banana & white chocolate bread with dulce de leche and whipped cream. There's also a milkshake menu with options like chocolate and peanut butter brownie, banana split & pretzel and a nutella shake. Café on 2 is open the same hours as Brown Thomas , with the kitchen closing one hour before the store shuts its doors. See the menu and book on BT's website . John's Bar & Haberdashery John's Bar & Haberdashery has just opened on Thomas Street in the Liberties, and if you're wondering how a pub can open in the middle of a pandemic that's forcing pubs to stay closed, it's thanks to owners Press Up installing another Wowburger in there. Pints and burgers, problem solved. The building itself dates back to the 1600's, and it's named after a haberdasher, John Creeth who ran his business there in the 1850's. Expect whiskey, Guinness, traditional sweets and haberdashery bits for sale. Open seven days a week from 12pm - late.

Back in a time when we had some way of differentiating one week from the next, nothing would get us more excited than a new restaurant opening. It seemed like a week didn’t go by where Dublin wasn’t getting something fresh and exciting - an Irish chef returning from London with a pocketful of key money and a headful of new ideas; a barista setting up their own coffee shop in a disused lifeguard station - you know, something different. Certainly, recent events have very much put a stop to new openings and shiny new ideas, but not entirely, and all the claps for these people who've opened shop over the last few weeks, giving us all some much needed hope for 2021... Mona-mie, Dublin 8 Dublin doesn't have enough (good) bakeries - this is a fact. There are only so many cruffins that Scéal and Bread 41 can make in a week. The brilliant No Messin' in Smithfield was a much appreciated addition to the Dublin baked goods scene this year, and now one of their original bakers, Dani Carnevali, has gone on to set up Mona-mie with fellow baker (and Venezuelan) María Rodríguez, selling "French treats with a Venezuelan touch". They opened this week in The Fumbally café selling McNally Boskoop apple tarts and lemon meringue pie, as well as traditional Venezuelan pastries like cachitos (ham brioche) and golfiados (sticky aniseed brioche with fresh cheese). Find them in The Fumbally every Monday from 09:30 - 15:30, with hopefully more days to follow. (LC) Salumi, Terenure If there's one food that signifies the great pandemic of 2020 (apart from sourdough and banana bread) it's grazing boxes. It appears that being stuck inside all the time makes us want to eat constantly, and while there are plenty of options for getting one delivered, Dublin now has its very own grazing box shop. Mark Leavey and family opened Salumi in Terenure two weeks ago selling three different sized boxes (piccolo, medio and grande) containing cheeses like 14 month comté and 12 month Manchego, Italian meats like Coppa di Parma and Prosciutto di San Danielle, olives, tapanade, pesto, crackers, bread sticks and lots more, as well as wine on tap to go. They're open from 10:00 - 19:00 Monday - Friday and 11:00 - 19:00 Saturday and Sunday, and sold out of stock twice in their first week so plan ahead by ordering online . (LC) Conchita Bakery, Parnell Street File this under “Thing We Never Thought We’d Say in 2020” but Dublin now has its very own Mexican bakery. Conchita Mexican Bakery opened on Parnell Street in October serving coffees and freshly baked pastries and breads, including Concha - sweet bread rolls topped with chocolate, vanilla, marzipan or Oreo, which can be stuffed with fruit, ice-cream, or custard. We're also intrigued by the Pastel de Elote - a traditional creamy corn cake. (HC) Yoi Ramen, Barrow Street Tucked away near Google’s HQ building on Barrow Street in Dublin 4, new Japanese spot Yoi Ramen is promising us the “best ramen in town”. Big words indeed. The menu, available for click and collect and delivery to some areas, looks promising and seems to be getting good reports, with sushi and sashimi, poke, gyoza, and of course ramen. (HC) Aventura, Malahide/Portmarnock Aventura have been keeping Portmarnock train station commuters in excellent coffee (from Newry roastery Koffy) since 2015, and thought the pandemic was going to be a disaster for them with hardly anyone commuting to the city centre any more. Instead they're busier than ever with the masses of people in the area working from home queuing up daily for lattés, ciabattas or one of their brilliant selection of cakes from Mud Bakery, Oh Happy Treats or The Carrot Cake Lady. Now they've opened up a second spot in a horsebox on top of Paddy's Hill, in between Malahide and Portmarnock with sweeping views down along the coast, and the many people out walking each day are making them very welcome. Queues at the weekend have become the norm, but no one seems to mind the wait. They're open seven days a week, from 07:30 Monday - Friday and 08:30 Saturday and Sunday, until 16:00. (LC) Provider, Harold's Cross Brother and sister Ciaran and Maeve Donohue have opened artisan deli Provider in Harold's Cross, an area they felt was crying out for a good food shop. They're stocking loads of great Irish produce, like Upside Coffee, White Mausu, Goatsbridge and Crossogue, as well as imported products they love like Kombucha Kat, La Croix drinks and Kewpie mayonnaise. They serve an ever-changing selection of deli sandwiches, salads and antipasti, as well as pastries and other baked goods, and wine is coming soon. They're open Monday - Friday from 08:00 - 19:00 and at the weekend from 09:00 - 18:00, and they're also pet friendly so feel free to bring the dog along. (LC) Monck's Green, Phibsboro Phibsboro's former Woodstock Café has reopened as Monck's Green with new head chef Eoin Morris (formerly of The Pigeon House) in the kitchen. The owners say the pandemic had them feeling like the sky was falling down, but ended up making them refocus on what they're really passionate about. The menu features less soup, scones and toasties and more 'Pea Smash' ( smoked aubergine, poached eggs, peanut rayu and fermented hot sauce), hake tempura with mango chilli salsa and homemade flatbread, and reuben pastrami sandwiches. They're also going big on plants, with plenty of vegetarian and vegan options. They've installed a hatch at the front making it easier to grab and go, and plan on adding in dinner once life gets somewhat back to reality. For now they're open seven days a week for breakfast, brunch and lunch. (LC) Fire Byrd, Ranelagh Bringing a little taste of Nashville to Dublin, Fire Byrd offer a menu covering all things chicken plus sides like tater tots (little balls of hash brown delight), fries, charred corn and fried pickles. The chicken comes in mild to super-hot and there’s a milkshake menu to help you cool down. There will be dine-in seating once restrictions are lifted, but it’s takeaway for now. Open Wednesday - Sunday. (HC) Dash Burger, Kevin Street Our love of Pang, and especially their curried lentils, was no secret and we were really sad to learn that they closed down in July. A short hiatus and they reopened as Dash Burger offering LA-style smash burgers and fries which are available for click and collect . Burgers are available in doubles and triples, and they're also doing ice-cream from Three Twenty ice-cream lab . (HC) Margadh, Howth Some businesses have pivoted, some have merely swiveled, and others have practically pole-vaulted into new operating models. Step forward the team behind Mamó who have recently opened speciality store Margadh , selling bread, bakes, toasties, and lots of lovely artisan foods. The main draw here is probably the chilled dishes to cook at home, like the chestnut mushroom ravioli with Gruyére and pine nuts, but the morning cake is the perfect addition to an early coffee and the wine selection is the best for miles around. (HC) The Sambo Ambo The Sambo Ambo , DJ Marcus O’Laoire’s bright orange former ambulance, is now on the road and serving some nice looking sandwiches, covering everything from a cheese toastie to a roll stuffed with halloumi and Goan coconut curry sauce, which seem to be hitting the spot - on their first day they sold out in 2 hours. Keep an eye on their Insta for upcoming locations. (HC) Wine Upstairs, Leeson Street In what seems to be a bid to fill every inch of Forest Avenue ’s space with all of our favourite things, they’ve joined forces with wine importer Wine Mason to launch Wine Upstairs on the mezzanine, featuring wines from their mainly European portfolio. Open Monday - Saturday 11:00 - 17:00. (HC) Neighbourhood Wine And just across the road in the former Leeson Lounge, wine trade pals Shane Murphy and Mick O'Connell have opened Neighbourhood Wine , a "destination wine shop" which they say will sell the best bottles currently available in the country, as well as interesting beers, craft cocktails and glassware. They're open seven days a week from now until Christmas and are working on an online shop with delivery, so keep your eyes peeled. (LC) Double 8, Camden Street and Mount Merrion We feel like Double 8 have put us through a rollercoaster of emotions in the past 12 months. Originally operating in Bray, they opened a pop-up in Dublin at the end of 2019 which made us very happy indeed. We loved their dumplings and hoped the pop-up would lead to an announcement of a second location in the capital but noooo, instead they broke our hearts in June with the news that they were ceasing trade in Bray. We bravely went about our lives, only to learn in October that they had quietly opened on Camden Street, proving that miracles do happen. They’re now operating click and collect and delivery and have recently added a south-side kitchen by taking space at Union Café in Mount Merrion. In addition to dumplings, they’re also doing side dishes like fried rice and dan-dan noodles which we’ve tried and are as delicious as the dumplings. Word on the street is that they’ll also reopen in a new location in Bray in 2021. (HC) Brindle Coffee And Wine Frist Draft Coffee and Wine on Lennox Street has undergone a bit of a transformation and is now Brindle Coffee and Wine under new management. Serving Roasted Brown coffee, plus plenty of snacks and nibbles, their website also has over a hundred low intervention wines available for delivery nationwide. Open seven days a week from 08:00 - 19:00. (HC) The Orange Goat, Killester Right before lockdown in March we enjoyed brunch at The Orange Goat in Ballsbridge and had lots of plans to make it a regular occurrence. While that didn’t go entirely to plan, we were delighted at the news that they’ve expanded to the north-side and opened a second café on Collins Avenue. Coffee Picker coffee, cakes and brunch are all available for click and collect orders from both locations via their website . (HC) And Soon... It looks like there may be white smoke, or at least some pizza oven smoke, appearing over Blackrock, as Forest Avenue’s Little Forest is opening quietly this evening for takeaway pizzas only. They’ve taken on Reggie White (ex Pi Pizza) as part of the kitchen team for a menu that will focus on fresh pizzas, pastas, and snacks. All Bar Chicken are getting ready to open site number two on Capel Street, 147 Deli are getting into the food truck game with Just Chubbys (coming soon), and Brother Hubbard are opening site number three next week - location to be announced. More details when we get them.

December is not just bringing tidings of joy, it's bringing even more new food to look forward to, including crab croissants, crispy pizzas and upscale Italian... Little Forest We've been talking about it since pre-Covid times (remember those?), but Little Forest in Blackrock, the new Italian from the guys behind Forest Avenue and Forest & Marcy is finally open. What has everyone is a spin is that the man making the pizzas is Reggie White, one of the original founders of PI (which we called the best pizza in Dublin ), so it's unsurprising that their click and collect slots have been going fast. Pizzas include the 'Salsiccia Picante' with scamorza and pickled jalapeno, and the 'Roast Cauliflower' with grana padano, basil, taleggio, grapes and brown butter, and Reggie says this is a crisper pizza than the ones he's made before. They're using a wood-fired oven and mixing most of the dough by hand, and toppings will change regularly. An antipasti and pasta menu will be added in the new year, when they hope to open for indoor dining, and the wine list will be fully Italian. It's takeaway only for now and you an book a collection slot here . Brother Hubbard @ Arnotts Brother Hubbard opened their third location yesterday, in Arnotts (where Joe's used to be, at the Liffey Street entrance). Expect the food to be along the same lines as their other two sites, with a Middle-Eastern feel, lots for vegetarians and vegans, and plenty of the baked goods they're known for. Coffee is from Farmhand, which is roasted at their HQ on Capel Street, and they'll have inside and outside seating, available once restrictions ease on Friday. Until then it's takeaway only. Opening hours are the same as Arnotts. Nanetti's Cirillo's are going all fancy with their long-awaited second opening, Nanetti's on Dawson Street, in the space where fine dining restaurant Amuse used to be. Like its sibling, it's Italian, but slightly more upscale, and there's no pizza. We like the sound of the smoked buffalo mozzarella with winter truffle, the linguini nero with poached lobster, and the pistachio semifreddo with cardamom caramel, and we're expecting a good wine list. Nanetti's opens this Friday at 22 Dawson Street, and enquiries can be made by emailing info@nannettis.ie. Little Lockdown Northside Northsiders have been begging Gaz Smith to open a Michael's across the river for years, and while that wish hasn't quite come through, they now have access to some of the restaurant's best produce, with the opening of 'Little Lockdown North', at the front of Higgins' Butchers in Sutton. Little Lockdown, their grocery and deli, is where second restaurant Little Mike's was pre-Covid (and will hopefully return to once normality resumes). They're promising excellent coffee from Upside, crab croissants, grade A cheeses and meats, and some very special wines. Little Lockdown North is having a soft opening today from 13:00. and opens fully tomorrow.

There's the tiniest ripple of energy coursing through the city, can you feel it? Little green shoots here and there, whispers of plans being worked on for when lockdown's lifted, existing businesses adapting to changing times. We're not going to say we're out of the woods yet, but things are looking every so slightly up. Here's what's opened in the last few weeks as well as more to look forward to... Allta Bakery, City Centre Unless you've been taking an Instagram detox for the past fortnight you're probably aware of Allta 's new Bakery, and the fact that people have been happily queuing for up to 90 minutes to get their hands on rhubarb and sheep's yoghurt doughnuts, matcha and pistachio croissants and kouign-amann with salted caramel namelaka. It's open Saturdays from 10am until sold out which has generally only been taking an hour or two, and they're working on ways to make the queue move quicker. We are really hoping this extends past-lockdown and into a permanent Dublin fixture, and that the hype dies down so we can attempt to brave that queue. Check out last week's menu here . DEADLY Bagel, Churchtown/Terenure Chef Ciarán Hyland started DEADLY Bagel last month and they're already struggling to keep up with demand. He graduated from Culinary Arts in DIT in 2016, and worked in kitchens in Dublin, Melbourne and Auckland, but after two trips to New York he couldn't shake the idea of bringing NY-style bagels to Dublin. They're handmade the traditional way with an overnight proof, before being hand-shaped, boiled, topped and baked, and they're using Irish ingredients like Glenstal butter, Olly's Farm Raw Honey and Hegarty's Templegall cheese, both in the bagels and in the whips they sell to go with them - nduja whip on a cheesy bagel FTW. They have a small team of bakers working out of Churchtown with collection from Terenure and limited southside delivery on Saturdays, but they've been so busy that they're hoping to expand to more areas in the next few weeks. Order here . Puck Lane, Whitehall After decades of nothing but bad deli push-button coffee, Whitehall in Dublin 9 finally has a quality coffee destination in the form of "coffee and grub barn" Puck Lane , in Whitehall GAA club. They're serving Silverskin coffee, hot and cold breakfasts and sandwiches, and say they're all about stories, both from their suppliers and their customers. They asked for submissions for their first cup design, which they'll change three times a year, and the first one they've picked is from a local couple who devastatingly lost their duck-loving 13-month-old to cancer a few months ago (read the full story about baby Zack here ). They're determined to keep his memory alive, so the drawing of him and his ducks will feature on all of Puck Lane's cups for the next few months. Follow them on Instagram here . Dabbawala, Churchtown Gurj Sandhu grew up in a family who owned Indian restaurants in Dublin (Kohinoor on the NCR, Crown of India in Bray, Akash in Blackrock), but decided to go down the accountancy route instead. A few years later, after constantly listening to his friends complain about how hard it was to find great Indian food at a good price, he did an about-turn back to food and has opened up take-away Dabbawala in Churchtown, with he and his father in the kitchen. They call Dabbawalla their "humble attempt at providing good quality, comfort food that doesn’t break the bank", and you'll find lots of the West-meets-India greatest hits, like chicken tikka masala, butter chicken and chicken jalfrezi (chicken is the only meat currently), as well as starters like samosas and pakoras. Dabbawala is currently open from 18:00 - 21:30, Friday to Sunday, but hope to expand if the appetite is there. Check them out here . Little Honey, Loughlinstown Little Honey opened a few weeks ago in Loughlinstown Shopping Centre, and is a little sister to catering company Rustic Honey . Everything they serve is made from scratch on site, and the sausage rolls, cinnamon swirls and cookie sandwiches are calling us. Coffee is from Imbibe, and they're currently waiting on a patisserie fridge to arrive so they can expand to fresh cream cakes and coffee slices. Pleasingly retro. 186 West, Perrystown The owners of The Laurels bar and restaurant in Perrystown have opened new coffee house 186 West in a 20-foot shipping container outside, serving JJ Darboven coffee. They say they did it to survive and to retain their brilliant staff, and they've just added a soft serve ice-cream machine. Wonder if we could get an affogato... Check them out here . COMING SOON... Tír Deli, Baggot Street Tír Deli is a new sandwich shop from chef Shane Kelly (formerly of An Fulacht Fiadh, a seasonal Irish street food grill), devoted to celebrating Irish food through fire and fermentation, and putting it between two slices of crispy, chewy sourdough. He'll be smoking, grilling, pickling, fermenting, curing, braising and roasting, and they're keen to stress that the menu won't be consistent because nature isn't consistent, but the love and effort going into the food will be. From the opening menu we're eyeing up the 'roast beef', with smoke-roasted Dexter beef, onion marmalade, Irish cheddar, fermented horseradish mayo and Keogh's salt and vinegar crisps on Tartine sourdough, but would happily settle for the 'pork belly' with smoked free-range pork, crackling, seasonal greens, rhubarb relish and mustard mayo on a Bretzel ciabatta. Follow Tír deli on Instagram here . Just Chubbys, Ringsend While Dublin is quite literally drowning in burgers and fried chicken right now, and definitely does not need any more (see also: cookies), we're giving a pass to 147 Deli's Barry Stephens and his new food truck Just Chubbys , because if his fried chicken sandwiches are as good as his other sandwiches, the reality is we'll be queueing up for them. The American-style food truck is going to be parked at a currently undisclosed location in Ringsend and should be open in the next few weeks, and the plan is to have cheese burgers, fried chicken burgers and tacos on the menu (there's also a whisper of ceviche which we're hoping makes the final cut). Follow them on Instagram for updates. Pog Malahide The North County Dublin village of Malahide has never quite had a café worth travelling for, but that's all going to change next month when Póg open their fourth café on main street. It's going into the site that was formerly 'In Love Café', and our main concern revolves around getting a seat at weekends once things reopen. The opening menu features their famous protein pancakes, gut health bowls and beef brisket sandwiches, as well as every colour latté you can imagine, from pink beet chai to blue majik. Póg hope to be open for take-away only to start from Friday 2nd April. Glas Deli, Ranelagh Vegan/vegetarian restaurant Glas on Chatham Street is opening site number two in Ranelagh next week and this one's a deli, so you can bring all of that vegetable-based goodness home. There'll be snacks, pantry items, ready meals and desserts made by the chefs from Glas, and the opening line up will include homemade sauerkraut, squash rillettes, lentil meatballs in a puttanesca sauce dish, charred celeriac with dill chowder and horseradish mash, and a pear and olive cake. They'll also be stocking vegan and vegetarian produce from other companies, both Irish and European. Glas Deli opens at 36 Dunville Avenue in Ranelagh next week (day TBC but keep an eye on their Instagram page for updates).

Another month, another round of new openings. While we're not entirely sure at the moment which restaurants are going to reopen or shut their doors for good at the end of this fiasco (some are worryingly quiet), we do know there's still plenty of activity going on out there, and this lot are keeping our spirits high. Treehouse Treats We've been dying to see what Mister S ex-head chef Daniel Hannigan was going to do next, and now we know. He's set up Treehouse Treats , a coffee and dessert truck, with fellow industry pals David Keane and Luke Murphy. Their airsteam has pitched up in Knocknashee Estate in Goats Town, and they say they're aiming to bring a restaurant standard to their food, which is maybe surprisingly focused on dessert. Chocolate and whipped caramel tarts, vanilla cheesecake with lemon curd and hazelnut choux buns (see, told you ) are all on the menu, as well as duck doughnuts with rhubarb hoisin - yes, the perfect marriage of sweet and savoury. Coffee is from Red Eye, and soon they're starting a click and collect for whole desserts. Treehouse Teats is open seven days a week from 08:00 - 16:00 Monday - Friday and 10:00 - 18:00 Saturday and Sunday. Bao Bun Street Food, Aungier Street The bao wars are officially on as Aungier Street's third bao restaurant has just opened its doors. Bao Bun Street Food (joining Big Fan Bao and Bao House on what will now will called 'Bao Street') already have two locations in Belfast but this is their first foray down south. Owner by a Belfast restaurateur, they decided to expand to Dublin due to their success in take-away and delivery during the pandemic, and because some of the management team have lived here and know the city. They say it's a Taiwanese street food restaurant serving "fresh food fast", and the menu works like this: choose a base (bao bun, fries, rice or salad), choose a protein (chicken, beef, pork, tofu and more) and choose a combo - we're feeling the 'Hot' with kimchi, sriracha, Asian slaw and ponzu chillis, as well as the 'House' with Sichuan, pickled carrot & daikon, Asian slaw & crispy shallots. There's also bao burgers with crispy chicken, char siu pork, halloumi or tofu, as well as pho, dressed fries, and ice-cream bao buns - coming to a '5 Things We Want To Eat' near you soon. They're vegan, allergen and family friendly, open seven days a week and will be BYO when they reopen. Bring on the bao. A Dó Coffee To Go, Malahide A Dó Coffee To Go appeared a few weeks ago fully formed in a former nail salon on Malahide's New Street, selling coffee, vegan pastries, potato curry, a couple of sandwiches and little else. We love places doing a couple of things really well and are happy to report that's the case here. Locals Krishna Padayachee and John Quinn are the guys behind it, but it's Krishna's sister Anna Maria who's been brought in to cook their father's recipes. The Durban potato curry box comes with paratha, red cabbage slaw, green chutney and yoghurt dip and is going to have us coming back again and again - it also comes in sandwich form for maximum carb on carb. There's also a chicken sandwich and they plan to expand the menu in the coming week. They're open from 08:30 - 17:00 Monday - Friday and 10:00 - 17:00 at the weekends, and you can check them out on Instagram here . Mac Daddy, Temple Bar Dough Boys in Temple Bar has pivoted to become new "casual comfort food" spot Mac Daddy . As you might have guessed from the name they're going big on Mac and Cheese, with toppings like chile con carne, sour cream, Mac Daddy sauce, pickled jalapenos and a cheese Dorito crumb, but there's also fried chicken sandwiches on brioche buns and chicken popcorn. You can properly finish yourself off with cheese or chili cheese fries. They're open Wednesday - Sunday from 16:00 - 21:00 and you can order online for collection or on Deliveroo for delivery within 5km. All Hail The Box, Dawson Street What was formerly Pablo Picante on Dawson Street is now All Hail The Box , a jerk chicken one stop shop. There's only one thing on the menu, the box, and in it you get two pieces of jerk chicken, coconut rice and beans, mango hot sauce, rainbow slaw and jerk corn on the cob. They've also got Caribbean sodas like Ting and Old Jamaican ginger beer. Initial reports are very good, and we're planning a visit soon before taking it for a sit down in Stephen's Green. Greenville Deli @ TwoFifty Square, Rathmines Greenville Deli on Tara Street has done an admirable job of keeping their wheels turning since Tara Street footfall ground to a halt - you can now find their sandwiches in quality cafés around the city - but their latest venture of taking over the kitchen in TwoFifty Square in Rathmines is the most interesting yet. They've just launched weekend brunch boxes with a choice of four mains, soughdough and butter, coffee, a brownie, and a nojito lemonade for €25 pp. You can choose from fried egg and chorizo beans, pulled pork, a breakfast bap or a pancake stack, and they're available Saturdays and Sundays. They're also serving lunch from Monday - Friday with a salad and sandwich of the week and a couple of hot dishes. Order a brunch box here . Tír Deli, Baggot Street We told you that Tír Deli was coming soon a few weeks ago, but can now reveal that they're opening today! We want all four sandwiches on the menu, but particularly the smoked free-range pork belly, season's greens, seasonal slaw and rhubarb chili jam on bretzel ciabatta - see here . Tír Deli opens at 12pm and today and all of their first day's proceeds to the Irish Cancer Society. From tomorrow they'll be open 08:00 - 15:00 Monday - Friday. Check them out on Instagram here . COMING SOON... Bahay A few weeks ago we had an Instagram debate on cuisines you wanted to see more of in Dublin, and right at the top of the list was Filipino, so how excited were we (and you) to learn that Clanbrassil House chef Richie Castillo had a Filipino food truck in the works. He calls Bahay ' (which means home) a tribute to his father and the Filipino culture he grew up with, and wants to introduce people to their rich culture of food he feels is massively under-represented here (hard agree). He'll be serving classic Filipino street food like Inihaw na Manok (grilled chicken), lechon (roasted pork), chicken adobo, lumpia (filipino pork spring rolls) and pancit canton (a noodle dish of Chinese origin, filipino style), served with classic filipino staples such as sinangag (garlic rice) and atsara (pickled green papaya). Other dishes like Kinilaw (filipino ceviche) and homemade longanisa (filipino sweet sausage) will join the menu later, along with vegan options. Richie says they're going to keep the menu short and simple, emphasising the sweet, sour and salty rich flavours of classic Filipino cuisine. Excited much? Yes. Very. Very excited. Follow Bahay on Instagram here . Bujo Everyone's favourite burgers, BuJo , are coming to Castleknock in the next few weeks, and it sounds like the click and collect drive through of our M50 dreams. It's going to be located at Junction 6 where the N3 meets the M50, so will accessible for so many burger lover across Dublin, Meath and Kildare, and it's going to be entirely focused on click and collect, via drive through and dedicated collection hatches. Orders will be placed ahead of time for both hot food and meal kits to cook at home (to avoid Krispy Kreme style queues), and there are over 300 parking spaces so there won't be any dramas getting a spot. Gridlock just got infinitely more bearable.

A word of warning, some of these aren't open yet, in case you're already grabbing your coat and heading for the door, but they sound like they'll be worth waiting for. While you practice patience there's an ice-cream bar, specialty coffee shop and high end retail shop (with a wine room en route) to keep you going... Happy Endings, Aston Quay Happy Endings have been gaining legions of fans for their fried chicken, yuk sung fries and 3-in-1s since setting up in a pub on Dorset Street last year, and now they're going permanent. Their new city centre location opens this weekend (keep an eye on their Instagram for the exact day) at 14-18 Aston Quay (where Pable Picanté used to be), and as well as continuing with best-selling dishes like 'The Jimmy burger' (Mission spice buttermilk fried chicken, pineapple and habanero chutney, peanut and lime satay, slaw, mayo and dry roasted peanuts) and their chicken toast, they'll be expanding into other street food flavours, as well as breakfast and lunch. Some of their specials over the past month are also becoming permanent, like their McRib spring rolls with Rick and Morty szechuan sauce, Reuben fried rice, and Scotched egg wontons. They're starting with a fun evening menu, with breakfast and lunch being added once they're up and running, and they'll have around 40 seats for outdoor dining from the 7th of June. Follow them on Instagram for updates. Benedict's, George's Street Arcade The guys behind Loose Canon have pounced on the old Lolly and Cooks unit in George's Street Arcade, and will open Benedict's Egg Shop in the first week of June. They're describing it as "super straight forward", and while testing is still ongoing, we do know they'll be selling hot egg sandwiches comprising of a folded, buttery scramble with cheese and herbs, and a special breakfast sauce, popped into a bun. Eggs are free-range from Wexford, buns are from McCloskey's in Louth, and there'll be a lot of Irish butter used in the making of these sandwiches. Follow them on Instagram here for opening updates. Daata, Glasthule Daata , Waseem and Rahat Saeed's much loved Pakistani and Indian restaurant in Bray and Greystones, is coming to Dublin, opening in the old Carluccio's site in Glasthule next Tuesday 1st June. They're starting with food, cocktails and lassis to go (takeaway and delivery), but once restrictions lift will open for lunch and dinner, with a small number of tables outside and 100 covers inside. There's a sizeable takeaway menu to start with including dishes like lamb chops with mint yoghurt chutney, their 'famous Afghani chicken', and a prawn coconut curry, and they're also doing a BBQ box to finish at home, with chicken skewers, seekth kebabs and dips. Don't miss their signature cocktail, the 'Old Lahore', with vermouth, bergamot and tonic. Follow them on Instagram here for opening updates. Elm Epicurean, Dublin 4 Those Mamó guys have done it again. They're adding a third specialty food shop to the fold with Elm Epicurean , opening tomorrow at 8am, and from then on seven days a week. It's on the Merrion Road, near Booterstown dart station, and is the same set up as Margadh in Howth and Barrow Marke t in the docklands, but this one will eventually have an upstairs wine room and cheese counter - what post-Covid nights are made of. Owners Jess D'Arcy and Killian Durkin class what they're doing as "hospitality driven retail", with high quality on a small scale. Expect freshly baked bread, charcuterie, cheese, condiments, pantry items, European wines and takeaway meals. They'll also have some outdoor seating from June 7th, and there's 10 parking spaces. Their website launches at 19:00 this evening with menus for the week, and you can follow them on Instagram here . Copper Lane, Dublin 8 Copper Lane is the newest specialty coffee shop in The Liberties, from father and son Colm and Luke Lawless, and coffee fanatic Jonny Northcutt, who used to work for Roasted Brown (Copper Lane's house roaster). They're serving sandwiches from Greenville Deli, and premium Irish products from their grocer section, like Hazel Mountain Chocolate, Scarlet For Yer Ma hot sauce, and Blanco Nino tortilla chips. They're open Monday - Saturday and you can check them out on Instagram here . Betty's Milk Bar, Arnotts Domini and Peaches Kemp never seem to stop moving, and their latest opening is ice-cream shop Betty's Milk Bar , in Arnott's (on the Liffey Street side). On the menu is soft serve (vegan option available), plus home-made toppings like salted caramel pecan brownie, strawberry and lemon compote, and home-made cookie dough. They're also promising churros and personalised ice cream cakes coming very soon. Open now during Arnott's opening hours.

A beautiful new bakery, a fruity food shop, and gelato with a grumpy mascot. Here's what's just opened in Dublin... The Pepper Pot Bakery, George's Street Arcade The infamous Pepper Pot Café in Powerscourt Townhouse (those geniuses that gave us the pear and bacon sandwich and the lightest Victoria sponge known to man) have opened up The Pepper Pot Bakery in George's Street arcade, and they've only gone and made a pear, bacon and cheddar danish. There's also pork pies, sausage rolls, fancy croissants and banoffee brownies, as well as sourdough bread, crusty white loaves and bagels. Bring a very large bag. Open Wednesday - Saturday from 10:00 until they sell out. Grumps, Foxrock Mark Fagan grew up in Foxrock and says there was never anywhere for him to hang out - fast forward a few decades and he's made one. Grumps is a new homemade gelato and coffee shop that opened in the village last week, for kids (and grown up kids) to enjoy Irish ice-cream (from Scúp gelato), locally roasted coffee from Pine Cone Roasters, and treats like pasteis de nata. They're also selling Irish pantry products, and promise that despite the unhappy bunny on their logo, customers will leave with a smile on their face. Currently open 10:00 - 19:00 weekdays and 10:00 - 20:00 on weekends. Greenville, Inchicore Greenville Deli , whose sandwiches have been popping up in cafés and specialty food shops across the city since they shut their Tara Street site due to the city centre emptying out, have opened up another location on Tyrconnell Road in Inchicore. Those sandwiches are of course on offer, as well as bread and pastries from Bread 41, croissants from Medialuna, vegan ice-cream sandwiches from Burr, and condiments, charcuterie and sauces from places like Lilliput, Baste and Chimac. Open Tuesday - Sunday for breakfast and lunch, and they're hoping to add dinner and wine in the coming months. Fruitique, Dublin 2 Fresh food store Fruitique opened last month on Lombard Street East in Dublin 2, specialising in cold-pressed juices and 'health-led' salads, made in-store using fruit & vegetables that are also available to buy. Owner David Tuohy has a background in retail marketing but says 2020 inspired him to follow his dream of working with food, and wants to show people that the easiest way to improve eating habits is to buy the freshest produce, with more flavour and more nutrients. He says they want to raise the bar for taste and ingredient combos, and there's a dedicated space for cocktail enthusiasts, as well as a shelf devoted to Ireland’s best kept culinary secrets, that he hopes will keep customers coming back for new discoveries. Fruitique is open Monday - Saturday. Outcasts, Baldoyle Bagels are coming to Baldoyle this week, as Outcasts open in the Racecourse Inn car park. Industry friends and local lads Ben and Jack like New York style bagels, and US hip-hop group Outkast, so Baldoyle will be getting plenty of both from tomorrow. The actual bagels themselves are from the New York Bakery Company (the guys say they couldn't get a baker in Ireland to meet their demand) but will be filled with things like Gubbeen cheese, Harry's nutbutter and homemade pickled red cabbage. Check their Instagram for opening times.