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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.

A coffee and plant shop in Stoneybatter, an Argentinean bakery in Dublin 8, and an antiques inspired café in Santry. Here's the latest openings we think you should know about... Bakeology, Dublin 8 Dublin's first Argentinean bakery, Bakeology , opened on Meath Street yesterday, selling facturas, alfajores, empanadas and a lot of dulce de leche. Their facturas (a distant cousin of the Danish pastry) will be filled with custard, membrillo (quince paste), and of course dulce de leche, and they'll also have medialunas (like croissants), libritos (named because the puff pastry layers make them look like the pages of a book), and tortitas negras - little cakes covered in brown sugar. Find Bakeology at 43 Meath Street, seven days a week from 09:00 - 17:00. Little Cactus, Stoneybatter Little Cactus owners Kate and Jamie grew up in Dublin, but their passion for coffee, plants and vintage clothes really came to light after moving to Vancouver and discovering concept coffee and retail shops. When the couple decided to move home after the pandemic hit, they decided the time was right to bring their own concept coffee shop to Dublin. Little Cactus opened in Stoneybatter last week and is focused on quality coffee (from Bailies), beautiful houseplants (particularly cacti), and vintage clothes, and we can't think of a better café concept for Dublin's coolest neighbourhood. Pastries are from Tartine, treats from Blasta Kitchen and sandwiches from Greenville Deli. Find Little Cactus at 1a Prussia Street from Wednesday - Sunday. Coffee Run, Santry Coffee Run owner Paul Murphy is an athlete in his spare time, hence the name, and wanted to open a café with a rustic, vintage, antique-y feel, so expect lots of antique radios, telephones and clocks around the place. Sandwiches and pastries come from Tailor and Blue in Phibsborough, coffee is from Drury Tea & Coffee in Youghal, and ice-cream is from Freezin Friesian, from Paul's hometown of Waterford. They're on Northwood Avenue, just between Santry and Ballymun, and open seven days a week.

We went such a long time with barely anything happening on the food scene that it feels like sweet relief to see new shoots popping up all over the city again, with some heavy hitters among them. Here's what's happening in Dublin right now... Library Street, Dublin 2 We've been keeping a close eye on Kevin Burke since he moved home to Dublin mid-pandemic and started working at Allta on South Frederick Street. It seemed obvious that the former Head Chef of Michelin-starred The Ninth in London had eyes on his own place, and when Allta chef/owner Niall Davidson decided they had outgrown the space (after their very successful Allta Summer House pop up at Slane Castle), Burke decided to take it over. Library Street will open in the next few weeks with a focus on interesting wines, sharing plates and seasonal food from across Ireland, and we're about as excited for this one as we were for the original Allta (remember we gave you guys first dibs on booking their soft launch and you crashed the website? That, again.) Library Street was the name originally intended for South Frederick Street, as it leads towards Trinity College's library, and the chef is promising dishes like crispy chicken wings stuffed with scallop and tarragon mayo, whole baked bass with fennel and mussels, and Kouign Amann milk ice-cream sandwiches with caramelized apples. Stay tuned for booking details. Allta Winter House, Dublin 2 They're keeping things very quiet on this one, with only the meerest glimpses of what's happening, but work on Allta Winter House is well underway on the top two levels of Trinity Street car park. The format will be similar to the game-changing Allta Summer House , with a ticketed 12-course, frequently changing tasting menu (€95) at the top, and an art gallery and cocktail bar called Glove Box below. We're on the edge of our seats waiting for news about the launch and expect it to be open in the next few weeks. More when we have it. Six by Nico, Dublin 2 You might know Six by Nico from Belfast, but if not the UK restaurant group from Scottish-Italian chef, Nico Simeone, is known for changing their six course tasting menu every six weeks. There was a lot of buzz last week when they announced their ninth restaurant would be opening at 1 Molesworth Street, formerly home to the short-lived Le Pain Quotidien, in November. However eyebrows were raised when stories emerged that the group were accused of mistreating staff by trade union Unite earlier this yea r . The company deny the claims. This is their first opening outside the UK, and will seat 56 diners alongside an open kitchen, with the tasting menu priced at €45 and an optional wine pairing for €39. Ebb & Flow, Camden Street There are not enough good places in Dublin for a really excellent brunch - sad fact. So when we heard Ebb & Flow (formerly in Clontarf) were opening a new place on Camden Street (where Cracked Nut used to be) focused on brunch, our ears perked up. It's owned by the same people as Full Circle coffee, and drinks be will espresso-based with seasonal rotations. The menu includes dishes like soufflé pancakes with berries, pork bao with Korean short ribs, and 'The Forager' - sautéed wild mushrooms, truffle oil, poached eggs and spinach on sourdough toast. They've also got an in house baker making things like banoffee cake, and will have 'classy cocktails' at the weekend. Sign us up. They're open Monday - Friday from 08:00 - 16:00 and 09:00 - 16:00 at weekends. Ana's, Rathgar There was an outpouring of dismay last week when Fia in Rathgar announced they were closing (we hear they're hoping to reopen in Rathfarnham soon), but it seemed like we blinked and ' Ana's ' had opened in its place. The eponymous Ana is a fourth generation chef from Lisbon who's been in Dublin for the past seven years. She's had a longtime dream of running her own neighbourhood café, so when she spotted the lease was up for grabs she jumped, and that's how you can now find pastéis de nata in Dublin 6. The menu is an Irish/Portugese mash up, with avocado toast, soups and sandwiches like the 'Bó Loca' - Irish beef slow cooked in a Portugese wine reduction flavoured with peppers and herbs served on bread. Fresh cakes and pastries are made each day, coffee is from Coffee Perfection in Meath, and they have plenty of vegan and gluten free options. Ana's is open for breakfast, brunch and lunch, and she's planning a 'Fridays with Friends' supper club to start very soon. It's 2 Eat, Dublin 8 You may remember we posted about some sensational choux buns from Aventura café earlier this year. Well they were from It's 2 Eat , and the guys behind it have just opened their own café and bakery in The Liberties. Chef/owner Higor Martins left Brazil four years ago with a dream of running his own business, and up to now has been supplying shops and cafés with his pastries and desserts, but as of last week you can get them direct from the source. They've got choux, eclairs, flan, coffee cake, and savoury options like beef sfiha, smoked sausage pastries and coxinha filled with pulled chicken. Everything is homemade and freshly baked, and they open 08:00 - 16:00 during the week and 09:00 - 17:00 at weekends. Find them at 90-97 Cork Street. Also - we're pretty excited about new wine bar Note opening soon on Fenian Street. We'll have the full story later this week so keep your eyes peeled.

Who would have thought in the latest "lockdown without having a lockdown" we'd see so many new openings, but it feels like people are fed up of waiting around and just want to get on with it. Here's what's just opened, with two more to come... Glovebox, Allta Winter House, Dublin 2 It feels like we've been waiting forever (definitely a few weeks) but Glovebox , the art-filled bar under Allta Winter House has finally opened. From Wednesday to Saturday each week you can buy tickets for €20, redeemable against snacks and drinks, and there's a live DJ from Wednesday - Sunday. Snacks, ranging from €8 - €14, include smoked Gubbeen fries; lamb shoulder with crispy potatoes and crème fraîche; tempura soft shell crab with kimchi; and lobster rolls, and the art gallery, curated by artist and designer Ronan Dillon, will rotate Irish and international contemporary artists. Find out more and book tickets here . Luna, Dublin 2 Lovely Luna on Drury street shut unexpectedly in May 2019 and remained closed throughout the pandemic. There were rumours over the past year that another restaurant owner had taken over the space and was going to reopen it, but we were still taken aback to see it reopen just as suddenly last weekend. Its new owners are the same as L'Gueuleton and Hogan's pub around the corner, and L'Gueuleton head chef Ben Dineen has been installed in the kitchen. We're waiting on the first few reports, but this is a completely different Luna than the original. Out with the 1950's NY-Italian theme, in with the bowls of nitro . Yoi Izakaya, Dublin 4 Yoi Ramen near Grand Canal Dock have opened a second site in Dublin 4 - Yoi Izakaya , specialising in "Asian Tapas". Truth be told the menu is almost identical in both sites, but on a recent recon visit we were impressed by the sushi, less so by the ramen. The restaurant is nicely fitted out, staff are utterly lovely, and we'll be back to try more of their "tapas". Lennan's Yard, Dublin 2 Apart from this stealthily released article in the Irish Times, multi-million euro opening Lennan's Yard on Dawson Street seems to have flown under the radar for a lot of people. It's probably not helped by the fact that the website still says coming soon, there's no online booking system, and there's only a scant few posts on their social media feeds, but we're assured that the restaurant and bar are open, with a gastro pub coming before the end of the year. It's from the same owners as Asador in Ballsbridge and Prado in Clontarf, with a former Shanahan's head chef leading the kitchen, and while we haven't seen a menu, a three-course meal is reported to set you back €65-70. The name comes from William Lennan , a saddler who was based on Dawson Street in the 1800s, and the ambitious project is on the site of the former Savills auctioneer’s premises, with a mews and original stables dating from 1780, all part of the restoration project. We're avidly awaiting the first reviews... Arty Baker Romain Tessier's Arty Baker stole hearts and Instagram feeds with his stand at Sandycove Store and Yard, and now he's gone permanent with his first shop and bakery in Dalkey. They're at 20A Castle Street from Wednesday - Sunday, 08:30 until sell out, so get there early for sourdough loaves, chocolate raspberry cruffins, and jalapeno popper croissants. Junior's This is not completely new, but Junior's in Beggar's Bush have just reopened for dinner after a few months of R&D, and the times they are a changing. The former neighbourhood café has turned into a sort of upscale American diner, with chicken and waffles, ox cheek marmalade and bone marrow on toast, and deep fried apple pie on the menu. Initial reports are very positive and we can't wait to get into this one. Coming soon... Chef Adrian Martin, as seen on the Six O'Clock show, and RTE's "Chef Adrian eats Ireland" , is bringing his Wildflower restaurant to Richmond Street, next door to Doolally. The original is in Camden Market in London, where reviews have been good , and not so good . And Filipino food truck Bahay are back next week! We'll reveal all the details you need to know later this week...

An upmarket chipper, a new place for tacos, and a futuristic coffee shop - here's what's just opened in Dublin, and some more coming soon... Taco Libre, Dublin 1 Taco Libre is a new opening on the corner of Capel Street and Bolton Street, from Galway Bay Brewery , who seem to be expanding across the city at neck-breaking speeds. They say that everything is made from scratch by their chef Bruna (who's from Mexico), and they're sourcing a lot from Mexican supplier Picado, including avocado leaves, masa harina (used to make tortillas and tamales) and a variety of chillies. The menu features housemade tortilla chips, elote croquettes, papas fritas with queso fresco, and four different tacos which can be ordered individually. The beer menu is a lot more interesting than the average restaurant, and cocktails are from Craft Cocktails. See the menu here . Salt & Vinegar, Rathfarnham Salt & Vinegar is the latest upmarket chipper to hit the city, opening in Rathfarnham but no doubt having designs on multiple sites. The guys behind it are Conor Kavanagh (ex-Bresson) and Nicky Higgins (ex-Allta/Fish Shop), and everything is fresh and made in house, from the fish finger sandwiches to the chips, the tartare sauce to the pickled onion rings. It's new and it's buzzy, so order online if you don't want to be a) disappointed or b) waiting an age. Lee Sun, Dun Laoghaire W e have tried and failed to get any certifiable information on this one, so other than showing up and banging on the door we're going off what's online - which isn't much. Lee Sun is a new sushi restaurant in Dun Laoghaire opened by a guy called Eric who's described as "the alchemist of Dun Laoghaire", and has apparently devoted 20 years to the craft. They say all of their fish comes from Irish suppliers, and there's bubble tea and Japanese cakes too. Initial reports are positive and we're cautiously optimistic. Griolladh, Dublin 8 Toastie trucks Griolladh have gone permanent with their first site without wheels on Thomas Street in Dublin 8. This one makes four, with food trucks still operating in Malahide, Dundrum and Grand Canal Street, and the toastie is still the centre of the menu. They're open for breakfast and lunch seven days a week, with new additions including a bacon and brown sauce scroll and a mini apple tarte tatin, and a vegan toastie is coming soon. Zakura Sushi, Lower Baggot Street Zakura have opened their third Japanese restaurant at 17a Lower Baggot Street close to St Stephen's Green, in the building which formerly housed Sanai Indian. The menu is similar to the other two on Upper Baggot Street and Wexford Street, with sushi, ramen, rice dishes and noodles, and they're open seven days a week for dine in, takeaway and delivery. Check them out here . H&T Coffee There's a futuristic new coffee shop on Liffey Street near the Ha'penny bridge that's "bringing a brand new aesthetic" to coffee. H&T Coffee describe themselves as "barista led", and it's the first café from entrepreneur Liam Wei. There are H&T hair and beauty salons upstairs and downstairs too, so they're covering all the female bases. Coffee is from Irish roaster Bell Lane and Swedish roaster Koppy, and on the food front they've got cakes and pastries. Coming soon... Nomo Ramen Nomo Ramen , due to open near Camden Street in March/April, is from former IT worker and trained chef Kevin Hughes - a self-confessed ramen obsessive. He trained and worked in China before moving here and getting sucked into the tech world, and says he's spent the last five years travelling and perfecting his ramen, and now he's ready to unleash it on Dublin. He's bringing the noodles in from the US (from the same supplier as Momofuku and Ivan Ramen), and meat will be Irish and free-range. We'll bring you more when they're closer to opening. Spatched Those Sprezzatura guys have been promising us their free-range chicken concept Spatched for months now, so we're excited to finally get our hands on a working copy of the menu - check out that brunch! There's going to be brining, marinating, sous-viding and confiting, all leading up the the final fry. They're calling it "slow slow slow fast food" - we like. Wildflower Chef Adrian Martin's Wildflower restaurant has opened for bookings. The Irish Times did a preview of it yesterday, and we're very unsure about those gold-backed chairs. The pricing is punchy - €70 for a three-course meal (the tasting menu at Variety Jones is €75) - so here's hoping the food lives up to it. The Saucy Cow Your favourite vegan fast food stall is going permanent, bringing their burgers and loaded fries to Dublin 2. The Saucy Cow 's first bricks and mortar site should be open for dine in by the end of February, serving brunch straight through to dinner. We'll have more info for you soon.

Foldable pizza, egg sandwiches, and a new neighbourhood restaurant for Rathgar. Here's what's new in Dublin... South Paw, Temple Bar From the guys at Coke Lane , South Paw is bringing 'pizza a portafoglio ' to Crown Alley in Temple Bar. They say it's the Naples way of "transforming a sit-down staple into grab & go street food", and basically just involves folding up their Neapolitan pizzas and adding some more sauce and cheese on top. There's cannoli too (three flavours) and organic soft drinks from Galvanina. They unofficially opened on St Patrick's Day, so the next time you're wandering around Temple Bar looking for something to eat on the go, you know where to head for. Orwell Road, Rathgar The owners of Charlotte Quay and Coppinger Row (RIP for now) announced at the weekend that their newest restaurant, Orwell Road , opens this Thursday in Rathgar. Leading the kitchen is Daniel Hannigan (ex-Mister S and the force behind the Food for Thought events), and the 24 seat, 'Modern Irish' r estaurant will be focused on as much local and Irish produce as possible. Hannigan says his most exciting dishes so far are a Cais na Tire tortellini in burnt onion broth; lamb rump, asparagus and lamb belly caesar; and BBQ dry-aged turbot with smoked mussels and roe sauce. Orwell Road will open for dinner from Wednesday - Saturday, and lunch from Friday - Sunday, and bookings will be live on OpenTable in the next few days. Mad Yolks, Smithfield Mad Yolks started as a food truck in 2018, with brothers Hugh and Eoin O’Reilly slinging egg sandwiches at festivals and weekend markets. They've lived a nomadic life, popping up in various pubs, but opened their first permanent site on Smithfield Square two weeks ago. Expect brioche buns filled with scrambled and fried eggs, Applewood cheddar, streaky bacon and sriracha mayo, as well as halloumi fries, hash browns and 'carnage' nachos. See you at brunch. Day n Night, Dublin 1 Day n Night opened last week looking like the city's newest health food spot, but serving up an extremely eclectic menu featuring ramen, open crab and caviar sandwiches, and a beef bulgogi breakfast. The owners have been working in Dublin hotels and restaurants for the past seven years, and wanted to open something that people would want to come to day and night - get it - and you can find them at 18 Great Denmark Street (parallel to Parnell Street) seven days a week from 08:00 - 22:00. Coming soon... - Nomo ramen are getting closer to opening with their (sold out) soft launch the first weekend in April - Póg are coming to Clontarf . They're taking over the site that was former Fish and Meat Bone - Remember the very short-lived Shelbourne Social? We hear the site is reopening in the next month or two with a UK-based celebrity chef at the helm

2020 has gone off with a bang in the restaurant industry, with several high profile closures in the first few days, and plenty more rumours about who's next. There were also several closures in December, and between rising council rates, impending VAT bills and the threat of making independent restaurants calculate the calories in every dish they serve, things have been better for the city's restaurateurs. Here's where's closed since December. Deep, Howth The longstanding casual seafood restaurant on Howth's pier closed very quietly last week, with their website and social media accounts disappearing overnight. The blinds are down and the menus removed from outside, but we've been told that the property has already been snapped up - we presume by an existing business or local restaurateur. More news when we get it. Iskander's, Dame Street After nearly 30 years on Dame Street and probably millions of kebabs served to millions of less than sober people, Iskander's kebab house will close this Sunday - but it's coming back as something more upmarket, and it won't be called Iskander's. It's thought to have been one of the first kebab shops in the city, and the family say they want the new iteration to be "a more modern concept". Read more about it here . Amuse, Dublin Conor and Joanna Dempsey's fine dining restaurant, Amuse , announced they were closing last week due to a variety of factors, including a 50% rent increase from €80,000 to €120,000 a year on their Dawson Street premises. They also cited an increase in VAT and rates in this depressing Irish Times article. While Amuse had a lot of fans, with many questioning why they didn't have a Michelin-star, they struggled to drum up publicity in recent years. They had little social media presence, and seem to given up what little they did at the start of 2019, and were rarely mentioned by food critics in recent years, which begs the question of whether people simply forgetting they were there was part of the problem. Fallon & Byrne, Rathmines Fallon & Byrne announced the closure of their Rathmines site on the 2nd of January, with staff reportedly turning up to work to find the shutters down. A company statement said they were closing the branch because it was loss-making, despite rumours that they were planning on doubling in size over the next five years, with new outlets planned in Dundrum Town Centre and Connolly Station. On Sunday the Business Post reported that their landlord, the Swan Centre, is owed circa €140,000 in rent and service charges, and is objecting to them striking off several companies which may prevent them having to pay the bill. Read more about that here . Beo Kitchen + Wine Bar Two days before Christmas, Beo Kitchen and Wine Bar , which brought vegan fine dining to Stoneybatter, announced they were closing due to "difficult trading conditions", just nine months after opening . A glowing review from Catherine Cleary in the Irish Times last May clearly wasn't enough to bring a sufficient number of customers through the door, and owner Ethna McDermott said that no-shows contributed to their business being unsustainable, and that they may have been ahead of their time, when speaking to the Irish Times . Know of any other Dublin restaurant closures? Let us know by emailing info@allthefood.ie

What better way to distract yourself from the rude exit of summer than to plan a few things to look forward over the next few weeks. From movies to end of summer BBQs, authentic Mexican pop ups to wine tastings, here are five of the best things happening in food and drink over the next fortnight... 'Pig' at Light House Cinema Nicolas Cage's new movie 'Pig', about a reclusive truffle-hunter whose prized animal has been stolen, has been called " his most contemplative performance in years", with the Irish Times giving it five out of five . It's playing this week in the Light House Cinema in Smithfield, and prepare to have major truffle cravings post-viewing - if you're really clever you'll book a table in Grano for afterwards. The end of Summer BBQ at Hen's Teeth From 12pm until late this Sunday 5th September, Hen's Teeth will be signing off summer (sob) with an all day BBQ. It's a collaboration with the makers of Kold Sauce, so expect plenty of spice on the menu, as well as limited edition bottles, merch, and typically amazing food from the kitchen. Order a picnic from Aoife Barker Former L'Gueuleton Head Chef Aoife Barker's picnic boxes have been going down very well with customers, and this is your last week to grab one before she changes things up for Autumn. It's forecast to be 19c on Sunday so get planning for what could be your last picnic of 2021. Orders via Instagram . Get Tickets For Neighbourhood Wine's First Wine Fair Neighbourhood Wine on Leeson Street are holding their first wine fair on Sunday 12th September. Tickets are €40 (although ATF Insiders get an exclusive discount code for €15 off) and you'll spend an hour and 45 minutes tasting your way through loads of their range. Get your tickets here . Book A Table At Mexican Pop Up Gabo Chef Jules Mak isn't one to stand still, and his latest creation is Gabo, "an authentic Mexican dining experience", popping up in Hush, Rathmines on the 17th, 18th, 24th and 25th of September. He says that Hush has a kitchen full of Mexican chefs, and they've been working hard to make this one to remember. He's started to tease the menu, and you can book by sending him a DM on Instagram .

Not a bad week of eating by the ATF team, including everything from fine dining by the sea to tacos out of a truck. Here's some of the best things that made it past our lips over the last fortnight... Dinner In Mamo's New Dining Room, Howth There are few places in Dublin I've returned to as often as Mamó in Howth, and their brand new upstairs dining room was as good a reason as any to book another dinner. What was formerly the restaurant downstairs is now a sleek little wine bar that's mostly for walk ups, while where the bar was on the right is now a set of stairs to the first floor, complete with white linen tablecloths and blue velvet backed booths. The rooms may have changed, but the cod chip hasn't, and it's still one of the best things to eat here. We could smell a starter of gnocchi with mangalitsa pork, red pepper and pecorino before it was even set down on the table, and when it smells that good it generally tastes that good - it did. Another highlight was a side of orzo with Balscadden lobster, which came with the market fish - wild cod. We would have happily forgone the fish for a full-sized bowl of this. You would also be wise not to miss a side of chargrilled brocolli with smoked yoghurt and spiced almonds. It's been on the menu for at least a year and should never, ever leave it - Lisa Tacos at Just Chubbys, Clontarf Just Chubbys is currently open on Thursday and Fridays from 18:00, and we got there at about 18:30 to find a short queue and lots of happy diners eating tacos as the food gods intended; hunched over wooden barrels with birria broth dripping down their wrists. We had the beef and Guinness birria with white cheese and birria broth for dipping, pork taco with pineapple and habanero and salsa roja, and the veggie version with portobello mushroom, cheese, confit garlic, and salsa macha. All were great but we’d happily walk to Clontarf for that mushroom taco alone - salt, smoke, chili, Unami; so much flavour packed into a crispy corn tortilla. A side of nachos with jalapeño cheese sauce and salsa roja had us eyeing each other up to make sure nobody was able to snag the last one without consultation, but we regret skipping the corn ribs for the crispy chicken crisps - a full portion of these is probably best left to the die-hard skin aficionados. You can have your food packed to take away but, if you can stick around, we recommend that you eat your tacos as soon as they’re handed to you. Ours held up perfectly in the time it took to eat them, but it makes us sad to think of these great corn tortillas going soggy - Helen Located just behind Lott’s on Clontarf Road, Ciao Cannoli are right next to the Just Chubby’s van so it would be rude to not leave with a cannolo or four. The crunchiest shells filled à la minute, and the perfect balance of creamy and sweet - Helen Tasting Menu, Potager A midweek trip to Potager in Skerries to check on their tasting menu and it's hard to argue with €69 for nine courses with optional petit fours (which must help with waste too). The bread course is always a highlight here and this trip was no different, with a fermented seed bread served with Cuinneog butter from Mayo, and an onion bread served with ricotta and savoury. We were also very taken with a dish of beetroot, cherries, walnut and a buttermilk sorbet. Red mullet with garlic, yellow bean sauce and broccoli tempura was another favourite, and dessert of strawberries with basil and yoghurt was a lovely, sweet but herbal ending - Lisa Brunch at Rúibín, Galway A weekend trip to Galway showed the city of the tribes still punches well above its weight in food (and general good time) terms. Pretty quayside café-restaurant Rúibín has been on the hit list a while and this beautiful two-course brunch did not disappoint. The heat of the Kashmiri-spiced hash browns played well off a poached egg and creamy sheep's yogurt, while grilled peaches with meade and crusty brioche made for a lovely light dessert - Ronan Eel Rosettes & Oyster Ice-Cream at Aniar, Galway Aniar is one of the crowning glories of the city's food scene, and if the look of the plates doesn't make it clear why, the tastes surely will. Chef JP McMahon's menu works hard to hero the best of the west in largely locally-sourced ingredients, and this is a team that really knows how to make them sing. The flaky-salty smoked eel rosette is like the best crisp you'll ever eat (they don't come by the bagful, we asked) but the oyster ice cream - you read that right - is the most memorable invention. Some will run a mile from this, I licked the shell clean - Ronan

We've eaten a lot lately. No judgement okay, it's all research... A Fianco We were first in line for a seat at ' A Fianco ' the new Italian 'wineria' in Stoneybatter from the guys behind Grano. It's petite, meaning seats fill up fast, but there's a clever standing counter which we'd happy pass some time at before parking our bums on those leather seats. Wines are unique, small production and special, and we fully recommend letting them choose for you. Plates are small and simple, with some Grano favourites like polpette and the deconstructed canolo. There's plenty of cured meats, cheeses and things on toast, and we're coming back to go all in on seafood - Lisa Dim Sum From Good World A quick dim sum lunch at Good World on George's Street involved the discovery of Grade A soup dumplings in our own fair city, and we've been looking for a while. Char siu cheung fun and char siu buns also hit the spot. Make sure to ask for chilli oil, and the dim sum menu - it's not always handed out on arrival. The Summer Menu at Sprezzatura Finally got around to sampling the new additions to the Sprezzatura summer menu last week, and the arancini menu alone has doubled since my last visit so I had to try the new spicy sausage with orange and tarragon aioli. It had a surprisingly had a good kick to it, and paired with a herby and zesty aioli it was a nice change from the usual rich cheesy options… Who am I kidding, I already regret not ordering the “Four cheese of Ireland” version. While a couple of their pasta dishes are in need of a lighter summer update (we miss you spaghetti vongole), the prawn tagliatelle really stood out, huge (and not overcooked) Dublin Bay prawns in a white wine, chili and garlic butter, exactly the kind of pasta dish you crave in the heat. Best pasta shape award goes to the Malfadine, and it’s not just a pretty face. Served in a creamy Cashel blue sauce with caramelised onions and roasted walnuts, the flavours and textures were on point - Rachael Lunch at Chapter One I'm not sure how many times in a year is too many times to go to Chapter One by Mickael Viljanen , but I have a problem and can't stop. A recent cancellation for the €65 lunch meant we got to try new some dishes. Foie gras with cherries, wet almonds and Banyuls vinegar involved a game of 'guess which one is an actual cherry' (not the one we thought), and BBQ Wicklow sika deer calf in grilled butter with carrot, citrus and sauce poivrade was described by a younger member of the party as "like steak but better". Never a truer word spoken. Castletownbere cod with 'gnocchi' (no actual potato, just some form of wizardry with flour), girolles, pike roe and shio-kombu beurre was dazzling, and put the all too often watery, flavourless fish into a new realm of flavour excitement. Despite being days from their summer break the team here was riding as high as ever - Lisa From Fish Shop in Smithfield to Ox in Belfast I don’t know any craving as compelling as the one for a good fish and chips: once the idea’s settled into my mind, I just don’t feel right until I’ve given in. That’s one of the reasons I’m always so grateful for Smithfield’s Fish Shop and its pristine seafood plates dished up alongside a great selection of wine. As much as the fish burger scratched that itch for another while, it’s the simple snack plate of squid and capers on toast I can’t stop thinking about: a dream of delicate texture and perfectly balanced flavour. I think I feel another craving coming on… It was back in (just!) pre-pandemic 2020 that I first visited Belfast’s Ox , proud home to one of the city’s three Michelin stars, and I couldn’t find fault with it. This time, though, a mismatched summer tasting menu managed to drop the ball more than once, with a mid-meal series of dishes overpowered by big and bold, dominant flavours. Those misfires are highlighted all the more by the one perfect plate: sun-dried heirloom tomatoes, whipped St. Tola goat’s cheese and beautifully fresh broad beans bring the best of the season to bear in forkfuls, then spoonfuls, then tip-of-the-finger-fuls of salty-sweet joy - Ronan Pastries From The Rock Bakery A spin to Skerries to try out The Rock Bakery' s August menu saw calamansi Danishes, malteaster choux buns, sausage rolls, and spicy apple pie Danishes. All were devoured greedily. If only every village had one - Lisa Recipe's From Ixta Belfrage's New Cookbook Ixta Belfrage co-wrote 'Flavour' with Ottolenghi, has her own Guardian cookery column, and has just released her first book ' Mezcla ', meaning 'to mix' in Spanish (a nod to her Mexican, Brazilian and Italian heritage). I've cooked maybe 10 recipes from it so far, and each one has been a flavour-laden banger, including garlic yoghurt with crispy herbs, giant cheese on toast with honey urfa butter, ricotta dip with hot sauce pine nuts, crispy fried eggs with porcini mushrooms, and mackerel udon. A lot done, a lot more to do... Lisa Ice-Cream from Muckross Creamery, and nothing on the train Honeycomb and salted caramel brownie ice-cream from Muckross ice-cream parlour in Killarney. It's a small family-run business making the creamiest ice-cream from their own herd. You'll find tubs of their ice-cream in selected outlets accross Kerry, but during the summer they open a pop-up from a converted cottage on their farm. Well worth a detour, and at €5 for a massive waffle cone with two giant scoops, fantastic value. And finally, nothing on Irish Rail. A three-hour train trip at 07:30 meant not even a bottle of water was available. With rising energy costs and a need to look at greener modes of transport, they're not making it easy to leave the car at home - Helen

In between spending every second trying to get our new and improved website up and running, we've naturally found time to eat - those calories won't replace themselves. Here's some of what we've eaten over the past fortnight, and what we thought of it... A Quick Dinner, l'Gueuleton , Dublin 2 It's been a while since we sat under l'Gueuleton 's red and white stripped awning, sipping a glass of wine and enjoying a plate of steak frites. With an hour for a quick bite in town we headed for one of their outside, wooden tables and found that steak frites are now a whopping €39. Gnocchi in a tomato vodka sauce with mozzarella and unadvertised artichoke (€24) was the best thing we had, the gnocchi firm and pan-fried. Pork fillet au crepinette was fine and forgettable - box-ticking tourist food with flavour not at the forefront. Truffle chips weren't hot or crispy, and while tenderstem broccoli with chill, garlic oil and almonds had great flavour, the broccoli was overcooked. It's a great spot for city centre people watching, or just to pull in for a glass of wine, and staff were uniformly lovely, but on the food front they could do better - Lisa All The Pastries, Ella's Heaven, Dublin 1 We’ve been meaning to visit Ella’s Heaven on Talbot Street for a while, and the main attraction in the mainly Georgian bakery and café is their Khachapuri - baked, boat-shaped dough stuffed with tangy cheese and topped with a fresh egg yolk. The airy, pillowy bread is perfection dipped in the cheesy, eggy topping, and at €7.50 it’s exceptional value for Dublin in 2022. Don't miss the potato pie, baklava and cream horns too - Ronan Dinner, Thyme, Athlone Athlone on a warm Saturday evening was packed (including plenty of hen parties - nature is returning) so the dark and woody interior of Thyme felt like a refuge from the noisy streets, and we can see why this restaurant has so many admirers. Smoked Gubbeen g ougères topped with chorizo and cheese emulsion set the right tone, and we knife-fought over the last of the tomato and basil butter that came with the sourdough. Starters of rabbit and woodpigeon terrine, and seared scallop with uchiki kuri squash were packed with really fresh flavours. For mains, lamb loin with confit belly and pressed shoulder was one of those dishes where you quickly glance around to see if someone will notice if you lick your plate (corner tables for the win), while seabass with langoustine bisque and fennel was light and something we'd happily eat again and again. The evening was rounded-off with desserts of a perfectly lovely 70% chocolate mousse with raspberries and a black sesame tuile, and a pink pepper panna cotta buried under crisp shortbread and strawberries, which divided opinions. One person at the table thought it tasted "too peppercorny", but they were wrong - Helen Dinner, The Fatted Calf, Athlone If you're eating your way through the Midlands, The Fatted Calf has probably crossed your radar before. Previously operating out of an old pub in Glasson, Co. Westmeath, it moved a few years ago into the glass-box street-level unit of a shopping centre in the middle of Athlone. We've yet to find a restaurant in a shopping centre that has an atmosphere that makes you feel like, well, like you're not sitting in the periphery of a shopping centre, but the menu here definitely feels more upmarket. A snack of chorizo croquettes made us sit up, pay attention, and look forward to what else was to come, and sarters of Castletownbere crab with ruby grapefruit and pico de gallo, and scallops in a savoury broth with mushrooms were both excellent. Unfortunately the 10oz fillet advertised on the menu came out as two smaller pieces of meat meaning that the request to have it cooked (vegetarians, look away now) blue meant that we had one perfectly blue piece, with the other smaller steak was closer to medium-rare, but the taste and quality couldn't be faulted. Accompaniments were very limited so the beef spent its remaining minutes hanging out with some chips that were pale, soggy, and a bit sad looking. The pork saltimbocca was a much lighter dish with pancetta, roast peach and basil salsa, served on a salad of apple and rocket, but again, the accompaniment let it down - boiled new spuds are a joy, but on a plate with apples and peaches is not the place for them. Dessert game here was strong - chocolate orange fondant with salted caramel gelato and honeycomb was perfectly molten in the centre, and the caramel doughnuts with affogato were super pillowy, but we didn't register till afterwards that it was on the menu as Baileys affogato". We tasted no Bailey's, just a pretty weak espresso - Helen Hummus & Fatayer, Izz Café, Cork There are plenty of places in Cork I feel drawn to revisit every time I have the pleasure of being in town, but few have a pull quite like Izz Caf é . Since setting up shop on the city's south quays three years ago, Jordanian-Palestinian couple Izzeddeen and Eman Akarajeh's Middle Eastern feasts have become a local institution. For my money theirs might be the best hummus in Ireland, gloriously creamy and served with a steaming-hot, puffed-up portion of bread, tangy olives and pickles. I also finally got the chance to try their fatayer: a cheesy, eggy breakfast pie with sesame-sprinkled dough and seriously rich filling. Do not miss this next time you're down south - Ronan Farm-To-Fork Dining, Camus Farm Field Kitchen, Clonakilty An hour's drive southwest takes you to Camus Farm's Field Kitchen on the outskirts of Clonakilty: a farm-to-fork fine dining experience that's all about connecting you to the land whose spoils you're about to enjoy. Given that, I'd have loved a few more dishes with real focus on own-grown ingredients - most plates mix with produce from other suppliers without much indication of what came from where. Still, it all tastes excellent . The opening beetroot borani worked wonders with a sourdough flatbread, while slices of smoked pollock matched with grilled peppers and gigantic ripe capers for a beautiful blend of fresh flavours. As enjoyed in the setting sun of late summer, there's few experiences out there quite like it - Ronan The PB&J Sandwich from Bake by Graham Herterich After getting my hands on a preview copy of Graham Herterich's (more widely known as The Cupcake Bloke) new book Bake , I could barely wait to procrastinate from actual work by trying out some recipes. His fruit scones are perfectly light and fluffy; his rye, ale and honey bread is a joy with sliced ham and mustard (or butter, or cheese, or jam), and his PB&J sandwich is a celebration showstopper. It's a bit fiddly and mistakes were made resulting in a thinner than planned jelly layer and some broken sponge, but the taste, my word the taste... - Lisa

It's the first of our monthly 9 giveaways and we have a mega line up of prizes to thank you for supporting our content. Everyone who subscribes by Saturday 17th July will be entered into the draw, and winners will be picked and notified on Sunday 18th July. August's line up of prizes will be released in the next few weeks. 1) A Table For The Opening Night Of 'Mae' Former Clanbrassil House head chef Gráinne O'Keeffe opens her first solo restaurant ' Mae ' in Dublin 4 in August, and we've bagged a table for two for their opening night. We'll also be giving you a voucher for €150 so you can drink and dine in style. 2) A €200 Tab For Hawker We loved Hawker , Hang Dai's new streetside pop up, when we ate there a few weeks ago (read the full once over here ). This month one of you will win a €200 tab and a confirmed booking for you and your mates (usually walk up only). However many you want to share the tab with is up to you, but you'll comfortably feed and water four. 3) Outdoor Dinner For Four At Fade Street Social The prime people-watching tables outside Fade Street Social and in their rooftop garden are like gold dust right now, and we've got a three-course dinner for four plus two rounds of cocktails to give away this month. (Can be redeemed Sunday - Wednesday until the end of August) 4) €100 Voucher For Three Leaves One of our favourite restaurants, the brilliant 3 Leaves in Blackrock, have given us a voucher for €100 to give to one of you so you can fill your boots with pani puri, palak pakora chat and their special biryani, either for eat in (out) or takeaway. 5) Dinner With Wine Pairings At The Legal Eagle/Winding Stair The terrace above The Woollen Mills is currently home to a pop up with one of the best vistas in the city, featuring favourite dishes from The Winding Stair and The Legal Eagle . They've given us a three-course dinner for two people with wine pairings to give to one of our Insiders, or you can do their four course weekend lunch instead. 6) Aoife Noonan's August Pastry Drop And A Class Of Your Choice Ex-Michelin starred pastry chef Aoife Noonan has gone it alone, with a monthly pastry drop delivered anywhere in Dublin and online classes in cake making, chocolate work and desserts. We've got her August drop of a box of 4 canelés to give away this month, along with a cookery class of your choice. 7) Two Tickets To Nightmarket's Pop Up At Roe & Co Roe & Co are holding a summer of D8TE pop ups at their Dublin 8 distillery this summer, and up next are Thai restaurant Nightmarket with a menu including grilled, marinated pork neck with sticky rice, and steamed seabream in red curry paste. We've got two tickets to give away for their lunch tasting menu with cocktail pairings on Sunday 1st August (over 18s only). 8) A Cheese Hamper From Ballylisk Our love for Ballylisk cheese is deep (triple cream for life). They've given us a hamper of all of their cheeses with biscuits and chutney to give away to one of you lucky cheese lovers. 9) A Seasonal Veg Box Plus Strawberries From Harvest Day Harvest Day deliver their organic and 100% Irish fruit and vegetable boxes nationwide, from small farms like Larkin’s Hill Farm in Puckane, Co. Tipperary, Sprout Organic Farm in Rathcoffey, Co. Kildare and Jim Cronin's sixteen-acre Organic Market Garden near Killaloe, Co. Clare. They'll be delivering a Harvest Box as well as some punnets of fresh Irish strawberries to one of our July winners. Read more about ATF Insiders here. Not signed up yet? Join here .

It's that time of the month where we announce our monthly 9 giveaways for August, and once again we have a cracking line up of prizes for ATF Insiders, to thank you for supporting our content. Everyone subscribed by Tuesday 17th August will be entered into the draw, and winners will be picked and notified on Wednesday 18th August. Here's what's coming up... 1) Two Tickets For Allta's Summer House It's been the hit of the summer, with the hospitality glitterati (and the rest) travelling to Allta Summer House on the grounds of Slane Castle each weekend to eat Dexter beef tartare, Cromane oysters with damson, and whole slow-roasted turbot with gooseberry beurre blanc. We've got two tickets to give away for their service on castle grounds on Sunday 12th September. 2) A Champagne Reception And Wine Pairing Dinner At Monty's Monty's of Kathmandu is known for Nepalese dumplings, tandoor oven fired rotis, and the private wine room of your dreams. One of our lucky readers will be heading there (with a plus one) for a Pol Roger champagne reception hosted by owner Shiva in their Santa Rita wine room, followed by a six course tasting menu with matching wines in the dining room. 3) A Duck Tasting Menu For Four At Woodruff We eat in Woodruff weekly with our eyes, thanks to their insane Instagram game - and having been there we can tell you it lives up to the pictures. We've got a four course tasting menu of salt-aged Feighcullen duck with wine pairings to give away to one of you, and you can bring three people along for the ride. 4) A Back To Dine Box Delivered To Your Home Back To Dine 's current at home box looks like a feast and a half. It's a modern Italian, seven-course menu from chef Temple Garner, featuring dishes like Vitello Tonnato, rabbit croquette, and gremolata-rolled porchetta. Not forgetting the Amarena cherry and almond frangipane doughtnut with diplomat cream for the day after. One of you will be winning a box for next weekend, for collection or delivery within Dublin. 5) A Meal For Four At Aventura Our favourite sunshine-filled Venezuelans at Aventura Café have opened their first restaurant in Portmarnock, serving brunch and dinner like their signature picanha steak with chimichurri, chicken alitas with pineapple sauce, and nachos with pulled pork, homemade tomato salsa and the chef's special cheese sauce. They're going to treat one of you to a meal for four people with starters, mains and desserts, any time from Wednesday - Saturday. 6) A Jamon, Cheese And Sherry Hamper From Spain Iberico You may have seen how excited we were a few months ago to have discovered Spain Iberico , and to finally have a source for top of the range Spanish jamon, goat's cheese and sherry without having to get on a plane. They're giving one of you an incredible hamper of four different types of Jamon Iberico, two goat's cheeses, salted almonds, pico breadsticks, and one of our favourite Manzanilla sherries from Bodegas Alonso. 7) Ramen, Bao And Gyoza From Yumo Kits Yumo Kits did much to brighten up our lockdowns with their excellent ramen, gyoza and bao kits, available for nationwide delivery. They're giving one of you a ramen kit for two, a gyoza kit AND a bao kit. You can share (or not) with however many people you'd like. 8) A €100 Voucher For Cluck Chicken Cluck have made Walkinstown a go-to area for fried chicken with their Mother Clucker Burgers, truffle parmesan tenders and kimchi cheese fries. To celebrate their move to free-range, organic birds from Ring Farm in Kilkenny, we've got a €100 voucher to give away, so you can bring your mates and go clucking mad. 9) A Pizza Party For Six From The Dough Bros This week The Dough Bros in Galway were named best pizzeria in Ireland by 50 Top Pizza , a guide to the best pizzerias in Italy and worldwide. If you tried and failed to get one of their at home pizza kits during lockdown (demand was fierce), you'll probably be excited at the thought of a pizza party for six, with bases and a selection of toppings, beer from White Hag, The Dough Bros socks (to keep your feet warm obvs), postcards and other merch. Everyone signed up to ATF Insiders for August will be automatically entered into the prize draw. If you're not signed up yet join here and support independent content.

It's that time of the month where we announce our monthly 9 giveaways for September that all ATF Insiders are automatically entered into, and wait till you see what's up for grabs this month. As always thank you for supporting our content. We couldn't do this without you. Everyone subscribed by midnight on Friday 17th September will be entered into the draw, and winners will be picked and notified on Saturday 18th September. Here's what's coming up... 1) Dinner For Two At Clanbrassil House There's a new chef team in the kitchen at Clanbrassil House and we can't wait to check it out. New head chef James Dobson (previously at Potager in Skerries and two-Michelin-starred Dinner by Heston in London) has been joined by David Bradshaw (previously at Michelin-starred Lyle's in London), and they've unleashed a brand new menu on Dublin 8. They've given us a three course meal for two with a wild blackberry and rose hip cocktail on arrival, and a choice of dishes like roasted onion tortellini with braised shiitake and tarragon; glazed pork jowl with turnip, broad beans and mustard; and baked cream with fennel and wild blackberry (that we featured here ). (Can only be used Wednesday or Thursday evening) 2) A €200 Voucher For Mister S We loved Mister S from the minute it opened, devouring their shortribs, gambas and pork tomahawk – all cooked over live fire at the back of the restaurant - at every opportunity. Their commitment to the absolute best Irish produce while keeping their prices uber affordable really made them stand out, and we ate way more of their heat at home boxes during lockdown than we’d like to admit. They’ve given us a €200 voucher to give away so one of you will get to feast on dishes like whole garlic prawns with focaccia; dry-aged beef rib on the bone; and whole black sole, with however many people you'd like. 3) Two Tickets For The Stillgarden Distilling Academy Stillgarden Distillery , the innovative, community-based distillery in Dublin 8, recently reopened its Distilling Academy experiences, where you can learn all about distilling gin and vodka while creating your own bottle of whichever you choose using Stillgarden ingredients to take home. You’ll visit their community garden and sample a drink from their Old Tom dispenser (the only working model in the world), and they’ve given us two passes for the Distilling Academy experience (worth €200) to give away to one of our lucky Insiders this month. 4) A Gourmet Break To The Pembroke Hotel In Kilkenny We are always, always looking for food-based getaways in Ireland, so were very interested to see that chef Ken Harker (formerly of the Michelin-starred Lady Helen restaurant in Mount Juliet) has taken over at Statham’s , in the four-star Pembroke Hotel in Kilkenny. They’ve launched a series of gourmet food packages to celebrate, and we’ve got one to give away! One lucky Insider is going to win overnight accommodation for two in a double room with breakfast, and a three-course meal in Statham’s, with a choice of dishes like venison ‘bolognaise’ croquettes with parmesan and truffle mayo; braised pig cheek with Jerusalem artichoke, apple and black pudding granola; and dark chocolate crème with coffee caramel and hazelnut cream. (Prize subject to availability and can’t be redeemed at weekends or on holidays) 5) Seafood And Champagne At The Shelbourne September means one very important thing – it’s oyster month at The Shelbourne . They have daily specials, pairings and offers all month in No. 27 , the hotel’s bar, like a half dozen Galway natives with a glass of Laurent-Perrier Champagne, a pint of Guinness, or you can go for broke with a bottle of Billecart Salmon (one of our all-time favourite Champagnes). If raw isn’t your bag there’s also a menu of warm oysters with wine pairings, like oysters Rockefeller with Chablis, or smoked oysters with creamed leeks and Goatsbridge caviar with New Zealand sauvignon blanc. To celebrate oyster month at The Shelbourne Hotel , we'll be giving one of you a seafood platter and a bottle of Laurent Perrier champagne, so you can head in with your nearest and dearest to live it up for a few hours. 6) A €200 Voucher For Featherblade Featherblade on Dawson Street has got to be the best value steakhouse in Dublin, only sourcing Irish, grass-fed beef from top suppliers, and still managing to sell a steak for under €15 . One of you will be able to go all out with surf and turf, dressed crab on toasted focaccia, their famous burgers (their at home kits were another highlight of lockdown), and all the wine and cocktails, because they’ve given us a €200 voucher to give away. They’ve just had a very nice refurb, inside and out, so there’s never been a better time to a visit. So fresh. So juicy. 7) Dinner For Two At Winedown Wine bar Winedown , on Montague Street, have just released a new menu for Autumn, and don't leave without trying their toastie croquettes, inspired by sister toastie shop Meltdown . They've got plates ' from the sea' , like Irish Porcupine prawns with lemongrass and chilli emulsion, ' from the land ', like Asian marinated bavette steak skewers with house rayu and pickled ginger, and ' from the ground ', like grilled halloumi with romesco and grilled courgettes in a sherry vinegar reduction, and plenty of wines to pair them with. There's also loads of cheese and charcuterie, and the suppliers list is very impressive, featuring Carraignamuc Cottage fruit and veg, Glenmar Shellfish, and Little Italy to name a few. They've given us a brilliant prize of dinner for two with cocktails on arrival, four small plates, two sharing plates, two desserts and a bottle of wine. You'll be well and truly wound down after that. 8) A €150 Voucher For The Wine Cellar In Fallon & Byrne Fallon & Byrne ’s wine cellar is back! It’s been closed for a long 18 months, but it’s just reopened with a new look (including a snug that seats up to 30 people), a new wine list (as good as ever) and new food menu , including pizza and pasta made on site. Their ridiculously good €1 corkage offer is still on offer from Sunday – Tuesday, and they do over 50 wines by the glass, so no arguing over which bottle to pick. They’ve given us a €150 voucher to give away to celebrate, so one of you will be filling your boots with brilliant wine, handcut Jamon Iberico and Neapolitan pizza. 9) Dinner For Two In Zampas In The Hard Rock Hotel Last up for this month's killer prizes, Peruvian restaurant Zampas Bar & Restaurant , at the Hard Rock Hotel , have given us an à la carte dinner for 2 people with a bottle of wine and a cocktail each. They describe their food as "Peruvian with a distinctly Irish accent", and the winner will be able to chose from dishes like wild, locally landed white fish ceviche, Peruvian-style roast chicken from the asador, and chargrilled monkfish with South American flavours. There is not enough Peruvian food in Dublin, and definitely not enough ceviche, so this is all good news. (Subject to availability, non-transferrable) Everyone signed up to ATF Insiders for September will be automatically entered into the prize draw. If you're not signed up yet join here and support independent content in Dublin and beyond.

Our monthly 9 giveaways for October are now live! Everyone signed up to ATF Insiders will be automatically entered into the draw, and we can't wait to make another nine people very happy. As always thank you for supporting what we do, we love you all a lot. Everyone subscribed by midnight on Sunday 17th October will be entered into the draw, and winners will be picked and notified on Monday 18th October. Here's what's coming up... 1) Sunday Tasting Lunch With Wine Pairings At Potager Our love for Potager in Skerries runs deep (read our once over here ), and each meal there is a journey full of twists and turns. Owner and head chef Cathal Leonard isn't working from any playbook except his own, and we're always struck by the originality (and absolute deliciousness) of his food. For a fine dining restaurant the service is so friendly and laid back (echoing Chapter One where Leonard used to be head chef), and the wine list is just as interesting as the food. We've got a Sunday tasting lunch for two with wine pairings to give away to one of you very lucky subscribers, and we're struggling to think of a nicer way to spend a day off. 2) A €150 Voucher For Volpe Nera If you haven't ventured out to Blackrock to try Barry Sun's brilliant neighbourhood restaurant Volpe Nera , you should rectify that ASAP. The former Etto head chef's first solo restaurant has been a hit with everyone who's walked through the door (read our once over here ), and we've managed to bag a €150 voucher for it, so one of you can feast on mushroom dumplings with pickled fennel, lovage and aged soya; suckling pig with morcilla, braised endive and romesco; and spinach and ricotta malfatti with confit egg yolk and courgette gremolata. We just wish every neighbourhood had one. 3) Brunch For Four With Champagne At House Of Bubbles Tickets for new city centre pop up House Of Bubbles go on sale today, and we've got brunch for four with Champagne to give away. It's all about food, drink, disco and glamour, and the three-course evening menu will be paired with sparkling wines (including Champagne) picked by sommelier Cathryn Bell. The menu will include dishes like crab & prawn brioche rolls, and panko lemon sole goujons with lemon and caper mayonnaise and hand cut chips. Brunch will feature dishes like brioche French toast with crispy streaky bacon and maple syrup, and breakfast tacos with avocado, chorizo, scrambled eggs, tomato salsa and potato home fries, with cava to start, followed by Gosset champagne. And if that wasn't enough to entice you, there will also be photographs on display for the first time from photographer Leon Farrell, shot around Dublin in the 90s, featuring Kate Moss, Naomi Campbell and Bono amongst others. House of Bubbles opens on Friday 19th November at Crow Street in Temple Bar and is definitely going to be jam-packed for party season, so if you want tickets we'd hop on this one fast. For more details follow them on Instagram here and get tickets on their website . 4) Spicy Margaritas And A Cocktail Bundle From Craft Cocktails We've been major fans of Craft Cocktails since day one, and have been known to get slight palpitations when our home supply runs low, so we were very interested to see they've launched a special Spicy Margarita for Halloween (yes we have already ordered it and no we're not sure it's going to make it to the 31st without being consumed). They've given us a 750ml bottle of it (serving seven), along with a bundle of their six original cocktails to give away, so your Halloween drink stash will be sorted. 5) Dinner For Two With Wine At Hakkakan We were really impressed with our recent visit to Hakkahan in Stoneybatter (read our once over here ), particularly loving the fresh chilli and salt squid, the basil duck from Silverhill, and the fact that they have an entire menu section dedicated to dumplings. We'll be sending one of you there to try all of their dumplings, along with any two mains, sides, dessert and a bottle of wine. 6) A Year's Subscription Of Full Circle Coffee D ublin-based coffee roasters Full Circle have started investing directly in small-scale coffee growers in Brazil, in order to help the Brazilian coffee industry as it battles the increasing effects of climate change, and protect the livelihoods of farmers in the process. They've committed up front to purchasing a number of lots, regardless of how that year's weather affects the crop, and want to ensure these famers continue growing coffee, instead of switching to a different crop. All of these coffees, plus other single origins, are available to purchase on their website , and they also have a monthly subscription service. To celebrate this initiative one of you will be winning an annual subscription, with coffee delivered to your door every month for a year, along with a Hario V60 and filter papers. 7) A Clonakilty Distillery Hamper Vodka fans listen up. Clonakilty Distillery 's Minke Irish Vodka has just scooped a gold award at The Spirits Business Vodka Masters 2021. It was commended for its "nice creaminess", "good balance" and "peppery spice notes", attributed to the fact that it's distilled from a whey-based (rather than grain-based) spirit, derived from milk produced on a nearby family farm. The maritime distillery in Cork also produces other award-winning, premium whiskeys and gins, and they've given us an amazing hamper including their Minke Gin, Minke Vodka, Seasonal Minke Sloe Gin, Port Cask Whiskey, as well as whiskey and gin/vodka glasses. You will be entirely set for the Christmas season. If you want to see what all the fuss is about you can buy it online or from Supervalu. 8) A €100 Voucher For Veginity V egan restaurant Veginity are always changing things up, bringing food from other countries and cultures to their Dorset Street space, and this month it's all about Ethiopian food - much of which is naturally vegan. The three-course set menu for the month of October is €35, and they recommend diners come hungry to try ther injera, tibs, red lentil Misir Wat, green puy lentil Azifa salad, tomato Timatim salad, and cabbage and potato Atkilt Wat, with an Ethiopian affogato for dessert. See the full menu here . We've got a €100 voucher to give away so two of you can take a culinary trip to Addis Ababa , and if you can't make it there this month, we're sure they've got something just as interesting planned for November. 9) A Food & Wine Packed Hamper From Kate's Kitchen Whenever we're looked for food based gifts we really struggle to find quality hampers full of things we would actually want to eat and drink, so we were very happy to see that Sligo based Kate's Kitchen have just made their hampers available for nationwide delivery. There are loads of options, like the Bosca Bia (€55) full of Irish treats, all the way up to The Kitchen (€190), full of everything you could possibly want in your presses. We've got a very special Many Thanks hamper to give away to one of you, including jams, relish, chocolate, cookies, granola, coffee, and the all important wine. See the full range of hampers and how to order here . Everyone signed up to ATF Insiders for October will be automatically entered into the prize draw. If you're not signed up yet join here and support independent content in Dublin and beyond.

Our monthly 9 giveaways for November are now live! Everyone signed up to ATF Insiders will be automatically entered into the draw, and we're looking forward to sending those joy-giving emails. As always thank you for supporting what we do, we literally couldn't do it without you. Everyone subscribed by midnight on Wednesday 17th November will be entered into the draw, and winners will be picked and notified on Thursday 18th November. Here's what's coming up... 1) Sunday Tasting Menu For Two With Wine Pairings At Circa Michelin-recommended Circa restaurant in Terenure recently introduced a six-course, Sunday evening tasting menu for €55, with weekly changing dishes. Head chef Darryl Haynes and sous chef Conor Morrissey are sending out dishes like monkfish with black trumpets and mussels; boar, crab apple, kale and chanterelle; and a Teelings whiskey soaked sponge with custard, and Circa are treating one of our lucky Insiders to a Sunday tasting menu for two with wine pairings. Can you think of a better way to end the week? See more about Circa here . 2) Dinner And An Overnight Stay In O'Donoghue's, Killarney There's a new place to eat in Killarney and we're sending one of you on an overnight stay to check it out. The newly renovated O'Donoghue Public House has just reopened with the next generation in charge, and seafood chowder, braised beef pie and Mai’s trifle on the menu (the matriach of the family). The signature cocktail list is based on historical classics, like the Killarney Mountain Dew with Bán Poitín, Boatyard Old Tom Gin and clarified milk, and the hand-carved timber bar or one of their many snugs are the perfect place to drink them at. They'll also put you up for the night in one of their three O'Donoghue Ring Hotels in Killarney, with breakfast the next morning. If you're currently swimming in a sea of sickness like the rest of the country this would be the ideal date in the diary to look forward to. (Subject to availability, non-transferable, not valid Bank Holidays, Christmas & NYE. Valid for 12 months) 3) A Christmas Bundle From Dublin Cocktail Lab Dublin Cocktail Lab are all about using unique, high-quality ingredients and methods, and creating products to make the home bartender look like a professional - this is always welcome. Fresh from collaborating on the new Library Street drinks menu, they've given us a Christmas bundle to give away. Whoever wins it will get their Hot Whiskey Syrup , Fig and Cranberry Mulled wine mix , Amabuki Tea (a matcha based gin cocktail), and their limited edition (only 100 made) Dublin Cocktail Lab X Conor Merriman collaboration 'Stout & Chaser' - a collaborative signed, embossed & numbered print by Conor Merriman, and and a 500ml cocktail of Powers Gold, coconut, Guinness, Pedro Ximinez and a balsamic reduction. 4) Dinner And Drinks For Two At The Purty Kitchen The Purty Kitchen , in Dun Laoghaire's oldest surviving premises, has reopened with a new look, new menu and new owners. Friends and hospitality professionals Mark Heather and James Burgess have fully refurbished the iconic building close to Dun Laoghaire DART station, adding a weatherproof outdoor space with heating that will open later this year. They describe the new menu as "comforting, homely and delicious", with dishes including ham hock with black pudding and thyme croquettes, Galway Bay rope mussels in a white wine cream, and the Purty Kitchen fish pie, and because they're a pub too you won't be kicked out once the kitchen closes. They're giving one of you a three-course meal for two including wine pairings as recommended by manager Amanda Gill to accompany your starter and main course, and an after-dinner cocktail. 5) Regal Rogue Australia’s first native vermouth, Regal Rogue was established in 2011 and celebrates its 10 year anniversary this year. The award-winning brand has had a major move to increase sustainability over the past year, with the packaging now 99.5% recycled, using bespoke recycled glass and paper bearing the Forest Stewardship Council stamp of approval. They've also moved to 100% organic Australian wine, and 80% organic native Aboriginal herbs, farmed under biodynamic practices. They're available from select Supervalu stores and lots of the city's wine and spirit shops, but we've got one of each to give away to one of you - Lively White, Daring Dry, Bold Red and Wild Rosé - promising a Negroni, Martini and Manhattan filled Christmas. 6) A Monthly Jaru Meal Kit For Four Now that restaurants have given up on meal kits in favour of opening their doors to customers again, we constantly find ourselves recommending South Dublin based Korean food producers Jaru , for their DIY boxes, hot food to heat at home, and Korean pantry items. Their latest creation is their monthly meal kits , focused on a different region of Korea each month, and they've given us two kits to feed four people to give to one of you on a month that suits you - we'd be earmarking a stress free New Year's Eve get-together. They deliver in Dublin on Wednesdays and Fridays, or any of their food can be ordered for collection from their base in Rathfarnham. 7) G'wan Ireland Hamper Brilliant and beautiful Dublin 8 lifestyle store Hen's Teeth recently launched their G'Wan Ireland Hamper , featuring Irish goodies and treats for the food lover in your life (or a payday gift to yourself). It includes, Blanco Nino Chips, Henzo Mix, Chimac Sauce, Harry's Nut Butter, Mella's Fudge, White Mausu, Bean & Goose Chocolate, Nobu Chocolate, Conbini Sunday Sauce and Assassination Custard's Piccalilli. If something in the line up isn't right they'll let you swap it out, and you can add a gift note at the checkout - they also do custom and corporate hampers for those looking to treat the crew this Christmas. The G'wan Ireland Hamper is usually €90 (ex-delivery) but they've given us one to give away to you lot this month, and they deliver to anywhere in Ireland. 8) Ginger Beer, Poitín And Mixers From Poachers Award-winning Irish mixers Poachers , made in Wexford, come in seven, low sugar flavours, like Classic With Thyme, Citrus with Irish Rosemary, and Ginger Ale with Irish Apple, using native ingredients. Their ginger beer, made with organic ginger, lime, Irish apples and Irish grown chilli from Galway goes particularly well with award-winning Bán Poitín, distilled from potato, barley and wheat, so they've given us a Ginger Beer and Poitín Box to give away so you can see what all the fuss is about. They've also given us a Poachers Mixers Gift Box , and some socks from the Irish Sock Society, because it's getting cold. 9) A Deluxe Dessert Hamper From Cream Of The Crop For a Christmassy finish this month, Cream Of The Crop , the innovative zero waste gelato brand based in Dublin 8, have just released their Deluxe Dessert Christmas Hampers, and they had us at "rum and raisin gelato-stuffed panettone cake". It's a collaboration with other Dublin food producers, so the four gelatos included are Banoffee Pie; Almond Harry's Nut Butter; Sea Salt Caramel & Rua Food Brownie; and a Katie's Kombucha raspberry sorbet. You'll also find the inspiration for the flavours in there with some Rua Food brownies, Harry's Nutbutter and Katie's Kombucha included. They're also throwing in some of their zero waste chocolate covered banana bites, and a €50 voucher for Cream Of The Crop, because once you taste this stuff you're going to want more. Everyone signed up to ATF Insiders for November will be automatically entered into the prize draw. If you're not signed up yet join here and support independent content in Dublin and beyond.

Our monthly 9 giveaways for December are now live! Everyone signed up to ATF Insiders will be automatically entered into the draw, and making people's day/week is definitely the best part of the month for us. As always thank you for supporting what we do, we love you long time. Everyone subscribed by midnight on Friday 17th December will be entered into the draw, and winners will be picked and notified on Saturday 18th December. Here's what's coming up this month... 1) Dinner For Two With Drinks At Sprezzaura Everyone's favourite fast casual Italian, Sprezzatura , has taken on chef Anita Thoma (formerly Il Primo) as Head of Product Development across both restaurants. She's developed a brand new, seasonal menu, adding even more Irish suppliers and growers to the list, with dishes including wild Wicklow venison & pork meatballs; arancini; and tagliatelle with chestnut and portobello mushroom ragu. Their virtual queuing system Waitlist is back in action so no standing out in the cold, and for those wanting to stay home they're also on Deliveroo . One of our lucky Insiders is going in to experience the new menu for themselves as they've given us a dinner for two to give away, with cocktails on arrival, starters, pasta, dessert and a carafe of house wine. 2) Dinner & Drinks For Two At Junior's Junior's in Beggar's Bush has just reopened for dinner with a brand new menu style, based on American comfort food with a serious flavour punch, from head chef Fiachra Kenny. Produce is predominantly Irish, like free-range Salters chicken and pork for the fried chicken and waffles, and schnitzel with anchovies, and Milleens, smoked Gubbeen and Cais na Tire in their Mac and Cheese. We're all over the ox cheek marmalade and bone marrow on toast, and the deep-fried apple pie for dessert, and one of you will be too because we're sending you there for dinner. One of our Insiders will be treated to cocktails, starters, mains, desserts and a bottle of house wine for two, and your only problem is going to be choosing what to have from this menu . 3) A €100 Voucher For Hen's Teeth Hen's Teeth is undoubtedly on the "Dublin's hottest restaurants" list right now, with chef Killian Walsh and team turning out dishes like Korean fried chicken with pork skin and pickles; seabream with cucumber, sorrel and jalapeno; and Connemara mussels in an nduja broth. The wine's natural, the art work is second to none, and the vibes are very Dublin 8. We've bagged a €100 for one of you so you can get in and see what everyone (and we mean everyone) is rating as some of the best cooking in the capital. We're also very excited for their pop up with London-based Willy's Pies on the 8th and 9th of January. How good does this sound ? 4) The Baller Hamper From Boujee Booze Online wine shop Boujee Booze was set up by friends Michael and Simon who'd worked in hospitality and wanted to sell the wine, beer and food they love. They have a killer selection of natural wines (as well as some more conventional types), recipes and snacks to pair them with, and even the best takeaway to suit each bottle, with next day delivery available nationwide. The guys are always on hand to make recommendations or give advice through the website, and we've got a special ATF Boujee hamper to give away to one of you for a very happy Christmas. It's got five top natural wines, Ballylisk Triple Rose, Cashel Blue and Milleens cheeses, Iberico de Bellota lomo and chorizo, damson cheese fruit, mini toast crackers, and olives. You could give this away as a present, but we just want it for ourselves. 5) A €100 Voucher For Pala Pizza We've officially designated Roman-style Pala Pizza in Foxrock worthy of your time, money and travel costs, so are delighted to be sending one of you off to eat all the pizza. The no bookings, outdoor eatery (with heaters coming next week!) will even take a special, pizza oven adjacent booking just for our winner and whoever they choose to share their pizza prize with. Slices range from €3.50 for garlic bread to €8 for a guest special, so €100 will get you a lot of crispy, by the cut slices, and if they have their new focaccia sliders with oxtail and pig trotter ragu on when you visit, you better order it and tell us all about it. 6) A Maharani Gin Gift Set Mahanari gin is made in Cork with botanicals from Kerala in India, a combination of the different backgrounds of married owners Robert and Bhagya Barrett. They wanted to create an original gin with spice, citrus and sweetness, so it's zested with pomelo fruit and spiced with cassia and nutmeg-mace, all sourced from a women’s organic farming co-operative in Bhagya’s home state of Kerala. ‘Maharani’, meaning Queen, won four awards in its first year on the market, including gold in The Gin Masters , and the perfect serve is with premium tonic, grapefruit and mint leaves. Intrigued? One of you will be getting sent a 70cl bottle, London Essence tonic, Mr Bell's spice mix, and some Maharani merch so you can see what all the fuss is about . 7) A €100 Voucher And Sake At Yoi Izakaya Yoi Izakaya in Dublin 4 is the second opening from the people behind Yoi Ramen near Grand Canal Dock, and we were really impressed with the sushi when we visited a couple of weeks ago. They say they wanted to bring the culture of Japan to Ballsbridge, with a multitude of dishes including Asian tapas, ramen and teriyaki, in a modern setting. To celebrate their opening they've given us a €100 voucher to give away to one of you so you can eat as much nigiri, futomatki and gyoza as you can manage, and they're throwing in a bottle of sake too. 8) A Heart Of Spain Hamper Cork-based Heart of Spain are bringing the food and wine of Castilla y Leon to Ireland with their online food shop. From Ribera del Duero wines, to farm-produced cured meats, to artisan sheep's milk cheese, it's like going on an eating holiday without running around Madrid looking for a PCR test centre. We've got an amazing tapas hamper to give away to one of you this month, including wines, cheeses, meats, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, pates, nuts and jams, all delivered in a beautiful wooden box. You can order their hampers online for nationwide, pre-Christmas delivery up until the 20th December, or collect from their Cork shop if you happen to be heading that way for Christmas. There's also 10% off everything until the 23rd! Get on it. 9) A €100 Voucher For Dublin Cookery School In a pandemic-related cookery rut? We're sending one of you off to the Dublin Cookery School in Blackrock. Situated two miles down the coast from Dublin city centre, you'll be heading to their state of the art, modern, spacious cookery studio, €100 voucher in hand, with hundreds of courses to choose from. From pizza to pasta, Japanese to Mexican cuisine, you can see what's coming up at dublincookeryschool.ie , and they sell custom gift vouchers too. Everyone signed up to ATF Insiders for December will be automatically entered into the prize draw. If you're not signed up yet join here and support independent content in Dublin and beyond.

Our monthly 9 giveaways for January are now live with a definite January theme! At home kits, meal prep deliveries and veganism. Everyone signed up to ATF Insiders will be automatically entered into the draw, and we're looking forward to brightening up these dark days for nine of you. As always thank you for supporting what we do. You literally keep the lights on around here. Everyone subscribed by midnight on Monday 17th January will be entered into the draw, and winners will be picked and notified on Tuesday 18th January. Here's what's coming up this month... 1) Tasting Menu With Cocktails & Wine At Ukiyo Ukiyo aren't letting no 8pm lockdown get them down. Their covered, heated terrace off Exchequer Street is serving small plates, sliders and sushi from 12:00 - 20:00 seven days a week, and there's indoor seating too in case you've got the January chills. They've given us a prize for one of our lucky Insiders of a tasting menu for two with a selection of small plates, sushi, otoshi snacks and bento box specials, as well as cocktails on arrival and a bottle of house wine. Could there be a better way to beat the January, how-is-Covid-still-a-thing, blues? Check out Ukiyo here . 2) A Chinese New Year Prize Package From Asia Market The year of the tiger is fast approaching, and who better to show us how to celebrate Chinese New Year on the 1st February than our favourite source of noodles, kimchi and all the frozen dumplings - Asia Market . They're hosting loads of cultural food events across their Drury Street and Ballymount stores (and online) in January and February, including a free Chinese New Year Night Market on Thursday 3rd February, featuring Bites By Kwanghi, Ginger's BBQ, Man Street Kitchen and more. As part of the celebrations Asia Market have given us an AMAZING prize package to give away to one of you, including: - A 'Journey To The East' box for two full of Asia Market goodies, and a ticket to their 'Explore Cook Eat' after-hours online tour and live, interactive cook-along with Malaysian chef Sham Hanifa of The Cottage restaurant on Sunday 30th January - A Chinese New Year-themed banquet feast for two from their Fade Street restaurant Duck - A €50 voucher to spend in-store or online at www.asiamarket.ie Happy new year or what! 3) Dinner For Two With Drinks From V-Face V-Face have been bringing their 'animal burgers made with plants' to the Dublin market since 2019, and opened their permanent restaurant in Smithfield in 2020. We were immediately struck by the amount of feedback they were getting from non-vegans saying how shockingly good their burgers were, and they seem to have gone from strength to strength. They've just launched a new salad and milkshake range for Veganuary, featuring the 'Bravo Chicky Avocado' and the 'Asian Equation', as well as Tiramisu, chocolate and strawberry milkshakes. To celebrate they've given us a meal for two to give away, with mains, sides, dessert, milkshakes and wine included. Check them out here . 4) Dinner For Four With Wine From Elm Epicurean The residents of Dublin 4 were spinning with excitement last year when the owners of Howth based Mamó opened their third specialty food store Elm Epicurean on the Merrion Road (with dine in options for breakfast and lunch), to join Margadh in Howth and Barrow Market near Grand Canal Dock. Their Margadh heat at home range, which is available across all stores, has kept us going through many a lockdown, with highlights including their mushroom gnocchi, pithiviers and chocolate mousse with blackberries. They've given us a brilliant prize of dinner for four from their weekly chef-prepared menu, with starters, mains, sides, desserts and a paired bottle of organic wine. It will be available for collection, and there's a vegetarian option if preferred. Check out Elm Epicurean here . 5) €200 Worth Of Meals From Parallel Nutrition Earlier this week we reviewed four meal prep companies , and were really impressed with Parallel Nutrition and their clear nutritional information, environmentally-friendly packaging, and most importantly how good their food tasted. It was launched by chef/nutritionist Diarmaid Healy in 2018, who was disillusioned by corporate life & trying to maintain some sort of work/life balance. From initially stocking some gym fridges to now having customers across Dublin, they cater for every meal of the day and deliver twice a week for freshness, you just need to subscribe to a meal plan. They've given us an amazing €200 worth of meals for one of our Insiders this month in whatever form you'd like, whether that's three meals a day plus snacks, or five mains over the week. Check them out here . 6) A Poke Picnic For Six From Shaka Poke W e loved Shaka Poke from our first bite of raw, marinated fish, and the Blackrock stall (also on Deliveroo ) has been upping the ante when it comes to sourcing from Irish waters. Their 'Big Island Citrus' bowl features Donegal citrus-cured hake with heirloom tomatoes, edamame, avocado and mango, while the 'Togaraski Crab' contains Irish crab meat, wakame, kiwi, carrot, Granny Smith apple, pickled onion, and togarashi Mayo. They also have three vegan bowls (earning them a spot in our ' best places to eat vegan guide '), or you can build your own, and it's all served alongside their nitro coffee - a nitrogen infused coldbrew that they compare to Guinness. Shaka poke have given us a poke picnic for six to give away this month, with a bowl and drink of your choice for you plus five of your nearest and dearest. An excellent excuse for an outdoor catch up. 7) A €100 Voucher For 777 777 are like the reliable, always up for a laugh, margarita in hand friend that we all need in our lives right now. From their €7.77 menu on Sundays to Margarita Mondays (two for €16), taco Tuesdays (two for €7) to their amazing outdoor Afuera area , they're here for us through all weathers, curfews and budgets, and they've given us a €100 voucher this month so one of you can go and let loose on them. Tostadas, taquitos and margaritas = ideal winter's evening content. Check out 777 here . 8) A €100 Voucher For Smokin' Bones Smokin' Bones have been keeping lots of you going through January with their American BBQ in a box meal kits that can be shipped anywhere in the country. The Temple Bar restaurant (now with sites in Walkinstown and Swords) is known for dishes like their Hickory wood-smoked baby back ribs, 16-hour brisket, and Applewood smoked pulled pork amongst others, and they've given us a €100 to dine or or try one of their boxes at home. The veggies are taken care of too with the Vegetarian burger in a box featuring Beyond Meat patties. Check it all out on their website . 9) A Month's Supply Of Leamhain Ice-Cream Sandwiches Leamhain 's ice-cream sandwiches have redefined vegan ice-cream, with customers hardly able to believe there's not even a trace of a cow in there. Made with raw coconut oil and free from gluten, nuts, artificial ingredients, eggs and dairy, it's the brainchild of chef and entrepreneur Conor Sweeny, who's followed a plant-based diet since 2015. Demand has been fierce, and to celebrate their nationwide expansion they've given us a month's supply of ice-cream sandwiches and pint-sized tubs to give away, including Butterscotch Blondie, Double Chocolate Brownie, Lemon Curd Meringue and Mint Stracciatella sandwiches, and Chocolate, Vanilla Irish Sea Salt, and Cocoa Crumb & Caramel ice cream tubs. Check out stockists here or buy online . Everyone signed up to ATF Insiders for January will be automatically entered into the prize draw. If you're not signed up yet join here and support independent content in Dublin and beyond, and get answers to all of your burning questions about eating out.