Search Results

When we first wrote about Circa opening in March, there was a mention of hiphop brunches once they found their feet, and it's safe to say that people got a little bit excited . The good news is they're kicking off this Sunday. The bad news is we think there's going to be a queue out the door, so if you want a side of Action Bronson with your French toast you'd better get there early. The guys in Circa say that adding something different to the brunch scene was important to them (you won't find eggs benedict or a full Irish here), and the menu features dishes like PB&J French toast with strawberry compote, mascarpone, peanut butter ganache and strawberry ice-cream, and avocado, Toonsbridge mozzarella and heirloom tomatoes on a toasted flatbread with a poached egg, pesto aioli and organic leaves (above). You can see the full menu at the bottom of this article. Expect tunes from Biggie Smalls, Action Bronson, 2pac, Drake and Run DMC, and loads of low abv drinks like spritzs, prosecco cocktails and aperol sours. Hiphop brunch is from 11:00 - 15:30 on Sundays and is walk in only. This one gona be busy. Circa 90 Terenure Road North, Terenure, Dublin 6 Wed - Fri 17:00 - 22:00. Sat - Sun 09:00 - 14:30, 17:00 - 22:00. restaurantcirca.com

A sushi-only restaurant has opened on Little Mary Street just off Capel Street. Fudo Izakaya is a sister restaurant to Sisu , the Japanese Izakaya near St. Stephen’s Green which opened last November. Their initial plan was to operate as an Izakaya like Sisu (a Japanese bar that serves snacks and hot food alongside drinks, hence the name Fudo Izakaya), but soon after opening decided to shift to sushi only. Fudo's head chef has worked and trained in sushi restaurants in Copenhagen for the past 10 years, and they say that what he was producing was so good that they decided to focus on just that - even the rice preparation is more laborious than they've experienced before. Big talk. Like Sisu, the sushi menu is on the creative side, featuring things the "Japanese roll" with seared beef, tempura prawn, tempura asparagus, spring onion and spicy mayo, and the "Hawaii roll" with grilled fresh scallops, kiwi, cucumber and yuzu mayo. We're super intrigued by the dragon roll with macerated Wexford strawberry, cucumber tempura prawn, avocado and mayo. Fudo is open seven days a week from 12:00 - 22:00, and while they currently only serve wine and plum wine, they plan to add more drinks, including a sake range, over the coming months. You can also BYOB with a corkage charge of €6 for wine and €1.50 for beer. Fudo Izakaya 28 Mary Street Little, Dublin 7 Mon - Sun 12:00 - 22:00 www.fudoizakaya.ie

Our bi-monthly list features the most talked about restaurants in Dublin right now. The ones the reviewers are reviewing, the instagrammers are instagramming, and where getting a Saturday (or any) night table can take military planning. These are the hottest restaurants in Dublin right now, in alphabetical order... 3 Leaves Where: Blackrock Market The tiny Indian in Blackrock exploded in 2018 with zero PR attached - just word of very satisfied mouths. Soon it was being called "outstanding" by Tom Doorley and "a revelation" by Katy McGuinness and it was firmly on the Dublin food map. Expect very tasty, very good value food, and the fact that you can BYOB is another reason it's difficult to get a table in. Read more about 3 Leaves here . Alma Where: Portobello The Argentinean café opened in mid-January with slick imagery and a very different menu to what's currently available on the food scene, and seems to have had a queue since day one. You have definitely seen the dulce de leche pancakes on social media and have probably stood on the SRC waiting for a table. No critic reviews yet but it is only a matter of time. It's got Catherine Cleary all over it. Read more about Alma here . Bastible Where: South Circular Road Always a cornerstone of the Dublin dining scene, Bastible has been catapulted back into the limelight with the news that ex-Noma chef Cúán Greene is back in Dublin and their new head chef. Catherine Cleary was swiftly through the door, calling it "the start of something truly bloody exciting". Expect a stampede. Check out Bastible's hunger-inducing Instagram feed here . Bread 41 Where: Pearse Street Did cruffins even exist before Bread 41 opened last September? What did we have as a 'treat' breakfast? What did food bloggers pull apart for insta story videos? It's fair to say that Real Bread fanatic Eoin Cluskey's Pearse Street bakery burst onto the scene and shows no signs of slowing down. Watch the sad faces pile up around 10am when they find out that everything's gone and the next bake isn't till 11. Check out Bread 41 here . Chimac (New) Where: Aungier Street Korean Fried Chicken fever hit the capital last month when Chimac finally opened, after a year of rumours. Queues down Aungier Street became the norm, and for the first week they didn't seem to be able to keep chicken in stock for more than a few hours. Katy McGuinness in the Irish Independent praised their commitment to free range chicken giving the food 9/10, and you can still expect a wait. Read more our Chimac once over here . Circa Where: Terenure The new neighbourhood restaurant from four industry friends has given city diners another reason to get on a bus to Terenure, with Leslie Williams in the Examiner saying Circa's "future looks bright", and Ernie Whalley in the Sunday Times calling chef Gareth Naughton's cooking "stylish with inspirational touches". There's an interesting drinks list too. Read more about Circa here . Crudo Where: Sandymount Dunne & Crescenzi 2.0 is from the owners' two sons, who've given the Sandymount site a serious face lift. They burst onto Instagram in January with multiple images of food that made us want to run for the Dart, and as we know, provide the excellent images and the critics will come. So far Lucinda O'Sullivan , Tom Doorley and Ernie Whalley have given it their stamp of approval and we'd say there's more to come. Check out Crudo here . Etto Where: Merrion Row Etto has been dream dining since opening mid-recession in 2013. One of the most highly rated, consistent restaurants in the city, no one was surprised to see them take home best restaurant in Ireland at last year's Restaurant Awards . Katy McGuinness reviewed them for a second time last February giving out a very rare 10/10, and saying she wouldn't change a single thing about it. Read more about Etto here . Fish Shop Benburb Street Where: Smithfield Simple seafood, sherry and natural wines have been drawing the crowds to Smithfield since day one, and it's one of the food & drink industry's favourite hang outs . Catherine Cleary likened it to "a world class tapas bar", Katy McGuinness called it "perfection", and their Monday Wine Club is without doubt the best value place to drink quality wine in the whole of Dublin. Champagne for €7.50 a glass anyone? Read more about Fish Shop Benburb St here . Forest & Marcy Where: Leeson Street The second opening from the team behind Forest Avenue and chef Ciaran Sweeney is another place you'll find most of the city's restaurant staff hanging out on Sunday nights. It was originally walk in only, but thankfully they changed it and now take bookings, which is good because these are some of the hardest to get seats in town. Read more about Forest & Marcy here . Frank's (new) Where: Camden Street When Frank's butcher's shop on Camden Street became vacant, the owners of Delahunt a few doors up decided to take it over and turn it into a wine bar, leaving the butcher's frontage as is. Catherine Cleary in the Irish Times called it her "new favourite restaurant", and Aoife Carrigy in Food & Wine compared it to a cocoon, calling the food "top-class". Check out Frank's here . Grano Where: Stoneybatter We don't remember a new Italian restaurant ever having the impact Grano has in just two months since they opened, with 5 critics in already. By January they were booking out weeks in advance, and on the two occasions we ate there, countless people were turned away all evening. Catherine Cleary called it "terrific", and Lucinda O'Sullivan said if she lived locally she'd be there every night. Read our Grano once over here . Groundstate Coffee Where: Dublin 8 This seasonal café and yoga studio was put on the national map in March when Catherine Cleary in The Irish Times called it "one of Dublin's best cafés", quickly followed by Katy McGuinness in The Irish Independent who said the food was "properly tasty". Both praised the "exemplary" food provenance and cemented its place as one of the best brunch spots in Dublin right now. Check out Groundstate Coffee here . Host Where: Ranelagh Host opened in Ranelagh in 2017 and was like a corridor of London transported into a street in need. Soon the neighbourhood had a new favourite hangout for handmade pasta, sharing steak and great wine, and more than one critic complained about not being able to get a table. Host is still killing it in the popularity stakes and their fans frequently travel across the city to eat there. Read our Host once over here . Liath Where: Blackrock When Heron & Grey announced they were splitting up late last year, anyone who's eaten there (or was never lucky enough to get a booking) sobbed inwardly, but when Damien Grey announced he was opening the restaurant under a new name, 'Liath', sighs of relief were heard across the city. It opened in March to raves all round, and expect reservations to be like hen's teeth for the foreseeable future. Read our Liath once over here . Little Mike's (new) Where: Mount Merrion We didn't think it was possible for Michael's in Mount Merrion to be overshadowed, until little brother and wine bar Little Mike's opened a few doors up. It's left a clean sweep of critics swooning ( us included ), with Ernie Whalley describing the seafood small plates as full of sincerity and generosity, and Tom Doorley calling it "a delight". The counter seats with a view of the kitchen are the ones in demand, and the wine experience is at the same level as the food. Read more about Little Mike's here . Potager (new) Where: Skerries There was a lot of excitement in the industry when it was announced in January that ex-Chapter One head chef Cathal Leonard was taking over the old Red Bank in Skerries. He and partner Sarah Ryan opened the doors in June and unusually Catherine Cleary from the Irish Times was the first in. She called the evening tasting menu "the best money you'll spend on food in Dublin", and after eating there we'd be inclined to agree Read our Potager once over here . Two Pups Where: Francis Street Casually going about their breakfast, lunch and brunch business since 2016, Two Pups is still one of the most sought after brunch spots in Dublin, and if you go on weekends prepare to queue. They're single-handedly responsible for one of the world's greatest pairings - avocado and garlic peanut butter, and the French toast with plum compote and white chocolate reached legendary status. Read more about Two Pups here . Uno Mas Where: Aungier Street The second, Spanish-influenced opening from the guys behind Etto almost kept us waiting as long as Gertrude, but from the day they announced they were opening at the end of November there's been a steady stream of critics, bloggers and just breathing humans coming out awestruck at the gildas, the mussels, the flan. It also has some of the best bar seating in town and some is saved for walk-ins. Jackpot. Read more about Uno Mas here . Variety Jones Where: Thomas Street The first solo opening from chef Keelan Higgs opened five days before Christmas with no fuss, they just got the fire going in the hearth at the back and swung open the doors. Pretty soon reports were coming in about some of the most exciting cooking in the city, and all seven national critics had paid a visit in the first two months. Almost all left very satisfied. Read our Variety Jones once over here . Ones to watch... - We're very impatiently waiting for Niall Davidson 's new opening Allta (Irish for 'wild'), expected by the end of the summer, which will bring small plates and pasta to South Frederick Street - Ex- Etto staff member Jess D'Arcy and her husband will open Mamó in Howth in August, and we are tense with anticipation for this one - There's a new barbecue spot coming to Camden Street that we're dying to tell you about. More when we're allowed to shout about it - Amy Austin, the new wine bar from 777 and ex-Luna owner John Farrell should be open in the next few weeks, and it sounds like something we're going to get excited about - The owners of Deville's in Dalkey will open Casper and Giumbini's in Dun Laoghaire in late July, and with the ex-manager of 64 Wine looking after the wine list we've got a good feeling - Little Forest, the new Italian in Blackrock from the guys behind Forest Avenue and Forest & Marcy is delayed due to building issues, but we're eagerly awaiting news of an opening date

You know the feeling. You’re having a lovely night, the food's great and the conversation's flowing, but you've been handed the dessert menu and nothing appeals. Alternatively you've eaten too much and are in desperate need of a stroll to break the meal and rediscover your appetite. When either happens, you've got options. These are some of our favourite spots for post-dinner dessert that open late - and if you're really stuffed, dessert cocktails are also an option. (Note: we would never encourage leaving Uno Mas without the Flan de Queso) Mr Fox Pro tip: loads of excellent restaurants will be happy to let you in for dessert if you give them a call in advance and they have space. Head to Mr Fox for their take on the Iceberger or Super Split, or the PB&J that will send you home with a nostalgic spring in your step. Gertrude The guys at Gertrude are always happy to see you for a nightcap and some apple fritters, or the strawberries, mascarpone and roasted white chocolate, or the 3fe Espresso Ice Cream, and they're such good value at €4-6 that we recommend getting one of each. A cheese plate and sweet wine is also a vibe. Peruke and Periwig Dessert in a glass - we're into it. Prop yourself up with Peruke & Periwig 's 'The Cold S’mores' - marshmallow infused vodka, crème de cacao, kahlua, milk & cream with a biscuit rim & toasted marshmallows, or try the Key Lime Pie gimlet - citrus and vanilla vodka, tarte citron, lemon, lemonade, a biscuit rim and meringue foam. No matter how full you are when you enter, the likelihood is you'll find room for seconds. Ely Wine Bar Ely Wine Bar 's elegant Georgian room is a comfy place to carry on the conversation and finish out the night with ‘just one more glass of wine’. Desserts features things like poached Irish rhubarb, jelly, nuts and vanilla ice-cream, and burnt honey cheesecake with bitter almond ice-cream, and excellent cheese is a given. Dolce Sicily We can think of worse ways of finishing a night than with espresso and the best Sicilian cannoli this side of Naples at Dolce Sicily . We asked what time they usually run out of cannoli, and the reply was "never!" Plus there's always room for cannoli. It's a scientific fact. Three Twenty Ice Cream Lab Proof that ice-cream is hot. The good stuff at Three Twenty Ice-Cream lab is churned to order with a dash of liquid nitrogen, and we're all about the crème brûlée made with crème anglaise and a charred fair-trade sugar top, but can also stand behind the chocolate smore with toasted marshmallow fluff. Loose Canon Put yourself in the hands of the cheese experts at Loose Canon and finish the night on a savoury note with a side of natural wine. The weekly cheese specials are in prime condition and there's always some with a bit of funk, just like the wine. Café Bombo Try all the bombolinis (Italian filled doughnuts) you can manage at Café Bombo on Thomas Street, and wash them down with a jug of slushy margaritas to send the night off right. Open until 9pm at weekends. Dunne and Crescenzi Call them while you walk and with enough notice Dunne & Crescenzi should be able to squeeze you in for a late night tiramisu and a Tuscan Vin Santo or an affogato with amaretto. We're imagining this would be particularly perfect post pizza somewhere like Pi whose menu is dessert-less. Eatyard The legendary Teddy’s ice-cream has pitched up at outdoor food market Eatyard to serve you a cold scoop of nostalgia, or you could head to Sweet Churro for (in their own words) ‘crunchy clouds of deliciousness’ with dulce de leche. The Vintage Cocktail Club If your stomach really can't take any more food, or even a dessert cocktail, head to The Vintage Cocktail Club for something fresh, fruity and easily digestible, like The Dirty Wizard, with chilli-infused vodka, gingerbread and blackcurrant liqueur, cranberry juice, fresh citrus, egg whites, a ginger nut rim, berry skewer and a fresh mint sprig. It's basically a digestif. ​​ Scoop Dessert Parlour If on the other hand you haven't eaten enough, there's only one thing for it - the ice-cream cookie sandwich from Scoop . Pick any flavour of both, but a winning combo is the oreo gelato sandwiched between milk chocolate cookies. Just hope you got that walk in post-dinner.

The primary schools have unleashed the kids for two months and parents are scrambling to find activities for them. If you don’t have kids you’re probably still part child, trying to find things to fill up the summer calendar, but mainly your Instagram feed. There’s only so many "so bored, need to go somewhere this summer" posts you can out up before even the bots start to leave you. Here are some food focused festivals that will help to fill the void. The Big Grill The Big Grill is the giant man creche that everyone who fumbles with barbecue skills needs to attend. One day here could fill your BBQ quota for the summer, and is preferable to smoking out your neighbours while trying to grill sausages on a disposable BBQ out your flat window. 15th - 18th August. Get tickets here . The Wine & Cheese Festival Eatyard’s Wine and Cheese Festival is our ultimate festival. There’s no forsaking your tent at the end, no enormous queue for showers, no feeling like you need to slog through a stash of cans - it's the adult festival you need. Included in the ticket price is entry and access to the demos and workshops, besides plenty of music and entertainment. Also, infinite wine and cheese. 8th - 11th August. Get tickets here . Airfield's Festival of Food Entry to Airfield ’s food festival is free, music to all of our ears, but particularly those with energetic children running wild and spending all of their money during their summer of freedom. Find some music, food and beverages while watching demos on gardening, cookery and foraging, or meander between stalls of local producers, while checking out their impressive kitchen gardens. 7th-8th September. Get tickets here . ​ Beatyard Beatyard is the place where Eatyard began, the quintessential nibble and walk. As always with the Bodytonic crew, there will be some excellent brews and beverages to be had at the two day music fest in Dun Laoghaire, as well as a steady supply of 3fe coffee, vegan ramen, Big Blue Bus pizza, Handsome Burgers, Teddy’s Ice Cream, tacos, poutine, and many other reasons to get your hungry self in there. 3rd - 4th August. Get tickets here . All Together Now Let’s say it, all together now, ‘I’m starving...’ Perfect, you’ll be in the right place at this rising star on the Irish festival circuit. Couple that with great food options like Bia Rebel Ramen, Diva Cafe, Kerala Kitchen, Shaka Poke, Market Kitchen, Cloud Picker Coffee, and even fun-time gimmicks like Avocado themed food stalls straight from a millennial fantasy, you know your stomach will be be taken care of. 2nd - 4th August. Get tickets here . Electric Picnic We’ve all been to Electric Picnic in some shape or form, even if just through the stories of that one friend who got too mangled every morning to hear any music but is adamant they had the time of their lives getting fired from their bar job and losing their tent. If you want to dodge the unrefined Leaving Cert grads and have a more grown up experience, head for the Theatre of Food for demos, live fire cooking and a disco drunch. 30th August - 1st September. Get tickets here .

Summer has arrived in Dublin. Yes, it’s barely broken 20 degrees, and the sun hasn’t actually been shining that much, but the rain is gone and the bins in Portobello are filling up faster than the reservations book in Liath. And the food seems to have gotten brighter too. Here are some of the ultra colourful dishes on our eating agenda this week. 1) Gazpacho with Prawns from Rosa Madre Try and name a more iconic duo than seafood and summer; we’ll wait. Using plump red prawns and stracciatella, this rich gazpacho from Rosa Madre looks like a serious shot of flavour when you’re too hot to cook. 2) Cheesy Cornbread from Queen of Tarts They had us at “cheesy”. This new breakfast dish from the  Queen of Tarts  is packing a lot of savoury flavours, which can be surprisingly hard to find on a breakfast menu. It’s served with spicy beans, fried eggs, fresh salsa, chillies, and sour cream, and is giving us all the savoury summer feels. 3) Red Tomato Tagliatelle from Grano Grano ’s violet aubergines and smoked ricotta on red ribbons of tomatoey tagliatelle almost makes us feel the sun on our faces. Add a glass of Verdicchio and you could convince yourself that you're in Sicily instead of Stoneybatter. 4) Pancakes from Evolve Eatery Since opening in Clondalkin last year Evolve Eatery has been turning out some seriously bright plates for breakfast and lunch, and their fluffy protein pancakes topped with mountains of fresh fruit and edible flowers have been catching our eye. They’re also offering free pancakes for children with every adult meal from 9am to 12pm Monday to Friday. Free food, quiet kids; it’s a summer miracle. 5) Peaches and Ricotta from Frank’s Yes it’s a picture, but if you look at this one long enough, you can actually smell the peaches. Frank's , the new wine bar in a former butcher’s on Camden Street, is walk-in only which makes it the ideal spot to stop in to on an evening stroll. Smothered in ricotta and brown butter, this one will keep you going till Autumn.

It's a weekend of slam dunks, both for new openings and old favourites, but the big question was whether or not the Sunday Times would have a restaurant review this week, after last week's news that long-standing critic Ernie Whalley had been given the heave ho in the latest round of budget cuts. So colour us surprised to see (this week anyway) lifestyle editor Niall Toner taking up the baton. He reviews Juanitos on Drury Street after a failed attempt at getting into Chimac , and you can make up your own mind about the new kid on the block here . In the Irish Times , Catherine Cleary was lured back to Bastible four years after she first " caused a stampede " by the news that ex- Noma chef Cúán Greene has come home and taken up the mantle of head chef, and she's fallen in love all over again. She was hypnotised by the cultured butter, a perfect match for chef/owner Barry Fitzgerald's sourdough - "the best in the business" - and snacks of pumkpin seed purée with lovage pesto, Cooleeney churros and a cube of Nashville fried chicken, were of the "put the fork down and shake your head level of tastiness". Knockalara cheese dumplings (above) were so comforting she thought they could be prescribed as beta blockers, and her pot-roasted cauliflower in a brown, buttery, miso crust ate like meat, and was Noma-esque. Smoked yoghurt woodruff cream for dessert was "wonderfully and differently delicious", and she calls Bastible "a beautifully memorable food experience, a steal at €55 for the tasting menu, and the start of something truly bloody exciting", giving them 9.5/10. Read her review here . In the Irish Examiner Leslie Williams was very taken with new Camden Street wine bar Frank's . He thought the smoked salted almonds and “almost luscious” Nocellara olives were some of the best he’s had, ham hock terrine with Parmesan cream, pickled vegetables and spicy Jalapeño sauce was “a perfect dish”, and caramelised Grelot pearl onions with "flavour-packed romesco" and Gorgonzola was "a creative and nicely balanced mix of flavours". More praise for violet artichokes with duck hearts and hazelnuts (above), sea bream tartar with avocado, and ripe peaches with ricotta and brown butter crumble, which was "a nice lift to the palate" post fish. A mature piece of Durrus cheese was “a beautiful thing”, and gariguette strawberries with sour cream and chicory crumble to finish was “delicious”. He says that while dishes are relatively simple, “they all have surprising and brilliant complexity”, and calls Frank’s “a wonderful addition to an already vibrant part of the city.” Read his review here . In the Irish Independent Katy McGuinness says that Chapter One is still the best place to celebrate, and makes Michelin-starred dining “relaxed and unintimidating”. She’s a fan of their “quiet confidence … honing and refining, implementing subtle tweaks that keep making things better”, and cites the recent addition of smoked buttermilk to their pommes purée with scallions, making it one of the most “sublime” dishes she’s had this year. Some of the highlights from a pretty spectacular sounding lunch include classic cheese gougères with truffle, smoked organic salmon with a Lambay crab pancake, peas and a cherry blossom vinaigrette, and a rose and mascarpone Paris-Brest, served with Irish raspberries, and she gives the food, ambience and value 10/10. Read the full mouth-watering rundown here . In the Sunday Independent Lucinda O’Sullivan calls the cooking at Potager in Skerries “faultless”. She praises the “excellent” breads, the “magic” crab, tomato and basil salad, and the “divine” salt-baked celeriac stuffed with Ard Mhacha shiitake mushrooms, topped with a bacon crisp – “pure paradise”. Mains of duck and cod were perfectly cooked, and a smoked chocolate mousse with beetroot and cherries was “delicious”. She reckons it’s going to end up in the same league of hard to get tables as Liath , Aimsir and Mews , so advises getting in quick. (Review not currently online but you can read our Potager once over here ) In the Irish Daily Mail Tom Doorley is the second critic full of the love for Seasalt café in Cobh, saying it’s brought “a lot of joy” to the town. He loved that they “actually do home cooking”, and “don’t cut corners”, citing the Croque Madame made with sourdough, “proper” cheddar, “thoroughly meaty” ham and good bechamel, and the “outstanding” hake tacos – “so good … so unexpected”. A sponge cake with cream and strawberries was “a generous slice of old-fashioned heaven”, and he calls it “terrific value for food that is all made from scratch on the premises. (Review not currently online) Finally in the Sunday Business Post Gillian Nelis relied on Michelin plaques to find good food in Fuerteventura, ending up at Restaurant Rompeolas , where she thinks there’s “plenty to recommend”, particularly the “prawns in a raincoat” and kid goat with roast garlic and charred padrón peppers. If you’re heading to Fuertevetura any time soon you can read that here . More next week.

Prado , a new restaurant specialising in meat and fish cooked over fire has opened in Clontarf. Run by the same owners of barbecue restaurant Asador in Ballsbridge, it's in the site which formerly housed Moloughney's, a neighbourhood restaurant which had been there for 10 years. Like Asador, Prado will specialise in cooking meat and fish over an open fire grill with Mediterranean influences from Spain and Portugal, as well as Argentina. Some of the dishes on the opening menu include chargrilled octopus salad with romero peppers, plum tomatoes, and manzanilla olives, chargrilled fish on the bone, and Ibérico pork fillet steak with mojo verde, and charred romero pepper. Meat and fish are Irish, with the exception of Iberico pork and octopus from Spain, and prawns from Argentina, and they say they are trying to use as much locally sourced and Irish produce as possible. Prado is now open for lunch and dinner from Tuesday to Friday, with brunch at weekends. Prado 9 Vernon Avenue, Clontarf, Dublin 3 Tue - Fri 12:00 - 16:00, 17:00 - close. Sat 10:00 - 16:00, 17:00 - close. Sun 10:00 - 12:30, 1:30 - 20:00. prado.ie

A bit of a bombshell this weekend with the news that Ernie Whalley's restaurant reviews for the Sunday Times have been axed. Despite the recent cuts to the Times Ireland office, involving 17 out of 20 staff being made redundant, this has still come as a shock, particularly considering the current wave of excitement surrounding the Irish/Dublin restaurant scene. Whether it's been shelved for good or foisted onto one of the three remaining full time staff members is currently unknown. He chose Little Mike's in Mount Merrion for his last supper, loving it as much as everyone else who's been through the door, and you can read his swan song here . Also reviewing (and loving) Little Mike's was Lucinda O'Sullivan in the Sunday Independent. She calls it "cool and sophisticated", in comparison to big brother Michael's a few doors up - "rustic and charming" - but she compares the snug in the back to a "padded cell" - can't win 'em all. The famous whelks that chef/owner Gaz Smith says he won't charge for if someone doesn't like them had her converted, and whole, grilled Dublin Bay Prawns with salt and lemon were "resplendent". Scallops with gremolata, capers and hollandaise were "divine", Lambay Island crab and Wexford prawn gratin came with crab claws "the size of a baby's fist", and she calls the whole thing "a fishy feast". Fried Gruyère cheese with honey was "lovely" and "stinky", and a chocolate tart was "the dessert of the evening". Review not officially online but you can read it on Gaz Smith's twitter feed here , and get a sense of his cruel taste in pranks here . In the Sunday Business Post Gillian Nelis is on laugh out loud form whilst obliterating The Old Post Office in Blackrock. She thinks it should be renamed "Jesus It’s Fucking Expensive" as that's likely to be the first thing that people say when they open the menu, and that you can only get away with prices like €11 for soup and fillet of beef for €42 if the food is brilliant, but the food is "not even close to brilliant, and at times it’s downright poor." Marinated sea trout with black bean sauce was "about as tender as an old boot", tasting "deeply unpleasant", a main of scallops for €38 contained four whole scallops, with noodles an extra €5, and gong bao chicken for €32 was "an instantly forgettable plate of chicken and cashew nuts", and cost another fiver for the fried rice on the side. Dessert of pear and chocolate tart came topped with green dust, "which could have been made of pistachio, matcha, broccoli or grass. It tasted of nothing", and she calls it "laughably expensive for a meal that barely tipped into the ‘good’ category, and mostly languished firmly in the ‘poor to mediocre’ one." Read the full cringe-fest here . In the Irish Times Catherine Cleary says she has a new favourite restaurant - Frank's , the new wine bar on Camden Street by the same people behind Delahunt . Despite the temptation to keep herself and her husband's "new secret favourite place" to themselves, she felt it was her civic duty to tell us all about the "nutty, garlicky" ajo blanco with "an almost chewable texture", the Michelin-worthy barley cracker with globe artichoke petals and leek puree, and the asparagus with buttermilk and dill sauces and oils. She says they're still thinking about the just-seared scallops, with lightly-pickled cabbage, juicy golden raisins and a ham hock sauce, pillowy house gnocchi came draped with butter fried oyster mushrooms and an egg with a fudgy yolk, and that Frank's is "utterly in tune with the casual 'let’s go get a bite' urge that feels easier than planning and booking a table in an actual restaurant. The delight is that the food at Frank’s is better than most sit-at-a-table restaurants". She gives it 9/10 and you can read her full review here . In the Irish Daily Mail Tom Doorley was the last of the seven critics through the door of Circa in Terenure, and he makes it six out of seven thumbs pointing upwards. He says he was seduced by the "very cool, modern, stripped back establishment", and the team who are "serious about food without being serious". The buttermilk fried rabbit that every single person through the door seems to have eaten was "a plate jumping with sheer flavour", boudin noir was "sticky and gently cooked", its richness cut by burnt apple, and a taleggio, leek and potato pithivier was "a carb fest of the most elegant kind". A kaffir lime parfait was "elevated to celestial levels" by sheets of caramelised white chocolate, and Cashel Blue came in "perfect nick" with homemade crackers. He calls Circa "lovely", with service that's "friendly, efficient and relaxed", and says it's "a very welcome addition to Dublin". (Review not currently online) In the Irish Independent Katy McGuinness was revisiting One Pico , after hearing positive reports about chef Ciaran McGill's food. Turns out the rumours were true, despite the "complete lack of buzz in the room". A starter of pea veloute with shards of Iberico ham and a raviolo of 18-month aged Parmesan was "vivid green and heady with the promise of summer", and lobster ravioli in a crab bisque with shavings of summer truffle was "a luxe and lovely dish". Cod with deep-fried florets of cauliflower, cauliflower purée, mussels, Goatsbridge caviare and capers was "impeccably cooked", and nettle gnocchi with violet artichokes, Coolea fondue, hazelnut vinaigrette and crackers was "a fine vegetarian option", but pommes purée with aged Comte and crispy shallots was dull once all the good stuff had been eaten. Service was "as lacking in personality as the restaurant itself", and she ponders whether this is deliberate so it can be all things to all people. She says that despite the somewhat dull experience, McGill's food is excellent, and gives them 8/10 for food and value. Read her review here . Finally in the Irish Examiner, Leslie Williams liked Chimac 's Korean Fried Chicken, but wished it was a bit more Korean. He recommends ordering the wings, loved the classic burger with Korean hot sauce and daikon slaw, and says the frosé was "far tastier than you might imagine", but wasn't a fan of the chips, calling them "half crunchy, half flaccid". He says it's is a great addition to Dublin and can see them rolling out to other locations, but wishes there was "more Seoul in the food". He gives them 7.5/10 for food and 9/10 for value, and says it's a good start but he's hoping it will get better. (Review not currently online) More next week.

Sometimes we all just need to get out of the house or the library. Maybe you need to get a decent coffee into the system, or the idea of eating lunch at home is too sad, and there’s the hope that leaving the gaff will inject some fresh ideas and motivate you. Get outside, see some people. You don’t even have to socialise, apart from asking for a flat white and a plate of food (or a cake, if you’ve reached that point in the day). Here are some of our favourite cafes for sustenance and coffee to counteract the cabin fever. The Fumbally The Fumbally ’s spacious cafe should provide you with the head-space you need to finish your work, or at least distract you with its hipster utopian vibe and fresh bread. Just do not under any circumstances attempt this on a Saturday morning, otherwise known as crazy time. Bibi's The key to getting some work done in Bibi’s is to go mid-week as to avoid the ravenous D8 brunch crowd. It’s a lot calmer, and you’re more likely to get a bigger table to sprawl all of your work across, all the better for suspending the illusion that you’re not procrastinating. Blas Café Blas has that homey feeling that resembles your sitting room, except that unlike your sitting room, there aren't discarded jumpers and old coffee cups decorated everywhere and you don’t need to think about sorting it all out and how that cup is now mouldy, and how you’re a failure. But anyway, Blas is really cosy. 3fe/Gertrude We’ve picked two cafes in one from 3fe , their Grand Canal street café and Gertrude,  because in pre-Gertrude times we loved doing work in GCS but now Gertrude has risen up as a workplace haven, mostly because they give free refills on filter coffee. What a bonus. Network Sleek and modern, regardless of what you’re actually doing, Network feels like you’re a hip architect sipping sweet nectar contemplating the next spire. Which was obviously a huge mistake (scarlet). Fortunately you just popped in for a pastry and 5 euros of procrastination, so no harm done. Proper Order When you’re working from home, feeling the onset of that cabin fever, it’ll do you all the good to get out into the real world for a coffee. When that happens, we head for Proper Order in Smithfield, telling ourselves that the hipster space will add some creative oil to our bubbling minds. Proper Order is small but the guys in there pay a huge amount of attention to their coffee, so bring your laptop, top up your caffeine levels and get inspired. First Draft Coffee & Wine There’s now a dual purpose to First Draft in Portobello, so if you manage to get your work done in the coffee shop during the day, you can return in the evenings for wine as a pat on the back for doing any amount of work. In fact, you tried, fair play, let’s have some wine. Coffeeangel Coffeeangel  has multiple locations across the city, meaning you’re never far away from the freedom of a hot drink outside the cave, and it's a solid cup of coffee to snap you out of that too-long-stuck-indoors induced rut. Two Boys Brew TBB ’s Melbourne style cafe is a favourite of ours to do work in, mostly because it’s decorated like the dream apartment that none of us could afford. But we can afford coffee, so it’s all good. Industry One of our city centre go-to's, Industry has excellent coffee, the prettiest porridge in town and the most excellent window seats, for relaxing, procrastinating people watching out onto Drury Street. Just watch you don't spend all your money on glass teapots and antique candle holders. Shoe Lane Coffee The upstairs in Shoe Lane Coffee near Tara Street Station feels like one of the best kept secrets in the city, and it's nothing but calm and positive workflow vibes. Grab a coffee and a cake downstairs and head up to your own little co-working oasis. What are your favourite cafés to work in? Let us know by emailing info@alllthefood.ie.

Another festival weekend passes, which means another weekend of gleefully watching people get soaked in the rain through social, or getting dismally drenched in a flimsy poncho that cost more than a pint. If you're one of those suffering from post-festival soakage trauma, and still struggling to get the cold out of your bones, here are five things in Dublin we would want to eat post-festival. 1. The Hot Chick Burger from V-face At this stage, isn’t there a dedicated food holiday every day? National burger pancake/doughnut/any consumable item, each with its own special day. We’re not really complaining, National Burger Day is another excuse to go out and get a burger, and V-face 's 'Hot Chick', with a sweet potato and chickpea patty, rocket, coriander, vegan pepper jack cheese, avocado, nachos, mayo and sriracha sauce on a charcoal bun, should help in some way to cure your post-festival fatigue. 2. Siu Mai From Lucky Tortoise Once you’ve relinquished yourself of all your bags and abandoned your tent in a safe place, go to Lucky Tortoise , order everything on the menu, and marvel at the pork and cabbage siu mai. Feel the residual guilt and chilliness fall away. 3. Prawn Karaage From Soup Ramen The new prawn karaage sambo from Soup Ramen is ticking a lot of boxes; crispy prawns, yuzu mayo, pickled cucumber, kombu salt and brioche. Isn’t real food great after a weekend on a liquid diet? 4. Shawarma from Shouk We say shawarma but what we mean is everything on the menu. Take your broken, post-festival self to Shouk , sit outside because it’s more likely to be sunny right after a festival, order the hummus, shawarma, pitta, arayes... 5. The Mezze Platter From Kerb Another Middle Eastern pick, this time from newly opened Kerb in Foxrock. Mezze platters are perfect after a big weekend as they take away the brain power needed to decide what to order. We want all of the food all of the time, and the mezze gives us that.

Del-Fino , the Italian/New York/Asian influenced restaurant on Camden Street has closed, just eight months after opening . Initially opened by chef/restaurateur Alan O'Reilly last October with backing from the owners of China Sichuan in Sandyford, it had received mixed reviews from the critics, and O'Reilly departed a few months ago. A new head chef took over, but they struggled to regain their initial momentum. O'Reilly owned and ran the much loved Alexis in Dun Laoghaire, before moving to Wildside café in Cabinteely after Alexis closed in the recession. Both were highly praised by critics, with O'Reilly's cooking described as "outstanding" and "exceptional". There was much excitement to see him back in a new central location, but while Del Fino received positive reviews from Lucinda O'Sullivan in the Sunday Independent and Gillian Nelis in the Sunday Business Post , Katy McGuinnes s in the Irish Independent said they were "barely holding it together" in terms of food and service, Leslie Williams in the Irish Examiner called it "a hot mess", and Conor Stevens in Totally Dublin said it displayed "a curious lack of purpose". There seemed to be a general feeling that the menu was confused, with Italian, US and Asian influenced dishes all featuring. Del Fino's website is still active but reservations have been disabled. The restaurant have yet to make a statement, and it's not known if any unredeemed gift vouchers will be refunded.

Adam Purcell, the head chef at Frenchie in Covent Garden , is cooking in Pichet next month as part of their 10th birthday celebrations. Adam worked for Pichet's chef/owner Stephen Gibson for three years before moving to Paris to work for Gregory Marchand at Michelin-starred Frenchie . He's currently head chef at Marchand's first restaurant outside France - Frenchie Covent Garden, where Guardian food critic Marina O'Loughlin called the food " mostly excellent and occasionally sensational ". Pichet is 10 this year, and has planned various events to celebrate, including a night of classic dishes from the past decade on Tuesday 2nd July, a Veuve Cliquot brunch on Saturday 6th July, and a Tanqueray gin masterclass on Tuesday 9th July. Details of all of their events can be found here . Adam Purcell is cooking at Pichet on Sunday 14th July. Tickets are €65 per person for five courses with an optional wine pairing at an additional €35. You can get tickets here .

The general rule when opening a new restaurant is that the less you tell everyone how brilliant it's going to be before it opens, the easier the ride you'll get. Shout from the rooftops about how you're bringing something completely new to the scene, and how incredibly authentic your food is, and you'd better be right because you've just stuck a bullseye on your head. On the other hand, open quietly, work hard and deliver something that people connect with and you're likely to have them queuing up to tell you how great you are. A bit of both this weekend... In the Sunday Independent, Lucinda O'Sullivan thinks the new, much-hyped "authentic Sichuan" restaurant The OId Post Office in Blackrock needs to take "a long, hard look at itself", after eating their "mundane" food, with "commercial" sauces, and dried-up duck that tasted like string. She says the tasting menus, priced from €70 to €120, "did little to excite", with the most luxury ingredients consisting of monkfish and Manor Farm chicken, and that the fine dining etiquette you expect at these prices (like only bringing the food when everyone is seated at the table) had gone out the door. For €32 her main course consisted of a whole two ( yes, two ) panko-crumbed butterflied prawns, accompanied by those "commercial tasting sauces". They passed on rice at €5 extra, and we're wondering if whoever put this menu together was suffering from a loss of brain function at the time (and has yet to recover). She had to stand up to take her own black sole off the bone (imagine the scenes), and thought a five-year old could have done a better job of dessert, which were "cardboard-like commercial tartlet bases" with soft fillings. Disasterville. (Review not currently online) Better weekend for Circa who've made the comeback of the year after Catherine Cleary knocked their "underflavoured food" two weeks ago. It seemed like a lot of people disagreed with her at the time, and we can now add Katy McGuinness and Gillian Nelis to the list. Katy, in the Irish Independent , calls it "the neighbourhood restaurant that everyone would like to have just around the corner," singling out the buttermilk fried rabbit with pea and bacon lettuce fricassee and tarragon mayo, the white asparagus with lardo butter, aged Parmesan and hazelnut, and the rump of Curragh lamb with smoked aubergine, croquettes of lamb breast, marinated chickpeas and Velvet Cloud sheep's milk yogurt. Like CC she also wasn't a fan of the ray wing with its "over-salted" sauce, but desserts of angostura-scented rhubarb with strawberries, sweet cultured cream and meringue, and chocolate crémeux with peanut praline and salted banana ice cream (above) were "joyous". She highlights the importance of supporting independent, Irish restaurants if you want them to survive over chains or UK imports, and gives the four friends behind Circa 8/10 for food and value. Read her review here . In the Sunday Business Post Gillian Nelis says that Circa's Irish produce focused menu would make a patriot out of Arlene Foster. She loved the same buttermilk rabbit and white asparagus, as well as a potentially gout-inflicting dish of duck leg and foie gras pithivier with creamed cabbage and carrot. The lamb rump was "incredible", as was gnocchi with nettle pesto, homemade ricotta, courgettes and brown butter, and the only thing they didn't like was the rhubarb meringue, which had "way too much going on". She says the owners are "working their socks off", and despite a few kinks it won't be long before "this lovely neighbourhood spot establishes itself as part of its community". Read her review here . In The Irish Daily Mail Tom Doorley advises beating a path to Potager in Skerries, the new restaurant from ex-Chapter One head chef Cathal Leonard and partner Sarah Ryan. He calls Leonard's cooking "meticulous, infinitely detailed, disciplined, thoughtful, mildly playful, carefully creative", with a confidence that comes with years of experience. He calls the €55 tasting menu "such good value", and "quite simply, brilliant", with highlights including an "intensely savoury limb of octopus" with garlic, cauliflower and seeds (below), cured organic trout with a whey dressing and sorrel, and hake with lardo, courgette and courgette flower. Set sheep's yoghurt for dessert came with a "thrillingly strawberryish" sorbet, white chocolate and mint, and another of beetroot and cherries was "very pleasing", and he says Potager is "no neighbourhood restaurant. It's a destination." (Review not currently online, but look out for our own Potager once over in Tuesday's mail out - sign up here ). In the Irish Times it sounds like Catherine Cleary had one of those perfect summer days in Kilkenny, starting with a swim in the Barrow and ending with lunch at Barrow's Keep . She describes house-cured salmon with pickled cucumber and dill as "everything I could want", black sole was "a beautifully cooked specimen", and roast striploin of beef was "luciously juicy" with the "loveliest" horseradish sauce. Meringue made with local eggs, Irish strawberries and lemon cream was "the perfect summer dessert", and she calls it "a beautiful restaurant in a beautiful place", giving it 9/10. Read her review here . In the Irish Examiner Joe McNamee thinks that Cobh in Cork finally has a "good, innovative restaurant" to be proud of, after a visit to newly opened café Seasalt . Fish tacos came with crisp hake, Mexican slaw, avocado cream and chipotle mayo on "flavoursome" corn tortillas, a roast tomato & Macroom mozzarella tart was "very tasty", and a local smoked fish platter was "a cracking ensemble". Desserts, including raspberry-vanilla cheesecake were "truly excellent", and he thinks that Seasalt’s success "could trigger a groundswell of local culinary change". He gives the food 8/10, and the value 9/10, and you can read his review here . Finally in the Sunday Times Ernie Whalley was at Ristorante Rinuccini in Kilkenny, having duck that was everything he had dreamed of, and calling them heroes for managing to stay relevant and excellent over decades. Read that here . More next week.

The Stoneybatter Festival is back this weekend and the line up looks like the best one yet. There's a mammoth 120 events happening over three days, including a Southern Italian lunch at Grano , a tea party with Mrs Doyle (Pauline McGlynn herself), and a doggy brunch running the length of Manor Place. Residents and non-residents are invited for a celebration of all that’s good in the 'Batter hood, and even Michael D himself is dropping by. As one of the city's current food hotspots this is something you should definitely be getting involved in, and here's what we think you should make a beeline for... The Lilliput Pintxo Bar ​ The always inventive Lilliput Evenings will be turning Lilliput Stores in to a Wine and Pintxo Bar on the Friday and Saturday evenings. We haven't seen the menu but we're expecting the usual small plates and seasonal ingredients. And wine. Tavolo Social at Grano Stoneybatter’s favourite Nonna, Mamma Roma and the team at Grano are hosting Tavolo Sociale on Saturday - a 5 course family style Southern Italian lunch, served at communal tables. There are two sittings - 12:30 - 15:00, and 15:30 - 18:00. On Sunday they're doing pasta making demonstrations all day and serving Southern Italian Street Food. Tickets are €50 and can be booked through Grano. L. Mulligan Grocer's Cabaret Brunch L. Mulligan Grocer are holding a Cabaret-themed brunch with "glitz, glitter, music and a DIY Bloody Mary Bar" from 12:30 - 14:30. Tickets are €32 and include a Bloody Mary with all the trimmings, a full Irish (with vegetarian and vegan options available), and a dessert of apricot & white chocolate 'eggs' and dark chocolate brioche soldiers, all whilst being entertained by cabaret and burlesque performances. Get tickets here . The Food Village You'll need your blankets at the ready on Sunday for the Food Village on Manor Street, complete with picnic area. Stoneybatter and Manor Street will be pedestrianised for the day, and you'll find pastries from Scéal Bakery, seafood from Fish Shop and toasties from the Vegan Sandwich Company. Stoneybatter Farmer's Market is on in Pender's Yard as usual on Saturday and Sunday, and there'll also be a pig on a spit outside Mahon's Butchers. The Dog's Dinner Brunch Slice will have a table running the length of Manor Place where both you and your furry pal will be served brunch and cold refreshments, followed by a treat (for humans and canines). Tickets are €25 and can be booked here . The Touchy-Feely-Tasty-Smelly Disco Quiz There's a sensory food quiz with tasting and smelling questions at Lilliput Work and Welders from 14:00 - 16:00. Entry is €5 per person or €15 per family, and there's a prize for the best disco-dressed team. DJ Ed Smith will be playing disco tunes, and the rounds include general knowledge, tasting and smelling rounds. Email stoneybatterfood@gmail.com to register your interest. The Love Supreme Rave Be sure to look up for Charles & Anne from Koppi Fine Coffee Roasters in Sweden who will be DJing on the roof at Love Supreme like last year. What else is on? * Village Pizza are at The Belfry Friday night serving pizza and 2-for-1 Tikki cocktails * Vietnom will be at the back of The Glimmerman as usual with a side of "Dublin's randomest jukebox" inside * There's a pop-up Gaeltacht at Walsh’s Pub * Get Saturday off to a food start before all that food with 108 Sun Salutations Yoga at the TU Grangegorman Tennis Court at 11.00 * Farmer Eoin will have his working farm animals on Manor Street on Sunday from 12:30 - 17:00. * On Sunday morning Bí Urban are serving tea, toast and honey from the local 2019 crop, served on Green Door Bakery bread, with a side of environmental discussion * Father Ted’s Mrs Doyle aka Pauline McLynn will be pouring the tea and judging the best cake and biscuit at the Stoneybatter Bake Off, on Sunday from 15:00 - 16:00. And the drinks? One thing that Stoneybatter has in spades is pubs to suit whatever stage of humanity you find yourself at. From the proper old school charm of Walsh’s, the beyond categorization crazy at the Glimmerman (NB killer beer garden), to the hipster darling Belfry or food centric L.Mulligan Grocer. The Barbers in Grangegorman will be holding a busker competition and serving special gin and tonics, and. Kavanagh’s of Aughrim Street has organised a community defibrillator, in case the party gets out of hand. Stoneybatter Festival Fri 21st - Sun 23rd June www.stoneybatterfestival.ie

The Morrison Grill on Ormond Quay has created a €40 burger for National Burger Day , complete with wagyu beef, foie gras, truffle and gold leaf. The "La-Di-Da" burger will be served on a brioche bun with relish, hand cut triple cooked fries and fresh truffle shavings, and we can already hear the cries of how that imaginary animal is back and roaring. The Morrison Grill is the restaurant in The Morrison Hotel , and if your pockets aren't that deep they're also doing a two-for-one deal on their Angus steak burger, josper blackened chicken burger or Wagyu beef burger, usually €17-24 each. National Burger Day is this Thursday, 20th June, meaning you can get two-for-one burgers in loads of restaurants and takeaways around Dublin all day. Some of the places you might want to head for include 57 The Headline on Clanbrassil Street Lower, The Exchequer Gastropub , The Chophouse , The Counter Custom Burgers and Soma at The Spire . There are loads of fast food restaurants involved too, including Eddie Rockets, Captain Americas, Gourmet Burger Kitchen and Macari's. You can see the full list and search for places in your area on their website . www.nationalburgerday.ie

This weekend's reviews are a snapshot of the growing sense of excitement around Irish food, and the new restaurants taking the dining scene to a different level. We're more eager to eat out than ever before, the choice and quality of food on offer is becoming more electric by the day, and we're increasingly seeing Irish food recognised on a global level. Michelin seemed to have moved in recently , and we'll barely be able to cope with the anticipation leading up to this years' awards in Autumn. In the Irish Times , Catherine Cleary gets the first verdict in on Potager in Skerries, and it's a bold one, calling the tasting menu "the best money you’ll spend on food in Dublin". The menu, featuring predominantly food from North County Dublin, "the vegetable basket of Ireland", gave her all the feels, and their "delightful night" kicked off with potato bread and whipped smooth ricotta, with dark green lovage and chive pesto, which sounds like it would give Forest & Marcy's a run for its money. Snacks like crisp potato skins filled with cod's roe and chervil were "gorgeous things", fish cakes were "gobstopper-sized flavour bombs", and she loved everything about a Baby Gem lettuce soup with aerated cream and dehydrated bacon. Similar praise for smoked haddock, Armagh mushrooms served three ways and Howth crab with Rush tomatoes, and she ends by saying "I love Potager. It’s the best chef’s dream of his own place: all about the food rather than all about the chef". She gives them 9/10 and says Skerries has got itself a destination restaurant. Read her review here . Similarly strong statements from Leslie Williams in the Irish Examiner , who says Aimsir in Kildare "might be the most exciting Irish restaurant opening in a decade". The 18 courses from chef Jordan Bailey and team were too many to detail, but highlights included dehydrated and crisped violetta potato filled with garlic-infused Bán goat’s cheese, creamy, crispy milk-skin filled with pickled Chanterelles and St George’s mushrooms, and soda bread made with Guinness and treacle before being cooked in beef fat, with raw, salted butter. He singles out the juice pairing as being "as creative, complex and substantial as Jordan’s cooking", and says as the courses kept coming he felt akin to a new born baby: "new neural pathways were being created with each flavour, each building on the foundation of the previous one — as though my palate was being re-assembled anew — Aimsir is quite simply an exhilarating thrill-ride for the senses." He gives the food 9/10, and you can read the full thing here . From fine dining to fast food, Katy McGuinness in the Irish Independent is equally glowing about Chimac , the new Korean fried chicken spot on Aungier Street (read our Chimac once over here ). We knew they would have a head start into the critics' good books because of their commitment to free-range chicken, and Katy calls the decision "commendable". She thought the Kimcheese burger was "sweet, savoury and rather delicious" but would have liked a bit more of a kimchi kick, Korean hot wings were "vibrant, flavoursome, with great texture", and skin-on fries were as good as she's encountered anywhere recently ( we agree ). She reckons she could eat a lot of Chimac's food, and says that if they can use free-range chicken and still manage to be affordable, why can't others? Read her review here . In the Sunday Independent Lucinda O'Sullivan reckons she's unearthed another reason to head for Blackrock Market - Ciamei Cafe . She says the "buzzy, busy Italian" was full of Blackrock's finest, and their starter of fritto misto with lightly battered squid and prawns was "excellent". She's still dreaming about the pasta with blue cheese and walnuts, and spinach filled ravioli with tomato, basil and garlic sauce and Parmesan went down similarly well. Almond tart for dessert was "lovely", and she calls it "a delight". (Review not currently online) In the Sunday Business Post there's more rhapsodising over Irish food from Gillian Nelis, who was at Sage in Midleton trying their famous 12-mile menu . She calls it "a pretty spectacular experience", with standouts including fermented potato pancake stuffed with corned beef and cabbage, king oyster mushrooms with barley and fennel, and red gurnard tart with smoked bacon, apple and buttermilk - "one of the most sophisticated and original fish dishes I've had in years". She calls the food at Sage "incredible", and you can read the full thing here . In the Irish Daily Mail Tom Doorley was in The Yard in Wexford town, where he was lured in by a sign saying they had a kitchen garden (anyone else seeing a trend here?). A Thai beef salad was lacking in spice, but Toulouse sausages with mash and onion gravy (for the summer we're having) had "a Gallic simplicity and satisfaction". Battered lemon sole came with samphire and cubes of potato that tasted "potato-ish", and a steamed lemon pudding was the only real disappointment - "yellow, vaguely lemony, very sweet spongey stuff" - but it did come with "perfect" singed marshmallow and "lovely" ice-cream. Hot Portugese-style tarts were "wickedly lovely" and he appreciated the "generosity at work". (Review not currently online). Finally in the Sunday Times Ernie Whalley details a super cringe (for them) experience at The Fumbally which ended up with him walking out, before finding relief in the curries at Konkan on Clanbrassil Street. Read that here . More next week.

It's here people. We've been waiting and waiting, and the wine revolution is finally underway. This time last year it felt like there was hardly anywhere to get a decent glass of non-industrial wine in the city centre, but now we have Loose Canon , Frank's and First Draft all within spitting distance of Stephen's Green. A lot done, a lot more to do (like literally anywhere on the Northside), and if we could just do something about our horrifying alcohol taxes (we have the highest excise duties on wine in the entire EU) we'd all be able to put better stuff into our bodies, but that's for another day. For now, these are the best places to drink quality wine in Dublin... 1) Loose Canon If you're wondering what all the fuss is about natural wine, Loose Canon should be your first stop. From the same owners as everyone's favourite brunch spot Meet Me In The Morning , Loose Canon is modelled on the natural wine shop/bars that seem to be on every corner of Paris. They have a regularly changing by the glass list, or you can drink anything from the shelf at €10 corkage. Epic cheese toasties and small plates are also available, and you can carry on the party by buying more wine and cheese to take home. Read more about Loose Canon here . 2) Piglet The first city centre wine bar that got us properly excited, Piglet seemed like something of an outlier when it opened in Temple Bar in late 2015, and quickly became an industry favourite. The bottle list is where most of the interesting stuff is, so going with a gang of experimental friends is the way to go. There are few places we'd rather be on a sunny evening than at one of the outside tables sipping a white port and tonic. 3) Frank's The new kid on the block, Frank's opened in a former butcher's shop in May, with the controversial approach of selling good wine at inexpensive prices, starting at just €4.50 a glass, which is practically free by Dublin standards. It's from the same guys who own Delahunt a few doors down, and there's a focus on minimal intervention wine on tap and in bottle. It's open for drink in or take home from Wednesday to Sunday, with the kitchen serving inventive small plates every day except Wednesday. 4) First Draft Coffee & Wine Another much welcome newbie, First Draft Coffee & Wine opened last November, and it's safe to say it's the neighbourhood wine bar that Portobello was waiting for. Café by day, wine den by night, it's a super chilled place to hang out and drink wines made by real people with real (as opposed to made up for marketing purposes) stories. The usual small plates are available for satisfactory soakage, and you can buy wine to take home. Read more about First Draft here . 5) Fish Shop, Benburb Street Fish Shop Benburb Street (and their main restaurant on Queen Street) have been some of the best places to drink wine since they opened, due to having two of the most interesting lists in the city (plus sherry, there's nowhere near enough sherry in Dublin), but they've really upped the stakes with their new Monday Wine Club. Each week they pour a brilliant selection of wines at prices you won't see anywhere else, like €7.50 for a class of grower Champagne (the best of the best), which would be twice the price or more under normal wine margins. It's hard to even get a bog standard glass of prosecco for €7.50 these days, so if you have any sense you will drop all plans next Monday and go straight here.. 6) La Cave La Cave is one of the more old-school options in the city centre, but on a cold Winter's evening the cosy downstairs bar decked in red from top to bottom is a great place to shelter. They do a cracking crémant by the glass (similar to Champagne), and the bottle list is full of diamonds if you know what to look for. Staff will be happy to help you pick if not. 7) Green Man Wines Part award-winning shop, part much lauded wine bar, the €8 corkage on anything off the shelf makes this one of the best value places in the city to drink the really good stuff. The selection in here is second to none, and people travel from across the city to Terenure to buy and drink wine here. 8) 64 Wine Another diamond in suburbia, 64 Wine makes wine fiends everywhere severely jealous that they don't live in Glasthule. The shelves are crammed full of the best bottles currently available on the Irish market, and the staff are always dying to tell you the stories behind them. Like Green Man Wines, corkage on anything off the shelf is €8, which is increasingly better value the more expensive your taste. Just try to leave here without draining your bank account. We've found it impossible. 9) Little Mikes The little brother to seafood destination Michael's in Mount Merrion, Little Mike's appeared fully formed in May serving an eclectic wine selection and seafood small plates (and deep-fried gruyère - just as good as you are imagining). A regularly changing wine list with plenty of natural and unusual options (like Swiss wine and Californian trousseau gris) as well as Zalto glasses to drink them out of, make the southside an increasingly excellent place to find good wine. Read more about Little Mike's here . 10) Ely One of the originals on the Dublin wine scene, Ely has two locations - the corporate heavy Ely Bar & Grill in the IFSC, and the more chilled (but still a bit corporate) Ely Wine Bar on Ely Place off Baggot Street. In the past their by the glass list has been a bit safe for our liking, but the one in Ely Place is looking a lot more appealing these days, with some interesting sparkling and sherries by the glass. The hugely extensive bottle list is where it's at so it might be worth arriving early for a full peruse. 11) Beo Wine Bar + Kitchen A vegan restaurant in uber cool Stoneybatter might not be the first place you think of when you're thirsty for wine, but Beo Wine Bar + Kitchen has a very impressive wine list, thoughtfully selected with minimal intervention at the forefront of their thinking. Grab a stool at the bar, order a vegan cheeseboard (or not, your choice) and get stuck into it. Read more about Beo here . Did you miss any of your favourite wine haunts? Let us know by emailing info@alllthefood.ie.

The city centre has another place to head for when the sun comes out, as The Shelbourne has opened a new terrace in the middle of the hotel. It's up the stairs on the mezzanine area, and comes complete with umbrellas and heaters, for that unpredictable Irish summer, as well as sharing platters of Irish cheeses and cured meats. As well as the new terrace, they've also opened another bar next door, 1824, named for the year the hotel first opened. They're describing it as a "top shelf only", with high end spirits, cocktails and whiskeys, and say they wanted to merge the ambience of an Irish pub with that of a sophisticated cocktail bar. The terrace will open from May - September and can be booked, where 1824 is open all year round and doesn't take reservations, but having two extra drinking dens means that the queue to get into The Shelbourne at Christmas time might just move a bit faster next year. The Shelbourne Hotel 27 St. Stephen's Green, Dublin 2 www.theshelbourne.com

Even if it’s not sunny, which it won’t be for the majority of the summer, it is perfectly acceptable to consume iced drinks throughout June, July, August and that weird heatwave in September. Saying that, cold coffees in the city can come at a hefty price tag, some are definitely worth it and well, some are just bad coffee with ice in it. So here’s a list of our favourite places to get quality cold drinks in Dublin... Brother Hubbard Brother Hubbard serves classic iced coffee for those who want a no-fuss-I’m-too-hot-just-give-me-cold-caffeine. Try and nab a seat in their outdoor area for all the more reason to drink iced coffees, as it’ll probably be a balmy 16 degrees when you start to overheat. Vice Coffee Inc Vice Coffee’s Vietnamese iced coffee can fix any ailment. Yes it’s indulgent and yes, it’s perfect. If you haven’t tried condensed milk coffee, you’re missing out and need to fix that before everyone judges you mid-summer. Meet Me in The Morning Kind of like an evolved version of vietnamese iced coffee, the MMIM/Reference Coffee gang add some dulce de leche, caramelised condensed milk to their iced lattes. For when you’re feeling extra bougie and suffering from heatstroke and exhaustion. Clement And Pekoe Clement and Pekoe ’s outdoor bench is a fave people-watching spot of ours, if there’s any space. It’s also shaded so your lobster tinged skin can relax. They’ll put ice into any drink and you can now grab one from their new location on Blessington Street. You never really have to travel far for an iced coffee in Dublin, which is great because we’d all pass out otherwise. Proper Order's Chocolate Milk Yes this isn’t coffee, go on Twitter to complain about it. What it is, is the vastly improved chocolate milk of your childhood. Proper Order take chocolate ganache, top it with milk and shake it over ice, and they can even make it vegan if you ask. Groundstate Nothing says summer like Irish Rail pumping up the heating on their trains, so when you do finally emerge from the sweltering station mid-summer, trudge on over for cold coffee from Groundstate , because you made it this far, you deserve it. Happy Out Happy Out is a pretty dreamy spot to get an iced coffee after a long walk up to Bull Island, where it kind of feels like the participation medal after crossing the finish line. Find shade and shelter here while you rehydrate on coffee. Espresso and Tonic from Indigo and Cloth For something completely different, ditch the milk and try an espresso and tonic at Indigo and Cloth in Temple Bar. It's all the rage on the continent. The Affogato from Two Pups Think of it as a marriage between your childhood 99's and your adult craving for caffeine. Two Pups serve espresso over soft serve and it’s another one on the bucket list you need to try before word gets out and insanity ensues. Did we miss your favourite iced coffee? Let us know by emailing info@allthefood.ie.

I think I can see it. It's here! Oh no it's gone again. Oh wait, it's coming back! Uh - no. False alarm. And therein lies the sounds of the Irish summer. So while we all wait impatiently to see whether the ex-Postman's predictions come true, we're focusing on all things bright, in the hope we can lure the summer to us... 1. Irish Trout with Textures of Corn from Nautilus The very under the radar Nautilus in Malahide are plating and photographing some spectacular looking dishes lately, including this Irish trout with textures of corn, avocado and lime purée and rice crackers. So many colours. That we need in our mouths. 2. The Loaded Batata from Alma Argentinean café Alma in Portobello are forever brightening up our feeds, this week with their loaded batata - grilled sweet potato topped with Argentine sausage ragu, lime sour cream, green peas, spiced nuts, fresh herbs and organic leaves, with a side of sourdough bread. So fresh. So clean. 3. The Duck Lasagne from Loretta's Has lasagne ever looked prettier? This housemade version with duck, parmesan sauce and basil from the new menu at Loretta's in Phibsborough is that perfect mix of something that looks semi-summery, but will also warm you up on a wet June evening. 4. The Buffalo Burrata at Crow Street Because what's better than burrata? Buffalo burrata. And we would happily eat cheese for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Plus the edible flowers at Crow Street look great on the 'gram. 5. The Tres Leches Cake from The Taphouse The new "tres leches" dessert at The Taphouse in Ranelagh is so bright it's practically shining. The Mexican three layered cake comes with white chocolate, salted caramel brittle and a pistachio crumb, and if we didn't want to eat it so much we might wear it for a bit of bling.

A bit of a surprising start to the weekend with Catherine Cleary in the Irish Times giving a kicking to Circa in Terenure. After nothing but glowing reviews so far, this was a bit of an unexpected one, and it sounds like she was in a bad mood from the start, referring to how "hipster creep" - harsh - is blurring the border between Dublin 6 and 8, and the fact that the bartender had a man bun. She thought the buttermilk battered rabbit was "beyond bland", pig belly "spongy and flavourless", and ray wing "watery and flaccid". Zero holding back then. She says she's bewildered by the lack of flavour, and cites the food provenance as "minimal" , which seems odd considering they've been quite vocal about all of the Irish produce they're using, something that's been noted in other reviews. This one has already ruffled a few feathers, with one critic, who previously gave the food 9/10, showing up last night in support of said man bun, but we hear that customers were also calling the restaurant yesterday to show their support and disagree with the mighty one, and at the end of the day, that's who a restaurant lives or die on. She gives them 6/10 and you can read the review h ere . In the Irish Independent Katy McGuinness took a trip to free-range (soon to be organic) egg farm Magner's in Tipperary, and they fed her scones so good she had to see where they came from. Off she went to Dooks Fine Foods in Fethard, where a lamb, sunflower seed and lovage burger had "good flavour", sausage rolls were "excellent", and rhubarb cheesecake, flourless chocolate cake and carrot cake were "all quite lovely". She gives the food 8/10 and you can read her review here . In the Daily Mail Tom Doorley marvels at how Ireland is becoming such a cosmopolitan, multi-cultural country, after a Palestinian feast at Izz Café in Cork. The family behind it spent a year and a half in direct provision, before starting to sell their food at Mahon Point Market, and they've just opened their own bricks and mortar site, complete with Darina Allen to cut the ribbon (cue lump in throat). Safe to say he loved it - the hummus was "proper", baba ghanoush "light and fluffy", and stuffed vine leaves were "freshly lemony". Baby aubergines stuffed with walnuts were "rather lovely", tabouleh was authentic, and puffed manaeesh flatbreads topped with beef and chicken were "perfectly pillow-shaped", with yoghurt and pomegranate seeds on the side "an attractive foil". Desserts were enjoyable but heavy and very sweet, and he was suitably impressed that the spread for two came to just €50. (Review not currently online) In the Sunday Independent Lucinda O'Sullivan says she found "bliss by the sea" at The Bayview Hotel in East Cork (the lady loves a hotel). She says head chef Kieran Scully is "under the radar in the shouty, show-off social-media cheffy stakes of today" (sounds of an axe being ground) and says his food his food is "top notch on all levels". She loved her ray with salsify and rhubarb, as well as "impressive" lamb breast, "superb" pan-fried John Dory and confit duck legs "falling off the bone". Hazelnut semifreddo for dessert was also "superb", as was the wine. (Review not currently online) In the Irish Examiner Joe McNamee was at Everetts in Waterford, which he says is serving "the best food in Waterford". High praise for whipped Knockalara sheep’s cheese rolled in wild garlic with roast red pepper puree and violet artichokes, and Wexford scallops in chicken jus with braised Andarl farm pork belly and pickled dried apricot; "mollifying pea puree smoothing over boisterous notes in the liaison" - the line of the week. Slow cooked shoulder of Comeragh lamb rolled in lemon, parsley and garlic with pearl barley and lamb jus won the battle of the mains, and the cheeseboard took no prisoners with "sweet, salty crozier blue, rich, creamy Ballylisk triple rose, from Co Antrim, and a bolshie honking Époisse". He calls it a "cracking little restaurant", but reckons they could dial it up to 11, and if they do, "we'll be talking about a true national contender". Read his review here . In the Sunday Business Post Gillian Nelis is lamenting the lack of value at The Green Barn in Burtown House, Kildare. Her €77 car crash lunch included less than generous starters, an hour-long wait for a main of pork that still had the string on it, and children at the next table at breaking point due to long wait-inflicted starvation. She took exception at paying €10 for a small lime and coconut slice and an americano, calling them "city centre prices", and says that while the grounds and all the talking about growing their own might be lovely, if they can't service the room, do justice to the ingredients and provide fair value, "what's the point?". Read that here . Finally in the Sunday Times , Ernie Whalley was at Michelin-starred Ichigo Ichie in Cork, and says if you're interested in food you should save up, sell your second car or empty your children's piggy bank to get there. Read that here . More next week.

Storyboard , the neighbourhood café in Islandbridge, Dublin 8 are trialling wine nights, starting tonight. The team behind it think there's a gap in the area for casual food and drinks in the evening, and the new menu will consist of small plates like Young Buck cheese croquettes and pork gyoza, with a short wine list. Chef Mark Butler says the evening menu revolves around his own experience with French and Asian cuisine, and wants to serve people food that they want to eat more of. Other dishes on the menu include Ssamjang spuds with scallion and sriracha mayonnaise, chicken yakitori with teriyaki sauce and crispy chicken skin, and kimchi and mushroom gyoza. Wines have been picked to match with the dishes, and there are eight on the short list. Storyboard's first wine night starts tonight at 18:30 with last orders for food at 21:00. They're not taking reservations so it's walk in only. Once they get up and running they hope to open from Thursday to Saturday. Keep an eye on their social media for updates. Storyboard Clancy Quay, Islandbridge, Dublin 8 www.storyboardcoffee.com

There will be some very happy heads this weekend, some not so happy ones, and some probably mortified ones. Let's just say if you shout about the fact that you're doing something, you better actually be doing it. Somewhere that clearly is doing what they say they are is Little Mike's i n Mount Merrion, the new wine bar with mainly seafood small plates from the same guys behind Michael's , a few doors down. No surprise that like Tom Doorley last week , Leslie Williams in the Irish Examiner loved it, giving the food 9.5/10 and calling it "some of the very best seafood cooking in the country". No disagreements from us . He loved it all - the wines, the zaltos, the whelks, the fact that much of it was breathing just a few hours previously. John Dory was "crisp-grilled, succulent, and just-cooked", fish cakes were "rich and packed with sweet fish", and mussels and crab claws were "tender and flavourful". He ends by saying that Little Mike's may have been opened to take some pressure off the main restaurant, but he thinks it's going to be so busy that owner Gaz Smith may have to buy the whole street. Read his review here . In the Irish Daily Mail, Tom Doorley was at Elephant and Castle in Monkstown to see if their famous chicken wings still lived up to expectations. With a headline saying "We need to talk about the Elephant in this Castle", we thought they were in for an attack on the fact that their chicken wings aren't free-range (the menu doesn't even say if they're Irish), but after reading it several times we're still unclear what the elephant was. He thought the wings were as good as ever, but spare ribs were "pedestrian" with a "why" flavour combination of molasses and ginger". Main courses were "eminently edible" - yum - with salmon and Irish lamb both cooked perfectly, but a calamari salad was "tedium". An ice-cream sundae for dessert was "splendidly old-fashioned", but a slice of lemon tart, complete with soggy bottom, was so bad he couldn't believe it had been let out of the kitchen. So overall a decent meal, but a bit of a letdown from that tease of a headline. (Review not currently online) Onto the more awkward. In the Irish Times Catherine Cleary says that healthy fast food chain Leon in Temple Bar made her feel sad, and calls it "food served up by an algorithm". Major cringe reading about the "Oirish" schtick on the walls, like a poster of organic milk from Donegal accompanied by the quote "if it’s good enough for wee Daniel". Dying. Food ranged from "bland and mushy" sweet potato falafel, to "juicy and flavourful chilli chicken", but she couldn't get past her irritation at the supposedly sustainable organisation serving everything in disposable (albeit compostible) containers. Things then took a bad turn into morto-ville, when she realised that they were tipping everything into the same bin, and that it was also going into general refuse sacks, presumably destined for a general rubbish tip. She also comments on the "vague" provenance of the "Irish" ingredients, something we were told would be revealed in the coming weeks when we wrote about the opening here . Not sure what the logic is behind keeping that a secret. She says she's sure the food is healthy, but she's not sure the model of "insatiable global expansion" is. Read about her sadness-tinged lunch here . In the Sunday Times , Ernie Whalley slates the food at new high-end Chinese The Old Post Office in Blackrock, saying it lacks authenticity, and calling it gutless and insipid. We're gagged from going into more detail but read it here . From what we've heard there may be another iteration of the same coming next week. After Catherine Cleary's 9/10 two weeks ago in the Irish Times , Aimsir are back with another two knock out reviews, from Lucinda O'Sullivan in the Sunday Independent and Gillian Nelis in the Sunday Business Post . Lucinda says it's clear that head chef Jordan Bailey isn't after just one star, he's used to three, and she calls each course an "Instagrammable gem", with the artisan cutlery and tableware worthy of a separate article. Standout dishes for her included milk skin rolls filled with mushrooms, Dublin Bay skate with with three-cornered leek and chicken butter sauce, and Achill mountain mutton shoulder, and she thought €105 for the tasting menu was "bargain basement" for the experience. She advises getting there fast before they get the stars (that's stars , plural) and the price trebles. (Review not currently online). Very similar sentiments from Gillian, who said she thought it was going to be a pretentious nightmare, but found it "lovely", and far exceeding her expectations. Dishes ranged from the "really good to the sublime", with highlights including Drummond House asparagus grilled over turf, in a hazelnut miso paste with nettle and chamomile flower sauce, and the soda bread cooked with beef fat, black treacle and Guinness, with salty butter from Tipperary - "heaven". The wine list also gets a rare 5/5 from Tomas Clancy who calls it "impeccable". Read the review here . Finally in the Irish Independent , Katy McGuinness was at Myrtle in London, the new restaurant from Dubliner and ex-Gordon Ramsay protégé Anna Haugh, finding the food "properly tasty", "impeccable" and at times "perfection". Her signature desserts including buttermilk panna cotta with rhubarb jelly and cinnamon doughnuts were "immaculate", and although lunch felt expensive, she calls it "top-class cooking". Read that here . More next week.

There’s an obligation in Ireland to constantly chit chat about the weather, while only dreaming of the Spanish sun splitting the rocks. That, and whenever the sun finally emerges, everyone must go outside and do something, anything. When the heat hits, beer gardens heave from 5.01pm onwards, every square inch of the beach is taken up while our pasty, pasty complexions bake in the sun, all of us collectively forgetting about sunscreen and water, instead relying on fizzy alcohol for hydration. This is why we shouldn’t go outside. But anyway, for when you do manage to venture outside, get too hot and don’t know what to do with yourself, here is a list of places to eat and drink to cool yourself down. 1) Sophie's Sophie’s rooftop bar is one of the best places to go for a drink on a sunny day, with views across the city. Just remember to hold onto the swing with both hands when you’re taking pictures. 2. Osteria Lucio Ross Lewis’ Italian restaurant Osteria Lucio looks over the open space of the Grand Canal, meaning you can eat your handmade pasta and pizza in the sun, and walk off your sun stroke afterwards. 3. The Seafood Café We’re stating the obvious here, but Irish people don’t eat enough seafood. Sitting outside The Seafood Cafe is the place to break that bad habit this summer. 4. Eatyard Even though Eatyard 's outdoor dining area usually gets mobbed on Friday and Saturday nights, during the day you can hit the sweet spot of breathing space, food and pints. And shade in The Bernard Shaw. 5. Las Tapas de Lola Speaking of the Spanish sun, what better way to feed that delusion than on the terrace of tapas joint Las Tapas de Lola on Camden street, eating olives and sipping fino. 6. Gaillot et Gray The hipster family dining staple on Clanbrassil street, a familiar vibe in their back garden and it’s a great summer feed. Pizza is the perfect food in hot and cold weather, and Gaillot et Gray 's never disappoints. 7. Octopussy's Seafood Tapas Start with a walk to the lighthouse in Howth, then go for seafood tapas in Octopussy's once you're at boiling point - be sure to order a few plates, you’ve earned it. Besides, if you’re not eating fish in Howth, you’re doing it wrong. 8. Jam Park Bodytonic’s new adult creche Jam Park is ticking all the boxes for summer eating and drinking with rooftop bars and free refills on some cocktails. Play in a safe and controlled environment where your family don’t need to worry about you. 9. The Belfry Stoneybatter is turning into the perfect neighbourhood on a hot day. The Belfry ’s outdoor seating and pizza from the Village Pizza offers another staple spot. 10. Loose Canon Loose Canon is right in the centre of town, making it an easy pitstop for any city trips. Offering charcuterie and cheese, cool wine, the odd controversial toastie and more, all with a romantic summer vibe. Bagsy the bench outside, or just stand on the street with wine in hand, living your best life. 11. The Cake Café A cool inner-city oasis, with leafy outside area. Invite your friends to The Cake Café and live the high life pretending you can afford a garden while renting in the city.

Things have been looking a bit bleak on the front lines of the industry this week. With the news of restaurants closing and beer gardens in danger it’s hard to know how many will survive the summer. But there’s hope to be the found with the return of the Flea Market and everyone spicing up their lives at the weekend, ensuring that the city will be haunted by bits of glitter forever. Whatever happens life must go on, and food must be eaten, and this is what's making us hungry this week. 1. The KimCheese Burger from Chimac The new Korean fried chicken restaurant opens on Aungier Street this Friday, and it’s safe to say we have the arrival of their KimCheese burger with ssamjang & cheddar cheese sauce, spring onion kimchi and gochujang mayo engraved onto our calendar. Read more about Chimac here . 2. The Pizza Special from Cirillo’s Any weather is pizza weather, and Cirillo’s pizza special with marinated tuna, mozzarella, cherry tomatoes and grilled aubergine has us intrigued. 3. The Summer Salad from The Old Spot This simple salad from The Old Spot with heirloom tomatoes, burrata, wild garlic crisps and leaves is pretty much our ideal supper for the rest of the summer. 4. Amritsari Fish from Pickle Pickle have been working on bringing back lost recipes from north Indian cuisines, and the latest is Amritsari fish. Fried John Dory is spiced with chilli and lime and served with raita, crab chutney and carrot pickle. History on a plate. 5. This Riff on a Brunch from The Cliff Townhouse It’s turning into ice cream weather and we’re definitely seeing a theme with nostalgic desserts going into the summer. The Cliff Townhouse have joined the pack with their interpretation of a brunch ice-cream, and we need it in our lives.

It's the organic Italian wine cooler that's become a cult drink in New York and London and counts Kayne West, Rihanna and DJ Khaled amongst its fans, and last week Ramona arrived in Dublin. Created by US sommelier Jordan Salcito, Ramona is described as "the organic, Italian wine spritz that doesn't need a glass, a bottle opener or an occasion to drink it", and has been a surprise hit amongst wine circles since it launched in 2016. Made from muscat grapes from Sicily and flavoured with natural ruby grapefruit juice and grape must, it's a little bit sweet and a little bit bitter - a bit like Lilt for grownups - and at 7% alcohol it's what we'd call "sessionable". Creator Salcito never liked beer so wine coolers ended up being her entry level into drinking wine, and a few years ago she decided she wanted to bring them back, but cooler. Ramona's been a surprise hit, particularly as wine in a can doesn't conjure up the most positive images, but its fans range from celebrities to winemakers in Burgundy, and it's been featured everywhere from Eater , to Forbes , to Vogue , and more recently in The Irish Times . Ramona is available to drink now in 777 , First Draft , Isabelle's , The Devlin , Gertrude , Coppinger Row , The Tap House and Jam Park . You can buy it to take home at First Draft, Deveney's in Dundrum , The Coach House , Redmonds and Dollard & Co . You'll also find it at Eatyard's Cheese and Wine Festival in the Iveagh Gardens in August. Find out more about Ramona at drinkramona.com.

Chimac , Dublin's first Korean fried chicken restaurant, opens this Friday on Aungier Street, with crispy chicken in sriracha caramel, kimchi and gochujang chicken burgers, and Teddy's ice cream cookie sandwiches for dessert. Owners Sofie Rooney and Garret Fitzgerald have spent the past two years perfecting their recipe, and finding the right city centre site, and after a multitude of building delays (what's new) they're finally opening this Friday. Both have a background in restaurants, here and in San Francisco, which is where they fell in love with Korean fried chicken. After a trip to Seoul in 2016 and a move back to Dublin, they decided the city needed the spicy, sweet and salty chicken that they couldn't stop thinking about. They sealed the deal with a research trip to Korea last November where they tried 30 different variations over a few days, and Sofie calls the end result "a tribute to Korea's national pastime reimagined in an Irish context". She says that they're not striving for true authenticity as Chimac's menu is "uniquely Irish, shaped by both local produce and our own cultural experiences", but one that they hope does justice to the original. Chimac is aiming to be fun and casual without the stereotypical fast food image. Chicken is Irish and free-range, with other ingredients mostly Irish too, and sauces and pickles are made in house. There's also going to be wine slushies and a local craft beer list, which we hear is the perfect accompaniment for hot, crispy, spicy fried chicken. Chimac opens at 12:30 on Friday, and you can see the full menu below. Chimac 76 Aungier Street, Dublin 2 Sun - Mon 12:30 - 21:30. Tue - Wed 12:30 - 22:00. Thu - Sat 12:30 - 22:30. Ph: +353 1 4054960 www.chimac.ie

Feast , the former Dun Laoghaire bistro which moved to Golden Lane in the city centre last year, has closed its doors, and is offering either the business or its lease for sale. An ad on Google states that it's being offered fully equipped and that the initial investment was €230,000. A listing on Daft is offering the lease alone for €89,000. Feast opened in Dun Laoghaire in 2017 and got off to a good start, with Catherine Cleary in the Irish Times calling it "a find in a food dessert", urging people to visit and "keep the light burning in this lovely little place". In 2018 they moved to Golden Lane off Aungier Street, and Cleary was back again , saying that despite some quips she had a hopeful feeling about it. Ernie Whalley also gave them a positive review in the Sunday Times , but did add that he felt "a touch uneasy. This venue has hosted a number of incumbents over the years, yet none seems to have made the place “a destination"." Despite being awarded a Michelin plate for good cooking, the tone from Feast seemed to be increasingly desperate over the past year, with a new brunch menu featuring unlimited cocktails for €14.90, and the same deal being offered on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday nights. A post on the restaurant's Facebook page in March stated that it was under new management, but just over two months later the doors have been shut for good. Warnings were widespread earlier this year that the VAT increase was going to be the final nail in the coffin for a lot of already struggling restaurants in Ireland, particularly in the capital where openings are back to boom time numbers . Award-winning Luna's closure last week has been the shock of 2019 so far, but we imagine there are more to come.

It's been a successful weekend for restaurant reviews, with barely a bad word said about anyone - apart from a lack of provenance info (when will they learn) and some overly rich pasta ( FWP ). There was also an interesting piece in the Irish Times yesterday about the current state of the Dublin restaurant scene and how we're back to boom time opening numbers. We say bring it on. Keep the tide rising. The struggle to get bookings in places like Etto , Variety Jones and Liath shows that the appetite is there when somewhere is at the top of its game, and new openings force everyone to try harder and go further, which is only good news for diners. Speaking of Liath , in the Irish Independent Katy McGuinness calls it "the best eating bargain in the country", at €78 for eight courses of "vivid", "luxurious", "intensely flavoursome" food. She says that while previous co-owner Andrew Heron leaving came as a shock, the new incarnation seems "less challenging, less try-hard, more confident". We recommend reading the descriptions of the dishes, just in case you're not already desperate enough to go, but the "spring salad" with a cured duck egg and a cigar of pancetta and lardo from a mangalitsa pig, Comeragh lamb with wild herb butter, and L'Etivaz with clementine and preserved walnut sound particularly good. She gives it a perfect score of 10/10 for food ambience and value, and advises trying to go before October when the new Michelin guide comes out, and Grey inevitably gets his star back. Solid advice. Read her review here . More applause from Tom Doorley for Little Mike's , the new southside wine bar from the guys behind Michael's . He says he left "enchanted", and was struck by the "orchestration" of flavours and textures on the plates. They opted for the somewhat scary looking Lambay Island whelks that owner Gaz has been touting all over twitter, and loved them in their ginger, garlic and lemon butter on toast. Turbot with salsa verde was "exquisite", and fried Gruyère with honey and onions produced an in-text exclamation of "Oh what a dish"! A seafood plate with Howth lobster, prawns and squid was "heaven", and on it goes. He calls Little Mike's "a delight" and says it's made life in Dublin that much better. (Review not currently online) In the Irish Times Catherine Cleary took a solo trip to new sustainable café INK in Dun Laoghaire, after all of her usual dining buddies were otherwise engaged, and it was mostly a success. She liked the room, but was surprised by the "meat-heavy" menu, and wouldn't touch the "Irish chicken" as there was no mention of free-range or organic - how are we still having the provenance needed conversation? Surely it's in the new restaurant opening handbook? Basil kombucha was nice but sweeter than the norm, a potato and green vegetable soup had "proper homemade flavour", and sourdough toast was "excellent". She seemed to like a fish finger butty too, particularly the house ketchup, but the breading on the fish was over salted. An orange and cranberry cake for dessert was "fine" but dry, needing some cream, yoghurt or syrup, and overall she calls it "a good start with the promise of great things to come". She gives it a score of 7/10 and you can read the full review here . In the Sunday Independent Lucinda O'Sullivan was eating in a hotel again, this time The Dylan, and the newly revamped The Eddison . She calls chef Paul Quinn's food "on trend, with cool contemporary plates", delivering not just on presentation but on flavour. Her grilled asparagus to start with was "perfectly cooked" with smoked duck, crispy poached egg (that's a new one) and truffle mayo, while chicken ravioli were "bursting with flavour". No word on whether it was free-range. Roast quail was "perfect pink and silky", and Lucinda's scallops came with her all time favourite accompaniments of capers and raisins. She doesn't actually say if she liked them but it sounds positive. A blood orange cheesecake mousse for dessert was "divine", and she says she'll be back to try the goat's cheese souffle. Clearly she hasn't read Ernie Whalley's review of The Eddison, and that soufflé. (Review not currently online) In the Sunday Business Post Gillian Nelis was at Sandymount's (sort of) new kid on the block, Crudo , which is basically Dunne & Crescenzi 2.0 from the next generation. She says they've refreshed it "brilliantly", and it's a succession of praise, with seabass crudo having a "great balance of flavours", buffalo burrata "creamy and sensuous", and pan-fried skate with mussels, capers and herbs "very well-cooked". The only slight letdown was the spaghetti with nettle salsa bianca, confit egg yolk and aged ricotta, which we've been lusting after for weeks, but which she found "a bit too heavy". Desserts and service also impressed, and she congratulates the team on a well executed update. Read her review here . In the Irish Examiner Joe McNamee was at 30-year-old Ristorante Rinuccini in Kilkenny, where the whole family was impressed by the "subterranean intimacy" of the cellar dining room, the tables "dressed to the nines" and the tuxedoed waiters. He says Rinuccini may not be part of a "new vanguard of Italian cuisine but that’s perfectly fine", with standouts (of many) including calamari and zucchini fritti with a silky lemon and anchovy aioli, and ravioli with gorgonzola and walnuts. Spaghetti with Kilmore Quay prawns, garlic, tomato, basil and chilli was "a simple treatment of good produce resulting in an elemental splendour", but duck came in an orange and liquor sauce that was "overly thin and sharp". Tiramisu was a contender for the definitive one in the country, and he says Rinuccini "delivers superbly a roster of traditional dishes, a strong hand further emboldened by the use of excellent Irish ingredients". Read his review here . Finally in the Sunday Times , Ernie Whalley found the restaurant he was trying to visit closed, so ended up in Damascus Gate in Terenure, where he found good value and interesting flavours. Read his review here . More next week.