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We've been waiting for a flurry of reviews of The Grayson , which opened two months ago in the former Residence building on St. Stephen's Green, but things have been surprisingly quiet. The only reviewer they've managed to attract up until now is Lucinda O'Sullivan , who despite marching in on their first week, loved it. Are the critics just jaded about the latest cog in the Press Up machine? Well Tom Doorley isn't, as he reviews it in today's Irish Daily Mail, and while he admits that the food is "less ambitious" than the previous incumbents, he says that "the food is probably not actually meant to take centre stage". This is restaurant "as entertainment". Whatever you're into yourself. Their entertainment came in the form of four "alpha males" who were "unbearably loud", but their table overlooking St. Stephen's Green was "rather lovely". The food was mixed but veers towards the positive. Pork belly and croquette with puy lentils was "no hardship to eat", halloumi with crushed, smoked almonds and pesto was grilled perfectly and "ate well", but pan-friend halibut with nduja ratte potatoes, samphire, sweetcorn and okra had too much going on with flavours over-powering the fish, and needed to be reduced to its essentials (we've had it, and agree). A rib-eye steak on the other hand was "spot-on", with a "sensitively dressed salad" and "decent" chips. Brown bread ice-cream "wasn't bad" and coffee was good, and he calls The Grayson "a pretty impressive place" with food that's "decent enough", but that will hopefully improve as the kitchen gains confidence. He also tells us his niece works there but she was off that night (she's the area manager for Press Up ). Do with that what you will. In the Irish Times , Catherine Cleary loved the new site from Camerino Bakery in the Goethe Institute on Merrion Square, and praised the person who put "a real cook into a cultural space". A bowl of sweet potato soup with chickpeas, peas, tomato and herb salsa was the best soup she's had in a long time, and her toasted sandwich "a king of toasties", with "properly fiery and funky kimchi, salami that’s been fermented till it honks ... a good cheddar to bind it all together and seeded sourdough toast finished with butter on the outside." Both a carrot and walnut slice and a cinnamon and chocolate cookie were "divine", and the coffee excellent. She gives it 8.5/10 and calls it a beautiful new café in a food dessert part of town. Read her review here . In the Irish Independent , Katy McGuinness is the latest critic to be wooed by 25 year old head chef Karan Mittal's cooking at Ananda in Dundrum - although she didn't fall quite as hard as Lucinda . Long a Dublin destination for high-end Indian food, Karan seems to have taken it to new heights, and Katy says "I couldn't recommend Ananda more". Everything sounds incredible, from tandoor smoked duck with duck-leg samosa, fig, plum ketchup and medjool date with St. Tola goat's cheese, to char-grilled prawns with avocado koshimbiri (like a raw vegetable salad) and mango confiture. "An explosion of flavour" came in the form of a Kashmiri morel stuffed with wild mushrooms, chicken tikka and asparagus, on top of mushroom kedgeree with Parmesan, tomato and pine nuts, and Mittal's signature black lime sorbet was "pungent, intense, magnificent". Mains of Bombay Keema Salli (lamb, quail's egg and padron pepper), Jhinga Neel Giri (wild prawns) and lamb biryani were "impeccable", as were sides of okra and black dahl, and she calls it "sophisticated modern Indian food from a young chef focussed on flavour", giving it 9/10 for food, ambience and value. Read her view here . In the Irish Examiner , Leslie Williams finds a tapas restaurant worth travelling for at Solas in Dingle, who source almost everything from the Dingle peninsula (which is enough to get us interested). Chargrilled octopus was "firm and packed with flavour", and came with slices of marinated ‘carpaccio’ and squid ink aioli as contrast, seafood chowder croquettes sounded like they wouldn't work but did, "gloriously so", and the "sweet and tender" prawns in the pil-pil had come straight off the pier. They took home "delicious" petit fours, whose flavours all had a nod to the west, and he says Solas is full of the little touches that make a restaurant, like mint and lemon slices in the water and offers of extra bread, and seconds - SRSLY?? He advises "you definitely need to go to Dingle", and we're convinced. Read his review here . Finally, Lucinda O'Sullivan is living it up at the world's best hotel in the Sunday Independent, with a trip to Adare Manor in Limerick. She sacrificed the hotel's fine-dining restaurant to eat in the more casual option, The Carraige House , as she figured that's where us plebs would be more likely to be able to afford to eat. A salad of Alaskan king crab with avocado, datterini tomatos and salad leaves was "delicious", and her Dublin Bay prawn cocktail came with little jugs of extra sauce - "a nice touch". A roasted squash risotto with goat's cheese, fried sage and garlic oil was "perfectly cooked", and pan-fried seabass with a bean, chorizo and hazlenut cassoulet was also "delicious". Desserts of banoffi and berry sabayon were "divine", the latter coming with a huge "fluff" of Champagne sabayon and a "quenelle" of orange sorbet. She reckoned they could have stayed in JP's paddock forever, but they "saddled up" and hit the road - cue involuntary groan. (Review not currently online) In The Sunday Times Ernie Whalley is impressed with 1826 in Adare, calling it "some restaurant" (read his review here ), and in the Sunday Business Post, Gillian Nelis revisits Avalon in Donnybrook and finds the welcome warm and the food elegant and well-balanced. Read her review here . More next week.

With news that the VAT on the hospitality industry is rising by 50% in January, from the current 9% to 13.5%, it’s safe to say that we’re all feeling a bit defeated. Restaurants will inevitably have to raise menu prices in order to stay afloat and we’ll all be a little out of pocket when it comes into regulation. Until then, in order to support the industry and make ourselves feel better we should eat! Maybe we could all just go into food-induced hibernation until the government comes to its senses and lowers the VAT again? So on that note, here's some comfort food... 1. The Lobstar Burger This surf n’ turf style burger from Lobstar includes poached lobster and dexter beef, with 'plum tomato textures' and crispy fries, and these guys know what they’re doing. Not sure what's more comforting, a juicy burger or a pile of lobster, which is why you should have both, at the same time. www.lobstar.ie 2. Seared King Scallops and West Cork Mussels with Herb Lime Butter at Michael's ​ Michael's in Mount Merrion is the unofficial kingdom of comfort food - possibly to do with the amount of butter that's delivered to the kitchen each week. A picture of these scallops and mussels on toast drenched in herby lime butter says more about this fact than we ever could. www.michaels.ie 3. Beans on Toast at Five Points Beans on toast, the childhood comfort food we all fall back on when times are hard, but the chefs at Five Points are taking it to a new level this week with Whole Hoggs sobrasada, cannellini and butter beans, poached eggs and herb yoghurt on sourdough. Everything's going to be okay. www.facebook.com/fivepointshx 4. The Truffle Brie from Fallon & Byrne There’s nothing like the welcoming sight of a cheese counter, but this brie sandwiched with creme fraiche and black truffle from Fallon & Byrne is the only think we've got eyes for right now. www.fallonandbyrne.com 5. The French Toast at The Pepperpot Café This is BAD but like, in the best possible way. The apple and blackberry compote is at least one of your five-a-day, justifying the dollop of whipped cream cheese and candied walnuts. Undoubtedly a mood-elevator. thepepperpot.ie

We're big fans of Shaka Poke , whose main base is in Blackrock market but can also be found popping up around the city during the week at some of Dublin's lunchtime food markets. So we were very excited to hear that they're doing a one week pop up in Portobello in November, where they'll be serving their poke bowls as part of a three course meal. The Shaka Pop-up is coming to Lock 6 Café from Monday the 12th of November to Wednesday the 21st, and it's part of a collaboration with digital marketing agency Socio-Local , to demonstrate the effect of email and digital marketing - which is the only way the pop-up is being promoted (and how we heard about it). Set up by friends Jamie and Dave last year, Shaka Poke started out as a market stall, but opened a permanent (shack-like) space in Blackrock market at the start of this year. If this pop-up goes well we imagine they'll set their sights on a bricks and mortar site with seats and walls. The menu for the pop-up will have starters like 'surfer's broth' and prawns with pineapple salsa (€6-8), their house favourite poke bowls for mains as well as some special additions (€15), or you can build your own, and for dessert there's pineapple upside down cake or acai banana ice cream (€7). So a three-course meal is going to set you back around €30, which is not bad at all. There will be drinks too but the list isn't finalised yet. The Shaka Pop-up will be serving lunch (eat-in and take away) from 11am - 5pm every day, and dinner from 6pm, with the last seating at 9:30pm, and dinner needs to be booked in advance. You can reserve a table for dinner on the special Shaka Pop-up website , or follow them on Instagram to see how it goes. Shaka Poke @ Lock 6 Café 12th - 21st November Lunch: 11:00 - 17:00. Dinner: 18:00 - 22:30. 8 Dunville Terrace, Canal Road, Dublin 6 www.shakapopup.com

Coffee shops are popping up in Dublin faster than government officials can sign off new hotel deals (not that we’re complaining), but over in Dublin 8, Clanbrassil Street has been changing so fast our heads are spinning. In just a few years it's become one of the best, food-filled streets in Dublin. It’s far enough from the city centre to avoid tourist traffic, but within walking distance, and has so many great options for coffee, cake, lunch or dinner, while maintaining a very chilled out buzz. It's hard to imagine how run down Clanbrassil street was in the 80's. When the street was extended to four lanes, costing around £2 million Irish punts at the time, locals were very unimpressed about the changes, and the buildings that were being torn down to make room for them. Amongst those was the pub, “The Bunch of Grapes”, which according to locals was “about the only place in Dublin now that you get a decent pint” (check out this archive video gem ). If only they knew what was coming! This is how we'd spend a day eating and drinking on Clanbrassil Street in 2018. Morning... Start in The Fumbally for breakfast. Created by Luca D’Alfonso and Aisling Rogerson as a spot for good falafel, it was set up in a forsaken Celtic Tiger office building, but it's far from the traditional office space. Order at the counter and grab a seat wherever you can - sharing tables is encouraged. Their breakfast menu runs all day and we recommend trying the avocado toast with pickled cabbage and popped amaranth or scrambled eggs with gubbeen smoked ham. They use Calendar Coffee from Galway and Coffee Collective from Denmark. They also sell housemade fermented drinks and possibly the best chocolate cake in the city. Mosey on up to Clanbrassil Coffee Shop for a coffee and a pasteis de nata. If the gods have smiled on you, the pastries might be fresh out of the oven and even a touch too hot to eat. Heaven. Sit in the window, overlooking Eddie’s grocery shop - a definite blast from the past. Both Clanbrassil House and its coffee shop are relatively new to the scene but very much cornerstones of the area. Afterwards, walk down to Salt and Stove to peruse their artisan food stocked shelves. Since opening at Christmas, they now have a sit-in area that’s quite cosy to do a bit of work in. They also have a well stocked cheese counter and wine on tap. Need we say more? Lunchtime... Head back to Clanbrassil Coffee Shop for their house-made porchetta with rocket and pickled cabbage on homemade sourdough, or go across the road to Daniel , 3fe’s old-man-pub style coffee shop. It’ll take you back to the days of years gone by, eating crisps and drinking Cidona in the local. They don’t do crisps here, but there’s some mikados going if you ask for them. The short and simple menu consists of tea, coffee, toasties and treats, but this is not the food and drink offering you’d expect in your bog standard pub. The quality here is as high as the rest of 3fe’s cafes, and the crockery is gimmicky but nostalgic. For lunch, try the black and blue toastie - black pudding and blue cheese with onion marmalade, or the basic but perfect ham and cheese. Bread and pastries are supplied by the newly opened Bread Nation on Pearse St, and 3fe ’s brownies are some of the best we’ve had. Pair one with a flat white for a winning dessert. After experiencing the hipster coffee version of the old man pub, you might be longing for an actual pint. To remedy this, head to MVP , another old man style pub - the only indications that it's actually a hipster joint in disguise are the staff and the craft beer list. They also do very good cocktails. Evening... You have a few options for dinner. If you’re in the mood for sharing, try Clanbrassil House 's family style menu at €42 pp. They also have an early bird menu at €25 for three courses. The baby sister of Bastible , the kitchen in Clanbrassil House is run by head chef Grainne O’Keefe and has recently been awarded a Bib Gourmand by the Michelin Guide. They're known for hash brown fries, meat cooked over charcoal and insanely good smoked trout on toast. Big brother Bastible is another great option, but be sure to book ahead. Its chef's menu only on Friday and Saturday nights, and this is definitely the best way to experience the kitchen talent here. The dishes are always seasonal and change weekly. Gaillot et Gray , the French style pizzeria run by couple Emma Gray and Giles Gaillot, is another worthy dinner choice. The pizzas are topped with emmental instead of mozzarella and eating here is a casual affair. They're also a bakery by day, so if you have the time grab a loaf of their bread in the morning. They keep the freshly baked loaves by the window once they come out of the wood fired oven, taunting anyone who walks by to grab one - how jealous are we of people who live around here for all the amazing fresh bread options? If you're looking for some spice in your life, Konkan on Upper Clanbrassil Street, is a great place to grab some authentic Indian food, specialising in dishes from the south-western coast like Konkani fish (fishcakes with green chillies, curry leaves and mustard seeds) and Raarha Gosht (lamb cooked with black eyed beans and spices), and Passion 4 Food (don’t be fooled by the numerical use) does some of the best kebabs in Dublin. We're also big fans of the fact that they offer a free meal to homeless people on Mondays and Tuesdays. Wrap up the night with a gin and tonic in 57 The Headline . After a renovation a few years ago, it's become quite the gin destination in Dublin, serving a huge range of Irish gins and craft tonics. They also run a gin membership, where you get a discount off their gin of the week and there’s no sign up fee. No.57, their upstairs dedicated gin bar is open Thursday to Saturday. After that the best thing to do is probably to take your overly stuffed stomach home to sleep off the immense food and drink coma. Have we missed any of your favourite Clanbrassil Street spots? Let us know by emailing info@allthefood.ie.

Stop the lights. Tom Doorley is claiming that he's discovered pizza better than Pi 's. In Dublin. And no one has even heard of it. The establishment in question is the Wood Fire Café , just off Dorset Street in Dublin 7, which opened earlier this year. Tom admits that Pi 's pizzas are "exceptionally good", but that he believes this new discovery "eclipses" it. We might need some time to process this. He says that it's clear the staff are cooking to please themselves and other Italians, not the Irish palate (tick), and that it was friends rather than social media which led him there (depends who the friends are but - tick). The margherita came with a "bubbled crust ... on the cusp of blackening", with "creamy rich mozzarella", "juicy San Marzano tomatoes" and "exceptional flavour", and a base that had a "perfect texture, correctly floppy but without the faintest hint of doughiness". Tirimasu was "very good indeed", with "ethereal sponge, lots of whipped mascarpone, just enough espresso" and no booze, and unusually that's all the food that's mentioned. He said he meant to go back again but couldn't wait to share the good news. (Review not currently online) In The Irish Times , Catherine Cleary is still loving life after a visit to The Saddle Room in The Shelbourne. It's been months since she had even the whisper of a bad meal, and we're starting to wonder if she should go in search of one, for balance like. She liked the look of the pre-theatre menu, full of Autumnal dishes both "light and earthy", but was momentarily unimpressed when four oysters came on a plate with six wells in it - that might slip down to three once the VAT hike kicks in. Everything else is "perfect", including whipped Fivemiletown goat's cheese with pickled butternut squash and dark walnut pesto, venison with salsify and "nutty" brown mushrooms, and skate wings with a parmesan and truffle cream, dill and capers. A bread pudding for dessert was "the loveliest thing", and she says that "this is a kitchen paying the extra attention you typically find in smaller chef-patron operations, where a pride is taken in everything that leaves the pass." She calls it Dublin's best Sunday night dining secret - watch out for that list coming soon. Read her review here . In the Irish Independent , Katy McGuinness tries to be nice about her visit to Brothers Dosirak , the casual Korean eatery at the back of an Asian mini-market on Capel Street, but finds the high points to be "volume and value". Disaster strikes when the vegetable dosirak (like a Korean bento box) comes with a slice of what they suspect to be Spam underneath the kimchi. No word on what the staff's response was when they presumably flung it in disgust towards the counter. A beef bimibap (rice bowl with meat and veggies, topped with a fried egg) was better, the highlight of which was Korean chilli sauce, "many-layered in terms of flavour complexity", and dessert, which was included in the price, was a "tiny cube of rather dry brownie". She says that the lack of provenance information is "hardly surprising at these prices", but that she's sure she's not alone in being less than thrilled at the thought of unknowingly eating battery eggs, industrially-reared pork and intensively-farmed chicken. We'll join you up on that perch Katy. Read her review here . In The Sunday Independent, Lucinda O'Sullivan went on a gal's night out to Dalkey had had such a delightful experience at The Dalkey Duck that she questioned if she dreamt it. This was her second trip - she walked out the first time because the menu "didn't cut the mustard", but this time she said they'd gotten their act together. They were "totally impressed" by starters of a balsamic roasted beetroot plate with fivemiletown goat's cheese and candied walnuts, and grilled fillets of red mullet on sourdough toast with sauce vierge. Bouillabaisse for mains was "sophisticated and delicious", and a whole lobster at the "knockdown price" of €28 was far superior to the one she paid €48 for in The Ivy a few weeks ago , and with none of the claw cracking hassle. A duck egg and vanilla crème brûlée was "lovely", as was their German Riesling - even more so because all wines are half price from 5-8pm. Sounds like a reason to hop on the dart. (Review not currently online) In The Irish Examiner , Joe McNamee is "besotted" with Da Mirco Osteria in Cork, which opened earlier this year. He calls it "a traditional Italian osteria, offering home-style cooking and good wines". Owner Micro Fondrini is "the embodiment of hospitality", and he finds the whole experience "entirely authentic" and "quite excellent". Food highlights included ravioloni in a purée of butternut squash, walnuts and gorgonzola which was "delightfully al dente", a golden brown, chewy lasagna with porcini and Italian sausage, which was "truly delicious", and patate e baccalá, layers of grated potato and salted cod mousse baked in the oven, was his favourite dish of the evening. Tiramisu passed the authenticity test, as did a plate of regional Lombary cheeses. His only quibble was the sole fish option of farmed, imported seabass, "when an abundance of fabulous Irish seafood is so readily to hand", but he calls Da Mirco "nigh on perfect". In The Sunday Times , Ernie Whalley doesn't regret a last minute decision to visit Saba on Baggot Street (read that here ), and in The Sunday Business Post , Gillian Nellis finds great views and exhilarating pub grub at The Strand Bar in Wexford. Read that here . More next week.

Grálinn , the couple who brought Irish Street Food to the festival circuit this summer are starting a residency this weekend in MVP on Clanbrassil Street, where they'll be for the next three months. Launched during the summer by couple Dee Kelly and Matteo Griscti, Grálinn took their food truck to Another Love Story and Electric Picnic , serving dishes like French toast with blackberry compote and lemon basil and McNally Heirloom tomatoes with mozzarella, olive caramel sauce and rye bread crumb, and got festival-going foodies very excited about the idea of street food with an Irish angle. Now they’re settling in for the winter with a residency at MVP on Clanbrassil Street, and we're very excited to see them join the Dublin food scene. Dee and Matteo, who met over coffee, want Gralinn 's focus to be on local, ethical and seasonal food, with a big emphasis on their producers, which include McNally Organic Farm and Scéal Bakery . Matteo who’s behind the food, studied in DIT before working as a chef in Fia , Two Pups and Tang . Dee, who runs front of house, has worked in various places, including Two Pups and Clanbrassil Coffee Shop . They say they've always shared a love of food, coffee and people and the connection that sharing food brings. Grálinn 's residency starts this weekend and will run every Thursday to Saturday from 6-10pm and will continue through to January. The opening menu features small plates such as Hokkaido pumpkin, miso and chestnut, King Oyster mushroom with burnt celeriac and coppa, and beetroot cavatelli with capers and salsa verde, but it will evolve as the season changes. They’re also developing a dessert offering, which will include housemade ice-cream, and drinks pairings will be provided by the bar downstairs. You can keep up to date with Grálinn at www.facebook.com/GralinnLtd.

Health-conscious café Póg has opened a second site on Tara Street, adding to their first location on Batchelor's Walk. Since opening in 2014, Póg has become a mecca for people who want to eat out without compromising on health, with a menu full of acai bowls, paleo eggs and protein pancakes. They're also vegan friendly, with their instagram-friendly vegan breakfast boards popping up constantly in our feeds, and almost all of their desserts are vegan. Póg was started by owner Rachel Keane as a frozen yoghurt shop, but quickly expanded to salads and raw juices, and the quality of their social media feeds led to a rapidly expanding following. They continued to expand the menu but without a full kitchen they were struggling to offer the dishes they wanted. The Tara Street location will act as a prep kitchen for both sites, allowing the menu to expand and develop. Some of the new additions include 'Eggs in Purgatory' - poached eggs with polenta, charred kale, nduja, red pepper escabeche, burrata and parmesan, vegan waffles with coconut whip, chia jam and cashew butter, toasties and hot pots. They say they're inspired by the Melbourne and London café scenes, and have always put as much emphasis on how the food looks as to how it tastes - hence rainbow lattés. Póg on Tara Street is currently open from 07:30 - 17:00 Monday to Friday, 09:00 - 16:00 on Saturday and 10:00 - 16:00 on Sunday, and they hope to start an evening service from December including wine and cocktails. They're also introducing a vegan afternoon tea in November, which will undoubtedly be coming to an instagram feed near you soon. www.ifancyapog.ie

We love seeing a seasonal menu around town and pumpkin is popping up everywhere at the moment. Most of the pumpkins we see at this time of year are large and ready for carving, with skin that's something to be battled, but there are loads more variations than your Cinderella carriage standard. The best ones are smaller, filled with flavour and have tender skin that's chewy and sweet after roasting, and thanks to growers like McNally Family Farm , we're seeing a lot more of them on Dublin restaurant and café menus. Here are some of the best places to eat pumpkin in Dublin right now. The Regal One Forest & Marcy , sister restaurant of Forest Avenue has made its mark from day one with a seasonal menu done right. Case in point - this Crown Prince pumpkin with cep custard, capers and raisins. The Middle Eastern One Spot on flavour pairings at Hey Donna with their roasted pumpkin, shiitake creme, mint and honey yogurt, and killer Insta game to boot. The Whipped Cheese One 3fe 's squash, orange and whipped feta salad looked like another well balanced plate of flavour from chef Holly Dalton’s kitchen. The Healthy One Sprout and Co are known for making healthy tasty, and this spicy Indian chicken and squash salad with curry yogurt, organic kale and spinach leaves from the Sprout farm fits the bill. The One on Toast Pumpkin on toast is something we never knew we wanted or needed. Storyboard ’s version with preserved lemon yogurt and spiced nut butter is looking like a very appealing brunch option for the weekend. The Sweet One Fable & Stey 's cinnamon spiced pumpkin cheesecake uses organic pumpkins from McNally farm, which must offset any negative impacts associated with a second slice. The Drinkable One Taking on Starbucks in the authenticity stakes, Laine My Love have launched their own pumpkin spiced latté, and we can't think of a better way to ease into Autumn. The Unattainable One Just to tease you (because you'll probably never get a booking), this is from Heron & Grey 's Autumn menu. Pumpkin, wild summer flowers and birch. Keep trying people, it's worth it. The Pizza One If all else fails, stick it on a pizza. Shovelhead 's October special, 'The Hocus Pocus', comes with a pumpkin cream base (yum), gorgonzola (yes please), toonbridge mozzarella (most definitely), nduja and fresh basil. Suddenly we're feeling better about that chill in the air. The Vegan One As if eating your veg wasn't enough, you can go full on virtuoso vegan with the pumpkin brunch option at Veginity . This Indian Masala Dosa with Japanese blue pumpkin and ginger curry, caramelised onion sambol and freshly ground coconut sambol contains more health than we would even know what to do with. Best to follow it with one of their homemade cinnamon buns for balance. The Cupcake One Did cupcakes exist before The Cupcake Bloke ? We literally remember nothing before his lemon drop, butterbeer and pinata cupcakes came to town, and of course he wouldn't let October go past without working the pumpkin.

If we were 'theoretically' putting together a list of the hottest restaurants in Dublin right now, Luna would probably be at the top of it. Since new head chef Vish Sumputh (formerly sous chef at Chapter One ) took over in early summer, the buzz has been steadily rising, and now that the critics have started heading in to size things up, the consensus is unanimous - Luna 's got itself a brand new bag. This week it's Leslie Williams in The Irish Examiner who's under Luna 's spell (as well as Conor Stevens in Totally Dublin ) . He gives the food 9/10, the key to which he says, is the saucing - and if you're a regular reader of Leslie's reviews you'll know how he feels about inadequate saucing. It was the walnut milk sauce that made a starter of baby fennel, tangy goat's curd, caper sprouts and poached peaches (below) a resounding "success", and 'Ragu Bolognese with agnolotti di Parmigiano' had an "intensely rich (and rather glorious) proper Bolognese sauce", made from slow-cooked pork shoulder. It was the description of the rabbit main course however that had us reaching for the phone to make a booking, which he calls "Michelin star food at around half the price". You had us at rabbit legs stuffed with mousse made from from the kidneys and liver with added smoked bacon and foie gras, never mind the apricot-scented girolles and "silk pillow gnocchi". No complaints about desserts or wine, and he says that "Luna remains one of the very best restaurants in the country." Read his review here . In The Irish Times , Catherine Cleary gives Feast on Golden Lane their second positive review in two weeks, after Ernie Whalley's last Sunday . Feast recently moved from their original premises in Dun Laoghaire, and despite numerous restaurants attempting and failing at making a go of it in their new home on Golden Lane, CC says she hopes this one's a keeper. Highlights included bread with almogrote and an "excellent" black olive tapanade, "expertly cooked" scallops with chorizo-roasted carrots and smoked eel in a "delightful" sweetcorn broth, only slightly ruined by "Mr Kipling-sweet" chunks of corn sponge, which "should never have been there in the first place". Lamb shoulder with aubergine (above) was "stunning", coming with potato cubes diced and crisped with Reblochon cheese, and duck breast with parsnips was "excellent", and good value as part of the pre-theatre meal. A baked-carrot cheesecake had a bit too much going on, but she says that trying too hard is definitely better than not trying hard enough, which is all too common at this price point in this part of town. Preach. Read her review here . In The Irish Independent , Katy McGuinness was at new Blackrock café Fable & Stey , wishing they'd try a bit harder. Despite the menu being littered with buzzwords, they found the avocado toast dull, with salsa that 'isn't salsa, just a bunch of chopped tomatoes with coriander", and a butternut squash soup was "thicky, smooth and blandly comforting". The best dish was a lunch special of warm potatoes, jammy tomatillos, garlicky yoghurt, peas, peashoots, pickles, herbs, peanut rayu and a fried egg, but another kicking comes in the comment that it's not a patch on Etto 's workers lunch which costs just a few euros more. Takeaway cakes were good, although a Bread Nation cinnamon swirl was suffering from overexposure to air, and service was "smiley but verging on hapless". She was unimpressed that their water jug needed a proper clean, as did some grubby highchairs, and that her "stingy" serving of good kombucha came in a glass hot from the dishwasher. She says she's "getting bored of this café-by-numbers kind of establishment, where every menu reads the same and every dish feels like a cover version of the real thing i.e. The Fumbally ". She gives the food, ambience and value 7/10. (Review not currently online but should be soon here ). In The Sunday Independent, Lucinda O'Sullivan thinks she's figured out one of the big mysteries of life - what do women want? 'Posh' sandwiches and bottomless prosecco apparently. Glad that's sorted. She was at the new Gourmet Food Parlour in Skerries, where she describes the food as "broadly Mediterranean with something for everyone" - even the ladies. A toasted vegan wrap was "chunky" and "tasty", and a three-bean Thai curry was "light" and "aromatic". Her female dining companion doesn't like anything "too hot", presumably because of her sensitive female disposition. The pasta of the day (above) with chorizo, peppers and prawns was "delicious", as were the "legendary" patatas bravas. She advises looking out for the bottomless prosecco deal from 5pm, which is basically all women want in life, and suggests that even men might be tempted by it. We're not sure the men of Skerries are lining up for that one, but happy to stand corrected if anyone has pictures to the contrary. (Review not currently online) In The Irish Daily Mail, Tom Doorley uses All The Superlatives to describe his meal at Michelin-starred Campagne in Kilkenny. Cauliflower soup with lobster was "smooth as silk ... bliss", a terrine of ox tongue and foie gras was a "visual delight", and a preview of a new partridge dish was "quite simply perfect". Squab pigeon was "as tender as buttery fillet", free-range chicken with diced ham underneath cripsy skin with cep jus was "intensely savoury ... moist and chicken flavoured", and a shared dessert of frangipane tart with ginger ice-cream was "unbelievably light in texture". He calls it "more than just a faultless lunch, it was one with elements of surprise, reminders of the hidden complexities of food at this level," and calls Garret Byrne's cooking "impeccable". (Review not currently online) In the Sunday Business Post Gillian Nelis tries out Lil Portie 's Jamaican food in Rathmines, finding it "wonderfully laid back" and unlike anything else you'll find in Dublin (read that here ), and in the Sunday Times , Ernie Whalley is at The Mustard Seed in Limerick, where he finds the welcome, the ambiance and the cooking three very good reasons to visit. Read that here . More next week.

We’ve made it through the furnace that was summer, survived the storms that followed and now we're just cold again. Not that we mind, as it's an excuse to go on the lookout for bright flavours and warming comforting food to ward off winter, and these five fit the bill perfectly. 1. Sicilian Tomato Tartare, Durrus Custard, Horseradish, Basil and Charred Bread at Luna Chef Vish Sumputh took over the kitchen in Luna at the beginning of the summer, to much buzz as he was coming from Chapter One . He's recently created a new autumn menu, which includes this tomato tartare, but really he had us at durrus custard. lunarestaurant.ie 2. Pappardelle with butternut squash and Durrus cheese at Clanbrassil House ​ ​ It’s been an exciting week for Clanbrassil House . They've just been awarded a Bib Gourmand from the Michelin Guide, the only new addition for Dublin this year, and this pappardelle looks like a perfect illustration of why. We're also welcoming this Durrus trend with open arms and forks at the ready. www.clanbrassilhouse.com 3. Roast Grouse from the New Game Menu at Suesey Street It's game season, and Suesey Street have created a special menu dedicated to guinea fowl, rabbit, venison and their friends, but it's this roast breast of grouse with crispy thigh, york cabbage, burnt onion, cauliflower puree, dauphinoise potatoes and game jus that's gone onto our "must-eat" list. www.sueseystreet.ie 4. Home Salted Anchovies, Heritage Irish Beetroot, Dill and Hung Yogurt at The Seafood Café Served with housemade cracker bread, this new addition to The Seafood Cafe 's small plates menu looks like it packs a lot of fresh flavour. Perfect for a dreary Autumn day. (And yes we had to google hung yoghurt . Turns out it's exactly what it sounds like.) www.facebook.com/klawcafe 5. Granola with Stewed Apple and Warm Cardamom Milk at Salt and Stove This just looks like autumn in a bowl and cardamom milk could quickly become our new breakfast go to. The weekend papers, a bowl of this and a coffee and our weekend would be complete. www.saltandstove.ie

For those who work in the hospitality industry (or any others that don't shut down at the weekend), Monday is essentially their weekend, and after an actual weekend of working day and night, a lot of restaurants close on Monday to give their staff a break. For those with that night off, it’s easy to be stuck for somewhere to eat, so here's our guide to where to eat on Mondays, whether you're in need of sustenance on your day off or are just looking for an early week excursion. 1. The Seafood Café Niall Sabongi’s Temple Bar restaurant is a welcome respite from trad music and pricey pints in the capital’s tourist trap. Reasonably priced with a menu suited for sharing, it’s a friendly, laid-back place to enjoy fresh seafood. www.facebook.com/klawcafe 2. Pi It’s no secret that we think Reggie White's Neapolitan style pizzas are the best in Dublin (see here ). The classic margarita and zuccha are our favourites, and the salty-sweet desserts are as perfect as the pizzas. www.pipizzas.ie 3. Fish Shop, Benburb Street Fish Shop 's Benburb location is an easy spot for a seafood dinner and a glass of wine. The menu is short, simple and changes frequently, but the fish and chips and fish burger are always on. Interesting, natural wine list with one of the city's best selection of sherries. fish-shop.ie 4. 777 If you’re looking for a more lively night out, 777 always comes with a buzz. The 2 margaritas for €14 on Mondays can be dangerous, but there are plenty of tacos, tostadas and tortilla chips to soak them up. 777.ie 5. Loose Canon Cheese and Wine The newly opened natural wine and cheese shop is the place of the moment, and Monday openings to cater to the trade were a part of the plan from the start. It's rare to find it not completely jammed, and being in the tiny shop feels like having wine at a friend's house. Perfect if you’re not looking for a full meal, they make charcuterie and cheese plates up from what's in the fridge that day, and also do daily changing small plates, like Toonsbridge mozzarella with fermented strawberry salt. www.loosecanon.ie 6. M & L Chinese One of the few places in Dublin to get authentic Sichuan food, the dumplings and fried green beans with chilli have been the start of many addictions over the years. Corkage is €5 but go easy on the chilli oil if you're taking something nice. Read our M & L once over here . mlchineserestaurant.com 7. Piglet Piglet’s supper menu is easy going, with pasta, fish and Cote de Boeuf for the very hungry. It's a cosy spot for a plate of food and some great wine, and if you find yourself in Temple Bar surrounded by camera bearing tourists and “The Auld Triangle” ringing in your ears, it's a good place to run for cover. Try the tapas with goat bacon or duck gizzards, with whatever wine pairings the staff recommend. pigletwinebar.ie 8. The Pig's Ear Classic Irish, contemporary dining on Nassau Street from Chef Stephen McAllister. Bright, airy dining room overlooking Trinity College, and nostalgia-inducing desserts like hobnob cheesecakes in jam jars and homemade walnut whips. www.thepigsear.ie 9. Terra Madre Rustic country Italian food with no frills, the basement level restaurant is hidden out of view but worth a trip downstairs. Charming service, seriously good pasta, and many of the wines and ingredients are brought over from Italy especially for the restaurant. www.terramadre.ie 10. Pichet The french style bistro has been a staple in Dublin for years. It’s always reliable for a good meal with a buzzy atmosphere, and has been awarded a Michelin Bib Gourmand for the past nine years. pichet.ie 11. The Garden Room A peaceful setting to dine in, particularly when it's warm enough to have the doors open and you can look out onto the Merrion Hotel's manicured gardens. The all-day dining menu is pretty over-arching, with everything from snacks of crispy pigs ears and avocado cigars to seafood towers and burgers. thegardenroom.ie 12. L'Ecrivain The only Michelin starred restaurant in the city open on a Monday, if you’re in the mood for a blow out. Derry and Sallyanne Clarke have held onto their star since 2003 and the standard of food at L'Ecrivain is always reliably good. lecrivain.com 13. One Pico Classic cuisine from the same restaurant family as The Greenhouse , with head chef Ciaran McGill serving seasonal dishes like Wicklow venison with pear, beetroot and salsify, and grouse with blackberries. The pre-theatre menu is the more affordable option, with two courses for €30 or three for €38. www.onepico.com 14. Ananda The fine dining Indian restaurant in Dundrum serves incredible, innovative Indian food from varying regions. Head chef Karan Mittal has wowed everyone since taking over the kitchen earlier this year, and won 'Rising Star of the Year' at the 2018 Food & Wine Awards. The dining room is pleasant and service is always first rate. anandarestaurant.ie 15. Octopussy's Seafood Tapas One of the best places for fresh fish on the pier in Howth, particularly if it's a nice day and you can nab an outside table. Try the generous seafood platter with mussels, crab claws, Dublin Bay prawns and gambas. Read our once over here . octopussys.ie

Camerino , whose raspberry cheesecake brownies have been known to make people travel from across the city to their café and bakey on Capel Street, have opened a second site on Merrion Square, in the basement of the Goethe Institute . Opened by Canadian Caryna Camerino in 2014, Camerino started out as as Dublin market stall and cake delivery service, until Caryna used crowdfunding to open a bricks and mortar site. They specialise in cakes, cookies and very good coffee, and do a simple lunch menu of salads, sandwiches and soups, and the new location will do that and more. Camerino on Merrion Square will be open six days a week from 9am, until 8:30pm Monday - Thursday, 6pm on Friday, and will close early on Saturday at 2pm. Breakfast and lunch options are similar to the Capel Street branch, with the addition of toasties and charcuterie boards in the evening (which will be added in the next few weeks). Coffee is from Roasted Brown , Sourdough is from Le Levain , Olive Oil is from Caryna's friend Lino's family farm in Italy, and most of the veg is from McNally or Elmhurst Farms . This will however remain a booze free zone, which is something to do with the German Institute upstairs. The menu is small and will change frequently, and is currently being hand written on a clipboard each day. They've opened quietly to allow themselves to settle in and iron out any issues, but they seem to be on top of things so it's definitely safe to pay them a visit. They've also got reliable wifi so it's a good addition to the "places I can work from list", if you want to send a few emails over a very good latté and a raspberry and almond square. They also sell olive oil, balsamic vinegar and bread to take away, as well as what is affectionately referred to as 'crack sauce' - Katie Sanderson's peanut rayu. Merrion Square just got a whole lot more interesting. Camerino 37 Merrion Square, Dublin 2 Open daily from 9am, until 8:30pm Mon - Thu, 6pm Friday and 2pm Saturday www.camerino.ie

We've got the full gamut of food in this week's reviews, from Michelin-starred fine dining to noisy, tablecloth-less fried chicken joints, but almost everything gets the seal of approval from the critics, with just one "confused" exception. In The Irish Independent , Katy McGuinness paid a timely visit to The Greenhouse on Dawson St, just ahead of Michelin day. In case you're not aware, the 2019 Michelin stars are being announced tomorrow, and there's been a long-standing conversation between food writers from here and abroad, that The Greenhouse deserves a second star. Less than 24 hours and we'll know if Michelin agrees, but Katy certainly does. She gives the food and value a rare 10/10, despite the bill coming to just over €300 for two, and the only thing she didn't like was the "verging-on-frumpy" room - chef Mickael Vilijanen should "have a room that's as cool as he is". She floated through the six-course tasting menu, highlights of which included an amuse-bouche of chicken liver mousse sandwiched between crisp potato topped with quince and parmesan, foie gras topped with eel, walnuts and Granny Smith apple, and ceviche of hand-dived scallop with cucumber in an elderflower and jalapeño jus topped with caviar (below). Grouse was "meatier and more tender than one could dare to imagine", and came with salsify, artichoke, beetroot and blackcurrant - "the very quintessence of Autumn". A frozen liquorice meringue is "just beautiful", and they finished with a chocolate delice (above) which must be one of the prettiest, most instagrammed desserts in the city, with notes of coffee and yuzu, and a sea-salt milk sorbet. If The Greenhouse's one star turns to two tomorrow, that €300 is going to look like even better value. Read her review here . In The Irish Times , Catherine Cleary makes it a staggering 15 weeks in a row doling out good reviews, this time for the newly reopened Botanic House in Glasnevin. Is the city's cooking getting that good? Not since the evisceration of Five Guys have we seen even the chink of a knife. She calls the menu a "sensible tweed suit of a list", but the 70's prawn cocktail is made with "proper fluffy fresh prawns", and crab claws are "soft and thready" and some of the best she's eaten. Her main of hot native shellfish (the same one that Tom Doorley took to task a few months ago) had "fine" mussels, "divine" lobster meat, and "more of those wonderful crab claws", but the black bean sauce they were in was just "odd". Hake, steak and a burger ranged from "good" to "excellent", and a vanilla crème brûlée is "executed perfectly". The only disappointment was an apple crumble, whose crumble had been baked separately and placed on top - why? She said that eating classic dishes in a lovely pub with just-caught seafood made them very happy, which is good because it's their local. Read her review here . Another happy diner in the shape of Tom Doorley in the Irish Daily Mail, who was at free-range, fried-chicken spot Mad Egg . After an initial warning that there are no tablecloths, it's noisy, and you'll have to eat at communal tables, he tells us that it's "good enough to overcome these handicaps". Thank goodness. Both the fried chicken and the soft, Amish bun it came in were "excellent", the chicken moist with a crisp coating. He says it's "simple food but so hard to get right". The accompaniments for the 'Hot Chick' and 'Wild Thing' burgers were "massively assertive but worked", and he says it's rare to see such care and attention to sourcing in a casual restaurant. The DIY cheesecake was "tooth-achingly sweet", mostly because of the DIY elements that you get to decorate it with, and he says that two (non-tablecloth dependant) grown-ups and a teenager had a great time. (Review not currently online) In The Sunday Independent, it's a bit of a head in hands week for Crow Street , which recently opened in Temple Bar. After two lukewarm reviews last week from Ernie Whalley and Tom Doorley, Lucinda O'Sullivan in The Sunday Independent sticks the boot in proper. She admits to arriving on their first evening open, and there's a lot of consternation about critics doing this. Our feeling is if a restaurant is charging full price to diners they're game to be reviewed. If they want time to settle in they can do a soft launch with discounted prices, which is very common in other cities, but not in Dublin for some reason. She thought the "Irish soulfood" was confused - a seafood cobbler came with a crumble topping, Macroom buffalo mozzarella had no sign of the potato rosti advertised on the menu, and the crispy, fried buttermilk chicken was "as exciting as that featured on the political rubber chicken circuit". Monkfish scampi came on a pea guacamole "sludge" - ouch - and she had her doubts that the 'hand-cut chips' were cut by human hand. She says "the food needed a lot of sharpening", and tells us that the restaurant emailed her a week later to say the head chef had changed and menu changes would also follow. Last ditch effort to avoid the inevitable rough review? (Review not currently online) In The Irish Examiner, Joe McNamee was at Glebe Gardens in Skibbereen, in the former site of the much missed Carmel Somers' Good Things Café . Thankfully he finds them a worthy replacement. A swiss chard and chickpea soup is a "joy", a spiced beef flatbread is an "embrace of pure comfort", and Roaringwater Bay Mussels are "majestic" in "delicious stock" soaked up with "pillow-soft focaccia". A toastie with Hegarty’s cheese, charred scallion and tomato relish was "a triumph", and desserts of chocolate tart, lemon meringue and orange cake were "superb" and "well-judged". There were some service issues that need to be ironed out, but he praises the "exceptionally sympatico" chef Bob Cairns, "still in the early throes of his love affair with West Cork produce". Read his review here . In the Sunday Times , Ernie Whalley thinks Feast , who've recently moved from Dun Laoghaire to Golden Lane in Dublin 2, has the potential to become another Dax (read that here ), and in the Sunday Business Post , Gillian Nelis finds "something for everyone" at Asian eatery Koh on Millennium Walkway (read that here ). More next week.

In case you had your head under a rock yesterday, or happened to be partaking in a social media detox, you might have missed that Clanbrassil House is the latest Dublin restaurant to be awarded a Bib Gourmand in the 2019 Michelin Guide. Named after the Michelin man, Bibendum, a Bib Gourmand is awarded for good quality, good value cooking, where a three-course meal comes in at under €40. Clanbrassil House was opened in October 2017 by Barry Fitzgerald and Claire-Marie Thomas, owners of Bastible (which was also awarded a Bib Gourmand last year). The charcoal grill takes centre stage on the menu with the majority of the dishes cooked over fire. The seasonal menu also encourages family style eating. The kitchen is run by head chef Grainne O’Keefe, former chef of Bastible and Pichet, with Barry O'Neill as sous chef (both below). O’Keefe has to be one of the busiest chefs in the city right now - she's also culinary director of chargrilled-burger mecca Bujo in Sandymount, and collaborated with Hugh Higgins (who'll be running the kitchen in Niall Davidson's new restaurant ) on the Italian menu in this Summer's House of Peroni residency on Stephen's Green. Clanbrassil House is the newest Dublin restaurant to receive the award and the only addition this year. All of the other restaurants in Dublin with a Bib Gourmand have retained it. Those are Bastible , Delahunt , Etto , Pichet , The Pig’s Ear , Richmond , The Pigeon House , Forest and Marcy and Craft . The full Michelin Guide will be announced this Monday, October 1st and we are on the edge of our seats waiting to find out if there will be any new starred restaurants in the capital by Monday evening, if any one stars get promoted to two (The Greenhouse - we're looking at you), or if anyone loses a star - flashback to the dramatic Thornton's demotion . As always we’ll keep you posted.

Since Lucky Tortoise finished their residency in Hobarts Café in Ranelagh a few months ago, there's been a dim sum shaped hole in Dublin's dining scene. They're still on the hunt for a permanent spot, and are in the process of opening a new Vietnamese (watch this space for news), but in the meantime they're bringing Lucky Tortoise back for two weeks in the old Granthams site on Aungier Street. The Lucky Tortoise pop up will open for lunch and dinner, and the menu will be a mixture of old favourites and new dishes, including siu mai, wontons, lemongrass pork baos, coconut rice, kimchi and sesame cucumbers. They're also doing a €10 set lunch, which includes dim sum, rice and kimchi, and it's BYOB. Sold yet? Lucky Tortoise opens tonight at 6pm, and from tomorrow will be open from 12-10pm for the next two weeks, serving food all afternoon. This is a great opportunity to get a dim sum fix, while we (im)patiently wait for Thom Lawson and co to find a permanent home. Lucky Tortoise Pop-Up 8 Aungier Street, Dublin 2 From 6pm tonight, then 12pm - 10pm for the next two weeks www.luckytortoise.co

We're getting far too used to seeing Robin Gill around these parts. One of our most impressive exports when it comes to food and cooking, the Dublin-born, London-based chef has been back and forth over the past few months doing events and dinners at Chapter One , Glovers Alley and Airfield , and now Bresson in Monkstown have announce he'll be cooking there next Thursday, the 4th October, alongside best pal Paul McNerney ( Paulie's Pizza , Junior's , The Old Spot ). Despite Bresson 's menu being classic French, Robin and Paul will be cooking Italian food inspired by their time (separately) working on the Amalfi Coast, and the six-course dinner will include antipasti of panzarotti (deep-fried dough pockets - need we say more), agnolotti pasta, hand-dived scallops, roast rack of veal, a cheese course, and will end with fig panna cotta. Robin, whose book ' Larder ' was published earlier this year, will be bringing salumi, nduja, pickles and ferments from his London larders, in restaurants The Dairy , Sorella and Counter Culture . The menu is €85 per person, with the option of matching wines for an additional €65, or wine can be ordered by the bottle or glass, and Bresson are promising more special events over the coming months. Although this isn't going to be a cheap night out, we think it sounds like a pretty amazing evening, and a chance to experience Gill's ethos of great produce and seasonality up close, which he says he learned in Naples. Robin Gill is spending so much time here lately that we think it would be better for everyone if he just moved home already, and if we get any news on that you'll be the first to know. Robin Gill at Bresson Thu 4th October Dinner - €85. Matching wines €65 Bookings - Contact Bresson on 01 2844286 or email hello@bresson.ie bresson.ie/gourmet-evening-with-robin-gill/

There were four Dublin winners at today's Georgina Campbell Awards 2019, which took place in Bord Bia's headquarters in Dublin. The Seafood Café by Niall Sabongi was named "Seafood Restaurant of the Year", with Campbell saying that seafood was becoming more popular, and sustainable seafood was "making its mark". Michael's in Mount Merrion took home "Family Friendly Restaurant of the Year", no doubt helped by chef/owner Gaz Smith's " Seafood September " initiative, where children can eat seafood for free when dining with their parents. "Seafood September" was started last year as a way to get children eating more fish, and it's been such a success that other restaurants around the country came on board this year to offer the same deal . The other Dublin winners were The Marker Hotel in Grand Canal Dock, which was named "Business Hotel of the Year", and Whelehan's Wines in Loughlinstown, South Dublin, which won the "Wine Award of the Year". This is the second award this month for Whelehan's Wines who also took home the "Best for Wine Lovers" award at this year's Food and Wine Awards . "Restaurant of the Year" went to The Strawberry Tree , the country's first certified, fully organic restaurant, in Brooklodge Hotel in Wicklow, and Hotel of the Year went to Adare Manor , which reopened last November after a multi-million euro restoration. Adare Manor was also named global "Hotel of the Year 2018" at the international " Best of the Best Awards " in Las Vegas last month. Better start saving if you want to see what all the fuss is about.

After last week's ups and down, we're back on more even footing this week, although with pretty much everywhere (one exception) being classified as "good BUT"... Katy McGuinness in The Irish Independent reviews Bread 41 , the new bakery and café on Pearse St. With limited food options (but a serious buzz) we weren't expecting a full on newspaper review, so were pleasantly surprised to get the full lowdown on the menu. After a fear-inducing (but necessary) explanation of what exactly your processed, plastic-covered sliced-pan contains, she says that the star of the show was a "flaky, buttery" sausage roll, with a prosciutto and cheese croissant "pretty damn fine also" (we've already heard enough). Blood pudding spread on a thick slice of toast was the winner from the official lunch offerings, and the porchetta sandwich won out over the veggie option of goat's cheese, beetroot, carrots and horseradish, but she was not a fan of the salad, with "too much grain", "dull vegetables" and "greige" colours. She calls it "a bargain for food of this quality", just stick to the bread and pastries. (Review not currently online but should be soon here ) In the Irish Daily Mail, Tom Doorley reviews Crow St , the new Irish/American soul food (their words) restaurant in Temple Bar, on the former site of Nick Munier's Avenue. He finds it confused, with "multicultural" tacos containing braised pork shoulder, chipotle aioli and pickled cabbage - not usually found in Mexico - but he liked them. Another starter of smokies, with smoked fish, cheese and cream was "grand" - the most Irish of compliments. A special of seatrout was perfectly cooked, unlike the underdone, chalky beetroot risotto it came with, and while buttermilk chicken (above) was "pleasant enough" it was let down by the fact that it was white meat. We're a bit confused by this, as the publicity shot (above) is definitely showing a thigh and a leg. Did they start with dark meat and change to much less flavoursome breast meat due to customer complaints? Strange one. The kimchi it came with was "almost apologetic", but thankfully not the worst he's had, and again we're confused because again in the PR shot it seems to come with red cabbage. A sticky toffee pudding was "damn good", staff were "utterly delightful" and he says he hopes Crow Street grows up soon. (Review not currently online) In The Irish Examiner Leslie Williams is throwing his opinion into the ring on new Mexican taqueria Masa (from the guys behind Bunsen ). Reviews on this one have been mixed (read ours here ), but Leslie liked it. A discount on the bill made up for delays with the food, and there were no complaints about tortilla chips with "proper guacamole", patatas bravas (except for a few burnt edges) and a "properly firmed" quesadilla with mushrooms. When it came to the tacos, he thought they were the correct thickness and texture (sounds like we might need to go back), and both beef and chicken tacos were good (despite the overcooked chicken - salsa helps it slip down apparently). Churros with goat's milk caramel were "wonderfully good", and he says Masa is serving some of the best value and tastiest food in the country - which made us go "WOOOAAAHHH" - that is a bold statement. Read his review here . In The Irish Times , Catherine Cleary visited Restaurant Chestnut in West Cork, and allows Rob Krawczyk and Elaine Fleming's review record to continue unblemished. She says RC puts many city restaurants to shame, and that it's the kind of place that can keep rural Ireland relevant. Bread with smoked butter is "gorgeous", and snacks sound delicious, with the exception of beef tartare wrapped in gelled tomato that's not "tomato-y or tartare-y enough". The dish of the night was a tapioca and mussel bowl with seaweed, a scallop and cauliflower dish had a "clever temperature thing going on", and she allowed them a pass on serving a palate cleansing sorbet because it had gin and cucumber in it (which is confusing as we thought she didn't drink). Hake had "butter crisp skin", lamb came with fat almost more delicious than the meat, and desserts included strawberries and celery ice, and a blackberry and cookie crumble with a sabayon. They finished with a cube of Young Buck cheese with honey and pollen, and we finished by checking our calendar for the next available opportunity to go to West Cork. Read her review here . In the Sunday Independent, Lucinda O'Sullivan revisits The Forge in Co. Meath, whose kitchen has been taken over by a new chef, and says she left disappointed, although her gripes seem to be mainly with the curtains, the tablecloths and the general clutter (also the artificial flowers, the temperature, the upholstery, the paint...). Starters of seafood tagliatelle and a crab roll were "unmemorable", and she suspected a chilli dressing was of the commercial-variety, despite the addition of diced mango. From the mains ("a carnivore's delight"), a special of hake with garlic mash and prawns, and lamb rump with kale, carrots and lamb gravy were a definite step up. Desserts of rice pudding with strawberries and a "very nice" white chocolate fool with raspberries got the thumbs up too, but they were unimpressed that chocolates that were supposed to accompany their coffee never arrived - no word on whether they actually asked for them or just sit there scowling. She seems to have found it all a bit heavy and fusty, but some of the food descriptions sound really good (e.g pork rib-eye steak with black pudding sausage roll, pork scratchings and mustard sauce), and despite her decor issues we quite want to visit. (Review not currently online) In The Sunday Business Post , Gillian Nelis reviews The Gables in Foxrock, where she loved chef Simon Williams' flavoursome food and commitment to Irish produce (read that here ), and in The Sunday Times , Ernie Whalley also visits Crow Street , and has a similarly mixed experienced to Tom Doorley, with some dishes better than others. Read that here . More next week.

Smithfield Market was first laid out as a marketplace in the mid-17th century, and until the early 21st century (that's less than 20 years ago if you're numerically challenged), the square was lined with inner city 'farm yards' housing livestock. The market evolved from cattle to an indoor market in the Generator Hostel building, and these days only to occasional pop ups by Urban Markets , but the area has remained a cultural hub in the city. Between proper coffee, the freshest fish, and arcade games with a side of basic bitch hot dogs, there are plenty of reasons to spend a day exploring the former inner city marketplace, but obviously our main priority is where to eat and drink. Morning To start off your day around Smithfield, grab a coffee in Proper Order Coffee Co on Haymarket St. Open since 2016, Proper Order is one of the best coffee shops in the city, run by expert coffee couple Niall and Aliona Wynn. Square Mile is their house coffee and they have a seasonal drinks menu, like the (now very distant) summer’s coffee slushie. They also sell pastries from Scéal , and as we all know, there is no better start to the a day than a gooseberry and elderflower cruffin or a gubbeen cheese and smoked ham croissant. Once you've given your pastry and coffee an hour to digest, walk around the corner to Urbanity for brunch. The kitchen is run by former Brother Hubbard chef, Rachel Lynch, so as you'd expect, the focus is on local, quality produce. The space, using Nordic influence for its design, also has its own small-batch coffee roaster. Try the ultra-instagrammable (shoot us) acai bowl or the Mexican take on a fry up with fried eggs, refried beans, crispy spiced black beans and guacamole. Lunchtime In the afternoon, you could catch a movie in the Lighthouse Cinema or have a browse for vintage threads in the Dublin Vintage Factory , both in Smithfield Square. If you have no interest in deviating from food and drink, go to the Jameson Distillery on Bow St for a tour and whiskey tasting. Jameson whiskey was distilled here until 1971 before moving to Midleton in Cork, and the Smithfield location was reopened last year for tours and tastings. Evening Head to Fish Shop for dinner. Depending on your mood, you can either go to the informal Benburb Street location (below) for fish, chips and natural wine, or book a table at the Queen Street location for the set menu, showcasing the best Irish seafood they've been able to get their hands on that week. Fish Shop is owned and run by husband and wife team, Peter and Jumoke Hogan. They began serving fish and chips from a converted shed in Blackrock Market in 2013, after returning from working in the London restaurant scene, and after some serious hype they managed to make the move to a permanent spot in early 2015. Queen Street came first, with the more casual Benburb following later. Reservations are recommended for the original, but the Benburb Street location takes a lot of walk-ins. Not many people seem to know that you can actually book here too now, though not on the same day strangely. To finish off the day, have some craft beers in Token , whilst playing vintage arcade games in classic hipster fashion. If Fish Shop isn't for you (which is hard to fathom), get some dirty (delicious) fast food here, like basic bitch hot dogs, mac and cheese nuggs and deep-fried oreo cheesecake bombs. There’s an extensive vegan menu (vegan calamari anyone?) and you can also avail of Token’s €20 deal: a main, a side, a pint and 10 game tokens. You can't lose. To end this most amazing of days, head to dark Dublin dive Frank Ryans for a pint and a game of pool, or to The Cobblestone which has trad music sessions every night. Sink a pint of Guinness and pretend you're a tourist while blasting out 'The Auld Triangle' at volumes that would make Glen Hansard proud. Want one last feed before bedtime? Get back to Frank Ryans before 11pm for a 'Scarface' or 'Vincent Vega pizza from Coke Lane Pizza , one of the best Neapolitan pizza purveyors in the city, who are currently popping up in the back from Thursday - Saturday. Talk about a day of dreams. Have we missed any of your favourite Smithfield spots? Let us know by emailing info@allthefood.ie.

EAT:ITH is back, and this year's line-up looks like the best one yet (but we probably say that every year). Started in 2015, EAT:ITH is a forum to share ideas and thoughts around Irish food culture, “ith” being the Irish verb to eat. Created by the team at The Fumbally , the events will be held in the Fumbally Stables and run over a number of weeks. This year’s events are predominantly female led, something the Fumbally team feel strongly about. Many of the events are free, including the talks and markets, and EAT:ITH is funded solely by the Fumbally and ticket sales. Everything on the programme, including talks, workshops and performances are open to all, whether you work in the food industry or just have an interest in Irish food and the people who produce it. Workshops will be held in the Fumbally Stables Kitchen on Saturdays, and include “ Make your own mozzarella with Toonsbridge Dairy ”, and " Vegetables with Katie Sanderson ", where she'll share some of her favourite recipes, including fermentation and Asian inspired dishes. Sanderson used to work as a chef in the Fumbally, before going on to run The Dillisk Project in Connemara with her partner, Jasper O’Conner, and developing her pop-up rice bowl stall, White Mausu , and the addictive Peanut Rayu (casually known amongst its fans as 'crack sauce'). Something else we'd be making a beeline for is Louise Bannon's workshop on “ Sourdough baking and heritage grains ” on October 13th. Bannon is a graduate of Culinary Arts in DIT and a former pastry chef at René Redzepi's Noma in Copenhagen - named the " World's Best Restaurant " four times since opening in 2003. Louise has more recently been working directly with farmers in France and Copenhagen who are reviving some of Europe's heritage grains, and testing these flours in her bread and pastry making. There are also some brilliant talks which are all free (although if you can afford it a small donation on the night would be appreciated), you just need to register for a ticket. First up next week is “ Will dairy be the death of us ”, chaired by Alison O’Connor, freelance journalist and opinion writer. The discussion will centre on the sustainability of the dairy industry, its impact on the environment and the livelihood of Irish farmers. Catherine Cleary, Irish Times journalist will be for the motion, while Mike Magan, chairman of Animal Health Ireland, will be against the motion. This is less an argument for veganism, and more about the morals of the Irish dairy industry and what’s happening behind the big campaigns. The following week on October 4th, Ali Wynn, owner of Proper Order Coffee Co . and Irish Brewers Cup Champion 2018, will present “ Pay no attention to the (wo)man behind the curtain ”. Coffee roasting in Ireland has grow massively in recent years and the sustainability of this, and whether there's room in the market for everyone, will be discussed with a panel of influential coffee roasters from Ireland and Europe. Another talk on October 11th centres around “ Food and Cancer ” and will be hosted by walking inspiration Fiona Cribben , an artist and designer in Dublin who has been living with cancer for over ten years. Since receiving a terminal diagnosis of liver and bone cancer she has refused chemotherapy, instead choosing to treat her body with nutrition, and doctors are shocked that she's still alive. The final talk on October 18th, “ Food today: fetish, commodity or basic right? ”, will be hosted by journalist and farmer Fergal Anderson, and will address some of the issues with modern food systems. The EAT:ITH Markets will run every Sunday from September 30th to October 21st on Fumbally Lane, and each market is themed around vegetables, bread, cheese and fermented foods, with some of the country's best producers popping up, including McNally’s, Sceal Bakery, St Tola, Young Buck, Gubbeen and My Goodness. Dublin 8 has been market-less ever since Newmarket Square was taken over by developers, so this should fill the void temporarily. Probably the most highly anticipated event on the programme is the dinner , where Jess Murphy of Kai, Carmel Somers of Good Things Cafe and Rose Greene of De Wulf and Coombeshead will cook a six course meal on the final evening of the series. Wines will be supplied by natural wine champions Le Caveau, and will consist of wines from female winemakers. You can see the full programme of events here , and if there's something you're interested in don't hang around. These are going to sell out. EAT:ITH The Fumbally Stables, Fumbally Lane, Dublin 8 27th Sept - 27th Oct '18 eat-ith.com

The Fat Fox has closed their café on Camden Row, two years after opening - but before mass hysteria breaks out, they've assured us they'll be back in a new location soon. They're keeping the details under wraps as it's all still being finalised, but we know the new site is in Dublin 6 (we're presuming Rathmines or Ranelagh) and it's going to be bigger, which is very good news. The site on Camden Row was takeaway only, and whilst it didn't dent its popularity, the guys want to keeping moving onwards and upwards. They're currently recruiting a chef, kitchen porter and floor staff, and we're excited to see what they've got planned for a full sit down menu. We imagine presuming brunch will be special, but no word yet on whether they're keeping their free porridge (you just pay for the toppings). The Fat Fox has been one of Dublin's most colourful, character-driven cafés since they opened in 2016, and their social media channels are like a vortex that it's hard not to get sucked into - eye-watering cookie stacks, egg yolks bursting out of sandwiches on graffitied backgrounds, staff doing handstands outside the shop - all in an average week. And beware clicking on their Instagram stories - you will lose hours of your life... You can keep up with The Fat Fox on Instagram or Facebook , or we'll update you as soon as we have more details.

Instagram has been very good for food inspiration this week. We actually had to whittle these down from 10 things we want to eat, and it was a tough one. Also we didn't mean to take you on a cheesy world food tour swear, it just kind of happened that way... 1. The Fritura Malagueña from Las Tapas de Lola There's nothing like a plate of fried fish with a squeeze of lemon to convince yourself that summer's not over yet. Especially if you can get an outdoor table with a heater. Eat it with your eyes closed and tell yourself you're in Spain... lastapasdelola.com 2. The Peek Gai Tod Nahm Pla (or spicy chicken wings) from Nightmarket Spain not your thing? Want to pretend you're more further afield? It's pretty widely accepted that Nightmarket is the place to go for the best, most authentic Thai food in the city, and these spicy chicken wings with palm sugar, roasted rice, chilli flakes, spring onion and fish sauce are making us want to book a long haul flight. Seen as the chances of that actually happening are slim to none we'll settle for the luas to Ranelagh instead. www.nightmarket.ie 3. Italy in a Sandwich from Dunne and Crescenzi Tomato, mozzarella, pesto and basil on lightly toasted Altamura sourdough bread (a regional speciality from the province of Bari). Struggling to think of a sandwich we'd like to eat more this week. www.dunneandcrescenzi.com 4. The Curried Lamb Special from 147 Deli Until we saw this one, from superstar sandwich makers 147 Deli , making India the next stop on our world tour. This week's special is the curried lamb bap - Indian spiced lamb and curried cauliflower slaw with Indian spiced mango and yoghurt dressing on a sesame bap. Their sandwiches are enormous so go hungry. You probably won't need dinner either. www.facebook.com/147deliparnell 5. This Month's Special BuJo Shake Finally if you're more of a staycationer, the brilliant, Irish-producer championing burger joint BuJo have a milkshake special on the menu right now, which is a collaboration with the equally brilliant Cupcake Bloke . We had his ridiculously tasty smoked brownies at The Big Grill Festival last month and now he's gone and put them into this, along with a Teeling Whiskey caramel sauce. It's only on the menu for a few weeks so if you like the sound of it get to Sandymount soon. We'll see you there. www.bujo.ie

It's been a weekend of extreme highs and lows for restaurant reviews. On one hand you've got newbie restaurateurs finding a lot of hard work finally paying off. On the other you have a newly-appointed, two Michelin-star trained chef getting his cooking slammed for being "salty", "overcooked" and "unappealing". We hear you should always start with a positive, so with that in mind... Reggie White, Pi 's exhausted, sleep-deprived pizzaiola and grand master was bopping around the kitchen to Irish country music sensation Declan Nerney yesterday (Insta stories), after his Neapolitan style pizzas were declared the best in Dublin by Catherine Cleary in the Irish Times (you heard it here first people). She calls them "terrific", created by "someone who just loves something and a backer who gets it", with puffy crusts as good as the rest of the pizza, and a margherita where "nothing is dumbed down, from the "truly tomatoey sauce to the higher-end cheese". She thought the veggie option with hen of the woods mushrooms, Grana Padano, fontina, spinach and sage cream was the best (we can only imagine what she would have thought of the courgette one, which we thought was even better). The sweet, salty chocolate pot (budino) is "delicious ... like chocolate in butter form or butter in chocolate form", but despite the mammoth praise and whopper score she seems intent on getting across that she sees this turning into a chain. We're not sure how the Pi guys will feel about this, but Reggie posted a picture of the review yesterday saying "there's hope for Independent restaurants yet!". We would imagine they're soley focused on getting one location running like clockwork (and maybe giving the main man a day off occasionally) before thinking about what's next. Read the review here . In the Irish Independent , Katy McGuinness was left feeling confused and exhausted after a trip to The Cake Café off Camden Street - luckily the food managed to make up for a good chunk of it. She was extremely frustrated that a chef's special of 'organic potato rosti with spring onions, goats cheese, smoked bacon, organic kale and green goddess dressing', came with an option to add an egg, which she did, but then it arrived with two eggs, and the server told her it already came with one egg. *Brain-exploding emoji*. And the plot thickens... We've found a picture of said dish on their social media (below) and there is NO EGG. Oh what a mess... Although she thought the dishes lacked presentation finesse, it was clear that the produce was of good quality, with merguez sausages "properly meaty", rashers "fine thick smoky" and chorizo "excellent". The best thing they ate was the Goatsbridge smoked trout smokies which were "rich and unctuous". The worst a sausage scramble with "heinously over-cooked" eggs and "insipid" baked beans. Cakes were the star of the show, with a blueberry victoria sponge "a joy both to behold and to eat", and even a vegan sugar-free caramel slice is "surprisingly good". She leaves feeling "charmed ... despite the slightly chaotic service", and hopes that with a bit more time things will straighten out. (Read her review here ) In The Irish Daily Mail, Tom Doorley said he "loved every moment" of his meat at Hunters Hotel in Wicklow, but at certain points it really doesn't sound like it. He advises coming here if you're looking for "relatively plain food" - genuinely never - their wine order wasn't taken until after they'd eaten their starter - infuriating - and after placing said wine order, they were told to have a back up in mind as their first choice was likely to be sold out - we're probably walking out at this stage. The food doesn't get off to a great start either. A shrimp cocktail came with some "pink-ish liquid" at the bottom of the dish, in place of actual Marie-Rose sauce, and tasted of smoked paprika. Things improved with a shiitake mushroom risotto which was "rather good", Wicklow lamb and stuffing which was full of flavour, and a 'Crispy Duo of Duckling' which was "rather better than it sounds". A dessert of 'Millefeuilles Gateau' reminded him of Superquinn custard slices (not a compliment), and a bramley apple and plum crumble with ice cream was 'bliss'. He calls Hunters "eccentric, unique, glorious", and we think it must be an acquired taste. (Review not currently online) In The Sunday Independent, it took Lucinda O'Sullivan three attempts to get into the Steps of Rome , which used to be in the city centre but moved to Dundrum a couple of years ago, and it turns out it wasn't worth the effort. The server did her best to put them on a tight table in the middle of the floor next to a "romantic couple", which Lucinda was having none of - bad start. A special of 'Alps mountains cheese' to start was actually a deep fried cheese croquette (below) with "wilted and undressed dry leaves" and a "jammy" sauce, which was "very bad value". Mains of 'grigliata misa' - chargrilled fish - and tagliatelle with Dublin Bay Prawns and cherry tomatoes were better, although the eagle-eyed Lucinda spotted afterwards that she'd been charged €3 more for her pasta than the price on their website . Rage. They passed on desserts, settling for one affogato (which might have been good or bad, she doesn't tell us), and she thought that both the wine and the water (€2.50 for a carafe of filtered!) were overpriced. She shan't be back by the sounds of things. Finally, uncomfortable review of the week goes to the Irish Examiner 's Joe McNamee who was at the Eccles Hotel in West Cork. With a new GM and two star Michelin-trained Head Chef coming on board in the past few months, they've been on something of a publicity drive to tell the world about the "destination resort" they are creating, with "clean cooking" and "forgotten foods", and it does sound like Joe would rather forget what he ate there. Starters are "pleasant and tasty if less than inspiring", particularly a greasy fritto misto with "tired farmed salmon", but things really rollercoaster downwards with the mains. Butter poached hake is "mealy and overcooked" in a "watery butter sauce", braised ham hock is dry and "overly salty" (not even peas, a fried egg and hand-cut chips could save it), and staff failed to address the half-eaten plates. A rhubarb and apple crumble came with overly-stewed fruit, and cold crumble scattered on top - "desultory treatment for what is usually a simple yet splendid old comforter" - and there's a major cringe moment when the server is asked to recommend a red wine, and responds by saying she doesn't drink red, but suggests her favourite white. Joe says he'll be sticking to soup and tea next time. Read his review here . In the Sunday Times , Ernie Whalley gives us a whistlestop tour of Wexford's food trail, including an enjoyable meal at Cistín Eile - read that here - and in The Sunday Business Post Gillian Nelis paid two visits to Daata in Greystones, and recommends we all do the same - you can read that here . More next week.

As if Michael's in Mount Merrion needs any more reasons for the phone to ring off the hook. Between the three Irish Restaurant Awards they won in May (Best Newcomer, Best Kids Size Me and Best Manager), their stellar Irish Times review a few weeks ago, and another two gongs last Sunday at the Food and Wine Awards (Local of the Year and Host of the Year), it's safe to say there won't have to worry about empty seats between now and Christmas - not that that's stopping chef Gaz Smith from bringing back Kids' Seafood September, which was such a big success last year. For the whole month of September, kids can eat fish for free in Michael's when an adult is eating, and it's a proper menu, none of this fish fingers and chips cheating - they can have calamari and chips though. Other options include mussels in a lemon and garlic cream, prawns in garlic butter with broccoli, and linguine with mussels, cockles, prawns and squid. They can also have a 1/2 portion of any adult main course, and tackle their own Dublin Bay Prawn. All for free. And if they finish their dinner they get ice cream - also free. Seafood September started last year after Gaz, who's become one of the country's most vocal champions of Irish seafood since taking over Michael's just over a year ago, found that children in the restaurant were saying no to fish a lot, and their parents weren't encouraging them to order it in case it was left on the plate - easier to choose something they know they'll eat. So he started visiting the tables, encouraging them to try the fish, and offering to replace it if they didn't like it. He says 9 times out of 10 they loved it, so decided to make it a bigger thing. One of Michael's suppliers, Kish Fish , also partnered with them on the initiative to help with the cost of the fish. This is the second year of Seafood September and other restaurants have now jumped on board, including L. Mulligan Grocer in Stoneybatter, Gallagher's Boxty House in Temple Bar and The Gables in Foxrock who are both offering the same deal as Michael's - kids eat fish for free when adults are eating, and restaurants in other parts of the country are running similar initiatives (there's a good list here ). They're hoping they might be able to get a state body involved next year and expand it further across the city and country. Now your only problem is going to be beating off the Mount Merrion locals for a reservation.

Glovers Alley were the big winners at last night's Food and Wine Awards , held in The Intercontinental Hotel in Ballsbridge, with Andy McFadden and his team taking home the award for 'Chef of the Year 2018', as well as 'Best Chef Dublin'. Dessert Queen Aoife Noonan also took home 'Pastry Chef of the Year', which her second in command Tara Gartland collected on her behalf, as she's over in London to cook at a dinner in Selfridges tonight featuring Ireland's best culinary talent. Good week all round. Giving such a big award to a chef and restaurant that's only been open for six months is an unusual move, especially with long-established chefs like JP McMahon from Aniar and Mikael Viljanen from The Greenhouse in the same category, but Norah Casey cited McFadden's "A-team" and the restaurant's "craic". All eyes will now be on McFadden and Glovers Alley when the new additions to the Michelin Guide 2019 are announced on the 1st of October in London. Chapter One was named 'Best Restaurant in Dublin', with head chef Eric Matthews collecting the award, and overall 'Restaurant of the Year 2018' went to Ox in Belfast, who looked totally shocked at the win, claiming they only came up for a day out, and celebrated with tequila shots. Strangely Ox didn't win 'Best Restaurant Ulster', and only came fourth. That went to Wine & Brine in Armagh. Other Dublin winners included Michael's in Mount Merrion (below) who took home 'Local of the Year' and 'Host of the Year' for manager Talha Pasha, and The Legal Eagle who took home 'Pub Food of the Year'. L'Ecrivain won 'Restaurant Bar of the Year', and Meet Me In The Morning were named 'Best for Brunch'. The Wine Lovers award went to Whelehan's Wines in South Dublin, and the Food and Wine 'Rising Star' award was given to Ananda in Dundrum's head chef, Karan Mittal. For the full list of regional and national winners click here .

There were lots of happy critics tapping away on their keyboards this week, with some surprisingly positive reviews. It looks like the spate of new restaurant openings which has everyone in a panic isn't adversely affect the quality of the food across the city - might we even suggest it could improve things? This week it's the turn of Catherine Cleary in The Irish Times to give her verdict on The Ivy , and while we would have thought that everything about the deafeningly decorated place stands in opposition to Cleary's very core, she gives it a half decent review. We were expecting something more along the lines of Conor Stevens' epic takedown in last week's Totally Dublin (a must-read for amusement's sake if nothing else). She describes it as looking like a "country pile inherited by the party animal", and thought the loos had more atmosphere than the dining room. Starters of scallops and asparagus were enjoyable if for a few faults, but the signature shepherd's pie was "a little bigger than a saucer", lacking in meat, and "eats like the Thursday night staple in a Kensington nursing home" - and just like that she's back. Another main of blackened cod was overcooked and overwhelmed by a sticky sauce, and desserts included a "fine" strawberry ice cream sundae, and a cappuccino cake that was a "funny mix" of chocolate cake, boozy milk mousse and coffee sauce, all competing with rather than complimenting each other. She says they enjoyed it (despite the 6/10 score), but that the food won't be enough to distract you from the gossip and people watching. Read her review here . Another team breathing a sigh of relief yesterday was the one at The Grayson (the new opening from Press Up , formerly private members club Residence), after Lu cinda O'Sullivan in the Sunday Independent gave it a surprisingly firm thumbs up. Press Up have been panned for their food offerings in the past, with most reviewers commenting that what was on the plates didn't live up to the expensive fit outs, so maybe they're starting to take note. She was clearly taken with the space, particularly the "splendid winding staircase","colourful cocktail bar" and "glorious view over St Stephen's Green", and the "serious ... delicious" food lived up to the surroundings. Sesame seared tuna was "quite perfect", pan-fried scallop was "exquisitely delicate", and fried halibut was "superb". Pan-fried gnocchi was "light as a feather", and sides were "excellent", including tempura courgettes with chili mayo. Courgettes, according to Lucinda, are "hot right now" because they're a favourite of Meghan Markle. So now you know. Dessert of ice-cream and sorbet, and a slightly dull sounding (but apparently not tasting) cheeseboard completed the meal, and they left before the music got too loud. It will be interesting to see if other critics share her enthusiasm. (Review not currently online) In the Irish Examiner Leslie Williams is at L'Ecrivain (where he reckons he's eaten 40 times, wonder if there's a a loyalty scheme), which has been in business for an incredible 28 years. We've been wondering what's happening with L'Ecrivain , as for a Michelin-starred restaurant we don't hear much about it. It's certainly not attracting the instagram brigade, which might be something to do with their own social media feeds , which can be ever so slightly lacking in the cool factor. He calls it deserving of its categorisation as "a classic" of the Dublin dining scene, and everything from the "nutty, dark Guinness bread", to the "perfectly caramelised scallop" amuse-bouche, to a starter of lollipop chicken wings with langoustine and sweetcorn were "perfect", "balanced" and "fun". A palate cleanser of mint and lime granita was "pitch perfect", but the main courses were the dishes of the night. Both perfectly seared Magret Duck and Spring Lamb Rump came with in season girolle mushrooms and expert saucing - very important to LW. They also came with other lovely sounding things like confit croquettes and parmesan gnocchi. Desserts of peach mousse and yoghurt parfait followed the same theme - deliciousness - and he ends by saying, "classic and all the positive connotations of that word tell you all you need to know." Read his review here . Another winner winner chicken dinner (literally) in the Irish Daily Mail, where Tom Doorley was lunching in Pichet . This is their second review in a few months after Katy McGuinness visited in June, and while her verdict was that the food "pleases rather than thrills", Tom's is far more doe-eyed. The food was "ace", the pace "faultless", and overall they were "enchanted" - and it does all sound rather dreamy. An amuse-bouche of tuna and watermelon with soya and sesame was "beautiful", although we're wondering if an amuse-bouche is a normal part of the lunch deal or a Tom Doorley special. A mushroom risotto with goat's cheese croquettes was "perfect in texture", and salt cod beignets with chorizo mayonnaise were as good as they sound. Roast, organic salmon was perfectly cooked, and the free-range chicken, which came with shallot purée, sage and white turnips, tasted of "actual chicken", which is a depressing compliment perfectly illustrating the current state of the food industry. Îles flottantes, that rarely seen French dessert, was "etheral, heavenly", and a crème brûlée espresso was "perfect". We're getting the feeling he ran out of superlatives by the time coffee came. (Review not currently online) In the Irish Independent , Katy McGuinness admits to having a deep-fried kimchi addiction, after finding it at newly opened ramen bar Soup in Dun Laoghaire. She calls it "a thing of beauty", "coated in a light batter of perfection", and suggests that you focus on the health benefits of fermented foods and eating your vegetables. We're convinced. The ramen itself is "pretty good", but there's a general air of suspicion about all of the meat and eggs because there's no provenance anywhere (and she seems pretty sure that the meat isn't organic or free-range). The tonkotsu pork is "super tasty", but the miso broth bland. The shoryu broth is better, but the grilled chicken it comes with "lacked flavour". Portions are "enormous", and she gives the food 7/10, but we imagine this would have been a solid 8 if she'd been assured of what kind of life the meat in question had. (Read her review here ) In The Sunday Business Post , Gillian Nelis finds hits and a few misses at newly-opened Portugese Galito in Bray (read that here ), and in The Sunday Times , Ernie Whalley has a similar experience at newly opened Indian Ruchii in Blackrock, which he compares to a British curry house - take that as you will. You can read that here . More next week.

If there was ever a poster-child for gentrification in Dublin it's Stoneybatter. The working class neighbourhood has transformed into one of the most sought after property locations in the city, and the number of great places to eat and drink has exploded in the past few years. The Guardian recently called it “a taste of little Williamsburg by the Liffey”, and while very close to the city centre, it has a neighbourly and community driven feel that's hard to find, most recently illustrated by the brilliant Stoneybatter Festival . It’s a great place to stroll around on the weekend, with a glut of food and drink spots to visit, and if it's somewhere that's alien to you (most likely because of Dublin's woeful transport links), we think it's time you got to know it a bit better. Morning You could visit Stoneybatter any day of the week but we'd strongly advise you to go on a Saturday morning to catch the market in Penders Yard , and the main attraction - Scéal Bakery . After a stint training in some of the best bakeries in San Francisco, Shane Palmer and Charlotte Kane, two DIT Culinary Arts graduates, are making some of the best sourdough and pastries in Ireland right now. We recommend anything they’re selling but particularly the almond croissants and morning buns, which are like cinnamon buns on a whole new level. We've also heard good things about Gaby Empanadas . After stocking up on bread and pastries, grab a coffee in Love Supreme on Manor St, a staple in Dublin’s coffee culture, where they use Koppi coffee from Sweden. If you happen to miss the market, grab a sausage roll or pastry in here from their mini-bakery. Lunchtime Stroll into Lilliput Stores on Rosemount Terrace for a browse around the greengrocer, deli and coffee shop. Most of their artisan products are sourced locally. They stock their own range of oils and vinegars, as well as pestos, salads and olives. They serve sandwiches, soups and stews all day, using seasonal produce. Bordering Stoneybatter is the Phoenix Park - a prefect place to take a picnic from Lilliput. Continue down the street to Cotto , where you can get their weekend brunch from 11am - 3pm, or come back later for dinner to try their Neapolitan-style pizzas, including the Elliot with fennel sausage, baby kale, ricotta and chilli oil. It was opened in 2015 by chef-owner Conor Higgins, who also owns Oxmantown , and frequently appears on "best pizza in Dublin" lists. Evening Head for a meal in L. Mulligan Grocer , one of the best gastropubs in Dublin, with an incredible selection of beers to choose from. There's a big emphasis on local Irish produce, with dishes like raw Irish cheese bon bons and salad from their allotment, and wild boar chops from Cork, and they offer a beer pairing for every dish. If you want something quicker, go to the beer garden in The Belfry for Vurgerface , the pop-up vegan burger stall that's had vegans and non-vegans making pilgrimages to Stoneybatter over the past few weeks. They were supposed to finish up there last week but it's gone so well that it looks like they'll be a semi-regular fixture. Check out their social media for updates. Another fast, purse-friendly option is Vietnom in the beer garden of The Glimmerman pub, which serves predominantly vegetarian Vietnamese food with some Mexican influences, and which Catherine Cleary in The Times called "some of the best street food in Dublin". The Glimmerman is worth a trip alone to see its mental interior, including a bed hanging from the ceiling with Margaret Thatcher and Charlie Haughey in it. You could happily while away a few pints taking in the eclectic decor. If you like your drinks without a side of half-naked politicians, head to Walsh's , which was named "Best Pub in Ireland" at this year's Irish Restaurant Awards . They're known for their cosy atmosphere, friendly staff and great pints of Guinness, and it's the perfect place to finish a great day of eating and drinking. Have we missed any of your favourite Stoneybatter spots? Let us know by emailing info@allthefood.ie.

If you're heading to Electric Picnic this weekend and want to ensure your trip includes a requisite amount of good food and drink, the Theatre of Food is where it's at. Located in the Mindfield area of the festival, it's a good spot to hit if your brain needs a break from partying and copious amounts of alcohol, and this year’s line up is particularly good, with two new stages as well as the main stage - a workshop theatre and a drinks theatre. The latter may not help with that break from copious amounts of alcohol. Events over the weekend have been curated by John and Sally McKenna of the McKennas' Guides , with topics including fashion for female chefs (more below before outrage ensues), spice bags, Dia de los Muertos cakes, psychobiotics and sustainable fish shopping. On that long-standing issue of what women should wear when in a kitchen, there will be a fashion show of ethically-made Irish chefs-wear for women chefs. Chef Caitlin Ruth, of Deasys in Cork, commissioned designer Ali Wheeler to come up with the new threads, saying, “For too long, women’s chef gear has been simply men’s gear with the odd dart”. On Saturday at 5:30pm, Andy Noonan of Fowl Play and The Big Grill will be demonstrating a live fire feast inspired by South American techniques. Noonan and butcher Pat Whelan will be slow-roasting whole animals with seasonal vegetables. All parts of the animal will be pulled, seasoned and mixed together and served at 6pm. We’re getting nostalgic about The Big Grill already. Many talented Irish chefs feature on the line up this year. Kwanghi Chan, former head chef of the Cliff House Hotel and owner of food brand ChanChan , will be talking about the spice bag, while Executive head chef at Greenes in Cork, Bryan McCarthy, will be making farm-to-glass cocktails. JR Ryall, head pastry chef of Ballymaloe House will reveal the secrets of Ballymaloe’s famous dessert trolley, demoing apple tartlets and a chest of sandwiches, while Klaw ’s Niall Sabongi will make his much-loved (and instagrammed) seafood poké. In the Workshop Tent, as part of the children’s programme, Jack O’Keefe, head chef of Cook’s Academy , will be running a pizza workshop, while Graham Herterich, The Cupcake Bloke himself, will be holding a hands on decoration class. He’ll also be exploring the idea of Cupcakes with a Twist on the main stage. Kevin Thornton will bring his Kooks Cookery Class to the Fringe Theatre, teaching a group of festival-goers how to make bread. No word yet on how intoxicated you need to be to take part. There will also be talks on mood food with Professor Ted Dinan, author of The Psychobiotic Revolution , and discussions on how to be an ethical consumer of fish with Dr Susan Steele, and famed Galway fishmonger Stefan Griesbach from Gannet fishmongers and eatmorefish.ie . Other chefs on the bill for the weekend include Grainne O’Keefe from Clanbrassil House , Jess Murphy of Kai and JP McMahon of Aniar . Gulp 4.0 will be looking at the science of food, while gaelic footballer and food blogger Sinéad Delahunty will be looking at food and sport with surfer and cookery author Finn Ní Fhaolain. In the Drinks Theatre, there will be demos on making the perfect coffee, rhubarb martinis and 'Intelligent Tea', along with cocktails and mixology from various spirits brands. There will also be tastings of Slane Whiskey from Alex and Wolf Conyngham (the family who own Slane Castle) and wine tastings with Leslie Williams, so there's so excuse to get hungry or dehydrated over the weekend. The Theatre of Food @ Electric Picnic 31st Aug - 2nd Sept Stradbally Hall, Co. Laois www.electricpicnic.ie/stage/theatre-food

Instagram has been filling our timelines with toasties lately, and things culminated this week with the "black and blue" - best name ever - from newly-opened Daniel on Clanbrassil Street. The unwelcome drop in temperature has us craving cheese and bread again (let's pretend we ever stopped), so here are five toasties we want to eat in Dublin this week. 1. The “Black and Blue" from Daniel Hilary O’Hagan Brennan, 3fe's Executive Chef, had the brainwave of using Christmas leftovers to make a toastie with black pudding, blue cheese and onion marmalade, and it was so good that she's put it on the tiny menu at Daniel . We've had it, and we want it again. 3fe.com 2. The Kimchi Cheese Toastie from Clanbrassil Coffee Shop This staple on the Clanbrassil Coffee Shop menu is filled with homemade kimchi (which has no fish sauce so is vegetarian), Crozier Blue and Hegarty’s cheddar. Perfect for meat-free Mondays. www.instagram.com/clanbrassil_coffee_shop 3. The Provolone, Salsa Verde and Marinated Courgette Toastie in Two Pups The food at Two Pups has always been a favourite of ours and we’ve been craving this beautiful looking combination ever since it popped up on our feed. www.facebook.com/twopupscoffee 4. Grilled Cheese Toastie with Derg cheddar, Coolea, Gouda and Scallions at Loose Canon When a natural wine and cheese shop starts making cheese toasties you know they're going to be good. This glorious looking three cheese combo even has some scallions thrown in so you can justify it as one of your five a day. Just take our money already. www.loosecanon.ie 5. The Salt Beef on Rye from The Fat Fox There are few places in the city with stronger sandwich (and Insta) game than The Fat Fox , and we couldn't leave this week's salt beef on rye out of the ultimate toastie line up. Coleman's aioli pickle, gherkins, cheddar cheese and salt beef on toasted rye bread. Mega droolz. www.instagram.com/thefatfoxcamden

Restaurant reviews can be like waiting for a bus. We wait and wait and then two come at once, which is what's happened this week with new taco spot Masa on Drury Street (you can read our Masa once over here ). Katy McGuinness left happy, giving the food 8/10, while Catherine Cleary thought they could do better, giving it 6/10. Interesting to note that Cleary was recently on holidays in Mexico, while McGuinness admits to not knowing enough about Mexican food to vouch for its authenticity. No doubt being up close and personal with the definite article in its natural habitat will raise expectations. We were also amused by the fact that both critics attended a taco making workshop at Picado , after which they invested in a tortilla press and a bag of masa harina (the flour made from nixtamalized corn that's used to make tacos). Cleary's been putting hers to use, McGuinness' is still loitering in the pantry. Cleary's favourite was the fish taco with pickled red cabbage and chipotle mayonnaise (above), and the chicken "also rocks our boat", but she vows to not eat it again unless the words "free range" appear on the menu - she's generally unimpressed at the lack of provenance. The beef and mushroom tacos were less successful, but the biggest disappointment was the taco al pastor. After a detailed, hunger-inducing explanation of what al pastor should consist of (pork lovingly spit-roasted with pineapple), she says that "Masa’s chewy cubes of pork in their al pastor have some ways to go..." She ends by saying, "If Masa perfects its craft as well as its concept it’ll be a great new spot for a noisy, messy, nearly Mexican experience," which is the same conclusion we came to. Read her review here . In the Irish Independent , Katy McGuinness is much more positive, calling the tacos "excellent", the elotes "delicious" and the quesadillas "thin and tasty". She gives some background on Masa, which is from the same guys behind Bunsen , and the impressive pedigree of "culinary lead" Shane ( Wahaca and Breddos in London, as well as extensive travel in Mexico). Her only disappointment was the Mexican bravas, which should have been hotter and more crisp, and the fact that the only dessert on the menu (churros with goat's milk caramel) wasn't available. They told her something had gone wrong with the batter that day, whereas Cleary was told it wasn't available yet as they were still working on the savoury items - we were told the latter on two different occasions. This wasn't a bad start for for Masa, especially as they're still working on things, and Katy gives them 10/10 for value. Review not currently online but when it is it will be here . Over in Dundrum we could hear the sound of Bolly popping after Lucinda O'Sullivan in the Sunday Independent visited newly opened Cooke's above Harvey Nichols, and calls it "ab fab". She seems enamoured from the getgo, calling Johnnie Cooke's previous city centre restaurant 'Cooke's Café' which he ran in the 90's and noughties, "the coolest place in town", and praising his "great, casual, sophisticated food with a Mediterranean bent". A tian of Lambay Island crab was "fresh and zingy", and came with a "wonderful" salad. Her dining companion wasn't enamoured with her lobster pizza, finding the sauce overpowering and not liking the avocado topping, but despite this Lucinda is surprisingly generous, saying "someone else will no doubt love it". She loved her Dover sole on the bone, which "they will of course, fillet" - a dig at The Ivy after last week 's shenanigans? - and she calls it "a perfect summer lunch". Desserts sounded "so good", and a Sicilian lemon tart came with "superb" raspberry ice-cream, while an almond tart was "divine". Service was excellent, and she leaves happy saying "once again the restaurant at Harvey Nichols is ab fab." In The Irish Daily Mail Tom Doorley is at JP McMahon's wine bar Tartare in Galway (which Catherine Cleary memorably reviewed a few months ago without trying any of the wine), and his solo lunch was a bit of a rollercoaster. An Irish charcuterie board had "simplicity and provenance" and "glorious fattiness", but was "a little lacking in generosity". Chicken schnitzel, beetroot slaw and ramsons came with a "very small" schnitzel, but the combination was so nice that he ordered a second one - which was twice the size of the first. The only disappointment was a "terrible" woodruff custard tart - not so terrible that he couldn't eat it mind - with a custard lacking richness, texture and flavour, and "tired" pastry, but he saw later that he wasn't charged for it, a flat white or a bottle of mineral water. Another attack of the recognised critic? Or did they spot his scowl from across the room and try to neutralise the situation? Either way, he felt it needed to be mentioned. The wines were wonderful. (Review not currently online) In The Irish Examiner , Leslie Williams was at Little Fox in Ennistymon, Co. Clare, which has been the talk of the food world since it opened at the start of August. Chef Niamh Fox has a stellar CV including Ard Bia in Galway, Paradiso in Cork and Rochelle Canteen in London, and her first opening with husband Sam has had those in the industry buzzing with talk of local smallholdings, organic produce and zero-waste. Ginger, coconut and courgette soup was "pristine, harmonious and fresh", stew with Gubbeen smoked pork belly had "fine, creamy smoky flavours", and tarka dahl was "comforting and solid", but the stand out dish was a Moy salad with broccoli, beet hummus, spelt tabbouli, grated carrot and flat bread, which was "extraordinary ... herby, sweet, earthy and tangy". Coffee was good, kombucha homemade and lemonade excellent, as were a dark chocolate brownie and a lemon drizzle cake to finish. He calls it a highlight of his trip to Clare, thanks to the artful cooking and freshest of produce. Review not currently online but should be soon here . As for the other two, Gillian Nelis finds "Eye-rollingly" good food at Luna under new chef Vish Sumputh (read that here - subscription only), and Ernie Whalley appreciates the hand-pulled noodles at Dakoi Oriental Café on Millenium Walkway. Read that here , or read our Dakoi once over here . Taking a break from the critic's reviews next week. Back in two.