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FINALLY another review of Glovers Alley to pour over. It turns out that Lucinda O'Sullivan was first in the door on opening night, it's just taken three weeks for the Sunday Independent to publish her write-up. If we were the editors that's one we would have wanted a quick turn around on, it being the most talked about restaurant opening in years and all, but rules are rules. It's a bit of an odd one in that she absolutely loved the food, but thought the experience was a bit stuffy. Just what she was expecting from a fine dining restaurant in a 5 star hotel that's clearly hoping to win a Michelin star is a puzzle. Skinny jeans and trainers? Waiters pulling up a chair to chat through the specials? Thankfully the food was 'spectacular', particularly the 'Cheddar dumplings, topped with threads of crisped ham hock, which were sitting in a Pommery grainy mustard dressing', 'violet artichokes and grapes on a radicchio boat, with a hazlenut and foie gras melange', and kid goat with Irish snails and anchovy gremolata. She was very impressed with desserts (as is everyone who sets foot in GA, seems like Aoife Noonan is killing it) of grapefuit granita with Velvet Cloud sheep mousse (we're pretty sure this is sheep's yoghurt mousse rather than a mousse of sheep), and layers of Itakuja chocolate, passion fruit and blood orange. Once again the photos used are awful and do the beautiful room and food no justice. (Review not currently online) Over in Ranelagh it seems that Host finally got that print out of critics faces up behind the bar, because Catherine Cleary in the Irish Times loved it, and miraculously managed to get a cosy corner seat rather than one in full draft of the front door. After briefly reminiscing about younger years living in a Ranelagh bedsit, complete with urine-soaked carpet and a climbing rope around the leg of the bed so she could escape in case of fire, she moves onto the food. Grassy olive oil with a peppery nip, and salty cakey focaccia were a great start, as was a starter of 'cloudy puffs of ricotta on crisp toasts with honey puddling in the dimples and wafer-thin slices of nicely chewy salami shinier than a bald man after a Bikram class'. Delightful. Like Katy McGuinness, CC loved the pumpkin cappellacci which she thought tasted of walnut coffee cake (we think this is a good thing), and the broccoli with anchovy oil and a nutty crumb. The meal ends with a debate over a chocolate pot topped with a rosemary crumb, which she loves, but her dining companion hates. Read her review here . Bresson must be riding high this weekend after their third week in a row getting a positive write-up in the papers, this time from Katy McGuinness in the Irish Independent. You read the other ones here . She describes a starter of rabbit fricassee with sage and butternut squash gnocchi, Ventreche ham, carrots, wholegrain mustard, white wine and tarragon which was 'full of flavour and depth'. Unfortunately the crab crème brûlée didn't fare as well, with Katy calling it 'deep, solid and egg-y and not crab-y enough for our taste'. And to really stick the boot in she says that Paul Flynn's at The Tannery is better. Mains went down well with the Coquilles-St Jacques a 'gorgeous affair', and the Limousine bone-in striploin 'epically good', which it should be for €42 - surely a contender for priciest main course in the city? They finish with a perfect tarte tatin, and a slightly uninteresting prune and armagnac trifle. Read her review here . In The Sunday Business Post , it seems like couple Santosh and Milie, of Blackrock Market's 3 Leaves , can do no wrong, with Gillian Nelis calling the place 'very special indeed'. She describes an eye-popping assortment of Indian food, including homemade paneer, tikka prawns marinated three times for different layers of flavour, chicken thighs marinated in nutmeg and cardamom in a creamy sauce with toasted almond slivers and pistachios, and beef rara - a mix of minced and cubed beef slow-cooked with black cardamom, cinnamon, peppercorns and star anise, served with a tomato-based sauce and raw chopped onion for crunch. For that feast of food (including dessert) they spent €48 (it's BYOB too - score), and Gillian says 'I’d be surprised if better value is available anywhere in the country when you consider the amount of work that goes into the food here.' Read her review here (subscription only). More next week.

There's been a lot of buzz lately about 3 Leaves in Blackrock Market , which started as a street food stall and has evolved into a makeshift market restaurant. They've built up quite the local following, but word has gotten out and people have started to travel for their pani puri and palak pakora chaat. It also helped that chef Santosh Thomas was awarded 'Best Chef for Indian Cuisine' out of 700 entrants, at the Irish Curry Awards in October 2017. They only open for dinner on Thursday evenings (they open for lunch Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday), and on Thursday the 8th March (the one before Mother's Day) they're holding a special Mother's Day Dinner with two sittings at 6:30pm and 8:30pm. Santosh and his wife Milie will serve a three course meal costing between €25 and €30 depending on what's created on the day, and it's BYOB so you can toast your Mum (or yourself) with something special for a bargain price. We suggest picking up some vintage Champagne from Blackrock Cellar because the regular restaurant price would make your eyes water. To make a booking call 0877691361 or email santosh@3leaves.ie . We expect this to fill up fast. www.3leaves.ie

Long standing restaurant O'Connells in Donnybrook yesterday announced that the restaurant has been sold to Oliver Dunne's restaurant group, which includes Bon Appetit in Malahide, Cleaver East in the Clarence Hotel and Beef and Lobster on Parliament Street. O'Connells has been owned and operated by Annette and Tom O'Connell (Darina Allen's brother) for almost 20 years. Two weeks ago they were listed as one of the Sunday Times' Ireland's 100 best restaurants , compiled by John and Sally McKenna. O'Connells is known for being quite old school and traditional, catering to a local South Dublin crowd, so we imagine Oliver Dunne has big plans to refresh it. We're told that all staff are staying and the website and phone numbers won't change for the meantime. Gift vouchers will also remain valid. You can read the restaurant's full statement here .

From perfect doughnuts to the nachos of dreams, here's what caught our eye this week. 1. All of Meet Me in the Morning's doughnuts Dublin is in doughnut overload at the moment, but if we wanted one this is where we would go. No sickly toppings or neon pink glaze. These are substance over mountains of unnecessary toppings, and we want all of them. www.facebook.com/meetmeinthemorningcafe 2. The full whack porridge from The Fat Fox This whopper bowl of porridge is only €3.50, because the lovely people at The Fat Fox on Camden Row only charge for the toppings. This is like dessert for breakfast, and they use rice milk so it's vegan too. www.facebook.com/thefatfox 3. This beautiful update on coddle at The Pig's Ear Shellfish, grilled leeks, goatsbridge trout caviar and dill oil. In our book the Pig's Ear version beats leftover sausages and bacon any day. www.thepigsear.ie 4. The tropical acai bowl from Urbanity We are on a serious countdown to spring (i.e. marginally less freezing weather), and this tropical acai bowl from Urbanity in Smithfield is making us feel warm inside. Topped with mango, toasted coconut, banana, almond butter and dragon fruit, it's like a holiday in a bowl. And it's served in a coconut. urbanitycoffee.ie 5. Surf and turf nachos at Dillinger's What genius in Dillinger's came up with this? Chilli beef nachos topped with crab claws and prawns. Just when we thought nachos couldn't get any better. www.dillingers.ie

If you're as sick of the cold as we are, you might be interested in celebrating the arrival of Spring with Anglo-Indian chef Arun Kapil , who's hosting a Holi (the Indian festival of colours) dinner at the Radisson Blu Royal on Thursday 1st March. Holi marks the official goodbye to Winter, which we are very excited about. Food will be served on sharing platters and the menu includes chana masala, quail tikki, parathas, Delhi salad (flaked rice, charred aubergine, roast red onion, preserved lemon, mint and chilli), and one of our favourites, dahl puri chaat (crunchy shells filled with potato, tamarind relish, whipped curd and crispy noodles). It wouldn't be Holi without a lot of sweets and they're promising 'bad boy gunjiyas' (condensed milk, dried fruit, pistachio and cardamom stuffed, moulded flour, deep fried turnovers - wow, that's a mouthful), black jalebi sugar-glazed gulab swirls with rosewater and pistachio, and blood orange kulfi with garam oat cookie ice-cream & spiced biscuits. We also like the sound of the Indian drinks on offer, especially the Holi Moli punch of Irish whiskey, lemon juice, jasmine tea, coconut water and spice. Arun's Holi celebration will take place at the V'n V restaurant at the Radisson Blu Royal Hotel on Golden Lane in the city centre on Thursday 1st March, starting at 6:30pm. Tickets are €45 and include food and drinks, as well as an introductory talk from Arun. Paint-throwing is not included and is unlikely to go down well. You can book by calling the Radisson on 018982934 or emailing meetings.royal.dublin@radissonblu.com .

We reckon Etto were breaking out the bubbles yesterday after a rare 30/30 from Katy McGuinness in the Irish Independent - 10/10 for food, ambience and value. Quite the scoring, but hard to argue with if you’ve eaten there. You can read our review here . Like us, Katy had an OMG moment over the Stracciatella starter with truffle honey, celeriac, hazelnuts and lovage, and describes a braised short-rib with crispy cavolo nero, pickled walnuts and a chunky chip of polenta which sounds like the best possible antidote to a dreary day like today. She justifies the perfect score by saying there isn’t a thing she would change about Etto . We imagine she’s going to have her own table at their second restaurant Uno Mas when it opens later this year. (Review not online yet, even though it was published yesterday. Take your time guys, it's only food.) Over in Monkstown Lucinda O’Sullivan FINALLY got her review of Bresson in, a week after Tom Doorley’s . She was also impressed by chef Temple Garner's French cooking, particularly the duck livers with puy lentils, charred onion leaves, Bayonne ham, frisee salad and date chutney, which reminded her of blissful summer trips to the Languedoc. Her duck a l'orange with confit of Seville orange peel, blood orange and basil salad, candied endive, duck-fat roasties and star anise was in her own words 'duck heaven'. We're not sure what's going on with the awful photography in the Sunday Independent lately. What's happened to their famous artist renderings? We know things are tight in journalism but we're pretty sure the restaurant could provide them with better than this. We're pretty sure most 8 year olds could. (Review not currently online.) Over in the Irish Times, Catherine Cleary decided to go crêpe-crazy for the week that was in it, and brave a trip across the Liffey to Le Petit Breton in Drumcondra. She ate crêpes as 'smooth as parachute silk', and 'folded like an envelope over cinnamon-laced, stewed apple and finished with not so much a drizzle as a downpour of salted caramel with a final cloudburst of whipped cream in the middle of the whole thing.' We're getting our coats on. She also enjoyed the savoury buckwheat galettes with 'light and fluffy' goat's cheese and walnuts that were 'fresh and perfect', and there was no mention of anything resembling animal poo which is always a relief. Personally we are overjoyed to have another restaurant to add to the rather deprived looking North Dublin section of the site. Read her review here . Down in Cork, Joe McNamee took two trips to Good Day Deli on Douglas Street, one with the lads, and another with his children and wife (who's described as 'My Heart's Desire' - major cringe Joe). He made us hungry with his description of Kai Moana Fish Tacos, featuring ‘fingers of Irish hake, light batter flecked with nigella seeds ... Served in superb Blanco Nino Corn Tortillas (produced in Ireland, from Irish-grown corn), raw slaw, pickle and lemon coriander mayo complete a terrific dish.' He was relieved to find the scrambled eggs were more 'curdled custard' than 'fried brains' - we're not sure which sounds worse - and his poached eggs with salmon and hollandaise were 'immaculately delivered'. He was also impressed with their commitment to sustainable food systems and to 'local, natural, seasonal and organic produce' - as are we. Read his review here . At the other end of the country, Gillian Nelis in The Sunday Business Post was eating at Wine and Brine in Armagh, which was so good that it made a near death experience the next day less terrifying as at least she'd have gone out on a culinary high. Food for thought. She ate breadcrumb parcels stuffed with olive and goat's cheese which tasted of 'heaven', soup with spring onion, coriander and chicken 'flavour bombs' - which is fast becoming one of our most hated phrases - and roast woodcock with mushroom caramel, salsify and a side of brain. (Too much brain referencing this week for our liking.) She also had a rice pudding soufflé with Yorkshire rhubarb and rice pudding ice cream which was ‘so good it would make you weep’. Another week, another gaping hole when it comes to reviews of Dublin’s ' truly of the moment ' new fine dining restaurant Glovers Alley . So far only Gillian Nelis in the Sunday Business Post has had the cahones to go in and nail her colours to the mast, and her reviews are subscription only, so most of Dublin hasn’t been able to read a critic's take on the ' inspired food from singular sources, prepared with French influence, flair and hitherto unseen imagination .' Maybe they're letting things settle down before crossing the threshold to pass judgement, but the rest of us are getting impatient. We will wait with breath that is bated for next week’s papers.

We want to let you into a little secret today. Subscriber's to Klaw's mailing list have been informed this week that if they want 15% off lunch at The Seafood Café and Klaw and 15% off at any time in Klaw Poké , all they have to do is mention "The Klaw Khronicles" - the name of their newsletter. This is a great example of how engaging with your favourite restaurants can benefit you as well as them. This is another great way for Niall Sabongi to get Irish people eating more seafood - his reason for being. Starting with the tiny Klaw in Temple Bar, he's now expanded to Klaw Poké on Capel Street, and The Seafood Café on Fownes Street in Temple Bar, with more to come. They're also doing a Klaw Krawl oyster happy hour, where you can get €1 off every oyster in each of their sites at a different time. Currently it's 4-5pm in The Seafood Café , 5-6pm in Klaw , and 6-7pm in Klaw Poké , and they're all within walking distance of each other . Sounds like all kinds of fun. Klaw is all about fresh, sustainable seafood that tastes great, and if you haven't been to any of their sites yet or can be found complaining that seafood is too expensive, you officially have no excuses left.

Getting a table at Bastible can be more difficult than getting through an Irish Winter, so next Monday's one off Ramen night sounds like a great opportunity to see what the chef's are made of. Dave, Bren and Kevin took a trip to Japan and came back with notions about cooking Japanese food, and along with a fourth chef, Paul from Forest Avenue , will host ' Slammin Ramen ' in Bastible next Monday. Tickets cost €42 and include snacks, starters, two bowls of ramen (their own inventions), and desserts. It's also BYOB which is a major bonus. Slammin' Ramen takes place at Bastible on Monday 19th February at 18:30. You can buy tickets here .

We were wondering who would get their review of Glovers Alley in first. (Secretly we were hoping that several would come on the same weekend so that no one would have a chance to compare notes.) Our money was on Lucinda who loves being first in the door, but Gillian Nelis in the Sunday Business Post managed to beat her to it. It's safe to say that although Glovers Alley has a website (a major peeve of G's when restaurants don't), it isn't quite what she had in mind. She quotes several cringy lines that had us hiding behind our hands (and wondering if Andy McFadden has ever ventured outside the kitchen to look at it). Apparently the head chef will “effortlessly leave the most expectant gastronomes speechless”. We're already speechless and we haven't even been there yet. Overall she enjoyed her experience and the obvious quality of the food, particularly her veal sweetbreads with XO sauce, hazelnuts and mesclun which was 'bang on', and her Irish lamb stew - 'one of the best plates of lamb I'd eaten in years'. Her partner fared marginally worse, with a starter lacking in texture and a main which needed more sauce, but still enjoyed himself. The sweet section of the meal, featuring pre-desserts, desserts and petit fours were faultless and left them very happy (if in a post-sugar coma on the way home). We're getting the feeling that Glovers Alley's ambitious pricing (€80 for a three-course dinner) is going to be hard for the kitchen to live up to. Read her review here (subscription only). Also usurping Lucinda on a new opening was Tom Doorley in The Irish Daily Mail with his review of Bresson in Monkstown (her home turf for god's sake!). The new French restaurant from Conor Kavanagh and Temple Garner impressed with their skillful cooking including 'gossamer' light gnocchi, 'inspired' Coquilles Saint Jacques and monkfish that was cooked to 'perfection'. Although he would have liked more booze in the trifle. This is Monkstown Tom, land of restraint. (Review not currently online) In The Times Catherine Cleary visits Urbanity in Smithfield (hot on the heels of Katy McGuinness who reviewed it last week), which goes to show that sometimes getting free PR is simply a case of emailing a few food critics and telling them how great you are. Nice work Jason. She's impressed by the wholesome food, the variety, and the use of a coravin so that they can offer more than 'the usual set of dullard wines by the glass', but she's wary of the desserts, thinking they taste 'suspiciously healthy'. We were left scratching our heads over her description of, 'a butter-cream-iced matcha muffin that was the green of a fresh cow pat inside when you sliced down through it.' Did she like it? Is she trying to say it tasted like a turd? Why has she been going around slicing open cow pats? We'll probably never know. Read her review here . In the Irish Independent, Katy McGuinness had mixed feelings about Host , liking the food, but not the impression that you had to be in with the in crowd to get a table. We're not sure why they keep sitting the restaurant critics on stools near the door - we think maybe the staff need a print out of all of their faces behind the bar? She loved the pumpkin cappellacci and sage, and compares the sharing rib-eye to the côte de boeuf at Etto which is just about the nicest thing that could be said about a piece of meat. Read her review here . In The Irish Examiner , Leslie Williams discovers a new Italian on George's Street (which was a new one on us too), Café Amore . His caprese salad was 'like a blast of warm Neapolitan sun on a wintry January evening', and the Mortadella was the best he's had outside of Bologna. High praise indeed. He liked it so much he went back for lunch the next day which sounded like a complete bargain at €11.50 for two courses and a glass of wine, especially considering that dinner for two had cost €110, i.e. 10 times as much. Read his review here . No review from Lucinda O'Sullivan in the Sunday Independent this week, instead telling us about the '20 Best Romantic Valentine's Spots.' In Dublin she mentions Aqua in Howth, Avalon in Donnybrook, Chamelon in Temple Bar, Nightmarket in Ranelagh, Chapter One , Dax , Luna and Pearl Brasserie in the city centre, and two hotel restaurants - Tavern at the Dylan and Talavera in the Radisson Stillorgan. The article also comes with some pretty dodgy photography for a national newspaper. Fingers crossed for that spate of Glovers Alley reviews next week.

We're big fans of Asia Market , the bustling food haven accessed through a dark door on Drury Street, full of sights and sounds that make us want to eat and eat. There are so many things there that we can't seem to find anywhere else - garlic shoots, sushi rice, fermented squid. So we perked up when we heard that they've decided Friday the 16th of February is Dumpling Day . It's part of the Chinese New Year festivities, and will celebrate the New Year's tradition in Chinese families of making dumplings together, with everyone from the youngest to the oldest getting involved. The event takes place from 9am - 6pm, and you'll learn how to make and wrap your own dumplings, how to cook them, and how to eat them - not sure we need help with that but happy to play along. If you're in the area and like eating you would be mad not to drop in. Dumpling Day 16th February 2018 Asia Market, 18 Drury Street, Dublin 2 For more information click here .

We know you swore off going out for Valentine’s Day years ago. The lukewarm food, the harangued staff, the overpriced set menu with its ‘medley of romantic seafood assiette’. But in case you’re getting the urge to give it another go, these 8 places promise not to bring out the heart-shaped balloons and vomit-inducing soundtracks. Rosa Madre Proprietor Luca says ‘every day is a special day at Rosa Madre and you’re guaranteed that it will be business as usual here on the 14th - they probably won’t even know what day it is. Freshly caught seafood, an extensive Italian wine list and warm hospitality. Close your eyes and you could be in Venice. Hopefully Luca’s working and not off on a date. Octopussy’s Sticking with seafood, a trip to Dublin’s holy grail of fish (Howth) is always a good idea. Especially when the option is decidedly non-romantic shared tables and some of the freshest seafood in the city (best mussels we’ve had but we’re happy to debate). The window seats looking out at the boats are especially lovely, just be prepared to talk to your neighbours instead of gazing into each other’s eyes. Glovers Alley If you’re looking to impress (or maybe propose), this is the place. Dublin’s latest fine dining destination, not many restaurants have opened with the anticipation and build up that Glovers Alley has had. At the time of writing they had early and late tables available, but we’d get on it quick. Nightmarket For fiery, flavourful food, to reaffirm how brilliant and diverse Dublin’s dining scene is right now, you won’t do much better than Nightmarket . No mushy menus here, it’s the same offering as every other night. Okay they MAY have some seafood and cocktail specials but that is definitely as romantic as its going to get. Michael’s Everyone’s treated like a food critic at Michael’s , the South Dublin neighbourhood restaurant that everyone wishes was in their neighbourhood. The lovely staff could give lessons in hospitality and this is another top spot for the freshest seafood. This is the only set menu we’re letting through because it looks genuinely worth it – five courses including lobster for under €50? Old Street The residents of Malahide lucked out last year with the opening of Old Street , a new-wave, modern Irish restaurant which takes hospitality as seriously as ingredient sourcing. And just in case you had doubts about how great they are, they’re running their early evening set menu (two courses for €24, three for €29) all night on the 14th, just like any other Wednesday. Fish Shop Yes it’s more seafood, but it’s also one of the absolute best places for seafood in the city, and it’s another restaurant that is making precisely zero fuss that it's Valentine’s Day. Same menu, same set up, with the possible addition of some oysters, if they’re available that day. And they've got great wine. Token Just not into fancy sit down meals? How about video games and burgers? Token sounds like a brilliant place to spend a stress-free Valentine’s Day. And once again, they won’t even be acknowledging the fact that it’s the feast of St Valentine, so kick back, eat some tacos and play a few rounds of Donkey Kong. Glorious.

There were a few unhappy reviewers knocking around Dublin this week. Catherine Cleary wasn't overly impressed with her visit to Boeuf , calling it a 'one-trick pony', lacking in 'bullishness', and saying she felt 'un-mooved to return'. (Clearly there was a wager going in the Times this week for the most puns in one article.) She did like her New York striploin, but felt they needed to up the excellence and ditch the 'Hugh Heifer' character - which doesn't even make sense as heifers are female. Read her review here (subscription required). Likewise over on her hometurf of Monkstown, Lucinda O'Sullivan thought that new Italian Osteria 99 needed to kick up the Italian kitsch if they were going to compete in an already busy market. She cited a grey-on-grey room complete with flat screen TV, and posted quite an unappetising picture on twitter of mushroom and truffle ravioli, which she described as 'like tired pillows when the feather filling has worn thin.' Ouch. (Review not currently online) Things weren't faring much better for Tom Doorley at Kathmandu Kitchen where things were 'fine', 'grand' - 'neither bad nor very good'. His only reason for visiting was that he happened to be hungry whilst walking past, despite Paolo Tullio telling him never to be led down this perilous path. We think he only has himself to blame for this one. (Review not currently online) Thankfully Katy McGuinness in the Independent fared better at Urbanity , a coffee roastery and café in Smithfield, whose chef had come from Brother Hubbard . Being unable to book for dinner due to an unattended answering machine, she settled for breakfast, and enjoyed 'Wasabi spiced roast mung bean & avocado, water chestnuts, soy & garlic pesto, toasted sesame brittle, organic fried egg, sourdough toast.' Try saying that after a few drinks. Read her review here . Gillian Nelis in the Sunday Business Post also had a meal that was considerably better than 'fine' at The Guinea Pig in Dalkey, where Chef Jérôme Fernandes recently took over from Mervyn Stewart, who'd been running things since 1978. Her quail was somewhat ruined by a plate that was hotter than hell, but she thought the seafood mixed grill was 'one of the simplest and nicest dishes I’d had in ages'. 'Fine' did make a comeback in reference to her companion's French onion soup, but the day was saved by scampi and chips, with 'prawns in a perfectly crispy coating, the chips just as good, and a lovely homemade tartare served on the side'. Read her review here (subscription needed). More next week.

Restaurateurs and chefs around the country were running to the shops this morning for a copy of The Sunday Times , where John and Sally McKenna have today released their 100 best restaurants of 2018. This year they will publish a new guide, 'Ireland The Best', but until then this is a great start for eating your way around the country. Of the 100 restaurants listed, 33 are in Dublin (last year it was 29 which is a sign of how vibrant and dynamic the capital's eating out scene is right now). New additions to the list include Clanbrassil House , the second outpost from Bastible owner Barry Fitzgerald, fine dining favourite Dax , which has had a new injection of life since chef Graham Neville came on board last year, and Hey Donna , the latest opening from Jo'Burger and Crackbird founder Joe Macken, only open since October. Clanbrassil House Dax The other new additions are Hugo's , where chef Margaret Roche took over in 2016 taking the food up several notches, Niall Sabongi's Temple Bar seafood shack Klaw , Elaine Murphy's gastropub The Legal Eagle , fiery Thai Nightmarket in Ranelagh, café of dreams Storyboard in Dublin 8, and Michael's in Mount Merrion, which has been wowing diners and critics with fresh, great value seafood and hospitality to match since Gaz Smith took over in 2016. Nightmarket Michael's Many of our favourites have stayed on the list since last year, including Etto , Bastible , Fish Shop , Brother Hubbard , L'Ecrivain , Forest and Marcy , Chapter One , The Fumbally, Amuse , The Winding Stair , Chameleon and Piglet . You can read the full list here (subscription required) or get down to the shops for a copy of The Sunday Times before it sells out. Forest & Marcy Piglet We're not sure if we're the only ones who find it strange that Ireland's only two Michelin starred restaurant, Restaurant Patrick Guilbaud isn't on the list of 'Ireland's 100 Best Restaurants'. Maybe next year PG.

* Soft launch Friday 2nd February from 6pm - €10 to try what you want* Since the Lucky Tortoise pop up in Ranelagh came to an end just before Christmas, there's been a dim sum shaped, pocket loving, BYO friendly gap in the south Dublin dining scene. The Lucky Tortoise team are now searching for a permanent space, but the good news is that while we wait, the guys behind it have opened Reuben Hot Press in the same space - Hobart's Café - consisting of NY deli-style hot sandwiches from the grill. As with Lucky Tortoise this is a pretty cheap night out by Dublin standards, with sandwiches costing €7.95, or you can get a stack of three halves for €11. You can choose between the classic Reuben with salt beef, the Cheesesteak, the Po'Boy or the veggie option with tempeh. Sides are €3.50 and sauces are €1. And it's BYO, in case you needed any more convincing, so expect wine lovers to make this a regular stomping ground like they did with Lucky Tortoise. Reuben Hot Press is holding a soft launch tonight, Friday 2nd February, where you can pay €10 and try what you want, just give them your feedback. From tomorrow they'll open Fridays and Saturdays from 6pm. They don't take reservations but there are plenty of good places to wait with a drink in hand if you can't get a table straight away. We hear these boys have more ideas up their sleeve for the coming year. We can't wait to see what else is on the cards. Follow Reuben Hot Press here .

A new workshop from "Slow at Work" author Aoife McElwain sounds like a glorious start to a Saturday. Simple Food for Fast Times will demonstrate easy, energising recipes, with the aim of creating more of a connection with food, and encouraging a slow down when it comes to cooking and eating. It will take place at Arran Street East , a handmade pottery workshop near Dublin's Capel Street, on the last Saturday of the month from February to July. It's aimed at beginner cooks, and those who feel they don't have time to cook. Aoife McElwain is a food writer and creative events planner. She published Slow at Work after suffering burnout in 2015, and wanting to find a more sustainable way of working and living. She says that taking the time to prepare and enjoy food has been a big part of finding that balance. Tickets for Simple Food for Fast Times cost €120 and include a light breakfast and lunch. The workshop takes place from 10am - 2pm. Here's a lovely video they've made about it. For more information click here .

Sad news this morning that Foam Café and Gallery in Dublin's Italian Quarter has closed. A statement from the café blamed the current financial climate for the decision to close. You can read it in full here . Since opening in 2011, Foam was known as one of the quirkiest cafés in Dublin, with its eccentric decor and unusual (and delicious) omelettes, like 'The Andy Warhol', with chorizo, emmental and pear. They also served up homemade cakes and a wide range of tea and coffee, as well as beer and wine. Last September, Foam posted an article on their Facebook page from a Fianna Fáil senator advising people to keep their local coffee shop in mind amid a surge in Starbucks outlets. There are now 51 branches in the greater Dublin area. When it comes to local coffee shops the message is use it or lose it. Dublin has some wonderful independent coffee houses, and it would be very sad to see more go this way. So go out today and support your local coffee shop. Unless you want to live in a world where a tall, non-fat, iced, decaf, caramel macchiato is your only option. We hope to see Foam's owners pop up again somewhere soon.

We live in hope that Robin Gill has plans for an Irish opening some day soon, but in the meantime we will make do with his trips across the pond to feed and mesmerise us. After the success of December's "Wild" dinners at Airfield Estate (which sold out in minutes), Robin is coming back on Saturday the 3rd of March for " Coast ", which will see him and Airfield chef Luke Matthews serve up a six-course menu of seasonable, sustainable and locally sourced seafood. Tickets are €85 are there are three sittings. Gill and Matthews have been collaborating at Airfield Estate since last year, the 38 acre working farm on the south side of Dublin. The farm rears pig, sheep, cattle, goats, chickens and ducks, as well as growing fruits and vegetables. Robin and Luke were brought in to create more of a relationship between the farm and the kitchen, and Robin's ultimate goal is to turn Airfield into something resembling Dan Barber's Blue Hill at Stone Barns , where everything served is from the farm or local area (if you've never heard of this we recommend watching this episode of Chef's Table ). If you can't make dinner, Gill and Matthews will also be hosting a Fire and Grill demo on Sunday 4th March from 12pm - 2pm, focusing on outdoor cooking. Tickets are €60 and include lunch and a welcome drink. Expect tickets for both to go fast. Coast Airfield Estate Saturday 3rd March. 3 sittings: 7pm, 7:30pm, 8:15pm Tickets: €85 www.airfield.ie/events-estate/coast-gill-matthews Fire and Grill Airfield Estate Sunday 4th March Tickets: €60 airfield.ticketsolve.com/shows/873584692?_ga=2.165966718.1534658564.1517260480-389710300.1515858213

Klaw The Seafood Café gets another great review this weekend, this time from Leslie Williams in the Irish Examiner , who says the fried oyster Po'Boy sandwich is 'an utter joy and the best I’ve tasted outside of New Orleans.' He gives the food 9/10 which is the highest score he's ever given for a casual dining restaurant. In the Irish Independent , Katy McGuinness enjoyed cheap and cheerful El Grito in Temple Bar, calling it 'one of the most pocket-friendly eating experiences in the country', and praising the adobo marinated pork with warm, sweet pineapple on crisp tacos. She is currently dreaming of spring break in Mexico. In the Irish Times , Catherine Cleary finds there's more to Blackrock Market than Heron & Grey. She was seriously impressed with Indian Three Leaves , despite the chill blowing through the dining room. Special mention for her description of the lighting: ' two fluorescent tubes overhead, which bring all the warmth of the mortuary to proceedings.' Despite the simple surroundings she found the food thrilling, particularly the onions coated in paneer and battered, and bread with potato, fenugreek and butter. In The Sunday Business Post , Gillian Nelis tries to bring back some balance at The Marker Hotel , with their new equilibrium menu. She enjoys the veggie packed refuel salad with salmon, and the healthy riff on apple and chocolate crumble, with chia seeds, nuts and sugar-free chocolate. She also tries her companion's burger and proclaims it her new favourite swanky burger spot. In The Irish Daily Mail, Tom Doorley takes a trip to Waterford to review a restaurant and finds it closed, but luckily is saved by a satisfying meal at Loko . He's delighted to find raclette on the menu, some of the best chicken wings he's ever eaten (and he's a connoisseur apparently) and a crème brûlée flavoured with cinnamon rather than vanilla. (Article not online yet). And in Life Magazine in the Sunday Independent , Lucinda O'Sullivan is taken aback at seeing Champagne and oysters on a bar in Maynooth on a Tuesday lunchtime, but La Brasserie managed to win her over with their excellent food: 'the cooking was precise and well executed.' Although she wasn't happy to hear their credit card machine wasn't working, especially for a restaurant with 'aspirations'. (Article not online yet). Side note: It looks like the critics went out of their way this week to review restaurants with no websites, and they have really outdone themselves, so apologies for all of the Facebook links. Gillian Nelis, for whom this causes much pain, will be horrified.

We love anything that redeems fast food, even the tiniest bit, so we're feeling almost proud of new Irish burger joint BuJo seeing all the work they're doing to operate sustainably. The Irish beef is grass-fed (because this is what cows are supposed to eat, they have four stomachs for this purpose), the potatoes are grown on White Hart Farm in North Dublin, the bacon comes from Luke Bogue's rare-breed pigs in Cavan, and the buns are made by Coghlan's Bakery in Kildare. In a world where suppliers are often in a race to the bottom to secure business, we love to see a new opening putting their responsibilities ahead of pure profit (although we're sure they're hoping it leads to this too). Beer is from Wicklow Wolf in Bray, cider from Dan Kelly's in Drogheda, and although there's no Irish wine available, they've done the next best thing by bringing in wine on tap from innovators Wine Lab, ensuring minimal waste and no glass to be recycled. They also use 100% renewable electricity. Milkshakes are made with ice-cream from Coolhull Farm in Wexford, and their cups, lids and straws are compostable. All of their Irish suppliers are championed on a 'suppliers wall', and even their staff uniforms have been ethically sourced and made. And to reward them for their efforts, the Sustainable Restaurant Association gave them their highest, 3 star rating shortly after opening - the only burger restaurant in the UK and Ireland with 3 stars. We're a little bit in love. With the planet in the worst state it's ever been in, it's heartening to see businesses like this showing heart instead of just greed. More of this and maybe we can move the D oomsday Clock back a few minutes. BuJo 6 Sandymount Green, Dublin 4 Mon - Thu: 12: - 21:30. Fri - Sat 12:00 - 22:00. Sun 12:00 - 21:00. bujo.ie

From heart-shaped baos to pear-fect burgers, here's what caught our eye this week. 1. The best breakfast from T wo Boys Brew This porridge from Two Boys Brew is making ours looks like a bowl of cement. Vanilla baked plums, cherry compote and burnt white chocolate museli. Good luck trying to enjoy your bowl of Flavahan's tomorrow. www.twoboysbrew.ie 2. Family style plates from Clanbrassil House The family style menu from Clanbrassil House is looking very appealing this week, especially that chicken liver parfait with burnt apple. Roasted leeks with crispy chicken skin and smoked trout toast make up the trio of starters. Only problem is we're not sharing. www.clanbrassilhouse.com 3. Perfect pastries from Scéal bakery The masters of pastry take three days to make these twice baked almond croissants, and we can't think of a better start to the day. Find them at Penders Market on Saturdays and Dublin Flea this Sunday 28th. www.scealbakery.com 4. This pear-fect burger from BuJo (their pun, not ours) The Burger Joint of the moment has created a limited edition burger available for one week only (ending Sunday 28th), featuring smoked Monterey Jack cheese, chargrilled, caramelised Rocha pear, Beechwood-smoked Hampshire rare-breed bacon and Ballymaloe relish, all served on a toasted brioche bun with two patties of Irish, grass-fed beef. bujo.ie 5. Chameleon's heart-shaped beetroot bao Style and substance from Chameleon's Kevin O'Toole, who started making these as an experiment but they were so good they're staying on the menu. There are 3 fillings to choose from: Lightly battered Irish plaice, yuzu mayonnaise, carrot crisp and microherbs, Crispy onion bhaji, coriander and mint salsa, and Crispy tofu, pickles, mango and chilli jam. www.chameleonrestaurant.com

Brother Hubbard are bringing back their popular supper clubs, starting with a vegan feast on the 27th of February. Last year they made their dinner menu over 50% vegan and they say it's been so popular with customers that they want to dedicate a whole night to it. 'A Very Vegan Feast' will consist of 5 courses of seasonal, homemade food, served at communal tables. You'll also get a welcome drink included in the price of €37.95. Knowing the standard of food served at Brother Hubbard we think this sounds like a great night out whether you're vegan or not. Tickets can be bought here . Brother Hubbard 153 Capel Street, Dublin 1 brotherhubbard.ie

There's a new brunch in town, and this one's vegan. Bagots Hutton have launched a new weekend brunch menu where every dish is gluten free, dairy free and vegan. Veganism appears to be growing at the speed of light at the moment so we think this one's going to be busy with both vegans and the vegan-curious. The menu includes pancakes, tofu benedict and 'The Full Vegan' as well as chia seed pudding for dessert - you can read the full menu below. It's a little pricey for a brunch that includes no meat so we're hoping it lives up to its saintly expectations. You can book here . With the first ever fully vegan pub just opened in London, we would bet this is just the start of things to come in Dublin too.

Klaw The Seafood Café is having a good week with both Katy McGuinness in the Independent and Catherine Cleary in the Times giving it the thumbs up. Katy loved the gambas which she called 'wipe-the-plate good', while Catherine calls it 'Sabongi’s best place yet'. In the Mail , Tom Doorley revisits Romanos on Capel Street and praises the handmade pasta and value for money. In the Sunday Times , Ernie Whalley finds Vietnamese Que Huong on Golden Lane in Dublin 2 "an honest, likeable, value-for-money sort of place", if lacking a wow-factor. While in the Sunday Independent, Lucinda O'Sullivan isn't let down by the change of ownership at Guinea Pig in Dalkey, saying "I think the Guinea Pig diners will be more than happy - it will certainly be on my regular visiting list." Jérôme Fernandes recently took over from long time chef-owner Mervyn Stewart. (article not currently online) Outside Dublin, Gillian Nelis in The Sunday Business Post enjoyed the majority of her Sunday lunch in Two Cooks in Kildare, except for a bit of overcooked beef, but her pork was "cooked beautifully" and the dessert was worth travelling for. In the Irish Examiner , Joe McNamee is impressed with the food provenance at Bao Boi in Cork, and finds the vegan option made from Ballyhoura mushrooms "easily the match of its subsequent carnivorous competitors" .

The Dublin Chinese New Year Festival returns in February with some brilliant sounding food events, including talks, tours, tastings and tea ceremonies. We would go to them all if we could, but these are our top three picks. Chinese Tea Ceremony What: A traditional Chinese tea ceremony where you'll learn the art and philosophy of drinking tea. Because: You've always wanted to know what it's all about, and you like tea. When: Thu 22nd Feb, 18:00 - 19:30 Where: National Gallery of Ireland Cost: €5 Read more and book here Asia Market Tasting Tour What: A tour of the market with lots of food and drink samples and a goodie bag to bring home. Because: You're a grazer and like sampling as many things as possible but supermarkets usually don't like when you do that. When: Thu 22nd Feb, 18:00 - 19:00 Where: Asia Market, Drury Street Cost: €20 Read more and book here Galivanting Asian Gourmet Tour What: A culinary tour of Dublin's China town with a different course in each restaurant. Because: It's like taking a tour of China for a fraction of the price. Three courses, three restaurants, three different cooking styles. Three thumbs up. When: Tue 27th Feb, 18:30 - 19:30 Where: Lao Hot Pot, Parnell Street Cost: €40 Read more and book here Dublin Chinese New Year Festival 2018 16th February - 4th March For more information and full events listings visit www.dublinchinesenewyear.com

Fine Dining has long been a fickle game, and this week sees its latest casualty with the closure of Restaurant Forty One, part of former private members club Residence on Stephen's Green, which has also closed. In a press release sent out by Press Up Entertainment today, they announced that they had bought the building and would close both the club and restaurant immediately. The building will undergo a complete refurbishment, and a new bar and restaurant will open once this is complete. Residence was the place to be seen during the Celtic Tiger years, and has been plagued by monetary losses, accusations of bad financial management and ownership changes from early on, but despite this managed to stay afloat as a private members club until December 2016. The decision was then made to open the doors to the general public, although the restaurant was always open to anyone with a booking. This was met with mixed reactions both from existing members and the public, and it appears that it wasn't enough to keep the doors open. Restaurant Forty One received great reviews for their food under both former chef Graham Neville (now at Dax ) and Peter Byrne (formerly of Sika at the Powerscourt Hotel) who took over the kitchen last year, but the pricing was aimed at the higher end of the market, at €70 for a three-course dinner, and €85 for a tasting menu, putting it out of reach for many Dublin diners. Press Up Entertainment are slowing taking over the Dublin food scene and currently own and run Sophie's , Roberta's , Angelina's , Tomahawk , Wowburger , and Dollard and Co. , to name a few, as well as The Dean and The Clarence hotels. Their style tends to be high-end but approachable, and although they've been accused of favouring style over substance they're certainly livening up the Dublin restaurant scene. Watch this space.

Those lovely people at the Fumbally Stables in Dublin 8 have some cracking Saturday events coming up in February, including pickling, fermenting drinks, yoga, and a sourdough class taught through Irish. Classes are usually 12pm - 2pm and cost €30 or €20 for students, oaps and the unwaged (proof required). You'll also get to take home what you make. You can read more and book a place on any of the classes here . Saturdays at the Stables The Fumbally Stables Fumbally Lane, Dublin 8 thefumballystables.ie/saturdays e: hello@thefumballystables.ie

Yes you read that right. Donuts and wine. Not two of the most likely bedfellows, but you have to hand it to Cavern for thinking outside the box. Unless they are ludicrously sweet wines the two are unlikely to be perfect matches, but if you like donuts and you like wine you'll probably be happy out. The tasting takes places on Saturday 10th February at 2pm and costs €25 per person. We advise eating first. You can buy tickets on their website here . Cavern 17 Baggot Street Upper, Dublin 4 cavernbaggotst.com

The wonderfully zen Airfield Estate is holding a half-day Wellness Workshop on Saturday 27th January. Yoga, mindfulness and detox tips will all be on the agenda, with refreshments provided. The workshop is on from 10am until 1:30pm, and costs €46, or €41 for members. You can read more about it and book tickets here .

Since Kevin Thornton closed Thornton's in the Fitzwilliam Hotel in September 2016, all eyes have been on the site to see what's coming next, and now we know. Irish-born, formerly London based chef Andy McFadden has been lured home to open Glovers Alley in February. Marie-Claire Digby got the scoop for the Irish Times . McFadden has been working in London for the past 11 years for the Pied group, which includes Michelin-starred Pied à Terre and formerly L'Autre Pied, which closed in August. He was at one time the youngest chef in London with a Michelin star, and there are high hopes for his arrival home. He's put together a bit of a dream team with Philip Roe, formerly of Michelin-starred Fera at Claridges in London, as Head Chef, Ed Jolliffe, formerly Chapter One , as general manager and two ex- Patrick Guilbaud staff with Aoife Noonan as executive pastry chef and James Brooke as head sommelier. This will be very much fine dining, with a set lunch priced at €35-€45, a four or five course dinner at €65/€80 and a tasting menu at €105. Ambitious pricing for a city of this size, but if they fulfill their aim of becoming 'one of Dublin's great restaurants' (and presumably obtain a Michelin star next September) then people will be more inclined to cough up for special occasions or expense accounts. We think Dublin is somewhat lacking in fine dining options so this is one opening we are eagerly awaiting. Welcome home Andy. Glovers Alley is due to open on Friday February 2nd Book or find out more at: gloversalley.ie

The tenth annual Irish Restaurant Awards were launched today with lunch at Chapter One for the who's who of the Irish restaurant industry, Aiming to acknowledge 'outstanding performers in the sector', the awards are judged over five months, and take into account public nominations, judging panels, mystery guest inspections and events. The Irish restaurant industry currently employs 74,000 people, so if there's a sommelier, host, chef or food producer that you think deserves a nod, this is as good a time as any to give them a pat on the back and nominate them here . There are 21 categories that you can vote in, including new category, best 'free from', showing how obsessed we now are with what 'isn't' in our food, rather than what is in it. There are regional and national awards, and the winners will be announced at the Irish Restaurant Awards on Monday 14th May in the Clayton Hotel. Maybe don't book in anywhere too nice on the 15th - there will be hungover heads from Donegal to Dingle. You can read more about the Irish Restaurant Awards at www.irishrestaurantawards.com .