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The Dunnes voucher scheme has arguably been the biggest supermarket success story in decades, creating a "voucher cult" that keeps customers coming back to keep them active. Facebook pages , Whatsapp groups and even a full website are dedicated to sourcing vouchers for those in need, and the first rule of the Dunnes voucher club is - you do not shop without a voucher . The second rule is, you must spend in multiples of €25 to maximise your savings - a €25 spend with a €5 voucher = 20% off. A €35 spend with €5 voucher = 15% off and so on.... While many people switched to discounters Lidl and Aldi years ago for "the big shop" (or to " go full Lidl "), supplementing with unavailable or premium ingredients in Dunnes , Supervalu or Tesco , the voucher scheme means customers are pulled back to Dunnes within a set timeline to get that discount again and again, and lately we've been wondering whether it's all just a game that we've fallen for. Every time we set an anxious foot in the supermarket it seems prices have risen ( grocery prices are currently rising at double the rate of inflation ), and we hear constant grumblings that prices in Dunnes are at a minimum 20% more than the discounters to start with. The accusation is that in reality there is no saving with the vouchers, and couldn't they just reduce the price of everything permanently than sucking us into this escapade? At the same time, every basket or trolley from Lidl and Aldi also seems unreasonably high, so who's offering the best value for money? Curiosity (and our increasingly battered bank accounts) eventually got the better of us, and we decided we had to know whether the voucher scheme resulted in genuine savings, or whether we'd just fallen for some seriously good slight of hand. We spent most of a week and more supermarket trips than we'd like to admit price checking and rechecking almost 70 common supermarket items in Dunnes , Lidl and Aldi , and this is what we found out. What were the parameters?

Finally, FINALLY it's the summer weather week we've been waiting for. Get those beach bags packed and outdoor dining tables booked, and we're here to help all the summer feels along with another amazing prize line up that's sure to make nine of you very, very happy this June. Everyone signed up to ATF Insiders is going automatically into the draw, you just sit back and enjoy the rays! As an ad and invite-free website, ATF Insiders is how we operate, ensuring that every recommendation is made without industry influence, and you can trust that reviews are honest and unblemished by invites and freebies. Everyone who signs up for ATF Insiders by midnight on Tuesday 17th June will be entered into this month's prize draw, and winners will be selected on Wednesday 18th June. 1) A sharing platter, desserts and wine for two on the Terrace @ The Shelbourne The upstairs terrace in The Shelbourne Hotel is one of our favourite city centre summer hacks. The floral-filled sanctuary designed by head florist Mary O’Reilly is the dream for a pre-dinner drink or a lazy afternoon in town, with oysters, caviar, and sharing platters filled with seafood, meats and cheeses if hunger hits. We're sending one ATF Insider into The Shelbourne for a sharing board of their choice, desserts and a bottle of wine for two, in one of Dublin's most elegant outdoor spots. The terrace is open Wednesday to Sunday from 12:30 to 8PM, and you can book here . 2) The neighbourhood menu for four at Volpe Nera Volpe Nera 's new neighbourhood menu is the talk of the town right now, running on Wednesday and Thursdays from 17:00 to 18:45. At €38 for a four-course set menu, it changes slightly each week depending on seasonality and availability of ingredients, but will always starts with Flaggy Shore oysters, homemade bread and butter, and chef/owner Barry Sun’s favourite cep dumplings with aged soya, fennel and herb. This month we've got the neighbourhood menu for four to give away to one lucky Insider, and the rest of you less lucky people can check out the menu and book here .   3) An overnight stay for two with dinner at No. 1 Pery Square, Limerick This month we're sending one of you into the heart of Limerick’s Georgian Quarter for an overnight stay in No. 1 Pery Square , awarded a Michelin Key in 2024. A country house in the city, and a boutique hotel full of personality, food and wine are at the heart of No. 1 Pery Square , along with a commitment to supporting small independent producers and growers. The independent property describes itself as "grand but cosy", but this month's winner can be the judge of that, after they head down there for an overnight stay with dinner in The Long Room and breakfast the next morning. 4) A three-course dinner for two in The Garden Terrace with Malfy Gin at Intercontinental Dublin The five-star InterContinental Dublin  in Ballsbridge have been dying to unleash their alfresco dining space on the garden terrace, and this year they're inspired by the Amalfi coast, in partnership with Malfy Gin . Menus are Mediterranean, with dishes like Fritto Misto and Carpaciio di Bresaola, and desserts like gin limoncello spritz, and salted caramel ice-cream sandwiches. Weather rubbish? Not to worry, it can be covered for shade and has outdoor heaters. We've got a three-course alfresco dinner for two to give away at The Garden Terrace with Malfy Gin this month, with a cocktail to start. It's open seven days a week from 12:00 - 22:00, and you can book a table by calling 016654000 or emailing reservations@icdublin.com . 5) A hamper worth €150 from Lotts & Co. to celebrate their 10th birthday Lotts & Co. in Beggar's Bush are celebrating their 10th birthday on the 10th of July, and they have a big celebration planned. There's going to be cake, prizes, supplier and market stalls full of samples, and lots of promos and giveaways in the lead up! To celebrate their "decade of good food and community", they've given us an anniversary tote bag full of their favourite products worth €150, to give away to one ATF Insider this month. 6) A Roast your own coffee experience for two at Cloud Picker Cloud Picker Café on Pearse Street have just launched Ireland’s first hands-on coffee roasting experience -  Roast Your Own . The two-hour experience lets coffee lovers go behind the roaster and take control of the process, from green beans to perfectly roasted. There's only two participants at a time, so you're guaranteed a personal, in-depth experience, and you'll leave with a custom box of beans roasted and named by you, a Roaster’s pack, and a certificate to prove your newfound skills. The two-hour sessions take place on Saturdays at 08:30, 11:30 and 14:00, and cost €100 per person, and we've got a Roast Your Own experience for two to give away this month. 7) Six tickets to Sun Club's next summer party Sun Club i s back this Sunday 22nd June, and with the weather looking like it's going to top the mercury (for Ireland), what a week for a daytime summer party celebrating Irish food, drink and culture. Your €16 ticket gets you in the door with food, drinks and tasters from Irish brands like Zingibeer, Moyee Coffee, SynerChi Kombucha, and Cloud House Spirits, and they're expecting sunshine, sound people and a serious buzz. We've got tickets for you and five pals to head along to this weekend's event in As One, and you can find tickets here . 8) A month of family dinners from Gousto worth over €300 Gousto is a brand new recipe box for Ireland, with over 150 meals on offer every month. Whether it's a 10-minute midweek miracle, or you have more time to go the extra mile, whether you're dealing with fussy eaters or spice lovers, Gousto has it all covered. Prices start at €5.13 per portion, or €2.57 with an introductory discount, and every box is designed to produce 23% fewer emissions than a typical supermarket shop, helping to reduce food waste. We've got a month of dinners from Gousto to give away this month with an RRP of €328! Visit Gousto.ie or follow @Goustocooking to learn more. 9) A Dunnes Simply Better Saba hamper and a €100 Saba gift voucher There's been a LOT of chat about the Dunnes Stores ‘Simply Better’ range on our channels over the last few weeks, and one of the latest Irish companies to partner with them is Thai and Vietnamese restaurant Saba . They've created a range of 12 Thai products, from curry pastes to simmer sauces, coconut milk to condiments, and they're exclusively available at Dunnes Stores. We've got an amazing hamper to give away this month featuring the entire range PLUS a €100 Saba gift voucher so you can let someone else do the cooking. Everyone signed up for ATF Insiders in June (both new and old) will be automatically entered into the prize draw. You don't need to do anything. If you're not signed up yet, join here before midnight on Tuesday 17th June. Your support promotes independent reviews and news in Dublin and beyond, and allows you to get answers to any dining questions directly from us.

(Priory Market, Irish Times)

Last week an off the cuff Instagram story on supermarket pricing turned into a deluge of recommendations from you lot on your absolute favourite products from Dunnes , Supervalu , Tesco , Aldi and Lidl . We've already shopped and cooked and found new favourites we never knew existed, and as promised we've put them all onto spreadsheets for your shopping pleasure. We can keep these updated so please email info@allthefood.ie or DM us on Instagram with your finds!

Go on a summer holiday via pizza, get your chops around a Scotch egg pie, and sink some cold spicy yellowtail while you're at it. Eating in this city just gets better by the week... 1) Greek lamb pizza, Bonobo It might not feel like summer holiday weather out there, but Bonobo are bringing us to Greece via pizza this week with their spiced lamb special. Topped with roasted red pepper, tzatziki and fresh mint, it's just missing a shot of ouzo on the side. 2) Samhradh h alloumi melt, Tír Deli Tír Deli features frequently in the 5 things we most want to eat on any given week, and can you blame us with off beat sandwich creations like this? This week's is a Toonsbridge halloumi melt with smoked tomato pesto, Irish summer salsa, pumpkin crumb, hot honey and summer greens on Oaksmoke Bakery's ciabatta. Yeowza. 3) Torched Yellowtail, Suertudo Suertudo are bringing the Mexican revolution to Ranelagh on the daily, and they've just added this incredible looking torched yellowtail (hamachi) to the menu. It comes on crunchy cubes of green apple, and gets fiery heat from salsa macha and chilli oil. The perfect hot/cold summer starter. 4) Scotch Egg Pie, Gertrude Scotch. Egg. Pie. You're reading that right. Those 3fe peeps at Gertrude have taken turkey and sausage, wrapped it around a boiled egg, then wrapped that in flaky pastry. They're serving this beautiful creation with mustard mayo and a pickle salad. Quick lunch goals right there. 5) Brownie-misú, No Messin Bakery Tiramisu? Overdone. Brownie-misú? Tira Mi-brownie? Now we're talking. We don't care what they call it, the new hybrid dessert from No Messin' Bakery (available at Proper Order) needs to be sunk stat alongside a special pour for max caffeine.

It’s nearly a national sport at this stage to complain about the prices (for tickets and food) at Taste of Dublin , but starved for choice as the city is when it comes to food festivals and markets (thanks, heel-dragging DCC) we all know we’ll be flocking to Merrion Square this weekend regardless. In the festival’s favour (at least) is that prices are unchanged from last year, with every restaurant stall offering three “signature” dishes for €7 a pop and one “icon” item at €12 – as long as shrinkflation doesn’t rear its ugly head, that should be better value. You’ll rack up a big bill pretty quickly regardless, so here’s our guide on the dishes to beeline for to get the biggest bang for your buck (see all menus here ). Cacio e pepe, Bar Italia Ever since its post-pandemic Roman revamp, old stalwart Bar Italia  has become one of the best places in the city to go for classical pasta dishes done the real Italian way – we remain convinced their carbonara is the best you’ll get in town, by far. On-trend cacio e pepe is a simpler sauce of cheese and pepper only, but in Italian cuisine it’s the simplest stuff that really shows off skills. Oysters, King Sitric Oysters in summer, we hear you query, but the old adage to avoid ‘em in months without an R is out-of-date advice in a modern world of refrigeration and food safety practices. It helps that the Galway Bay waters from which Kelly Oysters farm are cool and sheltered, with limestone-lapping waves giving the shellfish their distinctive, delicious taste. So settle in and let the King Sitric team shuck you a few.   Chun Li dumplings, Big Fan The Big Fan  brand might make more sense to plonk down at Taste, but it’s actually Smithfield’s Sister 7  these chicken dumplings come from – they’re a treat either way. Stuffed with celeriac, pickled mushrooms and water chestnuts and spooned over with a Whiplash Beer dark sour vinegar, these crisp-skinned specimens are essential food festival eating. Daal, Daata We’re very fond fans of Pakistani restaurant group Daata , whose outposts along the south Dublin and Wicklow coastline are added reason to hop on the Dart of a sunny weekend. If you’ve never had the pleasure, here’s your chance to sample their highly-regarded house black daal - a 48-hour stewed sensation of urid lentils and gentle spice. Fish tacos, Parrilla We’re sorry not to see Parrilla ’s pina caramelizada among the Taste menu options – there are few things we ate last year we thought back on so often. Fish tacos aren’t a bad second choice though, with fat fingers of crisp-battered cod so smothered in top-quality house salsa and guac we struggled to keep it all in the corn tortilla. Their crab tostadas are terrific too. Veg Manchurian, Andhra Bhavan A new Uber Eats stall for this year’s festival will host a different restaurant each day, which makes the smart money on Sunday when Andhra Bhavan  are in town. Indian food in Dublin has gone from strength to strength in recent years and these guys are among the strongest. We suspect most will make for the Hyderabadi chicken dum biryani, but we’re here to say go veg Manchurian instead - the spicy-sauced, battered shredded veg are little flavour bombs we can never eat enough of. Po Boy, Little Geno’s Versus the super-strict "five choices only and no substitutions allowed" you’ll get from Little Geno’s  St. Stephen’s Green site, they’re bringing an all-new menu to Merrion Square – to test the waters, maybe? We’ll trust them to have these tried and tested, and will be making right for the Louisiana shrimp po boy. Cajun fried shrimp and a creole remoulade? Sold. Sriracha caramel chicken wings, Chimac Now such a mainstay of the Dublin dining scene, it’s easy to forget Chimac do serious business in the retail space too, with a mantlepiece-thronging array of awards catapulting their house sauces to sales worldwide. Their sriracha caramel is one of the best – doused over their chicken wings, it’s the kind of filthy, sticky treat we’re all about.   Gunpowder masala dosa, Dosa Dosa Well with a name like that… There’s nothing we wouldn’t eat from Dosa Dosa , but it’s no surprise to anyone where this team excel. Their gunpowder masala dosa is like a flavour grenade set off on your palate, pops of punchy spice from red chilies softened by the stuffed potato inside and the lovely lentil curry on the side. It’s vegan friendly, too. Literally anything, The Salt Project While they’re currently in the Roe & Co cocktail garden on Thomas Street every weekend until the end of July, nomadic food truck The Salt Project  is more often out on the road island-wide. We’ll wager most people won’t have sampled their zero-waste, hyper-local cooking before - now’s your chance. With every last supplier namechecked right down to the flour mill, you can’t go wrong with any of these dishes, each paying tribute to the four provinces’ best produce. Okay if you put a gun to our heads we'd go for Munster's Macroom buffalo churros with hot honey, or Connaught's Burren beef with hash browns and a peach habanero drizzle.

What should we know about Cluck Chicken? Starting out as the “Cluck Truck” in Walkinstown back in 2020, Ian Ussher’s free range fried chicken concept Cluck has leveraged a fun   and forthright   social media presence, and a smart suite of daily offers to carve a niche in a crowded fast food market. Five years later, the truck’s been parked in favour of permanent locations in Tallaght’s The Square (where we went) and the Walkinstown Mall. What’s on the menu? Ussher’s a former Euro-Toques young chef of the year, and it shows in Cluck's homemade twists: roast garlic mayo rather than something smeared from a bucket; house pickles, not mass produced gherkins; a dripping cheese sauce, far from the preservative-packed easy-squeeze unguent you’ll get elsewhere. And that’s before we get to the tenderness of the buttermilk brined thighs, craggily crisp and intensely flavoured from a house dredge. As brought together in the buffalo-basted Hot Clucker burger (€10.95), it’s a testament to things here - fast food, sure, but not as you know it. Competition is stiff on Korean fried chicken, with players like Chimac , Jaru and White Rabbit all very hard to beat – on the evidence of the wings (€10.60), there’s no threat of Cluck challenging their hold any time soon. On the meat itself we’ve no notes to offer, but the sticky-sweet sauce lacks the gochujang kick we crave. If you’re winging it, stick with buffalo instead. BBQ wouldn’t be a bad choice either as we saw from the tenders (€15.95 with a choice of pimped fries) – this thick-as-it-gets sauce has a smoky-sweet staying power we kept tasting all night. For us the burger’s juicy thigh makes for the better bet to enjoy a full flavour profile, but anyone here for meat above all will relish the thick breast batons. What will have us back the quickest is the Cluck gravy slathered over proper quality skin-on fries. There's a fortune to be made selling this by the bottle to those who’ve tried and failed to hit such heights from home drippings – nothing here showcases better how well-equipped this team is to make the most of a chicken. Classic mac (€6) was overkill after all that, more thanks to an over-extended appetite than the quality – the same rich cheese sauce that’s spooned onto the burgers hosts the pasta pieces here, topped with crispy onions and shavings of sharp spring onion. Shared with the table it goes down a lot easier. Ditto on an appreciably creamy Oreo shake (€6.50), one of six options. You’ll need a smaller order, a strong sweet tooth, or a young helper on hand to get through it all. Why should I go? Cluck’s superior quality is enough to cross the city for even before you factor in value, holding its own against far bigger competitors – especially with offers like free fries Fridays, wing Wednesdays, tender Tuesdays and Thursdays, and kids-eat-free Sundays to help you along. There are great savings to be had here if you time things right, and if you’re an ATF Insider you can get 20% off the bill in both locations all day Tuesday and Thursday.   Cluck Chicken Unit 136, The Square, Tallaght, Dublin 24 Unit 7, Walkinstown Mall, Dublin 12 instagram.com/cluckchicken_

How much did I love Bologna? So much that as soon as I got home from 48 hours in the Northern Italian city, I immediately booked flights to go back eight weeks later - the €24 Ryanair flights greased the wheels, but an obsession had begun. This is Disneyland for grown ups who think of little else but what they eat and drink. Every corner you turn sees another handmade pasta shop, charcuterie specialist, natural wine bar, Parmesan shop, award-winning gelateria - prepare to walk around with your eyes on stalks. As an aside to all of the monumentally memorable food experiences, there's also the 40km long Porticoes (deemed a UNESCO World Heritage Site), the Two Towers (Le Due Torri), the oldest university in the world, towering Basilicas and sprawling piazzas to make your way through. Emilia Romagna's capital is compact, walkable, and the centre is nine minutes by tram from the airport. Could you ask for anything else from a city break? Are you checking flights right now? Yes is the right answer... A reader told us that the Bolognesi argue about food the way other people argue about politics or religion, and it's impossible not to feel how seriously they take every meal, snack and drink while walking the streets. Despite this we're told you can very easily go wrong here if you don't do your research, with some of the formerly best restaurants taking the dumbed down tourist route. Lucky for you we do all the research , and had one smash hit after another. Here's how to follow in our very well-fed footsteps... Breakfast and coffee Caffè Terzi There is no better start to a morning in Bologna than a visit to Caffè Terzi , a narrow coffee bar with suave, suited waiters and what might be the largest coffee selection in existence (we didn't count but there were pages upon pages of coffee creations we couldn't have dreamt up). Join the queue, place your order (and don't skip all the local treats with cherries, chestnuts and chocolate to go with it), then grab a perch opposite the bar while they rustle it up. The only problem after going here is that you'll want to start every day the same, but that would not be a bad decision. Aroma The other don't miss coffee spot is Aroma , a speciality coffee shop that most likely also has a queue. It opened as a traditional Italian coffee bar in 1994 before moving to specialty coffee in 2001, and owner Alessandro has won multiple barista awards, as well as being a local coffee legend. Forno Brisa Born in Bologna in 2015, Forna Brisa now has five locations, each turning out some of the city's best pastries day after day. The bread is also in high demand, and the coffee is top level stuff, selected and roasted by the company in the city. Street food MO Mortadella Lab Is it too dramatic to suggest getting on an airplane for a sandwich? Try this one then come back to us. Have you ever eaten anything that you immediately know was one of the food highlights of your life? That you'll be trying to relive and recreate until the end of days? That's MO Mortadella Lab 's freshly baked, warm crispy roll packed tight with paper thin mortadella, straciatella cheese and chunky pistachio cream. We're talking last meal on earth kinda stuff. Don't let the queue put you off. It moves fast and there's a good system in place where your number flashes up when it's ready. Indegno La Crescentina You can't come to Bologna without eating the best cresentine, and you'll find it at Indegno (three locations). The fried in lard dough pockets are said to date back to the Middle Ages, when Northern Italy had abundant pig farms and a need to use up excess pig fat. There are loads of regional variations (like gnocco fritto in Modena and torta fritta in Parma), and they're usually served alongside cold cuts and cheeses, but Indegno stuff theirs with all kinds of fillings, from classics like Mortadella and Parmesan cream, to specials like porchetta, Provolone, potato croquette and caramelised onions. Food guide Gambera Rosso named it the best street food in Emilia Romana for 2024 , so it needs to be on your Bologna bingo card. Indegno.eu Pisamentuccia Sometimes in Bologna you're on your way to your next meal when you pass a window with a sign saying " 50 Best Pizzas In Italy " and you find yourself stopping for an accidental pre-meal snack. Pisamentuccia is a little takeaway serving crispy Roman-style slices heated to order, with a multitude of meat, veggie and cheesy toppings to choose from. At around €3 for one of the best slices of your life, it's an offer you shouldn't pass up. Ramaciotto We never made it to Ramaciotto due to time constraints, but this little shop is famous for serving handmade pasta to eat in, take on the go, or cook at home. Ideal if you're staying in a apartment and want to cook in, or just need another pasta stop. Lunch and dinner Sfoglia Rine Don't let the queue deter you - if you only had time for one meal in Bologna we'd send you to Sfoglia Rine . This handmade pasta shop and restaurant has been here since 1963, named after the matriarch who makes the pasta (the Sfoglia) and the current owner's Grandmother (Rine). It's stupidly good value, with generous plates of pasta priced from €13 - €14.50, and they all come with pickled veg and bread for "scarpetta". Order the tortellini with butter and sage, the local gramigna pasta with sausage, and all the specials, and let the Lambrusco flow. (No reservations) Trattoria da Me Trattoria da Me is on every Bologna food guide for good reason. It's a buzzing trattoria relaunched by chef and owner Elisa Rusconi in 2015 - her grandfather originally opened it in 1937 . She's famous for her cheese ice-cream antipasti, Bologna's iconic dish 'tortellini en brodo', and the Sunday lasagne, and this is another excellent place to feast on cresentine and cold cuts while you wait. The staff are warm, the wines are local, and when they ask if you want a bowl of ragu for the table, say "si, grazie". Ristorante Grassilli There's a collection of restaurants in Bologna that feel like they're from another time. At Ristorante Grassilli , opened in 1944 by a former opera singer, it feels like nothing has changed in 80 years, nor would we ever want it to. The walls inside the small space are covered with pictures of famous people who've eaten there over the years, and there are few dining rooms we've eaten in that ooze this much old-school charm. Calm, suited waiters bring simple, perfect plates of antipasti, handmade pasta, and cotoletta (breaded veal cutlet) from a short, well priced menu to eager tables, and the wine list is surprisingly modern and natural leaning - we had some of our best wines in Bologna here. Don't miss the plate of grilled vegetables - we saw this tip online and will forever be grateful to the writer. Never change Grassilli... Risorante Rodrigo Another Bologna institution that harks back to simpler (possibly aristocratic) times is Ristorante Rodrigo . It feels like a special occasion restaurant (with prices to match), and food comes out on trolleys before being given a snowfall of Parmesan, or served tableside. Weekends are full of families luxuriating in top quality ingredients over long leisurely lunches. The fried calamari and zucchini is the light, crisp version from your Italian food dreams, the tagliata steak with rocket and Parmesan will wipe the floor with any other you've tried, and the pastas have the power to bring a silence over any table, apart from the odd groaning noise. If you're in Bologna over winter the famous dessert is the "Mont Blanc" - chestnut purée topped with cream. We can't say we get the fuss. If you want some more theatre at the end, order an Amaro which comes in a bottle half the size of your waiter. Noi, Mercato delle Erbe If you're looking for a more casual setting, need to scale back your spending, or have noisy kids in tow, head for buzzy food market Mercato delle Erbe , whose collection of restaurants cater for groups of all sizes on all budgets. We found Noi on a few guides and loved it so much we went on both visits to the city - with antipasti starting at €4 and pastas starting at €10 it's too easy to go back again and again. Noi is all about fuss free Bologna specialities, with dishes like polenta chips and local squacarone cheese, lasagne verde, and more of those cresentine with cold cuts (we needed them at least once daily). Don't miss the pickled veg to start and the meatballs in tomato sauce (will any other meatballs ever do), and the lovely staff will happily recommend a glass of local wine to go with your order. Some others we didn't get to but were high on our list: Ragù - takeaway pasta shop with a few stools inside. Expect a queue but it moves fast - ragubologna.it Berberè Pizzeria - Sourdough pizza recommended by Roberto Mungo who owns Grano . Nuff said - berberepizza.it Di Via Serra - Trattoria a little out of town but an easy stop en route from the airport. We desperately wanted to visit after reading reviews online but couldn't make a reservation as they didn't respond to emails or answer the phone. You could wing it - trattoriadiviaserra.it La Prosciutteria - Now with 12 sites across Northern Italy, this is the place to pull up a stool and gorge yourself on cured meats and red wines. It gets packed with groups of friends and family catching up and chilling out - laprosciutteria.com Clockwise from top left - Ragu, Berbere, Di Via Serra, La Proscuitteria Gelato If you're not having several gelatos a day in Bologna, you're not doing it right. The standard here is incredibly high, the gelato incredibly luscious, but Cremeria La Vecchia Stalla is one of the best - just don't try to take pictures inside, they do not like. We also loved the flavours at chocolate shop Venchi . The don't miss ice-cream stop is Cremeria Santo Stefano , which has been likened to Michelin-starred restaurants but for ice-cream. Sadly we did miss it, as it wasn't open either time we tried to get there, but you might have better luck. Flavours change regularly and there's always some more unusual ones. Wine and cocktails Enoteca Storica If you're looking for somewhere to cosy up with all the natural wine, head for Enoteco Storica . The narrow, dimly-lit room is overflowing with some of the best organic, biodynamic and natural bottles from across Europe, and there's lots by the glass - they're even known to open bottles on request. You can buy wine to take home too, and there's a food menu if you want something simple to nibble on. Ruggine We escaped into Ruggine out of the pouring rain, and it felt like a warm oasis, the type of place where the bar staff know everyone's name and favourite drinks. They're known for their excellent cocktails, with nearly every addition made in house, and from a Bloody Mary with tomato and basil chutney, to their version of a Milano-Torino washed in hazelnut yoghurt, it's worth diverting for if you love a good cocktail. Bar Volare & Bar Senza Nome Another two bars that should be on your radar, Bar Volare is an old-fashioned homage to the Italian tradition of apertivo. It's another step back in time, with classic drinks served amongst all the style. Bar Senza Nome has been called Bologna's most unique bar. Owned and run by deaf people, they'll lip read your order, or you can try your hand at sign language with the help of pictures on the walls. There's a full selection of apertivo, beer and wine, and a simple food menu. Food shopping Did you check in a bag to bring home cheese? You're our kinda person. For an awe-inspiring Parmesan experience, make your way to Al Regno della Forma , where the walls are covered in wheels of the region's best. We recommend getting large chunks of the two year, three year and five year cheeses to bring home and compare (the most expensive is €3.20 per 100g - fill your boots). For a more wide-ranging selection stop don't miss a stop at Formaggeria Barbieri in Mercato delle Erbe, where charming owner Alberto (who took over from his father) will talk you through all types of Italian cheeses, from hard to soft, cow to sheep, flavoured and unflavoured. We didn't even plan to buy cheese here yet left with five. For charcuterie, Salumeria Simoni is a treasure trove of mortadella, salami, guanciale, coppa and everything else you can think of. In fact the whole street of Via Pescherie Vecchi is an epicurean dream, with every window selling handmade pasta, broth, brighly coloured vegetables and local cheeses. Salumeria Simoni, Tambourini Likewise Tambourini a few streets over has all of this plus cheeses, fresh pasta, antipasti and wine - be aware though that prices in the centre are higher than what the Italian Mamas pay a bit further out. The Parmesan here costs substantially more than in Al Regno della Forma , which is a seven minute walk from the central strip. One of the oldest shops in Bologna, Paolo Atti e Figli has stood in the same spot since 1886! They make bread, pasta, pastries, biscuits, and the most beautiful torta di risos (Italian rice cakes) in a variety of sizes. Take a single serve home for breakfast the next morning with a coffee - we guarantee it will be one of the most memorable bites of your stay. Stop at Fabbri on the main Via Rizzoli to stock up on their famous Amarena cherries in syrup, as well as candied strawberries and stem ginger. The sour cherries grow wild before being picked and candied, and every gelato shop in town has an option for vanilla topped with a spoonful of these. There's also cherry liqueur, syrups and spreads, and you can try a lot of it before you buy. Be warned though, those jars are heavy and will eat into your baggage allowance. For a lesson in balsamic vinegar without a trip to Modena, head for Giuseppe Giusti back on Via Pescherie Vecchie, who've been making the stuff since 1605. It's a vinegar lover's paradise, with different ages, flavours and uses for each type they make. Staff will let you try them all by spoon, and a drizzle over chunks of Parmesan once you get home will take you straight back to Bologna. We still regret not buying the one with truffle which they suggested drizzling over scrambled eggs, but we already had three in the bag. If this incredible city inspires you to start making your own pasta, be sure to stop at Anticipate Aguzzeria del Cavollo to stock up on tools that can be impossible to find elsewhere. From pasta cutters, rollers and stamps, to knives designed for getting paper-thin slices of parma ham, your kitchen will be all the richer (even if your bank account won't be). Anticipate Aguzzeria del Cavallo

We love a mini-break, a cheeky over-nighter, an escape from life for the weekend, but why does hotel food have to be notoriously pants! We find ourselves routinely searching for the best places to eat withing taxi distance of everywhere we stay, and on the rare occasions we do eat in the hotel we tend to regret it, BUT there are some hotels and guest houses around the country where food as much of a draw as the spa or the rooms, even if they're in the minority... The five-star ones with spas Fresh from their Michelin win last year, The Cashel Palace Hotel 's Bishop's Buttery restaurant is as much of a headline grabber as its five-star surroundings, with diners frequently taking Air BnB's nearby so they can go for dinner in Cashel without the overnight five-star price tag. Similarly two Michelin -starred Terre , in Castlemartyr Resort in Cork draws gastrotrippers from around the globe, and there are cottages on the grounds that work out much more affordable than the hotel's rooms, especially if you have a group. Top: Cashel Palace Hotel and The Bishop's Buttery. Bottom: Terre and Castlemartyr Resort In Galway, the Pullman restaurant at Glenlo Abbey has been reinvented by chef Angelo Vagiotis, who previously worked with Vincent Crepel at Terre , shooting the former Orient Express carriages high up the food lovers experience list. W hile in Kilkenny, chef John Kelly in the Lady Helen  restaurant in Mount Juliet , is a bit of a hospitality legend, with chefs from around the country frequently travelling to eat there, Top: The Lady Helen and Mount Juliet. Bottom: The Pullman restaurant at Glenlo Abbey In Kildare, Adam Nevin returned from working in some of London's best fine dining restaurants in summer 2023 to take up the head chef role at The Morrison Room in Carton House , and it's safe to say they're now firmly on the food map , hotel or no hotel attached. Down south at The Park Hotel  in Kenmare, Kerry, you can eat in the grand dining room that's home to Landline , their restaurant filled with Sean Scully paintings and the best of the local bounty, from chef James O'Sullivan (read the Irish Independent review here ). Top: Carton House and Head Chef Adam Nevin in The Morrison Room. Bottom: Landline at The Park Hotel, Kenmare Money no object? You'll be heading to Adare Manor  in Limerick to eat Mike Tweedy's signature tasting menu (€160) at The Oak Room , or to Ballyfin  in Laois, where former Michelin-starred chef Richard Picard-Edwards uses all the local produce and plenty from the estate's walled garden. Top: The Oak Room and Adare Manor. Bottom: Ballyfin and their restaurant The boutique hotels Head for Cork and you will be spoilt for choice when it comes to food-focused hotel stays. The Blue Haven Hotel is home to Rare , from Chef Meeran Manzoor, whose explorative, creative menu never seems to miss. Head west towards Clonakilty and you'll find Dunmore House , with its spectacular views and Michelin-recommended restaurant Adrift . Clockwise from top left: Rare at the Blue Haven Hotel; Adrift at Dunmore House Hotel; Ballyvolane House; the dessert trolley at Ballymaloe In the east of the county, Ballyvolane House (the birthplace of Bertha's Revenge gin ) has long been thought of as one of Ireland's best country house experiences, using ingredients from their walled garden and rearing their own rare breed pigs. Thirty minutes south you've got the iconic Ballymaloe House , with its 100 acre organic farm and internationally famous dessert trolley . If you're lucky you might spot Darina, Rachel or Rory in the flesh. In Connemara, Danni Barry , who won a Michelin star at Eipic in Belfast, took over as Executive Head Chef of The Owenmore  in Ballynahinch Castle  at the end of 2022, and is making better use of the local larder and produce from the walled garden than ever before. Neighbours   Renvyle House Hotel 's Rusheenduff restaurant , renouned for its local seafood, was named  " Best Hotel & Guesthouse Restaurant " in Connacht for 2023 at the Restaurant Association of Ireland awards. Top: Ballynahinch Castle and Executive Head Chef Danni Barry. Bottom: Rusheenduff Restaurant and Renvyle House Hotel Pockets not deep enough for Adare Manor? Limerick is also home to the less assuming Mustard Seed , a four-star country retreat with its own orchard, serving unpretentious, very lovely food in the evenings. At Gregan's Castle  in Clare, former Bastible chef Jonathan Farrell has brought new, excited eyes on the restaurant , showing everyone just how good hotel food can be . Top: The Mustard Seed dining room and food. Bottom: Gregan's Castle and their food In Brooklodge & Macreddin Village , Co. Wicklow, The Strawberry Tree  is Ireland's first fully-organic restaurant, and has a supplier's list to make any food lover's head spin, while just south in Wexford, Kelly's Resort  has long been a family favourite, but since the opening of The Sea Rooms , with chef Chris Fullam  in the kitchen and the freshest of ingredients served in front of sea views, it's now drawing all kinds of gastro tourists too. Clockwise from top left: The Strawberry Tree at Brooklodge; The Sea Rooms at Kelly's Resort; The Mill Restaurant and dining room at Cliff at Lyons And in Kildare, chef Sean Smith (formerly of The Cliff Townhouse) is filling the Aimsir-sized hole left at Cliff at Lyons , and doing a good job of it by all accounts - when we asked readers recently where they'd had really good hotel food The Mill  came up repeatedly. The restaurants with rooms A gauntlet must be run to get a booking in MacNean House , with the restaurant and rooms frequently booked out a year in advance. The general advice is "take the next available date, then try to forget about it. When it eventually comes around it'll be a happy surprise". MacNean House & Restaurant Relatively easier to get a table in is Kildare's Alumni Kitchen Table , who are clearly hoping Michelin will recognise their "immersive culinary experience", feeding a four hour tasting menu to just eight guests a night. Paul and Márie Flynn's The Tannery is still going strong, with cookery classes an optional add on if you pick your dates right, and in Donegal, former Forest & Marcy head chef Ciaran McSweeney has put the Olde Glen Bar on the gastronome map, with rooms available in Clara's Cots . Clockwise from top left: Alumni Kitchen Table; Ciaran Sweeny at The Olde Glen Bar; Cr ab crème brulée at The Tannery The very special guesthouses "Headland hideaway" Breac House is an eco-friendly, adults-only dream, with up to date luxury, Atlantic views, and a breakfast tray delivered to your room that you'll be thinking about months later. The converted bungalow opened in 2017 and has been featured in the New York Times and CN Traveller to name a few, and while they don't serve dinner year round, The Olde Glen Bar, Fisk and The Rusty Oven are within 30 minutes. Breac House At the other end of the country, Pax House in Dingle was named ‘ Ireland’s Best Small Stay ' in the Irish Independent's Reader Travel Awards 2024 . They don't serve dinner but guests say it's worth the trip for the breakfast alone - just look at this line up - and those stunning views. Back in the west, Connemara country house Currarevagh House have " food and feasting" an integral part of what they do (as well as a boathouse sauna), with chef Lucy Hodgson cooking every element of her nightly four-course menu from scratch, and this is not your average Irish country cooking . Clockwise from top left: Pax House; Curraveagh House; Ghan House; Blairscove House & Restaurant At Georgian country house Blairscove in West Cork, the starter seafood buffet is the big draw of their (currently €85) set dinner - you can only take one plate so pile it high, and in Carlingford, another Georgian property, Ghan House serves local lamb and beef that graze nearby, as well as making their own bread, stock, ice-cream and sauces. Enjoy homegrown veg, shellfish from the Lough, and views out the windows of the Mourne Mountains. Where did we miss? Let us know by emailing info@allthefood.ie

If there’s anything on earth more likely to inspire a weekend getaway than an Irish winter we can't name it - the endless energy-sapping trudge from dark mornings to grey afternoons has us in a permanent state of flight fantasy. Between cheap flights, a super-short haul and a guaranteed minimum five degrees in the difference, Lisbon is one of our top tips for reprieve at this time of year, and it helps that it’s bursting with great places to eat. Here’s some of our favourites for your next quick break, which you really ought to get booking... Breakfast & snacks   Alcoa Tucked amidst the warren of hilly shopping streets in Bairro Alta, patisserie Alcoa is stocked deep with a choice of decades-old winners from the annual Alcobaça International Exhibition – they take pastry very, very seriously here. Friendly staff will help you navigate the dizzying choice and find something to your taste, and the best-selling custard cornucopia and almond-intense coroa de abadessa were as good a start to the day as we could have imagined. Santo António The little scream we let out of us on spying a port croissant could have woken the dead – why aren’t these everywhere? Santo António is an unassuming spot set in one of the quieter corners of Alfama, the kind of place that even if you traipsed past it you might not think to pop in. Don’t make that mistake. Red ripples run through the dough just as the intense fruit flavour punctuates the sweetness - this is a great local take. A clotted cream doughnut was delicious too, and their picture-perfect pastéis are a textbook specimen. Pastéis de Belem For the  textbook specimen, though, you’ve got to traipse out to the western suburb Belém, where this tourist-thronged bakery stakes its claim on being the OG. They’re certainly top-tier, and so persistently popular you’re guaranteed to get one fresh from the oven, though branded sachets of icing sugar and cinnamon give it the feel of a franchise in the making. The Bifanas of Afonso Where pastéis have flooded the rest of the world, bifanas might be the most popular Portuguese food not often found elsewhere. These simmered pork sandwiches aren’t much to look at, but one bite of the stew-soaked soft bread, and tender, mustard-drenched meat makes appearances soon forgotten. This tiny cash-only, social media-free window hatch in central Baixa has built up enough of an IYKYK rep to sling them out by the dozen all day – plan an off-peak arrival if you don’t want to be queueing ‘round the corner. Lunch & dinner   Taberna Sal Grosso Extensive research is an absolute must for any sit-down meals in Alfama (you’re off to a good start here) with a plethora of hole-in-the-wall tascas, tabernas and cervejarias giving no real clues to discern which are the tourist traps and which the true treasures. Taberna Sal Grosso sits squarely in the latter camp and is the one entrant on this list we’d return to in the fastest fashion - this tightly-packed twenty-or-so seater has lived rent-free in our heads ever since we were in. Bacalhau à Brás is a Portuguese classic, matchstick-thin potato tossed with salt cod and onions and bound in egg – you will not find a better version than in here. Just as good were the cod tongues, dredged and deep-fried on a pea purée base and spooned over with salsa - this contrast of salty/crispy/creamy had us very close to calling for seconds. A garlic sauce-basted ray was every bit as simple and satisfying as the best treatments of this flatfish always are, while the traditional meringue-and-custard farofias dessert sent us stumbling out the door in ecstasy – no shortage of Algarve Alvarinho can only have helped there.   Andorinhas Belém isn’t the best part of the city to be when you’re famished, with the tourist hordes visiting its namesake tower and the Jerónimos Monastery making local eateries largely about turning a buck off the passing trade. Venture slightly off-course and you’ll find your way to Andorinhas , a little family-owned spot almost entirely frequented by Lisbon locals. Save time on skimming the sizeable menu and dive into the arroz de tamboril, a massive monkfish stew that shows off the best of Portuguese food’s peasant roots. It will take at least two to have any hope of finishing it. Griddled salmon steak and a veal and prawn dish swimming in glorious gravy are simplicity incarnate - for wholesome home cooking look no further. Tasca Baldracca Less likely to be dished up by a grandmother is the fare at Tasca Baldracca , a buzzy little nook offering on-trend twists on Portuguese petiscos, the local take on tapas. If there’s a mantra here it’s the “fine dining is dead xx” that graces their chalk-scrawled menu. They may hold for the atmosphere, but not for the food, plenty of which is fine as it comes. The blood sausage and apple plate wouldn’t look out of place in many Michelin-aspiring restaurants, with the flavours to boot. Tender squid rings take great heat and depth from the puddle of moqueca (Brazilian fish stew) they’re piled in, though like with the cod croquettes and crisps we wished they’d gone a little easier on the herbs – or just chopped them. Tartare is one thing you won’t want to miss, with a bold blast of flavour from anchovy mayo and the plumpest capers. Maçã Verde Fine dining really might be dead if Maçã Verde has anything to do with it. Another exceptional little family-run eatery, this is a place that doesn’t look like much at all but my oh my can appearances be deceiving. Forget booking a cheap flight, we’d charter a whole plane if we had to for another taste of their grilled cuttlefish, with generous chunks of sweet meat stirred through parboiled potatoes and onions, all lifted to the heavens with an olive oil and vinegar dressing we’re not ashamed to say we mopped up with a finger. The cinnamon-rich rice pudding is a traditional treat to finish on, and a great counter to the intense acidity of the cuttlefish we still felt flaring through our nostrils. If we’d had another few days to explore we would have gone back again and again. The ones that got away...   Prado   – just about every chef we trust in Dublin has raved about this Michelin-listed bistro, and we’re gutted we couldn’t make the times work Cervejaria Ramiro  – the gambas aguillo and spider crab are the stuff of legend, and allegedly well worth the lengthy wait that kept us from making it in Tapisco Lisboa  - a Michelin-starred chef’s more casual sister outlet that shows a lot of Spanish influence. We’ve heard a lot about their take on bacalhau à Brás Casa da India  – another unassuming tasca with an IYKYK rep – we’ve had a few hot tips about the tripe here Taberna da Rua das Flores  – fried sardines and mini-mackerel are just some of the seafood treats we really wish we’d managed to make it to in this one

Was Glasgow on our must visit list before Michelin decided to hold the 2025 award ceremony there? No it was not, but we knew they must have had their reasons, so all the research began. What we found was a hopping food and drink scene, well priced, with the nicest staff and the warmest welcomes literally everywhere. After endless hours of research, and then putting that research to the test, here's where we think should be on your Glasgow hit list... The Michelin-starred ones Unalome Unalome and its Chef-Patron Graeme Cheevers won their star just eight months after opening, and while it's the third Michelin-starred kitchen he's run, it's the first time winning it for his restaurant, in his home town. The evening tasting menu costs £135, but the three course lunch feels like a steal at £55, complete with canapés, bread and petit fours to finish. The food, inspired by Japanese cuisine and French technique, is above all else groan-eliciting, with the bold wine pairings another reason to visit. The room is soft and unstuffy, and staff are full of interesting tidbits about what you're consuming - don't miss the spectacle of a cheese trolley, complete with creamy Scottish cow's milk cheese "Minger", named after the cheesemaker's wife (there's another called "Fat Cow" named after his mother-in-law). Cail Bruich Executive Chef Lorna McNee took up her first head chef role at Cail Bruich (which means "to eat well") in summer 2020, and was awarded a Michelin star just over five months later. Her focus is on elegant plates highlighting Scotland’s seasonal ingredients, and the restaurant has its own kitchen garden. This is contemporary Michelin-starred dining, with star ingredients like West Coast brown crab, Isle of Skye langoustines, and Creedy Carver duck. The brilliant casual ones Margo You know when you're lucky enough to experience a restaurant at its zenith, when it's fully firing, when you think how can they possibly top this? That's Margo right now. Only open since October, Michelin awarded them a Bib Gourmand at last week's ceremony, and the UK and Ireland's top chefs were scrambling to get a table while they were in town. This seven days a week, lunch and dinner operation, works on volume, with the team saying they can do up to 500 covers a day, and with food like this, there's no wondering why Glaswegians are queueing up. The beef tartare with grilled onions and crispy potato; the chipsticks and taramasalata; the half Creedy Carver duck with liver parfait and marmalade - and we haven't mentioned the very fair wine prices and very lovely staff who seem delighted to be a part of it. It would not be over the top to hop on a cheap flight to Glasgow just to eat there. Crabshakk Go to newly refurbished Crabshakk for a celebration of Scottish seafood. You'll always find the classics like baked crab (with peppery garam masala running through it), Langoustines the size of your forearm with garlic butter, and deep bowls of mussels, but specials could throw up anything from whole mackerel in a honey chilli crisp, to red mullet in a herby green goddess dressing. Sit at the bar for a piece of the action or upstairs for some respite from the grey Glasgow weather. Gloriosa Mediterranean small plates and indie wines are the vibe at Gloriosa , where chef/owner Rosie Healey and team are known for restraint, simplicity, and never over complicating a beautiful thing. Try the sweet and sour roast pumpkin agrodolce, homemade pasta with chicken liver ragu, or a rich roast pork tonnato, all paired with classic cocktails and small production wines. The high-ceilinged, minimalist room is softened by floor to ceiling blue velvet curtains and candlelight, and whether you want a quick snack or a multi-course feast, Gloriosa delivers. Ga Ga Malaysia-inspired diner Ga Ga is a subway ride from the centre of town, but deep-fried prawn bao, Malaysian-style curries, and Sichuan-fried chicken will make it worth the trip. Pair will stellar cocktails from an Asian-inspired list, and relax in the bamboo and plant-filled space. Not ordering the crispy potatoes with curry leaf mayo would be a Scottish sin. Breakfast/Brunch/Lunch Tantrum Doughnuts This independent doughnut shop has a constantly changing roster of flavours in their three locations - those on the quest to avoid glucose spikes should probably look away. With flavours from crème brûlée to blueberry pretzel cheesecake to maple apple old fashioned, there's always a new reason to stop at Tantrum Doughnuts , and even Phil Rosenthal has heard of them - look out for them in the next season of Somebody Feed Phil on Netflix. Outlier We didn't have time to get to Outlier but an ATF Insider told us they had the best sausage roll of their life there, and that's good enough for us! The most beautiful pastries, cakes, breakfast and brunch dishes, with housemade syrups for coffee and doughnut days, Outlier is known as one of Glasgow's best for good reason. Sub 126 Another one we didn't get to, but the team at D'Olier Street did and said it was "unreal!!!!" Italian-American sandwich shop Sub 126 opened last year and immediately gained a loyal following for their icon-level subs, with fillings like short-rib, porchetta and salsa verde, and the classic meatball marinara. Sandwiches are priced from £6.50 - £8 so this goes in the bargain section. Piece You know what to do when you see a queue right? You join it. When we saw the one snaking through Piece and down the street at 12:30pm we were already on our way to Margo, otherwise we would have turned around and joined the crowd. Turns out this is Glasgow's fiercely independent sandwich shop, there since 2008, now with four locations. Combos like hot salt beef with gherkins and garlic mayo, and the vegan "Nottolenghi" with hummus, roasted cauliflower, pickled onions, chillies, and green sauce are what cause the daily frenzy, as are prices starting at £5.75. Cocktails Underneath Margo you'll find their even cooler, more casual sibling Sebb's , known for food cooked over fire and some of the most masterful cocktails to be found in Glasgow. You can come for food or drinks, and it's got diner vibes, with five-star smells. Try the chip shop martini with house pickle, or the miso and malt old fashioned, and sink happily into those leather seats. Up for an unknown adventure? Book a table at The Absent Ear , whose location is only revealed after you book. This award-winning cocktail bar is inspired by Vincent Van Gogh - his artistic legacy and his madness. Another must visit for cocktail tourists is the Devil of Brooklyn , with its grand bar the setting for cocktails like 'The Gorgon' with coriander and chilli tequila, or 'Hermes' with mint-washed Macallan double cask 12 year and house acid. Left to right: The Absent Ear, Devil of Brooklyn Over in Glasgow's West End, dive bar-inspired Westside Tavern serves 'taptails', "compounded and carbonated in house", as well as a 'New York Icons' menu, while Kelvingrove Café has become a hospitality hang out for brunch, lunch, cocktails and dinner, thanks to their 10:00 - 01:00 opening hours seven days a week. Clockwise from top left: Westside Tavern, Rascal, Kelvingrove Café On the other side of Kelvingrove Park, Rascal peg themselves as a neighbourhood cocktail bar serving specialty spirits, but their innovative creations have made this one of the most in demand places to drink in the city, whether they're in your neighbourhood or not. Wine While Glasgow is very much in it's cocktail era, the same cannot be said for wine. Ask anyone where there's a good wine bar and the same two names come up each time - Sylvan , a vegetarian restaurant specialising in natural wine which also has a bar and shop, and Malo Wine and Negroni Bar , which we tried to get into but it was shut despite Google telling us it would be open. Left to right: Sylvan; Malo Wine & Negroni Bar Coffee Coffee will not be the same issue as wine, with every corner seeming to sport a specialty coffee shop. We loved the minimalist, narrow room home to Level 11 , with their bubbly staff and iced cherry vanilla almond milk chai. Absolute Roasters was a reader tip which provided us with a couple of very fine flat whites for a walk to the West End, and another reader told us they had the best coffee of their life in Godshot Studio to the south of the centre. How's that for a testimonial? Clockwise from top left: Absolute Roasters; Godshot Studio; Level 11 Cheese If you're the kind of person who can't visit any country that produces their own cheese without bringing a sackful home (*waves*), you'll have to take a decent walk or hop on public transport to find Glasgow's finest. George Mewes Cheese has all the award-winning Mingers, Bonnets and Isle of Mull cheddars you could want, as do I.J. Mellis Cheesemonger in Hillhead, and Starter Culture down in Shawlands. Clockwise from top left: Minger at George Mewes Cheese; Cheese plate at I.J. Mellis; Gifts at Starter Culture The ones that got away... The Gannet - Modern Scottish fine dining that sounds like it could be bringing home Glasgow's next star Celentano's  - Ex-Robin Gill chef Dean Parker's first solo opening is intimate and all kinds of Italian-ish Fallachan Kitchen - A communal table in front of an open kitchen under a railway Brett - From the same owners as Cail Bruich. Simple dishes cooked on open grills showcasing everything Scotland has to offer the world of food Eighty Eight - Small plates and Mediterranean vibes at great prices Ka Pao - Electric South East Asian cooking from the same owners as Margo Clockwise from top left: The Gannet; Celentano's; Fallachan Kitchen; Eighty Eight; Ka Pao

Anyone who found our recent guide  to enjoying the city centre al fresco too-skewed to the south of the Liffey (don’t shoot the messenger!) will be glad to know things get a lot better balanced the further out you venture. Free(r) of space limitations and the infamous lack of green around the north inner city, options get a whole lot better towards and beyond the Royal Canal. Lest the leafy southsiders start to chafe, fret not – there’s still plenty out your way. Here’s our pick of the best outdoor suburban setups to snag this summer... Dublin 8 Notions @ Two Pups, Francis Street Two Pups are riding high with their latest wine bar endeavour Notions , which opened to raves all round for food, natural wine, and particularly lovely service. Those outside seats are the place to be on a sunny summer's eve, and you can request them when you book. Read our once over here . Alma, Portobello The seats outside Alma are some of the loveliest in Portobello, and an iced dulce de leche latté in the sunshine while you wait for brunch is as perfect a morning as we can imagine. Check for tables here . Gaillot et Gray, Clanbrassil Street French pizzeria and natural wine hangout Gaillot et Gray  is open for lunch (mainly sandwiches on their own bread) and dinner (pizza) on their terrace out the back. You can book by calling them or they take walk-ins if they have space. Lucky's, Meath Street Liberties hotspot   Lucky's  has a few little tables out front on Meath Street as well as their always in-demand courtyard with delicious pizza from Coke Lane . They're open seven days a week and you can make a booking enquiry through their website . Daddy's, Rialto Walk-in only breakfast and brunch café Daddy’s has a recently renovated seating area outdoors that’s absolutely thronged whenever the weather’s good – small wonder with their ever-delicious choice of seasonal soups, sandwiches and salads. Chilangos, Rialto The Bridge Café’s retractable-roofed terrace plays host to Chilangos each night from Wednesday to Saturday and faces the evening sun – there’s little better to enjoy it with than the spicy, tangy hit of a michelada (read our two minute review here ). Their mix-and-match menu of Mexican classics makes for great group sharing fare, and you can book online here . . Tacos Lupillo, Inchicore Things have thankfully calmed down at Tacos Lupillo  since we first visited last year , so you have all the more hope of grabbing a space, especially since neighbouring boozer Cleary’s packed it in a few months back and ceded extra space along the roadside. It's not the most scenic setting, but the food's a sensation and the suntrap factor is strong in the evening, which is good enough for us. Rascal's Brewing, Inchicore Rascal's  pizzeria and tap room has become an Inchicore institution since opening in 2014, and their bustling outdoor space has grown into a really atmospheric evening spot with a great selection of old favourites and seasonal specials on both the food and drink menus. Look for tables here . Dublin 4 InterContinental Dublin, Ballsbridge Malfy gin are sponsoring the InterContinental Dublin 's Garden Terrace this summer, with bookings now open from June to August. The Amalfi coast-inspired menu is as seafood-stuffed as you’d expect with fritto misto and lobster spaghetti high on our hit list. Book here . Asador, Ballsbridge Asador 's impressive (covered and heated) terrace is available to book for à la carte or set lunch and dinner options from Tuesday to Saturday. Their signature steaks over a wood-fired grill are a great shout for a barbecue hit without getting your hands dirty. Look for a table here . Smithfield/Stoneybatter Korean Table, Stoneybatter Korean Table  have created a lovely little spot in Stoneybatter to enjoy kimchi and bibimbap in the sun with hanging lights and plenty of greenery. They’re open Tuesday to Sunday and are walk-in only but it’s never too long a wait to get seated. Slice, Stoneybatter Slice 's brunch and lunch menus put so many other daytime cafés to shame, with their Hicks pudding and miso mushrooms, buttermilk pancakes with feuilletine crispy bits, and a brunch cocktail menu you'll need to study before getting there to have any prayer of making a decision. Their outdoor seating now has a handy cover just in case , and they’ve thankfully started taking booking by phone and email . Nutbutter, Smithfield Nutbutter 's tacos, tostadas, rice bowls and pho are sunshine in food form, and with any luck you'll be able to enjoy them in the actual sunshine, on one of their walk-in only outdoor tables on Smithfield Square. Oxmantown, Smithfield Oxmantown on Smithfield Square have a nice little fenced-off and covered area to enjoy a seriously good sandwich in the sun free from passing traffic. They open breakfast and lunch hours from Monday to Saturday and also stock pastries from sister bakery Elliot’s – go on, you deserve it. South Dublin Le Petit Renard, Kimmage Kimmage wine bar Le Petit Renard  have added a little oven since we swung by last summer - the food then was reason enough to revisit, the thought of a lardon pithivier or baked camembert on the terrace is all the more so now. They take booking via Insta  DM. Nightmarket, Ranelagh The D6 destination for authentic Thai food, Nightmarket has a fully-heated side terrace "tunnel" open for outdoor dining, so you can stay on to sample the cocktail menu long after the sun sets. You won't be feeling the rays on your skin, but with any luck the air will be warm. Book online . Shaku Maku, Ranelagh Shaku Maku ’s covered and heated courtyard space to the rear has ample sunlight and exposed brick for an open but intimate al fresco experience. Stuffing yourself with their seven spice chicken rolls in full glare of the sun is about as good as it gets. Lottie's, Rathmines Lottie’s have not one but two terraces, both covered but exposed to the air and brimming with greenery to bring a real sense of the outdoors to your evening – ample blankets are on hand in case it gets too cold. They’re open Wednesday through Sunday and they’ll take outdoor bookings online . Volpe Nera, Blackrock Volpe Nera  have only a small number of tables available on their covered, sheltered terrace so an advance booking is recommended. Their €38 three course Wednesday and Thursday neighbourhood menu is the talk of the town lately. Book here . Mermaid, Monkstown Bresson rebranded their lovely outdoor courtyard as Mermaid  last year, serving dinner from Tuesday to Sunday and brunch from Thursday to Sunday too. Their menu has gotten a bit more interesting since the catch-all opening fare with confit duck leg cacciatore and yellowfun tuna tostadas very much our jam, and the space can be fully covered if it comes to it. Book online . The Purty Kitchen, Dún Laoghaire With 45 seats and a retractable roof, The Courtyard at Dún Laoghaire's Purty Kitchen  is an ideal space for fine weather dining with a weather-proof backup plan. It's open Wednesday and Thursday evenings and all day Friday - Sunday with a menu full of gastro-pub classics, and they’re kicking off the summer in style with a popup oyster bar for the June bank holiday weekend. Book online here . Oliveto, Dun Laoghaire There might not be a better spot to enjoy a perfectly clear day than Oliveto 's garden terrace perch in Dun Laoghaire, serving equally beautiful-looking food. They've got plenty of parasols to escape the intensity of that heatwave sun, if it ever comes, and some of the dishes wouldn't be out of place on the Italian Riviera. Read our once over here , and book here . Soup, Dun Laoghaire Soup  in Dun Laoghaire, with their special ramen, deep-fried kimchi and super cute cocktails have outdoor dining space as well as a deal with neighbouring bar Lockie's to take the food into their beer garden. Walk in or book on their website . Riba, Stillorgan Riba 's outdoor, covered and heated terrace is open for dinner Wednesdays through Mondays as well as weekend lunch, with a 2 for €30 early bird special running up to 18:30 every day. The menu is Italian-influenced with loads of local and Irish produce. Bookings can be made online here . Grapevine, Dalkey Grapevine in Dalkey are open for outdoor dining and wine-ing from Tuesday - Sunday for lunch and dinner. They've got a very fair value early bird menu   and shelves packed with wine. Book here . Bubbas Fish Market, Dalkey Bubbas Fish Market on Dalkey Square have gone all-in on an upgrade to their patio seating area, and it looks like a new highlight for seafood lovers south of the county. They've got both covered and uncovered sections, as well plenty of heaters for when it gets chilly. North Dublin Mamó, Howth Mamó 's miniature terrace out front is another pristine spot to savour sun and sea in the company of great food. Their focus on seafood fresh-off-the-boat and ingredients from around North Dublin makes this one of the most memorable al fresco experiences in the city, and we've never had a dud dish, wine or service experience there. A bar and terrace menu coming in July will allow you to make the most of the space. King Sitric, Howth Howth institution King Sitric  has some of the best seats in the city for the right kind of summer's day, especially after an afternoon's walk on the hill working up an appetite for their seafood selection. They're very child and dog-friendly too. Book online . The Washerwoman, Glasnevin The little front and back terraces in Glasnevin’s The Washerwoman are great brunch spots if you can get them – luckily they’ll take outdoor bookings online . The menus mix a lot of favourites from city centre sister restaurants The Winding Stair and Woollen Mills with a few house specials, and they’ve got a great tipples menu if you want to make a day of it. Little Washer, Glasnevin Another sister just a few doors down is Little Washer , with a scattering of front terrace tables to enjoy their menus of wine, pizza and small plates. They can’t be booked specifically online but if you give them a call or just try your hand on arrival they’ll see what they can do. Mosaic, Glasnevin Now rebranded from the H2G Wines name they bore on opening, Mosaic have filled a wine-bar shaped hole in this part of the North city; we dropped by last May  and had the kind of evening we still get a glint in the eye about. Their small plates and platters are perfect with the ever-changing BTG list. Brut Wine Bar, Drumcondra Brut wine bar , from Nelly's in Drumcondra, serves seasonal small plates and a changing list of natural wines every Friday and Saturday until 10pm. The view of the Drumcondra road from the outside tables isn't exactly picturesque, but we'll take what we can get when it comes to sitting in the sun. Shouk, Drumcondra Shouk ’s vast outdoor space has plenty of shade and rain cover for whatever the weather might throw at us. There’s not much more we’d rather do in this part of town of a summer afternoon than crack into their sharing Middle East Feast with a few friends. Old Street, Malahide Neighbourhood restaurant   Old Street  in Malahide have a covered and cushioned outdoor area open from Tuesday through Sunday, but the best night to visit is Wednesday when their entire wine list is 50% off . No, not a typo. Book online here . Honey Honey, Portmarnock Expect a fight for the limited outdoor seats outside Honey Honey  in Portmarnock, but if you can get them you'll feel like you've won the jackpot. The simple menu is always done just right, the coffee is faultless, and if all else fails you can take it to go and head for the beach. Want to eat outdoors in Dublin city centre? Check out our guide here .

The same Dublin restaurants will break your heart again and again if you're trying to eat there without the kind of notice you'd usually give people attending a wedding, so we thought it was time to do a bit of digging and find out the best tips and insider tricks for getting tables in Lena, Grano, Host and the rest that are eternally booked out. We've researched, begged and pleaded for the Insider info, and here's your best shot at getting the table you want... Lena, Portobello Even before it opened in February, neighbourhood Italian Lena was already one of the most booked up restaurants in Dublin - coming from the same teams as Uno Mas and Etto , expectations were as high as they come. You'll only find bookings online for sporadic 5pm or 9pm tables, or the odd weekend lunch opening, but there's also a table that seats 6 - 8 that's slower to book up so if you can assemble a crowd you might have more luck . If planning ahead, bookings open 60 days in advance, day by day, so pick your future date and set your calendar alarm. They also have two private dining rooms  upstairs for 8-12 and 20-24 people, and you've got a good chance of bagging one outside of the Friday/Saturday scramble. Desperate for a last minute table? E mail or call them in the 24 hours before - they send confirmation emails 28 hours before a booking which often reminds people to cancel - and please note that they're more likely to offer a table to someone who's been nice :)  (c) instagram.com/mrs.takemeout Host, Ranelagh

With the early onset of summer this year showing (whisper it) no signs of abating for anything more than a day or two at a time, we’re all eyeing up the best outdoor tables around town for quick casual bites in the evening or longer lunches al fresco. But where are the really good suntraps, and more to the point - which of them have the best food? Here’s your one-stop guide for where eat outdoors in the city centre this summer, and check back soon for our guide to the suburbs... WINE BARS & SMALL PLATES Cellar 22, Stephen's Green The basement-level terrace out front in Cellar 22  might not be the biggest suntrap in the city, but it's a covered and heated cosy space to chill out with a good glass of wine, while enjoying the fresh air wafting across from St Stephen's Green. They recently rolled out a new cocktail menu, and their small plates and charcuterie selection are made for lazy summer evenings. Book here . Row Wines, Coppinger Row The small selection of seating available outside  Row Wines  is always in hot demand when the sun shows up, and that’s only kicked up a gear with their   midweek lunchtime flatbreads and Sunday taco specials. Get to this one early. Two Faced, Montague Street   Café by day, wine bar by night, Two Faced  isn’t blessed with the best street space in the city, but its few little outdoor tables offer a welcome oasis from the chaos of Camden Street if you can manage to snatch them in time for the early evening rays. A chilled red and a snack of conservas is the ideal start to the night in our book. The Terrace At The Shelbourne The Shelbourne 's upstairs terrace is back open for a wine, oysters, and platter affair, and while they're lacking the usual headline Champagne sponsor, they have partnered with WineLab to offer wine on tap, as well as Champagne by the glass and bottle. Book online  for Wednesday to Sunday slots. Loose Canon, Drury Street Loose Canon  is perfectly sited to lap up the best of the midday sunshine and take in the buzz of Dublin on a summer’s day, so it’s no surprise their walk-in only outdoor tables are always in hot demand. They’re worth waiting for, with a cold glass in hand of course. Piglet, Cow's Lane Piglet 's outdoor terrace catches the sun perfectly right around lunch, and they make the most of it with two and three course set menus, and the same for early bird dinner, all washed down with an excellent selection of wine. Book online . QUICK STOP Doom Slice, Dame Lane   Dublin’s first Detroit-style pizza joint doesn’t need the sun to attract a crowd, but it sure helps . Doom Slice ’ s window hatch onto Dame Lane makes it an irresistible impulse buy whether you’re lucky enough to snag one of the few tables out there or not – the standing room they’ve recently added is a very nice touch. Mani, Drury Street As if Drury Street wasn't thronged enough in the sunshine months, Mani has taken things to a higher gear again since their first summer on the street last year. The high turnover on their outdoor space should mean you won't have to wait too long to enjoy a slice, but you'll want to move quick when you see someone picking up their bag. Nomo Ramen, Charlotte’s Way A big bowl of ramen isn’t our first instinct on a summer’s day, but Nomo  have been introducing plenty of lighter bites like their pork bao and shitake chashu korokke that we’d happily snack on from their seated area out front. Walk-ins only. Tang, Cumberland Place Sustainable, climate-conscious café Tang  has a suntrap of a garden area that's one of our favourite city spots for a quick coffee and food to make you feel good. They’re open from 08:00 weekdays and from 10:00 on Saturday for brunch, with walk-ins only. They've also got a Thursday and Friday dinner option you can book online . As One, City Quay Health food focused As One  have sunshine filled seating for breakfast, brunch and lunch on the quays. Book a table for some gut-friendly food on their website . The Commons at MoLI, Stephen’s Green Opening out into the Iveagh Gardens, the open area to the rear of the Museum of Literature now plays host to The Commons ’ garden terrace, a beautifully secluded spot to enjoy their all-day breakfast menu and range of toasties. They’re walk-in only, and what a walk. Aobaba, Capel Street   Capel Street's primo Vietnamese Aobaba has some simple tables outside that usually have a cover, but when the weather's good it gets whipped off. Order a bowl of bun cha or a crisp y bánh xèo pancake, and enjoy the sun on your arms and some prime people watching. Fairmental, Grand Canal Street Upper D4’s fermentation lab and deli Fairmental is making very smart use of the space out front with some cosy tables set out to enjoy your rice bowls and kombucha from. It’s open for weekday breakfast and lunch and Saturday brunch, and it’s walk-in only. One Society, Gardiner Street Blocked off from the busy streets with planters, One Society ’s sizeable covered outdoor section is a great choice for a weekend brunch or pizza and pasta on a sunny evenings. Walk-ins only. Brother Hubbard, Capel Street and Harrington Street Brother Hubbard  have lovely terraces at both their Capel Street and Harrington Street locations, with tons of seating to handle the high demand they always attract. Brother Hubbard North is taking reservations here , but Brother Hubbard South remains walk-in only. SETTLE IN The Rooftop Bar at Anantara The Marker   Is there anyone in the city as smug as the ones who bagged a table at The Marker's rooftop bar and terrace when the sun comes out? With a 360° wraparound view over the city, a cocktail menu focused on exotic ingredients, and a new menu of Asian-inspired small plates like sashimi tuna with watermelon and Dublin Bay prawn wontons, this is the place to be from Wednesday - Sunday, and seven days a week from June onwards. Jean-Georges at the Leinster, Mount Street Lower   We tipped the covered and heated terrace at the Leinster hotel’s Jean-Georges as one of the city’s top summer spots when we were in  just before it opened last spring, and Insta evidence aplenty has proved us right since. Enjoying a lamb rack with a view out over the mountains whence it came? Don’t mind if we do. Coppinger, Coppinger Row   You’re best off calling if you want to bag one of the few outdoor tables at Coppinger , sandwiched right in the midst of Drury and South William Streets, always the most mobbed part of the city once the clouds part. Their midweek set lunch   on a sunny day is one of the best value ways to treat yourself out there. Library Street, Setanta Place "Everything is made to be shared" says the sign over Library Street 's door, and that goes for the sunshine too. Their scattering of outdoor tables are back and available for wine and small plates. Sure to be a very hot seat of a summer evening, you'll have to rock up and try your chances. The Summer Terrace @ The Merrion   The Merrion 's five-star summer terrace is back open for the next few months, serving lobster rolls (€29.50) with €20 Champagne add-ons (Henriot, one of our favs). There's a new caviar menu for those who are out to drop some serious cash, and plenty of crowd pleasers like Caesar salad and fish and chips. It's open daily fom 12:30 on weekdays and 13:00 at weekends. Book online or by emailing dining@merrionhotel.com . Caribou, Stephen Street   With walk-ins only for their weekday and weekend lunch menus, Caribou ’s outdoor benches aren’t ever something we’d set our hearts on – bagging these ones doesn’t come easy. If you do, though, the top-notch food and creative cocktails in a vibey corner of the city might see to it that you never leave. F.X. Buckley, Pembroke Street F.X. Buckley  are making the most of their Pembroke Street premises with not one but two outdoor areas, including a gorgeous two-storey section that opens out onto the front. It's conveniently close to Merrion Square Park and St Stephen's Green, for the walk you'll be needing after this feed. We recommend calling 016764606 or emailing pembroke@fxbuckley.ie  to nab the good seats. Davy Byrne's, Duke Street The Ulysses destination pub's linen-laid tables on the terrace are always popular with Grafton Street shoppers when the sun is shining. Book online here  to beat the crowd and get your fill of gorgonzola sandwiches and bottles of Burgundy. Big Fan, Aungier Street Big Fan 's outdoor dining area on Aungier Street stays popular all year, with the heated patio full throughout the winter, but there's no doubt it's at its best when the sun shines. Get in for a feast of bao, jiaozi and lots of other outrageously delicious plates by booking here . The Seafood Café, Temple Bar The little sheltered seating area outside The Seafood Café  is the ideal place to tuck into the best Irish seafood while watching the world go by – our top tip is to swing by on a weekday and tuck into their table d'hôte menu , which we thought was stellar value, particularly with an additional ATF Insiders discount . Book here . Hang Dai, Camden Street The covered, heated terrace of Hang Dai 's rooftop 'Gold Bar' offers a great view out over the Camden Street action, as well as a buzzy area to enjoy some of their unique cocktails and Chinese dishes. They’ve also made more of their street seating in recent years, and it’s unsurprisingly popular. Osteria Lucio, Grand Canal Quay With a small number of high-stool and barrel setups, as well as some covered low tables, Osteria Lucio  is one worth booking ahead for. Ross Lewis’ Italian bistro is constantly popular with those off to a show or match nearby, so you'll want to book online . Charlotte Quay, Grand Canal Dock Charlotte Quay  has ample outdoor space overlooking Grand Canal Dock that gets the sun all evening. The lunch and dinner menus have plenty of smaller sharing plates so be sure to bring a crowd. Bookings available online . Chez Max, Palace Street Palace Street feels distinctly classier with the Parisian chic vibes Chez Max brings in summer. They gave their courtyard terrase  a major makeover a few years back and it's still a lovely spot to sit back and forget you're in Dublin. Book here . Urban Brewing, Custom House Quay Urban Brewing  offers an ideal summer setup with tonnes of outdoor seating outside the CHQ building. They’ve gone back to basics after a brunch tapas menu last year didn’t quite work out, but their beer tasting trays and Irish mythology-inspired cocktail menu offer something a little bit different. Book here . Drury Buildings, Drury Street T he gorgeous garden courtyard in Drury Buildings  is serving food and summer cocktails seven days a week, and the balcony tables overlooking the garden will be the ones to nab if you're very, very lucky. Look for a table here . Las Tapas De Lola, Wexford Street An outdoor table at Las Tapas de Lola  is always a tall order so plan this one as far in advance as you can. Last minute cancellations may also be your friend here - call 014244100 or email book@lastapasdelola.com for enquiries. 777, George's Street 777   went all-out a few years back converting a car park into their "777 afuera" (meaning 'outside'), complete with a margarita-serving airstream and a special outdoor menu. You can only book for tables of six plus here , otherwise it's walk in only. L'Gueuleton, Fade Street Fade Street French bistro   L'Gueuleton have considerable outside space, mostly covered, and it's prime real estate for people watching, small plate eating and Champagne drinking. Book through their website . Fade Street Social, Fade Street Fade Street Social  is open outside with a wood-fired menu seven days a week. There's a solid vegetarian selection as well as the expected meat options, so plenty of variety to satisfy a mixed after work crowd. Book a table here . The Woollen Mills, Ormond Quay The Woollen Mills  has a spacious first-floor roof terrace overlooking the Ha'penny Bridge and Liffey Street. They're open for lunch and dinner seven days a week as well as weekend brunch. Book on their website . Saba's Secret Garden, Baggot Street Saba 's secret garden out the back of their Baggot Street location has canopies and heaters, holiday style lighting and art by Subset. It's open seven days a week serving food all day, including black pepper squid, Thai beef salad and Pad Thai. There's also a pretty extensive cocktail menu. Look for a table here . Glas, Chatham Street Vegetarian and vegan focused Glas have a very Parisian (and appropriately green) vibe going on outside their Chatham Street restaurant. The planters make for solid insurance against the ever-unpredictable Irish weather. Book online here . Suesey Street Suesey Street 's terrace is one of the best in the city and has a retractable roof to deal with whatever the elements happen to throw at you. They're open for lunch and dinner every day but Sunday, serving up Irish cuisine with a focus on local ingredients. Book on their website . Did we miss your favourite spot for outdoor dining in Dublin city centre? Let us know by emailing info@allthefood.ie .

What should we know about The Sackville Lounge? You might have been resident under a rock if you don’t know already. The second site from the team who gave us Bar 1661  back in 2019 opened to much fanfare and no small ambition last month, sprucing up an old boozer off O’Connell Street with a black-panelled promise to bring a little glamour back to the much-maligned North city centre. What should we have? After slipping in at opening time (it's walk-ins only) we made straight for the Irish Coffee - a Tullamore Dew twist on 1661’s iconic Belfast Coffee and, to our whiskey-loving lips, a step up on it thanks to the added notes of soda bread and Kerrygold. There’s the faint hint of a hot buttered rum to this warm serve sipped through the layer of cream on top – we may have started with it, but here’s the best new digestif in town. Versus its established elder sibling, The Sackville Lounge skews more classical in style, with a menu that might be mistaken for many others about town - perhaps the better to tempt in the city centre crowds that began to fill up around us. The devil’s in the detail though, and he’s in the spicy margarita too – there’s heat here to show those pale imitations how its done. There’s also great complexity, courtesy of Bán Poitín and Empirical Cilantro - as a comparison point to showcase the standard of the place, you won't do better. We reckon they can do better than cheap napkins for coasters though - at the tenth time of peeling a soaked serviette from our glass we were close to a wail. This is a bar to reinforce your preferences - Campari fans will love the bitter blast of the Kingston Negroni, toned down with spiced vermouth and Caribbean rum, while those who take their cocktails sweetly sharp will sing the praises of the Strawberry Swizzle’s white chocolate and aged rum richness. Those who think whiskey is the start and end of it all will feel right at home here, between the bar-flanking cabinets of owner Dave Mulligan’s personal picks and the duelling sweetness and salinity of an excellent Old Fashioned, courtesy of rye and a lively cheddar bitters. Only the Black Manhattan we found a little lacking, with the unusual notes of a peated Irish whiskey more bigged up than balanced out by toasted rice syrup. Why should I go? In a delicious custard-washed take on the Sazerac, by many accounts the original cocktail, we saw the essence of The Sackville Lounge ’s potential – an audaciously elemental return to roots that doesn’t so much rip up the recipe as bring in a new lease of life to let us see things anew. The destination vibes Bar 1661 brought to an ignored corner of D7 are in dire need in this part of town, and it’s nice to see a business putting its money where, too often, moaning mouths abound. If you build it, they will come. If you quit complaining and invest in the city instead of doing it down, they might even keep coming back. The Sackville Lounge 16 Sackville Place, Dublin 1 instagram.com/thesackvillelounge

BBQ scallops with crunchy chicken skin; beef tonnato with added ooomph; and iced horchata for the summer drink of 2025. Here's what we're eyeing up in Dublin this week... 1) Strawberry & white chocolate eclairs, French Revolution There were too many strawberries around town this week to include them all in our round up of the best seasonal dishes on menus right now , but luckily we have another place to highlight them here. French Revolution 's newest flavour to the menu is this white chocolate and stawberry eclair, and if you haven't made the trip to Dun Laoghaire yet, here's a good reason to do so. They say they're coming very soon - we hope that means tomorrow. 2) Chocolate horchata, Picado Mexican Iced coffee is so last year. 2025 is all about iced chocolate. Picado 's new Horchata sees Proper Chocolate's Mexican drinking chocolate merged with rice, Mexican cinnamon, milk, and Picado's own vanilla essence that's been aged for nine years(!), and this looks like the cool, sweet pick-me-up of the summer. Find it at both of their locations in Portobello and Dublin 8. 3) Beef tonnato, Woodruff Woodruff are never not giving the people of Dublin good reason to get out to Stepaside, and this dry aged beef tonnato is just the latest. Usually made with veal, this one's going strong on flavour with only the best from Higgins Butchers , topping the tuna and anchovy sauce with crispy capers, fermented garlic scapes and sourdough crisps. 4) BBQ scallops, Orwell Road Orwell Road made their name on a scallop and stuffed chicken wing dish , and the theme is back with a brand new bag. This time the scallops are barbecued and served with cauliflower, coconut and crispy chicken skin for crunch. We reckon this might even top the original. 5) Dahi Puri, Kasi Café It's been a while since we had Dahi Puri, and Kasi in Temple Bar have just reminded us to rectify that. If you've never had the pleasure of those crispy shells filled with yoghurt, chutneys, potato, sev, onion, chickpeas and spices, Kasi is a great place to start. Just remember - no biting, down in one.

Where does one season leave off and another latch on? The old Gaelic festivals of Imbolg, Bealtaine, Lughnasa and Samhain maintain a firm hold over many in Ireland, by which May marks the start of summer – given the one that just was, they have a point. Science has its say via the meteorological seasons, which say summer starts Sunday and we’re all still stuck in Spring, and then there’s the astronomical types, howling at the moon that it’s all another three weeks after that – the less said about those, the better. Nature couldn’t give a fig about the squabbling though - she bring the bounty when she’s good and ready... Gooseberry choux, Scéal We were surprised to catch sight of gooseberry in mid-May – as if the last few weeks’ weather wasn’t a treat enough in its own right, it’s also ushered in one of summer’s great flavours a little earlier than usual. Trust Scéal  to have found them – that they’re serving with a cicely-infused crème pât and a candied gorse flower powder tells you all you need to know about these guys’ foraging game. Strawberry buns, Fable There are few bakeries about town we’ll scope out quicker than Fable  at the turn of the season, with all manner of goodies bringing out the best of what’s on offer. Strawberry season brings this beautiful brioche bun, stuffed with strawberry-apple jam and thick crème diplomat, sprinkled with crunchy ginger buckwheat crumble. Get there early for these. Strawberry galettes, Bread Naturally Celebrate it simply is our motto when it comes to any ingredient just back in season, and over in Raheny, Bread Naturally  feel the same. Sure, you’ll also get matcha croissant buns and cream maritozzi among the ends they put new Wexford strawberries to, but this combo of jam and sugar-tossed halves is our first order. Summer granola, BaaBaa Chapelizod café BaaBaa  are always reliable for celebrating the seasons, and their new summer granola bowl has us feeling it every step of the way. More strawberries meet roast apricot and mint on top of house granola and yogurt – be it spring or summer, a sunny start to the day with this and a walk through the Phoenix Park sounds like heaven. Macerated strawberries, Mister S Dessert is rarely what leaps to mind when anyone thinks of Mister S , but here’s a seasonal arrival to turn that on its head. Balsamic vinegar is a classic with strawberry for good reason - spooned over a lemon and thyme sorbet, we can just imagine this tart and sweet symphony’s the perfect follow-up to all that grilled goodness. Strawberry sorbet, Delahunt Delahunt saying their strawberry dessert takes like spring just sums up the subjectivity of seasons - our first sight always signals summer to us. Whatever your take, they’re delicious, even more so made into a sorbet and played off the sweetness of white chocolate and acidic zing of elderflower gel, with textures of meringue and crumble. Stuffed morels, La Gordita Enough fruit? The season-straddling marvels that are morels (or colmenillas en español) are at their best right as spring segues into summer, and La Gordita have complemented their earthy intensity with a stuffing of pine nuts and raisins. Get in and gulp them down while you can, and make sure to match them with a good glass of red while you’re at it. Poached cod and peas, The Seafood Café The peak of peas is still to come - we picked up our first pods at the weekend - but right in with the early treatment to beat is Temple Bar’s The Seafood Café . This riff on a classic Portuguese cod dish poaches the fish in a house stock, and surrounds it with coriander and mint to complement the bright pop of pea green. Could you get more seasonal? Anchovy and peach, Forêt It’s early days for peach season but that hasn’t stopped French bistro Forêt going for an off-piste pairing already. The mild sweetness of wet garlic, itself only in season for about another month, joins stone fruit chunks to balance out the vinegary kick of white anchovy (or boquerones) – sounds ingenious. A feta-flavoured smoked tomato tart is also among their new seasonal offerings. Lobster roll, King Sitric Full credit to King Sitric for not only not pocketing the extra profit off cheaper lobster at this time of year, but sharing the inside scoop too - they’ve knocked a cool 15% off across the board given the extra sea spoils coming their way. We’ll raise a lobster roll to that. Tuna and pickled watermelon, Osteria Lucio We’re a few months out from watermelon reaching its sweet peak, so Osteria Lucio ’s pickling and pairing with tuna is a very smart way to indulge a little early, all the more so with the aniseed hit of fennel and a mild chilli kick. Tomato consommé dressing is another lovely little hat-tip to all that summer’s got in store. Stuffed courgette flower, Volpe Nera Volpe Nera’ s neighbourhood menu is one of the best deals in the city at the moment, with blink-and-you’ll-miss –‘em beauties like this crispy stuffed courgette flower popping up week to week – it’s best to keep an eye on their Instagram and get down quick. Never fret if you missed it though - their regular lunch and dinner menu will have it on all season.

The team from Dede, Cork, minus owner/head chef Ahmet Dede

From April's worst weather of the year to May's best, we've got nine sunshine-filled prizes to keep the good vibes going this month, with everyone signed up to ATF Insiders automatically going into the draw! As an ad and invite-free website, ATF Insiders is how we operate, ensuring every recommendation is made without bias, and you can trust that reviews are honest and uninfluenced. Everyone who signs up for ATF Insiders by midnight on Friday May 17th will be entered into this month's prize draw, and winners will be selected on Sunday, May 18th... 1) Cocktails and Asian small plates for four at The Rooftop Bar and Terrace @ The Marker The Rooftop Bar & Terrace at Anantara The Marker Dublin is at the top of our list for dinner and drinks in the sunshine - where else can you get panoramic views of the city, feeling more like LA than next to the Liffey. They've just added a new fire-pit, and the glazed section will keep you dry and warm in case of weather changes. Their new small plates menu uses Asian flavours like lemongrass, chilli, lime and coconut, and there's a new cocktail list with options like Storm in Bangkok , with Szechuan pepper, vodka and Campari. We've got two rounds of cocktails and Asian plates for four to give away this month, and while the Rooftop Bar and Terrace is currently open Wednesday to Sunday, it should be open daily from June, weather permitting. 2) A €200 voucher for Queen Stop, Rathmines After the success of Boss Stop on George’s Street, the team behind it have just opened Queen Stop in Rathmines. It's focused on the same idea of serving authentic Asian cuisine with innovative tweaks, and their experienced kitchen team cook up sizzling hot plates, handmade dumplings and all the small plates designed for sharing. Queen Stop has a more expansive menu than Boss Stop, drawing inspiration from across Asia, and we've got a €200 voucher to give away this month so you can run the gamut of Hong Kong char siu pork, Sichuan Mala chicken, and cumin lamb. Check them out here . 3) Lunch for two with wine at Craft, Terenure It looks like 2025 will be remembered as the year the set lunch deal came back with a bang, and the latest restaurant offering us max value for cash is Craft in Terenure . Their new no choice set lunch is only €25 for three courses (!!), and it's available Friday and Saturday from 12:30 - 15:00. This week's menu includes salmon and hake croquettes, pappardelle with bolognese, and chocolate mousse with yuzu for dessert - an absolute steal of a deal. We're giving away a set lunch for two with wine, and you can check out their menus and book here . 4) Dinner for four with cocktails in Saba's Secret Garden As if Saba 's secret garden on Baggot Street (prime outdoor dining ) wasn't enough of a reason to book in, they're also giving diners FREE COCKTAILS all summer long when dining. You can pick from any drink on the list, from their most loved, signature and low abv selections, and you just need to have one of their Thai or Vietnamese mains to bag the offer. We're sending one of you in with three pals for dinner and cocktails on Saba, and you need to book in while the weather's like this. 5) Four tickets for Taste of Dublin It's hard to believe that this summer will be the 20th Taste of Dublin , back in its new and improved home of Merrion Square from the 12th to 15th of June. The weekend will be full of cookery demonstrations and food activations, and there's so much on the activity roster . Restaurants confirmed to appear include Big Fan, Parilla, Nomo Ramen, Chimac and Bar Italia, and you can check out the line up here . Tickets for Taste of Dublin 2025 are on sale here , but we've got four tickets to give away for a session on Thursday, Friday or Sunday. 6) €100 voucher for Siam Thai, Rathmines Siam Thai Restaurants are celebrating 30 years of business, and they've just launched a new "Thai Bites Menu" and "Satori" cocktails menu to mark this massive milestone. They've given us a €100 voucher to use in their Rathmines restaurant and cocktail bar, and we suggest going early for the two-course early bird for €33.95pp to maximise the budget. Check them out here . 7) Tickets to the Birdhill Coffee Festival and a three-month supply of coffee Ireland's only destination coffee festival (for adults only) is back at The Old Barracks Coffee Roastery in Tipperary from the 27th - 29th June, with 12 educational classes, six guest speakers and six guest roasters over three days. The Old Barracks are celebrating 10 years of brewing specialty coffee with interactive workshops, barista competitions, brewing demos and exclusive tastings. There's also a BBQ dinner and wine tasting on Friday, night as well as a Boozy Brew Bar for coffee cocktails and Irish coffees. We've got four tickets, Espresso Martinis on arrival and a three-month supply of Old Barracks coffee to give away this month, and we're picking TWO winners , so double the good vibes. Check out the line up here . 8) Meet the cheesemakers and a Sheridan's hamper Boyne Valley Cheese The Centre of Food Culture in Boyne Valley has just launched a new “ Meet the Cheesemaker ” event series, showcasing Ireland's world-class farmhouse cheeses and the people making them. The summer programme lets the public meet artisan cheesemakers, tour their farms and dairies, and taste their best. Cheesemakers opening their door include Boyne Valley Farmhouse Cheese in Meath, Coolattin Cheddar in Carlow, and Leitrim Hill Creamery in Leitrim, with events running from June - September. We've got two tickets to give away to a Meet the Cheesemaker event of your choice, plus a hamper from Sheridan's Cheesemongers featuring all the cheeses from the series. Tickets are €25 and you can see the programme here . 9) A €100 voucher for Fired Up Pizza Fired Up Pizza is celebrating their fifth birthday week by opening a brand new location in Cornelscourt! This joins their Goatstown, Donnybrook and Rathfarnham locations, as they slowly conquer the southside with their Neapolitan pizza bases and best of Irish toppings. This month's winner of a €100 voucher for Fired Up Pizza will be able to have their pick of pizza toppings like Limerick baked ham, Five Mile Town goat's cheese, Wooded Pig pepperoni, and Toonsbridge smoked Scamorza, for dine in or take away. Check them out here . Everyone signed up for ATF Insiders in May (both new and old) will be automatically entered into the prize draw. You don't need to do anything. If you're not signed up yet, join here before midnight on Saturday 17th May. Your support promotes independent reviews and news in Dublin and beyond, and allows you to get answers to any dining questions directly from us.

What should we know about Square Dish? It's Dublin's newest pizza restaurant (no we haven't peaked yet), with a fancy fit out on one of the capital's most desirable streets - St. Stephen's Green. While the combination of those elements initially made us think Square Dish must be from a big hospitality group with money coming out the wazoo, it's actually husband and wife team Andrew Eakin and Naomi Murtagh who are behind it. Eakin started London wine shops Bottle Apostle many moons ago, before moving into the wine industry in France. Murtagh is a designer specialising in leather goods, most recently based in London.

Tell us about with Tucano? If you came across Tucano on Instagram you might think they were in Curitiba rather than off O’Connell Street, with their posts almost entirely in Portugese. There's little or no food on there either, just videos of staff talking animatedly into the camera with all the effects - they could as easily be promoting a casino or supermarket. Word is out in the Brazilian community, and the only language in the heaving room was Portugese - our server tried to take our order in it. There are lots of Brazilian restaurants in Dublin, who all seem to serve the same style of food to the same people, but barely any have had a national review, or featured on best restaurant lists. Is this a journalistic oversight, or are none of them hitting the heights? We wanted to try one of the most talked about to get some clarity. What should I eat? Our server recommended the most popular dishes - picanha steak, and feijoada (Brazil's iconic bean and meat stew). We added mini chicken coxinhas and fried tapioca - snacks that anyone who's visited Brazil ate their body weight in. Mini coxinhas (€7.99) are easier to eat than palm-sized ones, but eight was overkill. The stodgy snack of breaded, deep-fried dough had shredded chicken in the centre, and while well seasoned they needed the garlic dip - even still they lose their appeal fast. Fried tapioca cubes (€7.99), another carb-heavy snack, are often served with red pepper jelly in Brazil - here it tasted like bottled sweet chilli sauce. They're crispy and satisfyingly chewy, but after a couple there's no reason to keep going back. Feijoada, a slow-cooked bean, pork and beef stew (€14.50), is a warming bowl, but we would have liked to know what parts of what animals were in there – at one point we lifted something resembling a pig’s snout. It came with "crackling" (unpleasant chunks of skin and fat), "cabbage" (raw kale), "vinaigrette" (Brazilian salsa), farofa (toasted cassava flour), and rice. Asking how we wanted our thin steak cooked was moot, but the Brazilian meat (€17.50) had expert flavour and seasoning. You get a choice of black or brown beans, farofa to dip it in, vinaigrette, and cassava or fries. The cassava was extremely bland, but the rest was the best thing we ate here. There are six desserts including honey bread and passion fruit mousse, but when in Brazil, it's got to be pudim. Similar to Spain's flan de queso, or F rance's crème caramel, it's made with eggs, milk, condensed milk and caramel, and is very sweet, but this is an excellent version. What about drinks? Soft drinks and beer, as well as fresh juices like cashew, passion fruit and acerola (similar to cherry). Our guava was more like a smoothie or a slushie - no bad thing. Why should I go? We don’t think Tucano is about to go viral with an Irish crowd, but we can see why Brazilians flood the place. It's the type of food someone's Mum or Aunt would make, and clearly the taste of home so many are missing. It’s also a fun, inexpensive option the next time you want to try something different. Tucano 4 Talbot Street, North City, Dublin 1 instagram.com/tucanodublin

Raspbery cheong buns, small farm Irish Wagyu burgers, and there's a new Berlin kebab in town. Read on for our must eat hit list this week... 1) Hash brown and chorizo snacks, Craft, Terenure We all agree that snacks are the best part of the meal right? Snacks are the most exciting, mains are the least, and everything else is on a sliding scale in between. When we snack, we like to snack hard, and this one from the current menu at Craft in Terenure has us itching to jump on the number 16 bus. Hash browns topped with Parmesan, Iberico chorizo and beer pickled onions . What genius came up with this epic opening? 2) The Perfect Wagyu, Bujo You know what else we do hard? Burgering. We have no time for dry, over-cooked, flavour-light mounds of meat drowning in competing toppings. A burger is a committment, with only the best passing ATF muster, and we feel ready to commit to Bujo 's new 'perfect Wagyu', with meat from just one Irish farmer. The flame-grilled patty is topped with Dubliner mature cheddar, chimichurri, crunchy pickles and smoky grilled leek, and sandwiched in a Tartine organic brioche bun. We will... 3) Berlin Kebab, Margadh RHA In the plot twist no one saw coming, Margadh at the RHA have collabed with Mani on Drury Street for a new lunchtime takeaway Berlin kebab. They're taking Mani's 72hr fermented sourdough and stuffing it with marinated chicken, secret chili sauce, aioli, red cabbage, iceberg lettuce, red onion and tomato, for the princely sum of €9.90, and it looks like a worthy contender to Chiya . 4) Çılbır , Urbanity Something about summer always has us wanting Turkish eggs with warm flatbreads all day errry day, so this Çılbır from Urbanity made the world stop turning for a moment. Their version has lemon labneh, asparagus, wild garlic, salsa verde, pimenton butter, onion dukkah and organic poached eggs, serving it with a side of Tartine organic sourdough. It's a lot fancier than what we make at home, and sure isn't that the whole reason we leave the house. 5) Raspberry cheong hun buns, No Messin' Bakery We were this years old when we learnt that a 'cheong' is a traditional Korean fermented syrup made from fruits, flowers, herbs or vegetables. No Messin' Bakery have been using them a lot lately, culminating in these raspberry cheong and cream hun buns, which will be back on the counter this weekend. There's also some Irish wholegrain in the choux pastry, for max feel good vibes.

The guys behind Hera , Juno , Achara and Crudo seem to have the magic touch at the moment, serving the kind of food we want to eat, with an endlessly interesting drinks list, and pricing that doesn't hurt when the bill arrives. We loved Hera, their revamped bar serving food on Dorset Street, with ATF editor Lisa calling it " dream gastropub stuff ", the Irish Times food critic Corinna Hardgrave calling the food " clever ... with a delicacy and originality to it ", and the Irish Examiner's Leslie Williams saying it's " a culinary highlight for Dublin's rising Northside ". We're taking over Hera on the night of Thursday 22nd May, so that chef Joe Smith  and the kitchen team can really show off, with an 11-part menu featuring what we and they think are their best dishes right now. We've gotten them to come up with an incredible offering for €60pp (with the option to add a Carlingford Oyster flambéed table side in smoked butter for €4), and because we always look after you, there's a welcome cocktail included too. There will be two sittings at 17:30 and 20:00, and as usual with our events the team will be on site all night to serve the dishes, chat and answer your questions. This is an ATF Insiders-only event - sign up here  for €6 a month if you're not already part of the best food club in Dublin. Each Insider can book a table for two, and bring one non-Insider with them.  If you're coming with friends who are also signed up and you want to sit together, just make a note on your booking. Here's the menu for the takeover, AND there's a vegetarian option  if you want to go fish and meat free, but as dishes are for sharing, both people at the table need to have the same menu. (If you'd like the vegetarian menu you'll need to note this when you book) Bookings for our Hera takeover on Thursday 22nd May go live tomorrow, Thursday 8th May at 11am. Everyone signed up to ATF Insiders  will receive the booking link in their inbox. If you're not already signed up you can do so below. .

Lunch just doesn’t get the love it deserves anymore. In our fast-paced world of pre-ordered salad bowls and sad wraps to go, the fine art of the afternoon repast is being lost along the way, and if regular requests from ATF Insiders   are anything to by, it’s getting harder than ever to find great places in the city for a long, luxurious luncheon. Whether you want to make the most of a midweek day off, treat yourself while the kids are safely set aside in school, celebrate a special occasion earlier in the day, or just sneak into a swish spot for a better deal than you’ll get at dinner, here’s our top picks for a set lunch in the city... TOP VALUE   Coppinger, Coppinger Row We’ve double, triple and quadruple checked this one – Coppinger really does a three course lunch for €20. You won’t find the deal listed on their site (maybe they don’t want to be mobbed) but keep an eye on Insta for regular   reveals  of the no choice, set dishes for each week, served Wednesday through Friday from 12:00 to 15:00. As if all that wasn’t value enough, you can add in a glass of house red or white for €5, but with your savings on food, you can go big on wine and cocktails with less bank balance guilt. Note, Fenian Street Nights out at Note  don’t come cheap, but afternoons can with their eye-catching lunch deal. It’s €32 for three dishes with a choice of two mains, leaving room for any veggies at the table too - see the current menu here . That’s seriously good value for seriously good food, though if you’re anything like us you won’t be able to resist racking up a bigger bill by dipping into the BTG list. Get it Fridays and Saturdays only from 12.30 to 14:00. The Seafood Café, Temple Bar Temple Bar institution The Seafood Café ’s table d'hôte menu runs every weekday from 12:00 to 18:30 – ideal for late lunches and early dinners. It changes on the regular with three to four dishes typically on for starters and mains, and will set you back €27 for two courses or €32 for three – unless you’re an ATF Insider  of course, in which case you’ll get another 15% off. Don’t say we don’t treat you right. Piglet, Temple Bar A top pick for group lunches is Piglet , whose four options across each course should keep most people happy. It’s traditional French fare begging to be washed down with their excellent selection of wines – their pairing suggestions are always second to none. They serve it Thursday to Monday from 12.30 to 17.30 (hellooo long and late lunches), with two courses for €29.50 or three for €35. If you’re really treating yourself, throw in the confit duck gizzards to snack on while you wait. Hawksmoor, College Green Doing dinner right at Hawksmoor  isn't easy on the bank balance, but we come bearing good news. Their shorter, early bird express menu is also served for lunch, with three options for each course served at €32 for two or €36 for three – you can also upgrade the rump steak option to a fillet tail for a €6 supplement. Monday through Thursday it’s on from 12:00 to 15:00, and if you fancy a later lunch, Friday and Saturday they run it right through to 18:00. Monty’s of Kathmandu, Temple Bar The economics of set menus mean there often isn’t a huge amount of choice – fair enough, it’s not easy making margins work at these price points, but not so at Monty’s of Kathmandu  with their five starter and six main options. Two courses are €32, with three going for €37, and at prices like that, we’ll happily take the €5 supplement for bone-in goat curry. It’s available from 12:00 to 13:45 Monday to Saturday, and in the evening from Sunday - Thursday too. TREAT YOURSELF   Woodruff, Stepaside Sustainable, seasonal, suburban restaurant Woodruff  runs straight from lunch into their early bird menu, so you’ve got plenty of time to make your way out to Stepaside and indulge in a late lunch. Their three starter and main choices are always great on veggie and pescatarian options – a group with mixed diets will be very happy here. It’s two courses for €35 or three for €42, served Thursday through Saturday from 12.30 to 19:00 (18:00 on weekends). Mamó, Howth Lunch overlooking Howth harbour? Don’t mind if we do. Mamó offers two courses for €39 or three for €44 on Mondays (except bank holidays), Thursdays and Fridays from 12:30 to 14.45, and the regularly-rotating seasonal selection is a real treat with a whole fish or côte de boeuf for two also available at an additional price. The iconic cod chip snack and their ever-excellent bread and butter are included in the price too - how many more carrots do you need. Bresson, Monkstown Make for Monkstown if you really want to feel fancy, with French bistro Bresson ’s two courses for €39.95 or three for €44.95 also including a "petite soupe" on arrival and petits fours – it’s the little things. Sea bass Veronique and a poached pear and Roquefort salad are among the dishes that have us licking our lips, and you can book in from Thursday to Saturday, 12:00 to 14.30, or on Sunday until 15:30 (three courses only). Pichet, Trinity Street The only entry on this list that offers a single course option, which isn’t so much a set menu as… just a dish, French bistro Pichet runs the gamut from torched mackerel and salt-baked celeriac, to   Barbary duck breast and Knockanore agnolotti across its four-of-each options. You’ll pay €28 for one plate with an extra €9 for every added course after that (€37 for two, €46 for three), with the set menu served 12:00 to 15:15 from Wednesday to Saturday. The Saddle Room, St. Stephen's Green There’s a bit of a bring your well-dressed granny vibe to the Shelbourne’s Saddle Room  set menu, between the ham hock terrine and chicken supreme, but we’ll give them all the props for being the only one here to offer a whole vegan menu. They’re also the only option who offer their set lunch menu every day, from 12:30 to 14:30 on weekdays, and 13:00 to 14:30 on weekends. It’ll set you back €40 for two courses or €47 for three. Forest Avenue, Sussex Terrace Lunch set menus are often a chance to get a more streamlined taste of the higher end of the market than their pricier dinner tasting options – so it is at the regularly Michelin-tipped Forest Avenue , where three plates for €49 represents exceptional value at this level of cooking. You can choose between fish or meat for the main but otherwise it’s set plates, and dessert can be swapped out for a cheese course at an additional cost of €6. They serve it Wednesday through Saturday from 12:00 to 13.30. BLOWOUT CELEBRATION   Dax, Pembroke Street Upper Don’t let the white tablecloths put you off – for all the French formality of its style, the staff at Dax ’s sheer charm will set you at ease for the most relaxed, luxe lunch imaginable. Versus the €92 bill you’ll rack up for dinner, the set lunch here is priced at €44 for two courses or €60 for three, with Castletownbere scallops, Tipperary beef tartare and Curragh Plains lamb shoulder among the provenance-forward options available. Get it from 12:30 to 14:00 Wednesday to Friday. and 13:00 to 14:00 on Saturday. One Pico, Molesworth Place It’s notable that One Pico ’s pricing has shifted only very slightly in the nigh-on four years since we went to review lunch   – you might not be likely to get turbot again at these rates, but let’s hear it for the places working to keep prices accessible. These days two courses with canapés and bread come to €48, with the option to add dessert and petit fours for another €12. It runs Tuesdays through Saturdays from 12:00 to 14:00. Allta, Grand Canal Dock There are seven, yes seven, dishes going on Allta ’s set lunch (a further slimmed variation on their evening early bird) that comes in at €65 versus the full dinner’s €135 – a more affordable chance to try great dishes like their cuttlefish doughnut, bluefin tuna tostada and Woodtown Jersey beef. The Michelin man is likely to come knocking here before long, so this is a deal to snap up while you can. It runs Thursdays to Saturdays from 12:30 to 14:00 Glovers Alley, St. Stephen's Green You can knock a solid third off the price of a Michelin star bill by lunching at Glovers Alley from Wednesdays to Saturday, 12:30 to 14:00 – the three course option is €75 versus the €115 you’ll pay at dinner. Dishes are different of course, but we wouldn't turn our noses up at squid tagliatelle, or wild brill with smoked eel. Go crazy and have the four course tasting for €90 if you’re really celebrating. Chapter One by Mickael Viljanen, Parnell Square We’re not ashamed to say we’ve indulged in lunch at Chapter One by Mickael Viljanen  more times than we can count at this stage – for research purposes, you understand. €90 a head for three courses puts it squarely in the very special occasion category, but given dinner’s four courses come to €175, isn’t tasting two star food on the cheap a special occasion in itself? Find it from Thursday to Saturday between 12:00 and 14:00.   Did we miss a great set lunch in Dublin? Let us know by emailing info@allthefood.ie .