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City centre café and pancake house Póg opened their third location in the seaside village of Howth, and took their natural, pampas grass-filled aesthetic with them. Brunch, lunch, coffee and homemade juices draw plenty of passers by, as does their vegan afternoon tea. Póg Howth Website ifancyapog.ie Address Island View House, 1 Harbour Road, Howth, Dublin 13 Good For Tag 1 Cuisine Tag 1 Once Over Read our Review >> The Story City centre café and pancake house Póg opened their third location in the seaside village of Howth, and took their natural, pampas grass-filled aesthetic with them. Brunch, lunch, coffee and homemade juices draw plenty of passers by, as does their vegan afternoon tea. Where It's At Nearby Locales Mongoose Chongqing Hot Pot Boco Clontarf Bell Pesto Bang Gloria Osteria Cantina Valentina D'Lepak Pera Borgo Amai by Viktor Kaizen Chubbys Badam Table 45 Comet Daruma Malahide Lena The Pig's Ear Notions @ Two Pups The Rooftop @ Anantara The Marker Sofra Little Geno's Mama Shee Nutbutter Smithfield

Casual ramen shop on Dun Laoghaire's main street that opened in summer 2018 and quickly gained a loyal fanbase. One of our top picks for ramen in Dublin, with everything including the noodles made in house. Don't miss the deep-fried kimchi and creative cocktails. Soup DL Website soupramen.ie Address 28 Lower Georges Street, Dun Laoghaire, Co. Dublin Good For Tag 1 Cuisine Tag 1 Once Over Read our Review >> The Story Casual ramen shop on Dun Laoghaire's main street that opened in summer 2018 and quickly gained a loyal fanbase. One of our top picks for ramen in Dublin, with everything including the noodles made in house. Don't miss the deep-fried kimchi and creative cocktails. Where It's At Nearby Locales Mongoose Chongqing Hot Pot Boco Clontarf Bell Pesto Bang Gloria Osteria Cantina Valentina D'Lepak Pera Borgo Amai by Viktor Kaizen Chubbys Badam Table 45 Comet Daruma Malahide Lena The Pig's Ear Notions @ Two Pups The Rooftop @ Anantara The Marker Sofra Little Geno's Mama Shee Nutbutter Smithfield

Modern Irish cooking with big flavours and beautiful combinations of the best produce. No choice tasting menu in the evening, with a wonderful wine list. The best seats are downstairs looking into the open kitchen, or you can sit at the bar and order some small plates. Forest Avenue Website forestavenuerestaurant.ie Address 8 Sussex Terrace, Sussex Road, Dublin 8 Good For Tag 1 Cuisine Tag 1 Once Over Read our Review >> The Story Modern Irish cooking with big flavours and beautiful combinations of the best produce. No choice tasting menu in the evening, with a wonderful wine list. The best seats are downstairs looking into the open kitchen, or you can sit at the bar and order some small plates. Where It's At Nearby Locales Mongoose Chongqing Hot Pot Boco Clontarf Bell Pesto Bang Gloria Osteria Cantina Valentina D'Lepak Pera Borgo Amai by Viktor Kaizen Chubbys Badam Table 45 Comet Daruma Malahide Lena The Pig's Ear Notions @ Two Pups The Rooftop @ Anantara The Marker Sofra Little Geno's Mama Shee Nutbutter Smithfield

Popular neighbourhood café with Cloud Picker coffee and an interesting menu of things on toast and in buns. All the café reliables with some curveballs, like beef brisket toasties and coconut chia pots. A decent amount of seating at the front, in the back and outside, and they're openly dog-friendly. The Orange Goat Killester Website theorangegoat.com Address The Orange Goat - Killester, Collins Avenue East, Clontarf West, Dublin 5, Ireland Good For Tag 1 Cuisine Tag 1 Once Over Read our Review >> The Story Popular neighbourhood café with Cloud Picker coffee and an interesting menu of things on toast and in buns. All the café reliables with some curveballs, like beef brisket toasties and coconut chia pots. A decent amount of seating at the front, in the back and outside, and they're openly dog-friendly. Where It's At Nearby Locales Mongoose Chongqing Hot Pot Boco Clontarf Bell Pesto Bang Gloria Osteria Cantina Valentina D'Lepak Pera Borgo Amai by Viktor Kaizen Chubbys Badam Table 45 Comet Daruma Malahide Lena The Pig's Ear Notions @ Two Pups The Rooftop @ Anantara The Marker Sofra Little Geno's Mama Shee Nutbutter Smithfield

Featherblade Juicy steaks and béarnaise covered burgers Posted: 28 Feb 2018 Neighbourhood Neighborhood Name Address Restaurant Address Website Website Name Restaurant Info View the Listing >> Written by: Lisa Cope What’s the story? Dublin has long been lacking in casual dining restaurants, where the food is excellent but uncomplicated, and where you can justify eating at any point in the week, lunch or dinner, rather than saving up for that Friday/Saturday night splurge (we still think there's a bit of Catholic guilt going on about eating out midweek in this city). Thankfully that's changing thanks to restaurateurs like Joe Macken ( Jo'Burger , Skinflint , Hey Donna ) and John Farrell ( 777 , Dillinger's ) who've been turning out reliable, inexpensive restaurant concepts over the last few years. Featherblade is another one to add to the list. It opened in September 2015, with the aim of turning out quality, affordable steaks and sides. Similar restaurants have people queuing down the street in London ( Flat Iron ) and Paris ( Le Relais de l’Entrecôte ), so someone clearly saw a business opportunity. The featherblade is a relatively cheap cut of meat that comes from the shoulder of the cow, and can be tough if cooked incorrectly but has lots of flavour when done right. The menu is simple. Two starters, featherblade steak or burger for main, sides and sauces. There are a couple of desserts too, and maybe a special. They've had a bit of flack for cooking the steaks sous vide, which involves putting the meat into a vacuum-sealed bag, and cooking it in a water bath until it reaches the required temperature, then finishing it off briefly on the grill. Critics would say this is a lazy way of cooking and doesn't involve any skill. Advocates would say it produces the juiciest meat and ensures each steak is perfectly cooked every time. If you want to read more about it check out the brilliant Serious Eats website. Where’s good for a drink beforehand? You're bang in the centre of town so there are loads of options. If you want a glass of wine we'd suggest Le Cave or La Ruelle . For pints you've got Café en Seine a few doors down (good for groups or if you want a seat), Kehoe's around the corner on South Anne-Street for that proper Irish pub feel, or on the very off-chance the sun is shining, the terrace outside The Bailey is where everyone wants to be. If it's cocktails you're after and you're organised enough to make a reservation in advance, The Blind Pig or Peruke & Periwig would be a lovely start to the night. What’s the room like? Very Scandinavian. Sleek and modern, but not cold or overly-minimalist. Lots of black and wood. There are two levels - ground floor, and upstairs where you can see the kitchen. Seating is much the same on both levels, but we found downstairs slightly cosier and more peaceful. What's good to eat? This is easy. Because the menu's so small, if you go with just one other person you can pretty much order it all (bar maybe the specials). On the day we visited the two starters were lamb croquettes with parsnip purée and salsa verde, and ricotta gnocchi with squash, hazelnuts, wild mushroom and sage butter. We loved both, but there was a recurring theme of some vegetables tasting of nothing. Both the parsnip and squash purées were either made from inferior veg or badly under-seasoned. It didn't ruin the dish, but getting that part right would have taken them to a different level. We were very pleasantly surprised with the burger, having not expected too much, this being a steak restaurant. It was cooked perfectly medium and was super juicy, in a good quality brioche bun, with the béarnaise sauce a genius (if belly-busting) addition. We really enjoyed it, but were glad we were sharing one between two. We had ordered the steak medium but when it arrived it looked closer to well-done. The wait staff apologised and went to retrieve another one, but this looked not far off the first one. We then realised this was due to the style of cooking. Despite this throwing us slightly, the meat was incredibly juicy, tender and full of flavour, and the chimichurri salt on the outside was the perfect enhancer to the sweet meat. It was a generous portion for €13 and we can't think of anywhere else that does steak this good for this price. They took both steaks off the bill by way of apology and although we insisted on paying for one they were having none of it. There were two options for dessert, and we went for the chocolate and peanut tart with salted caramel after seeing people rave about it online. It tasted like the poshest possible incarnation of a snickers bar and we're still thinking about it. Be warned, it is incredibly rich so half was more than enough. What about the drinks? Cocktails are really well priced at €7.50 each, so much so that it would be madness not to start with one. We tried the Raspberry Fizz with prosecco, limoncello, raspberry purée and mint, and the Old Fashioned with Teelings whiskey, orange thyme and chilli syrup, which were both excellent. We thought the fizz might be too sweet but it was perfectly balanced and refreshing, and we loved the twist on the more grown up (read: more booze heavy) Old Fashioned. They have a nice list of bottled beer and cider, and wine comes both in bottle and on tap, which you can order by the glass, carafe (500ml) or litre. From tap we tried the Spanish Tempranillo from Bodegas Abanico (€7 a glass), and the Portugese Touriga Nacional from Alex Relvas (€7.50 a glass). Both were really solid wines for red meat, but the Touriga Nacional was particularly fragrant and interesting, and great with the steak. And the service? Our waitress was very friendly and accommodating, and they dealt with the steak issue like pros. The verdict? Featherblade is the type of restaurant that Dublin needs more of, and we think they're offering real value for money, especially considering the eye-watering rents in Dublin city centre right now. There's nothing fussy or 'special occasion' about it, which is the draw, and overall the food delivers, making it perfect for a midweek outing, or when you don't have hours to languish over dinner. Despite a few minor complaints we really enjoyed our meal and are planning a return the next time we want steak and don't want to cook it. Long live quality casual dining. Featherblade 51 Dawson Street, Dublin 2 featherblade.ie New Openings & Discoveries More >>

Bovinity Capel Street gets a sleek new steakhouse Posted: 9 Aug 2022 Neighbourhood Neighborhood Name Address Restaurant Address Website Website Name Restaurant Info View the Listing >> Written by: Lisa Cope What's the story? Bovinity just appeared, fully formed, on social media at the end of June, and opened its doors to influencers and celebrities (Keith Duffy himself graced their presence on opening night) mere days later. With the neon signs, industrial chic fit out and high end cocktail shots it was clear who their target demographic was, but we struggled to get more meaningful information out of them - like who owns it and where they were sourcing their food. We eventually found out through the grapevine that it's the same owners as All Bar Chicken across the road and in Stoneybatter, which we've never been to due to the absence of free-range chicken, and were told that their steaks are sourced from FX Buckley. Things were looking up. With all the eye-catching Instagram posts and reels, including some from those there on an #invite , you guys wanted to know what it was really like, and whether Hawksmoor have anything to worry about. Where should I sit? It's a big space and there are loads of seating options. High tables seating a max of four run almost along the full wall leading from the front to the back, where you'll find lower tables and semi-private seating areas that would be ideal for small groups. There's also a lovely booth at the front inside the window that would seat at least six, but they might let you push it to more. Generally we're more fans of natural light than neon, so we'd be out front, but if you're trying to hide, talk in private or carrying out an illicit affair, head to the back. Decor is sleek, modern and industrial, and they've done a great job on the fit out. What's the food like? This is a steak house for the TikTok generation. It's simple, accessible, and there's no fancy information on there, like the provenance of their meat, fish and vegetables, or who the chef is. If you're a fan of Featherblade on Dawson Street you'll find the menu is quite similar here, with a little less flair. We started with some "bits" - very good Nocellara olives, and slightly over-toasted sourdough with truffle mascarpone. Let's be straight, there is absolutely no need for bread in a steakhouse, but it disappeared almost as fast as it hit the table - that "just sat down and starving" hunger tends to do that. If however you feel as Irish Times food critic Corinna Hardgrave does about truffle oil (that it has no place in civilised society and should be extinguished from the planet) you might want to avoid it. (Read more about that here ) On "oyster shooter" came in a pleasant Asian style dressing flecked with chilli and sesame, but when we asked where it was from we were surprised to hear "France". Even in months not ending in R (the generally accepted best months to eat oysters) there are plenty of farmed oysters available across the country, so we can only assume the choice to use imported ones was for cost reasons, and this one was very small. A starter of burrata, mixed heritage tomatoes, splodges of puréed basil and an olive crumb on the other hand hit all the right notes. A clever addition of pink pickled onions brought welcome sour notes to the plate of sweet tomatoes, creamy cheese, fragrant basil and that crunchy crumb, and this is exactly the type of summery starter you might want before diving into a steak - with a whole ball of burrata you could even share it. Our other starter of "prawns pil pil" had enough chilli, garlic and lemon to wake up the most jaded palate, and we unashamedly cleaned the plate with extra bread, but the pedantic in us was irritated by the fact that this is not pil pil - there is no lemon or any form of creaminess in pil pil. Either cook the original dish in bubbling hot, spicy, garlic oil (bread on the side thanks), or just call this prawns with garlic, lemon and chilli and we'll chill out. Onto mains and there was a choice of three steaks (one sharing), a double smash burger, and spiced aubergine for the veggies with dukkah and whipped feta. We started with the burger and were very pleasantly surprised at how good it was (we thought the steak would be the star). Two juicy patties (they would have been better if they were more pink but it takes a brave soul to do that with Environmental Health Officers breathing down your neck), excellent burger sauce, a single leaf of lettuce, cucumber pickle, melted cheese (there could have been more) and a nicely toasted brioche bun was almost faultless, and any burger chasers will want to add this to your beef patty bucket list. For steak we'd been mentally eating the sharing Côte de boeuf (a bargain at €55-€65 we were told) since Bovinity opened, so there was much dropping of faces when we were told it wasn't on. Instead they had a sharing striploin or a t-bone, priced from €55 - €85, depending on the size). We didn't fancy paying top dollar for either of those cuts, so went with a 'chef's cut' which we were told was flank (€17), and a rib-eye (€23). The chef's cut arrived and we doubted if it was actually flank - it had none of the grain, texture or mounded shape you would associate with that cut of beef. Instead it was very soft and tasted woolly, as if it had been cooked for too long in a water bath. It looked and tasted more like Featherblade, which is a beautiful cut when cooked right, but something had gone wrong here. The rib-eye was much better, cooked perfectly medium-rare, nicely browned on the outside, and great flavour throughout. They're not huge steaks, but as city centre prices go it felt like value for money. We've been told by multiple people that steaks come from FX Buckley, and we're not sure why they're not shouting about that. The only problem with both steaks was the sickly sweet onion marmalade that came on the side, and would be far better suited to a cheese plate than a chef's cut of meat. It was completely over-powering, ruining the flavour of the meat, and we advise you to scrape it to the side or ask them not to bring it at all. Especially because the sauces are so damn good. Both the béarnaise and chimichurri were textbook perfect, so automatically adding the onion stuff to plates is ill-judged. There's also peppercorn, mushroom, and we were very, very tempted to order the bone gravy. Chips were good too, skin on, crisp and hot. You can get them naked or with truffle and parmesan (see earlier note on truffle oil), and one is clearly more wanton than the other so choose based on stomach space/satiety needed. You're going to want to try the onion strings (more wanton abandon here), which consist of long strings of deep fried onion, just cooked so there's still the slightest crunch, and although we thought they would have benefited from being a touch crispier, this is a side of the "take it away from me or I'll keep eating it" variety. The only bum-note came with the 'creamed spinach', which first came as a ramekin of 'dry spinach', flaking around our forks like tiny pieces of crepe paper. We called staff and said we didn't think it was right, and were told "that's how it comes", and had to persist until it was taken back to the kitchen and shown to the chef. Eventually we were delivered actual creamed spinach, and it was actually very good, with the perfect amount of cream and nutmeg - we were just left scratching our heads as to how it went so wrong first time round, and why staff weren't falling over themselves to take this dry pot of flaky greens away from us. There are two desserts on the menu, both incredibly heavy for following steak and chips (and the rest), and we think they would have been wise to have something simple, straightforward and lighter on there to end with. Instead you've got a pistachio and apricot bread and butter pudding with crème anglaise and vanilla ice-cream. It's very good, we'd happily eat it for breakfast, lunch or dinner, but after a heavy meal you'll want a spoon or two at most. The other one they're calling "The Marathon - If ya know ya know". If ya don't know, it's a bowl of very good (but again very heavy) chocolate ganache with whole peanuts, a light, creamy topping (somewhere between whipped cream and ice-cream), and more chocolate on top along with edible gold leaf. The same applies to this one - a few spoons and you'll be begging for mercy (or a second stomach). Basically you will not need a dessert per person, but they're worth trying. What about drinks? We were told by past visitors to try the bell pepper sour and it was excellent, with all the tang, bitterness and smoky depth you would hope for. It's clear that work and energy has gone into the cocktail list, and there's loads on there we would have liked to order, including their version of a Negroni with Valentia Island vermouth, and a Bloody Mary with tomato and pickle juice. The beer list is short but not the usual suspects either, with local options from Rascals and the Dublin City Brewing Company. An Irish craft cider would complete the picture. Wines are sadly less exciting, and the two we tried tasted sterile, more like something from a supermarket than a quality steakhouse. We had to send back a Mencia as it tasted off, as if it had been open too long. A freshly opened bottle was better, but as Mencia goes this was not a great example. An Italian blend wasn't much better, and we found ourselves wishing we'd stuck to cocktails. Clearly they're focused on price/value rather than trying to create an award-winning wine list, but they could do better, and to not have something big like a Malbec or Cabernet Sauvignon by the glass seems like a big oversight. How was the service? Mostly pleasant but after having to call the server a couple of times to complain, there was a subtle sense of "here go the Karens" again. Situations could have been handled with more care and genuine apologies - instead we felt as if we were the problem. We've had far, far worse service experiences, but some training is needed. And the damage? €145.50 before tip for enough food to comfortably feed three hungry adults with a drink each. As the city centre goes right now it felt like decent value, but would be more so if they just tightened things up a bit. The verdict? Bovinity has brought a bit of glam to Capel Street, and many, many Instagrammable/TikTokable opportunities for anyone who walks through the door, phone firmly in hand. There's a lot of potential here if they can tighten up the food and iron out the creases in service, and we imagine they're looking at more sites, so hopefully this is their number one focus before any expansion plans. There's plenty of gaps in the Dublin market when it come to casual, quality dining experiences, on the lower side of spend and the higher side of fun, and if they put all of their energy into elevating the experience here, and forgot about getting screentime on influencer accounts, we think they'd get to where they need to be much sooner. Bovinity 123 Capel Street, Dublin 1 bovinity.ie New Openings & Discoveries More >>

Pera Top-tier tombik and Turkish coffee is some of the best value around Posted: 30 Sept 2025 Neighbourhood Neighborhood Name Address Restaurant Address Website Website Name Restaurant Info View the Listing >> Written by: Ronan Doyle What should we know about Pera? As costs keep creeping up in every restaurant ‘round town, value is a more premium currency than ever. That’s part of why we’ve seen such interest in the new, higher-end Turkish outlets popping up all over Dublin to cater to the growing diaspora – for all they’re a little pricier than the corner kebab spots spilling sauce down drunken fronts every weekend night, places like Reyna , Chiya , Sultan’s Grill and Sofra still represent absurd value for the quality of quick casual food they’re dishing up. Pera is a name we’ve heard whispered in the same breath more than once from those in the know since their opening almost exactly a year ago, so when they expanded into the larger unit beside their prior Mary Street home with a revamped new dinner menu in the past weeks, we knew the time was right to poke our noses in. Where should we sit? You’ll likely have your pick at all but the busiest times - the new unit, previously home to Casa Brasil, has space to spare, and is much cosier than the pokey few booths packed into the previous space next door. There, they’d also allowed diners head upstairs to a spillover space shared with Pickosito – more comfortable, sure, but far from the action. In the new setting, the left of the long entryway space plays host to a lengthy kitchen counter with a street-facing charcoal grill, glistening döner spits and a shiny new wood-fired oven in prime position for loving, longing stares from the two-tops opposite. If you’re a little less obsessive than us about watching food prep in action, the four-tops a bit further back offer extra space for the more sizeable spreads you might be minded to order, albeit with wood-backed seats better suited to quick stopovers (or late night visits) than long, lingering lunches. For those, turn the bend at the back for a cosy corner kitted out with leather banquettes lining the wall and high-backed two-seaters. This is a roomier space ideal for a catchup with friends or a family outing, with plenty of high chairs at the ready. What are they cooking? Don’t skim over the menu here – among the typical döner, charcoal grill and mezzes that might at first glance seem the same as similar spots, are a few standouts rarely seen about Dublin. Chief among them is tombik (€10.90), a puffy pouch of crisp-shelled bread stuffed to bursting with lamb, chicken or mixed döner shavings and the typical kebab salads. With no disrespect to the thin lavash flatbread that’s a mainstay of most kebabs around town, this made us wish for a world where tombik is the default. The blistered bread crust and airy interior are two delicious sides of the same high-heat coin, and it's a package good enough to eat alone, regardless of filling. It’s a bonus then that the meat’s great too, with heaps of generously juicy thin-sliced chicken falling out the sides as we stuffed ourselves (but no provenance to be seen). Iskender (€17.90) is a real rarity where Dublin kebab shops are concerned (not even Talbot Street’s Iskender itself, bizarrely, serves it). Diced chunks of tirnak pide, a dimpled doughy bread, are topped with mounds of fresh-cut lamb döner and doused with a reduced tomato sauce and melted butter topping, all served beside a heap of strained yoghurt. The deep sweetness of the cooked-down sauce and cool richness of the yogurt play off the lamb’s rich flavour, though our portion’s few chewier chunks left us wondering if the döner hadn’t gone too long without being carved – the tell tale toughness of added time up against the heat had us thinking how much better this would be at busier times. If you’re adding on mezzes, don’t miss the atom (€5.90), served with a fresh disc of tirnak pide alongside. This kicked our iskender into an altogether higher gear, with breath-stinkingly strong garlic stirred through strained yogurt and topped with fiery dried chilli oil – a full-on flavour feast far more assertive than regular yogurt alone. We packed it into the tombik too - it’s hard to imagine any dish this wouldn’t improve. Three things sent us hurtling headlong into the baked flatbread section: our constant quest for value; that spanking-new wood-fired grill; and one glimpse at the size of the pide and lahmacun being pulled out of it. The latter was one of our must-tries from Sultan’s Grill and it’s both better and cheaper here at €6.90 a serving to eclipse all but the biggest of heads. Pastry so crisp it practically shatters at the touch is spread with minced lamb, diced onions and peppers, oven-rendered fat giving it all the texture of spread sausage. Pile it high with the fresh salad on the side and wrap it up tight – as budget lunches go, you can’t do much better. We’d be happily filled from that alone but if you’re properly ravenous look at the “Turkish pizza” that is pide (€12.90). We can never pass up sucuk, the fermented beef sausage with layers of mild spiced flavour, scattered here among a molten excess of cheese just-about hemmed in by the singed paper-thin crust, perfectly punctuating the gooey, stretchy indulgence. This one's for sharing. Not even arch gluttons like us could stomach the thought of dessert after all of that, as tempted as we were by the glowing fridge opposite. Baklava and rice pudding look the part, while a glimpse and whiff of a bubbling kunefe en route to another table gave us every faith it's on the level we lapped up at Sofra . How was the service? Very fast. We almost told them they’d got the wrong table when our food arrived out spread across the arms of two staff what felt like ten minutes after we’d ordered it - this is a great go-to when you need a good feed quick. Friendly but unfussy check-ins followed suit – you’re in safe hands. What did it all come to? Three of us ate to the point we kinda wished we hadn’t for just short of €20 a head – that’s just silly value for a feast like this. You would find it very difficult to spend much more than that and have any hope of leaving empty plates behind. What’s the verdict on Pera? A Turkish coffee (€3.90) to finish here is obligatory – only such strong, stark caffeine could get us up out of our seats after all that. The two-pour prep over hot sand is a whole ritual we wish they’d given us more of an angle on, but the dainty delicate cup and its deeply aromatic notes is after-dinner show enough. It’s a Turkish tradition to turn the cup over after and tell your fortune from the shapes the unfiltered grounds leave running down the sides, Our seer skills might be rusty, we’re pretty sure ours predicted we wouldn’t be needing dinner that night, and that there’s a horde of people who’ll be rushing into Pera for value and quality like this. New Openings & Discoveries More >>

Barry Stephen’s LA-style, smoke-generating warehouse was booked solid for two months almost immediately after opening, which tells you everything you need to know about how good the food and vibes are at Chubby’s. The former taco truck has grown into a far more sophisticated beast, with the 10-hour smoked short-rib, Massaman chicken wings and sticky toffee spring rolls bringing all the boys and girls to the yard. Chubbys Website chubbyskitchen.ie Address Chubbys, Clontarf Road, Clontarf West, Dublin 3, Ireland Good For Tag 1 Cuisine Tag 1 Once Over Read our Review >> The Story Barry Stephen’s LA-style, smoke-generating warehouse was booked solid for two months almost immediately after opening, which tells you everything you need to know about how good the food and vibes are at Chubby’s. The former taco truck has grown into a far more sophisticated beast, with the 10-hour smoked short-rib, Massaman chicken wings and sticky toffee spring rolls bringing all the boys and girls to the yard. Where It's At Nearby Locales Mongoose Chongqing Hot Pot Boco Clontarf Bell Pesto Bang Gloria Osteria Cantina Valentina D'Lepak Pera Borgo Amai by Viktor Kaizen Chubbys Badam Table 45 Comet Daruma Malahide Lena The Pig's Ear Notions @ Two Pups The Rooftop @ Anantara The Marker Sofra Little Geno's Mama Shee Nutbutter Smithfield

Daddy's is a ray of sunshine in Rialto, with their Turkish eggs, croissandwiches and brightly stuffed sandwiches some of the best breakfast and lunch fare for miles around. They champion small Irish producers, like Salter's free-range ham, Shine's wild tuna, and Annascaul pudding, and use them to the best possible effect. Daddy's Website daddys.ie Address 538 South Circular Road, Dublin 8 Good For Tag 1 Cuisine Tag 1 Once Over Read our Review >> The Story Daddy's is a ray of sunshine in Rialto, with their Turkish eggs, croissandwiches and brightly stuffed sandwiches some of the best breakfast and lunch fare for miles around. They champion small Irish producers, like Salter's free-range ham, Shine's wild tuna, and Annascaul pudding, and use them to the best possible effect. Where It's At Nearby Locales Mongoose Chongqing Hot Pot Boco Clontarf Bell Pesto Bang Gloria Osteria Cantina Valentina D'Lepak Pera Borgo Amai by Viktor Kaizen Chubbys Badam Table 45 Comet Daruma Malahide Lena The Pig's Ear Notions @ Two Pups The Rooftop @ Anantara The Marker Sofra Little Geno's Mama Shee Nutbutter Smithfield

Rush lucked out with 2023 opening Noisette, serving pastries and sourdough loaves from Vaarsha Baugreet (previously head baker at Bread Naturally in Raheny), and partner Jérémy Pastor (formerly at Tartine and Bread 41). You can expect long morning lines for their hand-kneaded and rolled croissants, danishes and ciabattas, but the staff make it all worthwhile when they hand over the good stuff with a smile. They serve Imbibe coffee and Belgian hot chocolate, and have free plant milk on offer - a major plus for the normally-penalised dairy-free drinkers. Noisette Website @noisetteartisanbakery Address 3 Upper Main Street, Rush, Co. Dublin Good For Tag 1 Cuisine Tag 1 Once Over Read our Review >> The Story Rush lucked out with 2023 opening Noisette, serving pastries and sourdough loaves from Vaarsha Baugreet (previously head baker at Bread Naturally in Raheny), and partner Jérémy Pastor (formerly at Tartine and Bread 41). You can expect long morning lines for their hand-kneaded and rolled croissants, danishes and ciabattas, but the staff make it all worthwhile when they hand over the good stuff with a smile. They serve Imbibe coffee and Belgian hot chocolate, and have free plant milk on offer - a major plus for the normally-penalised dairy-free drinkers. Where It's At Nearby Locales Mongoose Chongqing Hot Pot Boco Clontarf Bell Pesto Bang Gloria Osteria Cantina Valentina D'Lepak Pera Borgo Amai by Viktor Kaizen Chubbys Badam Table 45 Comet Daruma Malahide Lena The Pig's Ear Notions @ Two Pups The Rooftop @ Anantara The Marker Sofra Little Geno's Mama Shee Nutbutter Smithfield

Emphasis on local and seasonal ingredients with a thoughtfully put together wine list. Chef Anthony Smith describes his food as ‘Modern International’ and it's ideal for North city celebrations, especially since they switched to a tasting menu. Mr Fox Website mrfox.ie Address 38 Parnell Square West, Dublin 1 Good For Tag 1 Cuisine Tag 1 Once Over Read our Review >> The Story Emphasis on local and seasonal ingredients with a thoughtfully put together wine list. Chef Anthony Smith describes his food as ‘Modern International’ and it's ideal for North city celebrations, especially since they switched to a tasting menu. Where It's At Nearby Locales Mongoose Chongqing Hot Pot Boco Clontarf Bell Pesto Bang Gloria Osteria Cantina Valentina D'Lepak Pera Borgo Amai by Viktor Kaizen Chubbys Badam Table 45 Comet Daruma Malahide Lena The Pig's Ear Notions @ Two Pups The Rooftop @ Anantara The Marker Sofra Little Geno's Mama Shee Nutbutter Smithfield

Assassination Custard Small, seasonal and perfectly formed Posted: 2 Aug 2018 Neighbourhood Neighborhood Name Address Restaurant Address Website Website Name Restaurant Info View the Listing >> Written by: Lisa Cope What’s the story? Ken Doherty and Gwen McGrath's tiny restaurant on Kevin Street in Dublin 8 is probably on the radar of most self-respecting Dublin foodies, but because they only open for lunch Tuesday - Friday we know just a handful of people who've managed to get there. The limited opening hours are to allow them to have a manageable family life and see their two children, but they do occasionally do pop-up dinners, like the one at Green Man Wines a few months ago which sold out almost as quickly as it was announced, and we hear you can book the space (and the chefs) for private parties in the evening. Both Ken and Gwen had worked in places before where produce is king (Good Things Café, Café Paradiso, Dax), and it's the same in Assassination Custard. Vegetables come from McNally Family Farm, with Ken himself often cycling to collect them, and meat is locally sourced. Offal appears regularly. A fter very complimentary reviews this year in the Irish Times and the Irish Examiner (and from everyone we know who's been there) we thought it was time for a midweek pilgrimage. What’s the room like? Teeny, with a max of 12 covers we're told (if even). There's one long rectangular table that fits three, and another round table where you can expect to sit with strangers, which is all part of the fun. We would definitely advise getting here as close to opening as possible, unless you're not in a rush. By 12:30 they were full with four people outside baying for seats. Despite this there's no feeling that they're trying to turn tables at lightning speed and the whole things is very relaxed, like having been invited into someone's kitchen who's going to make you the lunch of your life. What's good to eat? The hand-written menu changes daily depending on what produce they can get their hands on, but we'd be surprised to find a dud dish, and it always reflects what's in season. The panelle (pronounced pah-nell-eh) seem to be constant - savoury, salty slices of addictiveness made from chickpea flour before being deep-fried. It would be very easy to do a portion per person. From the other dishes on the menu that day we loved the fish pickle with homemade piccalilli, the oily tuna and anchovies lifted and balanced out by the vinegary pickle, which made for a perfect palate kickstarter, the juices mopped up with their chargrilled, homemade bread. We also loved the jalapeños with labneh, the thick, creamy yoghurt a perfect accompaniment to the charred, occasional fiery hot peppers (there's a bit of Russian roulette involved with the McNally jalapeños). A steaming bowl of chickpeas with sobrasada was so simple and so comforting, particularly on a cold, wet day in July (the return of the Irish summer), and is the kind of basic but brilliant dish that makes you pledge to start making it at home. Pointed cabbage with tahini sauce, Sichuan peppercorns and a dusting of curry powder was a deliciously brilliant example of what can be done when vegetables are put centre stage. The dessert option when we were there was flan covered in a thick caramel sauce, which tasted like the filling from the richest, densest cheesecake. They're famous for their "ugly but good" meringues with coriander and hazlenuts but they weren't on that day. If you see one, grab one. We ate most of the menu and the bill came to just over €40, which was really good value for food of this quality. What about the drinks? They only serve chilled tap water and coffee, but you can BYO for free. And the service? Wonderfully warm, almost like being entertained in someone's home. It's just Gwen and Ken, and they talk diners through the menu, making suggestions when asked and delivering the dishes to the table. There's a really intimate atmosphere because of the size and you get the feeling that nothing would be too much trouble. The verdict? A really special place for lunch that's well worth a midweek detour to Dublin 8. If you like eating with the seasons and food that comes from as close to the source as possible, you'll fall in love with Assassination Custard as soon as you walk through the door. If you can round up a gang of family and friends and take over the space for an evening, even better. That's something that's just gone to the top of our food-related wish list - although unsurprisingly we hear they're quite booked up for the next few months. Assassination Custard 19A Kevin Street Lower, Wood Quay, Dublin assassinationcustard New Openings & Discoveries More >>

Neighbourhood restaurant from the same team as the The Woollen Mills and The Winding Stair. Varied menu focusing on Irish food and provenance, with an all day brunch from 12pm on weekends. The Washerwoman Website thewasherwoman.ie Address 60 Glasnevin Hill, Glasnevin, Dublin 9 Good For Tag 1 Cuisine Tag 1 Once Over Read our Review >> The Story Neighbourhood restaurant from the same team as the The Woollen Mills and The Winding Stair. Varied menu focusing on Irish food and provenance, with an all day brunch from 12pm on weekends. Where It's At Nearby Locales Mongoose Chongqing Hot Pot Boco Clontarf Bell Pesto Bang Gloria Osteria Cantina Valentina D'Lepak Pera Borgo Amai by Viktor Kaizen Chubbys Badam Table 45 Comet Daruma Malahide Lena The Pig's Ear Notions @ Two Pups The Rooftop @ Anantara The Marker Sofra Little Geno's Mama Shee Nutbutter Smithfield

Grass-fed, chargrilled burgers that many would argue are Dublin's best, and with Gráinne O'Keefe (Mae) as culinary director they're taking things seriously. Juicy meat, brioche buns and a commitment to sustainability has meant Bujo is reason enough for a trip to Sandymount. Bujo Website bujo.ie Address 6A Sandymount Green, Sandymount, Dublin 4 Good For Tag 1 Cuisine Tag 1 Once Over Read our Review >> The Story Grass-fed, chargrilled burgers that many would argue are Dublin's best, and with Gráinne O'Keefe (Mae) as culinary director they're taking things seriously. Juicy meat, brioche buns and a commitment to sustainability has meant Bujo is reason enough for a trip to Sandymount. Where It's At Nearby Locales Mongoose Chongqing Hot Pot Boco Clontarf Bell Pesto Bang Gloria Osteria Cantina Valentina D'Lepak Pera Borgo Amai by Viktor Kaizen Chubbys Badam Table 45 Comet Daruma Malahide Lena The Pig's Ear Notions @ Two Pups The Rooftop @ Anantara The Marker Sofra Little Geno's Mama Shee Nutbutter Smithfield

Hidden away inside Buddy's Farmers Market in Ballymun Industrial estate, Blossom Artisan Bakery sell a range of breads as well as sweet and savoury pastries that go toe to toe with the city's best. Bakers Peter and Xenia have been perfecting their sourdough loaves and pastries for years, and do weekly changing specials to keep things fresh. Definitely worth a detour on your next IKEA or Decathalon visit, or if you're heading anywhere via the M50, with the added convenience of being able to pick up local fruit and veg in Buddy's while you're there. Blossom Artisan Bakery Website instagram.com/blossom_artisan_bakery Address Unit D2, Ballymun Industrial Park, 16 Carton Road, Ballymun, Dublin 11 Good For Tag 1 Cuisine Tag 1 Once Over Read our Review >> The Story Hidden away inside Buddy's Farmers Market in Ballymun Industrial estate, Blossom Artisan Bakery sell a range of breads as well as sweet and savoury pastries that go toe to toe with the city's best. Bakers Peter and Xenia have been perfecting their sourdough loaves and pastries for years, and do weekly changing specials to keep things fresh. Definitely worth a detour on your next IKEA or Decathalon visit, or if you're heading anywhere via the M50, with the added convenience of being able to pick up local fruit and veg in Buddy's while you're there. Where It's At Nearby Locales Mongoose Chongqing Hot Pot Boco Clontarf Bell Pesto Bang Gloria Osteria Cantina Valentina D'Lepak Pera Borgo Amai by Viktor Kaizen Chubbys Badam Table 45 Comet Daruma Malahide Lena The Pig's Ear Notions @ Two Pups The Rooftop @ Anantara The Marker Sofra Little Geno's Mama Shee Nutbutter Smithfield

Ex-Etto head chef Barry Sun’s first solo restaurant Volpe Nera (meaning black fox) opened in between Blackrock and Foxrock in 2019, and every critic who walked through the doors was wowed. The menu has a lot of similarities to Italian/Irish Etto (which can only be a good thing) with the occasional Asian flourish, like the cep dumpling with aged soya, trompettes and chives. Grown up and comfortable dining room over two floors with table and bar seating, and the wine list gets better every time we look. Volpe Nera Website volpenera.ie Address 22 Newtown Park, Blackrock, Co. Dublin Good For Tag 1 Cuisine Tag 1 Once Over Read our Review >> The Story Ex-Etto head chef Barry Sun’s first solo restaurant Volpe Nera (meaning black fox) opened in between Blackrock and Foxrock in 2019, and every critic who walked through the doors was wowed. The menu has a lot of similarities to Italian/Irish Etto (which can only be a good thing) with the occasional Asian flourish, like the cep dumpling with aged soya, trompettes and chives. Grown up and comfortable dining room over two floors with table and bar seating, and the wine list gets better every time we look. Where It's At Nearby Locales Mongoose Chongqing Hot Pot Boco Clontarf Bell Pesto Bang Gloria Osteria Cantina Valentina D'Lepak Pera Borgo Amai by Viktor Kaizen Chubbys Badam Table 45 Comet Daruma Malahide Lena The Pig's Ear Notions @ Two Pups The Rooftop @ Anantara The Marker Sofra Little Geno's Mama Shee Nutbutter Smithfield

Allta Winter House Back in the city and soaring above the rest Posted: 23 Nov 2021 Neighbourhood Neighborhood Name Address Restaurant Address Website Website Name Restaurant Info View the Listing >> Written by: Lisa Cope What’s the story? Niall Davidson's Allta opened on South Frederick Street in November 2019 in a rush of excitement. The formerly London-based chef who'd led the kitchen in Nuala , after time spent in Chiltern Firehouse and St. John, had critics and diners almost in a frenzied state with talk of handmade pasta, home-cured charcuterie and a menu with almost everything sourced from Ireland, and it didn't let them down. It felt fresh, different, like it had been picked up in a city far cooler than Dublin and dropped in the centre, and we loved it . They blazed away for a few months, and then in early 2020 the unthinkable happened and they, like everyone else, were shut down. They never reopened the original site, even when lockdowns were lifted, saying they couldn't make enough profit with the social distancing restrictions in place, but instead focused their energies on Allta Box , which was the smash hit, at home kit of the pandemic. Most of us have memories of the brown, Allta-emblazoned box arriving on a Friday afternoon, the sourdough and shiitake miso butter, the pickled veg palate cleanser, the perfectly labelled and colour-coded pots of pasta, sauces and crunchy toppings, the cookie dough, we'll stop... We were (im)patiently awaiting news of the restaurant reopening, but instead, in June 2021, they announced they were popping up in a huge tent in the grounds of Slane Castle on the banks of the river Boyne for the summer. When the book of Irish food post the year 2000 is written, 'Allta Summer House' will probably have a chapter in itself, and we left as thunderstruck as everyone in front of and behind us. It ended in September with diners already trying to book for the following summer, but there was surprise and all round awe when the team announced that their next move would be to the top floor of Trinity Street carpark, for 'Allta Winter House'. Davidson also announced that he had split with his investors, and now he and head chef Hugh Higgins were out on their own. How do we get up there and can we have a drink first? Enter the dingy carpark entrance from Dame Lane and head for the lift - there are no signs anywhere, don't panic. Hit level 5, and when you get out all will be okay. Here you'll give your name, have your vaccination certs and ID checked, use a fancy automatic hand sanitizer, and then be brought to your table. You'll walk through Glovebox, their bar/art gallery which will be serving drinks and small plates and is due to open soon. There's going to be a DJ too - major London/New York rooftop party vibes. Once open you can have a drink here before or after, or head straight up to the main space, which is up a ramp (level 6). Where should we sit? All of the tables are the same long table set up seating four or six people, and are assigned in advance, but you might want to request being close to the kitchen if you like to see the action, or at the other end of the space if you don't want to be surrounded by other tables on all sides. Despite being in a tent it's not cold - every table has a heater above it, and we had full arms out in November. What they've done up here took real vision and we're sure a lot of painstaking toil to get it ready. It's very hard to believe you're in the same city carpark off Dame Street when sitting on a sheepskin rug under a floral installation eating off Fermoyle Pottery. What's the food like? It's a set menu for €95 which is good because you don't have to make any decisions and get to try ALL THE FOOD, but potentially bad because it's a lot of money and you might struggle to get another three or five people to go with you. We've had a lot of messages from annoyed readers wanting to go as a two, but because of the table set up it just wouldn't make sense for them financially, and they can't mix you with strangers at the moment for obvious reasons. We've been busy trying to match up some of our ATF Insiders who wanted to go but didn't have enough spenny pals to go with them, but honestly this is worth calling up old school pals, the couple who used to live upstairs, your rich uncle - anyone who might join you for what could be yours and their meal of the year. The menu is going to change often, so we're not going to spend too much time detailing every single course - also it would be a eulogising, adjective-filled overload - but you can see the menu above for the night we visited, and you can expect some dishes (or variations) to show up again and again. You'll start with a broth - our was a sweet and smoky grilled aubergine, with droplets of oil giving it a silkiness. Next you can expect the softest Cromane oysters from Kerry, which Davidson has been using since he put that mural of the fisherman on the wall at Allta. Ours came with a dressing made with sea buckthorn - a coastal berry that's in season in Ireland right now, and tastes sweet, sour and citrusey. Next came a crunchy buckwheat cracker with the freshest crab meat, tomato and sea urchin foam (leading to many questions around the table of exactly how one makes a sea urchin foam). This was followed by one of the dishes we have vivid taste memories of from Allta Summer House - the fermented flatbread with Bán goat's cheese from the Boyne Valley and black garlic. Chewy, creamy, tangy, sweet - if Carlsberg did flatbreads... And that was just the snacks. For our first larger plate we saw the resurrection of Allta's sweet and juicy scallops with gooseberry beurre blanc and hazelnuts. It was stunning then, and it's stunning now. Particularly with the added ribbon of kolhrabi for extra texture. Then came Jerusalem artichokes with Cais na Tíre (a Tipperary sheep cheese) sauce and artichoke crisps, like something fondue dreams of being when it grows up. Also, why are Jerusalem artichokes not on more menus? We're starting a petition. Also for this to be the new definition of 'comfort food'. You can keep your burgers and ribs - we're choosing cheese covered artichokes every time. Then, just as we were wondering whether we should cover each other with coats to lick the plates, they arrived with that sourdough to mop it all up, and a bowl of the shiitake miso butter. If you haven't seen someone taste it for the first time, sit back and enjoy - the ooohs, aaahs and omgs are quite entertaining. When you're feeling nicely full your sharing mains arrive. First up we tackled a striking side of ocean trout with sea herbs, mussels and goat's milk whey. You should gently peel off the crispy skin before dividing it up, scooping up the sauce and flavour bursts with a suitably large spoon. After a few bites of the fish, the attentive staff told us we shouldn't leave the Tamworth pork sitting around, and you don't have to tell us twice. We had this dish in Allta Summer House, with the pork coming from the Rock Farm pigs in the adjoining field, and we presume this has the same provenance as Tamworth pork is not easy to find here. The sweet, soft meat is topped with sweet, crispy skin, and it was sitting in a pool of tangy fermented pumpkin. If you're of the "eat better meat less" camp, it's hard to imagine it getting better than this. Unexpected sides arrived (maybe they didn't have enough space on the menu) of romanesco and cavolo nero on romesco (we wished we'd saved some sourdough), and lightly dressed potatoes with herbs, and we had to take a few leftovers home in a lunchbox because we were close to being defeated, but also can't abide food waste. A semi palate cleanser arrived as the first dessert, of apple cider jelly made with the good stuff from The Cider Mill in Slane, apple ice and apple ice-cream, before the most scandalous mini doughnuts with brittle crème brûlée toppings, like the outside of a well made toffee apple, filled with a sort of thicker c rème anglaise . We now understand why people used to queue for 90 minutes to get into the Allta Bakery . What about the drinks? The wine list is extremely well curated and has so many of the best wines on the Irish market right now, but prices are high - those high end tents and dried flowers don't pay for themselves. We love Tuffeau's champagne style sparkling wine (€50 on the list here), as well as the Spanish Ubé from Bodegas Cota 45, and the Portugese Prazo de Roriz from P + S (both €60-€65), but there was so much we would have loved to drink - especially if we had deeper pockets. Wine glasses are Riedel too - what else would you expect. And the service? So personable and friendly. Everyone seems to really enjoy being a part of this, and we can't blame them. It feels like a rocket ship on the ascent. And the damage? €168 a head for the set menu, three bottles of wine between four, four after dinner drinks and service charge. Pricey? Yes. Value for money? 100%. The verdict? What the Allta team are creating and delivering, whether in a tent on the roof of a carpark or if they move into a bigger, less edgy space next year, is undoubtedly a defining event in Irish food. Ambitious projects like this set new standards for the industry as a whole, show others up, show diners what they could be experiencing, instead of another lacklustre meal of goat's cheese salad and chicken supreme. A chef from another restaurant joked recently that restaurants and chefs lacking in creativity wouldn't bother copying Allta, because who would put that much work into each dish, and you can taste the weeks and months of curing, fermenting, aging, planning, tasting - flavours like this don't come from packets or bottles or chefs lacking in skill. There are no shortcuts here, no cost cutting measures. Their only goal is to make their ingredients taste as extraordinary as possible, and shake things up while they're doing it. There's a relatively small cohort of restaurants and chefs across the country pushing the industry to new heights, but their importance on the larger scale of defining what it means to cook and serve 'Irish food', or even just 'food cooked in Ireland', can't be underestimated, both at home and abroad. Either can their ability to turn out the next great chefs in the country. Allta Winter House is as impressive a definition of Irish food as you'll find anywhere in Ireland in 2021, served in an atmosphere crackling with talent and drive, in a space that took major vision to bring to life. If you do one nice thing for yourself in the next few months, get a booking here, and experience it for yourself. Allta Summer House Trinity Car Park, Trinity Street, Dublin 2 www.alltawinterhouse.ie New Openings & Discoveries More >>

Bless Up Home-inspired Afro-Caribbean food to feast on and to share in Posted: 31 Oct 2023 Neighbourhood Neighborhood Name Address Restaurant Address Website Website Name Restaurant Info View the Listing >> Written by: Ronan Doyle What's the story with Bless Up? With a history more steeped in emigration than immigration, Dublin has often sadly lagged behind many even comparably-sized UK cities when it comes to the diversity of food on offer. This has started to change and change quickly in recent years, but we’re still playing catch-up in many terms. That’s a big part of why Bless Up caught our eye as it opened in Tallaght back in September: this isn’t the first restaurant in Dublin to offer Sub-Saharan African food, but the scale of its fit-out suggests plenty of confidence that it could be the best. The flashy décor speaks to the ambition to make this a community space as much as a restaurant, and there’s an impressive speaker setup in place to allow Bless Up to host all kind of music night events. The Nigerian-Irish and Nigerian-British owners have plenty of front-of-house experience from the likes of Carluccio’s and Fifty50 but this is their first time manning a kitchen. Where should we sit? Expect to walk in and be wowed – the space here has been transformed with low lighting and red curtains pairing with the smart seating and marble-effect tables for a premium late-night lounge vibe. To the rear there’s an area closed off by a sliding glass door that can be booked as a private room. The tables lining the walls have cosier seating than the wooden chairs of the handful of two-tops out on the floor; we’d recommend sticking to the wall that runs perpendicular to the bar to avoid the minor annoyance of an Instagram-friendly flashing welcome video projected on the wall. What's on the menu? We knew going in that half the mains were going to need our attention so for starters we stuck only to suya, a spiced and grilled meat dish made in this case with a mix of beef, chicken and goat. You’ll more often find this marinated in the characteristic dry-rub – a deep-flavoured powder of roast peanuts and spices including paprika and cayenne – and barbecued on a skewer but here it’s doner-thin slices layered up in a bowl. The meat is tender and juicy, teeming with flavour from the rich rub; the three kinds of meat make for a mouthful-to-mouthful variety that keeps it from ever seeming one-note. This is a great starting salvo apart from the tragic side salad – it’s there to add colour, but it’s really just taking up space. For all its pitching itself as an Afro-Caribbean restaurant, there’s no doubt Bless Up skews solidly to the former part of that hybrid. Jerk chicken on the mains list is the major exception: this Jamaican dish is a classic of Caribbean cooking, spicy-sweet from a lengthy marinade in an allspice and hot pepper-dominated mix and smoky from the grill. Those duelling flavours play well off the thigh’s fatty richness but we would have liked a little more heat – especially given they asked if we wanted it really spicy (of course). “Rice and peas” (actually kidney beans, as per tradition) on the side are simmered in coconut milk and the same spicing for a complimentary, more mellow flavour – these work really well together. Back to Nigeria for the efo riro, a seasoned and sauteed spinach with full flavours from a fried onion and tomato base. If we’re honest we had lowest expectations for this plate but the depth of flavour had us eating our words along with our greens. Our server suggested a side of goat meat to go with it and who were we to argue – this was a definite highlight of Bless Up’s simple satisfactions, gorgeous grilled slices of succulent meat with a sprinkle of spice. Goat remains a real rarity in Dublin restaurants and it’s a great shame – the quality take on it offered here is one of the major reasons to haul yourself out to Tallaght. Both efo riro and jerk chicken come served with a generous side of fried plantain – here they cook the starchy banana varietal to a caramelised crisp that’s positively addictive. It's good news for the greedy that two of the mains are also available in smaller side form, and that’s how we opted to enjoy the jollof and chakalaka – both come with plantains and grilled meat when ordered as a full-fledged main. The jollof – a staple West African rice dish seasoned with spice and simmered in tomato sauce – is delicious, a warming feed of flavour we can see working especially well on those coming colder nights. Chakalaka, a spiced-up riff on baked beans from the south of the continent, has more of that stewed vegetable complexity and gets great texture from the corn and peas flecked through the bowl. We would have happily eaten both of these as mains. We can’t tell you how much our eyes lit up when our server said the dessert of the day was a plantain split – we weren’t through with this delicious fruit yet. Three scoops of caramel-drizzled vanilla ice cream straddle the two wedges of banana, and if it isn’t quite as crisp-charred as its savoury dish cousins, it at least has all the same sweet softness. Puff puff is the menu option we most often saw praised by diners across early reviews on Google and TikTok and it’s hard to argue: these icing sugar-dusted deep-fried dough balls are airy, indulgent, and absolutely addictive dipped in the caramel on the side. Both desserts have a kind of confident simplicity that makes for a nice finish to a meal characterised by layered, complex flavours – a pared-back wind-down to send you out into the street well and truly stuffed. What about drinks? The wine list is relatively slim and with little of any real interest – we expected to see a bit more South African options but it gets no more attention than the other typical regions with three to four bottles and one or two by-the-glass each. Prices are fine, but there’s nothing here that’s good enough to count as a bargain. How was the service? Lovely! Everyone we spoke to seemed genuinely delighted people were trying the place out and keen to know how we’d come across it. Staff are attentive and all over the menu, quick with suggestions to help you try out as much as you can. Everything was ready in super-quick order too, though there was no speed the other side in trying to hustle us out of the place – you will feel very welcome here. What was the damage? What we ordered came to much more than enough for two – though we still ate every bite – at a very reasonable €88. Portion sizes are plentiful, so if you’re watching your spend you could happily fill up on just a main with plenty of change from a twenty. Families will be keen to know they’re very kid-friendly with high chairs on standby and a special kids menu offering goujons, jollof or fried rice for €6.95. And the verdict? At a time when slimming margins and uncertain outlooks are (understandably) pushing more and more new openings to go for the same style of small plates, it’s a thrill to see something as unique as Bless Up land in Dublin. There’s a clear confidence to both the space and the cooking here that seems to suggest those behind it know they’ve got something special on their hands. This is great hospitality, home-inspired food to feast on and to share in. With the broad range of cuisines that fall under the Afro-Caribbean remit we can only hope they continue to add to the menu – already since we’ve visited they’ve added gizdodo, the Yoruba delicacy of gizzards and plantains, and honestly we’re checking the timetables to Tallaght as we write. New Openings & Discoveries More >>

The original Tang site on Dawson Street facing St. Stephen's Green has a lot less seating space than their Abbey Street and Cumberland Place sites, and you can expect to find a queue throughout lunch, but there are few better places to grab a lamb flatbread or a box of brightly coloured salads and head for a bench in the green. Tang Dawson Street Website tang.ie Address 23C Dawson Street, Dublin 2 Good For Tag 1 Cuisine Tag 1 Once Over Read our Review >> The Story The original Tang site on Dawson Street facing St. Stephen's Green has a lot less seating space than their Abbey Street and Cumberland Place sites, and you can expect to find a queue throughout lunch, but there are few better places to grab a lamb flatbread or a box of brightly coloured salads and head for a bench in the green. Where It's At Nearby Locales Mongoose Chongqing Hot Pot Boco Clontarf Bell Pesto Bang Gloria Osteria Cantina Valentina D'Lepak Pera Borgo Amai by Viktor Kaizen Chubbys Badam Table 45 Comet Daruma Malahide Lena The Pig's Ear Notions @ Two Pups The Rooftop @ Anantara The Marker Sofra Little Geno's Mama Shee Nutbutter Smithfield

Venezuelan-born Nigely Maasud came to Ireland with hopes of starting a tour company, but after realising the capital was lacking a bonefide 'churreria', she started making them with her mother. Their market stall eventually morphed into a Temple Bar café where the crunchy, airy churros are the main attraction (don't miss the Spanish hot chocolate to dip the plain ones in), but ice-cream, crêpes and savoury Venezuelan tequenos stuffed with cheese are more reasons to take a Temple Bar pitstop. Sweet Churro Website sweetchurro.ie Address 3/4 Crow Street, Temple Bar, Dublin 2 Good For Tag 1 Cuisine Tag 1 Once Over Read our Review >> The Story Venezuelan-born Nigely Maasud came to Ireland with hopes of starting a tour company, but after realising the capital was lacking a bonefide 'churreria', she started making them with her mother. Their market stall eventually morphed into a Temple Bar café where the crunchy, airy churros are the main attraction (don't miss the Spanish hot chocolate to dip the plain ones in), but ice-cream, crêpes and savoury Venezuelan tequenos stuffed with cheese are more reasons to take a Temple Bar pitstop. Where It's At Nearby Locales Mongoose Chongqing Hot Pot Boco Clontarf Bell Pesto Bang Gloria Osteria Cantina Valentina D'Lepak Pera Borgo Amai by Viktor Kaizen Chubbys Badam Table 45 Comet Daruma Malahide Lena The Pig's Ear Notions @ Two Pups The Rooftop @ Anantara The Marker Sofra Little Geno's Mama Shee Nutbutter Smithfield

Forest Avenue Wine Bar Champagne, terrines & all the carbs Posted: 22 Mar 2022 Neighbourhood Neighborhood Name Address Restaurant Address Website Website Name Restaurant Info View the Listing >> Written by: Lisa Cope What’s the story? God loves a pivot (isn't that the saying?), and in the last two years a few people and places have done so many pivots they're practically spinning on the spot. Sandy and John Wyer started off 2020 with high end restaurant Forest Avenue (which people have been tipping for a Michelin star for years), and small plates and wine focused Forest & Marcy around the corner, which was initially supposed to be a wine bar but you couldn't just drop in for wine, so we never put it in that category. There was also the whisper of a third restaurant coming soon into the fold - an Italian in Blackrock, heavily delayed due to building issues. Enter covid, and a total restaurant shutdown. It didn't take long (about two weeks) for Forest Avenue to reopen as the city's poshest new grocer, with everything from sourdough and juniper doughnuts to freshly rolled pappardelle, and a constant queue down the street. With wine upstairs and deli items to go, they made the very best out of a bad situation, and the punters lapped it up. In November of that year, Little Forest finally burst open its doors for takeaway pizza only, with Reggie White (the former owner of Pi) making the pies, and the reaction was rapturous. Pizza hasn't gotten this many plaudits since, well, Reggie was making pizzas in Pi. The deli and pizzas kept the team busy until things very slowly started to get back to normal, and in September 2021 they made the surprising announcement that Forest Avenue (tasting menu and all) was moving to the smaller Forest & Marcy site, and a few weeks ago news followed that the Forest Avenue grocer was turning into a wine bar at night. A city can never have too many (good) wine bars, so this was very good news, and we were in there like Flynn to check it out. Where should we sit? There's bar/high table seating and low tables like the old days, but in a wine bar we love a bar counter, so that's always our first choice. The views, the chat, the general elevation - it all adds to the European capital wine bar vibes. You might also want to be over near the kitchen if you like eyeballing the chefs, and if you have a preference be sure to mention it when you book. We also spotted a long table upstairs which looked ideal for a group. What's the food like? The menu is exactly what we want to see from a wine bar - those places calling themselves wine bars and serving a three course menu, we're looking at you with irritation. Oysters, meats, terrines, rillettes, bread based snacks - it's an A-Z of first rate wine bar fodder. Depending on how many of you there are you might just want to start at the top and work down - which is what we did but got defeated half way through. Starting with John Wyer's immense sourdough and whipped salted butter is not optional, and a great sign of things to come. Oysters (they didn't specify which and we forgot to ask) came beautifully presented topped with tarragon oil and pickled shallots, and were so deliciously vivid and palate awakening that we bet even your friend who says they hate oysters would be asking for another. Is a wine bar without anchovies even a wine bar? In our book no, but Forest Avenue have taken it up a gear with two types of Cantabrian anchovies served together - some in vinegar (which you might know as boquerones) and some cured in salt, in a dressing of green olives, parsley and capers, with some pickled red onion on there too. It tastes exactly as good as it looks and sounds. Terrines can be hit or miss - we've spent many a night choking down a slab as dry as cardboard with all the flavour of a day old sock - but their duck and foie gras terrine with black fig paste and a celeriac remoulade is one huge hit. Chunks of meat melt away as you slice your fork through it, and it would be hard to think of a better accompaniment than that sweet, punchy black fig paste. The celeriac brought a lovely lightness between mouthfuls, and you definitely should not miss this one. The potato paillason are similar to hash brown fries or deep-fried confit potatoes, and they tick the chic chips box nicely, but we did find them a little oily so didn't want more than a couple, for fear of filling up too fast. The vadouvan mayonnaise (a spice blend that's been described as a French version of masala) was a very enjoyable alternative to the usual dipping suspects. If you like a swanky toastie, you'll love the pastrami and pickles on toast with truffle and aged parmesan, the perfect combination of rich meat and cheese, fluffy bread and crunchy pickles. We would definitely want to share this or you won't have room for much else, unless you're just popping in for a sambo and a glass of wine. Marinated shiitakes with radish and kelp was a pleasant bowl to pick at while snacking, but we wouldn't mark as a must-have. However the more delicate flavours may have gotten lost amongst everything else, so if you're ordering it see if you can get it at the top of the meal. We were close to being carbed out by the time our comté, ham and truffle tart arrived, and wished we'd gone for the trout rillette or grape and blue cheese salad instead (we just get very excited around delicious sounding carbs). It was nice, but felt too similar to something we might make at home with a packet of pastry and the right ingredients to hand. The salad on the side tasted very strongly of parsley - our least favourite herb. We were close to admitting defeat, but never before dessert (committed to the cause). A custard tart with rhubarb came on a dense pastry base with a crunchy brûléed top, and a side of tart rhubarb topped with the lightest, airiest ice-cream topping. The rhubarb itself was the standout. We'd also ordered the beignet with blood orange curd, but the order hadn't gone into the kitchen, so the chefs had to be called back to make it. Unfortunately when they did arrive they weren't cooked through, so weren't as pleasant as they should have been, but when cooked properly who doesn't like a mini doughnut, and the curd was delightful (and delightfully seasonal). What about the drinks? Anywhere that has a dedicated grower Champagne by the glass list gets our vote. They're not cheap, but for €22 - €28 a glass around town all you're going to get is big brand, corporate tasting Grand Marques, and these are a world apart - it's like buying a steak in Tesco verses driving out to Higgins in Sutton. We tried the Stephanie Regault Chromatique (light, fresh, elegant), and the Georges Remy Bouzy Rosé (weightier with more power and roundness), and they were both top tier fizz. If you've ever paid €25 for a glass of Moet et Chandon, treat yourself to this and consider it penance. The rest of the wine list is just as lovingly put together, and there was a lot on it we wanted to drink. Prices start at €10 a glass and go up to €26 for a white Burgundy from Rully, so it's easy for the bill to ratchet up, but when we're in a wine bar we want to drink really nice wine - that's literally the reason they exist. We really liked the Albert Mann Riesling (Alsace) and the Luis Seabra Xisto white field blend (Portugal), as well as their own Forest Avenue red Burgundy which was lush and soft with lovely red fruits. We also splurged on a €20 glass of Hirsch Vineyards Pinot Noir (California), because it's a winemaker we've never seen poured by the glass here and it's very special stuff. Sweet wines to match the desserts, a Hungarian Tokaji and an Austrian blend, were excellent too. And the service? The staff could not have been nicer, practically hugging us when we arrived, and the warmth kept going all night. Dishes came really nicely spread out, one or two at a time, never overwhelming proceedings, and the whole experience felt very relaxing. And the damage? Around €125 a head with service, which was more than we were planning to spend, but take off two glasses of grower Champagne and the €20 glass of Pinot and you'd be down at a more respectable €90 a head. The verdict? We think Forest Avenue's most recent pivot might be their most clever one yet. There were more similarities than differences between Forest Avenue and Forest & Marcy, and now there's a clear line differentiating them. We'd bet the newly situated Forest Avenue around the corner still has a star in its sights, while the laid back newbie in its place is the wine bar Dublin 4 needed. Go often, go early, go easy on the bread, and order the good champagne. Forest Avenue Wine Bar 8 Sussex Terrace, Sussex Road, Dublin 4 forestavenuewinebar.ie New Openings & Discoveries More >>

Dublin isn't drowning in good Vietnamese food but Pho Kim should be on your hit list. Don't miss the 'Bun Tom Thit Nuong', with marinated pork and prawns, rice vermicelli noodles, peanuts, carrots, coriander, crispy onions, cucumber and a tangy sauce to pour over everything before diving in. Pho Kim Website phokim.ie Address 162 Parnell Street, Dublin 1 Good For Tag 1 Cuisine Tag 1 Once Over Read our Review >> The Story Dublin isn't drowning in good Vietnamese food but Pho Kim should be on your hit list. Don't miss the 'Bun Tom Thit Nuong', with marinated pork and prawns, rice vermicelli noodles, peanuts, carrots, coriander, crispy onions, cucumber and a tangy sauce to pour over everything before diving in. Where It's At Nearby Locales Mongoose Chongqing Hot Pot Boco Clontarf Bell Pesto Bang Gloria Osteria Cantina Valentina D'Lepak Pera Borgo Amai by Viktor Kaizen Chubbys Badam Table 45 Comet Daruma Malahide Lena The Pig's Ear Notions @ Two Pups The Rooftop @ Anantara The Marker Sofra Little Geno's Mama Shee Nutbutter Smithfield

Un'Altra Pasta Bar Website unaltrapastabarblackrock.ie Address Un Altra Pasta Bar Blackrock, Main Street, Blackrock, Dublin, Ireland Good For Tag 1 Cuisine Tag 1 Once Over Read our Review >> The Story Where It's At Nearby Locales Mongoose Chongqing Hot Pot Boco Clontarf Bell Pesto Bang Gloria Osteria Cantina Valentina D'Lepak Pera Borgo Amai by Viktor Kaizen Chubbys Badam Table 45 Comet Daruma Malahide Lena The Pig's Ear Notions @ Two Pups The Rooftop @ Anantara The Marker Sofra Little Geno's Mama Shee Nutbutter Smithfield

Baker Thibault Peigne is the man behind Tartine Organic Bakery, whose breads can be found in restaurants cafés and supermarkets across the city. While that's the baking behemoth, Russell Street Bakery is his latest and littlest labour of love, producing the highest quality sourdoughs, brioche, focaccia, lavash and pastries you can imagine. Coffee is from Imbibe and lunchtime sees European-style sandwiches top the counters. Bring a very big bag and fill your freezer with anything you can't eat on the day. Russell Street Bakery Website instagram.com/russellst.bakery Address Russell Street Bakery, Russell Street, Dublin, Ireland Good For Tag 1 Cuisine Tag 1 Once Over Read our Review >> The Story Baker Thibault Peigne is the man behind Tartine Organic Bakery, whose breads can be found in restaurants cafés and supermarkets across the city. While that's the baking behemoth, Russell Street Bakery is his latest and littlest labour of love, producing the highest quality sourdoughs, brioche, focaccia, lavash and pastries you can imagine. Coffee is from Imbibe and lunchtime sees European-style sandwiches top the counters. Bring a very big bag and fill your freezer with anything you can't eat on the day. Where It's At Nearby Locales Mongoose Chongqing Hot Pot Boco Clontarf Bell Pesto Bang Gloria Osteria Cantina Valentina D'Lepak Pera Borgo Amai by Viktor Kaizen Chubbys Badam Table 45 Comet Daruma Malahide Lena The Pig's Ear Notions @ Two Pups The Rooftop @ Anantara The Marker Sofra Little Geno's Mama Shee Nutbutter Smithfield

Rei Momo Brazilian bar food and killer Caipirinhas having all the fun with flavour Posted: 28 Oct 2025 Neighbourhood Neighborhood Name Address Restaurant Address Website Website Name Restaurant Info View the Listing >> Written by: Lisa Cope What's the scoop on Rei Momo? The new(ish) Brazilian bar on Drury Street used to be Bootleg , whose short-lived attempt at bringing vintage wines, disco nights and Spanish-style small plates to the city centre never really caught fire. A collaboration from the people behind Big Fan, Sprezzatura and Bow Lane, they cut their losses and put their thinking caps on about a new concept in the same space. What they came up with was Rei Momo (which translates to King Momo, the King of Carnival), a Brazilian bar serving all the iconic snacks, grilled meats, and an almighty list of caipirinhas. The food seems to centre on their Brazilian chef Bruno, who regularly features on their social feeds, and they're pitching it as a fun place to go with friends, or just stop for drinks and snacks on the eternally buzzing Drury Street. In a city where once again it's become impossible to get a table anywhere good without extreme levels of planning, more places like this encouraging spontaneity, walk ins and no minimum order can only be a good thing. Where should we sit? First things first, this is a bar, not a restaurant, and a lot of the chairs are high ones at high top tables. If you're coming with a gang you can request the large table in the centre which sits up to 12, or the ones on the side could seat six. There's bar seating at the counter too if you feel like dropping in solo for a drink and a snack, and don't want to take up a whole table. If you have a friend or family member who likes their feet on the ground and proper back support, ask for the booth seating on the right hand side of the room, and if you're into city centre people watching, ask to sit inside the window. We'd least like to be sat at the low tables for two in the middle of the room, which feel a bit lost at sea and are too small for the amount of food we'd end up ordering. What are we drinking? When in a Brazilian bar, it's mandatory to start with a caipirinha, and this must be the best selection in the city. There are six flavours, from classic to coco verde, and three frozen ones, with mango, açaí and a whole young coconut. You can also get batidas (a creamy cocktail with condensed milk), spritzes, Brazilian beers, and a "tiny beer" for €2.50 (we've been waiting for tiny cocktails to hit Dublin, but beer beat them to it). There's a decent wine list and a really excellent N/A selection too, featuring soda, juice, Brazilian lemonade, N/A beer and wine, as well as beer and coffee. No one will be left wanting. We had to dive right in with a frozen mango caipirinha (like a fruity, freezing cold slap to the face), and a coco verde caipirinha, and both just made us want to try more from this list. They're both high on alcohol and sugar though, so we're not sure we could do more than a couple. What about food? Again, it's important to remember that this is bar food, and not a three course meal. A lot of it is fried and meaty, so perfect for soaking up cocktails, but it might feel like overload if you're picturing a three-course meal situation. Start with the bougiest version o f Pão de Queijo we've ever seen, the cheesy, chewy, dough balls coming with the lovely addition of whipped Parmesan butter (€7 for three). Then move onto coxinhas, Brazil's famous teardrop-shaped, deep-fried croquettes, on the menu here in four better the average flavours. We had to try the Irish crab and Gruyère with chilli jam and lemon mayo, and while you can't go far wrong with Irish crab anything, we couldn't taste any Gruyère (maybe a stronger cheese, higher quality version or more of it was needed). The fact that they arrived lukewarm didn't help. The smoked short-rib version with requeijão (a Brazilian ricotta-like cheese) and guava ketchup was much better (€14 for three) - a mound of meat collapsing into a pool of more lemony mayo, with a tangy dot of guava on top (we would have liked more). Salt cod is another ingredient synonymous with Brazil, as are bolinhos de bacalhau - salt cod fritters (€12 for three). We thought these could have gone lighter on the potato, and heavier on the fish, but they came alive with the little pops of sweet and spicy peppers, and a squeeze of lemon over the top. Pastels, a deep-fried pastry pocket, are again more upmarket than you might have seen on the streets of São Paulo, and we went for the one stuffed with oxtail and Durrus cheese (€13). It's a sizeable snack and could be enough to fill a gap on its own at lunch time, but we did find a chunk of the pastry at one end was empty, which is always a bummer. The vinagrete on the side provided the perfect lift to all that meat and cheese. One of the must orders here is the wood-fired garlic butter chicken hearts (€12), even if they came without the advertised caipirinha yoghurt. It didn't matter, because a squeeze of lemon is all they needed, and if you're squeamish about offal, just trust us and pop your cherry with these. Also from the grill you can get Peri Peri chicken, pork ribs and moqueca prawns, but it had to be pichana with thyme and chimichurri after Entrecote-gate a few streets over. Despite being more cooked than we would have liked, it had great flavour, and we love dipping it in the accompanying farofa which brings welcome texture to the soft meat. There was nowhere near enough chimichurri, but staff brought more when we asked. If you're stuck on which sides to order, our favourite was the white rice with coconut milk and crispy garlic, with the deep-fried "punched" potatoes with garlic mayo coming in second. Charcoal sweetcorn with fondue lacked any bite and we found the cheese slightly random (don't worry, it was still eaten). Desserts didn’t overly appeal, with more deep-frying in the form of a pastel de dulce de leite, gelato, or the condensed milk based brigadeiros, but they tick the box for something sweet in a bar setting. How was the service? Despite the bar not being busy when we went for lunch, there was a long lag between ordering and any food arriving, to the point where we started to panic that it was all going to come at once. We asked that a few plates be brought out at a time, but almost immediately four arrived together. To add insult to injury, three weren't hot enough and had obviously been cooling in the kitchen as we sat outside riddled with anxiety about having to eat too much food at once. Our advice? Order as you go. It's a bar so they won't mind you ordering two-three plates at a time rather than the full order at once. Saying that, we did find the staff hard to wave down when we needed anything, and at times some seemed more interested in their phones, but the online reviews for service are fantastic, so we think we were unlucky and maybe someone more senior was off. What's the verdict on Rei Momo? In a city where bar food offerings are more often than not dire, Rei Momo joins the ranks of places like Caribou and Sister 7 where dinner is not just a mid-drinks afterthought. Added to that, Brazilian food is having a real moment in Dublin right now, finally rising above the comfort food spots that expats flood into each day for a taste of home, and Rei Momo is having more fun with flavour that most of the rest. We might not come here for a three course meal, but for casual sharing plates between friends, alongside a drinks list we'd like to deep dive into, it's worth a space on your "to eat in list". New Openings & Discoveries More >>

A first time visit to The Pepper Pot Café in Powerscourt Townhouse is incomplete without two things - the bacon, pear and Hegarty's cheddar sandwich on crusty white bread, and a doorstop sized slice of what's probably the best Victoria sponge in the county. The atrium seating has airy views over the exclusive boutiques, galleries and jewellers below, and it's a calm, top floor escape from the city's crowds. The Pepperpot Café Website thepepperpot.ie Address Powerscourt Town House, 59 South William Street, Dublin 2 Good For Tag 1 Cuisine Tag 1 Once Over Read our Review >> The Story A first time visit to The Pepper Pot Café in Powerscourt Townhouse is incomplete without two things - the bacon, pear and Hegarty's cheddar sandwich on crusty white bread, and a doorstop sized slice of what's probably the best Victoria sponge in the county. The atrium seating has airy views over the exclusive boutiques, galleries and jewellers below, and it's a calm, top floor escape from the city's crowds. Where It's At Nearby Locales Mongoose Chongqing Hot Pot Boco Clontarf Bell Pesto Bang Gloria Osteria Cantina Valentina D'Lepak Pera Borgo Amai by Viktor Kaizen Chubbys Badam Table 45 Comet Daruma Malahide Lena The Pig's Ear Notions @ Two Pups The Rooftop @ Anantara The Marker Sofra Little Geno's Mama Shee Nutbutter Smithfield

One of a new wave of modern Irish restaurants currently reinvigorating the city, Old Street was opened in early 2017 by husband and wife Mark and Adriana, who spent eighteen months (and spared no expense) renovating two cottages on Malahide’s Old Street. Seasonal dishes and locally sourced ingredients come from a talented kitchen team, and the hospitality is taken as seriously as the food. Extensive, interesting wine list. Old Street Website oldstreet.ie Address Old Street, Malahide, Co. Dublin Good For Tag 1 Cuisine Tag 1 Once Over Read our Review >> The Story One of a new wave of modern Irish restaurants currently reinvigorating the city, Old Street was opened in early 2017 by husband and wife Mark and Adriana, who spent eighteen months (and spared no expense) renovating two cottages on Malahide’s Old Street. Seasonal dishes and locally sourced ingredients come from a talented kitchen team, and the hospitality is taken as seriously as the food. Extensive, interesting wine list. Where It's At Nearby Locales Mongoose Chongqing Hot Pot Boco Clontarf Bell Pesto Bang Gloria Osteria Cantina Valentina D'Lepak Pera Borgo Amai by Viktor Kaizen Chubbys Badam Table 45 Comet Daruma Malahide Lena The Pig's Ear Notions @ Two Pups The Rooftop @ Anantara The Marker Sofra Little Geno's Mama Shee Nutbutter Smithfield

Mr. Fox This is Irish food Posted: 27 Nov 2018 Neighbourhood Neighborhood Name Address Restaurant Address Website Website Name Restaurant Info View the Listing >> Written by: Lisa Cope What’s the story? Mr Fox opened at the end of 2016 from the same owners as The Pig's Ear , Stephen McAllister and Andrea Hussey, with chef Anthony Smith. They opened to very positive reviews , but if the word on the street is anything to go by (and we'd like to think we're talking to the right people), it's just been getting better and better. After a 'memorable for all the right reasons' lunch there during the summer, we'd been meaning to go back and do a proper write up, and after three people in one week told us how much they loved it, we took it as a sign that we needed to tell the masses. Where should we go for a drink first? Wine bars and cocktail dens are scant around here, and in all honesty there isn't a pub within a five minute walk that we could hand on heart recommend (if we're missing somewhere let us know), so we'd suggest a drink in the bar in Mr Fox, which is very comfortable and has a nice drinks list (more on that further down). Where should we sit? There are two main rooms, one towards the front on Parnell Square, the other towards the back. We prefer the front due to its proximity to 1) the bar, 2) the windows and 3) the stove. It just feels cosier. What's good to eat? Both times we've eaten here we left really impressed. There's so much mediocre food in the city that when you eat somewhere like this it's like a smack in the face. On this occasion we ate from the pre-theatre, and at three courses for €27.95, it's got to be one of the best value (for what you get) in the city. We also love that the options are all from the á la carte, so no cheaper ingredient options being made to look like better value than they are. They start you off with excellent sourdough, which comes with mushroom butter and parmesan cream - both so good you're likely to put indecent amounts on the bread. We really loved both starters, which had so much going in in terms of flavour and texture. Tuna was listed on the menu as coming with ponzu (a citrus-based sauce), navet (a type of turnip), avocado, charred watermelon and tobiko (fish roe), but actually came with what we think were jalapeños, red onion and cucumber. Usually that kind of thing would drive us mad, but it was so delicious we didn't even notice until later. The other of Buffalo mozzarella, smoked beetroot, Jerusalem artichoke and hazelnut was possibly even better, and such a seasonally perfect plate of food, the crunch of the hazelnuts and artichoke providing really lovely texture contrasts with the soft cheese and beetroot. There was more pledging allegiance to the seasons with a main of roast barley risotto, pickled mushrooms and smoked ricotta, which was just about the most perfect thing to eat on a cold, wet November night in Dublin. So much depth of flavour and a lot of (attemptedly inconspicuous) scraping of the bowl took place. Another of cod with cauliflower, brown butter, grapes, capers, almonds and mussels initially had us a bit like "why does cod even exist", but once we gave it a chance we fell hard. Yes cod can be a bit tasteless, but brown butter should be added to every dish in every restaurant for the rest of time. No exceptions. It was a great combination of flavours that we never would have put together (grapes and mussels?), and really worked. A side of thick, paprika spiked chips with garlic aioli were potato perfection, but another of nduja green beans were overcooked and needed more nduja. Do not, under any circumstances, leave here without having dessert. Anyone who's been to The Pig's Ear will know about the nostalgia inducing cakes and icecream, like the berry cheesecake in a sweet bag and the "walnut whip", and they've carried the same theme over to Mr. Fox. Both the clementine "super split" and the coffee "iceberger" are so perfectly reminiscent of the versions a lot of us enjoyed as children, but you get the feeling that if you tasted them side by side you'd be disgusted at your younger self for accepting such a substandard version all your life. What about the drinks? Mr. Fox has an excellent wine list, and while the mark ups are typically city centre high, there were so many bottles we wanted to drink - which is frustratingly still a rarity in Dublin. They have 14 wines by the glass, from house Godello and Nero d'Avola on tap, to Burgundy and Bordeaux, and an additional six sweet wines (try the Jurançon with the super split - swoon). There's loads for natural wine lovers to get their teeth into, like the cloudy 'Colfondo' prosecco from Casa Belfi and the stunning Syrah based 'Octobre' from Domaine des Foulards Rouge, and they have a sommelier, so if in doubt ask for advice. They also have a few Irish craft beers and a very substantial spirits list. And the service? Very bright-eyed and smiley, if a bit eager to take our order. Perhaps they were under pressure to turn tables post pre-theatre. The food came at a nice pace and they were all very pleasant in the process. The verdict? We're constantly asked by visitors (or friends of visitors) to Ireland where they should go for a proper Irish food experience. Our first response is usually "not Temple Bar!", but beyond that, it's hard to know where to suggest that won't be a total let down on the food front. As far as we're concerned, the best Irish food experiences revolve around the best Irish produce, seasonality of ingredients and innovative ways of putting them all together. Mr Fox ticks all of the boxes, and with the excellent wines and lovely room to boot, this is our new go-to for people wanting to know what Irish food even is anyway Mr Fox 38 Parnell Square West, Dublin mrfox.ie New Openings & Discoveries More >>

What was formerly the more casual Bar East downstairs (with the more formal King Sitric upstairs), has been turned into King Sitric 2.0, with the next generation of the family running operations. Seafood tastes like it was caught hours earlier, lobster and crab show up in abundance, and if you don't get the large portion of tempura prawns you'll regret it. The owners have a relationship with Domaine Hugel in Alsace and import their wines directly, meaning they're a bargain by Irish standards. King Sitric Website kingsitric.ie Address East Pier, Howth, Dublin 13 Good For Tag 1 Cuisine Tag 1 Once Over Read our Review >> The Story What was formerly the more casual Bar East downstairs (with the more formal King Sitric upstairs), has been turned into King Sitric 2.0, with the next generation of the family running operations. Seafood tastes like it was caught hours earlier, lobster and crab show up in abundance, and if you don't get the large portion of tempura prawns you'll regret it. The owners have a relationship with Domaine Hugel in Alsace and import their wines directly, meaning they're a bargain by Irish standards. Where It's At Nearby Locales Mongoose Chongqing Hot Pot Boco Clontarf Bell Pesto Bang Gloria Osteria Cantina Valentina D'Lepak Pera Borgo Amai by Viktor Kaizen Chubbys Badam Table 45 Comet Daruma Malahide Lena The Pig's Ear Notions @ Two Pups The Rooftop @ Anantara The Marker Sofra Little Geno's Mama Shee Nutbutter Smithfield

Free-range egg sandwiches, homemade hash browns and chilled mimosas make for a very happy brunch in Dublin 7. Brothers Hugh and Eoin O’Reilly starting serving egg sandwiches in 2018 at festivals and events, and this site on Smithfield Square is the first place they've called home. Flavour combinations are ace, and you should prepare to leave with a newfound grá for eggs. Mad Yolks Website madyolks.ie Address Unit 4, Block C, Smithfield, Dublin 7 Good For Tag 1 Cuisine Tag 1 Once Over Read our Review >> The Story Free-range egg sandwiches, homemade hash browns and chilled mimosas make for a very happy brunch in Dublin 7. Brothers Hugh and Eoin O’Reilly starting serving egg sandwiches in 2018 at festivals and events, and this site on Smithfield Square is the first place they've called home. Flavour combinations are ace, and you should prepare to leave with a newfound grá for eggs. Where It's At Nearby Locales Mongoose Chongqing Hot Pot Boco Clontarf Bell Pesto Bang Gloria Osteria Cantina Valentina D'Lepak Pera Borgo Amai by Viktor Kaizen Chubbys Badam Table 45 Comet Daruma Malahide Lena The Pig's Ear Notions @ Two Pups The Rooftop @ Anantara The Marker Sofra Little Geno's Mama Shee Nutbutter Smithfield