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Those of us consumed by food like to incorporate it into every celebration we damn well can, and sometimes on special occasions (like not seeing your best pals for a week, getting a break from the July rain, or Molly Malone day ) you don't want hushed tones, tablecloths and sommeliers. You want tunes, neon cocktails and the possibility of dancing from a height as the night goes on (we can't guarantee this in all venues). Here's where to go for dinner when you want to have fun... Sister7, Smithfield No one was more ecstatic than us when BigFan  announced their collaboration with Fidelity Bar  in Smithfield. Similar to Hang Dai, Sister7  is a bonafide audiophile bar with one of the best sound systems in the country - and the food's right up there too. As well as the BigFan classics (jiaozi dumplings, bao, enoki fan, prawn toast), you'll find special dishes made with spent brewery products from Whiplash, and the dining room feels like you've been teleported to a swish spot in London or New York. Read our once over here .   Row Wines, Dublin 2 For small plates, natural wines, and a diverse vinyl collection, Row Wines  has been vaulting up the popularity stakes since opening on Coppinger Row, just off South William Street last year. The team took inspiration from Tokyo’s Japanese style listening bar, and their top of the range sound systems spin tunes from old classics to disco, jazz and house. But we're not going anywhere just for the music. It also happens to be one of the most exciting places to eat and drink in the city right now - try the Kilkee crab flatbread or the beef tartare rosti, with heaps of natural wine and expertly mixed cocktails. Amuri, Dublin 2 Sicilian brothers Andrea and Luca Licciardello of Amuri  on Chatham Street are the ultimate Italian hosts - their cheeky chappy chatter and cheery service create a fun, welcoming atmosphere guaranteed to liven up anyone's evening. The Sicilian food is some of the the most authentic in the country, and according to our records there's no better way to end a meal than with a shot of limoncello on the house. Bah33º , Dawson Street For a full on interactive Brazilian BBQ experience, Bah33 º  serve their menu Rodizio style - a method said to have been introduced in the 30's by Gauchos (Brazilian cowboys) who used swords to serve their all you can eat meat. As a homage to the boys back home, waiters walk by with BBQ meat that's been roasted over an open fire, allowing diners to hand pick their dinner, and there's a salad bar to balance out all the beef. It's €56.90 per person, half-price for kids ages 5-11, and free for under-4's, so it's a good option for family fun too. Bootleg, Dublin 2 Veteran fun time restaurateurs  from BigFan , Bow Lane , and Sprezzatura  teamed up to create Bootleg  - Drury's street's very own Disco Lounge, with a lot of vintage wine. Disco balls and DJ booths complete with small plates and a cocktail list dedicated to the Negroni - Bootleg is the definition of lively. With pumping tunes, boozy drinks and more gildas than we knew existed, you couldn't not have a good time. Read our once over here . Hawksmoor, Dame Street Hawksmoor has one of the most jaw-dropping dining rooms in the city, in the former national bank, complete with cast iron dome, stone carvings and cast iron lamp posts. Come for a blow out dinner with pals, get the massive steak platters to share, drink the cocktails, and get the nice wine - you won't regret it, and in a dining room this big you can be as loud as you want. Read about the 27 menu items we tried here . Hang Dai, Dublin 2 Hang Dai on Camden Street is a buzzy neon fever dream set in an ethereal Chinese subway train, with great food, killer cocktails and banging tunes. Listed as one of the Top 10 audiophile bars in the world , they are serious about music and have a custom built sound system, isolated DJ booth, and if you tilt your head back you'll see the dance floor (it's on the ceiling). With set menus for groups that make life so much easier, it's a great spot for a party. If it's good enough for DJ legends LCD Soundsystem and Irvine Welsh to spin records in, it's good enough for your next gathering. Tippenyaki, Rathmines Tippenyaki in Rathmines is probably the most fun you can have at a Dublin restaurant while having your dinner cooked in front of you, by a chef who puts on a show. The literal translation is to "grill on a metal plate", and at Tippenyaki there's plenty of things flung on there, from fillet steak to rack of lamb, duck to seabass. It's a great spot to go with a group, or with someone you don't know too well when you're worried conversation might stall - "Oh look he's juggling the spatulas. Is that a heart made out of omelette? I think your eyebrows may have just been singed..." 777, George's Street When 777 opened up back in 2012, it was quickly dubbed "very loud" and "ear busting" by the boomers (and let's be honest, millennials too) so you know you're in for a lively time here. Blaring beats, boozy margs and Mexican food perfect for sharing are all on the agenda, with group menus, tequila flights, and promotions throughout the week (best value is their €7.77 Sundays). It's the closest you can get to a full on fiesta in a restaurant. Arriba! Lucky Tortoise, Temple Bar If you're bored of people making the food for you in restaurants, Lucky Tortoise run dumpling classes where you can do it yourself. Their dumpling making classes run every day for groups of four or more (you need to book in advance via email), or two and above on Tuesdays that can be booked via Eventbrite . At €59 a head, it's supreme value, and you won't be leaving hungry. Grab your mates, show off your skills, and compete for the title of "supreme dumpling pincher".

(Irish Times)   - The brand new and improved Coppinger opens this Friday, and reservations are now open . This article  from the Irish Times this weekend details their fight to get it back   - New NYC-style sandwich shop Little Geno's , from the same owner as Los Chicanos tacos, has opened in Grafter House on St. Stephen's Green. We're eyeing up the Cubano   - Handsome Burger  are coming to Dublin (outside of the airport). They're opening their first city centre venue on South William Street this week   - One Society are opening a second location, Hidden by One Society , in what looks like Dublin 1. Enter their competition  to guess where and you could win brunch or pizza for a year   - What was Zaatar in George's Street arcade, Dublin's only spot for Manakeesh (like Middle Eastern pizza), has turned into the much more mainstream sounding Seemo's , promising "Dublin’s best wood-fired pizza". We're told the Manakeesh is staying, but they're focusing on pushing pies with Cashel Blue and mushrooms, rather than Mohammarah and cheese   - Oakberry have brought their bowls to Swords - açaí bowls are without doubt the new doughnuts   - Ukiyo is 20 years old . Do you feel old?   - And one of Dublin's best wine shops Lilith in Stoneybatter is turning 3 ! On Wednesday 31st July there's 10% off everything in store, and on Thursday 1st August they're taking over Hynes bar across the road to pour their favourites including some rare and exclusive bottles   - Cloud Picker have won an award for Europe's best airport coffee shop  at the Fab awards in LA - how fab   - Reminder that the lovely Nick's Coffee in Ranelagh offers free coffee  for over 65's   - Praise be - those lovely people behind Pilgrims (formerly in Rosscarbery, Cork) are opening a new daytime venue in Leap  next summer!   - Poor Leo can't go anywhere without getting set upon   - And in other "where do celebs eat" news, Damien Dempsey went for dinner in Lotus Eaters  before playing the Iveagh Gardens last night. Absolute rage we missed him   - And what's a week without a celeb getting accosted for pics in Rasam - NYT food critic Pete Wells is leaving the highly prized gig he's held for 12 years. He explains  how it's affected his health and how he's just not that hungry any more   - Irish writers give good tips on how to avoid getting bad meals abroad   - We need one of The Dough Bros XL tote bags   - When in doubt, order the second cheapest wine   - How to use your coffee grounds to make fertiliser    - This is how cherries are harvested   - We love burrata, but this is bleurrgghh   - Caper brine martinis  - we bet Anna Jones is onto something here   - You food shopping   - The best thumb tacks  ever created The best bargains in Dublin right now   - Feeling pinched from every angle? Achara's new €15 lunch menu  is a purse-friendly way to try their food   - 31 Lennox have a new boozy brunch  every Saturday and Sunday from 15:00 - 16:30. €35 will get you a brunch main⁠ with bottomless cocktails, pints and drinks⁠   - Lottie's are doing €10 corkage all day Sunday, so a great excuse to break out some heavies. Their early evening menu is also available Wednesday - Friday with two courses for €29 or three for €35   - Kildare based but in case you're shopping, Dunne & Crescenzi have a new early bird menu  with a family-style pasta, spritz and a tiramisu to share for €25pp   - Volpe Nera  have a new summer offer available for counter dining or on their terrace. Their "Taste of the Med" involves a Flaggy Shore oyster, fried courgette flower with ricotta and garlic honey, and Mandola dei colli (a type of salami), along with a chilled glass of Gramona ‘Mart’ Rosé for €28 per person   - Get to Chimac for Poutine Tuesdays  - a bowl of Canada's favourite fries with a glass of Prosecco for €15   - Kids get free chicken tenders and chips  at Cluck Chicken every Sunday - one for each eating adult   - There's a new Friday lunch deal at Wallace's Asti in Drumcondra with two courses for €25   - Cinnamon in Ranelagh and Monkstown will let you BYOB wine on Friday and Saturday nights for a bargain €10 corkage   - The Dunmore in Rathmines has a new neighbourhood/early bird menu  from Monday - Thursday, with two courses for €29 or three for €32. You could get in and out for €100 for two if you stick to a carafe of wine   - Mani's new meal deal means you can add an Aperol Spritz to your slice order for €9 from Monday - Wednesday   - Spicy margaritas  at Eleven in Loughlinstown are now €10 for "the season" (we presume that means summer)   - There's a new three-course menu for €30  at Zampas in the Hard Rock Hotel, available Sunday - Thursday with vegan and veggie options   - All tacos at Agave are now €2  from Monday - Thursday   - Krewe have a new  'Taste of NOLA' sharing grill  available from Monday - Wednesday for €60, and it looks like you won't be leaving hungry   - Cocktails are half-price  all day Sunday at La Bodega in Ranelagh, and the garden gets the sun all afternoon (unless it's obscured by cloud)   - There's 40% off the wine list at Wallace's Asti in Drumcondra if you want to  take a bottle home . It's basically just retail price, but handy if you've been sipping on something you list   - Margaritas at the bar  in Dillinger's are just €10 on Saturday night   - The Turk's Head in Temple Bar have reduced the price of pints  (except Peroni) to €5.50 from Monday - Wednesday   - Ukiyo have a load of €10 or under  student specials  from 12-4pm Monday - Friday   - The Crafty Fox just off Wexford Street is now selling pints of Guinness for €5   -  All coffees are €3  at Mimi's on Westmoreland Street, and here's a sweet story  about how they got their name   - Dash Burger have a great student deal of a  smash burger and fries for €9.95   - If you're a student who likes a late lunch, Neon will feed you a main and an ice-cream for €7  from 2-5pm, Monday - Friday   - Piano Piano (formerly Denj) in Rathgar are doing all pizzas for €14 every Tuesday night  (usually €16 - €22)   - One Pico's set dinner  with canapés, bread and three courses for €69 really cannot be argued with, and it's available all night Tuesday - Thursday, and until 18:45 Friday and Saturday. There's a set lunch  for €39 too   - Café and florist Lullabelle & Co. in Dun Laoghaire have started offering free porridge , with toppings a reasonable €2 each for some post-swim warming up   - Get a pizza and a glass of wine for €20  in 30 Church Street on Wednesdays   - Fade Street Cocktail are doing 2 for 1 on classic cocktails  from 4pm - 7pm, Sunday - Wednesday   - Yves @ Brother Hubbard  is offering corkage for just €10, and they're right next door to wine shop Redmond's   - Note's €32 three-course lunch  from Thursday - Saturdays is one of the best deals in town   - Vice are doing a midweek lunch special  of a toastie, San Pellegrino, and either a bag of crisps or a piece of fruit for €10   - If you head to Lennan's Yard on Friday for a long lunch, stretch it out to 5pm and they'll reward you with a complimentary cocktail   - Beer bar Tapped are serving  two margaritas for €16 every Monday

It's mid-July, which means we've got nine new prizes to give away to the people that keep the wheels turning around here! This month you could win a tasting menu for two in one of our favourite openings of 2024, lunch on an Amalfi-style gin terrace in the city centre, and a spa trip to try Majken Bech Bailey's new drinks range, to name a few. ATF Insider s is how we operate with no ads , pay for all of our meals , pay our writers , and operate independently to give you the only advice you need about eating out in Dublin. If you enjoy our content, we would be so happy if you signed up to support it. Everyone signed up to ATF Insiders by midnight on Monday 17th July, will be entered into the draw, and winners will be picked and notified on the 18th July. Here's what we've got for you this month... 1) The Full Tasting Menu for two with drinks at Floritz New opening Floritz in the Townhouse On The Green Hotel on St Stephen's Green has been one of our favourite openings of 2024 - for once a glitzy setting to lounge around in that actually over-delivers on the plates. We're deeeelighted to be sending one of you into Floritz for the 'Fuller tasting menu' from head chef Matt Fuller, with a welcome cocktail and a bottle of wine chosen by their sommelier. Read about what we ate (read: inhaled) here . 2) A table for four at The Salt Project @ Roe & Co The Summer Garden Experience at Roe & Co Distillery is back, with Street by Sunil in situ for July, and The Salt Project moving in for August. Each restaurant creates a tasting menu for their residency, working with the talented team at Roe & Co to create a whiskey cocktail pairing with big and diverse flavours. Kildare-based chef Caomhán de Bri's tasting menu has been designed to showcase locally grown and artisan ingredients from small producers in different regions, and dinner at The Salt Project costs €45. We've got a table of four to give away, which should help to ease those end of summer blues. You can book a table for all of the Roe & Co food residencies here . 3) Two Whole Hog tickets for Big Grill 2024 This summer  Big Grill BBQ and Food Festival celebrates its 10th year (um, how!?), returning to Herbert Park in Ballsbridge from Thursday 22nd to Sunday 25th August. Showcasing some of the biggest names from the BBQ and grilling world, flying in from London, Paris, New York, Newfoundland, Montreal, Texas and more, they describe it as " a food festival led by the finest ingredients and fed by fire ". We've got two Whole Hog tickets to give away to Europe's largest BBQ & food festival, giving you access to all four days. V isit  www.biggrillfestival.com  for tickets. 4) Early evening dinner for two with cocktails on the terrace at Lottie's, Rathmines Never let it be said there's no value left in Dublin - case in point, the early evening menu in Lottie's, Rathmines . Book from Wednesday - Friday from 17:00 - 18:00 and you can nab two courses for €29 or three for €35, and there's no scraping the barrel for cheaper ingredients - the picks are all from the regular à la carte, with picks like seabream ceviche; chargrilled chicken thigh with corn and nduja; and raspberry parfait. We're sending one of you in for a three-course menu for two with two cocktails each on their new terrace, and you can choose what you'd pick here . 5) Try Majken Bech Bailey's new juices and infusions with a spa package at Velvære Majken Bech Bailey  made a name at two-Michelin starred Aimsir for her juices, elixirs and infusions, with her non-alcoholic drinks pairing as much of a highlight as the wine. She's just launched a new range  of health-boosting bottled drinks, debuting them at Velvære , the award-winning spa in Dublin 8, and we're sending one of you in for a facial or a massage while you try them. Drinks will change every few months, and will also be available to purchase from reception on your way home. Spa packages at Velvære including two of Majken's drinks start from  €150 - see full details here . 6) Lunch for two on the Malfy Gin Terrace @ Café en Seine Café en Seine are doing their best to bring those Amalfi Coast vibes to Dawson Street, with their new  Malfy Gin terrace . Their summer spritz menu features all four gins - Original, Rosa, Arancia and Limone - served al fresco amidst all the greenery. The Malfy Gin terrace is open for lunch from Monday - Friday and brunch at the weekends, and we're sending one of you in for a two course meal with two Malfy spritzes each ( valid until the 18th August ). Book your table here . 7) A €100 voucher for 31 Lennox to celebrate their new pizza dough sambos We think 31 Lennox in Portobello are the first ones to bring pizza dough sambos to Dublin, and that's something worth celebrating. They've taken their 48-hour proved pizza dough, brushed it with garlic herbed butter, and stuffed it with fillings like Ambrosi burrata with confit cherry tomatoes, fresh pesto and basil leaves; and slow-cooked Irish ham hock, vintage cheddar, dijonnaise and truffled onions. We've got a €100 voucher for 31 Lennox to give away this month so you can work your way through the lot. 8) €100 voucher for Wallace's Asti to celebrate their Friday lunch deal Wallace's Asti in Drumcondra has a brand new Friday lunch deal, with two courses for €25 - and with the €100 voucher we're giving away to one of you this month you can take three pals to kick off your weekend early. Pick from dishes like bruschetta; pizza diavola; and spaghetti with courgette cream, olives and sausage, and wash it down with a bottle from their extensive Italian wine list - including a separate one just for Sardinian wines. Book a table here . 9) A Disaronno prize pack We love a low alcohol spirit, perfect for summer sipping without getting too heady, and amaretto Disaronno (which incredibly dates back to 1525 in Saronno, Italy) fits the bill. The Disaronno fizz adds lemon juice, a dash of sugar syrup and soda water for maximum thirst-quench, or we're very partial to a sour. We've got a Disaronno prize pack to give away this month including a bottle of Disaronno; a bottle of Disaronno Velvet; 2 Disaronno minis; Poacher's Soda Water; plus glassware and a bottle opener. Everyone signed up to   ATF Insiders   for July (new and old) will be automatically entered into the prize draw - you don't need to do anything. If you're not signed up yet join here  before midnight on Wednesday the 17th July to be in with a chance of winning. You'll be supporting independent content in Dublin and beyond, and be able to get answers to all of your burning questions about eating out, here and abroad, directly from us.

Classic restos doing zeitgeisty rebrands, Michelin-starred chefs returning home with their magic in tow, and two new openings for a seaside village that's stuck in the past when it comes to eating out. Here's what's new in Dublin and what's coming soon... Lotus Eaters, Nassau Street After bringing Korean brioche toasties to their downstairs space on Nassau Street, the guys behind The Pig's Ear have gone full zeitgeist rebrand, closing the concept that's been doing the business since 2008, and relaunching it as Lotus Eaters . A Japanese-inspired charcoal grill is the name of the game, with wagyu hamburgers and crab or mushroom omelettes (with optional add ons like caviar, truffle and soy egg yolk) the main draws on a short menu. You can go all in on a chef's selection for €60pp, or order what you want. Bookings are still being taken through the old Pig's Ear channels here . Comet Supper Club Irish chef Kevin O’Donnell worked in Bastible before he left Dublin six years ago, moving to Denmark to work at Restaurant Kadeau . He ended up as head chef at their one Michelin-starred restaurant, and head of development for their two star in Copenhagen, so lucky old us that he's decided to move home and start cooking here. Along with partner and ex-Kadeau Communications Manager Laura Chabal, they've started Comet Supper Club as a testing ground while they look looking for a permanent home. Find them in the Fumbally Stables on the 28th and 29th of July, and follow their Instagram page for more dinner dates. Mini India, Sandyford Mini India , your one-stop-shop for vada pav on the go, traditional Indian sweets and freshly pressed sugar cane juice has just opened a third site in Sandyford, adding to Westmoreland Street and Cabinteely. Although there's no sign of a deli yet (everything crossed for future additions), you will find everything necessary for all of the recipes in Sunil Ghai's brilliant cookbook Spice Box , as well as Indian mangoes (the very best), and jaggery tea. Check them out here . Neighbourhood Wine, Baggot Street After self-described " blood, sweat and bucket loads of tears", Neighbourhood Wine have opened a third location, smack bang in the city centre on Lower Baggot Street opposite Toner's - excellent news for the next time you're in town and in need of a bottle (or six). We're hoping they get some events going too. Coming Soon... Coppinger, Coppiner Row We can't remember the last time a relaunch/reopening/rebrand was teased as much as the new Coppinger (the old Coppinger Row), due to open any day now. Details are sparse, but based on what these guys have done with Row Wines on the same street, we're quietly confident this is going to be haaawt. Parilla, Ranelagh After chef Jules Mak 's Mexican pop up Gabo's in Ranelagh almost two years ago, it seems he's ready to go all in, with his next restaurant Parilla due to open in August. They're calling it an "authentic Mexican grill", and we're only a few weeks away from bring able to get in the door and find out what it's all about. Daruma, Malahide We liked Daruma in Temple Bar (a Japanese pub with yakitori skewers, sushi and small plates) when we visited , so the residents of seaside village Malahide should be very pleased that they're getting their own Daruma where Fish Shack used to be. Work is underway on the site right now but we're expecting news in the next couple of weeks. Sushida, Malahide And in a stunning week for the chronically dull to eat in village, a Sushida sign has gone up where Cape Greko used to be. More when we have it. Little Washer, Glasnevin In even MORE uplifting Northside news (and yet another addition to the city's wine bars), The Washerwoman in Glasnevin are opening Little Washer next door - a " wine bar, pizzeria, Italian nibbles and general craic hub". The build is happening as we speak but here's a sneak peek.

Contrary to what you can see out the window, it is in fact the middle of summer, and just because the weather hasn't realised it, doesn't mean you shouldn't go out and act like you're living your best summer life. From revolutionary menu changes to summer snacks, and exciting new openers you need to get to stat, this is where we recommend getting your butts to this July. For the glow up no one was expecting: Lotus Eaters, Dublin 2 The ever reliable Pig's Ear is going through a serious rebrand. Last month Toast popped up downstairs in Silk Purse with these Grade A sambos , and now upstairs where The Pig's Ear was they've done a complete reset with Lotus Eaters - a Japanese inspired charcoal grill restaurant with a very interesting sounding menu . Their specialty is a wagyu hamburger with additions like bone marrow, truffle, and caviar (swit swoo), as well as crab omelettes and grilled scallops with pig's head. They open Tuesday - Saturday from 17:30-21:00, with a lunch service on Saturdays. For the glitziest new opening in town: Floritz, St. Stephen's Green Flortiz opened up just above Cellar 22 in June with an Asian-inspired menu (that seems to have markedly decreased in size since we visited last month). The luxe dining room is akin to an opulent indoor jungle, inspired by adventurer Thomas Lighton - a former tenant of the building - and it's not often a glitzy setting like this delivers the same premium standard when it comes to what's on the plates. Led by chef Matt Fuller, former owner of Boqueria in Stoneybatter (RIP), it's up there with the most exciting new opening of the year so far. Read our once over here . For the groundbreaking new menu addition: Bunsen, various locations When Bunsen announced their earth shatteringly big reveal , we honestly could not contain the anticipation. Was it finally a burger for the veggies? A crazy collab? Chicken nuggets?? So boy were we surprised when it was literally just a slice of bacon. Jokes aside, Bunsen have long made one of the best burgers in the city, so this is just another excuse for a visit to remind yourself of that. For the ultimate summer snack Rolls, Howth Summer pop up Rolls has popped up outside Nicky's Plaice on the West Pier in Howth, courtesy of the A1 team at Mamó . Serving summery lobster rolls with a crunchy celery salad on toasted brioche, along with smoked monkfish bánh mís, they're open from 11:00 - 16:00, Wednesday to Sunday, and have been selling out so don't delay in joining the queue. See yas on the DART. To ring in Bastille Day on the 14th: Piglet, Cow's Lane Alliance Française call Bastille Day the largest French event in Ireland - and it would be rude not to celebrate with the Frenchies of Dublin on their national independence day in none other than Piglet on Cow's Lane. We love their truffle devilled eggs, beef tartare, and tonka bean crème brûlée, not to mention their wine list, which is très intéressant. For getting a shout out in the New York Times: Grano, Stoneybatter Last week the New York Times published a piece on how to spend 36 hours in Dublin , and if you ask us they got it pretty spot on. Pasta bastions Grano were one of the places getting a well deserved shout out, described as "drawing inspiration from Dublin's shifting international identity" . It's always hard to get a table here and this article will not help our struggle, but we're prepared to slip in whenever we can grab an opening, and you should be too. For fire-filled Thai flavours: Achara, Dublin 2 We recently welcomed another charcoal-grill restaurant from the folks behind Happy’s and Crudo . Achara is all about Thai flavours booked over a charcoal grill (custom made by Smokin' Soul in Wexford), using premium Irish produce like Salter's free-range pork and Glenmar seafood. Our ATF Insiders got first access to their soft launch last weekend which was a smoking success, and now it's open to all. Book here . For Filipino summer feels: Bahay, Hen's Teeth This summer, Hen's Teeth have teamed up with the brilliant Bahay to feed all of their events as well as hosting pop up dinners each weekend. Usually paired with a DJ night, you can party on down in Blackpitts with banging beats and banging eats, Filipino style. At least you'll have one decent memory from summer 2024. Check their website for upcoming dinner dates.

Caviar toasts on the side, a sandwich for the people, and crème brûlée beignets are just some of the things we most want to eat in Dublin this week. Here's the five we've narrowed it down to (with difficulty)... 1) Halibut with a smoked beurre blanc, D'Olier Street D'Olier Street are back with another Picasso on a plate - this time a summery halibut dish with smoked beurre blanc (all kinds of naughty), lemon, and a caviar toast - because what else would you put on toast. 2) Young Buck and fig sandwich , Daddy's Daddy's know what the people of Dublin want, and the people of Dublin want blue cheese and fig sandwiches. Chunks of Young Buck , fresh fig, grilled plums, and toasted hazelnuts are finished with oregano oil and McNally's organic leaves, all on organic sourdough. Just imagine it... 3) New sharing plates , Orwell Road Orwell Road have just launched their new menu and we've got it bad for their new sharing plates. Cured sea bream with apple and jalapeno; BBQ pork belly with white onion purée; chicken butter croquettes with crispy skin - better bring the whole gang because how could you choose between this lot.   4) All the Cookies, Meltdown This pop of colour from these cookies has grabbed our attention with both hands. Meltdown 's newest treats come in four flavours - creamy pistachio; lemon pie; berry and chocolate; and coconut and pecan praline. One of each in a paper bag please, don't delay. 5) Creme brûlée beignet, Bread Man Walking A speakeasy for bread lovers - Bread Man Walking is the viral micro bakery that Gerry Godley operates out of his gaf in Rialto. His latest creme brûlée beignet has us thinking twice about going out Friday night so we can be first in the queue on Saturday morning.

It feels like not a day goes by lately without another Dublin café announcing a pivot to small plates and wine by night, and as much as we’re on board for more choice, it’s getting harder to discern where's worth your precious time and hard-won cash. We’re here to help. The city was starting to see an increasing glut back when we published our first guide in 2019 , but you-know-what put a sharp halt to all of that soon after. Now with the pace picking up rapidly once again, here’s the latest ATF guide on where to drink great wine in Dublin...   Row Wines, Coppinger Row An instant hit when it opened last summer, Row Wines marked a distinctly on-trend pivot from the Bereen brothers’ sadly shuttered (but soon to reopen) Coppinger Row , with one of the nicest new spaces to hit the city in a long time. Despite losing talented young chef Paddy Maher to London a few weeks in, it’s continued to throw up killer dishes like Kilkee crab rosti to match its more affordably pitched wine list. Try their €10 flatbreads for one of the city’s best lunch deals. Read our Row review here .   Fish Shop, Benburb Street D7’s best is now so close to our heart it feels like it’s always been there – and like we’re always going there. Fish Shop ’s simple name sets out its stall, but their best-in-class fish and chips and seafood small plates are no more a thing of simplicity than the impeccably curated wine list with themes like Island and Alpine and great selections of grower Champagne and sherry letting you tour the world from the comfort of a stool on Benburb Street. Walk-ins have been known to happen but it’s not worth the heartbreak of being turned away – this is one to book ahead.   Bar Pez, Kevin Street A more casual counterpoint to its older sister Fish Shop, Bar Pez joined the family about this time last year and has maintained a bustle and buzz ever since with its Spanish bar vibes. The deep wine list is even more eclectically themed than its sibling, with the upper end of things offering excellent value if you’ve got something to celebrate. Be sure to double-check timing if you’re heading out hungry – a pared-back bar menu is sometimes all that’s on.   Piglet, Cow’s Lane Closing in on ten years in business, Piglet  was among the very first city centre wine bars to get us properly excited when it popped up in Temple Bar in 2015. This long-standing industry fave has a bottle list studded with interesting stuff, so bringing a gang of open-minded friends is the way to go. There are few places we'd rather be on a sunny evening than at one of the outside tables sipping a white port and tonic.   Loose Canon, Drury Street Uber-cool Loose Canon  has become an integral part of the Drury Street scene since kicking off the last wave of wine bars back in 2018, and bringing natural wine to the Dublin masses. Their by the glass rotation regularly throws up some of the best value going in town, and the bottles (with €15 corkage if you’re drinking in) give even more variety – ask about their chilled red options right now. Their toasties also happen to be some of the most satisfying city centre snacks going.   Note, Fenian Street We’ll credit Note  with firing the starting gun on the post-Covid wine bar boom. Since opening its doors in October 2021, this sleek space has built a rightful reputation for great wine and top-quality seasonal cooking, with the three-course €32 lunch menu one of the hottest tickets in town. Grab one of the seats out front for an evening vantage point that's as good as it gets in the city centre – if the sun ever plays ball. Frank’s, Camden Street The full-on fanatic’s choice, joining Frank’s  gigantic marble slab table can feel like taking a seat at the altar of wine. With a focus on minimal intervention, and a regular schedule of producers stopping by to give the inside track and share their best wares, this ever-buzzy space is worth regular pitstops to see what’s new and interesting. Ex-Clanbrassil House chef David Bradshaw serves up a rotating cast of small plates, with his partner Katie Seward the expert on all things wine.   Cellar 22, Stephen’s Green A lower-key alternative to high-end Floritz  upstairs, this basement bar in the new Townhouse on the Green hotel has a commendable total of forty BTG options. There’s loads at Cellar 22  to pair with their house charcuterie boards, but a Suduiraut Sauternes with Boyne Valley blue is our top tip. Read our once over here .   Two Faced, Montague Street Surely one of the most en trend of the latest entries, Two Faced ’s thumping tunes and spillover crowd can’t but catch the ears and eyes of passers-by on the rapidly-livening Montague Street. While the food menu is solid (it’s more pitched towards snacks and soakage than a full-fledged meal), the real draw is a chatty, chirpy atmosphere to enjoy as you work your way through the fifteen or so BTG options on a well-considered list. Read our once over here .   Bootleg, Drury Street We’re still slightly scratching our heads at the mix of things going on in Bootleg , but its ability to attract the Drury Street crowds would suggest it’s carving out a niche fine all the same. If an evening of enjoying Italodisco beats over a vintage bottle list spanning back to the 1960s is your vibe, look no further – otherwise, the short BTG list has some solid options to pair with their must-try swordfish skewers.   La Cave, Anne Street South Respect your elders - old-school La Cave  is the longest-standing of Dublin’s wine bars, a French-style throwback to a time when we weren’t nearly so spoiled for choice. On a cold winter's evening the cosy downstairs bar decked in red from top to bottom is a great place to shelter. They do a cracking crémant by the glass, and the bottle list is full of diamonds, if you know what to look for. Ely, Ely Place Refocused on the D2 original after its more corporate-oriented IFSC branch shut up shop, Ely  is one of the OG stalwarts of the Dublin wine scene. In the past their by the glass list has been a bit safe for our liking, but its made progress in recent years with some interesting sparkling and sherries. The hugely extensive bottle list is where it's at so it might be worth arriving early for a full peruse.   A Fianco, Stoneybatter The date night pick par excellence, A Fianco is the one vineria on this list we’ve found ourselves returning to time and time again. A sophisticated older sister to Grano next door, its regional Italian wine list is a joy to work through (and we’ve been working hard), while the food is a smart mix of ever-shifting seasonal creations and perennial favourites – their meatballs are the best, bar none.   H2G Wines, Botanic Avenue We will be reliving the recent summer evening we spent sipping on the H2G Wines terrace all through the winter. This store-bar hybrid from the previous operators of Honest2Goodness market is a godsend to locals of Glasnevin and surrounds, and well worth a trip for those further afield. Corkage is €10 from anything on the well-stocked shelves (€15 at weekends), while the rotating open bottles number about seven at a time.   Brut Wine Bar, Drumcondra  On Friday and Saturday evenings, Nelly's in Drumcondra turns into organic and biodynamic wine bar Brut , with an all-star list of natural lovelies. There's a food menu ranging from terrines and antipasti to grilled chicken thighs and gratin, and we do love dining and drinking by candlelight. Green Man Wines, Terenure Part award-winning shop, part much-lauded wine bar, Green Man Wines nails the best of both worlds with a €10 corkage charge on anything off the shelf, making it one of the best value places in the city to drink the really good stuff, and all to tempting to trade up. The selection in here is second to none, and people travel from across the city to Terenure to buy and drink wine in Green Man.   64 Wine, Glasthule Another suburban diamond, 64 Wine makes wine fiends everywhere severely jealous that they don't live in Glasthule. The shelves are crammed full of the best bottles currently available on the Irish market, and the staff are always dying to tell you the stories behind them. Corkage on anything off the shelf is €15, which is increasingly better value the more expensive your taste. Just try to leave here without draining your bank account - we've yet to manage it.   September, Blackrock The focus of this week’s once over is a feather in the cap of the current wine bar explosion. September is the new venture from the folks who ran D4’s Leroy’s up until only this week, and the move to bigger and better things is to everyone's benefit. We’re hoping they beef up the BTG choice a bit in the months to come, but the bottle list’s focus on natural and organic producers has some really excellent options to match with their delicious array of small plates.

From glitzy new arrivals influenced by far East adventures, to seaside snacks just in time for summer, Korean-style brioche loaf toast to breakfast rolls but not as you know them, this mixed bag melange of all that’s new in the city’s food scene shows one thing for sure – Dublin’s not short on delicious new ideas... Floritz, Stephen’s Green Big flavour and bold energy is the defining vibe at Floritz - the new arrival in the former Cliff Townhouse space above Cellar 22 , and the latest feather in the cap of the new Townhouse on the Green boutique hotel. They’ve put a lot of stock into the building’s former role as the home of far East adventurer Thomas Lighton, with Asian flavour influences abundant across the menu’s vast array of small and large plates, from sushi and crudo to charcoal grilled goods aplenty. For all the bells and whistles, this is something truly new for Dublin, and it's this week's once over - read the full review here . Le Petit Renard, Kimmage Next up in the seemingly endless explosion of wine bars in Dublin is Kimmage’s Le Petit Renard , from the couple whose Artybaker outlets have now expanded to four locations. That hasn’t left them spread too thinly if this latest venture is anything to go by - with a relaxed neighbourhood vibe, they’re serving up simple small plates along with Artybaker bread. It’s gone down well this side of the city too, with busy local crowds keeping us from nabbing a table on several occasions so far – a walk-in only policy means you might need a backup in mind if you’re travelling. Rolls, Howth Lobster rolls to go from the Mamó team? A thousand times yes. Our hearts skipped a beat at the word of short-term summer pop up Rolls , and the first glimpse of the good stuff only got us more aflutter. Golden brown brioche rolls loaded with lobster chunks in lobster mayo, topped with a crunchy celery salad and heaps of crispy shallots – if there’s anything we’d rather eat while basking in the seaside sun, we’ve yet to hear of it. They’ll be slinging their wares from Nicky’s Plaice on the West Pier from Wednesday to Sunday lunchtime. Toast, Nassau Street It’s new beginnings all round on Nassau Street as the Silk Purse café has followed the cue of its sister outlet The Pig’s Ear upstairs (currently rebranding to The Lotus Eaters after 16 years in business) and given itself a facelift. Gone are the Bread 41 pastries and sandwiches from upstairs, replaced with a foursome of Korean-style brioche loaf toasties and a wall’s length of wine. Big flavours in bulging bread are the name of the game here, with options ranging from a spiced marie rose shrimp cocktail to a marinated tofu with peanut rayu, and we’re big fans of the very fair €5 corkage price. Our first visit  was a wow and won't be our last. Proper Order, Smithfield Crossing Smithfield square from its petite prior home to one of the more substantial spaces in the many new developments around the area, Proper Order has gotten a long overdue expansion, and has the ambition for it. They’ve pitched this place as more “coffee bar” than café, a space to step outside of the day-to-day grind and come back down to earth. The interior is big, bold and bright, the seating is smart and spacious, the pastries are some of the city's best from the No Messin’ team, and the coffee will undoubtedly remain some of the best in Dublin. Poulet Bonne Femme, Dun Laoghaire Just a short time on from celebrating their 15th birthday, Poulet Bonne Femme have made their way back to their original Dun Laoghaire site on George’s Street to open what’s now their seventh location – talk about a success story. The rotisserie experts are all about quality control, with strictly Irish free range chicken from farmers that know their sole preserve - that hand-marinated, slow spit-roasted technique that brings out the best in every bird. They’ll be piling that, along with their signature porchetta and other meats, high on sandwiches, wraps and salads from 09:00 to 18:00 daily. Sunbird, Leopardstown Good news for the ever-growing office space scene in and around Leopardstown as Sunbird (from the same owners as Umi Falafel and Shaku Maku ) has flown in to spice up the midweek meal options. The lunch menu is dominated by flatbread wraps and build-your-own bowls, while the healthy but hearty breakfast options sound right up our street - we're going to need a sujuk breakfast roll ASAP. The Palestinian-owned outlet (named for the national bird) ticks off Lebanon and Morocco in a wide-ranging menu influence that isn’t above adding in waffle fries – sure why not. They’re opening weekday office hours to start, and colour us jealous of anyone working in the vicinity. Pan Eile, Stoneybatter If ever there was a sandwich you didn’t know you needed it might be the panuzzo, and how glad we are that there’s now a dedicated place in Dublin for everyone to discover it. This Neapolitan mashup of a pizza and panini is the stock in trade at Pan Eile , from the people who brought us Rustic Pizza , and it's been installed right beside it at Stoneybatter’s Cowtown food market. With five panuzzo varieties from wild smoked salmon, to caprese and porchetta, served alongside a selection of hot and iced coffees, a choice of Bretzel Bakery pastries only sweetens the deal. Coming soon... Achara, Dublin 2 We can't wait to get a look at the new charcoal-grilled Thai restaurant from the folks behind Happy’s and Crudo – so excited in fact that we’ve teamed up with them to offer ATF Insiders first access to their soft launch this weekend, and bagged you 25% off food and drinks while they find their feet. Here's how you can be there. Little Geno’s, Stephen’s Green We’re long-time fans of food truck taqueria Los Chicanos , so word those folks were opening an NY-style diner on St Stephen’s Green serving up reubens, cubanos and bánh mìs had us eager to know more. It looks like that day is coming soon, as the team is just weeks away from opening. Coppinger Row "Fine wines and good times" coming July 2024 is the promise of the reborn Coppinger Row , and anyone who remembers the glory days will know both are guaranteed. Things have been up in the air for a long time since the prior version shuttered after the landlords opted to redevelop, and the Bereen bros’ focus on the neighbouring Row Wines had us thinking this might never come back – we're glad to be wrong.

Snacks stopping us in our tracks, a super fun sundae, and a stunning summer salmon plate - here's the alliteration-worthy dishes wowing us this week... 1) Rice Chips, Floritz One of the newest openings in the city, Floritz are at 22 St. Stephen's Green (just above Cellar 22 ), and describe themselves as "a contemporary, Asian-inspired dining experience". Their menu is trés exciting with options like Balfegó tuna, wagyu beef tartare, and lobster bao - but these rice chips with dragon sauce look ridiculously crispy, and we're kicking ourselves that we didn't try them for this week's once over . Guess we'll just have to go back.... 2) Barbecued Organic Salmon , Asador We're well into BBQ season and this barbecued organic salmon from Asador served with tomato, olive, caper and basil salsa is giving us all the inspo to get the grill fired up. Or you know, head to Asador's terrace instead and not have any of the mess... 3) Spicy Calamari , Brighton Road Summer is just an excuse to eat all the seafood, and this spicy calamari starter from Brighton Road  is the dream reason to make the trip out to Foxrock. That lightly spiced batter, those tentacles, the touch of samphire on top - all it needs is a cold glass of white wine.   4) Elderflower Posset, Craft Bistro This Elderflower posset with strawberries, bee pollen and honeycomb, from Craft in Harold's Cross, is a hayfever busting dessert if we've ever seen one - get that pollen down your gullet instead of up your nose - it's basically medicinal. 5) Alfajores sundae, Bakeology Alfajores (or alfies for short) are a soft cookie sandwich with a dulce de leche filling, and taste as delicious as that description. Bakeology are now suggesting we "break away from the traditional" and have them in an ice-cream sundae, and we don't be arguing with them. Go for dulce de leche with alfajores, or dulce de leche with oreos - either is a guaranteed good time.

There's a new Thai BBQ grill coming to Dublin, and fans of London's Kiln and Smoking Goat will have all the high hopes for Achara . The guys behind Crudo and Happy’s are very hyped up for their new opening in the former Happy's location, featuring Thai food centered on a charcoal grill (custom made by Smokin' Soul in Wexford), using Irish produce. The menu aims to emulate the grilling culture in Northern Thailand, with dishes like chilli chicken wings with fish sauce caramel; whole chargrilled seabass with nam prik seafood; and waterfall bavette steak with papaya and hot mint salad. The team say they've been obsessed with Thai food since their first travels across South east Asia - "The flavours, the smell of grilled meats walking around Chiang Mai, the hustle and bustle of the night markets, that first pad Kra Pao after an 12 hour night train to Surat Thani." They say they want to show there's a lot more to Thai food than traffic light curries and pad Thai, and showcase the food they loved from their travels. They say to expect a regularly changing menu, variations on authentic dishes, depending on what they can get their hands on, and local sustainable suppliers like Salter's free range pork, Glenmar Seafood, and Market Gnomes for herbs. As well as what's shaping up to be an excellent wine list, there'll be a signature cocktail menu and a "whiskey soda" menu, which anyone who's travelled to Thailand will be familiar with.  Achara are offering ATF Insiders first access to their soft launch this Friday 28th and Saturday 29th with 25% off your whole bill for food and drinks, and feast your eyes on what you'll be eating and drinking if you get a table (menu subject to change). Tables for Achara will be available from 18:30 on Friday and 17:00 from Saturday, and we'll send the booking link to everyone signed up to ATF Insiders at 20:00 tomorrow, Tuesday 25th June. If you're not already signed up you can fix that here .

It's June, which means nine new prizes for our biggest and best supporters! This month we've giving away some of the best restaurant experiences in the city, a prize pack from Stanley Tucci's favourite gin, and a bumper lot of tickets to an end of summer food festival. ATF Insider s is how we operate with no ads , pay for all of our meals , pay our writers , and operate independently to give you the only advice you need about eating out in Dublin. If you enjoy our content, we would very much enjoy if you signed up to keep it going. Everyone signed up to ATF Insiders by midnight on Monday 17th June, will be entered into the draw, and winners will be picked and notified on the 18th June. Here's what we've got for you this month... 1) A €100 voucher for Row Wines Folded flatbreads , summer ceviche , disco drag dinners - is there anything Row Wines can't do? The Coppinger Row wine bar and restaurant has brought an injection of colour and energy to this laneway off South William Street, with their outdoor seating some of the best in the city centre - if you like stupidly tasty food, eclectic wines and excellent tunes (read our once over here ). We're giving away a €100 voucher for Row Wines this month, which should let you cover most of their endlessly delicious menu. 2) Dinner for two with wine at Tang Tang at Cumberland Place have just started sprinkling their Middle Eastern magic on Thursday and Friday night dinners, and wait until you see the outdoor courtyard  you could be eating in. Pick from nibbles, plates and sides like sesame seed focaccia with harissa butter; lamb kofta with lemon and pickled plum; and baby carrots with labneh and chimichurri, and there's a lovely contingent of natural wines to complete the package. We're sending one of you in for dinner for two with wine - check out the menu here  and book here . 3) €100 to spend at Nan Chinese's new Dim Sum Brunch Nan Chinese , the only restaurant (we know of) serving Huaiyang cuisine is bring a brand new brunch to the city centre, and there's going to be a lot of dim sum. On the menu you'll find pork xiao long bao (soup dumpling), golden buns with char siu pork, and puff pastry egg tarts for afters - who needs granola and avo toast anyway. We've got a €100 voucher for Nan to give away this month so you can run the brunch gammut (and order anything else you want too). Read our Nan Chinese once over here . 4) €100 to spend on Korean toasties and Champagne at Toast Korean-style toasties and Champagne - we've found our new favourite combo. Toast is the new pop up at Silk Purse on Nassau Street, from the guys behind The Pig's Ear and Spitalfields, and in our humble ATF opinion you NEED to try these - we left veeerrrryyy happy . We've got €100 for one of you to spend on toasties, cheesecake and drinks, either in repeat visits or on one shrimp cocktail and Champagne filled blowout. Check out Toast here . 5) €150 voucher for Pichet Michelin Bib Gourmand restaurant Pichet is celebrating an amazing 15 years serving Irish food with a French accent in the centre of Dublin, and we've got a €150 voucher to give away to celebrate their landmark birthday. Use it over drinks and snacks at the bar, or over a long lunch or dinner in the award-winning Trinity Street restaurant, from founder and chef Stephen Gibson and Head Chef Harry Quinn. 6) €120 voucher for H2G Wines We recently landed (and loved) an outside table at H2G Wines in Glasnevin , feeling more like we were on Greek island Delos than on a suburban street in Dublin 9. The brother and sister-owned wine importer's full range is on show in the shop and bar, and the perfect for grazing small plates have been planned and prepped with quality up front. We've got a €120 voucher to give away for H2G Wines this month that can by used in the shop or on food and drinks in the wine bar. We recommend the sparkling Carricante with a Mediterranean plate for starters. 7) Bottomless Brunch for four at The Porthouse Cava The Port House Cava on Camden Street has just launched its new wine bar on the ground floor, open for all the drinks and mini wine topper charcuterie boards - which come free with your glass of wine for the month of June. To celebrate we've got a bottomless brunch for four people to give away, where you can pick between veggie and meat boards, with bottomless cava, sangria and cerveza. It's served every Saturday and Sunday from 12:00 to 17:00, and we think summer is the time to hit it. 8) A Tanqueray gin prize pack Stanley Tucci's favourite gin Tanqueray are making their debut at this year's Taste of Dublin festival, with complimentary masterclasses, tips on cocktail making and ‘pick your perfect martini’ activities. Whether yours is a ‘Gingle Bird’ pineapple, a ‘Tiny Ten’ grapefruit serve, or a classic Negroni, is there anything gin can't do? We've got a bottle of Tanqueray London Dry, a bottle of Tanqueray 0.0, and a Tanqueray branded ‘La Boujie’ candle to give away to one of you this month. 9) Eight tickets for Taste of Kildare Taste of Kildare is back at Naas Racecourse this September, with some of Kildare’s leading chefs cooking all weekend, including Derry Clarke from The Club at Goffs; Gary O’Hanlon from The K Club; Sean Smith from Cliff at Lyons, Natalie Collins from The Japanese Gardens; and Duro Vdovic from Fallons of Killcullen. Other restaurants cooking over the weekend include Two Cooks, Ely Wine Bar and The Ballymore Inn, and buses go directly to the race course from the centre of Dublin. Taste of Kildare is on from the 20th - 22nd September, tickets start at €17 for entry, and we're sending one of you off with seven pals for a brilliant food-filled day out. Check them out on Instagram here . Everyone signed up to   ATF Insiders   for June (new and old) will be automatically entered into the prize draw - you don't need to do anything. If you're not signed up yet join here  before midnight on Monday the 17th June to be in with a chance of winning. You'll be supporting independent content in Dublin and beyond, and be able to get answers to all of your burning questions about eating out, here and abroad, directly from us.

It's officially summer, and while we're waiting on that heatwave to arrive, we recommend hitting places that will give you all the holiday feels this month, as well as some brand new arrivals to the city, and an excuse to hop on the train and head for the seaside. Here's where you should be eating in June... For something brand new: Daalo, North Frederick Street East African/Somali food isn't something we see a lot of in Dublin, so new Northside opening Daalo has been getting a lot of interest in foodie groups, with early reviews praising their beautiful food, big portions and warm welcome. Try the lamb haneeth (slow roasted lamb), injera with tibs (Ethiopian flatbread with stir-fried beef), or ugali with hilib (cornmeal with goat meat). For a shiny new update: Proper Order, Smithfield Coffee obsessives Proper Order opened their brand new, substantially larger space in Smithfield yesterday, meaning a lot more room to enjoy some of the most premium pour overs in the city, alongside some of the city's best baked goods from No Messin' . This isn't just another café, it's a five-star coffee and pastry experience... For all the holiday feels: Crudo, Sandymount Whether you're counting down to your summer holiday, or kicking yourself for not booking one, you can get all the Roman/Venetian/Sicilian feels at Crudo in Sandymount. Their scampi risotto has been Irish-ed up with a Dublin Bay Prawn bisque, and the prawn oil and crème fraiche on top are the cherries on a truly lovely plate. Get similar holiday feels with the bruschetta with marinated Datterini tomatoes, and the pappardelle with slow-cooked meat sauce and aged Parmesan. For the hit of the summer: Row Wines, Coppinger Row We don't think anyone is capturing the food and drink zeitgeist right now like Row Wines . Practically every day we see another plate or glass that makes us want to rush in, with seabass ceviche, folded flatbreads, and peach, parma ham and ricotta salad keeping that terrace out front nicely busy. Join the cool kids and reserve a table here . For a tasting menu train adventure: Ingredient, Skerries Andrew Kelly and Kate Kettle have been shaking things up in Skerries with their pop-up restaurant Ingredient , currently operating out of Olive Deli. Their six-course tasting menu is €70, or there's an à la carte with nibbles, snacks, small and large plates, like scallops with truffle foam and pickled shimeji mushrooms. If you want a taster of what they're up to you can take a table outside with some snacks and a few glasses of natural wine, which we think sounds like the ideal ending to a day at the seaside. For not your average sandwich: Toast @ Silk Purse, Nassau Street The Pig's Ear team have been putting a multitude of ideas through their paces in their Silk Purse space underneath the restaurant, and the latest is Toast - a wine bar with Korean-style brioche sandwiches. There are four flavours to choose from - pork bulgogi; shrimp cocktail; egg and cheese; and marinated tofu, and they're serving the famous Pig's Ear ch eesecake for dessert. Swerve your usual ham and cheese for one of these. For the mega menu update: Amy Austin, Drury Street Chef Victor Lara from Amy Austin has just launched his brand new menu at the Michelin Bib Gourmand wine bar on Drury Street. If you thought what we ate when we reviewed it sounded god, wait till you hear about the prawn agua chile with blue corn tostadas; Iberico pork cheek with a gooseberry glaze; and white asparagus with black garlic aioli. We might need a do-over.

With Leaving Cert Weather™ right around the corner, you're going to be looking for all the excuses to go for lunch - ideally as close to the Irish Sea as possible - and how better to travel than by Dublin Area Rapid Transit and make a day of it - 10 points if you hit them all. You've got from now until the first week back at school (aka our Indian Summer). Go! North of the city centre Mamó, Howth (six-minute walk from Howth DART station) We're kicking off the list with one of our favourites - Mamó , the pearl of Howth's clam shell. Husband and wife Killian and Jess run a tight ship, meaning the food, wine and service is always faultless. The cod chip always floats our boat, and try your hardest to get a table by the window for a view of Howth harbour. Lunch runs from Thursdays to Mondays, or book in for dinner and watch the sun go down. Kajal, Malahide (three-minute walk from Malahide DART station) Kajal are known for serving up some of the best Pakistani food in Dublin, so good in fact that we would travel to the very end of the DART line for their chargrilled lamb chops. On weekdays they serve a two course lunch menu for €28, and on weekends their two course lunch menu plus an adult drink is €34. They also have nan wraps to go for €14.95 if you're looking for something to eat in the marina, looking out at all the boats you can't afford. Just Chubbys, Clontarf (eight-minute walk from Clontarf DART station) Barry Stephens of 147 Deli opened up Just Chubbys outside Lotts and Co. in Clontarf back in 2022 and the tacos have been flying out of the truck ever since. Open from 12:30 on Saturdays and Sundays, we suggest you pick up a couple of tacos, a chilly bottle from Lotts and Co. and head across the road for the picnic to end all others. Read our two minute review of Just Chubbys here . South of the city centre Crudo, Sandymount (ten-minute walk from Sandymount DART station) Tucked away in Sandymount village you'll find Crudo , run by Jamie McCarthy & Sean Crescenzi (the son of the Dunne and Crescenzi empire). Open every day for lunch, sit in and enjoy their baseball sized crayfish and lobster bisque arancini, gambas with focaccia, and hand-rolled ravioli. They also have robust paninis including the "Hot Beef" inspired by TV show The Bear - take one to go and enjoy by the strand, where you'll also find exercise machines if you want to burn it off afterwards. Read our Crudo once over here . 3 Leaves, Blackrock (ten-minute walk from Blackrock DART station) Recent winners of " Best World Cuisine Dublin " at the Irish Restaurant Awards, 3 Leaves serve a walk-in only lunch from 12:00 Thursday - Sunday. During the week they do the choosing for you (music to our ears) with a meat or veg Thali taster, or there's a daily changing curry and dhal. Weekends there's more choice with an additional street food menu, and it's worth whatever the waiting time is for a table. That's Amore, Monkstown (four-minute walk from Salthill and Monkstown DART station) The impossible to get into That's Amore in Monkstown is definitely worth the journey if you're organised enough to secure a reservation (and there's no online booking so you'll have to pick up the PHONE). Serving food from 16:30 Monday - Saturday, you'll find all the Italian antipasti, zuppe and pasta you could want, before being handed a heart-shaped blackboard featuring dessert specials. Seapoint beach is calling your name, either beforehand to work up an appetite, or afterwards to shift that tiramisu while the sun goes down. 64 Wine, Glasthule (four-minute walk from Sandycove & Glasthule DART station) If you're looking for a lazy lunch with all the wine after a scenic train journey, you can pick up any bottle from wine shop and café/bar 64 Wine in Glasthule and drink it in there for €15 corkage. It also happens to have one of the best selections of the good stuff in Dublin. On their daytime menu you'll find salads, sandwiches and sharing boards, and the friendly staff are always on hand to make recommendations - and there will be many. Lunch is served Monday to Saturday, 12:00 to 14:30. Cavistons, Glasthule (five-minute walk from Sandycove & Glasthule DART station) Cruising along our coastal coach course (aka the DART line) demands a stop at a seafood establishment on the Southside, and we're pegging Cavistons as the one. Their fresh seafood heavy menu changes on a regular basis, but don't be surprised to see Kilkeel scallops, wild Atlantic prawns, brill and swordfish, with a handful of veggie and meat options for those who aren't feeling fish. Lunch is served Thursday to Saturday from 12:00, and Sunday from 13:00. Oliveto, Dún Laoghaire (seven-minute walk from Dún Laoghaire DART station) We like to make excuses to get out to Dún Laoghaire as often as possible for two reasons, and they're both in Haddington House . Oliveto 's outdoor, sea-facing tables have some of the best views in Dublin, only matched by their homemade pasta and chargrilled meats. They open for lunch every day with a midweek set offering two courses for €27.50 or three for €32.50, as well as full à la carte all week. Their Parlour Bar (reason #2) opens from 14:00 at the weekend, and from 16:00 during the week, but you could easily make that long lunch slip into late afternoon cocktails. The Grapevine, Dalkey (three-minute walk from Dalkey DART station) Once you've have your fill of looking for Bono's gaff in Dalkey, head to the Grapevine and secure a spot outside on their south facing terrace. The menu is a catch all of things like pasta, burgers and seafood, but the stars are on the shelves. Pick from an ever-interesting wine list, or ask the staff for a recommendation. Lunch runs Tuesday - Sunday from 12:00. Nine, Bray (one-minute walk from Bray DART station) The closest spot on this list to a DART station is Nine in Bray, and it's worth the jaunt across the border to Wicklow. The kitchen is led by chef Ciara O'Leary, formerly of Brookwood and Pearl Brasserie , and they serve brunch/lunch until 15:00 from Wednesday to Sunday, with bangers like steak and eggs, truffled mushrooms on toast and Korean fried chicken buns. Coffee is 3fe , and they offer a full wine list if it's one of those lunches. Daata, Bray (five-min walk from Bray DART station, and also in Blackrock, Glasthule and Greystones) If you're looking for lunch with a view, Daata in Bray have a rooftop terrace that is straight up vibes for days. Their brunch/lunch menu runs from 11:30 - 14:30 and has fun options like Burrata chicken and anda masala - savory chopped boiled eggs served with a buttery flatbread. The signature dish is their "Famous Afghani Chicken" - a creamy and spicy chicken curry with tomatoes, fenugreek, black pepper and lemon. If it's good enough for Gordo , it's good enough for us. Scéal, Greystones (thirteen-minute walk from Greystones DART station) Yes it's the longest walk from a DART station, and at the very end of the line, but we would travel the entire DART line ten times for anything that's come out of Scéal 's kitchen . Each month their seasonal pastries kill us (full on skull emoji) and we find ourselves scrolling Daft.ie to see if Greystones property prices have come down at all (they haven't). They're open seven days a week, but on the weekends be prepared to queue. Did we miss somewhere great on the DART line? Let us know by emailing info@allthefood.ie .

What should we know about Pickosito? With a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it entrance tucked inside and above Wayback Burgers, Pickosito Taqueria popped up off Capel Street in the middle of May. It’s run by a trio of Northern Mexican women whose longing for their home cuisine, and the lack of an authentic answer in Dublin, led them to take matters into their own hands. The name comes from the fruity, savoury Mexican hot sauce the owners love so much. What should we have? Those not familiar with regional variations might struggle to see the substantial differences in the menu here, but the wheat and cattle-heavy plains of El Norte are known for their bounties of beef and flour. That's why their full-size tacotons (€8.90 - €9.90) are on flour tortillas, but keen to try as many of the eight fillings as possible, we mixed four mini corn tacos instead (€14.50). The best was chorizo. The ground pork mix, like all the tortillas and sauces, has been made in-house to an old family recipe, and its spicy succulence had our eyes flaring up as well as our nostrils. This is where Pickosito sets itself apart. Chili con carne packed just as much punch, even if, like the grilled beef and caramelised onion asada, it felt as though its flavours might better assert in the bigger tacoton.   Adobo sauce-marinated pork had the crisp char of rendered fat, but also the dried texture and flat taste of too long on the grill – the only real disappointment. A lot of things here come with a handful of fries, and while we're not sure why, and they're not homemade, they're of a decent quality. Sliders (€4.50) are another chance to try out a smaller portion, so we tried the barbacoa. The soft, chewy bun falls somewhere between bap and bao, a good vehicle for tender, slow-cooked shredded beef. Its quality comes closer to the asada than the chorizo, with more pleasing depth of flavour than any novel knockout kick.   Enchiladas (€15.90) offer a more substantial option for those who arrived hungry. Packed with shredded chicken and baked with a green tomato and chili sauce, they’re served over tomato-rich rice in a well-balanced dish that's just a bit stodgy. Pickosito nachos (€8.50) are an oozing mess of cheese sauce and sour cream hiding nuggets of sliced jalapeno and sweetcorn. The tortilla chips aren’t homemade, but they’ve gone with good quality, and as a sharing starter to keep hunger at bay they do the job nicely.   Neither tres leches nor arroz con leche desserts were on for our visit, so we half-heartedly plumped for a cheesecake instead (€5.90). Lucky us in the end - the creamy cake’s semi-sweetness is elevated by an intense guava syrup we lapped up every last drop of. It’s the dessert we didn’t know we needed, and a parting reminder of where Pickosito hits the high gear. Why should I go? In a part of the city where Mexican food’s more often handy high-turnover than anything homely and heartfelt, Pickosito has arrived with flavours that mean business, and prices (it undercuts all the chains) that prove an authentic touch needn’t come at a premium. This might be quick and casual dining, but there's quality here too.   Pickosito 62 Mary Street, Dublin 1 instagram.com/pickosito.taqueria

The best of Irish ice cream meets a cookie, a pizza slice with an insane amount of pineapple, and a beef tartare that summers are made for - here's what we most want to eat in Dublin's fair city this week... 1) Frank's beef tartare, Piglet Piglet on Cow's lane is always a reliable stop for French classics to go with all that wine, and their latest insta post has reconfirmed that. Their "Frank's beef tartare" (no we don't know who Frank is) is served with anchovy mayo, egg yolk and house pickles. This, on a sunny day, on their terrace, is currently top of our to do list. 2) Peach & blackberry galette , Bread Naturally This summery peach and blackberry galette on a crisp pastry with a demerara coated crust from the bread boys at Bread Naturally is what weekend mornings were made for. Add a flat white and a stroll around St. Anne's Park for peak pastry enjoyment. 3) Pancetta & pineapple pizza, Doom Slice Not only is the "pineapple on pizza" debate incredibly boring (it's allllll the talk on dating apps), it's also the correct thing to do. It's a superior topping on the right kind of pizza, bringing a splash of zingy sweetness to salty meat and cheese, and Doom Slice are illustrating our point perfectly with their Detroit-style "pancetta and pineapple". Tell us you don't want this. 4) Tofu bánh mì , The Streets at Hynes' Bar We didn't think Hynes' in Stoneybatter could get any cooler, but when The Streets set up shop at the end of January it gave us another reason to brush up on our cúpla focal and head to Cowtown. Their salt and chilli tofu bánh mì comes with cucumber, pickled radish, and fresh coriander, and when it popped up on our feed we immediately cancelled all of our plans. 5) Ice-cream cookie sandwich , Murphy's It's the season of maximum ice-cream ingestion, and one of the many ways we'll be getting our weekly quota this summer is in sandwich form - where the bread has been replaced with cookies. We love the look of this effort from the Dingle crew, and plan to recreate that photo the next chance we get.

From ceviche to crab rolls, and Sake meets Tiramisu, we're officially gagging for an al fresco meal in the sun, inhaling all of this. These are the five things we most want to eat in the capital this week, and if you too are gagging for a meal with the sun's rays hitting your arms, check out our comprehensive guides to eating outdoors in Dublin here and here ... 1) Leek Tarte Tatin, Bread 41 It's said that the Tarte Tatin was invented accidentally just south of Paris by a female hotelier back in 1880s, who left her apples cooking too long and tried to rescue the situation by throwing the pastry on top and flinging it in the oven. So maybe we have Stéphanie Tatin to thank for this oniony artwork from Bread 41 . Their leek tarte tatin is available from 11:30 on Saturdays and Sundays, and if you brave that queue you better leave with at least one. 2) Ceviche & shortrib, Row Wines Row Wines have dropped their new seasonal menu and summer just got a little more interesting. Summer is ceviche season, and the Row Bros are bringing it with this seabass, burnt pineapple, and habanero combo. Their orange crusted pork croquettes with burnt apple puree sound like a winner to us, and we haven't even mentioned the shortrib with caramelised celeriac, pickled walnuts and a spiced crumb. One (at least) of each please. 3) Apple cake, Milo's Dropping this weekend at Milo's is this burnished apple cake given the summer treatment with a large scoop of vanilla bean ice cream on top. They lace it with the same legendary salted caramel that's used in their caramel lattes, and as we'll be using all and any excuse to eat Ice cream for the next few months, this feels like a good place to start. 4) Crab rolls, Charlotte Quay Crab and lobster stuffed brioche rolls are a summer right of passage around here, and this crab roll with pickled cucumber and fries from Charlotte Quay has us pleading for the good weather to stick around. Eating this on the waterfront at Grand Canal Dock needs to be ticked off our summer bingo card. 5) Sake Tiramisu, Gopan This Sake Tiramisu creation from Japanese bakery Gopan is our kind of drink. Based in Bray, Michiko Ishimoto's bakery operates on a pre-order basis only (to combat food waste) twice weekly and delivers to Dublin. Japan meets Italy over dessert - what's not to like.

After last week's guide to the best places to eat outdoors in Dublin city centre , it's time for part two - the suburbs. Here are the best terraces, tunnels and parklets to spend your money in, north and south of the Liffey... Dublin 8 Two Pups, Francis Street The weekends are always heaving at walk-in only Two Pups - and for good reason, with the sheltered tables out front and the courtyard within offering up some of the nicest spots around the Liberties to grab a sunny, always delicious bite. Alma, Portobello The seats outside Alma are some of the loveliest in Portobello, and an iced dulce de leche latté in the sunshine while you wait for brunch is as perfect a morning as we can imagine. Check for tables here . Gaillot et Gray, Clanbrassil Street French pizzeria and natural wine hangout Gaillot et Gray  is open for lunch (mainly sandwiches on their own bread) and dinner (pizza) on their terrace out the back. You can book by calling them on 014547781 or they take walk-ins if they have space. Lucky's, Meath Street Liberties hotspot   Lucky's  has added some seating out front as well as their always in-demand courtyard with delicious pizza from Coke Lane . They're open seven days a week and you can make a booking enquiry through their website . Daphne's, Rialto Daphne's  has plenty of covered tables on their terrace available for dinner Wednesday to Sunday and weekend brunch. Their early bird from Sunday - Friday is particularly good value at €29 for three courses or €26 for two. Book here . Dublin 4 InterContinental Dublin, Ballsbridge If you're feeling fancy, there's a five star outdoor dining experience going in D4's InterContinental Dublin hotel, with booking for afternoon tea open now  and dinner starting this week. It's a great way to feel like you're living that RHOBH lifestyle without leaving the city. Angelina's, Baggot Street Angelina's outdoor tables are the ultimate in goals on a sunny day in Dublin 4. They're open seven days a week for lunch and dinner with brunch at weekends. Book on their website   or by emailing book@angelinas.ie . Asador, Ballsbridge Asador 's impressive (covered and heated) terrace reopens is available to book for lunch and dinner from Tuesday to Saturday each week for a whole range of fire-cooked dishes. Look for a table here . Smithfield/Stoneybatter Korean Table, Stoneybatter Korean Table  have created a lovely little spot in Stoneybatter to enjoy kimchi and bibimbap in the sun with hanging lights and plenty of greenery. They’re walk-in only but it’s never too long a wait to get seated. Slice, Stoneybatter Slice 's brunch and lunch menus put so many other daytime cafés to shame, with their Hicks pudding and miso mushrooms; buttermilk pancakes with "feuilletine crispy bits", and a brunch cocktail menu you'll need to study before getting there to have any prayer of making a decision. Their outdoor seating now has a handy cover just in case , and they don't take bookings but they will take your name and let you know when your table's ready. Nutbutter, Smithfield Nutbutter 's tacos, tostadas, rice bowls and pho are sunshine in food form, and with any luck you'll be able to enjoy them in the actual sunshine, on one of their outdoor tables on Smithfield Square. South Dublin Nightmarket, Ranelagh The D6 destination for authentic Thai food, Nightmarket has a fully-heated side terrace "tunnel" open for outdoor dining, so you can stay on to sample the cocktail menu long after the sun sets. You won't be feeling the rays on your skin, but with any luck the air will be warm. Book online . Tacos Lupillo, Inchicore The crowds have yet to let up at newcomer Tacos Lupillo  since we first visited back in January , and they've leapt at the chance to expand their capacity outdoors with a few newly-installed high and low tables outside. It's not the most scenic setting, but the food's a sensation and the suntrap factor is strong in the evening, which is good enough for us. Rascal's Brewing, Inchicore Rascal's  pizzeria and tap room has become an Inchicore institution since opening in 2014, and their bustling outdoor space has grown into a really atmospheric evening spot across the course of several pandemic re-openings. Look for tables here . Volpe Nera, Blackrock Volpe Nera  have only a small number of tables available on their covered, sheltered terrace so an advance booking is recommended. They've been putting a sharp twist on summer cocktails with their yuzu spritz, and nothing says summer like ceviche. Book here . Mermaid, Monkstown Bresson have rebranded their lovely outdoor courtyard as Mermaid , serving dinner from Wednesday - Sunday, and brunch at the weekend. The crowd-pleasing menu should have something for everyone, with dishes like grilled goat's cheese, seared tuna, and fish and chips, and it can be fully covered in case that becomes necessary. Book online . The Purty Kitchen, Dún Laoghaire With 45 seats and a retractable roof, The Courtyard at Dún Laoghaire's Purty Kitchen  is an ideal space for fine weather dining with a weather-proof backup plan. It's open Wednesday and Thursday evenings and all day Friday - Sunday with a menu full of gastro-pub classics. Book online here . Oliveto, Dun Laoghaire There might not be a better spot to enjoy a perfectly clear day than Oliveto 's gorgeous garden terrace perch in Dun Laoghaire, serving equally beautiful-looking food. They've got plenty of parasols to escape the intensity of that heatwave sun, if it ever comes, and some of the dishes wouldn't be out of place on the Italian Riviera. Read our once over here , and book here . Soup, Dun Laoghaire Soup  in Dun Laoghaire, with their special ramen, deep-fried kimchi and super cute cocktails have outdoor dining space as well as a deal with neighbouring bar Lockie's to take the food into their beer garden. Walk in or book on their website . Riba, Stillorgan Riba 's outdoor, covered and heated terrace is open for dinner Wednesdays through Mondays as well as weekend lunch, with an early bird special running up to 18:30 every day. The menu is Italian-influenced with loads of local and Irish produce. Booking can be made online here . Grapevine, Dalkey Grapevine in Dalkey are open for outdoor dining and wine-ing from Tuesday - Sunday for lunch and dinner. They've got a very fair value early bird menu   and shelves packed with wine. Book here . Bubbas Fish Market, Dalkey Bubbas Fish Market on Dalkey Square have gone all-in on an upgrade to their patio seating area, and it looks like a new highlight for seafood lovers south of the county. They've got both covered and uncovered sections, as well plenty of heaters for when it gets chilly. North Dublin Mamó, Howth Mamó 's miniature terrace out front is another pristine spot to savour sun and sea in the company of great food. Their focus on seafood fresh-off-the-boat and ingredients from around North Dublin makes this one of the most memorable al fresco experiences in the city, and we've never had a dud dish, wine or service experience there. There are just three tables outside for the full menu, with more casual seats coming next week for drinks and snacks, and because they're weather dependent you can only book by phone on the day. Try your luck on 01 8397096 King Sitric, Howth Howth institution King Sitric  has some of the best seats in the city for the right kind of summer day, especially after an afternoon's walk on the hill working up an appetite for their seafood selection. They're child and dog-friendly too. Book online . H2G Wines, Glasnevin Filling a wine-bar shaped hole in this part of the North city, H2G Wines  opened earlier this year and have two outdoor tables in full eye of the setting evening sun that we can already see being wildly in-demand. They've got small plates and platters to enjoy alongside a changing by the glass list. Milo's, Drumcondra The second opening from the Two Boys Brew guys, Milo's has filled a major gap in Dublin 9 for great coffee, thoughtful food, and all the effort you probably won't make a home. Their outside area seats around 12 and diners move fast so you shouldn't be waiting long for a table. Shouk, Drumcondra Shouk  have revamped their already very nice outdoor space with plenty of additional shade and rain cover for whatever the weather might throw at us. There’s not much more we’d rather do in this part of town of a summer afternoon than crack into their sharing Middle East Feast with a few friends. Juno, Dorset Street The brilliant bar food in Dorset Street's Juno can be enjoyed on one of their outdoor benchs, which just happen to be in prime position for those evening rays. Ours is a hot fish sandwich washed down with a melon and jalapeno sour, followed by an affogato. Read our once over here , and book here . Old Street, Malahide Neighbourhood restaurant Old Street in Malahide have a covered and cushioned outdoor area open from Tuesday through Sunday, but the best night to visit is Wednesday when their entire wine list is 50% off . Book online here . Harry's, Malahide Across the road, newer wine bar Harry's serve their menu of small plates, sharing boards and pastas with grower Champagne, white Burgundy and Italian reds in their outdoor parklet, complete with blankets (and sometimes dogs). Honey Honey, Portmarnock Expect a fight for the limited outdoor seats outside Honey Honey in Portmarnock, but if you can get them you'll feel like you've won the jackpot. The simple menu is always done just right, the coffee is faultless, and if all else fails you can take it to go and head for the beach. Want to eat outdoors in Dublin city centre? Check out our guide here ...

What should we know about H2G Wines? None of the recent mini-boom of new wine bars in Dublin have got our hopes up as much as this, the latest venture from sibling duo Colm and Brid Carter, whose Honest2Goodness wine import business largely focused on trade supply until a pandemic-prompted pivot to direct sales. They announced late last year they’d be stepping back from the Glasnevin food market that had borne their name since 2009 (happily, several of the other stallholders have since stepped in to create a new one in its place), and opening this new space with a rotating BTG list, with small plates and regular themed tasting events. What should we have? Limited kitchen facilities are fit for assembly only, so we’re firmly in the charcuterie, cheeseboard and snacks space here – no gripe from us when the wine is the star of the show. Open bottles will change regularly, while corkage for anything on the shelf is €10 on Wednesday and Thursday and €15 from Friday to Sunday.   We arrived just in time to nab one of the two tables they’ve fit into the space they own outside, and on a warm summer evening we can think of few better seats to secure this side of the city. We’re sure the Noblesse sparkling Carricante and Verum Cabernet Franc rosé we started on didn’t need the full glare of the setting sun to bring out their respective merits, but it surely helped.   It helped the menu’s broadly Mediterranean slant too, and as we greedily loaded mounds of nutty hummus and sweet roasted peppers onto thick slices of Tartine sourdough, we felt closer to Greece than Glasnevin – an intense and juicy glass of Zafeirakis Limniona helped that idea along. When the weather assents, an afternoon on the terrace here has the potential to feel like a short-term holiday.   The Mediterranean plate (€12.50) is substantial as small plates go, with two generous balls of Macroom buffalo mozzarella surrounded by salted anchovies, nduja, red pesto and a pair of plump olives. Had we much in the way of space remaining, we’d have called on another bowl of those olives after - they are heavenly. Everything on the plate is, though a touch more pesto and nduja might have better balanced out the ratio of creamy cheese to those sharper flavours.   Garlicky chicken liver paté goes great with more of that bread, its fatty richness tempered by the redcurrant acidity of a Cumberland sauce on the side. Given their kitchen restrictions you could forgive the H2G team a basic spread, but the food here doesn’t let its enforced simplicity come at the cost of quality. Much like with their wine, they have sought out top quality stuff and brought it to life with sure-footed service.   Why should I go? H2G Wines’ terrace is about as good a summer evening spot in Dublin as we can think of to drink a good glass – and they’ve got plenty of those. Whether for just a quick catchup drink after a stroll round the Botanic Gardens , or a longer afternoon lapping up the sun with simple, satisfying plates, this is a place we would come back to again and again. H2G Wines 49 Botanic Avenue, Dublin 9 instagram.com/h2gwinesbotanicavenue

It’s finally the weekend, you’ve been dreaming about brunch all week but can’t be arsed trekking into town. You need some proper tasty nourishment, preferably in your hood, and only the best coffee will do. You need our guide to Dublin’s best brunch options in the ‘burbs... (and if you are arsed trekking into town, you need our guide to the best brunch options in the city centre ) Northside Two Boys Brew, Phibsborough   Kevin and Taurean of Two Boys Brew  opened up the now iconic Dublin 7 café back in 2016 inspired by their time in Berlin, Copenhagen and Australia. They're still pumping out some of the best brunch on the Northside, like avocado toast with crispy halloumi; eggs benedict with pulled pork shoulder; and baked ricotta hotcakes. They're also pouring some of the best coffee in the area and are eternally busy so get there early if you want to avoid getting hangry in the queue. 3fe, Phibsborough   3 fe seemed to sneak in overnight in Phibsborough last September, basically next door to Two Boys Brew, aka the flagship brunch spot of D7 - an interesting move. Now becoming a bit of a cookie cutter operation, their first suburban Northside location's menu is virtually the same as their other spots, but you can't deny the coffee is great and their food is solid with their chorizo and romesco hash and their fried chicken thigh bap being highlights. The perfect spot in Phibs when you can't get into TBB. Bang Bang, Phibsborough Slightly off Phibsborough’s main drag, just behind Dalymount Stadium, nestled among the 1890s red brick houses is Bang Bang , home of the legendary brunch burger - a Dublin brunch right of passage. Their specials change daily, with an option each for carnivores, veggies and vegans, they pour Silverskin coffee and their sweet treats are all homemade. It's an all round super brunch spot with great food, banging tunes and friendly staff. Slice, Stoneybatter Stoneybatter is basically heaven for food loving D7 dwellers, with some of the best dining spots in the city. For brunch though, Slice is where it's at . The café is cosy, and the food is always excellent (bit fans of their sausage scramble), and lucky for us they serve an all-day brunch six days a week, so none of this weekend only BS. With additional outdoor seating, Slice is the brunch spot to be on a cracking day. Still not convinced? Three words. Watermelon. Aperol. Spritz. Social Fabric Café, Stoneybatter   Another point on the scoreboard for Stoneybatter is Social Fabric , located in an old post office now transformed into a friendly, casual space. Their brunch menu is varied, with a very generous full Irish alongside porridge, granola, pancakes and more. They're vegan and vegetarian friendly, and also serve Cloud Picker coffee so you’re chanced of a decent flat white are better than average.   Two Pups, Fairview   March 2023 was a good month for brunch seekers in Fairview when revered Two Pups in Dublin 8 expanded across the Liffey with a slightly smaller premises than the original. A small but potent menu, they have fun scrambled egg on brioche bun creations like the McDivil and the Boldy, as well as their loaded hash browns. Pastries are homemade and coffee from these guys is always excellent. Póg, Clontarf, Howth & Malahide Póg is a protein pancake palace, with a full menu of sauces, toppings and premium add ons for their signature stacks. If that's not your bag there's also the mortgage busting avocado on toast, breakfast brioche and acai bowls. Although they started in the city centre, the last couple of years have seen them expand to specifically seaside North Dublin suburbs including Howth, Malahide and most recently Clontarf. Orani, Blanchardstown Orani in Blanchardstown might not be the first spot you think of for brunch, but trust us, you should be. They describe themselves as "Asian Fusion" with dishes like Orani eggs Benedict with a miso hollandaise, and quinoa taco pancakes, but the owners' Filipino roots have thankfully spilled onto their brunch menu too. Orani is the ideal place to try popular Filipino breakfast staples Longsilog - sausage with garlic rice and a fried egg - and Tapsilog - an all-day breakfast dish with beef tapa, fried egg, garlic fried rice and fresh vegetables. Dublin 8 Daddy's, Rialto Daddy’s  have been knocking it out of the park since they opened in late 2019, bringing their modern Irish dishes to the people of Rialto. They do an all-day brunch menu on the weekend, and have a few brunch style dishes on their weekday menu too, including the croissandwich and the Turkish eggs. Decisions, decisions... The Fumbally, Fumbally Lane   Some of the best chefs and food entrepreneurs in Ireland have ‘graduated’ from the Fumbally , which operates a non-hierarchical kitchen, allowing everyone the equal chance to create new menu items. This freedom has paid off for both the employees and the café, with a queue of hopeful young chefs waiting in the wings to get their shot. It's almost as long as the queue of hungry zillennials gagging for brunch on a Saturday morning. ALMA, Portobello   Another Portobello diamond, ALMA  is a family operation, with the name stemming from the four initials of the children, and you’ll usually see one or more of them on the floor. ALMA is bringing an Argentinian twist to the traditional brunch, with dishes like choripan Argento featuring Argentinian-style sausage on sourdough. Our favourite though would have to be the dulce de leche pancakes. We repeat – dulce. de. leche. pancakes. 31 Lennox, Portobello   An Italian-style brunch is something we didn’t think we needed until 31 Lennox  came along with their toasted Porchetta Benedict, chicken parmigiana burgers and of course some good quality Italian sausage. Brunch is available Saturday and Sunday from 09:00 to 15:00. Groundstate Coffee, The Liberties   This café roastery  based in the Liberties, Dublin 8 works with small growers for their coffee beans and roast everything in small batches in-house. They're keen to use quality local suppliers and are nailing it with McNally Farm, Firehouse Bakery and Pigs on the Green on their roster. Overnight oats are a popular order, but they also have weekend worthy dishes like brioche brekkie buns and saucy scrambled eggs.    Bibi's, Portobello & Dun Laoghaire   This quiet but buzzy little spot in Portobello has recently opened a seaside outpost in Dun Laoghaire, but the original  in Portobello is always a go-to when we’re thinking about where to grab brunch in Portobello. Go early to grab a table, a flat white, and a plate of their Turkish eggs, and be sure to pick up a few of their signature brownies too, cos hey, it’s the weekend. Southside Grove Road, Rathmines   Located right at Portobello Bridge, you’ll want to try snag a window seat here for peak people watching as you sip your cuppa. Grove Road serves brunch all day on the weekends and even have a smaller brunch menu that they serve all day during the week, so you don’t need to wait until the weekend to enjoy their avocado and feta smash toast with properly crispy bacon. Mad Yolks, Rathmines (& Smithfield) Brothers Hugh and Eoin O’Reilly of Mad Yolks  expanded from their Smithfield location to Rathmines, which we're sure the locals are very happy about. The menu is the same as their Smithfield spot, with free-range egg sandwiches, homemade hash browns and chilled mimosas. Flavour combinations are ace, and you should prepare to leave with a newfound grá for eggs. You'll never, ever, need to eat an Egg McMuffin again. Read our once over here .   Dillinger's, Ranelagh   If you’re in the mood for brunch that might turn into lunch that might turn into dinner, Dillinger's  is your guy, with classics like Shakshouka and pancakes, as well as hangover busters like fried chicken with waffles or their full Irish. Serving from 11:00 on Saturdays and Sundays, Dillinger's take as much pride in their drinks as their food, so you can pick from a host of cocktails for your hair of the dog. Their Bloody 's are spot on, or if you’re with a gang get the mimosa & Bellini tray to ease yourselves gently into the weekend. Brother Hubbard, Ranelagh People of Ranelagh rejoice! The institution that is Brother Hubbard opened up shop at 27 Ranelagh Village back in 2022, and the Southside suburb suddenly had a new must-visit for all day brunch, all week long. No need to trek into town anymore for their eggs menemen, or cinnamon and walnut scrolls. Breads, pastries, pickles, ferments & preserves are made in house, and they have an impressive list of suppliers for the rest. Happy Out, Donnybrook and Dun Laoghaire   We challenge you not to get a coffee from Happy Out when you're going for a walk along Bull Island or Dun Laoghaire pier. Or if the weather is wild or your head is feeling a bit too tender, try their Donnybrook location. In Dun Laoghaire they’ve collaborated with Together Academy in the most stunning spot right on the water. Sea views, toasties, and killer coffee. What more could you want out of this little old life. Juniors, Beggar's Bush   Juniors  is owned by brothers Paul and Barry McNeary, who are also behind Paulie's Pizza and Lotts and Co. , and it’s been on the go for years, serving breakfast, lunch and dinner. Their brunch is American-style with buttermilk pancakes, Southern fried chicken and waffles, and a potato rosti/FXB sausage patty breakfast stack. This is where we’d head for some recovery after a night on the tiles. 3fe Five Points, Harold's Cross Five Points  in Harold’s Cross is a 3fe creation, so you’re destined for good grub and coffee in the comfort of your own neighbourhood. Similar to the other 3fe menus, you've got the staples like the fried chicken bap, Boston beans, and the chorizo hash. An oldie but a goodie, 3fe is a handy dandy reliable. Southbank, Harold's Cross Much as we might fancy the comfort of an old favourite, we’ve always got eyes open for something distinctive on a brunch menu. That’s where Southbank’s charred cabbage on toast comes in, topped with tahini, crispy shallots and sumac – you won’t find that anywhere else around town. Fear not if that’s a bridge too far - there are full Irishes and eggs benedicts aplenty too. With an under-12s kids menu on at the weekends, it's also a great bet if you’re brunching with little ones. Hatch, Blackrock Hatch  in Glasthule is the go to coffee spot in the area, but the space here is limited so they always kept it simple with coffees, pastries and treats. Luckily for the folks of Blackrock, they expanded to a much bigger premises in the last couple of years. They serve a small brunch menu, which includes one of the best iterations of mushrooms on toast that we've tasted, and best not to miss out on their brown butter cookie which scooped a silver medal in the 2023 Blas na hÉireann awards. It's the perfect spot for early birds as they start serving from 08:00 on the weekend, and from 07:00 midweek. Fable + Stey, Blackrock A true neighbourhood café, some of the most local locals don’t even know it’s here. Hidden off Newtownpark Avenue, Fable + Stey serve a constantly changing menu with monthly specials taking pride of place. Their brunch is no different so keep an eye on their Instagram  to see what they’re serving up, and always leave room for their homemade bakes. Overends Kitchen, Dundrum Sitting on the large Airfield Estate in Dundrum, Overends Kitchen  has probably the most locally grown produce around as lots of it is grown on the grounds, and their menus change depending on the harvest. It’s a family friendly spot and designed to be explored and enjoyed by all. You could arrive early and help collect the eggs that will end up in your breakfast, or burn off some of your brunch with a walk around the six acre gardens. Either way, you won’t be disappointed by the garden greens shakshuka, buttermilk fried chicken and waffles, or brioche French toast. Looking for brunch in the city ? Check out our guide to the best brunches in the city centre here .

It's May, which means nine new prizes heading in the direction of our biggest and best supporters! This month we've giving away festival tickets, a Champagne lunch in a five-star hotel, tablescapes, premium dairy products and loads more. ATF Insider s is how we operate with no ads , pay for all of our meals , pay our writers , and operate independently to give you the only advice you need about eating out in Dublin. If you enjoy our content, we would very much enjoy if you signed up to keep it going. Everyone signed up to ATF Insiders by midnight tomorrow, 17th April, will be entered into the draw, and winners will be picked and notified on the 18th April. Here's what we've got lined up for you this month... 1) Two Sunday tickets to Kaleidoscope Festival, Wicklow Kaleidoscope ,  Ireland’s largest family music festival, is back at Russborough in Blessington from Friday 28th - Sunday 30th June. with three music-filled and memory-making days and nights for kids and adults. This year's line up includes The Kooks, The Waterboys, Lyra, Dec Pierce’s Block Rockin Beats and loads more. One of the other big highlights is always " Scrumdiddlyumptious", the festival's food tent, where you'll find workshops, chef demos, wine tastings and more, from some of Ireland's best chefs like Derry Clarke and Sunil Ghai. We've got two tickets to Sunday at Kaleidoscope to give away, so you can party to The Kooks then head over to decorate cupcakes with The Cupcake Bloke. Tickets are available at kaleidoscopefestival.ie  and Ticketmaster . 2) Lunch for two on the Champagne Terrace at The Shelbourne The Shelbourne 's Champagne terrace has just reopened for May, with Laurent Perrier this year's featured fizz, and a new menu of caviar and Champagne pairings if you really want to go wild. Hidden upstairs at the back of the hotel, The Terrace is a flower-filled sanctuary in the middle of the city centre, with all the outdoor dining feels, and none of the jostling for space. The summer menu features dishes made to go with Champagne, like oysters, seafood platters, and peach melba for dessert. Champagnes are available by the glass and bottle, with Champagne cocktails too, and w e've got a two-course lunch for two with a bottle of Laurent Perrier to give away to one lucky Insider this month. 3) Dinner for two with cocktails on the Garden Terrace at the five-star Intercontinental Dublin Outdoor dining on the five-star Intercontinental Dublin 's incredible garden terrace kicks off on Monday 27th May, and we're giving away a three-course meal for two with cocktails to celebrate. You can dine on burrata; white asparagus; lamb chops; and mango and passionfruit entremet for dessert, in the middle of their beautifully landscaped gardens - and there's a covered section if the weather doesn'tco-operate. Book your garden terrace dining experience at intercontinentaldublin.ie   or call 01665400. 4) Dinner and cocktails at the NYX Hotel in Portobello The brand new NYX Hotel opened on Portobello Harbour a few months ago, and if you don't have an excuse to check in, you can always hit up the bar for waterside dining. There's snacks, sharing plates, burgers and sundaes (see the menu here ), and don't miss their signature and classic cocktails list. To celebrate the new all dining menu we have a three course meal for two with a cocktail of choice to enjoy at The Bar at NYX. Visit  NYX-Hotels.ie   to book a table. 5) A seafood lunch for two with wine at The Purty Kitchen, Dun Laoghaire The Purty Kitchen 's Friday seafood lunch sounds like the best possible way to get the weekend going, particularly if you can snag a table in their sun-filled courtyard. Each Friday a two course lunch showcasing fresh Irish seafood is served with a glass of wine for the very fair price of €37.50, with dishes like Moules-frites, open prawn sandwich, and Wicklow Wolf-battered Haddock and chips. We've got lunch for two plus a bottle of wine to give away this month, and all you have to do is time your visit with the sunshine (but if you can't the courtyard roof is fully retractable). 6) A tablescape for six worth €250 from The Designed Table We love hosting dinner parties, but tend to put so much thought and time into the food that the tablescaping gets totally neglected. Enter The Designed Table , made to alleviate your "good at cooking, bad at laying tables" woes. They do all of the work for you, from tableclothes, to napkins, to placemats, and we've got a tablescape of your choice for six people worth €250 to give away to one lucky winner. Check out their summer collection here . 7) A €150 voucher for Glas The innovative team at vegan/vegetarian mecca Glas never set out to serve ‘meat substitutes’, but to make fruits and vegetables the main items on your plate, and ensure that even meat eaters will want to come back for their Irish produce focused, plant-based food (there's cheese too). With eclectic wine and cocktails and a location two minutes walk from St. Stephen's Green, it's open seven days a week - including for lunch and brunch from Friday - Sunday. We've got a €150 voucher to give away for Glas this month so one of you can see what all the meat-free fuss is about. You can book a table at glasrestaurant.ie . 8) A €100 voucher for Yeeros Earlier this year, Greek restaurant Yeeros won Deliveroo's " Independent restaurant of the year 2024 " for the WHOLE of the UK and Ireland, judged by Jimi Famurewa , restaurant critic for the London Evening Standard. The family-run restaurant which opened in 2018, with branches in Drumcondra, Wexford Street and Glasnevin, was described as " ticking every box ", with " innovation at the heart of everything they do ... and most importantly, everyone who orders from Yeeros becomes part of their family ." Awww... We've got a €100 voucher to give away this month so one of you can join the Yeeros family too. Check there out here , or follow them on Instagram . 9) The full premium dairy range from Macroom Buffalo Adding a bit of premium dairy luxury to breakfast, brunch, salads and picnics just got even more appealing. Macroom Buffalo ,   the ‘farm to fork’ producer from Co. Cork, have just added brand new products to their award-winning range, made with milk from their 840-strong herd of Water Buffalo, who roam freely across 640 acres. We've got a cooler bag worh €100 packed with the full range, including their brand new Buffalo Yogurts, Burrata and Paneer, as well as their Mozzarella, Bocconcini, Ricotta, Greek-style Cheese, Buffaloumi (their take on Halloumi) and cheddar. Find them in selected retailers nationwide, and check them out here . Everyone signed up to   ATF Insiders   for May (new and old) will be automatically entered into the prize draw - you don't need to do anything. If you're not signed up yet join here  before midnight on Friday the 17th May to be in with a chance of winning. You'll be supporting independent content in Dublin and beyond, and be able to get answers to all of your burning questions about eating out, here and abroad, directly from us.

Dublin is officially in its pizza slice era, with the arrival of only one that's been missing up until now. Doom Slice is Dublin’s first Detroit-style slice shop, and they open their hatch on Dame Lane at 17:00 today. If you remember our trip to Flout! in Belfast a few months ago, this will probably excite you. Founded by New York native and pizza lover Tom Sicotakis, he says Doom Slice is the culmination of his lifelong passion for pizza. His love of Detroit-style deep dish pizza began during a trip to the Motor City, and inspired him to work on perfecting the iconic slice that's been missing in Dublin until now. Detroit-style pizza is known for its thick, rectangular crust, which is crispy and chewy from being baked in rectangular steel pans, traditionally borrowed from the auto industry, and topped with a layer of cheese that caramelizes along the edges to form a crispy, cheesy crust called frico. Tom has interestingly partnered with husband and wife filmmakers Ben Cleary and Angela Stempel, who came up with the branding and mascot, ‘Lil Doom’, and are fellow Detroit-style pizza enthusiasts who also couldn't understand why this type of slice wasn't available in Dublin. Doom Slice open at 17:00 today from their Hatch on Dame Lane inside Pawn Shop . It can also be ordered from inside the bar. Check them out at www.doomslice.pizza or on Instagram .

What should we know about The Middle Child Bakery? The little Northside 'burb of "Beau-mount" (or "Beau-mont" if you're posh) has had its baked goods status upended with the arrival of Shona Quinn. The pastry chef has worked around the globe from the French Alps to NYC, and opened The Middle Child Bakery at the end of 2023, after supplying other cafés beforehand. What did you have? Never have we ever seen a bakery with so many options for sugar overload. Rice Krispie squares, brownies, jaffa cakes, jammy dodgers, bakewell tarts, banana bread, coffee slices, cream cakes, shortbread, cinnamon rolls, scones, not to mention the cookies. It's a sugar fever dream. The lovely staff told us that the cookie squares and the jaffa cake are must haves, and lord knows we needed help navigating it all. A Kinder cookie square (€3) was very fudgey, but verging on the sickly side of sweet - we were glad it wasn't any bigger for our insulin's sake. The jaffa cake (€3.20) had a crumbly sponge topped with generous tangy orange jelly and a dark chocolate coating - we concur it's a must. We're suckers for a cinnamon roll (€3.50), and here the fluffy dough had lashings of cinnamon and sugar in every gooey bite, with the icing having a slight citrus tang. Another must order. An almond croissant is our bakery litmus test, and since opening they've had to double their production due to sell outs. This one (€3.50 if you're keeping tabs on the #almondcroissantindex) was more crunchy than flaky, a little overdone maybe, but the butter was evident, and the almond sweetness of the well portioned filling was spot on. The "crookie" (€ 3. 90) is t he TikTok pastry du jour , going so viral that even Parisian patisseries have starting baking cookies into their croissants, and The Middle Child are flying the flag for Dublin. Similar to the almond, the pastry was very crunchy, but how they got chocolate chip cookie into every bite is some kind of sorcery. Similar to the cookie square, we could only manage half of it before starting to feel the sugar coma. We were back on track with their classic croissant. Topped with powdered sugar (the drug of choice here), it was light, airy and nicely puffed up. The apple cinnamon crumble was another knockout - moist, spongy and ideal apple/cinnamon ratios, and the sugar felt more restrained than some of the others. They bake bread too, with a couple of loaves rotating daily. We tried their white poppy seed (€3.50) and their rye (€6), and while they didn't blow our socks off, generally needing more chew, they were decent. Are there seats? They have a bench inside the bakery, but if it's a nice day Ellenfield Park is close-by for a picnic. What is there to drink? Their coffee is Roasted Brown and from the handful of times we've visited it's the best in the area, and well-priced. They also have soft drinks, but you won't need any more sugar. Why should I go? The Middle Child is a sanctuary for anyone with a sweet tooth, and a great addition to the area, and to the ever growing list of great Dublin bakeries . The Middle Child Bakery 76 Shantalla Road, Beaumont, Dublin 9 themiddlechild.ie