The Big Romance describe themselves as an "audiophile bar", with a custom sound system, one of the best craft beer lists in the city, and pizza from neighbours One Society down the road. Cocktails and wines are good too, and the moody, dimly-lit space is perfect for first dates and nights that go on till late. The Big Romance Website thebigromance.ie Address 98 Parnell Street, Dublin 1 Good For Tag 1 Cuisine Tag 1 Once Over Read our Review >> The Story The Big Romance describe themselves as an "audiophile bar", with a custom sound system, one of the best craft beer lists in the city, and pizza from neighbours One Society down the road. Cocktails and wines are good too, and the moody, dimly-lit space is perfect for first dates and nights that go on till late. Where It's At Nearby Locales Yibu by Janet Little Canton Dak @ Bar Anam Mongoose Chongqing Hot Pot Boco Clontarf Bell Pesto Bang Gloria Osteria Cantina Valentina D'Lepak Pera Borgo Amai by Viktor Kaizen Chubbys Badam Table 45 Comet Daruma Malahide Lena The Pig's Ear Notions @ Two Pups The Rooftop @ Anantara The Marker Sofra

The cooler, younger sister of The Washerwoman next door, Little Washer has joined the (surprisingly well populated) Glasnevin wine bar scene. Pizza, pasta and other Italian-themed small plates make up the menu, with breakfast, brunch and lunch on offer too. A nicely thought out wine list with something for every taste, and a pretty perfect neighbourhood spot for a casual bite to eat and a few glasses of something lovely. Little Washer Website thewasherwoman.ie/littlewasher Address Little Washer, Glasnevin Hill, Glasnevin, Dublin 9, Ireland Good For Tag 1 Cuisine Tag 1 Once Over Read our Review >> The Story The cooler, younger sister of The Washerwoman next door, Little Washer has joined the (surprisingly well populated) Glasnevin wine bar scene. Pizza, pasta and other Italian-themed small plates make up the menu, with breakfast, brunch and lunch on offer too. A nicely thought out wine list with something for every taste, and a pretty perfect neighbourhood spot for a casual bite to eat and a few glasses of something lovely. Where It's At Nearby Locales Yibu by Janet Little Canton Dak @ Bar Anam Mongoose Chongqing Hot Pot Boco Clontarf Bell Pesto Bang Gloria Osteria Cantina Valentina D'Lepak Pera Borgo Amai by Viktor Kaizen Chubbys Badam Table 45 Comet Daruma Malahide Lena The Pig's Ear Notions @ Two Pups The Rooftop @ Anantara The Marker Sofra

Izakaya Japas & Sake Class-act cocktails and diverse sharing plates, but not the sushi we're searching for Posted: 3 Oct 2023 Neighbourhood Neighborhood Name Address Restaurant Address Website Website Name Restaurant Info View the Listing >> Written by: Ronan Doyle What's the story with Izakaya Japas & Sake? Probably the most common query we receive via ATF Answers – our Insiders-only direct line to advice on eating out – is some variation on where's the best place to get great Japanese food in Dublin. Sadly, friends, we’re largely as bereft as you: despite its capital status, Dublin has lagged behind both Galway (with Wa Sushi ) and Cork (with Miyazaki and the Michelin-starred Ichigo Ichie ) for far too long, with only a handful of passable options studded around the city. The recent arrival of Matsukawa has thankfully (finally!) set a new Dublin bar, but between the €90 price tag and its being booked out clean through to the end of the year, it’s not much help to the casual diner looking for a sushi fix on short notice. So off we went to size up Yamamori Izakaya Japas & Sake after hearing increasingly positive grunts around town, and letting ATF Insiders pick our next review. It's one of the longstanding local chain mini-empire of outlets, open on George’s Street and in recent years pushing itself more and more as a traditional take on the casual Japanese sake and snacks bar. Where should we sit? The Victorian building’s high ceilings and a whole host of nooks and crannies give Izakaya a cavernous feeling that, even if the place is packed to bursting, lets its little corners feel nicely intimate. The sectioned bar seats are just a little too poky for our tastes but otherwise you can’t go far wrong from the main dining space spread with leather-backed booths and high tables and a window-side area with prime people-watching potential onto George’s Street. There’s also a downstairs dining room that was empty on our Friday night visit – it’s probably kept aside for brunch spillovers. What did you eat? Traditional izakayas are usually just as much, maybe more, about the drinking as the eating, so options here are broadly pretty simple, broken into sections of sashimi, nigiri, sushi platters, chef’s specials, and “Japas” – Japanese tapas. The vibe is very casual, with every opportunity to order a few dishes to start, and dip back in as and when it takes your fancy. We started with (complimentary – it’s the little things) edamame, fresh and firm beans in coarse-grain salted pods: the vigorous steam rising from the bowl is a good promise that things will be coming out fast and furious. We skipped past sashimi and went straight in with three nigiri, all served in prettily-plated pairs topped with edible flowers and paired, as per, with a ribbon of ginger and blob of wasabi – these are plates that look the part. The spiced hamachi was a solid start, the mild fatty fish given a gentle kick with duelling sauces of togarashi-based shichimi and citrusy-soy tataki: we might have preferred a more assertive spice, but it’s a matter of taste. Unagi foie gras was always going to need to be tried, roasted slivers of eel topped with a torched smear of liver paté. The slightly bitter brûlée treatment brings an interesting taste and texture to a bite that’s skirting excess richness with the butteriness of both meats – the combo makes for an off-beat interlude, if never quite the showstopper we might have hoped on first sight. The otoro – or bluefin tuna belly, among the most prized of sushi fish cuts – kept things suitably simple with a little smear of wasabi mayo, and while the marbled meat’s saltwater taste attested a freshness, we’ve had substantially better iterations of this elsewhere (not least just recently in Matsukawa). At €15.50 for the plate, this one’s a bit of a letdown. On the level of fundamentals across the three nigiri, there are a few tell-tale drawbacks that hold Izakaya back from being the answer we wish we could give to everyone’s Dublin sushi woes. We found the rice fine but less well seasoned than you should be getting in top-tier sushi rice, while the less said about the grainy, over-processed wasabi paste the better – steer clear. Happily the rest of the menu skewed to a slightly higher standard, with our venture into the chef’s specials a particular standout. These are all norimaki with presentation a major focus, and the ebi dragon we opted for definitely looks the part with plump, juicy katsu prawn wrapped in rice and overlain with thin-sliced avocado, wasabi mayo and capelin roe. You’ll be offered a choice of black or white rice; the black brings a delicate nuttiness that plays well with the sweetness of the prawn and saltiness of the roe. Onward to the Japas options, and we kicked off with takoyaki, the popular Osakan octopus ball snack. There’s good contrast here between the crisp fried exterior and the gooey pancake batter innards studded with chewy diced octopus, but the over-enthusiastic sprinkling of bonito flakes on top slightly dulled the flavour of the sour-sweet tonkatsu sauce. It’s not a bad dish, but there are others around town (hello Kakilang ) doing it better. Gyoza options hadn’t exactly gotten us excited – next to the nigiri, a lot of the Japas menu reads as pretty standard fare – but we gave the yasai option a go for good measure. They came out bearing the tell-tale burnt-bottom signs of a proper pan-frying, and while these crisp undersides give just the right crack as you bite in, the veggie filling is a dud of soggy spinach and soft squash. We’d pass on these. We were on firmer ground with the potato korokke, croquette-style breaded discs of creamy mash with a spot-on golden crust and just the right sprinkling of salt – this is the kind of side snack plate the whole table can agree on. Mileage may vary with the tonkatsu sauce on the side; while it’s flavourful in its own right, we felt these played better with a wasabi mayo. Agedahi nasu – or deep-fried aubergine – arrived in a still-searing pot with the wafting air of dashi broth making its way across the table. The traditional version of this dish uses a Japanese species of aubergine with thinner, more absorbent skins – here, with the more familiar, fatter form of the fruit, the skin still feels slightly rubbery. Thinner slices might have helped. We can’t fault the flavour though, with the scored flesh hiding rich pockets of dashi umami. The seared skin of the 'sea bass & kuro ninniku' is a sight to behold and has the flavour to match: the fish has been cooked in a black garlic butter that gives it a deep, rich, bitter-sweet intensity that’s a joy to savour. Beneath the charred skin, the flesh is soft and succulent with all the buttery goodness it’s known for. This is a standout. Sides of steamed rice are solid, with a varied texture from tempura flakes and sesame seeds keeping it interesting, but given how broadly sauce-free the dishes at Izakaya are, this is one you could easily go without – particularly if you’ve already gone down the norimaki route. With a deeper and nuttier flavour, the black is probably the way to go if you're just looking to get a fix of carbs. What about drinks? Sake is a specialty here with several varieties on the menu, but we’d had a tip that the cocktails are where it’s really at – we’re happy to report it was on the money. The complimentary notes of the Fashioned Brandy and Japanese Old Fashioned highlight the impact of little touches, with the former’s black walnut bitters bringing an earthiness against the apple overtones of the Nikka Days whiskey in the latter. The Toki sour was a knockout, a fresh and sour-sweet mix of Suntory whisky, plum sake, lemongrass syrup and plum bitters topped with a sprinkle of matcha – we loved it. How was the service? Staff are exceptionally friendly and all over the menu – give them your preferences and they’ll give you a very knowing helping hand. Dishes come quick but not overwhelmingly so, and there’s a clear rhythm to the way they'll roll out the next stages according to what you've ordered. The layout of the space can mean you’re waiting a little longer than you’d like to get some attention if you find yourself tucked away in a corner, but service is sharp once you have caught an eye. What was the damage? For a just-right share of food and those rock-solid cocktails, it came to just shy of €70 a head for three of us – that includes a 12.5% service charge added on automatically, something usually only seen in bigger groups. It’s not wildly out of step with expectations in Dublin these days, but it does put Izakaya on a price par with many better options out there. A recently-added brunch menu is much better value, with €35 four-serving cocktail pitchers and a choice of five Japas for €45 (albeit from a much slimmed-down menu) meaning you could eat and drink well for closer to €40 before service – it runs from 1pm to 4pm on Saturdays and Sundays. What's the verdict? A great place to get sushi it ain’t, but Yamamori Izakaya’s class-act cocktails and diverse selection of sharing plates, never mind its central location and surplus of space, make it a solid choice for group dining. There’s plenty here to suit most dietary needs, and a just-right blend of mainstream and more adventurous choices – if you’re struggling to keep a mixed crowd happy, this might just be the answer for you. New Openings & Discoveries More >>

Amy Austin More Michelin-star than city centre wine bar, with prices and portions to match Posted: 5 Mar 2024 Neighbourhood Neighborhood Name Address Restaurant Address Website Website Name Restaurant Info View the Listing >> Written by: Lisa Cope What's the story with Amy Austin? Amy Austin , or "the wine bar in the carpark" was a long time coming. Teasers started in April 2019, and it was a full 10 months before the door swung open in February 2020 ( excellent timing eh ?) with some eye-raising marketing and Note owner/head chef Essa Fakhry in the kitchen. As with all businesses in 2020 trading was stop start, so it took a while to build up an audience, but they soon got a name for wine on tap, interesting small plates and being a good place to drop into when you didn't have a booking. (Amy Austin) We tried it in summer 2022 and liked the vibe without finding the food overly memorable, but the buzz has been building ever since, with diners and critics seeming to think that head chef Victor Lara has come into his own when it comes to flavour on his plates. Michelin came, went, and agreed, as they awarded them a much coveted Bib Gourmand in the 2024 guide (joining restaurants like Uno Mas and Spitalfields). It felt like time for a revisit. Where should we sit? It's a compact space with the choice between a couple of tables in the middle of the room (for two + people, the set up can be changed depending on bookings) or counter seating around the outside. (Amy Austin) We love a good window street, staring out all the Drury Street passers by, but you could go closer to the open kitchen too for some live fire action. What's the menu like? This is a small plates only zone, and boy are those plates small. We wouldn't advise bringing anyone here who's looking for "a feed", but if you just want a few bites without feeling stuffed, are more interested in drinks, or are going with with people who don't like being rolled out after dinner, head on in. Bear in mind though that there's a minimum order. This is not currently on their website, but when we got there saw the red small print on the bottom of our menus: " we'd like to remind you that for dinner service there's a minimum order of one snack and two mains per person." That equates to a minimum of €40 a head on food. https://video.wixstatic.com/video/79af6f_b75016c250a54f578e7a70e128874bd9/720p/mp4/file.mp4 Snacks are priced from €8-9 (bread and black garlic butter is €6), and you get exactly two bites in each. A shimeji mushroom tartlet with mushroom mousse came in a crisp, buttery shell. with snipped chives to lift the rich, savory flavours. Shimeji is tying with enoki for our favourite mushroom right now, and if you feel the same you can walk one minute away to Asia Market and pick up some to try at home (shimeji fried in butter on the side of scrambled eggs is a game changer). We tried their black cod fritters on our last visit, but these ones were a different creature. While the last were unpleasantly gloopy and lacking in flavour, these had a crisp shell and a fish-filled interior, and a zippy pink pickled ginger dip that we've spent an inordinate amount of time thinking about ever since. The only issue was that there weren't enough of them, and €9 for two small bites may hurt, but black cod (or sablefish) is a lot more expensive than white cod (and no relation), so you can presume that's the reason why. Amy Austin's langoustine tail is the most beautiful thing we've eaten in 2024, and while €15 for a single prawn might have you feeling weak, we'll go out on a limb and say this one's worth it. It came barely charred, lying on a mignonette-meets XO base, with ikura (salmon caviar) on top. Our server poured a watery dressing over the plate, along with some saffron oil from a dropper, and while there's a lot going on, every flavour popped and danced together. Except the grapes. We didn't get the grapes. Torched scallops is another dish we're happy to get behind (€16). They come in a light but creamy chestnut velouté, with little cubes of apples throughout. It's topped with Champagne foam and lumpfish caviar, and tasted more like something from a (very good) Michelin-starred restaurant than a city centre wine bar. You get six pieces of scallop, but it felt like three sliced across the middle - more thin than chunky. You don't see the ultra complex, ultra time-consuming mole negro on menus here very often (take a deep dive here ), so we had to order it here with beef cheek. A small mound of beef no larger than the palm of a (small) hand came in a puddle of mole, with four unadvertised, homemade corn tortillas on the side. It's another great dish, the mole deep with flavour, the meat melting from a long, slow cook, but for €20 we expected more of it - there wasn't nearly enough meat and mole to even lightly fill all four tacos. Black bean tamales (€14) is another dish we reckon helped bag them that Bib Gourmand, and a magically different take on the Mexican corn-based dough, traditionally steamed in corn husks. Here three chewy little corn cakes come with chilli oil in their centre on top, scattered with coriander all around. Dig a spoon in and you'll uncover a cheesy corn and black bean filling underneath. Whoever came up with this one can deservedly gloat about it. https://video.wixstatic.com/video/79af6f_613dee8cb185456c946a9cc22adb3364/720p/mp4/file.mp4 For dessert we almost swayed away from the burnt cheesecake (€9), expecting a hulking big slice of the Basque variety, but not to worry. The usual portion size applies, and the little sliver we got would be difficult to share between more than two, even if you just wanted a bite. The good news is it's another kitchen victory, with a light blue cheese base (we couldn't taste the blue), a bright, intense guava sauce, and 'lera cream', which doesn't seem to exist outside Amy Austin, but is a smoked cream which tastes like it was done the proper way (there's no liquid smoke drops in this kitchen). What about drinks? When Amy Austin opened it was all about the wine on tap, with 16 options including a few aperitifs by the glass. That's been very scaled back now, and we were disappointed to find that half of the wines on their big yellow light box weren't available anymore. There were just three whites and three reds by the glass, none earth shattering, but the Casa Monte Pio Albariño and the Château Pesquié were pleasant and worked well with the majority of the food. There are a further 25 wines by the bottle, with some top producers like Suertes del Marques, Domaine Gramenon, and Steve Matthiasson. There are also seven signature cocktails, priced from €11-€13, which feels like decent value for Dublin right now. We tried the Amy Cherry Sgroppino, with morello cherry, Campari, saffron and sparkling wine, and it was tart and nicely sour, with a ball of cherry sorbet slowing melting within. An ideal first drink of the day and a nice appetite sharpener. How was the service? Pleasant but could have been more energetic. There was no major hospitality, and a few times we were left without cutlery and drinks, having to wave for service - is there anything to make you feel like more of a tool? We also could have done without a very loud food processor on high for several minutes in the middle of the open kitchen. There's a time and place to drown out room conversation and it's pre and post-service. What was the damage? €125 for two with three drinks, before tip, and you can't add a tip onto the bill if paying by card. You can either leave cash, or pay one via a QR code which takes you to a Stripe website, and you have to pay a small fee for the privilege. It's clunky, and will be a bit of a pain for anyone who's entertaining and expensing the bill, and just wants one receipt. What's the verdict? We're not sure many people entering the wine bar in the carpark (with the barely dressed model in a cowgirl hat on the bathroom wall) will be expecting the food to be at this high a level. The thought, execution and presentation of some of these dishes is more akin to Michelin-starred dining than wine bar sharing plates. That's why the prices and portion sizes might come as a shock, but if you can reframe your brain about what to expect before entering (and maybe bulk up your order with some cheese, charcuterie and bread), you'll probably leave thinking this is some of the most interesting food in the city right now. New Openings & Discoveries More >>

The second opening from Japanese Daruma, whose first location is in Temple Bar. The Malahide outpost is less Japanese pub, more neighbourhood restaurant, with accommodating staff, a very good drinks selection, and commendably good ingredient provenance, including free-range pork from Carlow and organic salmon from Donegal. Sushi is excellent, and there's plenty to like from the hot section too - we love the chicken kaarage with yuzu mayo and the 18-hour beef short-ribs in a ginger soy glaze. Daruma Malahide Website daruma.ie Address DARUMA, New Street, Malahide, County Dublin, Ireland Good For Tag 1 Cuisine Tag 1 Once Over Read our Review >> The Story The second opening from Japanese Daruma, whose first location is in Temple Bar. The Malahide outpost is less Japanese pub, more neighbourhood restaurant, with accommodating staff, a very good drinks selection, and commendably good ingredient provenance, including free-range pork from Carlow and organic salmon from Donegal. Sushi is excellent, and there's plenty to like from the hot section too - we love the chicken kaarage with yuzu mayo and the 18-hour beef short-ribs in a ginger soy glaze. Where It's At Nearby Locales Yibu by Janet Little Canton Dak @ Bar Anam Mongoose Chongqing Hot Pot Boco Clontarf Bell Pesto Bang Gloria Osteria Cantina Valentina D'Lepak Pera Borgo Amai by Viktor Kaizen Chubbys Badam Table 45 Comet Daruma Malahide Lena The Pig's Ear Notions @ Two Pups The Rooftop @ Anantara The Marker Sofra

We love a good corner café, and Il Valentino probably deserves a medal for location alone. The glass-fronted café looks to busy Pearse Street on one side, and the more subdued and car-free Grand Canal Dock on the other. Their huge counter is always packed with rows of sandwiches, croissants, cakes, pastries and cakes, and they've had no problem competing with some of the bigger names that moved in a few hundred meters away. If the weather's nice try to grab a table on their outdoor terrace for maximum city break vibes. Il Valentino Website ilvalentino.ie Address 5 Gallery Quay, Grand Canal Harbour, Dublin 2 Good For Tag 1 Cuisine Tag 1 Once Over Read our Review >> The Story We love a good corner café, and Il Valentino probably deserves a medal for location alone. The glass-fronted café looks to busy Pearse Street on one side, and the more subdued and car-free Grand Canal Dock on the other. Their huge counter is always packed with rows of sandwiches, croissants, cakes, pastries and cakes, and they've had no problem competing with some of the bigger names that moved in a few hundred meters away. If the weather's nice try to grab a table on their outdoor terrace for maximum city break vibes. Where It's At Nearby Locales Yibu by Janet Little Canton Dak @ Bar Anam Mongoose Chongqing Hot Pot Boco Clontarf Bell Pesto Bang Gloria Osteria Cantina Valentina D'Lepak Pera Borgo Amai by Viktor Kaizen Chubbys Badam Table 45 Comet Daruma Malahide Lena The Pig's Ear Notions @ Two Pups The Rooftop @ Anantara The Marker Sofra

One of the original Dublin gastropubs. Irish produce prepared and cooked beautifully, an eye-poppingly large craft beer selection and a lot of gin. They also have a 'better than your average pub' wine list and a great choice of non-alcoholic drinks for the drivers, teetotallers or under 18s. L Mulligan Grocer Website lmulligangrocer.com Address 18 Stoneybatter, Dublin 7 Good For Tag 1 Cuisine Tag 1 Once Over Read our Review >> The Story One of the original Dublin gastropubs. Irish produce prepared and cooked beautifully, an eye-poppingly large craft beer selection and a lot of gin. They also have a 'better than your average pub' wine list and a great choice of non-alcoholic drinks for the drivers, teetotallers or under 18s. Where It's At Nearby Locales Yibu by Janet Little Canton Dak @ Bar Anam Mongoose Chongqing Hot Pot Boco Clontarf Bell Pesto Bang Gloria Osteria Cantina Valentina D'Lepak Pera Borgo Amai by Viktor Kaizen Chubbys Badam Table 45 Comet Daruma Malahide Lena The Pig's Ear Notions @ Two Pups The Rooftop @ Anantara The Marker Sofra

One Pico A new energy about an old classic Posted: 9 Nov 2021 Neighbourhood Neighborhood Name Address Restaurant Address Website Website Name Restaurant Info View the Listing >> Written by: Lisa Cope What’s the story? You know One Pico . We know One Pico. Everyone knows One Pico. You were probably brought here for a graduation lunch, an anniversary dinner, or a private meal for your Granny's 80th in the Polo Room upstairs. It's been open since 1997 and has always been classic, consistent, dependable, but lacking somewhat in fireworks, and the culinary climbing of sister restaurant The Greenhouse ( awarded two Michelin stars in the 2020 guide ) meant it was over-shadowed by its younger sibling. The Greenhouse remained shut for the duration of the pandemic (two star food doesn't really translate to prepare at home meal kits), and in May of this year Head Chef Mickael Viljanen announced he had quit and was taking over Chapter One (below) as chef-patron, with Ross Lewis still involved in the background. That's proved to be a very good decision , but The Greenhouse remains empty and doesn't appear to have a reopening plan. Those of you with vouchers were getting anxious about whether or not you'd be able to use them, so there was a bit of relief when One Pico said they could be used there instead. Outside of this, we've noticed a slow but steady rumbling about what's coming out of the kitchen in recent months. There's always been a (generally older) cohort insisting One Pico should have a Michelin star, but it feels like something has shifted lately, with the lionizing getting louder and spanning more age groups, and it was enough to send us back for a midweek lunch to see what was happening. Where should we sit? The dining room is as classically formal as it gets, from the velvet seats to the white tablecloths, the lack of any background music to the staff crumbing your table after each course. In one way we've always felt this old-fashioned approach has held One Pico back, it's not generally what the youth are looking for in their food adventuring, but it does suit the older, monied crowd, of which One Pico's customer base is primarily made up of. On the other hand a bit of formality can be quite soothing and escapist at times, and we'd be lying if we said a midweek lunch on velvet seats with silver service wasn't very enjoyable. Tables are well spaced with covid-friendly dividers against one wall, and there's a nice banquette running along the back of the room for extra cosiness. We get a lot of questions from you guys about where to book for groups and special occasions, so take note of The Polo Room upstairs where you can dine in private from a set menu - exactly how many can attend will depend on Covid restrictions at the time (or maybe one day we'll be living in a Covid free world again, imagine...) What's the food like? Lunch is a set menu of €45 for two courses or €55 for three, with bread, tea/coffee and a petit four included. For dinner it's a three course set for €85, which is quite the jump considering a lot of the dishes are the same, but the supplements on some dishes are lower. Either way lunch is where the value is at. You can see current menus on their website . A beautiful bread basket of sourdough, brown and fruit breads set the tone for the meal, and the offer to replenish the pounced upon basket was a nice touch (just say no kids, we know it's hard). We'd seen the dramatic looking venison and beetroot tartare with blackberries and nasturtium on head chef Ciarn McGill's Instagram account and had to have it. It's a beautiful dish, with the mineral earthiness of the venison nicely balanced by tart beetroot and sweet blackberries. Our only complaint was that it was slightly over-seasoned with black pepper dominant, but as complaints go it's minor. Our other starter was their homemade ravioli that seems to be a cornerstone of the menu. At the moment it's filled with an aged parmesan and truffle bechamel, in a crystal clear cep mushroom consommé that's been clarified three times, with more truffle shaved on top, and it's the most perfectly hedonistic bowl of Autumn flavours. Don't miss it. When faced with a set menu there tends to be a tendency to "get your money's worth" with a meat or fish dish as opposed to the vegetarian option. We fought off those urges here because the Potimarron squash with Roscoff onion, gnocchi, chanterelles and pickled squash contained so many of our favourite things, and it's the best vegetarian dish we've had in months - and there wasn't even any cheese to be seen. There was more grated truffle on top though - tick. Chunky, chewy, crispy gnocchi, sweet onions, fruity chanterelles, what tasted like a considerable amount of butter. The squash still had a bite in the middle, which at first we wondered was a mistake, and then realised how much that little bit of crunch added to the dish's textures. Little pickled slices of squash were the acidic icing on the cake, and we were so sad to eat the last forkful. Our other main of Wicklow Sika deer was another powerful plate of food, thanks to perfect cooking and interesting accompaniments. A pear chutney for sweetness, last year's elderberries for tang, parsley root purée to soothe, a potato crisp in the shape of a leaf for crunch, and a few more chanterelles, because why not. Nothing out of place, nothing without a good reason for being there, and a beautifully cooked piece of meat. What is going on with potatoes? Everywhere we go lately places are majorly upping their spud game. The once afterthought of the sides menu is becoming the must order, and that's the case here too. Their charlotte potatoes were served with parmesan, crispy onion and shaved Autumn truffles (no you cannot have too much truffle in one meal but thanks for asking), and were salty, umami packed little flavour bombs, with excellent added crunch from the onions and sea salt. Something else we'd been giving the glad eye to since seeing it on social media was the dessert of "Poire Belle Hélène" - One Pico's riff on the original Escoffier dish of poached pears with chocolate sauce. If Michelin were giving out stars for desserts, this deserves one. The chocolate covered ring covered an almond sponge and a pear and vanilla mousse, chunks of pear so sweet and ripe they tasted almost fake (such is the general pear standards across the country), a Valhrona chocolate sauce, and a Poire Williams (pear liqueur) sorbet. This is in the top tier of desserts in the country right now, and we insist that you taste it. The other dessert of baked Guinness custard with blackberries and blackberry ice-cream we picked mostly out of curiosity, and are relieved to say did not taste of Guinness. There was a savoury, grain-like flavour to the custard, which was on the denser side, and the various blackberry elements from sauce to sorbet gave it a nice balance, but the previous dessert was in another league. Good coffee and a rich chocolate truffle finished off a pretty absorbing lunch, before sadly stepping back out into reality. What about the drinks? Wine prices are eye-watering and you'll struggle to find much under €40. It's very clear who this list is aimed at, and it's not the same people who spent the weekend in Note wine bar . The old world, particularly Burgundy and Bordeaux, takes up most of the list, and there are a number of big brands on there - presumably to soothe the TDs or those dining out on company cards who want to look like they know what they're talking about. The cheapest sparklings, a Crémant de Bourgogne and a Prosecco, are €75 - ouch - but needless to say, if you or the person you're dining with has endless cash under the mattress you can drink very well in here. Despite the classic lean, there are a few more organic/biodynamic/natural-ish wines hidden within, and their sommelier will happily give you recommendations - just make his life easier and tell him what you want to spend. We drank 'Le Mas' from Domaine Clavel, a grenache/syrah blend from the Languedoc at €52, and it was bright and juicy, pairing well with all of the dishes. The other thing you get for those prices is an elevated wine service - the cork left on the table, a side table for your wine. It's all very conducive to making you feel like a VIP for a few hours. And the service? Formal, smooth and very professional. You probably won't be cracking jokes with your waiter, but none of them will miss a beat, making for a very stress free experience. The only thing you'll have to think about is eeking out the food and wine for as long as possible. And the damage? Around €90 a head after tip with one lower priced bottle of wine between two. Not cheap by any means for lunch, but thoroughly recommended for a midweek skive every now and then. The verdict? It feels like there's a new energy about One Pico at the moment, like they're striving for something bigger, and of the multiple meals we've had here over the years, none impressed as much as this one. The pandemic was harsher on some restaurants than others, and places like One Pico who were dependent on tourists and corporate business more than some of their contemporaries, had it harder than others. We wonder whether it's made them think more about targeting the local food obsessives who spend each month scrambling for reservations in Variety Jones, Chapter One and Uno Mas, ditching the velvet chairs and white tablecloths, and easing out the suited smart set bit by bit. Maybe that's wishful thinking on our part, but the next time you're looking for somewhere for a special occasion meal, a food and wine splurge (we all need one now and then), or to taste the best pear and chocolate dessert of your life, head for Molesworth Place. One Pico 5/6 Molesworth Place, Dublin 2 www.onepico.com New Openings & Discoveries More >>

Fellini's All about the pizza in Deansgrange Posted: 12 Nov 2019 Neighbourhood Neighborhood Name Address Restaurant Address Website Website Name Restaurant Info View the Listing >> Written by: Lisa Cope What’s the story? Let's get one thing off our chests. The only reason we made a pilgrimage to Fellini's in Deansgrange near Blackrock is because the anonymous ' Pizzas Of Dublin ' Instagram account said it was the best pizza they'd had in the city so far. If that's not enough to have us whipping out the phone to make a booking what is. Fellini's is very much under the radar when it comes to Dublin's restaurants. It seems like your typical neighbourhood Italian, and apart from one (albeit glowing) review from Lucinda O'Sullivan in the Sunday Independent in 2015, they haven't exactly managed to clock up the column inches since being opened by Emilia Macari and Paolo Di Adamo in 2014. We set off like voyagers to new lands, hoping for the discovery of a lifetime. Where should we go for a drink first? There's one pub nearby called The Grange which we did not frequent but looks like old-man central. Apart from that you're in between a pet shop and a car garage so it's not exactly rife for cocktails. Have a drink at home or wherever you're coming from. What's the room like? Compact and cosy with only 28 seats. Definitely make a booking as it fills up fast. It's not the most luxurious of surroundings, which means you're unlikely to settle in for the night, and that's probably how they want it. If you have a choice opt for a window table. You won't be looking at canals but still... What's good to eat? Clearly we were here for the pizza, but wanted to take the rest of the menu for a test drive too. We started with homemade arancini, and were pleasantly surprised at how good they were - perfect rice with a bite, oozing cheese and a crispy shell. We were expecting meat inside too, but then after two out of three had been eaten they brought a small plate of bolognese that they said should have come on the plate. It was bland and muted and didn't add anything to the dish, so it wasn't much of a loss. The garlic mayonnaise that came on the plate (however unorthodox) was better dipping foil. Bruschetta had good bread and olive oil but the hunt for ripe, sun-drenched tomatoes continues (they also needed salt), and if you're wondering where all the balsamic glaze from the 1990's went, they have it in Fellini's. We tried three pizzas, and left kicking ourselves for one of them not being a margherita. The base on all of them was perfect, expertly cooked, great crumb and good chew. For a more in depth analysis on topics including hydration see what Pizzas Of Dublin had to say here . The tartufato with mushrooms, truffle, sausage meat and parmesan had tonnes of well-married flavour but was very rich. One to share or take some home, or you might end up with the late night truffle sweats. The 'vegetariana' showed the quality of the bright tomato sauce and creamy mozzarella to full effect, hence post-eating margherita-missing regret, but at least we got some of our five-a-day. Then came the curveball. We'd ordered the 'Caprese DOC' thinking it would be similar to a margherita, but it was more like a flatbread with caprese salad on top. Once you get past the "where's my delicious tomato sauce and melty cheese!" shock and reframe your thinking, it was excellent. The tomatoes tasted riper than those on the bruschetta, the mozzarella was first rate and so was the olive oil drizzled over the top. And no balsamic glaze, winning. On a summer's day at an outside table this would be hard to beat. We tried a token pasta 'Norcina', with minced Italian sausage, tomato, cream and parmesan cheese, and while it was enjoyable (if again very heavy) it wouldn't be the thing drawing us back, and we imagine it wouldn't be too difficult to make something similar at home. There were other specials on the night which also sounded appealing, so if returning we'd be tempted to give those a try. Dessert of tiramisu was of the 'child-friendly' i.e. no alcohol variety, and was as good as any in this category we've tried. Properly soaked sponge, creamy and chocolatey, but we do miss the Marsala in these teetotal versions. Another dessert of canoli, tube shaped shells of fried pastry dough filled with sweetened mascarpone cheese, was slightly less successful. The tubes had either been pre-filled (a cardinal mistake) or weren't fresh enough, and lacked the essential crispness that make canoli so addictive. The best we've had here are found in Dolce Sicily if you want to try the real deal - but always ask for one to be filled fresh when you order. What about the drinks? The wine list is mostly suburban central but there are some very respectable bottles on there so you won't be stuck for something to drink, and the prices are the type rarely found on wine lists these days. We drank a very acceptable catarratto for under €25, and also tried a glass of nero d'avola. Both tasted like really good house wine, with prices to match. A limoncello brought with the bill was a lovely touch, but it wasn't cold enough, which made drinking it more of a hardship than it should have been. And the service? Lovely. Polite, welcoming, helpful. Couldn't fault it. The verdict? Italian food is still an Irish favourite judging by our mailboxes and the amount of message that come in looking for recommendations for "a nice Italian". Fellini's is a nice, neighbourhood Italian, and while there are more exciting places to eat regional Italian food in the city (who threw the balsamic glaze in the bin long ago), they have the pizza nailed. For this and a bottle of decent Nebbiolo or Etna Rosso we'd be back. Fellini's 35 Dean's Grange Road, Kill of the Grange, Blackrock, Co. Dublin fellinisdublin.com New Openings & Discoveries More >>

Neighbourhood pizza as it should be: equal parts authentic and eccentric. Named after the nondescript little Smithfield alley out behind Frank Ryan’s pub where it originally set up stall in 2017, Coke Lane has steadily progressed to bigger and better things since opening in 2017, now serving up its wood-fired Neapolitan pizzas in two D8 sites: The Circular in Rialto and Lucky’s in the Liberties. Founder Dave Holmes brings vocational zeal to his work with irresistibly airy sourdough crusts, delicious home-made chilli honey and sophisticatedly simple flavour pairings designed to appeal to all palates. It's a particular hit with vegetarians, with half the menu meat-free. Coke Lane at Lucky's Website cokelanepizza.ie Address Lucky's, 78 Meath Street, The Liberties, Dublin 8 Good For Tag 1 Cuisine Tag 1 Once Over Read our Review >> The Story Neighbourhood pizza as it should be: equal parts authentic and eccentric. Named after the nondescript little Smithfield alley out behind Frank Ryan’s pub where it originally set up stall in 2017, Coke Lane has steadily progressed to bigger and better things since opening in 2017, now serving up its wood-fired Neapolitan pizzas in two D8 sites: The Circular in Rialto and Lucky’s in the Liberties. Founder Dave Holmes brings vocational zeal to his work with irresistibly airy sourdough crusts, delicious home-made chilli honey and sophisticatedly simple flavour pairings designed to appeal to all palates. It's a particular hit with vegetarians, with half the menu meat-free. Where It's At Nearby Locales Yibu by Janet Little Canton Dak @ Bar Anam Mongoose Chongqing Hot Pot Boco Clontarf Bell Pesto Bang Gloria Osteria Cantina Valentina D'Lepak Pera Borgo Amai by Viktor Kaizen Chubbys Badam Table 45 Comet Daruma Malahide Lena The Pig's Ear Notions @ Two Pups The Rooftop @ Anantara The Marker Sofra

Crudo A neighbourhood Italian getting it all right Posted: 20 Mar 2024 Neighbourhood Neighborhood Name Address Restaurant Address Website Website Name Restaurant Info View the Listing >> Written by: Lisa Cope What should we know about Crudo? In what was formerly Dunne & Crescenzi in Sandymount, the next generation of the family, Sean Crescenzi, opened Crudo with friend Jamie McCarthy in mid-2019. They were finding their feet and figuring things out when Covid shut them down in early 2020, so it's been a stop-start few years, but they've now settled nicely into their groove. Feedback seems to have been getting progressively better about their neighbourhood Italian offering, aimed at locals, without cutting corners to satisfy blander taste buds, and they've been quietly going about their business with a limited social media presence - clearly it's not needed to drum up customers. Where should we sit? It's a homely room with simple furniture and someone's much loved (and long held) cookery book collection dotted around the walls. We do love a bit of people watching and you never know who you'll see in Sandymount so we'd go for the window if it's free. Andrew Scott was who we saw in Sandymount - he walked right past the window on his phone - and we're told Andy Farrell (the Irish Rugby Head Coach) is a regular. Those tables at the front are also perfect for familes. They seat six so there's plenty of space, and are right near the door in case anyone using their outdoor voice needs to be swiftly removed. Otherwise there's four tops along the wall and twos in the middle, but there's the ability for maneuvering depending on bookings. What's on the menu? They open for lunch and dinner with a lot of the same dishes, but lunch has a slightly reduced menu, and the addition of paninis which come with soup or parmesan fries. A lovely suppliers list (including first names) is up front so it can't be missed, and there's a €10 (frozen food free) kids menu that will excite parents used to paying €4 for just a juice. There were a lot of specials on the day we visited, but we try to stick to the dishes you'll be able to order too. Bear in mind though that even if you've picked your food in advance based on what's online, expect a whole new realm of greedy confusion to reign down when you're presented with chalkboards of new options, each one sounding better than the last. One of the best tests of any Italian is bruschetta, especially in a country where tomatoes are more often mealy, insipid balls of disappointment, than juicy, round pops of sunshine. Here a fluffy wedge of Oaksmoke sourdough comes just grilled, rubbed in garlic, and topped with marinated datterini tomatoes, basil and EVOO (€13) and you can add half a creamy, springy burrata ball for an extra €5.50. €18.50 might be on the pricier side for a starter, but it's big enough to share, and it's worth it when the Italian-imported ingredients are this superior. Arancini (€15) are always on the menu, and ours came with 'crispy fried risotto', crayfish and lobster bisque, and a preserved lemon and basil crema underneath. These were as big as baseballs, and another starter easily shared between two. The risotto itself was a bit dry (maybe because of the crispy frying), but had proper chunks of crayfish, and the crema was one of the best things we've tasted this year. So vividly lemony, there wasn't a creamy basil-streaked smear left on the plate - it made the whole dish (and possibly our whole day). We feel like we've been hearing about Crudo's scampi risotto since day one. Just cooked arborio rice comes with a lavish amount of fresh prawns, Dublin Bay prawn and sambuca bisque, prawn oil and crème fraiche (€24). It's one of those dishes you won't be able to make much conversation while eating, other than ummmms and errrmmaagaawwddss, and the elevation of all the flavours here shows up so many other risottos around town. Even the most committed meat eater should try the hand-rolled ravioli filled with cavolo nero and brie, served with deep-fried wild mushrooms, hazelnuts, and black truffle and parmesan fonduta (€25). It's one flavour bomb after another, the chewy mushrooms and and crunchy hazelnuts the perfect foil to those big pasta pillows and all that cheese. The pasta was a little underdone in the centre, but we couldn't dream of parting with the plate, and there was so much to love here that we didn't really care. Desserts contain your traditionalist options like tiramisu, affogato and cantucci biscuits with Vin Santo wine, and as you might expect by now are no slow coaches in the taste stakes. Tiramisu (€9) comes in individual portions with hazelnuts and Frangelico, and a chocolate biscuit on top. We loved the crunch of the whole nuts in there and all the flavours in the glass jar, but it was a little heavy on the cream and a little light on the sponge. A doorstop of a dark chocolate tart (€9) came with a bitter chocolate base, an unrestrained chocolate filling, sprinkle of sea salt and the genius addition of mandarin oil. Staff told us people regularly take some of the monster portion home and offered to wrap up any we didn't finish - what a lovely takeaway. Excellent espresso sent us on our way. What about drinks? The wine list is 90% Italian (as it should be) with the odd bottle from Spain, France or Portugal. There's a noble 13 wines by the glass, and it's the kind of place where they'll be happy to give you a taste of anything open before you commit. We went on their recommendations and had a fleshy, structured Sicilian Grillo, and a light, bright Marzemino (all herbal notes and sour cherries) from Alto-Adige. Both felt like something you'd be poured in that local trattoria on your holidays - wines made to work with the food you're eating. How was the service? Danny Meyer talks in his brilliant book Setting the Table about gatekeepers and agents, and we think about this walking into every single restaurant. A gatekeeper sets up barriers to keep people out - the staff member who blocked your path asking if you had a booking, the server who didn't acknowledge you and eventually shrugs saying there's an hour wait for a table. An agent on the other hand facilitates, makes things happen. When we walked into Crudo, we had a heroes welcome, an owner offering to seat us before knowing if we even had a booking. There were bright smiles, genuine chats, inquiries as to whether the table was okay - we think it would be just the place to be on a day when you're feeling fragile and need to be cosseted. There were only two servers for a half-full lunch service but no missteps or delays, and regular glances and check-ins to see if we needed anything. It feels like a very smooth operation. And the damage? €120 for a three course meal for two with a glass of wine each and one espresso. It felt like fantastic value considering the quality of the produce, the quality of the dishes, and the portion sizes. We could have shared a starter and dessert and left very happy. What's the verdict on Crudo? Crudo is that little Italian you find on your holidays and can't understand why food doesn't taste like this back home. None of it is over-complicated, there's nothing to scare anyone away (paging your parents), but it's all done with carefully gathered ingredients and some very skillful, generous hands in the kitchen. We could pick the most minor of holes in it, but none of them would matter, because as casual neighbourhood restaurants go, Crudo ticks every one of our boxes, and if Sandymount isn't your neighourhood, it's only a 10-minute walk from the Dart. New Openings & Discoveries More >>

3 Leaves Redefining Indian food in Ireland Posted: 2 Apr 2019 Neighbourhood Neighborhood Name Address Restaurant Address Website Website Name Restaurant Info View the Listing >> Written by: Lisa Cope What’s the story? Three years ago, a little Indian food stall quietly popped up in Blackrock Market selling 'Indian Street Food'. Chef Santosh Thomas and wife Milie Mathew were the couple behind 3 Leaves , and very quickly gained a dedicated following for their pani puri, palak pakora chat and daily changing curries. Soon demand had overtaken supply, so they decided to take on the unit next door and put in enough tables to seat 12 people. These soon became some of the most difficult to get seats in town (not least because they only opened for dinner two nights a week), and in January of this year they knocked into the next one, giving them another 12 seats. When talking to Dublin food obsessives, 3 Leaves comes up again and again as somewhere that's totally reinvented their idea of what Indian food is, and the fact that's it's BYO with a corkage charge of just €5 makes it ever more appealing. On a weekly basis we seemed to be met with abject horror when we admitted to not having tried it yet (we have actually tried numerous times to get a booking to no avail), so we thought we'd better make a serious effort to rectify that and hold onto our street cred for a bit longer. Where should we go for a drink first? Two reviews in a row in Blackrock and the pre-drink options aren't any more inspiring. For pints or a G+T head to Jack O'Rourke's on the main street, or for wine you could pay a visit to El Celler wine bar in the market itself. And if you need to pick up a bottle of wine for dinner head to Blackrock Celler where they'll give you 10% off if you tell them you're going to dinner in 3 Leaves. Where should we sit? Seating is limited and much of a muchness inside - you could ask for a view of the kitchen but most of it is obstructed by the pass. As summer approaches the outside tables are going to be the ones everyone will want, but we'd say getting your hands on one will be a mean feat. Definitely request one on booking if the weather's looking good, or get there very early and cross your fingers. What's good to eat? All the food. From start to finish we lost count of the amount of times we heard 'wow', from every table in listening distance (and ours), and there wasn't a low point from beginning to end. We were eating from a two-course menu with optional dessert (mandatory), but before any of the dishes came they brought out a dahi puri for everyone - thin, crispy, hollow balls made from semolina flour filled with chickpeas, potatoes and sauces including tamarind chutney and yoghurt. We were told under no circumstances to bite into it as everything would fall out, and although it's a sizeable chunk to put in your mouth in one go, as soon as it's in there it pops, and 'flavour explosion' is the only appropriate descriptor. Of everything we had this is very much on the "best things we've eaten this year" list. We tried all four starters and loved all of them, particlarly the lamb and the seabass. The chawpati chaat was a soft, mildly spiced potato fritter on a bed of chickpeas, with 'chef's signature sauces' (of which there are five, made fresh every day - taramind, mango, mint, yoghurt and Thomas' special signature sauce). A galawat lamb kebab was meltingly soft with a really vibrant tasting salad of chickpeas, pomegranate, pea shoots and more of those sauces, all sprinkled with sev, that crunchy noodle type snack made from chick pea flour which adds a whole new level of texture to the dish and really takes things up a gear. A sukha adraki chicken kebab consisted of boneless chicken thighs marinated with ginger and cardamom and served with those signature sauces, more pomegranate seeds and more sev. As far as we were concerned every dish could have been drowning in those same few elements and we would have left very happy. Finally for the starters, a really delicately marinated fillet of seabass came wrapped in a banana leaf, with more of that crunchy salad, edible flowers and tiny dots of very mild wasabi yoghurt for the tiniest hit of spice. Perfectly cooked and perfectly balanced, both in flavour and texture. For mains there were options of chicken or lamb curry, dahl, or a taster menu with a bit of everything, so there was only one choice. It also came with mixed vegetables (mainly potato, onion and green beans), and palak pakora chat - deep-fried spinach with sauces, pomegranate seeds and more of that sev, which was the highlight of the taster plate for us. That and the dahi puri have pretty much monopolised our thoughts ever since. The other components were murg mumtaz (a creamy chicken curry), gosht falaknuma (slow-cooked lamb curry with more spice), muradabadi dhal (a creamy, deeply-flavoured yellow dahl), chickpea bread and rainbow rice - coloured with dehydrated spinach, beetroot, carrot and saffron. This was so much food for the price with so much going on in terms of tastes, textures and smells, and even though we ate ourselves stupid we didn't feel the usual fullness verging on sickness that we associate with eating mass amounts of Indian food. It really does feel like being cooked for in someone's house, the type of food they eat themselves on a daily basis - this is not the stuff of high street curry houses or uber eats deliveries. Indian restaurants in Ireland aren't generally known for their desserts, so the temptation is to skip it, but we'd been told from past diners not to make that mistake, so we ordered one of each. A carrot halwa trifle somehow managed to get carrots to taste like spiced caramel, on an almost cheesecake like base, the sweetness diluted with just whipped cream. Pretty perfect. The other of mango dulaat ki chat Milie described as "a cloud" - it's made from sweetened milk and mango and does quite literally feel like taking a bite of a cloud, the spoonful evaporating in your mouth as soon as it touches the sides, leaving behind tiny shards of candyfloss, which somehow manage to avoid being over sweet or in any way sickly in the grand scheme of the dish. A really unexpected, pitch perfect way to end an Indian meal. And the drinks? 3 Leaves is BYO with a bargain corkage charge of €5 so it's a great place to bring a nice bottle that you don't fancy paying Dublin restaurant mark-ups on, and as we said earlier, Blackrock Celler will give you 10% off anything to take over there and will happily recommend wines to go with the food. We took an Austrian Riesling from Holzer (available in Clontarf Wines and Jus de Vine ) which worked really well with the abundance of flavours and hits of spice throughout. They have applied for a wine list so are hoping to have their own short list of wines available too in the coming months. What about the service? Everyone who's been here leaves talking about how warm and welcoming Milie is, and she really is the perfect host, taking time to explain the meaning and make up of each dish, and constantly (but gently) checking if everyone is okay and enjoying themselves. Santosh also does a lap of the room after the main courses have been served, to say hi to everyone and answer any questions - and presumably get deluged with compliments on daily basis about how his cooking is so far from what they thought Indian food was. It's such an intimate space and experience and we think it would be hard to leave here without feeling rejuvenated on a few levels. The verdict? If you're someone who thinks Indian food means greasy baltis, chicken tikka masala (invented in Glasgow) and indigestion, you need to get yourself here as soon as possible. This will be an eye-widening experience for a lot of people, and after eating here it's very easy to see why they've gained such a following, and why people travel from across the city to sit in this basic room with market stalls outside the window. This is undoubtedly some of the best Indian food being cooked on the island right now and eating here should be on your restaurant bucket list. 3 Leaves Unit 30, 19A Main Street, Blackrock Market, Co. Dublin www.3leaves.ie New Openings & Discoveries More >>

The Dunmore Rathmines' newest bar and restaurant brings seaside chill to the suburbs Posted: 12 Dec 2023 Neighbourhood Neighborhood Name Address Restaurant Address Website Website Name Restaurant Info View the Listing >> Written by: Ronan Doyle What should we know about The Dunmore? In welcome contrast to certain other, flashier recent arrivals, Rathmines' newest bar and restaurant The Dunmore opened its doors at the start of the month with lit tle fanfare . There was no glitzy queue of influencers sharing suspiciously generous servings, just the quiet word of some locals pleased to see a new neighbour open for business. (c) The Dunmore It’s the Dublin debut of brother-sister duo Clifden and Louise Foyle, who’ve built themselves a reputation for premium Irish hospitality at Waterford’s Strand Inn Hotel . From the top-tier fitout they’ve given this cavernous space, to the team they’ve assembled to serve it, we get the sense they’re looking to bring that same sense of coastal chill to the city suburbs. Where should we sit? Even if you’d spent some time in the Bowery pub that previously occupied this building, you might not be able to hold back from mouthing a wow at the way The Dunmore opens up before you on entry. A low-lit lounge area flanks the front doors and extends to the small loft above, all cosy wing chairs and mahogany panelling: an intimate space that screams out for a pre-or post-dinner drink. Things get more expansive as you move through the narrow but suddenly very open room – the building is much longer than wide, but the high arched ceiling that towers above gives the dining area to the rear an airy openness that never leaves the space feeling crowded. There’s an abundance of artwork on the walls of this back area, every nook and cranny given its own distinctive colour pop. Big wraparound booths for groups of up to six flank the right wall, with two and four-tops arranged along the left - both are a good mix of comfort and vantage point. Down the centre, there’s a scattering of two-seaters we’d steer clear of if you can to avoid the two-lane traffic passing on either side. (c) The Dunmore What’s on the menu? Quite a bit of seafood – their years at the southeast seaside have certainly given The Dunmore’s team their pick of the waves, and they’ve carried plenty of that experience into this suburban menu with a few Strand Inn favourites cropping up. They’ve also brought onboard ex- Asador chef Josef Cervenka, whose influence seems clear in the charcoal oven options dotted through the menu’s sections. We put that to the test with the starter of crispy chicken, marinated in buttermilk and chili, and served over charred baby gem with a dollop of romesco (€12). As appetisers go this is utterly on-point - tender thigh meat perfectly rendered beneath the chargrilled skin, a rich and fatty flavour that leaves you longing for more. Where the lettuce lightens things a touch, we did find the romesco a little redundant, its muted spicing lost amidst the chili already there in the chicken – an added vinegar kick could have made all the difference. No surprise for a seaside restaurant, Kilmore Quay crab claws (€18) are a Strand Inn staple, and one they’ve wisely carried over. These are great, the meat’s sweetness finding a suitable foil in the pond of garlic butter it’s served swimming in, with a just-right squeeze of lemon acidity cutting through. Your sourdough on the side will not go to waste. Seafood chowder (€12) came off a little less exciting in comparison – where the prior plates made for unfussy entrées done well, this bowl felt a little bit like filler. Great chowder comes off as an old favourite delivered with fresh flair; this serving has the air of a practical pub standard. The house wheaten pulls its weight with a lovely treacle intensity, though we’d have to hope the lack of butter was by mistake and not design. We will never not leap to attention for turbot (€33), and The Dunmore treat it with appropriate pomp, laid out on a bed of girolles and spinach and propped up against two wedges of dauphinoise, with potato sliced so thin it practically dissolves on contact. The mushrooms’ umami earthiness is all that stops this descending into full-fledged decadence – we mean that in the best possible way – with seared flesh flaking into buttery, fish-infused sauce and creamy, cheesy potato. It's a high price point for a main, but we didn't feel mugged off. Venison (€34) gets similar value-for-money kudos, with medium-rare saddle slices layered over a base of colcannon mash – it’s every bit as good as it sounds. With components like that, we would not have bet on the honey-roast parsnip stealing the day, but their root veg treatment is a revelation. Sticky, chewy, caramelised chunks play off the gaminess of the meat for a main that's both familiar and fresh – a nail-on-head example of where this restaurant really excels. The potato and spinach “pie” (€21) was not what we expected – it’s a tart, to start - but that’s just semantics, and what matters is it’s very tasty, featuring more of those miraculously-thin potato slices spread over a spinach and onion base, and dotted with chermoula herb paste and a crumbled feta. In a fish and meat-heavy venue it’s not uncommon to see a token veggie main rolled out, but there’s more thought than that here: sharp flavours are in concert with contrasting textures of crisp spud and flaky pastry. There’s a growing movement we’re none too happy about of sides moving toward a pre-requisite rather than an indulgent extra – gladly The Dunmore has said no thanks to that trend with mains that hold up as more than enough in their own right. That said, it’s not Some of the Food you’re reading so we didn’t hold back. York cabbage (€6) is less a generous wedge than a whole half-head plonked down before you. The charred edges are lovely with lashings of chili butter, but by any standards this is a lot for any but the biggest of tables. The portobello plate (€6) is a bit of a dud - if the menu-listed pesto was ever included here, it must have melted away on the grill. For all the good of the Knockanore cheese, the soggy slabs of mushroom could really have used something sharper. After all that the dessert menu comes off as just sadly uninspired, with predictable choices like crumble, cheesecake and chocolate fondant giving the sense of being there for the sake of it more than any real effort to impress. We reckon you’re better off retiring back to the bar area with one of their dessert cocktail choices instead. What are the drinks like? We were sorry to see The Dunmore’s online cocktail menu somewhat whittled down from what’s up online to what we were presented with at-table - the front half of the space definitely lends itself to lingering about and working through the list between a few friends. Still, there’s enough choice here to suit most palates among the 'classical twist' recipes they’ve gone for. The 'Angels Abyss' won the day for our money with nutty notes of amaretto and walnut bitters elevating the rum and maraschino cherry flavours. 'Bulleit in the Blue Sky' is an amenable aperitif with bourbon sweetness and the citrus lift of San Pellegrino lemon, but the herbal notes of Benedictine struggled to break through and the limp sprig of rosemary didn't help. The 'Tokyo Iced Tea' takes colour from Midori, and wields the sweetness well to ward off the heaviness of several spirits. The wine list has some great deals by-the-bottle – you can’t go wrong with the natural Ciello Blanco at €30 – but there’s less to shout about in the largely commercial by-the-glass list. Some selections are clearly geared to pairing with mains, and we found the richness of Seguinet Bordet Chablis a good fit for the turbot. Horgelus Rosé had a smattering of berry acidity to offer up against the venison, but the heavy Alibes Verdejo floundered against the lightness of the tart. If you can agree on a bottle you’ll be on firmer footing. How was the service? Relaxed and friendly to the last – the Foyles’ intention to build a great hospitality experience has wisely started with the team, and everyone here seems full-on committed to the aim. Even as the place filled up as the night waned on, there was no sense whatsoever of anyone struggling to keep up - good training goes a long way. And the damage? Dinner for three came in at €215, a pretty reasonable price for this part of the city in 2023, especially with a glass of wine and a cocktail apiece. If you can agree on a bottle between you and steer clear of the menu’s higher end, you could have a good night here for under €50 a head. What’s the verdict on The Dunmore? Not everything at Rathmines' new bar and restaurant is a success, but what The Dunmore gets very right is exporting the laidback coastal vibe of its sister restaurant to the Dublin suburbs. From the space to the staff to the plates of homely, wholesome food at prices that won’t leave you with a bad taste in your mouth, this is a new neighbourhood arrival that locals and blow-ins will be welcoming to Dublin 6. New Openings & Discoveries More >>

Woodruff Ambitious appetites In Stepaside Posted: 22 Feb 2022 Neighbourhood Neighborhood Name Address Restaurant Address Website Website Name Restaurant Info View the Listing >> Written by: Lisa Cope What’s the story? Woodruff opened in Stepaside, at the foot of the Dublin mountains, in late 2019. It's the first restaurant from Colm Maguire (owner/manager) and Simon Williams (owner/chef), and it was clear that ambitions were high from day one. In his previous position as head chef in The Gables, Foxrock, write ups of Williams' cooking praised his attention to detail when it came to the ingredients he was buying and foraging, and it felt like this was going to be the theme of Woodruff too, but turn that dial up to the max and you'll get the idea. A mission statement on their website sums up what they do: "cook with the seasons | sustainably source direct from farms | ferment | forage | cure | minimise waste". It's very easy to throw these words around, it's much more difficult to live them, but they are. You think of a food product - the chef's made an inhouse version. You think you know what can be foraged in Ireland? Labelled jars around the restaurant contain edible plants, fungi and herbs you've never heard of. You think you know Irish food? Sit back and get a lesson on the best meat, seafood, cheeses and vegetables that we as a country produce. The over and above efforts here are bound to have played a factor in their very quick addition to the Michelin Guide for 2021, who praised their menus "packed with local produce – including plenty of foraged ingredients", and their "delicious food" and "super-friendly service". Its location and Dublin's abysmal public transport options mean that it's probably difficult for a lot of you to get to, but we wanted to see if it was worth the special effort. Where should we sit? We love this room. It feels modern and slightly industrial, but at the same time warm and comforting with all the wood and velvet. It's sleek and somewhere we'd be very happy to sit back and relax for a few hours. During covid they got permission for outside seating too, so hopefully that makes a comeback when the weather gets warmer. We do love a window seat so that's always first choice, but sit close to the back and you'll be able to look into the open kitchen watching the chefs at work. What's the food like? There's just one á la carte menu for lunch and dinner, so be aware, lunch will set you back dinner prices. This is not a casual, quick stop kind of place, it's an occasion. While we think they're missing a trick not doing a set lunch menu at a more wallet friendly price, we were selfishly happy to experience the evening menu without attempting a trek home from Stepaside late at night. When a menu says homemade breads (plural) with cultured house butter, you must order it. Woodruff's sourdough will make home bakers want to weep into their starter - what child must we sell to get a crust as chewy as this!? - while the brown is on the sweet side so best just eaten with mounds of butter, and what butter. So much of the homemade stuff is weak - under-salted and lacking in flavour - this one is worth every churn. They also kindly brought us a sample of their in-house charcuterie as we'd gone back and forth about ordering it. We'd had it takeaway during lockdown and thought was some of the best in the country, and fully stand by those comments. We love a good snack, and Woodruff's plate of house-cured (obvs) Goatsbridge trout with horseradish creme fraiche, chicory and Guinness crumb was a very good snack. A beautiful slice of fish, bags of flavour all tangled up together, and a clever crumb crunch to top it off. We've never met a 63 degree egg yolk we didn't like, so the mushroom tart fine was happening. The thin, crisp dish of pastry came topped with black truffle, hazelnut and tarragon mayo, and was an elegant, beautiful to look at dish, but slightly dry. It just needed an extra slick of mayo or oil, but the flavours were all there. Our other starter was also picked because of a single listed ingredient - scarlet elf cups, a bright red mushoom that grows on decaying wood, with a firm, chewy texture, again foraged by the kitchen. They came on the side of just-seared tuna , young wild garlic (which grows next to the mushrooms), house soy (that's right, soy sauce made in the restaurant), chilli and sesame. This was more fiery than we expected with a good kick from the chilli, but the flavours were toppling over each other, in a good way. As we were sitting next to a large jar of preserved Alexander Stem, we couldn't resist the John Dory with ink fregola, Alexander stem, romanesco and a Vietnamese coriander and lime sauce, and what a plate of food (it's also enormous, and could easily be shared with some smaller plates). The fish came on the bone meaning you've got to be careful about picking out the bones, but it was perfectly cooked, and once again, so many flavours spinning around one plate. Ink fregola is officially our new favourite grain, it's chewy texture perfect for helping to scoop up that zippy, fragrant sauce, while the romanesco and Alexender stem added two more interesting elements, mainly in texture for the former, and flavour for the later.. We always think the vegetarian option is a good test of a kitchen's skills, and Woodruff's gets an A from us. You might think gnocchi is overdone, but when it's St. Tola goat's cheese gnocchi, with crown prince pumpkin, red kale, organic pear, preserved walnuts and wild capers - it's so very not. It was half carby comfort food, half peppy salad, all wiped clean from the plate. At the start we thought it was going to be a case of Chanel - take one thing off - but everything had a reason for being on there. We also tried the house fries with roast garlic and saffron aioli, which were good and clearly homemade, but could have been a little crispier. For dessert there was a white chocolate mousse with blood orange, meadowsweet meringue, pistachio and chocolate crumb, of which the star was the perfectly ripe blood oranges, sweet red juice spilling out over the plate each time they were cut into. The mousse was definitely the canvas for everything else going on, but it was a pleasant dessert that felt like a light way to end a big meal. We also had the Basque cheesecake with gooseberry sauce and Jerusalem artichoke ice-cream, which was definitely not a light way to end a heavy meal, but in for a penny. We find slabs of Basque cheesecake on their own a bit boring, but the tart gooseberry cut through the creaminess like a knife, and the Jerusalem artichoke ice-cream was a genius addition - who knew the sweet, flatulence-inducing vegetable could be used in so many ways. What about the drinks? There's as much care and attention in the wine list as there is in the food menu, and the only problem here is picking what to drink - we wanted everything. We would have liked to see a few more wines by the glass because we knew just it was ripe for discoveries, with manager Colm eager to recommend bottles and talk you through winemakers, vineyards and grapes. These are not wines picked for maximum margin or crowd-pleasing, they're picked because it's what they want to drink, and when we're in someone's restaurant, eating the food they want us to eat, that's what we love to see. And the service? Faultless, but on the midweek lunchtime we visited it was very quiet so we can only judge on that. It's hard to imagine standards slipping though. And the damage? €70 a head for bread, a snack, three courses and a glass and a half of wine each - hefty by lunch standards. We'd love to see them introduce a dynamic, good value offering during the week, a simplified set menu with little or no choice that we think would pack them in. The verdict? Woodruff is the type of restaurant Dublin (and Ireland) needs more of. In a world of "crowd-pleasing" menus aimed at maximum return and little purpose, Woodruff sits in the top tier of restaurants, doing what they love, and hoping the rest of us will do. The ambition and effort happening here is rare and remarkable, and we have no doubt that if they were in the city centre there would be a lot more talk about them because a lot more people would be paying them a visit. In the meantime we just hope Stepaside knows how lucky it is. Woodruff The Village, Unit 7, Enniskerry Road, Dublin 18 woodruff.ie New Openings & Discoveries More >>

A go-to wine bar for those in the know. Interesting list of responsibly made wines, knowledgeable staff and creative, Italian influenced food from Enrico Fantasia (owner of wine import company Grape Circus) and his partner Thibault Harang (formerly of Pichet and Town Bar & Grill). Seats on the outdoor terrace complete with heaters are in demand year round. Piglet Website pigletwinebar.ie Address 5 Cow's Lane, Temple Bar, Dublin 2 Good For Tag 1 Cuisine Tag 1 Once Over Read our Review >> The Story A go-to wine bar for those in the know. Interesting list of responsibly made wines, knowledgeable staff and creative, Italian influenced food from Enrico Fantasia (owner of wine import company Grape Circus) and his partner Thibault Harang (formerly of Pichet and Town Bar & Grill). Seats on the outdoor terrace complete with heaters are in demand year round. Where It's At Nearby Locales Yibu by Janet Little Canton Dak @ Bar Anam Mongoose Chongqing Hot Pot Boco Clontarf Bell Pesto Bang Gloria Osteria Cantina Valentina D'Lepak Pera Borgo Amai by Viktor Kaizen Chubbys Badam Table 45 Comet Daruma Malahide Lena The Pig's Ear Notions @ Two Pups The Rooftop @ Anantara The Marker Sofra

CN Duck Roast meats in Ranelagh straight out of Southeast Asia Posted: 28 Jun 2022 Neighbourhood Neighborhood Name Address Restaurant Address Website Website Name Restaurant Info View the Listing >> Written by: Lisa Cope What's the story? CN Duck opened quietly enough on Ranelagh's thoroughfare in February, and apart from one (copied and pasted from their website) article on Lovin' Dublin, and a review in the Sunday Independent, they haven't had a whole pile of coverage, but on a recent visit to Ranelagh in search of somewhere to eat, their online reviews stuck out like a bullet oven in a Dublin suburb. It's a lazy, false stereotype that because people of a similar ethnicity as the restaurant are eating there it must be the best around - people of every colour, race and background eat bad food, and what if it's just the best of a bad lot? - but what stuck out most from all the praise was the steady stream of Asian diners gushing about the quality of the roast meats, and how it was the taste of home they'd been sorely missing. One read: " The best roast duck you could expect to have - it is as best as a 5-star hotel in Hong Kong. This is amazingly delicious. Absolutely worth for the value. Will be visiting again! Salute to the Chef!!! Thank you CN Duck! It effectively heals my homesick. " How could we not after that. Cities like Hong Kong, Singapore and Shanghai are famous for their juicy, crispy-skinned roast meats, cooked in special bullet ovens shaped like torpedos, and hung up in windows and street stalls across town. These ovens circulate heat evenly around the meat, rendering the fat and crisping the skin, and while these aren't the first ones in Dublin, we've never found a source of Chinese roast meats that we thought could compete with the ones we've eaten in South East Asia. Multiple attempts at contacting the restaurant to get more information about who's behind it went unanswered, but one online report claimed they're connected to the Zakura Japanese restaurants. If we ever find out we'll let you know. Where should I sit? This is fast casual dining, with two long tables for sharing with fellow diners, a table for four, two high tables for two, and one outside table that can seat four. The roadside seating isn't the most comfortable and you'll probably be wary of your belongings, but it is nice sitting in the sun (on the rare occasions it shows up). None of the seating has been designed with lounging in mind, so just pull up wherever's free. What's the food like? You're here for the roast meats and we'll hear no more about it, but there is quite a large menu in case you have a heathen in your midst who wants to break ranks (or you just want to get a selection of different dishes - far more reasonable). There are also enough vegetarian dishes to bring any meat-free friends too. We asked which starters were made on site, and were told the spring rolls and the Shao Mai dumpings, so got one of each. There was no doubt the duck spring rolls were made fresh, with uneven wrappers giving up extra crispy bits, and a filling full of fresh, crunchy vegetables, and rich chunks of meat. With a side of sweet chilli sauce for dipping, these are spring rolls the way they should be, yet so rarely are. The Shao Mai (also called Siu Mai) dumplings were stuffed with a pork and mushroom filling so juicy you will want to eat these in one mouthful, the thin pastry pleats holding it all together, and a whole prawn on top. They come with a soy based dipping sauce and are utterly delicious, but heavy. Perfect for sharing, but a whole portion as a starter and you might be done for. For the star attraction, there are a few ways of doing it. The four roast meats on offer are roast duck; crispy pork belly; BBQ char siu pork; and Cantonese soy chicken. You can either order portions of the meat by itself, plumping out your meal with rice and other sides, or you can order it as part of a rice bowl. You can also order combos to try two at once, and because we had to try it all, we got a meat-only combo of roast duck and crispy pork belly, and a rice bowl combo of BBQ char siu pork and Cantonese soy chicken. And oh my this meat. If you've ever eaten your way around those bustling Asian cities this will take you right back there. Too often you find duck in this style with too much fat under the skin, making for unpleasantly chewy mouthfuls, but this was flawlessly rendered down with a slightly sticky marinade, showing what those ovens are capable of in the right hands. You can pay an extra €1 to have it deboned, and if you don't do that just be careful as little shards of bone can sneak into your mouth when you least expect it. The crispy pork belly is cooked in a way that will make you never want to cook it at home again (or eat it anywhere else). By its nature it has more fat than the duck and in more places, but the cracking belongs in the all-star leagues, and the sliver of fat underneath would give fat on meat a good name. There were pieces towards one end that were all fat and crackling, but some people like that too, and there was a lot of meat to get your chops around. The BBQ char siu pork and Cantonese soy chicken were the combo for our rice bowl, and once again, the soy chicken is the best we've had anywhere here. Often slippery, with rubbery skin and no flavour, this skin is made for eating, with the chicken melting underneath it. Again it's on the bone so bear that in mind when jamming it into your mouth. Thin slices of char siu pork had a vivid barbecue flavour, and the portions of meat felt very generous. The rice bowls come with half a jammy, soy-cured egg (as good as the best ramen bars serve, anywhere). stir-fried greens, steamed pak choi and edamame beans, and for €15 for the meat combo this is a hell of a bowl of food. On the table are duck sauce (very hard to find good versions outside of Asian and this is a good version) and chilli oil that tasted like it was based on fermented shrimp paste. Great condiment game. The only downside to these delicious meats is a lack of provenance information. The website says they use "locally sourced meat" but that doesn't mean much, and we would have loved more information on where they're getting it. Outside of the roast meat bonanza there's ramen, noodles, fried rice and stir fries, and while we tend to look at these as filler items, it's hard to imagine the standards dropping from the rest. There's also a good value daytime menu served from 12:00 - 17:00, with a selection of dishes for €9.95 - hard to argue with. We're pretty desperate to go back and try more, and have spent the week quietly cursing Ranelagh residents for having such easy access to it. What about drinks? Soft drinks or beer only - Tiger, Asahi or Tsing Tao, but they also do BYOB at the bargain price of €1 per beer or €6 per bottle of wine. This would be a great place to break out some special bottles, and the food's not spicy enough to overpower anything. How was the service? Very pleasant and to the point. You order at the till and they'll bring your food to you. As you'd expect everything comes when it's ready, so if you want to spread it out we'd advise asking if they can do this when you order. And the damage? €44.95 for a generous amount of food for two with leftovers to take away. For food of this quality we think the value for money is in the city's top tier right now. The verdict? For our money these are the best Chinese roast meats in Dublin right now, and an itch is finally being scratched to complete satisfaction. We hoped CN Duck would be decent, we didn't know it was going to be this good, but maybe we'll take more notice of those gushing Google reviews more often. Hopefully they've got their eyes on other sites so more people can experience the joy, but maybe it's best kept as one solo special spot for soy chicken and char siu. Either way, we're coming up with all sorts of excuses to get back to Ranelagh. CN Duck 12 Ranelagh, Dublin 6 www.cnduck.ie New Openings & Discoveries More >>

Winedown at Home Long live the restaurant meal kit Posted: 25 Jan 2022 Neighbourhood Neighborhood Name Address Restaurant Address Website Website Name Restaurant Info View the Listing >> Written by: Lisa Cope What’s the story? With the surreal news of a near abolition of COVID restrictions last week, you may be wondering why we're using this time to highlight a dine-at-home meal box, but we've become fond of these boxes over the last couple of years, getting us through some tough lockdowns and giving us a break from the endless discussion on what to cook for dinner and/or opting for another average takeaway. This is our homage to those boxes that got us through, and maybe a plea to our favourite restaurants to keep some going. It’s clear from talking to our readers that there’s a market for them, be it people who aren’t fully comfortable returning to normal life so suddenly, parents who want the date night without the extra 50 quid for a babysitter, or anyone who wants a restaurant experience without having to move very far. Winedown opened in December 2020 (the sophisticated older sister of Meltdown ), and between lockdowns we never managed to get in there to try their menu of small plates and sharing platters. They're trying to create a relaxed atmosphere focused on seasonal Irish food and delicious wine, and we can see how this is reflected in their supplier list which proudly supports mainly local Irish producers. It’s clear that they're not skimping on quality with Sheridan’s Cheesemongers for their cheese selection, Carraignamuc Cottage for their fruit and veg, and Little Italy for pastas and other provisions. Their wine list is also extensive, however there are only around five options by the glass so be prepared to fork out for a bottle with prices starting at €29.50. Like many restaurants, Winedown had to pivot a number of times since opening, and their most recent launch was an at-home box showcasing some of their signature dishes. We gave it a spin a couple of weeks ago when we couldn’t bear another 6pm dinner reservation. How do I get it? Place your order on their website , choosing between a regular box with meat or the vegetarian box, and you can add a wine pairing to your order (more on that later). The box is available on Friday and Saturday this weekend, but from February they're reducing this to just Fridays. As it’s all made fresh on the day it will keep in the fridge for up to three days, so you could always stow it away until you’re ready for it. You can opt to pick-up between 12:00 - 19:00, or they’ll deliver it within 6km of the restaurant for an extra €5. What's in the box? Everything you need! We ordered the regular box which was 6-courses and the box contained all components, helpfully numbered by course to make the whole process very simple. The instruction sheet tells you everything you need to do to pull the meal off seamlessly, and they time things perfectly to mimic the rhythm of a normal restaurant meal, leaving a bit of time between courses to digest. Another nice touch was the very funky Spotify playlist, curated by DJ Tara Stewart, to set the scene for the evening. The tunes were so good that we downloaded the playlist to recycle for future dinner parties. The meal started off with a focaccia with cep butter and Guinness Bread with black olive tapenade. The only part of this course that we didn’t love was the focaccia which quite dense and not oily enough, but everything else was delish, and we could have done with an extra helping of the cep butter to keep in the fridge. Next up was the smoked fungi croquettes on a spicy tomato sauce. We adore a good croquette, and we could have eaten these ones all day. Generally we think a decent croquette needs to be freshly fried and served immediately, but even though these were just reheated in the oven they didn’t feel as though they had been pre-prepared. They were crispy on the outside with the most luscious, creamy filling once you bit into them. We would go to Winedown just to try these again (and a glance on their website shows us that they have two other flavours to try!) From there we moved onto the grilled halloumi and grilled courgette in a sherry vinegar reduction, served with romesco. The star for us was the romesco sauce which was deliciously creamy and went really well with the other components. The nutty topping gave a lovely crunch which brought the dish together, and overall we thought it was excellent. We moved on to the first meat dish of the evening – after a quick heat up in the oven and some light assembly it was time for slow-braised pork belly with celeriac puree, parsnip crisp and pickled apples. Full disclosure, pork belly is not our favourite cut, and this did the genre no favours with far too much unrendered fat and not enough meat, but everything else in the dish delivered. The puree was silky smooth and went wonderfully with the tartness of the pickled apples, and the textures were all there, it's just a shame about the meat. The next dish was bavette steak skewers with pickled ginger and their homemade rayu. We were worried that after some time in the oven the steak would come out totally overdone but they got it spot on with the timing and the result was a perfect blush centre. The Asian style soy marinade tied in nicely with the rayu and ginger, and we really enjoyed tearing the meat off this one. Finally we moved onto dessert. The chocolate Marquis had a rich, smooth mousse with a biscuit base which was a bit thicker than we expected, but it did lighten up the dessert and the biscuit itself was gorgeous. They touted chocolate budino on the side which we thought was going to be more like a traditional custardy budino, but in reality it was more of a thick caramel sauce. It may sound like we had a few gripes with this course but we're nitpicking, and will shamelessly admit that we scraped up every last morsel. The box feeds two, with enough food to feel comfortably full, but they’ve gone with quality over quantity so you’re not going to be ending up with any leftovers for the next day. The spaced-out timing of each course also lended to us not having to roll ourselves away onto the couch once we’d eaten. What should we drink with it? When we placed our order there was only one wine pairing option and it wasn't very exciting, so we drank our own, but they've expanded their offering since with some more interesting options. If you're looking for white you can't beat Ciello Bianco, a natural wine verging on orange which we think would go really well with all the flavours here. If you're after red, Gran Cerdo is a natural, juicy Rioja, without too much tannin, so again a good all round pairing. And the damage? €55 for the kit, plus €5 if you choose to get it delivered. Given the quality and variety of the food we thought it was excellent value for money. The verdict? Winedown clearly put a lot of thought into which dishes would translate well at home and made sure that each dish was nicely flavoured and texturally balanced to keep the experience interesting. We think they’ve done a great job and are glad to see that they’re taking orders for this weekend, but it does looks like they’ll reduce this to Friday pickups only in February. At €55 you really can’t go wrong with this for a relaxed night in, and if they do decide to discontinue it down the line, we’re excited to get into their Montague Street restaurant to try a few more things and get the full experience. Winedown 15 Montague Street, Dublin 2 www.meltdown.ie/winedown New Openings & Discoveries More >>

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

Gertrude Fried chicken for breakfast is always a good idea Posted: 8 Jan 2019 Neighbourhood Neighborhood Name Address Restaurant Address Website Website Name Restaurant Info View the Listing >> Written by: Lisa Cope What’s the story? When rumours started circling last year that 3fe's Colin Harmon was bringing a new all day dining restaurant to Pearse Street, it instantly became one of the most hotly anticipated openings of the year. A series of delays had us thinking it was never going to open (it was a tie between Gertrude and Uno Mas for who had us chewing our fingernails more), but finally it did in early December and seemed to be an instant hit. They've since backed away from the all-day dining concept, with separate breakfast, lunch and dinner options from this week, but that hasn't resulted in too many changes to the menu. It's located about half way between Trinity and Grand Canal Dock, and the kitchen is headed up by Holly Dalton, formerly head chef at 3fe's café on Grand Canal Street. She had a very good reputation at 3fe so we were eager to see what she'd do at Gertrude with a dinner service and more scope for experimentation with the menu. The wine list was put together by Peter Conway, a well known face on the wine scene who was formerly involved with Green Man Wines in Terenure, so we knew it was in good hands - we'd even heard rumours of sherry. Where should we go for a drink first? There are plenty of good boozers in the direction of Trinity, like The Ginger Man on Fenian Street and The Lincoln's Inn on Lincoln place but if it's wine you want just come straight here. If you're out for the night and want somewhere with cocktails and/or a view you could head to Charlotte Quay or the rooftop bar in The Marker Hotel . Where should we sit? The table in the window at the front is the one to bag (especially if you like taking photos of your food - guilty), as it's prime people watching real estate and you can see t he whole restaurant, but any of the tables against the window are nice to sit at. There are also tables in the centre of the restaurant which we imagine would be good for a group or if you have a buggy/general child paraphernalia, and there are are some high tables on the other side if being elevated is your thing. What's good to eat? We tried all three snacks on the current menu and our favourites were the Cooleeny croquettes with beetroot ketchup (hot cheese - what's not to like?) and the bacon and cabbage dumplings which we thought were genius and packed so much flavour. They were both generous portions for €6 too. Whole Hoggs salami spread with sauerkraut on Bread Nation toast was also good, but we thought it was a bit unbalanced in the direction of spice, to the point where our tastebuds took a bit of time to recover, and it generally wasn't as memorable as the other two. We'd heard loads about the pork tonkatsu sandwich with kewpie mayo and shredded white cabbage on Bread Nation batch bread, so were pleased to find it delivered and is something we will definitely be going back for. It was also huge, so go hungry. Our other favourite was the buttermilk chicken and pancakes with honey butter, fermented hot sauce and orchard syrup, which is one of the best things we've eaten in 2019 (dinner at Variety Jones last weekend is also up there). The chicken and pancakes were both perfect and we'd quite like to bribe Holly for that punchy hot sauce recipe. Also, honey butter. Just when we thought it couldn't get any better. We also tried the duck buns which had good bao and meat but which we thought were a bit too salty, and the game pie which was one of those uber comforting dishes perfect for a cold day, but felt it could have done with some kind of green salad to balance the heft, which wasn't an option as a side. For dessert we loved the apple fritters and custard (which tasted more like a crème anglaise - not a complaint), and while the fritters were denser than we were expecting they had a good amount of apple and a gorgeous cinnamon sugar coating which reminded us of times gone by, when doughnuts were simple things costing 40c from a stand on O'Connell Street. It's also worth noting that there are extensive options for kids, with a dedicated menu featuring five choices, or you can get a kids size portion of anything on the main menu for half price - more of this please. They also have highchairs and a baby change, so a very child friendly place to bring the nippers when you don't want to compromise on food quality. What about the drinks? Coffee is obviously excellent, and since we visited they've introduced free top ups on filter coffee and tea. It's obvious that the wine list has been lovingly put together, with loads of minimal intervention options, vermouth and sherries, and there was a lot we wanted to drink. If you're day time drinking try the red Puszta Libre from Claus Preissinger which is only 11.5% and as juicy as a punnet of cherries. And the service? The staff were all really wam and full of smiles, but on both occasions the food took a long time to come out, with 45 minute gaps between snacks and mains. We imagine these are teething issues in a new kitchen and that they are aware of it, but if you're nipping in at lunch and are pressed for time it might be worth letting them know. The verdict? Gertrude really kept us waiting, but she's finally here and we think this is a brilliant addition to the Grand Canal Dock area. They announced this week that they were dropping the all day dining concept in favour of separate breakfast, lunch and dinner menus, and while we will admit to being gutted when we heard this, as we felt it was something really missing from the Dublin dining scene, in reality not a lot has changed, and they say that people weren't ordering spatchcock chicken for breakfast and a full Irish for dinner anyway. The most important thing is that the buttermilk chicken and pancakes are still available for breakfast and lunch (and hopefully dinner - TBC). Gertrude 130 Pearse Street, Grand Canal Dock, Dublin gertrude.ie New Openings & Discoveries More >>

Etto Sherry, stracciatella and a feast of meat Posted: 26 Jan 2018 Neighbourhood Neighborhood Name Address Restaurant Address Website Website Name Restaurant Info View the Listing >> Written by: Lisa Cope What’s the story? Unarguably one of the most talked about restaurants in Dublin since opening in 2013, Etto was a ray of light in a recession ravaged city and led the way for the other young, dynamic openings that followed. Run by partners Liz and Simon, the menu is part-Italian, part-Irish with a stellar wine list which includes sherry and three wines on tap. There are only 38 seats, so reservations (especially at the weekend) are essential. With the couple due to open their second restaurant ‘Uno Mas’ later this year, we thought it was time to revisit one of the game-changers on the Dublin restaurant scene. Where’s good for a drink beforehand? There’s a strong argument for going straight to Etto and getting stuck into their sherry or prosecco on tap, but if you’d rather a change of scene we’d suggest La Cave on South Anne Street for the best value glass of fizz in the city (€8.95 for proper Crémant de Bourgogne), or for cocktails try Peruke and Periwig . If it’s a pint you’re after you won’t do much better than O’Donoghues which is just a few doors down. There’s a very good chance you’ll stumble on a trad session. What’s the room like? Cosy, bistro like space with white walls, dark wood and candles. Always a nice hum of conversation but never so loud that you can’t hear your dining companions. Has that intimate feeling that’s perfect for dates or a catch up with friends. What's good to eat? In a word? Everything. We’re not sure if there’s ever been a dud dish served in Etto. Go hungry because you’ll want to start with the snacks. Smoked almonds and fino should run away and get married. The bright green olives and hake and morcilla croquettes were perfect, flavour packed pre-appetisers. For starters, the sea bream crudo with blood orange and rosemary oil is a stalwart of the menu for good reason. Light, fresh and bursting with flavour, it feels like you’re doing your body a favour by eating it. Smoky eel wrapped in salt-baked kohlrabi, up against tart granny smith and horseradish managed to convince a lifelong eel-avoider what she’s been missing out on. The one we’re still dreaming about is the stracciatella, celeriac, truffle honey, hazelnut and lovage. Gooey cheese above a pesto-like lovage sauce, with crunchy hazelnuts, smooth peelings of celeriac and umami sweetness from the truffle honey. For mains, the Côte de Bœuf has to be experienced at least once. It's a total feast of delicious, perfectly cooked meat and would easily feed three. Crispy garlic potatoes and the richest béarnaise sauce will finish you off. Vegetables are no less impressive - the roast onion squash risotto with chanterelles and tallegio lasted approximately 20 seconds while spoons clattered together scraping the plate clean. A side of hispi cabbage with buckwheat and mustard sauce was one of the most delicious incarnations of cabbage that we’ve tasted. It’s official – chargrilling anything makes it approximately 10 times tastier. Desserts don't let the side down either, and their signature red wine prunes with vanilla mascarpone is another dish that needs to be tried at least once. We also attacked the warm chocolate mousse with walnut ice cream and Campari like jackals. What about the wine? The wine list is great and although it was a slow build, they’re finally getting recognition for it and having customers order their more unusual bottles. These guys love sherry and they’ve converted many of their customers into loving it too. The combination of Equipo Navazos Fino and smoked almonds is a great start to a night out. There are three wines on tap from innovative wine importer Wine Lab (whose motto is #nocrapontap ), a prosecco, a friulano (Italian white) and a refosco (Italian red). All really solid wines and great value at €6.50 for still and €7 for sparkling. The main wine list is Italian/European heavy and has so many great names on there that choosing is the difficult part, but the lovely staff are always ready to make recommendations. We had a rich, flavour-filled verdicchio from Italian producer Fattoria San Lorenzo (€44) which did a great job of standing up to the many flavours in our starters, and a juicy, slightly savoury Zweigelt from Austrian producer Claus Preisinger (€45), which we were worried might be a bit light for the Côte de Bœuf, but in reality was a perfect match for the juiciness of the medium-rare beef. We finished with a Madeira from legends Barbeito (€10.95) and a Spanish sweet wine from Bodega Bentomiz (€9.95), which were perfect examples of why sweet wine shouldn’t be a sickly, cloying end to a meal. And the service? Unfailingly excellent. Hospitality is a hard industry to recruit for so finding consistently great staff like these is not something to brush over. Staff are attentive but unobtrusive, happy to recommend without being pushy, knowing when to come over and when to leave you alone. And they come across as really nice people who like what they're a part of. The verdict? There’s a reason why Etto is so loved, particularly by those in the food and wine trade. These guys are doing everything right. The food is uncompromisingly great, the wine list is dying for exploration, and the staff go over and above to make customers feel taken care of. If you haven’t been yet we strongly recommend rectifying that at the first available opportunity. We are counting the days until 'Uno Mas' is abierto. Etto 18 Merrion Row, Dublin 2 etto.ie New Openings & Discoveries More >>

Dakoi Hand-pulled noodles above the Italian Quarter Posted: 24 May 2018 Neighbourhood Neighborhood Name Address Restaurant Address Website Website Name Restaurant Info View the Listing >> Written by: Lisa Cope What’s the story? Dakoi Oriental Café quietly popped up on Millennium walkway two months ago, in Dublin’s somewhat under-utilised Italian Quarter. They specialise in Chinese hand-pulled noodles (which are exactly what they sound like), which the chef makes behind a glass window looking onto the street. They also serve Filipino and Korean dishes and sushi, and while the amalgamation of so many cuisines would usually be a turn off, the lure of hand-pulled as opposed to machine made noodles was too hard to resist. Where’s good for a drink beforehand? For wine, Enoteca della Langhe and Wallace’s Taverna (both owned by TD Mick Wallace but thankfully not run by him) are just up the walkway towards the liffey. Their wine lists are solely Italian and great value thanks to the fact that they import all of their wines directly without going through a wholesaler. This is the place to go when you want to splash out on a bottle of Barolo. Asian restaurant Koh , next door to Dakoi, has an award-winning cocktail bar, and for a pint we’d recommend TP Smiths around the corner. We'd probably eat first as you'll be done quite quickly, then get on the booze after. What’s the room like? You order and pay downstairs, then go up a floor to the seating area where they bring your food once it’s ready. The floor to ceiling glass walls provide great views of the streets below, and it feels like being in a very mini skyscraper in some cool Asian city. Until you see the sign for the Jervis Centre. What's good to eat? The hand-pulled noodles obviously, which come in a broth infused with 15 Chinese herbs, beef, spring onions, coriander and what looked like radish. The noodles are the wonderfully chewy kind that no machine can master, the thinly sliced beef was meltingly soft and the broth had layers of flavour. We also tried the Filipino Bulabo beef stew on the recommendation of the owner, which again came in a really flavoursome broth, with bone marrow (and chunks of bone), sweetcorn, pak choi, raw onion and spring onion, with a side of rice and fresh chillis. Both dishes came in small and large but we thought the small was more than sufficient. Sides of fried pork gyoza and edamame were also good, and the gyoza comes with a side of pickled carrot and cabbage - like a Chinese version of coleslaw. Go easy with the chilli oil on the table, unless you enjoy losing your taste buds every now and then. What about the drinks? Better than the average casual Asian eatery. Three white wines, three red and two proseccos, all commercial but drinkable, and five different Chinese beers – Asahi, Chang, Tsingtao, Tiger and Cobra. They also do tea and coffee. And the service? Owner Fang was manning the till when we were there, helping people navigate the menu and making recommendations. Our food and drinks came quickly and all were delivered by smiley staff. The verdict? Undiluted Asian food (like the type they eat in Asia) is notoriously hard to find in Dublin, and while we’d prefer a place to focus on one thing and do it brilliantly, having somewhere that does genuine hand-pulled noodles really well is a great addition to the city. We’ve got our eye on the oil spilled noodles for next time, and they told us they’re hoping to start trialling an Asian breakfast soon, with dishes like Thai omelette, wonton soup and steamed buns. We'd take that over a full Irish any day. Dakoi Oriental Café 10 Millennium Walkway, Dublin 1 facebook.com/Dakoi2018/ New Openings & Discoveries More >>

Forest Avenue After 12 years the stars finally align in Dublin 4 Posted: 10 Mar 2026 Neighbourhood Neighborhood Name Address Restaurant Address Website Website Name Restaurant Info View the Listing >> Written by: Lisa Cope What's happening with Forest Avenue? Well they've only gone and done it. Twelve and a half years after opening Forest Avenue on Sussex Terrace in Dublin 4, Michelin finally awarded John and Sandy Wyer the star that so many of the city's chefs and diners have been screaming they should have gotten a long time ago. Forest Avenue was one of the many Phoenixes that rose out of Dublin's recessionary ashes, carving out a new path for modern Irish cooking. This new era was marked by chefs with their own distinctive style, a strong focus on Irish produce, and a genuine desire (not just marketing bluff) to work with whatever the season brought. There was a bit of Scandi influence, a bit of French, some Japanese techniques, but it's always been about technical perfection - hold the fuss. In case it's all somehow passed over your head... John's from Cork, Sandy's from Queens, New York. The restaurant's named after the street she grew up in. They met while working in restaurants in Germany, before moving back to Cork, then Spain, then Dublin where Sandy worked in Chapter One, and they both worked at L'Ecrivain (him as head chef, her as head pastry chef). They had a stint as full time tutors at the Dublin Cookery School, before experimenting with supper club style pop ups around 2011, building a buzzy, insider fan base. When they opened the doors on Sussex Terrace in 2013, things blew up instantly. One of the biggest talking points about this couple is how far they're able to spread themselves without quality taking a hit. They currently run this Michelin-starred restaurant, modern French bistro Forêt next door, neighbourhood Italian Little Forest in Blackrock, and bakery Una in Ranelagh, all considered to be operating on the top rungs of their respective ladders. They make it all look very easy, when in reality we know it's very, very hard. Where should we sit? We have bad memories of being festooned up on the mezzanine here for a special occasion a long time ago, but that area above the restaurant thankfully now seems to be kept for storage. We've always liked the bar and counter seats in here, and they make solo Michelin-starred dining that much easier without the stress of taking up a table for two. Otherwise you'll want a table further in with a bird's eye view of the large, open kitchen, where owner John Wyer gets up to all kinds of magic with a small chef team rowing in behind him. What's the menu like? There's the expected Michelin-starred tasting menu (€95), but also a three course menu at a lower price (€78), available on Wednesdays and Thursdays only for tables of five or less. It's a good way to get the starry experience with a bit less food and wallet damage, but we're only ever going all in somewhere like this (and recommend you do the same). The tasting menu was a thrilling experience from start to end, with that technical precision that's finally won them the star slapping you in the face with every bite from every plate, and some unexpected surprises that pushed the excitement factor further. There was nothing sloppy, ill-cooked, added to a dish without good reason, and it's the type of cooking, assembly and flavour development that makes your own kitchen efforts look like they belong in the bin. Here's what we had. Yellow carrot and Dublin Bay Prawn shell bisque: A wildly good, wildly intense seafood opener, showing the levels of flavour that can be achieved with two of the most beautiful ingredients from Dublin soils and sea right now Coolea cheese, onion and thyme tart: Bury us with five of these in each hand. Short pastry, sweet onion, herby thyme, creamy gouda-like mousse. Could we have topped out at snack #2 ? https://video.wixstatic.com/video/79af6f_caaa7eac9a6548d9a0169417739ecfad/720p/mp4/file.mp4 Beetroot, smoked yoghurt and tamarind: A shatteringly crisp beetroot roll, filled with a tangy tamarind beetroot paste on one end, and smoked yoghurt on the other (mother of God), all of it leading to a smoky, tangy, crispy palate explosion https://video.wixstatic.com/video/79af6f_49e36617c6674a11a832dc93c6dfa8b0/720p/mp4/file.mp4 Cod belly, barbecued leek, Vadouvan: Diving deep into a creamy, curried sauce for juicy chunks of cod and burnished strands of leek, we genuinely worried that they were peaking too early, and nothing was going to top these snacks Yellow fin tuna, blood orange and Japanese spinach: A surprise snack, as seen on their Instagram feed the previous week. A palate cleansing beauty we'd take over a sorbet any day The one and only Forest Avenue sourdough with whipped butter: Never fails to emit all the ooohs and aaaahs and "why can't I get this crust at home" https://video.wixstatic.com/video/79af6f_c5327b1ad650437ea1d7500bc8e97875/720p/mp4/file.mp4 Parsnip soup: Another surprise, sweet and earthy with pine nuts coming up like hidden jewels with each spoon. Unanimously voted "the nicest parsnip soup I've ever tasted", and ideally timed for finishing off that last speck of sourdough you told yourself you were too restrained to finish Hand-dived scallop crudo, apple, smoked cashew nut, horseradish granita: A light, refreshing start to the larger plates, full of zingy apple, crunchy nuts and a kick of heat from the horseradish Cod, white asparagus, sauce of fermented rice, almond, trout roe: A snow white piece of fish flaking into a creamy, tangy sauce, almond paste adding depth and richness, the white asparagus bringing a mild bitterness, although we didn't think the sliced mushrooms on top added anything Duck boudin with prune and jus noisette: A pre-cursor to the next duck course, and presumably a way to make the most of the bird. A very rich duck sausage made from duck livers and prunes, with an equally rich brown butter sauce, lifted by shallots and lemon juice. Into belt opening territory now Thornhill duck, yeasted parsnip, sauce charcuterie: If you think of duck as chewy and fatty, this is the antidote. Butter soft flesh served pink, crispy skin that looks like it was barbecued, exceptionally rendered fat, and the sauce game here is biting at Chapter One's heels Chocolate cremeux, celeriac ice-cream, manzanilla: Anyone who can make vegetable ice-cream this sweet and delicious deserves a star for that alone. A simple enough construction, but all of the elements sang solo and together Croissant pudding with chestnut butter: These little bites on the side completely stole the show. You knew when they hit someone's table as the yummy noises because audibly louder. A very clever use of old croissants from their bakery Una A surprise petit four of a carrot and vanilla choux bun to end: Technically perfect (of course), more vegetables in dessert (we love), did not need another bite at this point (but when has that stopped us) There's a common complaint about Michelin starred restaurants (that mainly seems to emanate from men) that there's never enough food, that they had to stop at the chipper on the way home or make themselves a sandwich when they got in. This will not be a problem here. We absolutely, completely, undoubtedly overate, our stomachs left us in no doubt of that, so if that's a sticking point for you or someone in your life, don't worry - no chipper will be needed. What should we drink? Forest Avenue doesn't have the longest wine list in the world - good news if your dining companions are fed up of you taking 30 minutes to decide on a bottle while their lips remain parched - but there's a nice variety of carefully chosen styles and countries, with prices starting at €39. There's also an optional wine pairing at a peak price of €90. They would want to be some nice bottles for that price, and they are, with Champagne and high end Californian Pinot Noir among the pours. We think their own-bottled, gamay-based Burgundy (also available in Forêt next door) is super value at €48 - a nicely acidic, medium bodied red to see you through multiple dishes without much jarring. We also enjoyed a crémant from Alsace producer Albert Mann (€17 btg), and a bone-dry, golden-hued Austrian Riesling from Weinrieder (€18 btg). How was the service? Pleasant, but at times lacking in warmth. Service felt quite subdued, and sometimes dishes landed without introductions and descriptions of what exactly they were - "this is your duck", before walking off being the most memorable. Each time we called someone back they were able to give us detailed descriptions of each sauce, crumb, cream and general culinary flourish, but it became a mild tension point when waiting for the next dish to arrive that we might have to lasso the person who brought it back to the table to pepper them with questions all over again. It would have been a nice touch to have the main man occasionally leave the kitchen to deliver a dish too. What was the bill? Since gaining that all important star, prices have unsurprisingly risen. The evening tasting menu has gone from €85 to €95, and the three course has gone from €60 - €78 (maybe with more Michelin flourishes included?). €95 still makes this the cheapest Michelin-starred tasting menu in Dublin, with Variety Jones coming in next at €100, and Bastible after that at €110. We spent just shy of €160pp for food, wine and an optional service charge. What's the verdict on Forest Avenue? Fervent fans might disagree, but for us, the food at Forest Avenue is the best it's ever been - maybe those Michelin lads do know something? There's no denying this star was hard fought and well deserved, and to let the continued overlook push you on instead of beating you down is something to be commended on. The new award and resulting price tag has pushed it out of the neighbourhood restaurant realm and into the special occasion one, but the food was there anyway so this is just the last piece of the puzzle. New Openings & Discoveries More >>

Head north from Smithfield and you'll hit every food and drink lover's favourite suburb, Stoneybatter. It's been called 'Dublin's coolest neighbourhood' by Timeout Magazine, and from Calabrian pasta to craft beer, southern Indian dosas to homemade dumplings, it's frankly a bit rude how much good stuff locals have on their doorstep. Stoneybatter Our Take Head north from Smithfield and you'll hit every food and drink lover's favourite suburb, Stoneybatter. It's been called 'Dublin's coolest neighbourhood' by Timeout Magazine, and from Calabrian pasta to craft beer, southern Indian dosas to homemade dumplings, it's frankly a bit rude how much good stuff locals have on their doorstep. Where to Eat A Fianco Grano Hakkahan Korean Table L Mulligan Grocer Slice Social Fabric Sorrento's Vada

777 Tostados, tortillas & addictive margaritas Posted: 17 Oct 2018 Neighbourhood Neighborhood Name Address Restaurant Address Website Website Name Restaurant Info View the Listing >> Written by: Lisa Cope What’s the story? 777 is no new kid on the block. Part of John Farrell's restaurant group, which also includes Dillinger's, The Butcher Grill, the contemporary Mexican opened in 2012 without a trace of Tex-Mex, which prior to this was pretty much all Dublin had experience of. Goodbye burritos and refried beans, hello tostados, tacos and carnitas. Like everything else that John Farrell touches, the interior design is first rate (not that you'd know from the unassuming outside), and they opened to some very good reviews , but like everything the buzz eventually dies down. In the past few months however, we feel like we're constantly being told to go there, that the kitchen's turning out fantastic food and the margaritas are worth a trip alone. So we took it upon ourselves to see if the rumours were true. Where should we go for a drink first? If you don't want to come straight here for a margarita (you're crazy, or on a mission), you could go to Loose Canon on Drury Street for a glass of natural wine, the soon to be open (any day now) Bar Giuseppe on Castle Market for an aperitivo, or any of the great pubs in the surrounding streets for a pint - Grogan's , The Foggy Dew or The Stag's Head to name a few. Where should we sit? The bar is good for singles or couples, and there are booth-style tables for big groups, although even fitting four is cosy. There are also a couple of bigger tables at the front if you have a group, but they don't take reservations for under six people, so you might have to wing it (or get more friends). What's good to eat? Honestly there wasn't a dud dish, and this was the closest we've found to Mexico City cooking in Dublin. The kitchen has the flavours and textures down, and there was really no comparison with our last Mexican experience here. Standouts for us were yellowfin tuna tostados with crispy shallots, chipotle mayo and habanero, and Mezcal marinated soft shell crab tortillas with chipotle, pickled onion and avocado, both of which we wanted more of. Chorizo tortillas were equally good, if very rich, as were the portobello mushroom ones with chipotle pesto, crema and pumpkin seeds, and an oyster shot with tomato and hananero citrus broth would be a great intro to oysters for the uninitiated. We tried one larger dish of Lamb Tlayuda, which is a Oaxacan dish that's like a Mexican pizza, and it came with BBQ lamb, pickled mushroom, chimichurri, wild garlic and feta fondue on a chargrilled flatbread. The meat was exceptional - we would happily go veggie six days a week if we got to eat this on the seventh - and the flavours were stunning. We were struggling to fit more in at this point but we powered on and finished the lot because it was so good. We would only get to share in a group as it's so large and filling, and if you had it on your own you probably wouldn't be able to manage much else. We also tried sides of elotes and papas fritas, both of which were good, but the crispy potatoes with garlic and manchego knocked patatas bravas out of the park for us. We imagine leaving any in the bowl would be a feat of Olympic proportions. Desserts are limited to bread and butter pudding with dulce de leche and vanilla ice-cream, and a selection of sorbets and ice-cream. We tried the former (purely in the name of research), and it was the type that's soaked and blow-torched, meaning the inside was cold and was left uneaten, but the flavour was good and the dulce de leche a nice addition. What about the drinks? Go margaritas or go home. Mondays the house ones are two for €14 (usual price €12) so that's the night to go if you're feeling thirsty, but we've heard the Margarita Especial is even better than the house (unfortunately we only heard this after we'd been). Neither the beer or the wine list are particularly inspiring, but that's not really the point of the place. Cocktails are where it's at. There are also some lovely sounding mocktails, like the Pinky Tuscadero with cranberry juice, jalapeno & rosemary syrup, lime and rhubarb. And the service? Functional. They got the job done but we wouldn't say there was an abundance of hospitality. Some of them looked like they had better places to be and we were holding them up. Others were more helpful. The verdict? For our money, this is the best place to eat real Mexican food (like in Mexico) in the city right now. You can keep your burrito chains and mediocre tacos. These guys have it down. It is very loud, so only go if you're happy with a side of ear-bursting hiphop, and we've lost count of how many stories we've heard about people getting carried away with food and drinks and getting a shocker of a bill, but if you choose carefully and keep a tab you should be able to get out while holding onto next month's rent. On Sunday all dishes are €7.77, Mondays are two margaritas for €14 and on Tuesday tacos are two for €6, so these are the days to go if money's tight, but we can't see you being disappointed whatever day you go. 777 7 Castle House, South Great George's Street, Dublin 2 777.ie New Openings & Discoveries More >>

Afanti Cross-cultural tastes at Dublin's first Uyghur restaurant Posted: 11 Jul 2023 Neighbourhood Neighborhood Name Address Restaurant Address Website Website Name Restaurant Info View the Listing >> Written by: Ronan Doyle What should we know about Afanti? The latest arrival on Dublin’s rapidly diversifying food scene, Afanti brings with it Ireland’s first taste of Ugyhur cuisine. The Turkic group of some 13 million people, the vast majority now situated in north-western China’s Xinjiang province, is a living embodiment of the Silk Road’s culinary cross-pollination, with a blend of Middle and Far Eastern flavours and styles. Uyghur sisters Eleanor and Halnur Halmurat wanted to share some of their culture’s best-loved dishes with Dublin, and the menu reflects the fascinating Turkish/Chinese fusion style to be found there. Where should we sit? The Parnell Square East building, formerly home to Lily’s Café, looks small from the outside but opens up impressively on entry with a high-ceilinged open space dominated by an ornate oriental chandelier. Further to the back there’s a more intimate area decorated with a handmade wall-hung carpet and a mural of the restaurant’s namesake mascot. Head here if you’re planning to make a night of it; out front is ideal for a quick bite on the go. What’s on the menu? We started with the naan, which is less light and airy than the more familiar Indian iterations. Its dense and doughy texture is softened by dipping it in a salted milk tea, the bread’s natural sweetness offset by the salted richness of the drink - it's thankfully better to taste than it is to look at. It’s an odd and intriguing combination of flavours, a good shared start to a meal that feels equal parts familiar and unique. The samsa - a distant spin-off from the samosa - is an Uyghur street food specialty, and one item on offer we suggest you don't pass up. Its crisp, hot crust-style pastry is a flaky, fatty shell for beef steamed to a delicate juiciness inside. The subtle sweetness of sliced onions rounds out a very satisfying mouthful of food. These come in ones, but you will be wanting more. The manti that came next make for an interesting contrast, and a valuable lesson in Uyghur cuisine’s hard-to-pin-down diversity. Stuffed with the same filling as the samsa, there’s more of a touch of Korean mandu to these steamed dumplings. The result is a succulent, moist meat filling with a thinner, drier, more low-key wrapping flavour. It’s a question of taste, but the samsa’s more ours. Kawap skewers play it straight and simple - chunks of lamb barbecued after a dry spice rub. The light kick of chili is a perfect accompaniment to the meat’s charred surface, though some of the cuts proved a little too lean to offer enough of the rendered fattiness we love in a skewer. One of the things we were most intruiged to try was the spicy bean jelly, a cold dish of mung bean “noodles” - the texture of silken tofu - swimming in a flavour-filled chili oil broth. It’s a fun game for friends to see who can make the least mess trying to eat these with chopsticks - the jelly is so delicately soft it’s as likely to be sliced open as scooped up. The base broth has a real depth that plays off the blandly squidgy noodles, but overall we found this one more curious than compelling. Staff were very happy to help with the Sophie’s choice that is picking between the bigger plates, and while we’d have loved to try the sharing chicken stew (we’d watched wide-eyed as the enormous bowl was brought to another table as we came in), the word was both noodles and pilaf needed to be tried if we were here for the most essential flavours. And weren’t we glad we listened. The hand-pulled udon-esque noodles, made fresh every morning by the Halmurat sisters’ mother, are one of the highlights here, chunky and chewy and perfectly shaped to soak up sauces. They came with leghmen, a kind of Cantonese-style stir fry that’s an Uyghur favourite. Afanti’s uses beef rather than the more common lamb. Paired with bell peppers and the deep umami intensity of black fungus, it works a treat. Ample carrots brought a surprising sweetness to the pilaf, but it worked against the gaminess of lamb, a leg so tender it practically peeled off the bone on sight. This is a heavy plate of food in its own right, never mind on top of what came before, and if you’re not full-on famished coming in, this alone will see you satisfied. We finished with a baklava that steered clear of the cloying sweetness you still get in many around town. This is a more subdued, almost savoury affair of pressed, coarsely chopped hazelnuts with a light spice flavour from cinnamon syrup. It’s a light finale - needed after all that. What are the drinks like? We were too caught up with the milk tea to try any of their others, but they come in ornate little pots and with a real air of ritual about them. A shared one over a baklava would make for a particularly nice cap to a meal. In terms of alcoholic options it’s just a simple beer on tap offering with Tiger and Asahi. How was the service? Considerate and quick - all of the food came in very short order after we’d asked for it, and all together. If you’re looking to space things out, be sure to coordinate upfront. Staff were happy to chat through the menu and keen to sell it too, but once everything was delivered, they very much left us to it. And the damage? All of that (which would happily feed three or more) and two Asahis came to a very reasonable €90.68. From the €2 baklava to substantial mains circa €15, you're definitely getting value for money in here. You could happily stuff yourself and stay on the right side of a €20pp spend. What’s the verdict on Afanti? Those culinary thrill-seekers always out to try something new should add Afanti to their check list, a rare arrival on the Dublin scene that can legitimately claim to be niche and novel. Not all of the dishes here are great, but all are worth trying for a cross-cultural cooking experience most won’t have had before. Whether popping in for a quick few samsas at lunch or indulging in a cheap feast on those divine hand-pulled noodles, there’s lots to discover here. Afanti 3a Cavendish Row, Dublin 1 www.afanti.ie New Openings & Discoveries More >>

Díon Website diondublin.ie Address Central Plaza, Dame St, Temple Bar, Dublin 2, Ireland Good For Tag 1 Cuisine Tag 1 Once Over Read our Review >> The Story Where It's At Nearby Locales Yibu by Janet Little Canton Dak @ Bar Anam Mongoose Chongqing Hot Pot Boco Clontarf Bell Pesto Bang Gloria Osteria Cantina Valentina D'Lepak Pera Borgo Amai by Viktor Kaizen Chubbys Badam Table 45 Comet Daruma Malahide Lena The Pig's Ear Notions @ Two Pups The Rooftop @ Anantara The Marker Sofra

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Brazilian Carlos Sakai started making sushi for friends after moving to Ireland to study English. They told other friends, and soon he was throwing sushi parties, where Carlos and a growing team travelled to people's homes to prepare tuna temaki, deep-fried salmon and prawn rolls, and nutella and kiwi sushi for dessert. Mid-pandemic in 2020 he opened their first permanent site in Phibsboro, and Sushi Sakai feeds a steady flow of customers from open to close. Sushi Sakai Website sushisakaidublin.ie Address 342 North Circular Road, Phibsborough, Dublin 7 Good For Tag 1 Cuisine Tag 1 Once Over Read our Review >> The Story Brazilian Carlos Sakai started making sushi for friends after moving to Ireland to study English. They told other friends, and soon he was throwing sushi parties, where Carlos and a growing team travelled to people's homes to prepare tuna temaki, deep-fried salmon and prawn rolls, and nutella and kiwi sushi for dessert. Mid-pandemic in 2020 he opened their first permanent site in Phibsboro, and Sushi Sakai feeds a steady flow of customers from open to close. Where It's At Nearby Locales Yibu by Janet Little Canton Dak @ Bar Anam Mongoose Chongqing Hot Pot Boco Clontarf Bell Pesto Bang Gloria Osteria Cantina Valentina D'Lepak Pera Borgo Amai by Viktor Kaizen Chubbys Badam Table 45 Comet Daruma Malahide Lena The Pig's Ear Notions @ Two Pups The Rooftop @ Anantara The Marker Sofra

Lottie's So much to love about Lottie's, so it was a shame about the ending Posted: 27 Jun 2023 Neighbourhood Neighborhood Name Address Restaurant Address Website Website Name Restaurant Info View the Listing >> Written by: Lisa Cope What's the story with Lottie's? Lottie's opened in Rathmines at the start of March in the former site of the ill-fated Lenehan's , which went big on style but lacked the all important substance. When we heard that the site was going to be reopened by Domini Kemp (known for Itsa Bagel, museum cafés and the restaurant in BTs) and Brian Montague (of The Winding Stair group) we were expecting a another attempt at a please-all exercise, but then we heard they'd nabbed Tudorel Ostache, formerly head chef at Mister S to lead the food. Now they had our attention. Better known as Ted, we've had Ostache's food several times (most recently at our Mister S takeover ), and knew there was no way this was going to be a beef, chicken or salmon situation. Early reviews, both from critics and our readers were coming in very positive, and when we gave ATF Insiders the chance last week to pick where our next review would be, Lottie's was the runaway favourite. Where should we sit? It's a big space with loads of seating options. We always veer towards natural light so the front at the windows appeals most, but we found it strange that the blinds were fully down and shut, with mere chinks of light straining to get through - we actually panicked outside thinking it was closed and that we'd gotten the wrong night. Maybe the sun was too bright, but we'd have thought a partial closure would have done the job. Seating is either via mustard banquettes or on sleek black and rattan set ups in the middle of the room, with a longer high table set up for groups. Head for the kitchen and there's counter seating to get a good view of your dinner being cooked, or some of the cutest two-tops in town, that loudly scream date night. Head to the back and there's a smaller room, which would be perfect for a small gathering, or if you just feel like hiding away. The courtyard outside is currently (sadly) only being used for drinks, but we're told that work is in the pipeline to get a space ready for outdoor dining (either here or on the rooftop terrace which isn't open right now). How was the food? This is our favourite type of menu - no filler, all killer - and choosing is so tough that we also let ATF Insiders pick in advance what they wanted us to eat. Unfortunately the menu we were handed had quite a few changes to the one online, so we couldn't follow our orders to the letter, but we stuck within the realms of what the people wanted. The people wanted Hegarty's cheddar croquettes with fermented chilli sauce, and we've rarely met a croquette we didn't like, but we can't say the sharp, earthy flavour from the cheddar came through as much as we would have liked. It was likely muffled by the very hot chilli sauce - the tiniest drop is enough, A second snack of foie gras parfait (like meat flavoured butter) came on chargrilled sourdough with fermented walnuts (the best type of walnuts) and a sweet, fruity Port jus. A great pre-dinner bite or lighter starter. Charred prawn saganaki with Ardsallagh feta cheese and toasted sourdough came without the regulation saganaki mini frying pan, but we didn't care because the Mediterranean flavours were bright and brilliant. Four juicy, charred, plump prawns sat on a vivid looking and tasting cherry tomato sauce with basil oil and a crumbling of salty feta, all waiting to be scooped up onto the crispy bread and devoured. There's been quite a bit of chatter about the octopus at Lottie's probably because so much of it comes out resembling a rubber tyre thread, but the soft, barely charred tentacles here were meaty and tender, with a knife slipping through with little resistance. We loved the pairing of gochujang, samphire and crispy potato for some necessary crunch amongst all the softness, and the only gripe was with the cornflour-like, slightly gloopy consistency of the sauce. There were no gripes with the flavours. A third starter (one of two vegetarian options) was tagliatelle with courgette, St Tola goat's curd and pickled chilli, and we picked over this for quite a while trying to figure out how courgette and pasta could possibly be so delicious (lemon is one part of the puzzle). The generous mound of goat's curd on top made every spoonful rich and lactic, and the only misstep was that the pickled chillis weren't very pickled (but were very hot). If they'd seen a vinegar solution it was the briefest of introductions. For mains the one everyone wanted to hear about was the bavette, which came with mojo rojo (a Canarian sauce made from red peppers, chilli and garlic) and charred broccoli. They didn't ask us how we wanted it cooked which is a dicey tactic, but it came medium/rare, which was perfect, however this won't be done enough for some people so if in doubt ask for more time on the grill. The sauce had the lip-smacking acidity of red wine vinegar, heat from the chilli, and sweet smoothness from the roasted peppers, and it's as good an example as we've had. The charred broccoli makes it hard to go back to eating broccoli any other way. Something we were surprised so many of you wanted the lowdown on was the jerk chicken thigh, with charred corn, nduja and herb yoghurt (chicken usually being seen as a safe/boring bet). The chicken was nicely seasoned but we weren't getting much jerk flavour. The meat had also lost a lot of moistness and was tougher than we'd like. The other components saved the day though, the just spiced nduja wrapped up in the corn, the herb yoghurt bringing everything to life, and the pickled onions on top adding another level of freshness. A note on chicken: We usually don't order chicken somewhere like this unless it's free-range, and the menu didn't state if it was, so we asked a server about its provenance. He went to check with the kitchen before coming back and telling us it was free-range, but when pressed didn't know where it was from. He returned to the kitchen to ask again, but then went from there to the general manager to have a whispered conversation. He came back telling us it was from JJ Young (listed on the menu) and that it was free-range, but we found it odd that the kitchen, who accept food deliveries each day, didn't appear to be able to answer a basic question. A side of beef-dripping chips (which we were told are cut in house) were a mixed bag, some nicely crisp, some more akin to cardboard, but the smoked onion aioli was reminiscent of Mister S in all the right ways. Another of fennel, kumquat and pecan in an apple cider vinaigrette was glistening and crisp, but the combination felt more apt for winter than a sunny June evening. A sharp, creamy lemon posset came beautifully topped with bright pink, just cooked rhubarb, and a crunchy oat and nut crumble topping, although we thought the presentation could have been improved. If you only have one dessert, make it the îles flottantes (floating islands), the rarely seen (and ever more rarely done right) French dessert of floating soft meringue in a light, creamy custard. The one at Lottie's ups the ante with almonds and Clementine zest, and this was better than the last few we've had in France. What should we drink? The signature cocktail menu might tempt you on arrival, and a Bakewell Sour had all the tart, cherry, almondy flavours we wanted. The mocktails, featuring Lyres N/A spirits were all €9, which is more than we wanted to pay for a driver's special, so asked a member of staff if there were any other N/A options other than juice or fizzy drinks. She said she could do something with elderflower and cucumer for the same price as a juice, so we gave her the green light. It was refreshing but very sweet, and later led to the unravelling of what had been a lovely meal - more on that to come. The wine list has a lot more of interest by the bottle than by the glass, with the latter feeling perfunctory and quite safe. Things get considerably more interesting by the bottle, with some star picks including Luis Seabra's Xisto Ilimitado Branco, Viña Gravonia from Lopez de Heredia, and Giulia Negri's Langhe Nebbiolo. How was the service? Service throughout was pleasant if not overly attentive. Courses were perfectly spaced and delivered with a smile, but we were never asked how the food was when clearing plates, and had to wave down a manager several times when we needed something, like more water. Things then unravelled with the bill. The previously mentioned elderflower and cucumber soft had been put through as €7, not the €4 juice price we were told on ordering. We told the server who brought the bill, who brought it to the general manager, who then came over. We explained the previous conversation multiple times, while he continued to insist that it was the correct price, while we continued to (exasperatedly) explain the previous conversation multiple times (that staff member had now left). It felt like being on a dizzying waltzer that we couldn't get off, and only on pointing out our disbelief that he would argue this strongly with a customer over €3 did he whip back angrily to the till and correct the price. It was such an inhospitable ending to what had been a really lovely meal, and we went from "we'll definitely be back here" to "there's no way we're stepping foot in there again", in the space of five minutes and a very draining argument. In a world where Google reviews can make or break a restaurant, to send someone off into the night after an altercation like that would be unthinkable for most hospitality professionals, and it left us reeling our way through Rathmines. And the damage? €138 for a mishmash of food to feed three, but only one cocktail and two softs. It felt like very good value for what we had in comparison to average prices around town right now. What's the verdict? We were mega impressed with Lottie's. How many places can balance food that's genuinely exciting, with prices that don't hurt your heart, and the type of room and menu that makes it ideal for so many occasions - even those family and friends getogethers with so many varying palates and wallets that inevitably end in booking somewhere that ticks all the boring boxes. The big glitch in service at the end was so unfortunate (and could just as easily not have happened), and while some other things signified issues in that department, most of the staff were warm and welcoming and the timing of the food was faultless, with everything arriving just as we wanted it. There's no argument that the kitchen here is the strong point, along with the spacious, modern room, and its ability to please a wide group of diners without being a "please-all" restaurant. Just don't question the bill and you should be fine. Lotties's 7-9, Rathgar Road, Rathmines, Dublin 6 lotties.ie New Openings & Discoveries More >>

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