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A locals favourite that often flies under the radar, Zero Zero is a no frills option, offering a small but perfect formed menu of Neapolitan style pizza in a casual dining room. Zero Zero Pizza Website zerozeropizza.ie Address 21 Patrick St, Dún Laoghaire, Co. Dublin Good For Tag 1 Cuisine Tag 1 Once Over Read our Review >> The Story A locals favourite that often flies under the radar, Zero Zero is a no frills option, offering a small but perfect formed menu of Neapolitan style pizza in a casual dining room. Where It's At Nearby Locales D'Lepak Pera Borgo Amai by Viktor Kaizen Chubbys Badam Table 45 Comet Daruma Malahide Lena The Pig's Ear Notions @ Two Pups The Rooftop @ Anantara The Marker Sofra Little Geno's Mama Shee Nutbutter Smithfield Shaku Maku Mad Yolks Rathmines Una Choux Bakery Parnell Street Bakery Baily Bites @ Kish Spice Village Terenure

One of Dublin’s best places to buy and drink wine, with a small kitchen serving up cheese, charcuterie and tinned fish to go with it. Choose from their shelves of brilliant wines to drink in house with a set corkage fee (€15 at the time of writing), so the better you drink, the better the value. Green Man Wines Website greenmanwines.ie Address 3 Terenure Road North, Terenure, Dublin 6W Good For Tag 1 Cuisine Tag 1 Once Over Read our Review >> The Story One of Dublin’s best places to buy and drink wine, with a small kitchen serving up cheese, charcuterie and tinned fish to go with it. Choose from their shelves of brilliant wines to drink in house with a set corkage fee (€15 at the time of writing), so the better you drink, the better the value. Where It's At Nearby Locales D'Lepak Pera Borgo Amai by Viktor Kaizen Chubbys Badam Table 45 Comet Daruma Malahide Lena The Pig's Ear Notions @ Two Pups The Rooftop @ Anantara The Marker Sofra Little Geno's Mama Shee Nutbutter Smithfield Shaku Maku Mad Yolks Rathmines Una Choux Bakery Parnell Street Bakery Baily Bites @ Kish Spice Village Terenure

Orani A new Filipino-fusion pin in our Dublin 15 food map Posted: 11 Jun 2024 Neighbourhood Neighborhood Name Address Restaurant Address Website Website Name Restaurant Info View the Listing >> Written by: Lisa Cope What should we know about Orani? Orani opened in a grey Blanchardstown business park in summer of 2023, promising a glimmer of colour with their " modern European cuisine with an Asian touch". The woman behind it is Pauleen Orani, originally from the Phillipines but majorly influenced by her time working in Japan in 2018. She's the Executive Head Chef here, her husband Paul is the Head Chef, and the rest of the Orani family manage everything else - including presumably the restaurant's photography , which they're excelling at. While they call the food "Modern European" and "Asian Fusion", their family Filipino dishes have been gaining as much social media traction as their ramen, poke bowls and sushi bakes. One of our most asked questions from ATF Insiders is "IS THERE ANYWHERE TO EAT IN DUBLIN 15", so we regularly find ourselves scouring Google Maps for anything new or being reviewed zealously, and Orani has been getting a lot of love. Where should we sit? It's a big, bright room with plenty of seating options and tables that can easily be reconfigured for any size group. There's outside seating too, which looks onto a road in the industrial estate - you can't have it all. There's also some nice counter seating if you're on your own and don't want to take up a whole table, or would like to gaze out at many window-ed buildings while you eat. What's on the menu? Predominantly Asian dishes, like karaage, poke and ramen, with some Filipino flourishes - pork adobo and kare-kare were two of the specials when we visited (more on those shortly). The saddest thing about the menu is the (clearly obligatory) soup and toastie combo, catering for local office workers who sat across from us, unable to cope with stepping out of their lunchtime comfort zone. They'll never know what they're missing. "Signature chicken wings" come in two flavours - the salted egg and chilli we went for, or soy, garlic, ginger and chilli. The seasoned, salted egg powder is imported from the Philippines, and gives a crunchy coating to the chicken, like fine polenta. They could have done with a bit more draining before being served, but the fresh chilli and spring onions give it a zingy, spicy freshness. It's oddly only €1 extra to upgrade from a small (around eight wings) to a large (around 12 wings), so it's worth paying it, even if you bring some home. A chicken karaage bowl (€13.50) comes with seasoned, crisp, deep-fried chicken thigh pieces on perfectly cooked sushi rice, with shredded white cabbage, and a tangy lemon miso mayo, with a sprinkling of chilli powder and chives. It's a very satisfying, flavour-forward combo. The chicken here is sadly not free-range, but it is Irish, halal and sourced from local butchers (as is their beef and pork). While Asian-fusion is the schtick, we really wanted to try their family Filipino dishes (a gaping hole in the culinary market despite Bahay fighting the good fight). Pork adobo has braised pork belly cooked in soy, vinegar and garlic for a deep, umami flavour, once again served over perfectly fluffy rice, with freshness coming from chillis, spring onions and pickled onions, and a fried egg and crispy onions on top. It's a very flavoursome, very satisfying dish, and our only disclaimer is that the pork is very fatty (at times it felt like more fat than meat). If that's something that bothers you, you may want to choose an alternative. Kare-kare is a Filipino stew with a thick peanut sauce, and it's often on as a special here. It's beautifully presented, like something you might get served in a beachside restaurant in Palawan, with cherry blossoms in your hair and a mestiza in your hand. The pork is thinly sliced, surrounded by very crunchy crackling (you wouldn't want a loose tooth), with rice, just cooked vegetables and Atchara (Filipino pickles) on top bringing the vinegar. We found the sauce a little under-seasoned, but otherwise thought it a well balanced, enjoyable dish. Another Filipino special they're getting a name for is the Halo Halo (which translates as mix mix in Tagalog) - a kaleidoscope of colours, shapes and textures (€7.95). The unusual dessert is made of up various beans, vegetables, fruits, jellies and ice-cream, with shaved ice at its centre. In Orani you'll find sweet potato cubes, sweetcorn, black-eyed beans, cornflakes, cubes of fruit flavoured jelly, ube ice-cream, evaporated milk, shaved ice, and a solo meringue on top. As desserts go, there's a lot of nutrition in this madcap flavour mix, but it's way too much for one person - a taste of each individual component and you'll most likely be happy to drop your spoon. If that all sounds a bit much, the Ube cheesecake might be more to your simple tastes - soft, sweet and creamy, tasting of vanilla, and not at all like purple potatoes (even though they are in there). There's an ube brownie too. What about drinks? Smoothies, hot drinks, and softs from the fridge are your options here. A "mango momma" (€5.95) with oat milk, banana, mango, ginger and turmeric tasted a bit anaemic, and could have done with double the mango. It also disappointingly came in a plastic cup, with the server telling us that all of their sit-in glasses had been broken. Coffee is from Dublin roasters J.J. Darboven, but the cheap IKEA mugs make it a challenge to drink without burning your hand. The small cup handle is impossible to grip without hitting off the thin, heat-conducting cup, ensuring a finger scalding in the process. How was the service? Very pleasant and friendly, but they seemed a bit stretched at times, with requests not dealt with as quickly as they could have been. You order and pay at the counter, so you'll have to get up for anything you need. What was the damage? We paid just over €80 for four mains, two desserts, a coffee and a smoothie. Budget €20 a head for lunch and a drink, or €35 a head for a three course feast. And the verdict? In a desert of food options, Orani is illuminating a monotone business park in Blanchardstown from breakfast through to early evening. Lucky those who work or live nearby, and the rest of us have a new Filipino/Asian Fusion pin in our Dublin 15 food map. New Openings & Discoveries More >>

Upmarket food somewhere between French and Irish in Monkstown, from chef Temple Garner (formerly Town Bar and Grill and the currently closed San Lorenzo's). A beautifully designed dining room and terrace, with a new private dining space for 2022. Expect classic dishes like rabbit leg, gratinated scallops and Irish lamb. Bresson Website bresson.ie Address 4 The Crescent, Monkstown, Co. Dublin Good For Tag 1 Cuisine Tag 1 Once Over Read our Review >> The Story Upmarket food somewhere between French and Irish in Monkstown, from chef Temple Garner (formerly Town Bar and Grill and the currently closed San Lorenzo's). A beautifully designed dining room and terrace, with a new private dining space for 2022. Expect classic dishes like rabbit leg, gratinated scallops and Irish lamb. Where It's At Nearby Locales D'Lepak Pera Borgo Amai by Viktor Kaizen Chubbys Badam Table 45 Comet Daruma Malahide Lena The Pig's Ear Notions @ Two Pups The Rooftop @ Anantara The Marker Sofra Little Geno's Mama Shee Nutbutter Smithfield Shaku Maku Mad Yolks Rathmines Una Choux Bakery Parnell Street Bakery Baily Bites @ Kish Spice Village Terenure

Eleven All the potential in this roadside restaurant with wood-fired food and great cocktails Posted: 18 Apr 2023 Neighbourhood Neighborhood Name Address Restaurant Address Website Website Name Restaurant Info View the Listing >> Written by: Ronan Doyle What should we know about Eleven? Named in tribute to its roadside position just off the N11, the latest addition to John Farrell’s portfolio of Dublin diners (Dillinger’s. The Butcher Grill, 777, Amy Austin, and the late Luna are among the others) opened above Whelehan’s Wines in Loughlinstown late last month. Farrell’s MO is well-established by now, offering up conceptual dining experiences fronted by his own painstaking attention to interior design detail. At Eleven , it’s a smart-casual neighbourhood vibe they’ve gone for, with two distinct relaxed spaces set either side of a zinc-topped wraparound bar with counter dining. The Butcher Grill ’s Atish Bhuruth has been drafted in to design the menu in an Executive Chef capacity, and the wood-fired grill as well as a couple of other menu items clearly bear his mark. Where should we sit? The bar’s 20-or-so seats make a good choice for solo diners or duos who delight in watching the magic of cocktails in the making - more on those later - while the main open dining space is saved for four-top tables. The combination of deep red walls, warm wood tones and geometric rugs make this main area an especially welcoming first sight as you walk through the door. Down the back, there’s another area with two high tables that seat ten each, and are tailor-made for bigger groups or those who don’t mind sharing. Both areas are bright, open spaces by day and more intimate lamplit affairs by night - in the evening, there’s an ambient slide guitar soundtrack provided by a house musician tucked away in the corner. What’s on the menu? It’s a simple and streamlined menu neatly divided into small plates and mains, with standalone sections for the wood-fired grill and sharing steaks and fish dishes. The small plates mostly skew cold and cured, with seafood a recurring theme. We started with a hamachi ceviche bathed in blood orange, red onion, ginger and tapioca pearls. While the firm-fleshed fish was flavourful and well-textured, the salsa was more mush than fresh, with overly assertive ginger spoiling the balance. Between that, the fridge cold temperature of the fish, and the sad puddle on the plate, we couldn’t help but wonder if this had been assembled earlier rather than being made to order. We were surprised to see a summery dish like heirloom tomato, peach and burrata salad on offer in April, blue as the skies outside may have been. Neither the multi-coloured tomatoes nor the peach - served in both lightly-salted slices and a concentrated gel - at their very best this time of year, but the more muted flavours still played well off the mild bitterness of black and pink radish and lightly pickled lengths of fennel. Amidst all that colour we almost missed the measly mound of burrata, less the centrepiece ball we expected than a subtle spoonful. We couldn’t fault the flavour, but the serving size did seem to take the idea of a small plate a little too far, especially at €14 a plate. There were no notes needed for the sourdough on the side, with its crispy-chewy balance, and irresistible whipped smoked honey butter - a smartly sweet match for all of the small plates’ acidic overtones - keep this one on hand to balance out all the citrusy sauces. Bhuruth’s a noted fan of the flavours wood-firing brings, so be sure to order at least one of those options for the table. We found the prawns the most tempting of the bunch (there's also tuna and steaks), and our expectations of "grilled prawns with lemon and herb oil" came true on the plate. The blackened antennae speak to the high and dry heat of the grill, caramelising the meat to emphasise the natural sweetness of the shellfish, and a zippy lemon and herb dressing complemented the smoky-sweet meat for a dish that really gets across what Eleven is trying to do. We thought the same about the wolffish, definitely one of the menu’s standout attractions for us. You don’t see this ugly bottom-dwelling monster on Dublin menus all too often - more’s the pity, as its imposing size and diet of scallops and crabs make for sizeable and delicately sweet fillets. They’re given excellent treatment here, grilled to a perfect crust and bathed in a bonito butter so tasty we ate it by the spoonful. It's a great pairing of quality ingredients cooked in a simple style that let's it all sing. On the side we went with the parsley-buttered heritage carrots and smokey beans. Your choice of the six options is served with the wood-fired grill plates, while the other mains come unaccompanied - a distinction that left the wolffish especially feeling a little short-changed, especially with the €30 price tag. Both sides satisfied but neither were overly exciting - most of the choices have been brought over from The Butcher Grill’s menu and there’s a sense that these are meant more as supporting players than standout dishes in their own right. Also imported over from that menu is the Sauternes crème caramel, the only dessert option on offer (an unspecified selection of cheese for €14 is also an option). It’s a pretty and unpretentious plate, with the sweet wine-soaked golden raisins bursting with beautiful, boozy flavour, and the simple custard flan offsetting the rich intensity of the caramel sauce. What about the drinks? Wine is supplied by Whelehan’s downstairs, with bottle prices starting out reasonable and heading sharply upward from there: if there’s an occasion to celebrate, you can definitely do it here. By-the-glass options are fairly middle-of-the-road, though the earthy and fruit-forward Château Beauchene Côtes du Rhône we tried worked well with the smoked sweetness of the prawns. If you're there for a long lunch from Wednesday - Friday and the wine list doesn’t take your fancy, they also allow you to bring in anything from downstairs for €10 corkage. That got our attention. What caught our eye more were the cocktails. The bartender who’s developed them has previously been in 777 and Dillinger’s and was enthusiastically training up colleagues on his creations while we were in. He’s just as keen to walk you through what’s in them and tailor them to your tastes, right up to very considered non-alcoholic twists - an essential skill in a location likely to play host to plenty of designated drivers. The concoction he crafted for our non-drinker was a well-balanced tart-sweet blend of yuzu juice and pineapple shrub, finished with a liberal misting of orange blossom water from a perfume bottle - as much a performance as a pour. From the alcoholic options we tried a brown butter-washed bourbon, sage and celery bitters short-serve, with a delicious depth of nutty flavour. It wouldn’t be the worst idea in the world to skip dessert altogether and drink it instead. How was the service? Friendly and informal, nicely grounding the atmosphere - a room like this might easily feel stuffy if the staff weren’t as warmly welcoming and ready to chat. Bar seats are best to get the full experience if you want to explore the cocktail options, while the main area has a slightly more formal feel with suited servers mainly keeping a low profile. And the damage? Our bill came in at €138 before tip, a little on the steep side for a feast that didn’t quite fill and three drinks (one N/A) - but we feel like we're saying that about everywhere these days. You could easily go beyond €100 per person with a few more small plates and another round of drinks. There’s €2 oysters with €2 off cocktails from 17:00 - 19:00 Wednesday - Friday if you wanted to make it a little more budget friendly - or head in for the Sunday roasts, ranging from €23 to €27 and served with all the trimmings, to try it out for less. What’s the verdict on Eleven? There’s all the potential in this roadside restaurant, even if it might need a little more time to seek out and settle into its own niche. For a location like this to work, it’s going to need to become something of a destination - landing the Sunday roasts and making the most of the back terrace through the summer months might just make it that. We’d love to see the same attention and unique personality put into the small plates, but for now we're betting the cocktails, top-quality mains and those Sunday roasts will be enough of a draw for the curious to keep Eleven buzzing for the foreseeable. Eleven Bray Road, Loughlinstown elevendublin.ie New Openings & Discoveries More >>

Chequer Lane Website chequerlane.com Address 25-27 Exchequer Street, Dublin 2 Good For Tag 1 Cuisine Tag 1 Once Over Read our Review >> The Story Where It's At Nearby Locales D'Lepak Pera Borgo Amai by Viktor Kaizen Chubbys Badam Table 45 Comet Daruma Malahide Lena The Pig's Ear Notions @ Two Pups The Rooftop @ Anantara The Marker Sofra Little Geno's Mama Shee Nutbutter Smithfield Shaku Maku Mad Yolks Rathmines Una Choux Bakery Parnell Street Bakery Baily Bites @ Kish Spice Village Terenure

You want a Turkish escape in town, you head for Reyna. Meat is cooked on a charcoal grill, vegetables are fresh and vibrant, and breads are cooked in house. It's an industry favourite, and one lamb doner in here will make you forget any late night Abrakebras. Reyna Website reyna.ie Address 29-30 Dame Street, Dublin 2 Good For Tag 1 Cuisine Tag 1 Once Over Read our Review >> The Story You want a Turkish escape in town, you head for Reyna. Meat is cooked on a charcoal grill, vegetables are fresh and vibrant, and breads are cooked in house. It's an industry favourite, and one lamb doner in here will make you forget any late night Abrakebras. Where It's At Nearby Locales D'Lepak Pera Borgo Amai by Viktor Kaizen Chubbys Badam Table 45 Comet Daruma Malahide Lena The Pig's Ear Notions @ Two Pups The Rooftop @ Anantara The Marker Sofra Little Geno's Mama Shee Nutbutter Smithfield Shaku Maku Mad Yolks Rathmines Una Choux Bakery Parnell Street Bakery Baily Bites @ Kish Spice Village Terenure

Middle-Eastern leaning Brother Hubbard opened in Ranelagh in 2022 and the southside suburb suddenly had a new must-visit for all day brunch, all week long. Breads, pastries, pickles, ferments & preserves are made in house, and they have an impressive list of suppliers for the rest. Brother Hubbard Ranelagh Website brotherhubbard.ie Address 27 Ranelagh, Dublin 6 Good For Tag 1 Cuisine Tag 1 Once Over Read our Review >> The Story Middle-Eastern leaning Brother Hubbard opened in Ranelagh in 2022 and the southside suburb suddenly had a new must-visit for all day brunch, all week long. Breads, pastries, pickles, ferments & preserves are made in house, and they have an impressive list of suppliers for the rest. Where It's At Nearby Locales D'Lepak Pera Borgo Amai by Viktor Kaizen Chubbys Badam Table 45 Comet Daruma Malahide Lena The Pig's Ear Notions @ Two Pups The Rooftop @ Anantara The Marker Sofra Little Geno's Mama Shee Nutbutter Smithfield Shaku Maku Mad Yolks Rathmines Una Choux Bakery Parnell Street Bakery Baily Bites @ Kish Spice Village Terenure

Liath Damien Grey raises the game to a different level Posted: 19 Mar 2019 Neighbourhood Neighborhood Name Address Restaurant Address Website Website Name Restaurant Info View the Listing >> Written by: Lisa Cope What’s the story? Heron & Grey opened in Blackrock Market in 2016, and after winning a Michelin star within their first 10 months, the 22-seater restaurant, only open three nights a week (with one sitting per night, so 66 people per week), was soon the most sought after reservation in the city. It only became more difficult as time went on and word got out, and each month when the seats for the following month were released they sold out in minutes, leaving tranches of disappointed Dubliners virtually sobbing on social media. When owners Andrew Heron and Damien Grey announced in December that they were going their separate ways, it came as a shock - why would anyone give up on such a good thing? - but Andrew wanted a more balanced family lifestyle, and Damien wanted to change the feel of the restaurant, so they decided the time was right for them to part, and Damien to morph Heron & Grey into Liath (meaning grey in Irish - a name his daughters came up with), alongside kitchen team Róisín Gillen and Josef Radacovsky. They closed at the end of January for a two month refurb, and rumours of white tablecloths and an ambition for a second Michelin star started to abound (Grey has technically lost his star with the change, so needs to win it back with the new format). When the first block of tables for the March reopening were released on the 1st of February, 3,500 people tried to book a table simultaneously at 10am, leading the website to crash, and once again leaving lots of disappointed wannabe diners in their wake, but we were lucky enough to bag a table for night two, purely so we can tell you all about it. Where should we go for a drink first? We'd be tempted to say just don't, as why muddy your palate with anything else before sitting down in here, but if you insist, the best boozer on the main street in Blackrock is probably old-man style Jack O'Rourke's , there since 1897. Where should we sit? The new restaurant configuration has one table for six, three tables for four, and two tables for two, and lets face it, you'll be doing well to nab any of them, but we always like being closer to where the action (i.e. the kitchen) is, so you could request it when you book. Otherwise the two-seater at the far end looks very cosy and as private as you'll get in such a small space. What's good to eat? The menu consists of a ten-course tasting menu for €78 (they will cater for allergies but not dietary choices), and despite the fact you will leave with a hefty bill when drinks are included, it really does feel like excellent value - there are non-Michelin starred restaurants in the city with more expensive tasting menus whose food isn't at this level. This is boundary-pushing, sometimes head-exploding stuff, and often while eating here we've found ourselves shaking our heads in amazement at how someone's brain even begins coming up with ideas like these. Our 10 courses were a rollercoaster of tastes, textures and striking visual compositions, and there wasn't so much of an instant of boredom or a dish that didn't work, just a succession of wows from beginning to end. If absolutely forced to pick favourites, we'd single out the celeriac, the smoked eel cone, the pork and pineapple and the kaffir lime meringue, but you can see everything we had below in all its glory. Chicken broth with wild peas, cabbage and mushrooms Celeriac cooked on the yakatori grill with sheep's yoghurt, pesto and rosemary powder Pigeon with fermented beetroot and liver Textures of lemon with rapeseed oil Mackerel, sprouting broccoli, kimchi, lardo Feuille de brick with smoked eel, shallot, aged parmesan and fennel pollen Pork, allium, pennywort, pineapple - a riff on Grey's favourite dish from his Chinese take away, pork yuk sung An idea of a mango Rhubarb, kaffir lime, meringue Dark chocolate, preserves, raspberries What about the drinks? Most people at Heron & Grey used to go for the wine pairing, of either six or nine courses, with Andrew Heron showing up at the table throughout the meal with another white or red option once your glass had run dry. Liath is starting off with a six wine pairing for the time being, and there's been no major changes as of yet to the killer wine list, featuring tonnes of interesting wines (lots of them from the minimal intervention canon). We went for the pairing on this occasion and unfortunately a few of them didn't work (despite them all being very good wines in their own right), but we're putting it down to the fact that they'd only gotten into the space 24 hours earlier and didn't have the usual amount of time to painstakingly try each dish with a variety of wines. We're confident that this will sort itself out over the next few weeks once they have time to bed in and get back into their regular routine, but the á la carte list is full of great bottles at non-gouging prices if you want to fly solo. And the service? As poised and professional as always, without the formality that can often hang around Michelin-starred restaurants making everyone a bit uptight. Long-standing floor team member Ailish had slotted into Andrew's old place on the floor when we were there and was typically warm, welcoming and generous of time. The chefs also delivered a couple of plates to the tables, which we love because we get to quiz them on exactly how some of these mind-boggling dishes were born. The verdict? When we heard Grey wanted to make changes to his restaurant, like adding tablecloths, we didn't really get it. We thought it was pretty perfect as it was. But on walking in we realised that by doing what he's done, he's raised the game to a whole new level. This doesn't feel like a sparsely decorated corridor in Blackrock market any more. With the etched glass on the windows, the wooden slats, the black banquettes and the wall of wine, it feels more like Copenhagen or Stockholm than SoCoDub, the type of place that culinary tourists get on a plane for. The food scene in Dublin has never been as vibrant and fast-moving as it is right now, from street food trucks to fine dining, but we've never really had a restaurant to put us on the global culinary map. We only have one two-starred Michelin ( Restaurant Patrick Guilbaud ), haven't had a contender in the World's 50 Best Restaurants since Thornton's was included in 2003, and the main Michelin Instagram account doesn't follow any Irish restaurants and just one Irish chef (Martijn Kajuiter at Michelin-starred House at The Cliff House Hotel ), but things are moving fast, and we can't shake the feeling that Liath could be the one to change the game. We have no doubt that Grey's going to reclaim his star when the 2020 Michelin guide is released in October this year, but it's the very real prospect of a second that's just made things a whole lot more interesting. Liath Blackrock Market, 19a Main Street, Blackrock, Co. Dublin liathrestaurant.com New Openings & Discoveries More >>

Taqueria on Drury Street from the people behind Bunsen, serving tacos with freshly made tacos and salsas. Portions are small and cheap so you can pile the plates high. Masa Website masadublin.com Address 2-3 Drury Street, Dublin 2 Good For Tag 1 Cuisine Tag 1 Once Over Read our Review >> The Story Taqueria on Drury Street from the people behind Bunsen, serving tacos with freshly made tacos and salsas. Portions are small and cheap so you can pile the plates high. Where It's At Nearby Locales D'Lepak Pera Borgo Amai by Viktor Kaizen Chubbys Badam Table 45 Comet Daruma Malahide Lena The Pig's Ear Notions @ Two Pups The Rooftop @ Anantara The Marker Sofra Little Geno's Mama Shee Nutbutter Smithfield Shaku Maku Mad Yolks Rathmines Una Choux Bakery Parnell Street Bakery Baily Bites @ Kish Spice Village Terenure

Chameleon A reinvention for Indonesian tapas in Temple Bar 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? Indonesian-inspired Chameleon 's been part of the fabric of Temple Bar for an incredible 25 years, and recently made the clever decision to do a bit of a brand update - they got a new logo, changed the outside of the restaurant from black to bright blue, and invested in a beautiful new spray-painted shutter . It's a shrewd move to stand out in a city that's currently seeing a record number of restaurant openings each month, and one that got them onto our hottest restaurants in Dublin list for March. We hadn't visited in a long time, and after a very well-eaten foodie told us they were "hitting all the right notes" when it came to Indonesian cooking we thought it was worth a visit. Where should we go for a drink first? The temptation is always there to dance into Oliver St. John Gogarty 's and act like a tourist for an hour - you'll leave with a lighter wallet but a newly invigorated sense of national pride that only twee Irish music, aran jumpers and barely passable bowls of stew can summon up (but best to avoid the toilets if you can - €5 million a year in profit clearly isn't enough for a new paint job and some air freshener). Roberta's and The Liquor Rooms (below) do great cocktails, and for wine both Piglet and Loose Canon are within a 5 minute walk. Where should we sit? Upstairs all the way, ideally at the lower tables with the cushioned seating for the full experience. Anyone with a dodgy back or who likes proper tables and chairs can opt for the standard tables. There are more tables downstairs, but we don't think it has the same atmosphere or feel as the first floor. What's good to eat? The main part of the menu revolves around set menus that are either meat, fish or vegetable based, from €36 - €40 per person. There are also 'Asian Tapas', a lot of which are found on the various set menus. We thought it would be a good idea to get one Java (meat-based) and one Sumatra (fish based) to try as much as possible, but we hadn't realised that four of the seven dishes were the same on both (noodles, vegetables and a fish cake), so if we were choosing again we'd pick one set menu and other dishes from the Asian tapas section so that we could try more. The best thing we ate was probably the fish finger bao, with tiger prawn and squid katsu and sambal (a type of chilli sauce) in a homemade bao. Immediate regret for not having ordered all the bao. Other highlights included the Sweet Sambal Udang - marinated prawns with pineapple and chilli mango sauce - which walked the line perfectly between sweet, savoury and sour, the Kari Java - a Javanese curry with braised shoulder of Wicklow lamb and sweet potato that was incredibly rich in flavour, and the sesame fried vegetables with sautéed onions and toasted sesame seeds, which managed to make cabbage addictive. Both the crab cake with haddock and the chicken satay (props for using free-range) were enjoyable, and the beef rendang had great flavour but the meat could have been more tender. We weren't keen on the noodles which had an overpowering taste of molasses, and the salad with cucumber, mango and Chinese leaves could have done with having the dial turned up on the dressing - or maybe just needed more dressing. A dessert of Kahlua and organic dark chocolate pannacotta with peanut brittle had the perfect wobble, and was a nice midway point between coffee and dessert, when your heart says espresso, but your head says it's too late, don't do it. And the drinks? The wine list is pretty compact, with half on tap and half in bottle. The advantage of those on tap is that they're available in small and large glasses, carafes and bottles, so everyone can drink what they want in exactly the amount they want, but we would have liked to see a few more options that would specifically compliment the food in either format, like off-dry Pinot Gris or Gewurztraminer. We drank the Hobo Workbook Californian red blend on tap which is a great all-rounder, and for white we would have gone for the Peter & Peter Riesling in bottle, a grape that tends to work well with Asian flavours. And the service? Really warm, and couldn't do enough for us. The only issue with the set menus is that everything comes at once, and it's a lot of food, so by the time we reached the end some of it was cold, but retrospectively if we had asked our lovely server to bring a few things first like the bao, satay and fish cake, we think she would have been more than happy to oblige. That would be the plan next time. The verdict? There are a lot of good flavours going on at Chameleon, and we kept thinking what a perfect place it is for group dining - bag one of the big tables upstairs, order all the food and a load of carafes of wine, and we're pretty sure everyone would leave happy. Keeping a restaurant open for 25 years is no mean feat, and keeping people talking about you for that long is even more difficult, but we think updating their image was just what was needed to put Chameleon back on Dublin diner's agendas. Chameleon 1 Fownes Street Lower, Temple Bar, Dublin 2 www.chameleonrestaurant.com New Openings & Discoveries More >>

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 >>

Chapter One by Mickael Viljanen You deserve this €65 lunch Posted: 28 Sept 2021 Neighbourhood Neighborhood Name Address Restaurant Address Website Website Name Restaurant Info View the Listing >> Written by: Lisa Cope What’s the story? Mickael Viljanen is one of only four chefs in Ireland (ever) to be awarded two Michelin stars, in 2019 when he was head chef at The Greenhouse on Dawson Street (now closed, with the building apparently in the hands of a large hospitality group). It felt like a very long road to get there (but if it was easy to get it wouldn't mean as much), with critics and food writers declaring the food to be at that level long before Michelin made it official, and protesting that if The Greenhouse was in London or Paris it would have been elevated earlier. At the ceremony in London, Viljanen almost collapsed with relief, years of tension and back-breaking work flooding out of his body as he flung his arms around chef Raymond Blanc, lifting him into the air, before they both fell over mid-jubilation. The entire room was immersed in the joy unfolding on stage, and everyone holding an Irish passport felt their heart swell and their cheeks burst from smiling. His achievement felt like our achievement, our little island moving up the global culinary ranks. The Greenhouse was badly affected by the pandemic. They had no outdoor seating, and this level of food does not lend itself to finish at home meal kits. So there was nothing to do but lay everyone off, and hope they would hang around and wait for indoor dining to be allowed again, but they didn't. In May of this year, news erupted that Viljanen had resigned from The Greenhouse and was taking over the kitchen at one-Michelin starred Chapter One as Chef-Patron, forming a partnership with Ross Lewis, who was hanging up his apron (he's since put it back on to cook at Osteria Lucio, his other restaurant near Grand Canal Dock). The majority of the kitchen team came with him, leaving The Greenhouse defunct. Some thought this was a genius by the Finnish chef, reasoning that one star plus two stars equals three (not quite sure Michelin maths works like that but we'll see). Some wondered why the chef hadn't just gone it alone with his own, brand new vision. Almost everyone cheered the fact that he would finally have the dining room his food deserved (The Greenhouse's split a lot of people), and absolutely everyone was thrilled at the thought of what was to come. In August, Chapter One by Mickael Viljanen welcomed its first guests, and a month in we gave their €65, three-course lunch menu a once over. Where should we sit? The main dining areas feel lighter and more spacious than they did at the old Chapter One, and our favourite tables are by the window (both for light and for ventilation in covid-times). Tables are well spaced, so private conversations shouldn't be an issue, and there are cosy booths if you prefer a velvet couch to a velvet chair (both equally lovely places for your derrière). There are also seats at the chef's table which seats groups of four - six (€150 for the tasting menu and the dream meal as far as we're concerned) as well as a private dining room for up 10, and another private dining area for six. What's the food like? We were here to try the €65 lunch menu, which sounded too good to be true from a value perspective, particularly compared to some other menu prices around town where the food isn't in the same universe as this. You can do a tasting menu at lunch for €120 but last orders are at 13:30, so you'd want to be sitting down by 13:15. The set lunch is a three-course menu with snacks, bread and petit fours, and one choice for each course, so the ideal way to do it is with a friend/partner/family member who doesn't mind swapping plates half way through. Then the only decisions you'll have to make will involve what you're going to drink. There is a suggested wine pairing for each dish (when we were there prices varied from around €8 - €25), but they're happy to recommend others too. First out are the snacks. These change frequently but expect a miniature tart of some type containing Flaggy Shore oysters or Irish Angus bavette, maybe a bite of comté with truffle, and hopefully you'll get to try what's bound to become a restaurant signature - chilled borscht with smetana (like sour cream) and caviar. It's in a cocoa butter shell so it melts and pops in your mouth, releasing the borscht in one of the most magical mouthfuls of your meal. Then comes bread. Fresh, crunchy, chewy sourdough, with rich, yellow, perfectly salted butter. The dishes seem to change every day, so you may or may not have any of these as options when you visit, but there wasn't one dish that was even a mild disappointment, so just go with it. We had a steamed comté mousseline with Vin Jaune and truffle (paired with Lustau's amontillado sherry), and this is another dish we can see becoming a signature (and regaining the chef those two stars). It came with a side of perfectly dressed leaves, and while they seemed superfluous, it was salad to savour. Our other starter was Wicklow sika deer tartare (the chef loves game, and many think Autumn is the best season to eat his food), with smoked pike roe, horseradish and watercress. This also appeared at The Greenhouse, and is the kind of dish you want to nibble very slowly, possibly shedding a tear when the last forkful is gone, leaving you in no doubt as to why the Michelin guide think Viljanen's food is "worth a detour". It's worth a detour from France. Onto mains and expect more potentially tear-inducing dishes to arrive, like our wild sea-bream with fennel sitting in the most outrageously complex bouillabaisse sauce, with a side of lobster saffron rice that deserves its own restaurant. Just bowls of this. We will literally pay any money to make this happen. This is one of those taste memories you'll have for years after eating it, and if it's not on the menu when you visit we sincerely apologise for telling you about it. The other main on the day we visited was a Viljanen classic - Anjou pigeon 'en crépinette', with confit cèpe and date vinegar sauce. The description alone probably has you smacking your lips together, and it was even better than you're imagining. The meat wasn't gamey or strongly flavoured, it was delicate and subtle, with the cèpes, date vinegar and baby pickled onions ticking every box on the flavour wheel - savoury, salty, sharp, sweet, with no one taste over-powering the others. We went for broke with the wine pairing of 2011 Chateau Tayac Margaux at €25 a glass, and as pairings goes this one is a 10/10 (even if Bordeaux isn't usually your bag). Ever wondered why your mash isn't as good as the ones in certain high end (usually French) restaurants? It's because you wouldn't dare to put that much butter in it at home. Continue to live the lie that they just have a better technique for boiling potatoes than you do while you spoon the last scraping of this from the side of its silver bowl. For dessert expect another Viljanen signature - the part art, part dessert, swirl of deliciousness. Ours was Tuscan-made Amedei chocolate with white miso and honey vinegar, and a salted milk sorbet on the side. Does chocolate get any better than when it's laced with umami miso and a flicker of sweet vinegar? We've yet to be convinced. Our other dessert was more of a Chapter One classic, the soufflé, this one a Piedmonte hazelnut version with hazelnut sauce and citrus sorbet. The theatre of this is when they bring it to the table, cut into it and pour in the sauce - get those cameras ready millennials. It's perfect, like everything else. You'll finish with beautiful petit fours - our included brioche Tropezienne (brioche filled with orange cream) and clementine pâte de fruit with batak pepper and lemon thyme, and if you don't order an Irish coffee at this point from the famed Chapter One trolley we can't be friends. What about the drinks? The wine list at Chapter One has always been more classic than trend-chasing, and this still feels like Chapter One's wine list. You won't find much of the New California, Georgian skin contact numbers, or Pet Nats around these parts, and it's more Grand Marques than grower Champagne (although there are a few), but you will find several pages of Burgundy and Bordeaux, and some of the world's best producers among them. The wine pairings for lunch were well thought out and worked nicely with the dishes, but with a few exceptions we generally felt the food outshone the wine. And the service? The service is still very much Chapter One too, which will come as a sigh of relief to anyone who's experienced it. From the minute you walk in it's smile after compliment after joke, and you're immediately put at ease despite the starched tablecloths and somewhat hushed tones. It's not often you'll find food at this level of dining with such friendly, informal service, and it feels like a very Irish way to do a two-starred Michelin experience, one that we should be proud to see international visitors experience. And the damage? If you do the three course lunch with all three wine pairings you're looking at around €100 a head (depending on what's on that day). Add on an Irish coffee and service and you'll be more like €120, but in our book it's worth every cent, and you can always get a bottle if you want to bring the cost down. The verdict? We don't use this word often but this food is "thrilling". Thrilling because of the art-like beauty of the dishes, thrilling because they taste even better than they look every single time, thrilling because you know you're experiencing some of the most exciting cooking on the island, a chef and kitchen team pushing to be the best, that will be part of Ireland's culinary history in years to come. We're going to have to wait another few months (date TBC) to see whether Michelin give Viljanen back his stars, elevating Chapter One from it's current one to two, but we really can't see a situation where this doesn't happen. Blending two different restaurants together must have its challenges. Two kitchen teams, sommeliers, service staff, owners, all with their own ideas about how to do things, all bound to clash at times over the right way. If this is the case you wouldn't know it from our meal, which was practically flawless, but we can imagine over time you might see subtle changes as two become one. The €65 lunch at Chapter One is one of the best ways to spend your money in Dublin right now, and you don't just need to experience it, you deserve to experience it. It's been a shocking 18 months for a lot of people, the restaurant industry in particular, but if anything will give you hope for what's to come for "Irish Food" and put goosebumps on the back of your arms, this is it. Chapter One By Mickael Viljanen 18-19 Parnell Square, Dublin 1 chapteronerestaurant.com New Openings & Discoveries More >>

As One and Potager Two perfect rooms for the pandemically-anxious diner Posted: 7 Jul 2020 Neighbourhood Neighborhood Name Address Restaurant Address Website Website Name Restaurant Info View the Listing >> Written by: Lisa Cope What’s the story? An awful lot has changed since our last (carefree) once over of the brunch menu at Daddy's back in March. Just three days later schools were shut, and what's likely to be the defining event of our lifetime was underway. Four months later and we're still feeling hollow and unsure of what's coming next, but we'd be lying if we said that the reopening of restaurants (and creches) last week wasn't a huge relief. What's still causing a lot of unease is how many places are projecting radio silence across their websites and social media channels, and it's anyone's guess how many casualties are going to scattered across the city when this is all over, but for the ones that have reopened (with the necessary precautions), there's never been a more important time to get out and support them (presuming you feel comfortable doing so). As everyone who has reopened is still a bit shell shocked, toying with limited menus and deciding how to navigate the many, many reopening guidelines (some of which make absolutely zero sense), it didn't feel right to do a typical once over, so instead we're telling you about two dining options that are perfect if you're feeling a bit anxious about stepping out into the big, bad world again. What do I need to know about As One? As One opened on City Quay, just down from Tara Street station, a little over a year ago. Owner Mark Cashen had suffered with gut problems in the past which made him realise the importance of diet for wellbeing, so decided to leave his job in banking and open a café with gut health, mindfulness and the best of Irish produce at its core. The spacious, high-ceilinged space is minimal and supposed to be an antidote to the over stimulation that consumes most of us from one end of the day to the other, and the menu is a who's who of Irish farmers, vegetable growers and dairy producers. What's the food and drink like? Provenance of everything is front and centre, so if seeing things like Magner's Farm organic eggs, Irish shiitake mushrooms and The Village Dairy's organic milk put a smile on your face you're going to love it here. The post-Covid menu is slightly more condensed, with breakfast, brunch and lunch menus, as well as the salad and protein bar, and a couple of sharing plates. We're still thinking about the savoury, earthy mushrooms on toast with Irish shiitake, oyster and chestnut mushrooms, Jane Russell's black pudding, edamame and spinach pesto, chervil and an organic poached egg on Le Levain sourdough toast, but also loved the soft, smokey Turkish Eggs Menemen with a tomato and roasted red pepper sauce, feta yoghurt & black olives. We also tried the porridge made with oats from Merry Mill in Laois, which came topped with teff (an Ethiopian grain), caramelised banana, almond butter and strawberries. There was no denying the quality of the oats, but the dish felt slightly dry and in need of some yoghurt or compote. We'd had the pancakes on a previous occasion and wished they were back on the midweek breakfast menu, because blueberry pancakes with Velvet Cloud sheep's milk yoghurt are an excellent start to the day. Coffee is from Cloud Picker with both regular and decaf versions faultless, and the 'healthy' treats of oat bars and coconut raspberry slices tasted in no way healthy - which is a large compliment. Why is it an ideal post-lockdown eating out choice? The room is huge, high ceilinged and very spacious. They've taken out a few tables but there was already lots of space between them - all part of the mindful, minimalistic vibe. There's also outdoor seating if it's dry. Menus are gone, instead you scan a QR code on your phone and it pops up, or you can see it on a screen on the wall. There's a clearly marked queuing system both inside and outside, and lots of signage about keeping your distance. Staff weren't masked when we were there, but the room is so cavernous and airy (particularly with the wide open doors at the front) that it really didn't feel like a problem. Staff did appear scrupulous about hygiene though, gingerly handing over cutlery and carefully placing food down from as much of a distance as it's possible to maintain. The verdict? As One is the ideal place to ease yourself back into café culture or brunch with mates, and we can't imagine many places feeling safer or more well ventilated. It's the antitheses to cramped cafés where your elbows knock against your neighbour's, and you have to shout over the noise to get a server's attention. Cool, calm and comforting is where it's at after the past few months, and there's the added bonus of all of that impeccably sourced food, that your gut will hopefully thank you for. What about Potager? We reviewed Potager last year and fell hard for ex-Chapter One head chef Cathal Leonard's dynamic, singular cooking. After having four months to think about where we were most longing to eat once restrictions were lifted, it kept coming back to Potager, so yelps of delight were heard by the neighbours after bagging a Saturday night booking their first weekend back. What's the food and drink like? This is fine dining but there's nothing uptight or serious about it. The set dinner menu has increased in price from €55 to €60, but €60 feels like immense value for food this compelling. The only other changes are that there used to be a choice of mains and now that's just another course in the tasting. For us this is an improvement, as one of our only critiques last time was that the mains weren't as interesting as the smaller courses and felt like they were there to fill people up. That's not the case any more. There's also an extended menu for €80 with an extra course, both cheese and dessert (rather than choosing between them), and petit fours. A large proportion of ingredients come from the surrounding area in North County Dublin and Louth, and suppliers are proudly listed opposite that night's menu. Out of 10 courses there wasn't one dud, starting with fermented brown bread and Cuinneog butter, and onion bread with ricotta and kale pesto, and seeming to get better with every course that followed. A beer, cheese and savoury soup had us fervently scraping the tiny bowl for one more drop, the violet artichoke with crab, elderflower and sorrel had so many flavours with not one redundant, and the kai broccoli with confit garlic, deep-fried breaded anchovies, mustard and crispy violetta potato skins from Ballymakenny farm was a plate of total joy, that almost made up for the hell of the past few months. The staff had all told us that the beetroot pasta with smoked duck, truffle and ricotta was their favourite dish, and with an ingredient line up like that it wasn't hard to see why. We love a pasta course on a tasting menu, and we loved this one more. Usually the mere sight of chicken on a menu emits a bored groan, but not when it's Sean Ring's organic chickens from Kilkenny, and not when it's served in three different ways with two different types of swede, a garlic scape and a chicken jus that tasted as like at least 100 chickens had gone into it. The cheese course was a Knocklara cheese mousse sitting over a cranberry jelly with three different types of port in there, pistachios on top and seeded crackers. Think about how good that sounds, then multiply it by 10. This man is a maestro when it comes to whipped cheese, and we had the same sentiments last time about a similar dish with Cashel Blue, apple and celery jelly and walnuts. The ending was sweet, with chocolate, Velvet Cloud sheep's milk yoghurt and cherries, followed by petit fours of rose geranium filled choux buns (we scraped the plate for the last of the cream), and chocolate, white chocolate and beetroot macarons. Both the wines and the service have taken a leap forward since the last time we were there, and every recommendation by the glass did what all great wine pairings should do - enhanced the food even more. Service was so smooth with dishes perfectly paced, while the staff remained relaxed and chatty - there can't be that many places in the country to eat food of this level in such a laid back, informal atmosphere. Why is it perfect for post-lockdown dining? The room has always felt spacious, and now with a couple more tables removed you're metres from anyone else, and in no danger of eavesdropping on their conversations. There's hand sanitizer at the door, you hold onto your menu for the night to minimise contact with staff, and they've even removed one of the lobby doors into the bathrooms to eliminate one possible area of cross-contamination between guests. The verdict? A second visit to Potager has confirmed for us that it's one of the best restaurants in Dublin, with its own unique take on fine dining, and us post/mid-pandemic diners are very lucky to have it. No one knows what's going to happen with Michelin this year under the current circumstances, but if they are doling out stars for 2021 we hope they get a chance to come to Skerries before decisions are made. As One Unit 3, 13-18 City Quay, Dublin 2 asone.ie Potager 7 Church Street, Skerries, Co. Dublin potager.ie New Openings & Discoveries More >>

Sous Chef < Back Sous Chef Glas Apply Now Location Dublin 2 Employment Full-time Date Posted 15 September 2025 Website glasrestaurant.ie Glas Restaurant is hiring a SOUS CHEF for its restaurant on Chatham Street in Dublin 2. Glas is an exciting restaurant in the heart of Dublin where chefs work with local and seasonal veg and fruit to create an eclectic menu. The menu is plant-based and gluten-free but our customers are not restricted to vegan and vegetarian and have come to expect the highest standard of food where veg is the star. This is a brilliant opportunity for a chef who wants to express themselves - and have the freedom to do so. Candidates should have experience working in a busy restaurant. Knowledge of vegan and vegetarian food is a bonus. Please email a cover letter and/or CV to info@glasrestaurant.ie .

There were cries of devastation across the city when Coppinger Row closed its doors at the end of 2021, but the Bereen Brothers are back next door with a far more of the moment offering. "Wine, Music, Food" is the tagline at Row Wines, and they deliver on all fronts, with a potent small plates menu, engrossing wine list, and "vinyl listening experience". The crab rosti was an early stamp of intention, but everything is good here. Row Wines Website bereenbrothers.com/row Address Coppinger Row Unit , City Assembly House, Dublin 2 Good For Tag 1 Cuisine Tag 1 Once Over Read our Review >> The Story There were cries of devastation across the city when Coppinger Row closed its doors at the end of 2021, but the Bereen Brothers are back next door with a far more of the moment offering. "Wine, Music, Food" is the tagline at Row Wines, and they deliver on all fronts, with a potent small plates menu, engrossing wine list, and "vinyl listening experience". The crab rosti was an early stamp of intention, but everything is good here. Where It's At Nearby Locales D'Lepak Pera Borgo Amai by Viktor Kaizen Chubbys Badam Table 45 Comet Daruma Malahide Lena The Pig's Ear Notions @ Two Pups The Rooftop @ Anantara The Marker Sofra Little Geno's Mama Shee Nutbutter Smithfield Shaku Maku Mad Yolks Rathmines Una Choux Bakery Parnell Street Bakery Baily Bites @ Kish Spice Village Terenure Out of gallery

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 D'Lepak Pera Borgo Amai by Viktor Kaizen Chubbys Badam Table 45 Comet Daruma Malahide Lena The Pig's Ear Notions @ Two Pups The Rooftop @ Anantara The Marker Sofra Little Geno's Mama Shee Nutbutter Smithfield Shaku Maku Mad Yolks Rathmines Una Choux Bakery Parnell Street Bakery Baily Bites @ Kish Spice Village Terenure

"Food with purpose" is how As One describe themselves, and it's not a meaningless mission statement. The highest levels of care and energy are given to building relationships with the farmers, food makers and producers supplying their ingredients, and in how they serve them to ensure maximum nourishment for their customers. Gut health is big in here so expect all the ferments, whole foods and minimal messing with them. As One Website asone.ie Address Unit 3, 13 - 18 City Quay, Dublin 2 Good For Tag 1 Cuisine Tag 1 Once Over Read our Review >> The Story "Food with purpose" is how As One describe themselves, and it's not a meaningless mission statement. The highest levels of care and energy are given to building relationships with the farmers, food makers and producers supplying their ingredients, and in how they serve them to ensure maximum nourishment for their customers. Gut health is big in here so expect all the ferments, whole foods and minimal messing with them. Where It's At Nearby Locales D'Lepak Pera Borgo Amai by Viktor Kaizen Chubbys Badam Table 45 Comet Daruma Malahide Lena The Pig's Ear Notions @ Two Pups The Rooftop @ Anantara The Marker Sofra Little Geno's Mama Shee Nutbutter Smithfield Shaku Maku Mad Yolks Rathmines Una Choux Bakery Parnell Street Bakery Baily Bites @ Kish Spice Village Terenure

Bustling neighbourhood wine bar and shop with a short, daily changing menu for lunch and dinner. Salads, sandwiches and sharing boards are constants, with hot dishes like fish cakes and sausage rolls making regular appearances. One of the best wine selections in Dublin with enthused staff always ready to make recommendations. 64 Wine Website 64wine.ie Address 64 Glasthule Road, Glasthule, Dún Laoghaire, Co. Dublin Good For Tag 1 Cuisine Tag 1 Once Over Read our Review >> The Story Bustling neighbourhood wine bar and shop with a short, daily changing menu for lunch and dinner. Salads, sandwiches and sharing boards are constants, with hot dishes like fish cakes and sausage rolls making regular appearances. One of the best wine selections in Dublin with enthused staff always ready to make recommendations. Where It's At Nearby Locales D'Lepak Pera Borgo Amai by Viktor Kaizen Chubbys Badam Table 45 Comet Daruma Malahide Lena The Pig's Ear Notions @ Two Pups The Rooftop @ Anantara The Marker Sofra Little Geno's Mama Shee Nutbutter Smithfield Shaku Maku Mad Yolks Rathmines Una Choux Bakery Parnell Street Bakery Baily Bites @ Kish Spice Village Terenure

Caribou Not content with having the best drinks, interiors and staff, Caribou are now conquering food too Posted: 12 Nov 2024 Neighbourhood Neighborhood Name Address Restaurant Address Website Website Name Restaurant Info View the Listing >> Written by: Lisa Cope What do we need to know about Caribou? Born in Galway in 2016 and transported to Dublin in May 2024, Caribou is the latest opening in the capital from Shane Clifford, Hugh Farrell and Declan Murphy. The trio also own Kodiak in Rathmines, Bonobo in Smithfield, Impala in Cork and Jackal in Navan, and previously ran P Macs (where Caribou is now) for its former owners, before going out on their own. Galway's loss has very much been Dublin's gain, and even though tears were shed by some over the closure of P Macs, they were short-lived when they saw what replaced it. Caribou has been an upgrade on every front, and we think few operators understand what Dublin bar-goers want as well as these guys. With their other Dublin sites sticking to Neapolitan pizza for food we thought it would be business as usual here, but we thought wrong, and swiftly after opening, word of a bar food menu that was majorly over-delivering hit our shores. Where should we sit? These guys were either interior designers in another life, or pay very good ones to design their bars. Classic wooden furniture is broken up with leather seats, 70's-style light fixtures, textured walls, enough art to open a gallery, and assorted dressers and bookshelves that look like Grade A flea market finds. Candles, plants and real flowers sit on every surface, and everything combined makes it a place you'll want to stay in for an extended period of time. Sit in the main room if you want all the space and natural light (parents will love all the room to park buggies and pull up high chairs; travellers will find plenty of places to park suitcases and backpacks), or head into the back for cosy nooks to settle into for private chats, where low tables are lit by lower lights. What's on the menu? There's only a weekday and weekend lunch menu for now, served until 16:30 on weekdays and 17:00 at the weekend (Friday - Sunday). While Kodiak and Bonobo have stuck successfully to Neapolitan pizza, Caribou is going all in on food, with Patrick Byrne installed as head chef. He formerly owned food truck " Taco de Town " which operated between Sligo and West Cork, and spent six years previous to that cooking in New Orleans. Weekday and weekend lunch menus vary slightly, with the main difference being the addition of roasts at the weekend, because why should roasts be relegated to Sundays? Eyes might widen at €7 for olives as you browse, but they're big, juicy and lovingly dressed, and it's the only thing on the menu that doesn't feel like exceptionally good value. A chopped Caesar salad (€11) is an utterly perfect example of the naughtiest thing you can do with a plate of lettuce, Romaine leaves generously coated in Caesar dressing with shavings of Grana Padano and baguette-style croutons to amplify cheesiness and crunch. You could have stuck a fork in us here and we'd have left happy. You can add add grilled or fried chicken (not free range) for €4 to up the protein. Our Reel last week on Caribou's steak frites (€15 for a 6oz midweek and €24 for a 10oz at weekends) got a lot of well-deserved love, and we're still wondering how they're getting that just-off-the-barbecue flavour, how they've made fries that stay crispy for the duration of the meal, and how many different types of peppercorns are in that glorious sauce. We weren't asked how we wanted our steak cooked and would have preferred it a little less done, so be sure to specify if you're equally picky. Either way we can't remember having a better steak-frites than this in Dublin, and we've tried plenty in hope. The fish sandwich (€13) came with a hunk of fresh not frozen, IPA beer battered cod, topped with chunky tartare and sitting on mushy peas, all in a burger bun. A beautiful thing, fish cooked to the point of being hot and juicy while not overdone by a second, it was only missing seasoning on the fish/in the batter. On a second visit the peas had been ditched for shredded lettuce and house pickles, which sound even better. We're not a town that excels in Sunday roasts the way many, many towns in the UK do, so we're always excited to see a new player enter the game. We weren't however expecting Caribou to casually sail in at the top of the pile - is there anything this kitchen doesn't excel at? Beef from McLoughlin butchers (€19.50) comes with a dazzling line up of: miso glazed carrot and parsnip; mash, (PROPERLY CRISPY) roasties, stuffing, grilled tenderstem broccoli (al dente), celeriac purée, a giant Yorkshire pudding, and a Guinness gravy we'd like to drink by the flask (unlimited if you want more). Controversially there was no horseradish brought to table, but once our brains started popping off with all these flavours we forgot we wanted it. Also in the roast line up is Caribou's version of bacon and cabbage (€19.50), with Buckfast glazed ham, sautéed cabbage, parsley sauce and the rest of the roastie sides. We will happily stake the claim that there's no better tasting plate of bacon and cabbage in the city, and it makes of a mockery of what's served to tourists in twee pubs in Temple Bar. Any childhood scars from bad versions of this dish will be salved, and lest we forget to mention, at €19.50 these are some of the least expensive (quality) roasts in Dublin right now. Despite the very generous roasts, we added on sides, because All The Food and all that, and Caribou's charred broccoli with romesco, hazelnuts and feta (€5) is the kind of thing you try to casually fling together at home but you leave the broccoli on the grill for too long or make the Romesco too bitter - they don't do that in here. The only issue is that one plate isn't enough. Those shatteringly crispy triple-cooked fries can also be ordered on their own with garlic mayo (€5), but we'd actually avoid the pungent dip because there's so much good stuff going on with the food here that you don't need it over-powered by garlic breath. There was no dessert either time when we visited, but there was on earlier menus, so hopefully there'll be a return to form once things settle down. What about drinks? These guys are known for their craft beef and support for Irish breweries, and big beer fans will love looking through the tap and bottle list to find something to pique their interest. The selection isn't at the level of Kodiak in Rathmines, but we can't think of many other bars that are. Cocktails are another high point, with a Paloma, a clarified rhubarb sour and a Hugo spritz all going toe to toe with the city's best cocktail bars. Wines are more basic bar, with the exception of a couple of rotating bottles "from our friends at Grapecircus" - whatever they're pouring we're drinking. How was the service? Of all the visits that all of the members of our team have made to all of these guys' bars, the service has always stood out - they seem to have hiring for personality and general human loveliness down to an art. We've never been scowled at, ignored or treated with apathy by exhausted staff who'd rather be anywhere else. We've always been greeted like we've just walked into a friends house, showered with smiles, and had any questions answered with enthusiasm and a willingness to go and find out the answer if they don't already have it. In an environment where finding staff for hospitality jobs has never been tougher, this kind of achievement shouldn't go unnoticed. What was the damage? We ate this over two meals, but midweek you could have a very solid lunch with a drink for around €25, and at the weekend, €30 will get you a roast, a pint and cover your tip. What's the verdict on Caribou? Shane Clifford, Hugh Farrell and Declan Murphy are the guys to beat for bars right now, and in their determination to get every little thing right, they've delivered a bar food menu and kitchen team that make so many others look like they're not fit for purpose. If they can do it in a setting like this, with prices like these, served by staff who look like they genuinely like being there, why can't everyone else? And why would you want to go anywhere else? Go for the roast, go back for the steak-frites, and harangue them to bring in food in the evenings - the city's crying out for "bar food only better" menus like this. New Openings & Discoveries More >>

Eoin Cluskey’s temple to bread on Pearse Street opened in a storm of publicity in September 2018, and we wonder what we ever did for bread in the city centre before they arrived. The cruffins are the stuff of legend, and weekly specials like Swedish semlor and quince croissants keep customers coming back week after week. Brunch and lunch is served upstairs in the eatery from Friday - Sunday. Bread 41 Website bread41.ie Address 41 Pearse Street, Dublin 2 Good For Tag 1 Cuisine Tag 1 Once Over Read our Review >> The Story Eoin Cluskey’s temple to bread on Pearse Street opened in a storm of publicity in September 2018, and we wonder what we ever did for bread in the city centre before they arrived. The cruffins are the stuff of legend, and weekly specials like Swedish semlor and quince croissants keep customers coming back week after week. Brunch and lunch is served upstairs in the eatery from Friday - Sunday. Where It's At Nearby Locales D'Lepak Pera Borgo Amai by Viktor Kaizen Chubbys Badam Table 45 Comet Daruma Malahide Lena The Pig's Ear Notions @ Two Pups The Rooftop @ Anantara The Marker Sofra Little Geno's Mama Shee Nutbutter Smithfield Shaku Maku Mad Yolks Rathmines Una Choux Bakery Parnell Street Bakery Baily Bites @ Kish Spice Village Terenure

Contemporary café at the top of Parnell Street serving brunch and lunch, with pasta and pizza in the evenings. Specialty coffee and carefully chosen ingredients, including beef from the owner’s sister’s farm in Meath. One Society Website onesociety.ie Address 1 Lower Gardiner Street, Dublin 1 Good For Tag 1 Cuisine Tag 1 Once Over Read our Review >> The Story Contemporary café at the top of Parnell Street serving brunch and lunch, with pasta and pizza in the evenings. Specialty coffee and carefully chosen ingredients, including beef from the owner’s sister’s farm in Meath. Where It's At Nearby Locales D'Lepak Pera Borgo Amai by Viktor Kaizen Chubbys Badam Table 45 Comet Daruma Malahide Lena The Pig's Ear Notions @ Two Pups The Rooftop @ Anantara The Marker Sofra Little Geno's Mama Shee Nutbutter Smithfield Shaku Maku Mad Yolks Rathmines Una Choux Bakery Parnell Street Bakery Baily Bites @ Kish Spice Village Terenure

Honey Honey has been thronged from the day they opened in 2018 with locals, visitors and passing cyclists queuing up for specialty coffee, granola bowls and warm sausage rolls. It filled a much needed gap in the area for a quality café, and expect to wait for one of their in demand tables. Honey Honey Website honeyhoneycafe.com Address Strand Road, Burrow, Portmarnock, Co. Dublin Good For Tag 1 Cuisine Tag 1 Once Over Read our Review >> The Story Honey Honey has been thronged from the day they opened in 2018 with locals, visitors and passing cyclists queuing up for specialty coffee, granola bowls and warm sausage rolls. It filled a much needed gap in the area for a quality café, and expect to wait for one of their in demand tables. Where It's At Nearby Locales D'Lepak Pera Borgo Amai by Viktor Kaizen Chubbys Badam Table 45 Comet Daruma Malahide Lena The Pig's Ear Notions @ Two Pups The Rooftop @ Anantara The Marker Sofra Little Geno's Mama Shee Nutbutter Smithfield Shaku Maku Mad Yolks Rathmines Una Choux Bakery Parnell Street Bakery Baily Bites @ Kish Spice Village Terenure

Glovers Alley Fine dining returns to the Fitzwilliam Hotel Posted: 2 Apr 2018 Neighbourhood Neighborhood Name Address Restaurant Address Website Website Name Restaurant Info View the Listing >> Written by: Lisa Cope What’s the story? Unless you’ve been living under a rock (or following the wrong people on twitter) you’ve probably heard about Glovers Alley , the new fine dining restaurant in the space formerly occupied by Thornton’s in the Fitzwilliam Hotel . Headed up by Dubliner Andy McFadden, once the youngest Michelin starred chef in London, we don’t think a Dublin restaurant has ever gone as big on pre-opening PR, and they took a bit of flack over some pretty absurd language on their website (thankfully mostly gone) and the promises of delivering something Dublin has never seen before. Regardless of the slightly bumpy start, we think the city is in need of more high-end dining options and were glad to see one of the ' Murphia ' return home, so we went to check it out for ourselves. Where’s good for a drink beforehand? You’re right off Stephen’s Green so the options are endless. Presuming you’ll be in your Sunday best, the Horseshoe Bar in The Shelbourne is always good for pre-dinner/lunch bubbles, or La Ruelle wine bar is off Dawson Street. For cocktails, beer and rugby-player spotting, Lemon and Duke is close by too. What’s the room like? Not as pink as it looks in pictures. Very plush and clearly no expense spared when it came to decor. There are three main rows of seating, with a mix of banquettes and free-standing tables, and there’s a separate private dining area which was busy hosting a scarf launch/lunch on the day we were there. It feels modern but very comfortable, and we loved the lack of white tablecloths. Staff tend to hover in front of the bar which is slightly disconcerting, as you feel like you’re always being observed, but we’re not sure what the solution is to this. It’s the layout of the room, and there’s nowhere else for them to go. The upside is you won’t have to wave your hand around trying to get someone’s attention. What's good to eat? We would recommend the tasting menu, which felt fairly priced at €60 for lunch, considering there were three snacks, a lot of incredible bread, six courses, a pre-dessert and petit fours. There were twelve elements in total, and while we wouldn’t be spending €60 on lunch every week, it felt like good value. The first snack was disappointing – a parmesan gougère, which didn’t taste of much – but the following two were very good. Foie gras sandwiched between two crisp pieces of tuile, and more crispiness in the form of chicken skin topped with taramasalata and seaweed. Not a combination we would have put together but it all worked. The bread selection must be one of the best in town and we gluttonously tried it all. We’re still dreaming about the parmesan and black olive bun, which was like a savoury version of a cinnabon in the best possible way. Butter is from Abernethy and we had to restrain ourselves from eating it by the spoon. The tasting menu changes daily, but high points for us were curried cauliflower with crispy ham hock, and rabbit with carrots, grapes and tarragon. Rabbit came in the form of an incredibly tender, skilfully cooked loin (no mean feat for such a lean meat), a pastilla (deep-fried pastry) and a teeny tiny, totally delicious rabbit rack, which we didn’t even know was a thing. There were also a couple of brightly coloured splodges of sauce on the plate which didn’t really add anything and we felt unnecessarily complicated things. We were less keen on the brill with beetroot, cucumber and anchovy, the brill being the weakest part of the dish. The chewy, sweet beetroot, which had been dehydrated then rehydrated was the high point and we think they should start selling it in bags to go. A pre-dessert of cardamom panacotta with mandarin granita and Thai basil didn’t taste much of cardamom but was delicious nonetheless and nicely refreshing after the array of flavours that came before it. The main act of grapefruit, white chocolate and lime mascarpone was really beautiful, delicate but full of flavour, nicely balanced between freshness and sweetness. The dark chocolate, sesame caramel petit fours are another item we think they should sell on the side. Crazy good. What about the drinks? As you would imagine, the wine list is extensive and excellently curated. Margins are a bit on the high side but no more than we would expect in a restaurant pitched at this level. There’s a nice selection by the glass and the sommelier recommended some good pairings, including a pitch-perfect German Riesling from Emrich Schönleber , a dry Pedro-Ximenez called Dos Claveles from Spanish producer Toro Albalá , and a really cracking Mencia from Raul Perez, also Spanish. And the service? Very professional but a little stiff at times – lots of ‘Ma’am’ and ‘Sir’ – which is great if that’s what you’re in the mood for. We were very thankful for head waiter Bill, formerly manager at Bastible , who was a breath of fresh air in a slightly nervous feeling room, cracking jokes throughout lunch and generally being an excellent addition to the experience. The verdict? Glovers Alley put themselves in the firing line by talking a big game pre-opening (although we have it on authority that Andy McFadden had very little to do with this) and some critics have been only too happy to take a shot. It’s not perfect yet, a couple of dishes didn’t wow, and it would be nice to see them relax into things a bit more, but there is some very skilful cooking happening here, in an ultra-luxurious room, and we would think zero chance of a bad service experience with a 5-star floor team led by GM Ed Jolliffe (ex- Chapter One ). They're not planning on sitting still any time soon and we would predict that it’s only going to get better over the coming months as things settle down and they find their comfort zone. Glovers Alley 127/128 St. Stephen's Green, Dublin 2 gloversalley.ie New Openings & Discoveries More >>

Old school, opulent dining with French flair in a refurbished 18th century coach house. Great produce cooked skillfully for over 20 years, with new head chef Zhan Sergejev taking the reins in 2022. They've made no attempt to hide that they're in pursuit of a Michelin star, and many think they should have been given one years ago. Could this be the team that does it for them? One Pico Website onepico.com Address 5/6 Molesworth Place, Dublin 2 Good For Tag 1 Cuisine Tag 1 Once Over Read our Review >> The Story Old school, opulent dining with French flair in a refurbished 18th century coach house. Great produce cooked skillfully for over 20 years, with new head chef Zhan Sergejev taking the reins in 2022. They've made no attempt to hide that they're in pursuit of a Michelin star, and many think they should have been given one years ago. Could this be the team that does it for them? Where It's At Nearby Locales D'Lepak Pera Borgo Amai by Viktor Kaizen Chubbys Badam Table 45 Comet Daruma Malahide Lena The Pig's Ear Notions @ Two Pups The Rooftop @ Anantara The Marker Sofra Little Geno's Mama Shee Nutbutter Smithfield Shaku Maku Mad Yolks Rathmines Una Choux Bakery Parnell Street Bakery Baily Bites @ Kish Spice Village Terenure

Dublin's Chinatown is just lacking an ornate red and gold gate at the top of O'Connell Street, but there's more to Parnell street than hand-pulled noodles and Sichuan dumplings. As well as excellent Korean and Vietnamese food, head here for some of the city's best sandwiches, craft beer and great music. Parnell Street Our Take Dublin's Chinatown is just lacking an ornate red and gold gate at the top of O'Connell Street, but there's more to Parnell street than hand-pulled noodles and Sichuan dumplings. As well as excellent Korean and Vietnamese food, head here for some of the city's best sandwiches, craft beer and great music. Where to Eat Afanti Choux Bakery Lee's Charming Noodles One Society Parnell Street Bakery Pho Kim The Big Romance

Chob Thai A tale of two meals at Clontarf's newest Thai Posted: 18 Mar 2025 Neighbourhood Neighborhood Name Address Restaurant Address Website Website Name Restaurant Info View the Listing >> Written by: Lisa Cope What should we know about Chob Thai? Chob Thai opened in Clontarf last September where Picasso Italian used to be on Vernon Road, but we heard nothing about it until they started to invite some influencers in for dinner a few months ago. Suddenly it started appearing on our social media feeds, and man oh man did it look good . The Thai owner told us he had lived here as a child before returning home to Thailand, and always thought it was somewhere he wanted to come back to. His Dad later moved back, and he followed, with a dream of bringing real Thai food to Dublin, which he said was almost impossible to find here. He found chefs through friends and family who agreed to move too, found the site in Clontarf and they were off. We love the sentiment, and we love anyone who's trying to replicate a country's cuisine as genuinely as possible, without making allowances for locals, so a table was booked lickety-split. Where should we sit? The compact downstairs has a more Thai vibe, with the pre-existing exposed brick working nicely against Southeast Asian art, woven wall-hangings and a gold Thai headdress sitting in the window. Window seats are always where it's at for us, with these ones giving a view of the Clontarf coastline and plenty of people-watching opportunities. There's a larger room upstairs which feels unfinished in comparison, and lacks the same ornamental detail and warmth. What did you eat? Well this is where it gets complicated because we had two very different meals here, from three very different menus. Strap yourself in for what hopefully won't be too confusing a ride. On our first visit we were given the regular à la carte menu full of dish after dish we couldn't wait to get our forks into, as well as a much more subdued lunch menu (two courses for €28.50), with only two mains that seemed to have anything to do with Thai cooking. Sweet and sour crispy chicken does not a Thai meal make. As the Tom Khaa soup and Pad Thai were on there, we took the savings of €7.50, and stuck to à la carte for the rest. Soups (€11.50 - €12.50) come with a choice of prawns, fish, chicken or vegetables (oddly the vegetable option is the same price as fish or chicken which is sure to displease veggies), and we picked fish after being told it was fresh not frozen (tick). As soups go, this is a knockout, with creamy coconut, lemongrass, galangal, lime leaves, mushrooms and coriander, the tender, flaky fish peaking out of the broth in generous quantities - vivid flavours that will stay with you after you leave. Duck spring rolls are also on the €28.50 two-course lunch menu (€12.50 on the à la carte) and they're as good as we've had anywhere - obviously homemade and hand-wrapped, the crunchy shells packed with chunks of duck from an animal clearly cooked in house, along with vermicelli noodles and crunchy vegetables. This was very nearly an "oops we ordered another portion" moment. Pad Thai (€24.50) comes with prawn and chicken as standard, and was more flawless Thai cooking - a riotous patchwork of rice noodles, beansprouts, just cooked veg and egg, with finely chopped peanut, chilli powder and lime juice to adjust to your palate's preferences. If you've never tried the famous Thai dish before, this is the place to have your first taste. The fresh not frozen seafood policy also extends to the crab fried rice (€24.50), which was positively packed with the stuff, chunks coming up in every fork. Perfectly fluffy rice had onion, spring onion and egg through it, with lime on the side to be liberally squeezed over, and the simplicity of the rest let the crab shine through. The traffic light curries most people will know come with a choice of seafood, beef, lamb, prawn, chicken or vegetables, and a lamb massaman (€24.50) was creamy and mildly spiced with onion, potato, carrot, and some cherry tomatoes on top - we scooped the bowl clean. Rice is extra at €3.50 for jasmine or €5.50 for egg-fried. Desserts listed just a mango cheesecake (which at €12 must be one of the most expensive desserts in Dublin), as well as sorbet or ice-cream (also ambitiously priced at €10), but we'd seen the classic Thai dessert of mango and sticky rice on their social media channels, and when we asked they said they could do it. We've not sure whether they've stopped doing it altogether, or are waiting for new menus to be printed, but this was a sub-standard version, with under-ripe mango and rice lacking flavour. The ones at Full Moon Thai and Nightmarket are far better (and cheaper), using much more delicious mangos. Sounds amazing. What went wrong? Well we went back didn't we. Back to try more food to tell you about, and had a very different experience. We did think they were going to struggle to get people in at lunchtime with those à la carte prices, so on first glance the introduction of a new scaled back, less expensive lunch menu (€5-6 less for mains) seemed like a clever move, but the dishes we'd planned to order, like the jumbo King prawn silver noodle pot, and the deep-fried seabass with three flavour sauce were nowhere to be seen. Instead it was a basic two-pager of Thailand's greatest hits, with the addition of some new salads. We forged ahead with the Thai-style chicken skewers with satay sauce (€8.50), and it wasn't a great start. Two thin, chewy skewers, and a lacklustre peanut sauce had us wondering if we were in the same restaurant. A duck salad (on the two course, €28.50 menu), that we almost ordered the last time, was 90% salad vegetables, with severely over-cooked, dried out and chewy duck, in a one note spicy sauce. Thai-style prawn cakes (€8.50) with red curry paste, lime leaves, green beans and Thai basil had the bouncy, juicy texture you'd expect, with the sweet chilli dip doing its job, but not leaving much in the way of taste memories. By the time we got to the larb moo (Thai-style salad with minced pork, €13.50) we'd had enough of plate-filling, undressed vegetables - there's only so much raw lettuce, thickly sliced cucumber and cherry tomatoes anyone can eat. To eat insult to injury there was an unappealing sour taste to the dish (not Thai-flavour related) and we sent it back. Onto mains and the three flame (the spiciest score) chicken with chilli and basil leaves (confusingly two flames on the new scaled back lunch menu) was mild enough for the spice-averse to eat (barring an occasional rogue dried chilli). If this is as spicy as the kitchen gets, they're undoubtedly toning things down for an Irish audience. We ended with the worst of the lot. Buoyed by the fresh fish and crab meat on our previous visit, we went for the Penang curry with seafood. Big mistake. BIG. Calamari as rubbery as car tyres, mussels that tasted like they'd been cooked for the third time, prawns so tough they'd give prawns a bad name, and a single, sad scallop that had to be sawed through. The mild, coconutty sauce had lovely flavour - shame about the seafood travesty within it. We're not blind to the fact that these are tough times for restaurants, but the way to make customers want to come through your doors is to offer something novel, exciting, different, that they can't cook at home or find in a multitude of other places. After our first meal we were sure there would be queues down the street once word got out, Thai food enthusiasts travelling from across the capital to get a taste of what's coming out of this kitchen. To see the dilution taken to increase customer numbers at lunchtime is like seeing a car speeding down a one way road and screaming "stooopppp!" What about drinks? You won't be coming here for the wine, which looks like a selection you might find in your local supermarket. There are eight by the glass, but we couldn't bring ourselves to dive in. Cocktails appear to have had more work put into them, with loads of Thai twists on classic drinks, but there's a lot of sugar syrup throughout. We tried a lychee sake mojito which was a decent mojito, but we couldn't discern any lychee other than the one sitting on top of the crushed ice. How was the service? Pleasant but wanting, with the same muted server both times having to check and recheck what we'd ordered. Our mains were very slow in coming the first time, which was surprising as there were only a few tables filled, but things came more promptly the second time. What was the damage? The two course lunch from Friday - Sunday is €28.50, but if you want to go in the evening for the good stuff on the à la carte you'd want to budget at least €50 a head for three courses without drinks - that could jump above €60pp if you order prime seafood or beef. There is a three-course option for €45, but most of the stuff we'd want to eat isn't on there. What's the verdict on Chob Thai? Based off our first visit Chob Thai has everything needed to join the very top rung of Dublin's Thai restaurants, along with Full Moon , Nightmarket , Baan Thai and Achara , and we would have loved to be shouting that from the rooftops this week, but buyer beware when it comes to lunch. Sticking to your guns and waiting for your following to find you can be anxiety-inducing and expensive, but diluting down your product for a short-term hike in customers isn't the way to build a bustling business. Hopefully they see the light before too much damage is done, because when it's good here, it's exceptional. New Openings & Discoveries More >>

Edizemi Onilenla’s Mama Shee brand has done stalwart trade on Moore Street and through its retail range of food products for the past few years, but finally they have a permanent base to serve their Nigerian specialities from. Pick from the menu or head up to the buffet with a large plate and an empty stomach. Adventurous diners will love the ability to try dishes you won't find anywhere else, like goat and turkey stew, or boiled egg and tripe. Mama Shee Website mamashee.com Address Mama Shee Flavours of Nigeria, Belgard Square West, Tallaght, Dublin, Ireland Good For Tag 1 Cuisine Tag 1 Once Over Read our Review >> The Story Edizemi Onilenla’s Mama Shee brand has done stalwart trade on Moore Street and through its retail range of food products for the past few years, but finally they have a permanent base to serve their Nigerian specialities from. Pick from the menu or head up to the buffet with a large plate and an empty stomach. Adventurous diners will love the ability to try dishes you won't find anywhere else, like goat and turkey stew, or boiled egg and tripe. Where It's At Nearby Locales D'Lepak Pera Borgo Amai by Viktor Kaizen Chubbys Badam Table 45 Comet Daruma Malahide Lena The Pig's Ear Notions @ Two Pups The Rooftop @ Anantara The Marker Sofra Little Geno's Mama Shee Nutbutter Smithfield Shaku Maku Mad Yolks Rathmines Una Choux Bakery Parnell Street Bakery Baily Bites @ Kish Spice Village Terenure

Clanbrassil House 2018 Dynamic, charcoal cooking in Dublin 8 Posted: 15 Mar 2018 Neighbourhood Neighborhood Name Address Restaurant Address Website Website Name Restaurant Info View the Listing >> Written by: Lisa Cope What’s the story? The second, more-casual opening from Bastible chef-owner Barry Fitzgerald and his partner Claremarie Thomas, with rapidly rising chef Gráinne O’Keeffe in the kitchen. Part of a contingent of young restaurateurs behind some of the most dynamic food in Dublin right now, Bastible's been showing up on every ‘best places to eat in Dublin’ list since opening, and along with their contemporaries like Etto and Forest & Marcy , have injected a new streak of energy into the Dublin dining scene. Clanbrassil House opened in Autumn 2017 and was supposed to be a more casual wine and small plates type of place, but we reckon most people are coming here for a full, multi-course meal. Where’s good for a drink beforehand? We liked 57 The Headline which has a brilliant Gin & Tonic menu, huge beer selection and comfy seats. If you want a more traditional pub you’ve got Leonard’s Corner , and if you’re after wine you’d probably be best to go straight to Clanbrassil House and see if they can seat you early for an aperitif. What’s the room like? Narrow and cosy. Very much ‘Parisian wine bar’, as opposed to ‘inner-city Dublin’. There are high tables and stools at the front, which is a lovely space with bare brick and deep blue walls, wine bottles lined up along one side and fairy lights in the window. It feels very grown up, and like you could be in any number of cool European cities. In the back are the normal tables where you can look into the kitchen, but we could see it from our high table too. What's good to eat? If you’re like us you’ll want it all, and the menu is small enough that if there were four of you (or two who were very hungry) you could just tell them to bring everything. They do a family style sharing menu for €40 a head where the chefs pick food from every section once the order goes in, and it works out as good value, but they’re not keen on telling you what’s going to come out in advance so it feels a bit like Russian roulette. We did tell our server there was one dish we weren’t keen on, and she managed to get it changed to the one we really wanted, but we would have liked full disclosure before deciding whether to go family style (which we did) or á la carte. From the snacks, Verdial olives were exceptional - the type you find in most good bars in Spain but rarely here. Iberico ham croquettes were good, but the knockout dish was grilled sourdough and hot smoked trout. The flavours of smoke from the grill were vivid, and it's come up in conversations a lot since. From the smaller plates, roast leeks, chopped egg and chicken skin was enjoyable whilst not particularly memorable (and maybe a touch under seasoned), but the chicken liver parfait with caramelised apple and brioche was rich, luxurious and perfect. When it came to the charcoal grill (larger plates) our expectations were completely flipped on their heads. We’d been eager to try the Picana steak with roasted bone marrow, parmesan and anchovy, and while it looked great and the flavours were good, the meat was tough and sinewy, and we didn’t enjoy it. The BBQ cauliflower however, with vadouvan butter, lentils and yoghurt (which we probably wouldn’t have picked) turned out to be one of the most memorable dishes of the night (and the year), culminating in a tussle over the last few scrapes of the plate. The cauliflower was almost meat-like, and the flavours were an another level. It takes a skilful kitchen to make a relatively flavourless vegetable taste this good (although the fact it was swimming in butter helped). The infamous hash brown fries were in fact just hash browns in the shape of chips (we're not sure what we were expecting after the mass hysteria on Instagram), and we couldn’t ascertain much pickled onion from the mayo, which it really could have done with to cut through the fat in the fries. Desserts were chocolate mousse, honeycomb and marmalade ice-cream - all very nicely done - and blood orange doughnuts with buttermilk custard, which had a nice texture but only the teeniest splodge of blood orange. The buttermilk custard was beautiful and delicately flavoured. What about the drinks? The wine list is very short. One sparkling, five whites and five reds – three of each are available by the glass). Personally we don’t think this is enough, and although we did have some lovely wines, if you’re only going to have a list this short, every wine has to knock it out of the park. The Mas Candi Cava is a a brilliant example of Spanish sparkling wine, and it’s refreshing to see something other than prosecco by the glass. For whites we had a Riesling from German producer Geil , which is perfectly good but not going to change your life, and the Spanish Louro from Rafael Palacios , which is stunning. For reds we had a natural Côtes du Rhône from Eric Texier , and an Austrian Blaufrankisch from Murh van der Niepoort . The Blaufrankisch had more to it. We had tasters of a few others but none were hitting the spot. If we were going for a single bottle it would have been Australian producer Jamsheed ’s Syrah, which is a brilliant, vibrant example of new-wave natural wine. And the service? Lovely – informative and accommodating. There when you needed them and not there when you didn’t. Our only issue was the speed the food came out at the start (although this isn’t the fault of the front of house staff). We had two snacks and three starters on the table within 15 minutes of the order going in and had to ask them to slow down. If the courses had been more well-paced and we we were told what was on the family style menu (again probably coming from the kitchen) it would have been a perfect 10. The verdict? This is exciting, innovative cooking from a kitchen that’s not standing still, and whilst it might not have been 100% perfect we love what they’re doing. When they get it right, they really take the food to a different level, and we're planning a return soon. On the night we were there Darina Allen flew in for a few plates before an early morning flight to San Francisco. Clearly the woman has her priorities right. Clanbrassil House 6 Clanbrassil Street Upper, Dublin 8 clanbrassilhouse.com New Openings & Discoveries More >>

The next generation of Dunne & Crescenzi have taken the former Sandymount site and given it a serious upgrade, with dishes like crispy arancini, scampi risotto and an unmissable dark chocolate tart with mandarin olive oil. Big portions, warm hospitality, and very welcoming to families, who pack the place out after school and at the weekends. Locals know how lucky they are to have it, so bookings are recommended. Crudo Website crudosandymount.com Address 11 Seafort Avenue, Dublin 4 Good For Tag 1 Cuisine Tag 1 Once Over Read our Review >> The Story The next generation of Dunne & Crescenzi have taken the former Sandymount site and given it a serious upgrade, with dishes like crispy arancini, scampi risotto and an unmissable dark chocolate tart with mandarin olive oil. Big portions, warm hospitality, and very welcoming to families, who pack the place out after school and at the weekends. Locals know how lucky they are to have it, so bookings are recommended. Where It's At Nearby Locales D'Lepak Pera Borgo Amai by Viktor Kaizen Chubbys Badam Table 45 Comet Daruma Malahide Lena The Pig's Ear Notions @ Two Pups The Rooftop @ Anantara The Marker Sofra Little Geno's Mama Shee Nutbutter Smithfield Shaku Maku Mad Yolks Rathmines Una Choux Bakery Parnell Street Bakery Baily Bites @ Kish Spice Village Terenure