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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Xi'an Street Food Xi'an food diluted for a fast food nation Posted: 5 May 2026 Neighbourhood Neighborhood Name Address Restaurant Address Website Website Name Restaurant Info View the Listing >> Written by: Lisa Cope What's the scéal on the newest Xi'an Street Food? Originally founded in Galway in 2016, Xi'an Street Food opened their first Dublin location in 2018, and have just opened their third and largest site to date on Suffolk Street (where Tolteca used to be). The faceless, Chinese-owned hospitality group behind it was set up in 2012, and seems to have retail shops, Chinese takeaways, and even a smashburger restaurant as part of their portfolio. Xi'an is the one they've hit it biggest with though, thanks in huge part to getting in early on the spice bag train, which has gone on to become a global phenomenon . Did you even visit Ireland if you didn't have one while you were here? In an EU Business article, an unnamed company spokesperson said that Xi'an Street Food had " found a great balance between authenticity and modernity ", which we read as: " Irish people's palates can't handle real Xi'an food so we've made it less spicy/more sweet/less authentic ", but this Suffolk Street branch is the biggest yet, with the biggest menu to match, so maybe our previous underwhelming visits would be banished by this new beauty? Is there more seating here? This is their biggest dining room by far. While the former Tolteca site is relatively narrow, it's long, starting with plenty of two tops and counter seating at the front. At the back it opens up into a wider space, with more two tops, three booths for four, and one long wooden table in the centre that sits 10/12. What's on the menu? A LOT. Too much. There are so many options, and customisable options on those options, that you might feel like running for the door while clutching your head in your hands. It will also come off as nonsensical for anyone familiar with this thrilling cuisine. Why do Biang Biang and Liang Pi noodles have a choice of sauce? Liang Pi in Laksa curry sauce is not Liang Pi. Biang Biang in Dan Dan sauce is not Biang Biang - it's dan dan noodles. Are they trying to mess with our heads? It's like asking what sauce you'd like with your bacon and cabbage - parsley, tartare, or chip shop curry. You order via a QR code with your table number, and the menu online didn't exactly match the printed ones, so steel yourself for some possible on the hoof changes. Then we were brought fortune cookies. Shouldn't these come at the end of the meal? We estimated that 50% of customers were having a spice bag (€9.50), an enormous plate of spicy chips, non-free range, non-Irish chicken, and supposedly vegetables, made with their "secret blend of spices". As we were on a try as much as possible mission we ordered a "tapas" sized (kill us now) mini version (€5.50), and apart from a few cursory chillies on top there was barely a vegetable in sight. It doesn't come with curry sauce either - you'll have to add that on for another €3. We've seen this mini spice bag show up online with plenty of veg, and if inconsistency is this much of an issue with their most popular dish, we can only wonder about the rest. Apart from that major omission, these ain't homemade chips, and we'll happily never eat that chicken again. Here's what else we had... Smashburger spring rolls (€9) : These flavourless, unseasoned parcels would give smashburgers a bad name. Staff didn't know what the sauce was - eventually said "tomato sauce". We found out online it's Ballymaloe relish. A travesty in comparison to Hang Dai's version, which actually tastes like a cheeseburger Pan fried pork dumplings (€9.50 for eight) : These had good flavour, juicy meat and a nice dumpling skirt, but came with no dipping sauce. Vinegar and soy are on the table but no sauce bowls to mix your own. We asked and were brought some but another basic item missed Pickled cucumber salad (€6) : This is a decent smacked cucumber, but sweetness comes through more than acid or heat Stewed beef bao bun (€6): Did you order a swimming pool with your bao? A soggy, claggy, gummy mess. The radish will not save you... The main event, " Xi'an Specialty Noodles " are served in comically large bowls about the size of an adult's trunk, which only serve to make the portions of food look tiny. They're not, but optics and all that. You pick your dish, pick your meat, and pick your sauce, but if like us you want your dishes with the correct ingredients, you want to order the Biang Biang noodles with the home-style special sauce, and the Liang Pi with the Qishan spicy and sour sauce. For the gun gun, soba, rice and other noodles, go nuts. Biang Biang noodles with home-style special sauce and pork (€17.50) : These noodles were pretty good, wide, rough and chewy, but they were slightly overcooked and should have been chewier. The pork (belly, we presumed mince) was minimum 50% fat, and that veg came out of a freezer bag (those swollen, sweaty cubes of carrot will linger on for a while). If they improved the quality of the meat and veg this would be substantially more enjoyable Gun gun noodles with dan dan sauce and duck (€18.50) : These noodles are thin and springy, as opposed to the biang biang's wide and chewy ones, and the sauce was rich in peanuts and chilli. We forgot we'd ordered duck until close to the end - it was so overcooked it had more of beef/pork texture. Stay away from this as your meat choice if you know what's good for you Liang Pi "tapas" (€7) : If you order the full sized version of this (from €15.50) you're forced into choosing meat/veg/tofu to go on top - traditional Liang Pi never has anything else added. This was a sad sample of one of Xi'an absolute best bangers, with all of the savoury, tangy, spicy flavours on mute. And where were the traditional spongy gluten pieces, washed out and reformed in the process of making the rice noodles, to soak up that sauce?? ATF calls this woeful. Go to Biang Biang on Mary Street to taste real Liang Pi. What about drinks? The most interesting drinks on offer here are "Xi'an cocktails" and bubble tea. Although some might consider sangria in a Xi'an restaurant just as interesting. Wine is "white or red", beer is Tiger, Asahi or Tsingtao, and there's soft drinks too. At least some effort has gone into the cocktails, although the "Xi'an spice bag margarita" was just a regular (good) margarita with a tajin rim. A "Ganbay" with baijiu, lemongrass, ginger, kiwi, basil, fresh lime and ginger ale was very nicely done, but served in a silly little glass and was gone in three sips - a child-sized portion of alcohol. How was the service? Friendly but vacant. Helpful but clueless. We asked two different people what the usual sauces for Biang Biang noodles and Liang Pi were. Neither knew, they had to bring in a third. We asked another if the food was spicy, we were told no, mild, when the reality is you pick your spice level when you order. We asked another server what the sauce with the spring rolls was. She didn't know. Our Liang Pi never arrived, and despite staff asking several times if we'd received everything we'd ordered, and telling them no, we still had to flag someone down four times over 30 minutes, and eventually tell them we just wanted a refund so we could leave this torturous place, before it eventually arrived. What did you pay? €110 for enough food for four sharing everything, with three drinks. It's a relatively inexpensive option for a quick bite with friends or family, but as we know, cost and value are two very different things. What's the verdict on Xi'an Street Food? Throughout a very long 90 minutes in here we kept thinking about it as the McDonalds of Chinese food. They're not concerned about keeping the food authentically Xi'an, using quality ingredients, making each dish the very best it could be. This is pile 'em high, turn 'em over stuff, where you may look the other way if you care about where exactly what you're eating comes from. The increasing global fandom of the spice bag has put Xi'an Street Food firmly on the tourist map, and they're going to ride that wave as long as it lasts, but you're not a tourist ticking off a bingo card of Irish Instagram dishes. If you want to eat real Xi'an food go to Biang Biang on Mary Street instead, or get on a plane to any of Guirong Wei's Xi'an restaurants in London, but a few years ago we ate in both on the same week and honestly there was very little in it. If you're just hungover and want a spice bag then knock yourself out. New Openings & Discoveries More >>

Sophisticated French-Irish dining in the beautiful basement of an old Georgian house on Pembroke street. French owner Olivier Meisonnave started feeding the masses in 2004 and Dax has been consistently good ever since, but it got a new lease of life since Chef Graham Neville (formerly of Thornton's and Restaurant Forty One) took over the kitchen in 2017. Dax Website dax.ie Address 23 Pembroke Street Upper, Dublin 2 Good For Tag 1 Cuisine Tag 1 Once Over Read our Review >> The Story Sophisticated French-Irish dining in the beautiful basement of an old Georgian house on Pembroke street. French owner Olivier Meisonnave started feeding the masses in 2004 and Dax has been consistently good ever since, but it got a new lease of life since Chef Graham Neville (formerly of Thornton's and Restaurant Forty One) took over the kitchen in 2017. Where It's At Nearby Locales Yibu by Janet Little Canton Dak @ Bar Anam Mongoose Chongqing Hot Pot Boco Clontarf Bell Pesto Bang Gloria Osteria Cantina Valentina D'Lepak Pera Borgo Amai by Viktor Kaizen Chubbys Badam Table 45 Comet Daruma Malahide Lena The Pig's Ear Notions @ Two Pups The Rooftop @ Anantara The Marker Sofra

The Galway-born burger restaurant, once named the best burgers in Ireland, opened their first Dublin city location in summer 2024. There's beef, chicken and vegan beyond burgers on the menu, as well as plain or loaded fries, and a basic drinks menu. Indoor seating is limited but people tend to eat fast and move on. Handsome Burger Website handsomeburger.com Address Handsome Burger, Chatham Row, Dublin 2, Ireland Good For Tag 1 Cuisine Tag 1 Once Over Read our Review >> The Story The Galway-born burger restaurant, once named the best burgers in Ireland, opened their first Dublin city location in summer 2024. There's beef, chicken and vegan beyond burgers on the menu, as well as plain or loaded fries, and a basic drinks menu. Indoor seating is limited but people tend to eat fast and move on. Where It's At Nearby Locales Yibu by Janet Little Canton Dak @ Bar Anam Mongoose Chongqing Hot Pot Boco Clontarf Bell Pesto Bang Gloria Osteria Cantina Valentina D'Lepak Pera Borgo Amai by Viktor Kaizen Chubbys Badam Table 45 Comet Daruma Malahide Lena The Pig's Ear Notions @ Two Pups The Rooftop @ Anantara The Marker Sofra

Two Faced A classy-casual contrast to the Camden Street crowds Posted: 28 May 2024 Neighbourhood Neighborhood Name Address Restaurant Address Website Website Name Restaurant Info View the Listing >> Written by: Ronan Doyle What should we know about Two Faced? The Drury Street dominance of summer in Dublin may be in for some competition if Montague Street has anything to say about it. This little laneway tucked just off the chaos of Camden Street has had a new lease of nightlife that started with La Gordita last year, and the newest among them is the dual purpose Two Faced , a café by day, wine bar by night, that’s all about bringing a buzzy new energy to this stretch of the city. Where should we sit? You’ll be happy with whatever you can get - space is at a premium here and we’re expecting plenty of disappointed walk-in hopefuls throughout the summer, though the Two Faced team shows no lack of invention in comfortably slotting more people in wherever they can. There’s outdoor seats and space to stand around with a drink too, so even if you’re out of luck on arrival you might only have a glass’ worth of a wait to get seated. Three high two-tops tucked in the back corner make an ideal date night perch for couples or anyone else out for D&Ms, while the communal seating everywhere else, and the conversations it fosters, might well see some new pairings born. The wall-length ledge alongside the entrance strikes us as a little too compact for comfort, but the main central shared table that also hosts the coffee machine and DJ deck at either end is the real heart of the action, and the atmosphere. What’s on the menu? Managed expectations are important here. The vibe of Two Faced ’s evening iteration is very much a wine bar first and foremost, and coming in looking for a muti-course dining experience is not advised. With the tight space and limited prep setup available – we’re talking a fridge and counter-top multi-purpose oven – the team have drawn up a pragmatic menu that’s more about serving the peckish than the full-blown hangry. That needn’t involve too much of a trade-off on quality, and while their space limitations may hold Two Faced back from doing much in the way of dish development, their assorted boards and platters come stocked with plenty of premium produce. Much of the small plate snacks as well as olive oil and balsamic comes via Lilliput, while the tinned Spanish seafood selection that makes up a significant chunk of the menu is all La Curiosa . Whiskey and maple roasted nuts are a good start, with a smoky-sweet duality broad enough to play off a wide range of wine – you get the sense with much of the food here that it’s been thought up as a pairing for the wines, rather than the other way around. That explains ample cheeses with a primarily Irish slant, including a gloriously gooey baked Cavanbert from Corleggy. Its mild, nutty notes balance beautifully off the depth of balsamic grapes and rich sweetness of honey, though the side of sourdough could have used a little more time in the toaster for added crunch. There’s no toasting at all for the focaccia that’s served alongside the stracciatella, and we couldn’t fathom why – the creamy glut of stretched curds needed something more structurally sound to cling to. While the shaved tomato and lime zest sprinkled over the top bring an acid freshness that avoids any sense of one-note richness, this is a dish that works best in small doses, shared around. What didn’t work for us was the ham and triple cheese toastie, pairing Durrus Óg, Bookers Cheddar and Templegall. This is a sandwich whose pedigree can’t be doubted, but the broadly similar flavour profiles of the three makes for a muddled mouthful of no real pronounced character, with the ham getting lost in the mix. Something sharper would have been a better bet to stand out from the crowd. The multi-purpose oven’s limitations are in full view here too, with one side of the bread more soggy than singed – a flip halfway through the cooking time would go a long way. Some eyebrows have shot skyward at the price tag of the conservas, all in and around the €20 mark for a tin served with crisps, crackers and pickles, or a duo of bread and chutney. Bargain deals they ain’t, but these on-trend and additive-free preserves don’t come cheap - with all the bells and whistles, we doubt Two Faced are making a massive margin on any of this. The curried mackerel's flavourful flakes could win over even the most oily fish-averse, and while the mussel paté might be a more acquired taste for some, we found its rich and lightly-spiced appeal pretty alluring. What are the drinks like? There are forty-plus wines on the bottle menu, with a variety of suppliers on board and more in talks to join soon. The result is a mix of reliable standards and more left-field picks, with a price range from €38 to €125 – Two Faced say they're keen to offer as much variety as possible. Co-owner Genie Petrauskaite, heading up front of house, is encyclopaedic on what they’ve got and very helpful in her suggestions - purely for research purposes we tried a good spread of the fifteen BTG options. Best were the floral, fruity and off-dry Bender weissburgunder, perfect with the fish, and the rhubarb-rich Integrale rosé, a moreish pet-nat that tided us over happily while we waited for the first plates to come our way. How was the service? A real highlight - Two Faced ’s team have an ease and enthusiasm about them that just screams passion project. Keen eyes watch the glasses and leap in to offer another with a cheer that’s just the right side of pushy, and while the oven’s scale could make for a bit of a wait if a glut of orders come in all at once, the kitchen looks to be well calibrated to manage the likely demand. And the damage? Three glasses apiece and enough food to leave feeling filled, if not fattened, set us back just short of €60 a head. You could grab a quick glass and a solid snack here before a fuller dinner in the area for a reasonable €20. What’s the verdict on Two Faced? Dublin’s wine bar scene just keeps stepping up gears, with more than ever popping up in quick succession. In that environment, a niche or novelty is needed to stay the course, and with its closest competition coming in the shape of the more formal Frank’s and the most food-forward Bar Pez , Two Faced makes its pitch all about the atmosphere. Warm colours and a friendly air meet bassy beats and spillover street space, for a vibe that above all feels ready to roll with the punches – there’s many kinds of nights that could play out here. As a classy-casual contrast to the rowdier scenes spilling out of bars around the corner, it’s a welcome change of pace. New Openings & Discoveries More >>

Chef Dylan McGrath's Fade Street Social remains ever popular amongst visitors and locals, with two separate food options. The main restaurant downstairs serves a bistro type menu of Irish produce that's "uncomplicated", like oysters, steak and Kilkenny's Goatsbridge trout. Outdoor tables at the front and on their rooftop order from a "wood-fired menu" of pizzas, small plates and meats, all cooked using natural wood and embers. Good selection of vegan and vegetarian food too so plenty to satisfy a mixed crowd. Fade Street Social Website fadestreetsocial.com Address 6 Fade Street, Dublin 2 Good For Tag 1 Cuisine Tag 1 Once Over Read our Review >> The Story Chef Dylan McGrath's Fade Street Social remains ever popular amongst visitors and locals, with two separate food options. The main restaurant downstairs serves a bistro type menu of Irish produce that's "uncomplicated", like oysters, steak and Kilkenny's Goatsbridge trout. Outdoor tables at the front and on their rooftop order from a "wood-fired menu" of pizzas, small plates and meats, all cooked using natural wood and embers. Good selection of vegan and vegetarian food too so plenty to satisfy a mixed crowd. Where It's At Nearby Locales Yibu by Janet Little Canton Dak @ Bar Anam Mongoose Chongqing Hot Pot Boco Clontarf Bell Pesto Bang Gloria Osteria Cantina Valentina D'Lepak Pera Borgo Amai by Viktor Kaizen Chubbys Badam Table 45 Comet Daruma Malahide Lena The Pig's Ear Notions @ Two Pups The Rooftop @ Anantara The Marker Sofra

Allta Bar Casual dining at Allta is an exciting development for the Docklands, with a masterpiece of a burger Posted: 15 Oct 2024 Neighbourhood Neighborhood Name Address Restaurant Address Website Website Name Restaurant Info View the Listing >> Written by: Ronan Doyle What should we know about Allta Bar? The ever-evolving Allta only made it about four months in the OG Setanta Place space that’s now home to Library Street , before the pandemic forced a closure never to be undone. Well received Summer and Winter House popups throughout those strange years added a cocktail bar, Glovebox , to the stable, and while its artsy vibes and great drinks made it a hit, we sensed the dropping of the name for the stripped-back ' Allta Bar ' suggested a change in direction. Since Allta’s new permanent docklands home opened in January of this year, the smaller space to the left of the building has done solid business for a pre and post-dinner drinks – that’s as much thanks to the lack of any decent options nearby as the custom sound system and decks they installed. Something bigger though was always the plan, and the start of the month saw the launch of a new bar menu to turn this section from high-end waiting room to a destination of its own. Where should we sit? With exposed concrete and air vents aplenty softened with fur furnishings and a plethora of plant life, the more casual bar space manages to hit a balance between openness and intimacy. Mismatched swivel and bucket seats as well as benches are set at low tables, for a sit-back-and-sip comfort more fitting for a drinks-only affair. Those out to eat greedily (guilty your honour) might be best off asking for one of the three high-stool two-tops, or taking a space at the twelve-seater circular bar – the lower tables might make you feel you’ve been seated at a kids’ Christmas table, awkwardly leaning forward to cut through a knee-height steak from your lower perch. What’s on the menu? The staff will point your attention toward the oilskin dungaree-clad man in the mural – as if you could miss him – and tell you the tale of Paddy O’Sullivan, the Kerry oyster fisherman whose catch has been on Allta’s plates just as his furrowed brow has been on its walls, since those first days back in 2019. A lesser venue might make this backstory sound like a sales spiel, but true enthusiasm isn’t easily faked, and a passion for provenance is a theme of the meal. Close your eyes as these sizeable specimens slip-side from the shell and you could be head-deep in the waters of Cromane Bay, such is the fresh shock of salt water. As the meat’s sweetness takes over, house fermented hot sauce and mignonette bring a tart and tangy balance, and the wall décor makes more sense as the quality sinks in. Not much can match the gasp-courting quality of a top-tier oyster’s briny blast, but the bluefin tuna makes a good go of it. We’ve seen a few versions of these tartare rosti bites at the new Allta, with mussel and dexter beef last spring a standout, but this latest levelling-up leaves them in the dust. The chilli-citrus kick of yuzu koshō plays off the intense sea-saltiness of the fish and the rosti’s crisp richness, for a snack we slivered off in wafer-thin bites to make it last longer. Pity the poor arancini having to stack up after those two. There’s nothing wrong with Allta’s take on the Sicilian street food, almost obligatory on bar menus these days, but the scale of invention that went before isn’t anywhere in sight here. Tender, fatty flakes of beef shin generously stirred through the bright yellow risotto make for a tasty mouthful and a pretty sight, but sensitive souls that we are we found the saffron notes too domineering. You won’t find Allta’s beef supplier plastered on the wall but Woodtown, proud owners of Ireland’s oldest purebred Jersey herd, have just as prominent a place. Chef and owner Niall Davidson spent time as a butcher and has put a lot of thought into how we can be more sustainable and less wasteful with beef – fatted ex-dairy cattle are the result. At the restaurant side of the house, you’ll find a choice of steak cuts charged by the 100g; here, it’s an even €18 for the cut of the day – if there’s any you’re unkeen on, be sure to ask. Ours was short rib, superbly charred from the alternating grill-and-rest technique Davidson has settled on for his custom beef, with the medium rare interior’s locked-in juices teeming forth from tenderised meat. The thick puddle of horseradish bearnaise is a smart accompaniment, if on occasion a little too sweet for our palates. We know you're dying to know about the Allta Bar cheeseburger that's been touted so much in their promo photos. It's a masterpiece, as good a use as any for this prime meat. House pickles, Mount Leinster cheddar, a fermented potato bun from No Messin’ , and the infamous shiitake miso butter we all licked the jar clean of in those lockdown box days - every element of this is one we would eat in isolation, but brought together it’s the stuff of burger loving dreams, a concert of quality ingredients that bolster rather than bury the beef. The scant serving of chips are hand-cut and triple-fried to moreishness, ill-served by having so few more on either plate - another spud is hardly likely to torpedo the price point. That this is going for €18 is a shock - given the endless gastropubs around the area shilling a basic-as burger for that or more, this feels like the deal of the year. We couldn’t quite say the same for the €28 dessert (not a typo). Six grams of caviar and a strip of gold leaf are primarily to blame for that price point, a luxury temptation that feels out of sorts with the rest of the meal. The minimal waste philosophy is in play again, with potato peels saved from compost and oven-caramelised for an intensely earthy, subtly sweet ice cream. We’ll confess a cynicism that spud scraps and sturgeon egg would make for a sensible pairing, but the silky-soft scoop played so well off the salt-spiked richness of the roe that we ate our words along with our caviar. Tiramichoux is as nice to eat as it is to say, and a good deal less guilt-inducing on your wallet than the ice cream. Have cameras at the ready for the stream of caramel that cascades down the filling of mascarpone cream as you cut through the crisp pastry. The contrastingly light and heavy textures are a wonder to munch through, with the smooth coffee oil ice cream and crunchy cacao nibs adding extra flavour bursts. We might have expected petit fours over at the restaurant, but not so much the bar. A blackcurrant pastille was a densely delicious shock of intense fruit flavour, while a pretty orange caramel bonbon brought a just-right richness to round things off. A pitch-perfect contrast of crisp caramelised exterior and chewy custard centre are the hallmarks of any great canelé; here, as elsewhere, Allta shows its no amateur. What are the drinks like? This new lease of life for the bar brings with it a new cocktail menu, most at a €16 price point that puts it solidly toward the top of the market – we noted that’s a €2.50 hike on the previous list we sipped our way through when the space bore the Glovebox name. The quality has risen along with the price though, and if you’re willing to part with that amount it won't be spent in vain. The Scottish-Irish hybrid 'Rathlin' pairs poitín and Islay single malt with sherry and kelp for a smoke and salt-saturated answer to an old fashioned – what a way to whet the appetite. 'Skellig Michael' sits among the lighter choices, gin spiked with the complexity of Stillgarden’s Glas 55 herbal liqueur and the crisp bite of apple juice. As a fresh foil to cut through richer dishes it works very well. We cannot urge you enough to have an 'Aran' with dessert. Allta’s miso butter shot to fame long ago, but here it’s found an altogether higher purpose washed with Teelings for a butterscotch-scented beauty we want to drink again and again. For those not partaking, the 'Conor’s' gets a kick from Fire & 5th's N/A spirit, played off the zip of a grapefruit and a tarragon sherbet-spiked tonic for a grownup teetotal choice. The solid BTG wine list counts producers we've enjoyed elsewhere in the city like La Sapata, Bulli, Meinklang and Hacienda la Parrilla among the 12-strong choice. There's plenty to enjoy there, and all the more by the bottle, with prices broadly on-par with competitors like Note How was the service? As in the restaurant, the Allta staff are trained to a tee on every inch of the menu, and bristling to be asked for more detail. They will go long and deep on any dish if you care to hear more, without the stuffiness that sometimes brings. Service here is a testament to the reality that you can keep it informal without ever being anything less than deadly serious about great food. The plates here could be wheeled out by mute robots and would still sing, but the staff’s copious pride and passion speaks volumes about the kind of food culture that's been sought out and cultivated, and it’s infectious. And the damage? We had a much fuller feast than we’d expect most to enjoy at Allta Bar – caviar and all – so don’t take our €115 food bill (cocktails came to another €60) as any kind of indication. It is fair to say we went all-in; more normal sorts could exit well fed for €30 a head before drinks. There’s not many places around town you can eat so well for so little. One sore note that we didn’t notice until afterwards was a €6 charge for those petit fours we never asked for. We’d pay it again, but it doesn’t feel right not to know it in advance. What’s the verdict on Allta Bar? For all we’ve loved Allta in its many guises, it’s fair to say it’s never quite been a casual night out – to all but the most devout food fans, this has always been special occasion stuff. This new Allta Bar feels like a conscious effort to elbow into another end of the market, with some dishes – mains especially – clocking in at prices of sensational value for the quality you get. To have ethical, sustainable, seasonal and minimal-waste food this accessible is an exciting development for the city, and we hope it gets as busy as it deserves to be. New Openings & Discoveries More >>

Lena The hype is justified at the buzziest opening of 2025 Posted: 4 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 Lena? It's the new neighbourhood Italian that's taken the place of Locks in Portobello, from the trio who brought us Uno Mas , Enough said? That trio are Paul McNamara (chef and former owner of Locks), along with couple Liz Matthews and Simon Barrett, who own one of Dublin's most consistently brilliant restaurants, Etto , and who later opened Uno Mas with McNamara - also in the very top tier of Dublin dining. It's safe to say that all three are among the best restaurant operators in the city, so the buzz around Lena has been LARGE. What's changed since it was Lock's? The room has had a clean sweep, with the studded velvet chairs removed in place of simple wooden furniture and leather banquette seating. It's all very soft and muted, and it's the same upstairs in the two private dining rooms. It seems that the soft velvet may have helped with the acoustics, as this many hard surfaces in a larger space than their other two restaurants is causing some sound issues - at times we were shouting across the table trying to be heard over the noise of happy diners all around. We're sure they're on the case, but for now we'd leave your granny at home. Where are the best seats? It was by the window in Locks and its by the window in Lena - especially if you're in for lunch. Those canal views are everything after a crazy week on the wheel of life, and if you like to eat on a soft rather than hard seat, go forth and request a table with a banquette. One of the biggest changes has been the new bar installed on the left of the restaurant - prime counter dining real estate with views into the kitchen. Solo diners will love these seats, and they're perfect for a quick pit stop if you don't have time to settle in for a few hours. What should we eat? Like in the other two restaurants, you'll be overwhelmed from all the snacks (antipasti) you'll want to order before even getting to the "primi" and "secondi". From olives and focaccia to prime imported charcuterie and deep-fried deliciousness, you'll need a cocktail while you pick it all apart - the peach spritz and orange garibaldi are ideal low abv openers. The sage leaf and anchovy fritti (€8 for two) are Lena's answer to Uno Mas' gilda - if you come here and don't eat one, have you really been... The mink anchovies are meltingly soft, sidled up next to the perfumed sage in their crispy shells - it's a perfect bite while picking more - order it as soon as you sit. The supplì al telefono (€9 for two), named for the thin cord of mozzarella between two halves when pulled apart resembling a telephone line, are very similar to the tomato and scamorza version that's one of sister restaurant Etto 's signature dishes. If you haven't had supplì they're risotto filled croquettes, similar to arancini, deep-fried, with a cheesy centre. Peak bar snack stuff. We were advised by a neighbouring table that the Lardo di Colonnata toast (€9) was a must order, and when it arrived we initially thought the strips of cured pig fat were cut too thickly, but we were wrong. They gradually melted from the warmth of the toast, and the bits hanging over the site practically dissolved on impact with our mouths - this is superior pig fat. We hadn't planned on ordering the wild sea bass crudo (€15), but when owner Barrett said it was his favourite thing on the menu, what were we to do? There could not be a more perfect palate cleanser after the fried snacks to start, each mouthful of meaty fish, blood orange segments and juice, rosemary olive oil and pops of raw pink radish punching your palate back to life - simple flavours endlessly amplified. Plus, is there a more beautiful looking dish in Dublin right now? Palate cleansed it was onto pasta, and having a soft spot for the worm-shaped pici, the cacio e pepe (€16) was always coming to our table. The pasta is perfect, the trademark pici chew perfected, but the sauce was assertively peppery, more than any other version we've had. If you love pepper, you'll love this, but we would have liked the scales to tip slightly more towards Pecorino. The peppery plate was practically licked clean regardless. Osso bucco with saffron risotto (€32) is one of those "angels singing on high" dishes when in Northern Italy, a good one having the potential to stay with you until you're in the ground. This is a very, very good one, it's hard to imagine better actually, and if you've never had one of Italy's star dishes (which is very possible as we never see it on Dublin menus) go here and have one that's better than many in Milan. Beef shin is cooked for hours in a tomato, red wine and vegetable sauce, served on top of floral, sweet saffron risotto, and topped with lemony gremolata as the final flavour punch. (Sidenote: if you can get your hands on beef shin and want to try cooking this at home, Angela Hartnett's recipe tastes very similar) Other mains include wild halibut (praise be for the lack of farmed fish), beef fillet with pickled onion rings (a nod to Locks), and a whopper bistecca alla Fiorentina to feed 2-3 (€115). There's also a barbecued pork chop with parsnip, coco de paimpol and salsa verde (€32). The smoky meat was pink and buttery, in stark contrast to most things that identify as a pork chop, with parsnip purée, creamy beans, crispy artichoke, bitter endive and tangy salsa verde providing lots of mix and match flavour combos. We enjoyed it a lot, but wouldn't consider it the same level of must order as the osso bucco. Those Etto and Uno Mas crispy potatoes are here too, and rest assured it will be business as usual, so we ordered a side of hispi cabbage with tonnato sauce and capers (€6). The sweet, blackened hispi is as good as cabbage gets, while the rich tuna/anchovy/mayo sauce topped with salty fried capers made for luxury moppage. Yet again we hadn't planned on ordering the chocolate, espresso and olive oil tart, but the manager twisted our arm by telling us we absolutely had to. It's more mousse than tart (getting the soft slices out in such perfect triangles is an applause-worthy achievement), sitting in a puddle of salt caramel and the best olive oil, with espresso ice cream and thin chocolate biscuit sitting on top. It's a dessert you'll moan over, then daydream about. A final foray into a cloudlike, mildly boozy tiramisu with bountiful chocolate shavings on top sent us floating happily off into the night. What about drinks? Like at Etto and Uno Mas, the wine list is one to loiter over - maybe start your studying at home if this is your specialist subject. Bottles start at €33 for basic house white and red, and there's a good selection of glasses (all available in 500ml carafes too) starting at €7.50 and going up to €18 for sparkling Chardonnay. There are wines from every region of Italy, each with a reason for being there, and it's obvious the list was put together with painstaking care and real love for the topic. There are five cocktails too, with a couple of low abvs at the top just the thing to settle you into those seats, as well as Italian and Irish beer, French cider, amari and grappa. How was the service? Just as lovely, charming and skilled as in their sister restaurants - these guys hire well and hold onto good people. Food was fast to start then nicely paced, which is no harm when you've sat down and are desperate for a snack to take the edge off. And the damage? €105 a head before tip for that feast of food, with a cocktail and four glasses of wine between two. Anything else we should know? The private dining rooms upstairs have had a subtle redesign and are crying out for your next group gathering. What's the verdict on Lena? The hype on this one has been big, and did anyone really doubt that Lena would deliver with these three at the helm? McNamara is a spectacular chef, someone who can scoop up ideas from around the globe and execute to perfection, giving the people what they want before they knew they wanted it. He's not trying to crowd please or play anybody's greatest hits, he's cooking dishes they way they're supposed to be cooked - big, bold, and with a face full of flavour. Team those talents with operators like Matthews and Barrett ensuring wine, service, and dining rooms are effortlessly, expertly delivered, and it's a rare and captivating combination. Our first meal in Uno Mas was a lot like this one, and each meal afterwards just got better and better. We're predicting a similar upward trajectory for Lena. New Openings & Discoveries More >>

Part of chef Joginder Singh's Irish empire, with other locations in Blessington and Terenure. A sit-in and takeaway operation above The Bird Flanagan pub, with dishes from a wide range of Indian states north and south, and a frill free room. They've clocked up all the buzz for their Keralan buffet lunch at weekends, with as much as you can handle of up to 20 dishes for a bargain price. Spice Village Website spicevillagerialto.com Address Spice Village Rialto, Above The Bird Flanagan Pub, South Circular Road, Dublin D8, County Dublin, Ireland Good For Tag 1 Cuisine Tag 1 Once Over Read our Review >> The Story Part of chef Joginder Singh's Irish empire, with other locations in Blessington and Terenure. A sit-in and takeaway operation above The Bird Flanagan pub, with dishes from a wide range of Indian states north and south, and a frill free room. They've clocked up all the buzz for their Keralan buffet lunch at weekends, with as much as you can handle of up to 20 dishes for a bargain price. Where It's At Nearby Locales Yibu by Janet Little Canton Dak @ Bar Anam Mongoose Chongqing Hot Pot Boco Clontarf Bell Pesto Bang Gloria Osteria Cantina Valentina D'Lepak Pera Borgo Amai by Viktor Kaizen Chubbys Badam Table 45 Comet Daruma Malahide Lena The Pig's Ear Notions @ Two Pups The Rooftop @ Anantara The Marker Sofra

This ultra-charming Brazilian café in Temple Bar is like a chink of sunlight in a land of twee music and over-priced pints. Run by an Irish/Brazilian couple, you’ll find chewy tapioca wraps filled with Brazilian sausage and Irish cheese, bright and beautiful açaí bowls, and Brazilian snacks like pão de queijo and chicken coxinhas, all delivered by beaming staff who make you feel like you’re being welcomed into their home. The homemade cakes and multi-flavoured brigadeiros are a reason to visit on their own. Toca Tapioca Website tocatapioca.com Address 49 Fleet Street, Temple Bar, Dublin 2 Good For Tag 1 Cuisine Tag 1 Once Over Read our Review >> The Story This ultra-charming Brazilian café in Temple Bar is like a chink of sunlight in a land of twee music and over-priced pints. Run by an Irish/Brazilian couple, you’ll find chewy tapioca wraps filled with Brazilian sausage and Irish cheese, bright and beautiful açaí bowls, and Brazilian snacks like pão de queijo and chicken coxinhas, all delivered by beaming staff who make you feel like you’re being welcomed into their home. The homemade cakes and multi-flavoured brigadeiros are a reason to visit on their own. Where It's At Nearby Locales Yibu by Janet Little Canton Dak @ Bar Anam Mongoose Chongqing Hot Pot Boco Clontarf Bell Pesto Bang Gloria Osteria Cantina Valentina D'Lepak Pera Borgo Amai by Viktor Kaizen Chubbys Badam Table 45 Comet Daruma Malahide Lena The Pig's Ear Notions @ Two Pups The Rooftop @ Anantara The Marker Sofra

Family owned and run café and restaurant, brightening up a monotone business park in Dublin 15. Despite the Asian-fusion tagline, their Filipino heritage appears across the menu, with dishes like kare-kare, tapsilog, and halo-halo for dessert. There are concessions for less adventurous local eaters too. Orani Website instagram.com/orani.food Address Orani Food Café Restaurant, Stemple Exchange, Ballycoolin Road, Blanchardstown, Dublin, Ireland Good For Tag 1 Cuisine Tag 1 Once Over Read our Review >> The Story Family owned and run café and restaurant, brightening up a monotone business park in Dublin 15. Despite the Asian-fusion tagline, their Filipino heritage appears across the menu, with dishes like kare-kare, tapsilog, and halo-halo for dessert. There are concessions for less adventurous local eaters too. Where It's At Nearby Locales Yibu by Janet Little Canton Dak @ Bar Anam Mongoose Chongqing Hot Pot Boco Clontarf Bell Pesto Bang Gloria Osteria Cantina Valentina D'Lepak Pera Borgo Amai by Viktor Kaizen Chubbys Badam Table 45 Comet Daruma Malahide Lena The Pig's Ear Notions @ Two Pups The Rooftop @ Anantara The Marker Sofra

Portobello native Bibi’s opened a little outpost right on the seafront in Dún Laoghaire in 2021, with tables outside and inside. It's the perfect place to grab a bite to eat and take a stroll down to the 40 Foot for a dip, or sit in for breakfast, brunch or lunch, including their famous 'squash eggs'. Bibi's Dún Laoghaire Website bibis.ie Address 2 Windsor Terrace, Dún Laoghaire, Co. Dublin Good For Tag 1 Cuisine Tag 1 Once Over Read our Review >> The Story Portobello native Bibi’s opened a little outpost right on the seafront in Dún Laoghaire in 2021, with tables outside and inside. It's the perfect place to grab a bite to eat and take a stroll down to the 40 Foot for a dip, or sit in for breakfast, brunch or lunch, including their famous 'squash eggs'. Where It's At Nearby Locales Yibu by Janet Little Canton Dak @ Bar Anam Mongoose Chongqing Hot Pot Boco Clontarf Bell Pesto Bang Gloria Osteria Cantina Valentina D'Lepak Pera Borgo Amai by Viktor Kaizen Chubbys Badam Table 45 Comet Daruma Malahide Lena The Pig's Ear Notions @ Two Pups The Rooftop @ Anantara The Marker Sofra

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Amuri Why aren't more people shouting about Amuri? We'll start... Posted: 3 May 2023 Neighbourhood Neighborhood Name Address Restaurant Address Website Website Name Restaurant Info View the Listing >> Written by: Lisa Cope What's the story? Brothers Andrea and Luca Licciardello are from Sicily but have lived and worked in Dublin for over a decade, in various bars and restaurants around town. Opening their own Sicilian restaurant together was always a dream, and it was Covid that handed them the opportunity. They had started a side hustle, importing Sicilian wines into Ireland made by Luca and a friend in Sicily (called GioVinotto ) , and through this got to know the owners of wine shops including The Corkscrew on Chatham Street. Their upstairs tasting room had lain idle during the pandemic, and they were wondering what to do with it, until a conversation with the brothers sparked the idea that maybe they could take it over. The sleekly designed room with its juniper green walls, wood panelling and hanging lights just needed some brightly coloured art-work, cheerful Sicilian cloths, and kitsch Italian ornamets added to the glass cases, and it felt like it was Amuri ' s all along (which was a good thing because the brothers say they had to spend all of their savings along with loans from family and friends just to get the doors open). When it came to the menu, neither of the brothers is a trained chef but say they "know their food" and knew what they wanted to serve, so they employed a chef consultant from Sicily to help with the opening menu, then hired a head chef (originally from Brazil) and sent him to Sicily for two months. One final call to Granny to get her approval on the dishes and recipes and they opened in May 2022. Amuri have had some good reviews (including in the Irish Times and the Sunday Times ) but has never really exploded as one of the city's most wanted bookings. Despite this their online reviews from customers are off the charts, so we thought it was time we paid them a visit. Where should we sit? If you've never seen The Corkscrew's tasting room you'd probably think "wow, these guys must have some serious backers behind them to knock out a room like this", but most of it was here already. Despite this it just fits, feeling fresh and modern, but still homely and warm. The main dining room is where the buzz is, with two window tables offering views out onto Chatham Street (although currently you're looking at a building site that will be the European Commission's headquarters at some point). As well as regular tables there are two high tables for two, and additional tables in another smaller section that you'll walk through on entering, and is marginally quieter if you'd like less animated chatter all around. What did you eat? This is a perfectly sized menu in our book, with five starters, four pastas and a risotto, and three meat and fish options. There are daily specials too so make sure you ask. Currently the lunch menu is the same as the dinner one, but they are introducing an express, less expensive option soon, which we think will make a huge difference to their lunch trade. We ended up here twice in the space of three days, as we couldn't stop thinking about our first visit, so managed to get through quite a bit of the menu. They start (as all good restaurants do) by bring you bread and their own imported olive oil - it's the good stuff. We got foccacia at lunch and sourdough at dinner, and it wasn't obvious if either were homemade, but they filled the hunger gap nicely until the starters. Then, the caponata. Oh the caponata. Close your eyes and you're sitting on the edge of Scopello's natural park, the sun beating down on your face, each forkful more sweet, sour and sunkissed than the last. Aubergine, shallots, peppers, pine nuts, Modica chocolate and some grated ricotta salata (a hard, pressed ricotta) - this dish is pretty much single-handedly responsible for us going back twice in three days, so desperate we were to taste it again. Arancino (an oval version of arancini) is the street food that no self-respecting Sicilian restaurant would leave off their menu, and the one here comes with saffron-scented rice, stuffed with ham and mozzarella, with a ring of burrata fondue for mopping. Crisp, creamy and well-seasoned, you couldn't ask for more from the tear-drop shaped, deep-fried snack. The last starter we tried was the (clearly handmade) tortellini with lamb, broccoli, spinach and shimeji mushrooms. If it sounded insipid by description, it was anything but on the plate. The chewy pasta was toppling over with lamb flavour (we wondered if it was cooked in the stock), with the vegetables and sauce the right combination of salt and acid, with some kind of vinegar, to cut through the pasta and meat, and more of that stellar olive oil. Critics complain a lot about food being under or over seasoned - in here they seem to have it down to a fine art. Of the four pastas, the 'Pasta alle sarde' with sardines, anchovies, fennel, saffron, onions, pickled raisins and breadcrumbs send us flying back to a little Sicilian guesthouse we once stayed in, where the owners' husband fished each morning, and she cooked what he caught. We thought that was the best iteration of this dish we would ever taste, but this one's even better. If you don't order it you'll smell it being carried to other tables and just have regret. Don't have regret. The risotto when we visited was with sun-dried tomatoes, topped with burrata cream and what we think was basil oil, and it's in these simple dishes that the quality of their sunshine-filled, mainly imported ingredients really shouts out. The other pasta we had to order for sheer uniqueness was the 'Caserecce crema di pistachio', with pistachio sauce and guanciale. We half thought this might be some kind of gimick for the 'gram, but oh were we wrong. Despite the cream in the name, there's no cream in here. Instead it's made with cheese (usually Robiola and Parmesan), water, olive oil and nuts, with some expertly rendered, crispy, chewy pieces of guanciale scattered throughout, that every so often pop in your mouth. Joy. Fish options when we visited were halibut (the catch of the day) and sea bream (which was actually sea bass that day), and despite the latter not offering much in the interest stakes, we were drawn in by the fennel, courgette and 'Amuri dressing' (capers, olives and shallots) accompaniments. We had blinked at the prices of €33 and €34 for fish but this was actually a whole fish, stuffed with fish mousse, and would probably be too much for some people. It also came with those €6 roast potatoes with rosemary (more below), which you'll need to order anyway, so take that off. The flavours were deftly Meditteranean with the fish perfectly cooked and still juicy, but we lost interest half way through and it needed more of that salty Amuri dressing. Saying that we all know people who love nothing more than a big hunk of fish for dinner - this is for them. And now the other reason we went running back two days after first visiting. The potatoes. We probably don't even need to talk about these, the pictures surely tell the story, but in case you're in any doubt - fluffy insides, outsides so crispy you'll study them asking "how?", rosemary scented and a generous hand with the salt. This is potato perfection. On our second visit they weren't quite as burnished, so there's a little bit of inconsistency here, but they were still in the top tier of potato sides, Ask for the really, really well done ones if you can. The other side we tried was the tomato, red onion and ricotta salata salad, and these tomatoes clearly didn't grow up on our shores. We asked where they were buying them from, expecting them to name some Italian food importer. Turns out they're walking down to Fallon & Byrne every day because they need such small quantities and "they have the best". That's committment to the cause. The red onion is more sweet than astringent, that olive oil is in good use again, and the ricotta salata is the creamy, salty, icing on the cake. There are three desserts on the menu, the moka pot tiramisu you've probably seen online, cannoli, and the third one might be a chocolate or lemon mousse. Yes the moka pot is a bit of a gimmick, but it's actually the perfect serving size for one, and this is an excellent, nicely boozy tiramisu. A cold lemon mousse came wrapped in white chocolate with confit lemon and meringue, and was a fresher ending if your palate needs wakening up again - although the complimentary limoncello with the bill will do that too. What about the drinks? The drinks list only has wine and after-dinner drinks on there, but they do cocktail specials so be sure to ask if you're told not about them. We loved their take on a Sicilian negroni with Zibbibo white wine instead of Vermouth, and a non-alcoholic option was concocted on request with lemon juice, strawberry purée, egg white and more. As NA options go this was a good one. The wine list is really lacking in by the glass options, with only three whites and three reds by the glass (and two of each are their own imports). We tried their Giovinotto Zibibbo and Frappato and didn't find either overly interesting. There are some Sicilian crackers by the bottle though, like Tenuta delle Terre Nere's Etna Bianco, and COS's Vittoria Rosso, so that's the way to go for us. How was the service? Everyone working here was Italian, which really adds to the "I'm on holiday" feeling. The two brothers work the room, welcoming regulars and chatting with new faces, and there's a jovial atmosphere that just seems to spread from table to table. It's all so very Sicilian, and hard not to get swept up in. What was the damage? A three-course meal for two with four drinks came to €155, which felt like really good value, both for what we ate, and among the current state of pricing in the city. What's the verdict? Why aren't more people shouting about Amuri? Maybe it's because they've managed to continuously improve since opening, and it's more of a slow burn than an initial flash in the PR pan. Either way we felt like we'd been let in on a city centre secret last week, that regulars would be very happy to keep to themselves. So to them, we say sorry. And some more good news. Later this year The Corkscrew will move to a new location beside The Westbury, and Amuri will take over downstairs too, turning it into a more casual place for Sicilian street food. We'll be first in the queue. Amuri 4 Chatham Street, Dublin 2 www.amuri.ie New Openings & Discoveries More >>