Oliveto Housemade coppa, Osso Bucco and all the views in this charming Italian by the sea Posted: 15 Nov 2022 Neighbourhood Neighborhood Name Address Restaurant Address Website Website Name Restaurant Info View the Listing >> Written by: Lisa Cope What's the story? Oliveto started life as a pizza place on Dun Laoghaire's seafront in 2009. After owner Fla Larkin bought the former Kingston Hotel in 2015, he began the slow process of renovating and transforming the building into boutique hotel Haddington House (still ongoing) and part of this was moving Oliveto in on the ground floor. They've never shouted about what they're doing here, leaving locals and those from further away to organically discover it for themselves, but installing former Michelin-starred chef Cormac Rowe to lead the kitchen, and nabbing Barry O'Neill (Gráinne O'Keeffe's sous at Clanbrassil House) spoke volumes about their ambitions. During the pandemic Rowe moved on and O'Neill was bumped up to head chef, then Executive head chef, hiring Francois Jacusse (previously at Woodruff) as his second in command. Everything seemed to be coming up roses, with one great report after another, but then in August of this year, Barry O'Neill tragically, and shockingly, passed away from natural causes. Anyone who'd worked with him seemed griefstruck, his funeral service bursting with those in disbelief that this talented young chef at the peak of his career could be gone. We'd been meaning to get to Oliveto for months, trying once and having to cancel due to unforeseen circumstances, and while very sad we never made it with O'Neill in the kitchen, we had a strong feeling that the team here would be giving it everything they had to keep the standards as high as ever. Where should we go for a drink first? There's only one answer to this question, and that's The Parlour Bar . Haddington House's recently revamped cocktail bar is for our money one of the best in the city, and the amount of work and detail in these cocktails is hard not to marvel at (read our two minute review here ). We loved their 'Vico Crest' as well as their take on a Dirty Martini with olive brine, fennel powder and mint, and not making time for a drink here before or after dinner would be doing yourself over. Where should we sit? If you or something you're with is still Covid-wary, there are three tables on an enclosed outdoor terrace with sea views and heaters above, but you'll still need a jacket if it's chilly as the front is open. Inside has the buzzy feel of a New York brasserie, with lots of corners to hide away in, or you can sit in the middle of the action. Some tables at the front have a great view into the open kitchen and towards the pizza station where the chef is spinning dough, but the most in demand will always be the ones at the window, so request in advance. What did you eat? We started, as all good Italian meals do, with focaccia, but this wasn't very focaccia-like. It more like a white yeast bread, with none of the oiliness, saltiness or deep flavour we were expecting. It came with chilli oil and 12-year aged balsamic which helped things, but when we told the waitress she flew into the kitchen, then flew back saying the chef sends their apologies and it "wasn't their best". She took it off the bill and we thought fair play, perfectly handled, mistakes happen. Head chef Francois Jacusse was formerly at Woodruff (charcuterie masterminds), so our eyes widened when we saw "housemade Andarl Farm pork coppa", with pickles and house sourdough. It's pricey at €16, but if you're going to do charcuterie, do it like this. We loved the pickled onions, green beans and fennel on the side, and we only wished we'd eaten it a bit slower. For our other starter we went for Italian burrata with beetroot and blackberries because we love blackberries but we've never seen them on the side of burrata. Now we know what we've been missing all this time. The roasted almonds on the menu came as hazelnuts (probably better), the lightly pickled beetroot came in slivers and chunks, and the focaccia crisp on the side added yet another texture to a brilliant dish. We would have never have topped it all with dill, but it was a genius addition. Mains were more limited when we visited than what's currently on their website , with five options and a steak special, but everything sounded a cut above your average neighbourhood bistro. Sausage ragu with rigatoni, aged parmesan and pangrattato had the rich depth that only comes from a long, slow cook, the pasta with a perfect bite, the portion generous. 'Ossobucco Milanese' is a rarely sighted thing in Dublin (see also Pala Pizza and Trattoria ), and this "bone with a hole" was a beautiful rendition of the Lombardy specialty. The risotto cooked perfectly with a hint of saffron, the veal shins falling apart with the touch of a knife, the whole thing rich and heady with flavour and scent. The pieces of uncooked tomato on top were definitely not traditional, but actually melded in quite nicely. We feel it's bordering on illegal to not order Tiramisu in an Italian restaurant, seeing how it stacks up against the rest of the city's iterations, and unfortuntely this wasn't one of the best. It looked fancy, but lacked flavour and tasted artificially sweet. There was something that looked like dehydrated chocolate on top, and it was an unpleasant addition to an already disappointing dessert. A vanilla panna cotta with Irish strawberries and almond shortbread on the other hand was perfect, creamy and light, although it felt quite late in the season for strawberries. This nit-picking did not affect the taste. What about the drinks? The wine list is decent, with plenty by the glass and carafe, and enough to keep both lovers of "house wine" and lovers of something more interesting happy. We drank a Primitivo which did the job with the sausage ragu and the Osso Bucco. Italian is definitely the way to go. You can also bring in cocktails (and presumably order them from your table) from The Parlour Bar across the way. This is a very good fall back plan if nothing on the wine list appeals. How was the service? It felt like everyone in here was being treated like a food critic - it's how the very best do it. It's rare to encounter a team where everyone is so affable, so helpful, like they've welcomed you into their own home and want to ensure you have the very best time while you're there. They couldn't do enough for us and everyone else, and it's the kind of service that builds a fiercely loyal customer base (that and the food). What's the verdict? It's hard not to be totally charmed by Oliveto. The place was heaving on a Wednesday night, the room full of animated people sharing food and pouring wine from carafes. The room felt happy, full of happy staff, and happy customers, and while the food wasn't completely faultless we wouldn't hesitate to go back. So many neighbourhood restaurants are box-ticking and boring, totally missing the subset of customer travelling further afield each week in search of excitement on their dinner plate. Oliveto seems to have struck a perfect balance between an approachable menu that won't scare anyone away, executed in a way that will make even the pickiest diners (guilty) very happy. Oliveto @ Haddington House 9 - 12 Haddington Terrace, Dún Laoghaire, Co. Dublin haddingtonhouse.ie/oliveto New Openings & Discoveries More >>

Specialty coffee roaster and restaurant in Smithfield, with brightly coloured plates of food aimed at making you feel good. The menu has influences from around the world, as well as home, and they're always coming up with new dishes for customers to try. Good brunch at the weekend and a nice natural wine list. Urbanity Website urbanity.ie Address The Glass House, 11 Coke Lane, Smithfield, Dublin 7 Good For Tag 1 Cuisine Tag 1 Once Over Read our Review >> The Story Specialty coffee roaster and restaurant in Smithfield, with brightly coloured plates of food aimed at making you feel good. The menu has influences from around the world, as well as home, and they're always coming up with new dishes for customers to try. Good brunch at the weekend and a nice natural wine list. 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

Vietnom Street food that's reason alone to got to Stoneybatter Posted: 30 Oct 2018 Neighbourhood Neighborhood Name Address Restaurant Address Website Website Name Restaurant Info View the Listing >> Written by: Lisa Cope What’s the story? We're really quite into this whole "dingy pub gets great pop up in the back" thing. Between Vurgerface in The Belfry and Dice Bar, Grálinn in MVP and Coke Lane Pizza in Frank Ryans and Lucky's, pub food has never been better. Another one that we've been hearing loads about over the past few months is Vietnom in the back of The Glimmerman pub in Stoneybatter, and while the idea of Vietnamese/Mexican fusion wouldn't have had us running for the Luas, after two excellent reviews in The Irish Times and the Irish Independent we had to check it out for ourselves. Set up by chef Milly Murphy and Alex Gurnee earlier this year, the menu at Vietnom changes every week, and most things on the menu are vegetarian, with at least one vegan option. They work with what's local and seasonal, growing some vegetables themselves, buying others from organic farms, and sourcing only free-range meat and eggs. So far so good. Where should we go for a drink first? The Glimmerman is atmospheric to say the least, with Charlie Haughey and Margaret Thatcher in a bed hanging from the ceiling, beer mats all over the walls and more nooks and crannies than we thought was possible to fit in a single pub, so a drink here is a good shout. Otherwise you've got L. Mulligan Grocer for an immense craft beer selection, The Cobblestone for traditional Irish music, or Walsh's, which was named best pub in Dublin at this year's Irish restaurant awards. Where should we sit? There's loads of seating out the back, ranging from quirky to "I'm sitting on a plastic-covered leather sofa in the middle of a tip", but with the weather turning colder you'll want a good winter coat to eat outside. Luckily the pub are cool about bringing the food inside, so just sit wherever you can find some mismatched furniture. What's good to eat? The menu is short with three main options both times we visited - tostadas, banh mi and fried rice. Ingredient and flavour combinations change each week and we tried everything twice, loving all of it. We marginally preferred the tostada with cauliflower, peanut sauce, chilli and pickled onions to the one with squash, tomatillo salsa and toasted sesame, but there wasn't a lot in it. We much preferred the banh mi with caramelised ginger and apple roast pork to the one with paneer, finding it lacking in flavour - the same could not be levied at the pork, and the lovely crunchy vegetables jammed in alongside it. Our only complaint is that we like a crisper bread for banh mi, Vietnom's being a soft sourdough, but they've had it designed especially for them and it's exactly what they're going for so we might be alone on that one. Both courgette and broccoli fried rice came topped with an assortment of nuts, chillis, pickled onions, herbs and flower petals, and might have been our favourite thing here. To make something as plain as rice taste this vibrant takes skill, and the courgette in particular was verging on "food crack". There was so much food we took some home and there were fork fights over the last of it the following day. What about the drinks? Those clever Vietnom people, knowing the type of customer they were likely to attract with their food, convinced The Glimmerman to stock a couple of very nice, inexpensive wines to go with it. Ciú Ciú are an organic producer from the Marche region of Italy and both the white and red blends are excellent, particularly for €6 a glass. We'd go so far as to say these could be the best value wines in any pub in the city right now (accounting for the quality). If you're going to drink wine here, this is what you want. Forget the rest. And the service? Alex and Milly do everything themselves, with a smile on their faces, and are happy to answer questions about the food or make recommendations. We also found The Glimmerman staff lovely, particularly the younger members of the team who were just super friendly. The verdict? Vietnom alone is worth a trip to Stoneybatter. They can do as much 'fusion' as they want if it tastes this good, and with their focus on local produce, organic vegetables and free-range meat and dairy, it's fast food to make you feel good. Go soon, go often, and order everything. Vietnom The Glimmerman, 14 Stoneybatter, Dublin 7 @vietnom New Openings & Discoveries More >>

This little hatch on Malahide's New Street serves Indian family recipes and more mainstream lunch options. Coffee is by Ariosa and seating is only outdoors, so best kept for dry days if you want to sit while you eat your potato curry or chicken salad. A Do Website @ado_coffeetogo Address 2 New Street, Malahide, Co. Dublin Good For Tag 1 Cuisine Tag 1 Once Over Read our Review >> The Story This little hatch on Malahide's New Street serves Indian family recipes and more mainstream lunch options. Coffee is by Ariosa and seating is only outdoors, so best kept for dry days if you want to sit while you eat your potato curry or chicken salad. 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

Kaizen Go all in on dim sum in Ka Shing's Dublin 15 sibling Posted: 5 Aug 2025 Neighbourhood Neighborhood Name Address Restaurant Address Website Website Name Restaurant Info View the Listing >> Written by: Lisa Cope What's the story with Kaizen? The Chinese restaurant specialising in dim sum opened on the outskirts of Blanchardstown shopping centre last October. While we don't make a habit of going to shopping centres for our dinner, we'd make an exception here for two reasons. 1) It has the same owners as city centre dim sum den Ka Shing on Wicklow Street, serving their now famous food since 2013. 2) Dublin 15 is one of the worst suburbs in the capital for exciting places to eat, and if we had a euro for every reader complaint we get about how "there's no where to eat here!", we could retire from food writing. Where should we sit? We were taken aback by how beautifully appointed the upstairs room is (there is a lift and wheelchair accessible toilet for anyone who needs it). There's a very grand feeling to the marble effect floor, black chairs and gold accents, including on the dividers separating the tan leather booths. There's every type of table configuration you could want in here, but for groups of four we'd ask for a booth at the window. For larger groups, or if you have a buggy or other extraneous materials, you'll be more comfortable on the circular tables in the centre surrounded by plenty of space. Of course there's a large table with a Lazy Susan for easy sharing of dishes, and we saw a separate room in the back where it looked like a child's birthday party was taking place - beats the food at Funky Monkey's any day. What's the menu like? There are two menus in here - the dim sum one, and the Cantonese one. Our advice is to go all in on dim sum, and forget the rest. Two of our favourites were the char siu cheung fun (€7.50) - slippery lengths of rice noodle filled with smoky, sweet pork and greens; and the deep-fried taro croquette (€7.50) - a crispy croquette filled with the yam-like root vegetable, encased in the most delicate wisps that dissolve as soon as they hit your mouth. Stunning pastry skills. Xiao long bao (soup dumplings, €8.50) had deeply flavoured pork inside a chewy dumpling case, but in some the soup had already seeped out, while pork and prawn siu mai (€7) were a decent example of one of dim sum's most popular dumplings, with chunky pieces of prawn. Make sure to order the cucumber with black vinegar (€6) - crunchy, refreshing lengths of green veg in the tangiest dressing with little punches of garlic and chilli. Salt and pepper squid "whiskers" were the oily antidote to its freshness, but with tender tentacles and salty veg tossed through. We've never met a BBQ pork bun we didn't like (€7), and that didn't change here, the soft, fluffy buns encasing sweet, smoky chunks of char siu pork. Use the chilli oil on the table to amp up the heat. The swan puff pastries might look more like dessert, but there's a savoury and a sweet version. The savoury (€9.80) comes deep-fried, filled with custard surrounded by the crispest pastry layers and an edible neck and head, and they are so delicate, and so delicious, you may need all of your willpower not to order a second round. Beef balls with tangerine peel (€7.50) were a curveball order that paid off. Despite their semi-raw looking appearance, the juicy spheres had deep layers of savoury flavour, and the tangerine, vinegary dipping sauce was the lift it all needed. Pork ribs with garlic (€7) on the other hand would not be on our reorder list, with too much bone and fat and nowhere near enough meat. What about the Cantonese food? We got the feeling this isn't why they get out of bed in the morning, and it's more a case of giving the people what they want, than giving them what they need and they just don't know it yet. There's plenty here to satisfy diners, but it's not the reason we'd be making a special trip to Dublin 15. Firstly lots on the online menu wasn't available in the restaurant (we really wanted that meat floss), so prepare for possible disappointment. We love the semi-healthy feeling we get from prawn yuk sung (€12), with the finely chopped stir fry served in lettuce leaves that you roll up and scoop into your mouth. The one here is excellent, with all the expected flavours of oyster, soy and rice wine and sesame coating those chunks of prawn, pork and veg. A hot and sour soup passed the litmus test, but won't be winning any awards any time soon for outstanding flavour or generosity of ingredients, especially for €9.50. Barbecue spare ribs were too sweet for our palates, with not enough complexity in the flavours to make up for the sugary slant. The meat was as tender as you would hope for, but it didn't feel particularly generous for €10. We were hoping the Cantonese roast meats with rice (three for €30) might be another reason to hightail it to Blanch, but we didn't find anything travel worthy there either. The roast duck, honey roast pork char siu, and Macau-style roast pork belly were all drier and less juicy than we were expecting, and they felt more like a tick box exercise than something that's someone's staying awake nights trying to figure out how to improve. Beijng-style lamb (€25) is one dish we would order again, with rich umami flavour and plenty of veg, although research suggests this should be more of a slow-braised style, than Irish takeaway-style, complete with plenty of cornflour to increase the gloop factor. Tasty? Yes. Authentically Chinese? The jury's out. Last for the Cantonese mains was Beef Ho Fun (€25), a smoky, charred, oily mound of flat rice noodles with tender beef, onions and beansprouts. The beautifully charred flavours make it hard to stop going back for more, but the high fat content makes this one to share, or your stomach will tell you all about it. Desserts are worth saving space for, and were considerably more interesting in the restaurant than online's "deep-fried banana" and "sticky toffee pudding". Staff tried to turn us off ordering the "trendy little white jelly bunnies" (€7.50), and they are just a watery/milky jelly with little flavour, but kids will love the fun factor. The pandan and pumpkin sponge cake (€8.50 is where the big flavours are at, with an airily light swiss-style sponge and layers of pumpkin caramel in between. Served barely warm, it's all too easy to eat. What about drinks? The wine list is predictably commercial and uninteresting, but we had a (just about) drinkable glass of Albariño . We couldn't bring ourselves to try the cocktails, which include "Pornstar on the beach", and the long lost "Long Island Iced Tea". 2005 called - they want their cocktails back. How was the service? Quiet and uneffusive, but efficient. They're also happy to let you order at your leisure, a few plates at a time, which means you can make your meal as short or as drawn out as you like. How much should we budget per person? With dim sum coming in on average at €7 - €8 per plate, a spend of €25 per person will supply a feast of dumplings, buns and cheung fun, which sounds almost ludicrous in today's market. When we went back to try the Cantonese menu our bill was double, for far less impressive food. What's the verdict on Kaizen? You'll forget about the shopping centre surroundings as soon as you climb the stairs into Ka Shing's grandly-appointed sister restaurant, and it's not often the toilets are a highlight of a dining visit, but it's another thing to look forward to (we won't ruin the surprises). Our advice is to go all in on the dim sum, and take advntage of what has to be one of the best value dining experiences in Dublin. New Openings & Discoveries More >>

Mamó A blast of fresh air for Howth Posted: 15 Oct 2019 Neighbourhood Neighborhood Name Address Restaurant Address Website Website Name Restaurant Info View the Listing >> Written by: Lisa Cope What’s the story? There are certain types of people residing in Dublin who frequently make grand statements such as "there's nowhere to eat in *insert suburban town/village/street here*", while others look on in confusion thinking, "but there's 36 restaurants there?" (We may or may not be guilty of such statements.) What this actually means is "I'm aware there are 36 restaurants there but none are exciting enough to make me get off my bum and pay someone a substantial amount of money to cook my dinner", and one of the postcodes that's fallen into this bracket over the years is Howth. Yes there are plenty of restaurants, yes there's a decent (could be better) amount of fresh fish, but it always felt like a trick was being missed, and the culinary dynamism that's been taking over the city centre at full force hadn't quite reached here. So when we heard that ex- Etto front of house Jess D'Arcy and chef husband Killian Durkin (ex-Thornton's, Chapter One and Charlotte Quay ) had signed the lease on a harbour facing site earlier this year we felt a shiver of excitement. They describe Mamó (Irish for grandmother) as "a contemporary European dining experience in a relaxed and friendly setting", and a showcase for North County Dublin's abundant produce, as well as lesser known fish that they can buy directly from the boats. With Jess coming from Etto we had high hopes for the wine list, and a quick look online showed sherries, lesser known producers and no prosecco. So far, so ticking all of our boxes. They opened the doors at the end of September, and initial reports suggested our excitement was going to be justified. Where should we go for a drink first? The good news is there's no shortage of pubs in Howth. The bad news is if you're looking for something other than beer or gin you may struggle. The Bloody Stream is a cosy place to huddle up with a pint if it's cold outside, the Abbey Tavern up the hill on Abbey Street claims to date from the 16th century, and if you're after a more "modern" selection of drinks head for Wrights Findlater . They also have a roof terrace if it's warm enough to sit outside. Where should we sit? The dining room is cosy and quite compact - be careful what you say as it's likely your neighbours will hear you. There are tables and counter seating (perfect for eating alone ) as well as four tables outside - we don't need to tell you how in demand these are going to be come spring. For the moment heaters have been ordered. The two tables at the window with a view of the harbour are the ones to plump for if you have a choice, or the counter's lovely for one or two. What's good to eat? The menu is divided into snacks, starters, mains, sides and desserts, and as seems to be the case more and more lately we're finding ourselves more drawn to smaller plates than larger ones - probably because it allows us to try more food. The menu is changing regularly depending on what's available but if they're on as a snack when you visit do not miss the confit potato chips with taramasalata - Mamó's take on fish and chips. Salty, vinegary, creamy, fishy, and exactly the type of culinary excitement we've been looking for from a restaurant by the sea. Herby, garlicky razor clams with a macadamia nut crust were perfection on a plate (the flavour still hasn't left us), and chicken liver parfait with chicken skin crisps and crispy onions was gone in seconds. Both are must-orders if they're on. Good sourdough bread comes as standard and they plan on varying up the butters. At the moment it's a Vadouvan butter (similar to a masala spice blend) with flakes of sea salt on top. It was whipped to the point of fluffiness, and the bread comes in very handy for mopping up the last few smears of chicken liver parfait. From the starters we had a mackerel tartare with orange and pressed cucumber, which was like a Peruvian ceviche cleverly served with crisps. We are very much here for the zing and freshness of a well-made ceviche and the accompanying crunch of salted crisps, and think that variations of this will be one of their signature dishes (read: please don't ever take it off). Another starter of tarragon gnocchi in a porcini broth felt like an ideal plate for a cold day, and managed to feel light despite the rich, savoury flavours. Killian is apparently known for his homemade pastas so we look forward to more of those hitting the menu over the coming months. A main of wild black pollock with sobrasada, Lambay crab and coco de paimpol broth was well balanced with a tingle of heat and excellent fish, but wasn't as memorable as some of the smaller dishes. They also do an Etto-style Côte de bœuf from Higgins Butcher to share with bearnaise sauce and crispy potatoes, so that's on the agenda for a return trip soon. We did have the crispy potatoes as a side and they're up there with Etto in terms of their ability to turn a table of adults into a pack of scrambling animals desperately fighting over the last few crunchy bits. Another side of carrot salad with tahini and pomegranate didn't really do it for us, and felt like it was lacking seasoning. For dessert the Howth honey tart with sea salt ice cream is another we're hoping is a permanent fixture. Honey comes from up the hill where there's also an allotment they're on a waiting list for, and it's hard to think of a more thoughtful, of-the-moment ending to a meal here. Another of dark chocolate ganache with blueberries and Italian meringue was luscious, but the portion sizes didn't allow either to feel overwhelmingly sweet. We're still regretting not ordering the Old Groendal cheese with poached pear and Guinness bread, so that's high on the list for next time. What about the drinks? We're big fans of small production/on the natural side wines, but have been growing weary of seeing the same names on every new wine list in town, so it was refreshing to see a lot of lesser known producers here, and Jess is more than happy to talk people through them and make recommendations. Anywhere serving sherry by the glass gets bonus points from us, and offering something sparkling other than prosecco by the glass gains more again - here it's a great value sparkling Chardonnay from the Loire called 'Tuffeau' from Domaine Plou. There are 13 wines by the glass and we asked them to bring what they thought would work for each dish. They were on the money every time, particularly a dry furmint from Tokaji in Hungary with the mackerel tartare. And the service? This is very much a family operation with Jess' brother helping her front of house and the rest of the crew calm and tight knit. Jess is very much the hostess making sure everyone is well looked after, and while we were there she had to graciously turn away guest after guest without a booking - but not without making sure they had the restaurant's card with booking details, and telling them they would love to welcome them another time. It's not often that people leave a restaurant this happy when they haven't been able to get in. The verdict? Mamó is a breath of fresh air in sleepy Howth and it feels like it's been a long time coming. We're looking forward to seeing it settle in and just hope that the tourists don't find out about it too soon or we may struggle to get a table forever more (especially in summer, picture the scenes). At the same time, we're excited about visitors experiencing this new iteration of Irish food in such a tourist hotspot and going home to tell everyone about it, so basically you can't win. A drawn-out, lazy Sunday lunch here would be just the way to end the week, or a midweek evening stroll along the harbour followed by ceviche, 'fish and chips' and all the wine sitting up at the counter would be as good an antidote to hump day as we can imagine. Mamó Harbour House, Harbour Road, Howth, Co. Dublin mamorestaurant.ie New Openings & Discoveries More >>

Roots Restorative dining goes on the road Posted: 29 Oct 2019 Neighbourhood Neighborhood Name Address Restaurant Address Website Website Name Restaurant Info View the Listing >> Written by: Lisa Cope What’s the story? Roots is a pop up partnership between chef Keith Coleman and partner Aisling McHugh, and while this is a once over with a difference, in that they're nomadic so we can't give you an address, Roots is something you should know about, and will feel better for having been a part of. The couple moved home from New Zealand five years ago with designs on opening their own place, but high rents coupled with demand, as well as the somewhat new phenomenon of 'key money' put paid to that, so they ended up working in some of the city's best cafés, like The Fumbally and Bibi's , before being offered the opportunity to run Fia in Rathgar, with Keith in the kitchen and Aisling front of house. Fia almost immediately became one of the city's most sought after brunch spots, with weekend queues that were the stuff of legend, but it was when Keith started his Roots Pop Ups that people started talking about his food instead of Fia's. The first pop-up was in 2017 with Cúan Greene (now head chef at Bastible ) who was home from Noma in Copenhagen for a stint before heading to Mexico to launch the infamous Noma pop-up in Tulum. The next was with Eric Hellig (formerly of Heron & Grey, now Liath ), then came one in Bibi's with friend and ex- Momofuku chef Joshua Plunkett. Last year Keith and Joshua popped up again in Green Man Wines in Terenure, with Keith staying on to do a residency. Just before he was due to move on, Catherine Cleary reviewed the wine bar turned restaurant in the Irish Times giving it 9.5/10 and saying, "we’ve waited a long time for someone to bring wine lovers and food lovers together over plates of brilliantly creative food in a casual friendly place." That day the Terenure wine bar booked out for weeks. So what's happening now? In August this year the Keith and Aisling officially launched ' Roots ' as a travelling food concept, hosting intimate pop-up dinners across Ireland. They recently moved from Dublin to Slane, and harbour a dream of opening a destination guest house, organic farm and bakery in the future - we wait in hope for that one - but in the meantime we'd been very jealous of the feedback from a dinner series they did in the Hang Tough gallery in Portobello at the end of the summer, so when we heard their next pop up was going to be Sunday lunch at McNally Family Farm in North County Dublin we jumped on the tickets - and got the last two. What's the venue like? McNally Family Farm is our favourite place in Dublin to go vegetable shopping, and the sheer amount of organic produce they manage to grow in an Irish climate is mind-boggling. If you haven't been we'd really recommend a Friday or Saturday trip to their farm shop and newly opened café. Keith and Aisling have been working on the farm recently learning about everything that grows there, so the recently renovated barn seemed like the perfect place to do it. What's good to eat? With their pop ups we imagine it will be usually a case of putting yourself in their hands for a no choice tasting menu, and these are very good hands to be in. Their initial description of "some individual snacks followed by a sharing main course and a dessert" was massively over-delivered on, and one look at the menu up on the wall had all kinds of excitement running through the room. The couple came out at the beginning to talk everyone through the dishes, and explain that a lot of the vegetables were only picked that morning - it's hard to imagine a more idyllic set up for a vegetable based pop up than the farm the vegetables were picked on. First out were rosa radishes with a green tomato emulsion made from tomatoes that hadn't ripened and Irish rapeseed oil. With these came char-grilled cucumbers filled with pumpkin seed miso, and Keith Coleman must be one of the only people in the country who can make hot cucumbers taste good. After this came burnt leeks with leek top mayo, from which there is no going back. This was peak leek, and the perfect illustration of what happens when sensible use of seasonal produce meets someone who seems to have a natural gift for creating maximum flavour from minimal ingredients. Thick slices of Scéal sourdough followed with lovage butter (all aboard the lovage train), and then a borscht-like beetroot soup with horseradish cream and fennel flowers for a kick of aniseed as it went down. This was fresh horseradish grown on the farm in case you were imagining a jar of Coleman's, and it was a delicate, silky bowl of warmth, sweetness and general soothing. After this came the main affair of lamb rump with blackberry and elderberry. The meat tasted like it was fresh from a summer barbecue, almost making us forget we were in a converted farm barn in October in 6 degrees celsius (there's heaters, it's fine), and was covered in the most intense, thick berry sauce, like Michelin-starred ketchup. Sweet + smoke = happiness. This came with four sides, including cold slices of kolhrabi marinated with dandelion, which was almost like a palate cleanser between bites of everything else, and char-grilled cauliflower with a Drumlin cheese and beer sauce - which was exactly as good as you're imagining it to be. The other sides were flower sprouts (a cross between Brussels sprouts and kale) with fermented black garlic, which were chewy, sticky, flavour-filled mouthfuls, and Orla potatoes dripping in what tasted like butter and herbs, which are baby potatoes somewhere between waxy and floury, and which seem to have the best qualities of each. Every vegetable was prepared relatively simply, using one or two other ingredients max, yet they tasted like the best possible versions of themselves. That's what serious kitchen talent can do. Dessert was a whipped lightly minted cream over cape gooseberries with honeycomb (from the farm's beehives), an elegant and thankfully light end to a Sunday feast - barring much honeycomb stuck in teeth but that comes with the territory. What about the drinks? For the moment their pop ups are likely to be BYO unless the venue has an alcohol licence, so we took a bottle of Judith Beck 'Ink', an Austrian blend of Zweigelt and St Laurent (available in Green Man Wines and Loose Canon ) which was pretty dreamy with the lamb - and the cold weather. Aisling had also made cordials/juices including sorrel and mint, hawberry and rose geranium and blackberry, thyme and juniper, which were all lovely to alternate with, and a bonus for the drivers. And the service? On their website Aisling and Keith describe Roots as "an experience where our guests feel like they’re at home, with friendly faces around them who are eager to converse and get to know one another," and this is exactly what they've created, through the use of a single communal dining table, sharing plates, and both popping heads in constantly to check on everyone, as if you're at a dinner party in someone's home. It's hard not to be struck by how meaningful the experience is, and how much of the people behind it comes through on the plates and in the room, so it feels like everyone there is in on something special. The verdict? The root of the word restaurant comes from the word "restorative", as when restaurants as we know them today started to open in Paris in the 18th century they were seen as a way to restore your body and soul. That's exactly what Roots does - restores you through food picked metres from where you're sitting, cooked in a way that respects what it is and isn't trying to turn it into something else, and makes you feel better from the inside out just for having been a part of it. With people finally starting to come around to the importance of both using and eating Irish produce, Keith and Aisling are an example for others to follow, and we have little doubt that this farm/guesthouse/restaurant they're dreaming of is going to be big news when it finally comes together - possibly scene-changing. At Food On The Edge in Galway last week one of the chefs who was giving a talk said "having good food is a way to respect yourself, it's self-care", and we can think of few other places bringing this to life in such a vivid way right now. Roots are hoping to host more pop-ups on the McNally farm (and other places), but sign up to their mailing list or follow them on Instagram to hear about what's next. Roots Hopefully coming to a venue near you soon rootsproject-ie.squarespace.com New Openings & Discoveries More >>

Taste of Hong Kong Chinese roast meats are the main attraction at this new quick stop café Posted: 14 May 2024 Neighbourhood Neighborhood Name Address Restaurant Address Website Website Name Restaurant Info View the Listing >> Written by: Lisa Cope What do we need to know about Taste of Hong Kong? Since the demise of CN Duck in Ranelagh (which still hurts, thank you for asking), and then the closure of Duck on Fade Street at the end of 2023 after a damning closure order from the HSE, Dublin has been lacking a Chinese roast meats specialist in a casual, quick eat setting. So when Taste Of Hong Kong opened a few weeks ago in one of The iLac's units on Moore Street, social media feeds started spreading the good word fast. The seven day a week, all day opening looked like it could be the Hong Kong café-style replacement to plug the roast meats gap, so pretty quickly we felt the pull of crispy duck skin and char siu pork to see how it measured up against its predecessors. Information on the background here is scant, with staff telling us they think it's the owner's first restaurant in Dublin but couldn't be sure, and that the chef previously cooked in Duck before it closed. That's all we could pry out of them. Where should we sit? Wherever you can get a seat along on the right-hand side of this narrow room. There are only 16 so you might have to wait if it's busy, but they'll take your name and give you a rough idea of when to come back. You can also stand inside the door but it's tight. What are we ordering? You're here for the roast meats, cooked in a specially imported bullet oven which allows hot air to circulate better than a regular one, but there are a couple of other things you can bulk up your order with. The very depressing thing is that everything comes in plastic containers, with the soup containers extra sturdy and branded, so it doesn't look like this is set to change. Ideal for collection and delivery orders, less so for all those dining in. Please God let them recycle. Duck spring rolls (€6 for two) were obviously made in house, having the sightly uneven feel of being made by hand, not machine. The vegetable, vermicelli and duck filling was pleasant, and the pastry crisp, but we've had better spring rolls in the city. Pork dumplings (€10 for eight) were also clearly made in house, the thick doughy wrappers hiding well-flavoured, steaming pork interiors. We planned on trying one and taking the rest home, but we couldn't stop going back for more - chilli oil drizzled (or drowned) on top is a must. Onto the main reason you're here, and the format is simple. You can either order a rice bowl or noodle soup, topped with one or two choices (two is a "double") from roast duck, char siu pork, crispy roast pork and soya chicken. You can also order extra portions of the meat as "sides". If you do like we did and get a double rice and a double soup you'll be able to try all four. The presentation won't be winning any awards, but that's okay, you're here for the taste. The skin on our roast duck was more slippery than crispy, and we got the leg so there was a lot of bone to work around to find the chunks of juicy meat - you'll need your napkins. The char siu was wrapped in that sweet, smoky flavour punch we love so much, but some of the meat was dried out and chewy. A rice bowl comes with four leaves of just cooked pak choi draped over the top, and small plastic tubs of soy sauce are brought to the table (why not a glass bottle?) so you can dress with that and chilli oil to your tastes. For the noodle bowl we ordered the remaining two meats of soya chicken and crispy roast pork. The chicken had the juicy texture of a bird braised in flavoursome liquid over a few hours, and the pork had thin crisp skin and tender meat, but felt a bit one note after a few pieces. Overcooked, basic wheat-flour noodles came in a rich chicken-flavoured broth, with more pak choi and spring onions on top. It's comforting, waming food, but more bite and less sogg in the noodles would have been appreciated. A soy marinated egg (€1) would have been so much better with a soft, fudgey yolk (this one was practically chalk). What about drinks? Softs and water only. Nothing to report. How was the service? Once you're ready to order you do so at the till, paying at the same time. Our friendly server brought the food when it was ready, and things were pretty nicely spaced for such a casual place - we thought it would all be fired out together. Anything leftover can be packed up in your boxes and taken away - you'll just need to ask for a lid. What was the damage? €47 for enough food for lunch for two, and enough leftovers for the same again for dinner. If you like the food this will be a very easy place to justify returning to again and again. And the verdict? Dublin once again has a quick-stop Chinese roast meats café, and while we're not sure the initial excitement around Taste of Hong Kong bears out in the execution, there are plenty of no frills places like it in Hong Kong, feeding the masses day in and day out. It's more Duck than CN Duck , but if you're missing the former you'll be glad to have found it. New Openings & Discoveries More >>

D'Lepak Superior Malaysian street food hidden away in suburbia Posted: 14 Oct 2025 Neighbourhood Neighborhood Name Address Restaurant Address Website Website Name Restaurant Info View the Listing >> Written by: Lisa Cope What's the background on D'Lepak? Wife and husband team Ira (front of house) and Sydian (chef) came to Dublin from Malaysia 23 years ago, with both working in hospitality across restaurants and cafés. A year ago the Palmerstown café in the middle of a housing estate that Sydian worked for (Easy as Pie) decided to close, and the couple decided to take the leap and bring the food they eat at home to Dublin 20 locals, but were they ready for it? Ira said that at first regular customers didn't know what to make of the new dishes, asking if they could still get their usual burger or chicken salad. They kept these items on the menu, supplementing with iconic Malay dishes like curry puffs, Nasi Lemak and Mee Goreng, but she says that now most people have come around, and order the Malay dishes over the old Western ones. They would love to get to the point where these dishes are removed completely, and we think that would be the turning point for D'Lepak to gain a wider following, moving from a locally loved café to a Malaysian food destination. What's the seating situation? This is a café set up, so not somewhere you're likely to settle in for hours. Chairs are hard plastic or backless cushioned benches (most with cushions), but it's a sweet place to sit surrounded by Malaysian artwork and fans, and a large fake flower wall complete with "just lepak and chill!" in neon letters. Some Gen-Z driven Instagram/Tiktok thought went into this decor. There's a cute garden out back too if it's mild enough for outdoor dining, with more fake flower + neon sign photo opportunities just crying out for a place on your social feeds. They do take reservations so you can also request where to sit (benches by the window for us), but when we tried to use their online system it wasn't working so we had to call. What's on the menu? You have to cut through a fair amount of filler food to get to the supremo Malaysian stuff, but that's where we come in useful. Needless to say you are not here for the chicken burger, steak salad, or chips, but from the Asian sections there are some key winners and ones to avoid. Beef and lamb are Irish, but chicken may not be, so avoid as required. The only two small plates that are fully homemade are the curry puffs (or karipap) and the Malaysian chicken satay skewer (€10.90), and these should both be in your order. You want to talk about going the extra mile? D'Lepak's satay sauce is from a family recipe, made with fresh ingredients and zero shortcuts, including grinding peanuts fresh instead of using bought in peanut butter. The barbecued chicken skewers are smoky and tender, and while the plain chunks of cucumber, red onions and compressed rice cubes might seem dull at first glance, you would eat the top of your finger dipped into this sauce. Curry puffs (€6 for four) come filled with curried potato or sardines, in the crispiest deep-fried pastry shell, and they'll default to potato if you don't specify which on ordering. If you drove out here and just had a plate of these you would leave with no regrets, and probably order a second portion to go. €1.50 per puff feels like you're ripping them off. We've spent years trying to find a version of Nasi Lemak (the country's national dish) that's as good as the ones we fell in love with in Malaysia, and Normah's in London is the closest we've got without jumping back onto an Ethiad flight, until now. Order it with the lamb rendang (€15) - a spiced meat curry rich in coconut and fragrant with lemongrass, and pick and mix with the spicy sambal sauce, crunchy peanuts and anchovies, refreshing cucumber, soft egg and rice cooked with coconut milk and pandan leaf. It's unusual to serve the egg in this common breakfast dish fried instead of boiled, but we quite liked the yolk running all over the rice. The weekend sees specials hit their social media feeds, and ask about them if they don't offer them up on arrival - we had major heart eyes to find out they were running a special of roti with dahl, and the flaky, buttery flatbread had barely hit the table before it was ripped to shreds and inhaled by all present, but the dahl covered in a thick oil slick was very high on the spicy scale, and should probably come with a warning for fair-weather Irish palates. The roti is sadly bought in (it is a quality version), but the couple hope to extend their kitchen if business goes well so that they can start making their own (we also hope for this as there are few higher pleasures in life than good, homemade roti). A Malay dish we've never seen served in any other restaurant here is kuay teow ladna (€16), a dish of flat rice noodles in a silky egg soup, with prawns, chicken, squid and vegetables. The chicken stock-based, egg-enriched soup has a deep flavour profile, with meat and seafood quantities more generous than we expected, and a squeeze of lime over the top livening it all up. There's a bit of a "chicken soup for the soul" vibe going on here - the next time you're sick or feeling "tired" (read: hungover), we bet this would improve things. Mee Goreng, a fried noodle dish with chicken and/or seafood is commonly sold at food stalls around Malaysia, with egg noodles in a sticky, sweet sauce. D'Lepak's has chicken, prawns and plenty of fresh, crunchy veg, topped with a fried egg, fried onions and freshly fried prawn crackers. It's not a reason to drive here like some of the other dishes, but if you're craving noodles you'll be very happy. As is too often the case, we left feeling short-changed that we hadn't been able to try more. Next time (on the owner's advice) we're trying the Nasi Goreng Ikan Masin - Asian style fried rice with salted fish, chicken onion, choi sum and a fried egg on top - and the Maggi Goreng chicken chop - instant noodles fried in Malaysian sauces with vegetables, crispy breaded boneless chicken leg and a fried egg . The less said about this 'Gear Box' special - a Northern-style vermicelli soup with bone marrow - that we also missed out on the better. If you're hungry enough for dessert, skip the fridge with bought in sponge cakes and profiteroles, and look to the counter for Malaysian specials like 'Serimuka', a two-layered dessert with glutinous rice and green pandan custard, and 'Talam gula merah', with a palm sugar based and a coconut milk topping. The serimuka was our favourite, but we wouldn't class either as a must eat. We'd rather have another curry puff. How was the service? Totally charming, with owner Ira genuinely interested in everyone that walks through the door, wanting to know how they're finding the food, how they heard about the restaurant, and whether they've been to Malaysia before. Their two children help out at the weekend too when they're not in college, and it's the kind of place you'd feel yourself drawn to regularly if you lived locally, for the welcoming energy as much as the food. What was the damage? A bargainous €67 before tip, for two starters, four mains, and two Malaysian sweets, with plenty of leftovers to take home, or for four people to feel very full eating in. What's the verdict on D'Lepak? There's so much heart in this little café, and if they just ditched the burgers and bought in fried food and stuck to where the soul of the operation is, this could end up as much an out of the way food destination as Normah's in London, in its back street shopping mall in Queensway. For now they're too nervous to make the leap, but maybe once word spreads about the curry puffs and nasi lemak, they'll move things up a gear and focus fully on what they're best at. New Openings & Discoveries More >>

The only rooftop bar in the city centre with wraparound views of Dublin, in five-star surroundings. Open seven days a week in summer (weather permitting), with Asian-inspired small plates and cocktails, as well as all the classics, wine and beer. Take an outside lounger if the sun’s out, but there’s covered and indoor seating if it’s not. The Rooftop @ Anantara The Marker Website the-marker-dublin/the-rooftop Address Anantara The Marker Dublin, Grand Canal Quay, Docklands, Dublin, Ireland Good For Tag 1 Cuisine Tag 1 Once Over Read our Review >> The Story The only rooftop bar in the city centre with wraparound views of Dublin, in five-star surroundings. Open seven days a week in summer (weather permitting), with Asian-inspired small plates and cocktails, as well as all the classics, wine and beer. Take an outside lounger if the sun’s out, but there’s covered and indoor seating if it’s not. 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

Ku Raudo Special sushi rolls and a good place to drink great wine Posted: 4 Jul 2018 Neighbourhood Neighborhood Name Address Restaurant Address Website Website Name Restaurant Info View the Listing >> Written by: Lisa Cope What’s the story? Ku Raudo is a somewhat under the radar, BYO sushi spot on Townsend Street, which opened in 2015 initially just serving just two dishes - a meat bento box and a vegetarian version. Soon after they expanded to sushi, noodle and rice dishes and after seeing it looking nicely busy recently on the way to somewhere else, we thought it was worth a visit. It's also open seven days a week, so great for that where to eat Sunday/Monday dilemma. Where’s good for a drink beforehand? We stopped into The Blind Pig , the formerly mystery location speakeasy, whose address is now on google maps (it's on Suffolk Street). After a mission to find the door (which at one point ended up in a utility closet in the ladies toilets), we were eventually directed to pull a picture frame at the bottom of the stairs and the bookcase in front of us slid open. This is properly impressive first date material. Cocktails are excellent, the beer selection decent, and the wines basic. Have a cocktail. If you're after a good boozer there are loads around, with Doyle's, Bowes, The Long Stone and Mulligan's all a few minutes walk away. We'd head for The Palace Bar on Fleet Street, which is one of those must-visit pubs that makes you feel happy to be in Ireland. Prepare to make friends. What’s the room like? Like a typical Japanese sushi restaurant abroad, with wooden benches, Japanese art and randomly, love hearts projected onto the ceiling. It's narrow, cosy, and intimate, just don't have any conversations you don't want your neighbours to hear. On our visit there was no music, ensuring everyone could clearly hear conversations from other tables, which is fine unless you're discussing illegal activity or admitting to watching Love Island. What's good to eat? When in a sushi restaurant, eat sushi. It's not all standout, the salmon nigiri was a lot better than the tuna, and the spicy tuna roll was average, but the more elaborate rolls are very good. The dragon special comes with Katsu prawns, avocado, capellin roe (masago), eel & a mayo sauce and was hard to follow. Special mention for arranging it in the shape of a dragon (okay it was more like a snake). We were tempted to order a second one but we'd over-ordered as it was. The spider special was a close second, with deep-fried soft-shell crab, lettuce, capellin roe and Japanese mayo. The menu is extensive with 20 different types of nigiri alone, but we think the value is more to be had in the special rolls which are a bit more flavour packed, than in the stand alone ones which depend on the fish to be of seriously superior quality. Salmon teriyaki soba was no better than you could make at home, but chicken gyoza and yasai tempura were both excellent, even if the dipping sauce for the later was a bit unbalanced in the direction of vinegar, but the batter was light and crisp and the vegetables perfectly cooked. What about the drinks? It's BYO with zero corkage charge so it's a brilliant place to take something special, even if it does suffer the fate of the majority of BYO restaurants by having terrible glassware. You can't win 'em all. Champagne and Sherry (the proper dry stuff) are great matches for sushi if you have a willing crowd. We took a Californian Chardonnay from Sandhi and a New Zealand Pinot Noir from Allan Scott that were so delicious they'd go with anything. And the service? Smiling and helpful, but needed to be waved down a few times, which isn't ideal for such a small place. Didn't take away from the experience though. The verdict? Quality sushi and a great place to drink good wine. The Japanese zen vibes are particularly nice when you want to step out of the Dublin bubble for a few hours, just stick to the more elaborate sushi options if you want to be wowed. Ku Raudo 185 Townsend Street, Dublin 2 kuraudosushidublin New Openings & Discoveries More >>

B Skewers Make a beeline for Brazilian BBQ on Bolton Street Posted: 12 Jul 2022 Neighbourhood Neighborhood Name Address Restaurant Address Website Website Name Restaurant Info View the Listing >> Written by: Lisa Cope What's the story? Brazilian couple Bruno Amado and Thaís Eloá started B Skewers in 2019 to "democratize barbecue", by setting up stall at various food markets. Having worked in hospitality in Dublin running restaurants for other people (Bruno for places including The Intercontinental and Pacino's) they decided they wanted to be their own bosses, and after dipping a toe in the BBQ market and getting the reception they were looking for, they felt confident enough to look for a permanent site. B Skewers opened on Bolton Street in early 2021, and rather than pitch themselves as a Brazilian BBQ shop initially, they said they wanted to showcase BBQ street food techniques from around the world (this now seems to have flipped back to Brazilian BBQ). That kind of catch all approach, as well as the strong focus they had on delivery apps, didn't initially get us fired up, but over the last year we've seen more and more chefs and laymen (whose opinions we take seriously) descend on B Skewers for steak on sticks, charcoal-grilled chicken hearts, and what several were calling the best burger in Dublin. We were in. Where should I sit? This place is teeny, with three high tables, five counter seats and some tables outside. We didn't realise that you can book online , and when we arrived there was nothing free, but the resourceful staff just lifted a table in from outside and sat us beside the till, then moved us to a high table when one became available. You've got to love a can do attitude. The counter seats are perfect for a quick pitstop, allowing you to peer into the kitchen as you eat, and the outdoor tables will do the job if you want to sit in the fresh air, even if it's not the most glamorous set up in town. Our pick would be the high tables looking out onto Bolton Street. What's the food like? The menu consists of skewers, burgers and sides, and the prices make it feel very accessible (and easy to over order, but you can always take extras home). Also be sure to check out the combo deals where you can mix and match it all, even if a substantial amount of brain power is required to decipher the best way to order what you want. We asked the owner Bruno what he recommended, which was a good decision because he loves to talk about food as much as we do. Basically, "everything is amazing", but he really wanted us to try the pork belly, the steak, the chicken legs, and the cheese and onion sausage. We wanted to try the burger after seeing it all over the 'gram, and the chicken hearts for offal novelty. He also gave us a substantial amount of interesting information about their sides and sauces, and where the dishes and recipes come from, including cassava/yuca prepared three different ways. They suggested we start with the burger and "fried yuca snacks", and if this dish hasn't been created with the 'gram in mind it was a very happy accident. Cutting it in half and flashing each side back on the grill for those all important grill marks manages to make it look that much more appetising. The burgers (fresh from FX Buckley each morning) are dripping with meat juices and cheddar cheese, have a slick of herby mayo, and are served medium-medium/rare - brave in today's health and safety obsessed society but they feel their sourcing is good enough to go for it. Once you've had a non-overcooked burger it's hard to go back, and it's very difficult to find one outside your own home these days, so we just hope this one manages to stick around. Yucca (or cassava) is a carbohydrate filled root vegetable, from the same family as potatoes, sweet potatoes and taro. It's native to south American and consumed daily in Brazil in numerous forms, including flour. Here it's on the menu in three different ways, including these deep-fried balls of silky smooth, starchy yuca snacks, with small chunks of smoked sausage mixed throughout, and a crunchy shell keeping it all in tact. Beer snacks don't get better. There are nine skewers to choose from and you could forego the burger and try them all between two, but with limited stomach space we picked four. The best were the beef (tender, marinated Angus) and the pork belly (melting and sweet), both tasting like something straight from a São Paulo Churrascaria. The cheese and onion sausage is made especially for them by a Brazilian sausage maker in Dublin, and has chunks of melting cheese amongst the salty pork, but as sausages go it didn't leave a lasting impression. The chicken hearts are for offal aficionados only, and we didn't love them, but you might. Bruno also recommended we try the boneless free-range chicken legs, and we meant to order the halloumi but forgot in all the excited discussion about the menu. Two of many reasons to go back. While the steak was filled with flavour on its own, it was taken to a new stratosphere by the addition of some "vinaigrette" and farofa. The vinaigrette is a tangy, mouth-puckering mix of tomato, onion, spring onion, olive oil and lime juice, and does the same job (probably better) as a spoonful of chimichurri with a nice slab of Bife de Chorizo. In Brazil they often sprinkle farofa (another form of cassava with a texture similar to polenta) over barbecued meats, and while you might wonder whether its necessary to fling additional carbs onto some perfectly good meat, we have now discovered that it is. A chunk of steak sprinkled with farofa and topped with a spoon of vinaigrette made for a massively memorable mouthful of food, and really highlighted how little additions can take a meal from good to great. For cassava #3 , it was a mashed version, similar to very smooth potatoes, but also creamy and cheesy. It had more depth of flavour than potato, and tasted more savoury, and it would be very easy to just eat this by the spoon (which we did). We also tried the buttered sweetcorn which was a bit sweet and a bit spicy, although we felt it could have had a bit more of a bite. There are five sauces to choose from and we ordered the salsa verde (tangy and full of fresh herbs) and the garlic pâté (like a very good garlic mayo made with roasted bulbs). They also brought us an African pepper sauce to try, saying they had been working on the recipe for ages, and this is one for the chilli chasers, but despite its heat it's fruity and rounded. Just don't eat too much in one go. There's only one option for dessert - a dulce de leche stuffed toasted brioche bun, and while no one needs a dessert like this, sometimes a bit of indulgence is required. It's excellent dulce de leche in an excellent toasted bun, and while at first we thought it needed some ice-cream, there was something OTT in a good way about carb on carb. If you can eat a whole one of these you've got a higher sugar tolerance than we do, so we recommend one to share, between four. What about drinks? It's no surprise that the drinks list is basic, but they do a mean Aperol Spritz, as well as Campari spritz, a Spanish beer called Madri, and some unexciting but drinkable wines. When we arrived we liked the look of the Aperol Spritz but they had no ice so we ordered prosecco instead. About 20 minutes later we saw some ice arrive, and before we even had a chance to ask, two ice-cold glasses were delivered to our table FOC. This kind of generous hospitality feels very rare these days, and seems to sum up what the place and its owners are about. How was the service? From the first smiles on walking in, to the generosity of time and spirit in explaining the food and menu, to the warm farewell on departure, it felt like being a very welcome guest in someone's home, and a genuine opportunity to learn about new foods you may not be overly familiar with - something that's not possible in the same way without the right, wholly impassioned people serving it. And the damage? Around €65 for two with one drink each on the bill and leftovers to take home. In a world of rising prices, we think places like this which can deliver such sincere, delicious food at such great prices are going to ride high for the foreseeable future. The verdict? You know when you leave somewhere you liked so much that you can barely wait to tell someone about it? That was us with B Skewers, phone in hand before the door shut had behind us. We were completely endeared by the whole, heartwarmingly honest operation, the people behind it, and the new flavours and ingredients they're serving up to infatuated customers, sick of the same old dishes citywide, although we'd love to see a stronger focus on provenance and quality ingredients - they've told us it's on their agenda. We've never found a Brazilian BBQ worth shouting about, and although there's another currently on our to try list, right now we've got all the love for Bruno, Thaís and their little Brazilian BBQ on Bolton Street. B Skewers 47 Bolton Street, Dublin 1 www.bskewers.com New Openings & Discoveries More >>

Boco Clontarf Is this the Northside's answer to Reggie's? Posted: 7 Apr 2026 Neighbourhood Neighborhood Name Address Restaurant Address Website Website Name Restaurant Info View the Listing >> Written by: Lisa Cope Tell us about Boco in Clontarf? The original Boco opened on the corner of Bolton Street and Capel Street in 2017, and has always flown somewhat under the radar when it comes to the continuous conversation about Dublin's best places to eat. Despite a loyal band of customers shouting about them every chance they get (we see your DMS), and consistently sky high scores on review sites, they've never quite managed the same column inches as places like Bambino/Reggie's/Pi. In the mid-Covid world of 2020 they opened a pizza fire truck at the back of the beautiful Harry Byrne's pub in Clontarf, serving pizza to grateful locals who soon became Boco loyalists. When word got out that they were looking for a second location with a roof and walls to call home, those people were VERY excited. They secured the former Pigeon House site at the start of 2025, but it's been the longest, slowest wait for them to open the doors and fire the ovens, so when they finally announced that the day had come a few weeks ago, celebrations were heard up and down the Clontarf Road. Where's the best place to sit? There's a few distinct seating areas in here. Towards the back you've got high tables seating up to four, with prime views of the pizza ovens working overtime. The front section has nicely spaced out tables and was full of families, high chairs and buggies when we visited early evening. If you want more privacy/peace try to get a table around the corner in the alcove-type area - this section would be great for a group/party too. Then at the front you've got an expansive indoor/outdoor space with heaters and a retractable roof. Let us lay it down in print - these will be the most in demand, spritz-filled tables in Clontarf this summer. Boco, Clontarf What's on the menu? Small plates, salads, pizzas and dips are the gist, with a nice mix of deep-fried bits and healthier veggie add-ons like padron peppers and rocket salad. You can take the small plates as starters or sides, and staff happily fired ours first with the pizzas to follow after. We've been finding a LOT of A-grade focaccia in Dublin over the past year, and Boco's crunchy on the bottom, fluffy on the inside, lardo and leek draped masterpiece (€7) is up there with the best. To get that brittle bottom you need to use more oil than we'd dare to home, and the equally melted and crisped up lardo is the focaccia hack we'll be putting to use at home. Deep-fried onion strings with buffalo garlic mayo (€7) are worth an order too - tempura-crisp without being greasy, with the buffalo garlic sauce having the perfect amount of spice and tang. Multiple diving hands meant these mysteriously disappeared within seconds of landing on the table. There are three substantial salads, all with an amount of thought well beyond 'menu filler', with ingredients like a Wildwood elderberry and star anise vinaigrette a good illustration. The most appealing to us was the prosciutto and black grape, with mixed leaves, artichoke, walnuts, Pecorino and that vinaigrette (€14), and if you ended up here with a coeliac/non pizza lover they won't feel like they've had a second rate experience. Chips were surprisingly great too (how often do you say that in a pizzeria?), fried in oil hot enough to give those burnished edges that shatter on biting. We went for Parmesan (€6.50) which came with roasted garlic mayo, and finished off the silver cup wondering if there was anything that these guys would fall down on. It didn't happen with the pizzas anyway. As Neapolitan bases go, Boco's would make you emotional. The puffed up cornicione, the blistered charring, the crusts so tender there was little work in the chewing - there's a fine art to pizza, and if they can consistently deliver this kind of base, we have no concerns about them keeping their seats full. Get the # 7 for no other reason than to taste this vodka sauce, which is like getting a mouthful of ripe tomatoes in Puglia mid-summer. Typically vodka sauce has cream in it - this is pure tomato and all the better for it. The Fior di Latte, salami soppressata, j alapeños and Parmesan are loaded on in perfect proportions, and this just needs a glass of Lambrusco on the side for optimum enjoyment. Any pizza with miso in the name is going to grab our attention, which is how the # 9 with miso butter, wild Irish mushrooms, Stracciatella and porcini crumb ended up on the table. You know when you build something up in your head and then it's just not as good IRL? This was the opposite, umami flying all over the place, the texture contrasts a home run. One of the main reasons we raced to Clontarf was the promise of an Osso Bucco pizza with gremolata, but it was short-lived (apparently it was too time-consuming and customers didn't get it - who are these people and where can we lock them up?) Begrudgingly we changed our pre-planned order to the # 10 with mascarpone, Tallegio, Italian sausage, kale, confit garlic, Parmesan, and pickled shallots. This one had a lot going for it, but was missing the oomph moment. Shallots tasted raw rather than pickled, and the sausage was under seasoned. Was it a bad pizza? Definitely not, we're very much into nit-picking territory, but we'll try others next time. Desserts follow the pizzeria standard of creamy things in cup-like vessels, and if it ain't broke don't fix it. Both the Key Lime Mess and Stout Tiramisu were valiant endings, both with enough interesting elements so as not to feel like something thrown together post the main event. If you like a boozy dessert both the affogato with Frangelico and the biscotti with PX sherry will tick the box nicely. Like your dessert in liquid form? There's three dessert cocktails too, including a frozen Irish coffee, and a salted caramel espresso martini. Is there anything these guys can't/won't do? It's a pizzeria. Are the drinks any good? The first line on the wine list says " all of our wines are organic " - another stake in the ground that shows you how much thought has gone into every part of this operation. The majority of bottles are under €50, with a nice variety of grapes, countries and styles - you'll find something you like here. There are also four house cocktails, six classics, and seven spritzes, including Aperol, Limoncello and Basil. Tick, tick tick. The beers, soft drinks and no alcohol options have plenty of interesting options too - everything is covered. If you come to a pizzeria and don't drink Lambrusco you should be shown the door (just our humble opinion), and the Quercioli here does the job nicely, at a saintly 11.5% alcohol. We also tried a pleasantly fizzy, well-balanced Sbagliato - like a Negroni with Campari, Vermouth, and prosecco instead of gin to lighten the alcohol. How was the service? Young, eager and very pleasant - they've hired for personality and it comes across. If anything was slightly delayed there were apologies, and information (plus wine tastes) were offered up graciously. We never felt stranded or in need of anything for too long, and the food was nicely paced as per our request, despite the place being packed to the rafters. What did the bill come to? €133 before tip for three small plates, a salad, three pizzas, two dips, two desserts and two drinks - easily enough for three hungry people, or four normal ones. This felt like the best value meal we'd had in ages. What's the verdict on Boco in Clontarf? Boco is somewhere that many Dubliners have taken for granted for too long. Maybe because of its unglamourous Bolton Street location, or its student associations being a one minute walk from TU Dublin, but with this second location we're wagering that's about to change. If you need a reference point, this is the Reggie's of the Northside, and we're predicting a similar demand. During our meal many, many people were turned away at the door after some sad sniffs of what was coming out of the kitchen, and longing gazes at clinking glasses filled with Aperol Spritz. Don't be like them - get planning your visit now. New Openings & Discoveries More >>

Just north of the river Liffey to the west of the city centre, Smithfield used to be home to inner-city farm yards and an open-air market, but is now home to fried egg sandwiches, Cardi-Bs, and one of Dublin's best places for seafood small plates and natural wine. Smithfield Our Take Just north of the river Liffey to the west of the city centre, Smithfield used to be home to inner-city farm yards and an open-air market, but is now home to fried egg sandwiches, Cardi-Bs, and one of Dublin's best places for seafood small plates and natural wine. Where to Eat Biang Biang Bonobo Fish Shop Mad Yolks Matsukawa No Messin @ Proper Order Nutbutter Smithfield Oxmantown Smithfield Sister 7 The Legal Eagle Urbanity

Northern Mexican taqueria run by a trio of women who were missing their favourite foods from home. The Northern aspect means more of a focus on wheat and beef, than corn and pork, and the prices undercut all the big chains, for far better flavours. Pickosito Website instagram.com/pickosito.taqueria Address Pickosito Northern Mexican Taqueria, Upstairs, Mary Street, North City, Dublin 1, Ireland Good For Tag 1 Cuisine Tag 1 Once Over Read our Review >> The Story Northern Mexican taqueria run by a trio of women who were missing their favourite foods from home. The Northern aspect means more of a focus on wheat and beef, than corn and pork, and the prices undercut all the big chains, for far better flavours. 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 local’s favourite coffee shop has two joints in South County Dublin – the original in Glasthule which serves 3fe coffee and homemade pastries only, and a larger shop in Blackrock which is offering a broader brunch menu alongside their usual fare. Their cinnamon swirl won silver at the 2021 Blas na hEireann awards and is exclusive to the Blackrock shop so make sure to save room for one of these. Hatch Coffee Website @hatchcoffee Address 4 Glasthule Road, Sandycove, Co. Dublin Good For Tag 1 Cuisine Tag 1 Once Over Read our Review >> The Story This local’s favourite coffee shop has two joints in South County Dublin – the original in Glasthule which serves 3fe coffee and homemade pastries only, and a larger shop in Blackrock which is offering a broader brunch menu alongside their usual fare. Their cinnamon swirl won silver at the 2021 Blas na hEireann awards and is exclusive to the Blackrock shop so make sure to save room for one of these. 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

Portugese bakery and café just off Capel Street specialising in pastéis de nata and coffee, selling tea leaves to take away from Europe's only tea plantation in The Azores. The fact that they're as good as much of what you'll find in Lisbon has lead to daily sell outs, and the plan is to add wine and small plates by Autumn. Cafe Lisboa Website @cafelisboa_dublin Address 28 Mary Street Little, Dublin 7 Good For Tag 1 Cuisine Tag 1 Once Over Read our Review >> The Story Portugese bakery and café just off Capel Street specialising in pastéis de nata and coffee, selling tea leaves to take away from Europe's only tea plantation in The Azores. The fact that they're as good as much of what you'll find in Lisbon has lead to daily sell outs, and the plan is to add wine and small plates by Autumn. 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

Note opened in October 2021 and in about three minutes became the go-to place for the city's wine lovers. An eclectic, ever-changing wine list, and delicious bistro style dishes meant they were an instant addition to the Dublin's hottest restaurants list. Sundays sees hospitality staff flood in to drink the serious stuff, but it's packed with cool kids every night. Note Website notedublin.com Address 26 Fenian Street, Dublin 2 Good For Tag 1 Cuisine Tag 1 Once Over Read our Review >> The Story Note opened in October 2021 and in about three minutes became the go-to place for the city's wine lovers. An eclectic, ever-changing wine list, and delicious bistro style dishes meant they were an instant addition to the Dublin's hottest restaurants list. Sundays sees hospitality staff flood in to drink the serious stuff, but it's packed with cool kids every night. 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

Chubbys The former taco truck gets very serious in a drop dead gorgeous space Posted: 23 Jul 2025 Neighbourhood Neighborhood Name Address Restaurant Address Website Website Name Restaurant Info View the Listing >> Written by: Ronan Doyle What should we know about Chubbys? If you were looking to tell the tale of Dublin’s food scene over the last fifteen years, there are few better figures you could do it through than Barry Stephens. His crash-era opener 147 Deli steadily built up a rep on Parnell Street as one of the city’s very best sandwich shops, rotating specials (their best in class Christmas sandwich included) descended upon by ever more hungry hordes of workers as the city bit by bit got back on its feet. But as the pandemic knocked us all right back down again and rampant inflation followed, input costs’ rapid escalation saw Stephens’ pitch of quality and creativity in casual convenience food become a harder and harder sell. That didn’t hold him back from branching out, with taco truck Just Chubbys popping up in Clontarf in summer ’22 to bring the same ethos – and the very same crowds. We impatiently waited after the sad shuttering of the Deli and an extended Christmas break for the truck with a promise of bigger things to come, and come they now have in the fancy form of Chubbys , a radical reworking of the warehouse space the truck once sat in for a big new chapter. Where should we sit? Stephens’ wife Jen, with a long CV of design and branding jobs behind her, is the mastermind behind this gorgeous glow-up popping with pastel pinks – whether or not you’d been in the prior iteration, you’ll stroll in slack-jawed through the giant glass double doors at one of Dublin’s nicest new spaces. Plump down on any of the soft accent chairs and you’ll feel right at home. A duo of long communal tables in the middle of the floor (and a few two-tops between them that can be made into the same thing) are a group dining dream if you have the foresight to book far enough in advance – reservations have gone like lightning. We were landed at the banquette set opposite the kitchen pass, ideal to take in the atmosphere and any what’s-that-they’ve-ordered-there FOMO. As teased on socials for ages by the endearingly excited chef, the kitchen fitout is the stuff of cooking nerd dreams, with a custom smoker and wood-fired grill making the counter seats the ones you want – they’re often held for short stay walk-ins, so if you want to be sure of getting a seat you’ll have to make do with craning your neck to flashes of flame from afar. What’s on the menu? We lost count of the times over the years (more recent ones especially) where people we raved about 147’s sandwiches to sneered over the price. Too often that’s the rub with casual food’s cognitive dissonance, an expectation that we can have the best in quality without bulking up the bill - as though an added two or three euro to know where your food’s come from was that one bridge too far. All that’s to cushion the blow of the beef birria (€8.50) and confit carnitas (€8) tacos – Chubbys was already at the top end of the city’s scale for taco pricing, and these latest tweaks take things further. But that’s true for flavour as well as price point; in the low and slow overnight McLoughlin’s beef cheek, shin and brisket just as much as the copper cauldron-cooked Salters free range pork and bacon belly, there is the kind of quality, time and attention that doesn’t come cheaply. You can taste where your money's going. Creativity costs too, and what a wallop of it in the pork rolls (€12), crisp-skinned snacks landing in the dreamscape space between chimichanga and spring roll – this is a bite that’ll stay with you for weeks, even before you get to the beautifully-balanced smoked lime and jalapeño salsa on the side. Watch on with glee as others order them around you and let out lusty sighs of delight as the deep-fried skins pour out slow roast pork juices. Only the sharing nachos (€13.50) came up short on value. Despite their hand-cut and tajin-seasoned superiority over the usual fare, and a house cheese sauce we’d drink from the dish, the higher price and smaller portion versus the ones we loved on our trip to the truck not too long ago was a let down. A smaller snacks section option with salsa matcha and guac looked more palatable at a full €4 cheaper – it’s rare we get food envy for a smaller plate. Chipotle and lime butter-basted corn ribs (€8.50) made amends, with a cheaper price tag and chunkier portion than our last visit. Subtly sweet, smoky flavour permeates every dripping kernel here - there’s no shame in slurping, everyone else is at it. Sticky-sweet honey and soy chicken (€14.50) is a prime example of the new Chubbys' more varied flavour profile. The Asian influence that often streaked through 147 is on full display, with bangs of garlic, ginger and chilli to the fore in every crisp, spicy bite. Good prep goes a long way but as is ever the case with fried chicken, quality is everything – the tender taste of Rings Farm free-range birds shines. The smoker is the crowning glory of Stephens’ new setup. We arrived intent on ordering the Jamaican jerk lamb ribs, but the sights and scents of a neighbouring table’s beef short rib (€37) caused a quick pivot. McLoughlin’s again brings the goods with dry-aged prime cuts, rubbed and smoked for ten hours to give a blackened exterior barely encasing the tender meat beneath. It slides off the bone into a peanut-textured and makrut lime leaf-scented curry that we’d bathe in given half the chance. Slow-tweaking flavours is a hallmark of Stephens’ style, and with this interplay of smoky sweet meat and softly-spiced sauce he’s hit on a primal harmony that had us enter a bliss state (see also: garlic naan for mopping). Not that we were done yet – sticky toffee spring rolls (€9.50) aren’t something we would pass on. You’d want to be confident to offer only one dessert option - they are, and have every reason to be. There’s more than a hint of baklava in the syrup-soaked, nut-sprinkled notes here, but novelty too. Like everything else at Chubbys, this is casual comfort food shot with a playful streak of energetic invention. What are the drinks like? House cordials and reductions drove us straight to the cocktail list (all €12) – beers via Zingibeer and Whiplash and a tap-heavy wine list will offer enough variety and value to keep most punters happy. The best of the bunch was a picture perfect Cherry Float, ruby red from Regal Rogue vermouth and cherry soda, citrus-spiked from sumac sprinkled on the dense vanilla foam, with the fresh flavour of smoked lapsang. The Shaken Stephens played like a milder Moscow mule, Valencia Island vermouth and IPA reduction in place of vodka – light and lively. There wasn’t the same balance or freshness to be found in the Mango SuperSplit, with alleged salt and chilli flavours all subsumed in tawny port. How was the service? This team’s ample honesty gives eye-opening insights into the challenge the hospitality biz is up against, and they’ve begged clemency more than once for the kind of intro hurdles all new openings face as they get the measure of things and struggle to hire to meet demand. Against that kind of difficulty, we’ll always give a lot of leeway, but when we were told 30 minutes on from our opening time seating that the all-at-once glut meant the kitchen might need another ten minutes to take our order, we wondered why phased seating and/or a slower scaling-up wasn't being utilised. That sense set in all the more as tables around us politely corrected the orders wrongly set down before them. Staff were all very friendly and funny, but it’s clear they were flustered too – demand like this (it’s now nine weeks until the next available table) is hard to plan for, and with the baptism of fire they’re in for they’ll need to tweak things quickly to keep hangry heads happy. Setting expectations more clearly or starting people on snacks upfront would go a long way. Our advice? If you’ve going in soon, check the menu in advance and order ASAP. And the damage? This greedy glut (it’s professional diligence, swear) clocked up a €147 bill before tip – mental maths on most tables around us put the average order in and around €50-60 a head. You’d be well fed for that, and with far better stuff than many other options around town where you'll spend the same. What’s the verdict on Chubbys? Understandable opening jitters aside, Chubbys has all the makings of Dublin’s latest success story – and we’ve got every faith in a team that’s never been short of the ability to learn quick and rise to it. That two month-plus run of full houses ahead of them speaks to the high esteem and expectations they’re held in - once again, here’s proof they’ve earned it. Often more candid than can-do, the refreshingly honest 147 Deli story spoke to the passion needed to weather the mounting challenges of making genuinely good food work in the environment we’re in. To see that passion make the leap to a space like this would fill your heart as well as your stomach. Many great restaurants feel like stepping into someone’s home. Chubbys feels like you're getting a window into Stephens’ life, witnessing something earnestly sincere, and altogether special. New Openings & Discoveries More >>

Kaldero 2 Finally Dublin has the Filipino food destination it deserves Posted: 16 Sept 2025 Neighbourhood Neighborhood Name Address Restaurant Address Website Website Name Restaurant Info View the Listing >> Written by: Lisa Cope Why are you back at Kaldero when you reviewed it last December? After our lacklustre review of the newest Eclective (formerly Press Up) opening Kaldero last December, someone in charge saw sense and did exactly what we suggested. They pulled the trio of consultant chefs nonsense (none of whom were actually cooking in the restaurant), and made their first ever sensible food move, by offering up the running of the restaurant solely to Bahay 's Richie Castillo and Alex O'Neill. The Filipino food-cooking couple had been looking for their own place for the past few years after the success of their food truck (dreamt up mid-pandemic), and countless pop ups at places like Hen's Teeth in Dublin 8, and Warehouse Market in Harold's Cross. At one point they announced they were opening in Dublin 15 , but it fell through. Its felt like a long struggle to get to this point, where they finally have a permanent location to show off Castillo's family recipes and others from the couple's travels, and the industry has rowed in behind its latest good news story . Where should we sit? The room is unchanged from our first review, with those ludicrously tiny tables for two still in situ. There's not much they can do about it without ripping up the whole restaurant, but if you do have the misfortune to be sat there, make it clear that you want no more than two plates at a time - anything more and your stress levels will get uncomfortably high. The red leather booths running down the centre of the room are the best seats, sitting four - six on each, and while we were initially told we couldn't sit there as a two, they later relented and told us we just needed to be gone by a certain time. There's a large area at the back that's screaming "group dinner", with all kinds of seating combinations possible. How has the menu changed? We're in unadulterated Filipino territory now, a real deep-dive into the Southeast-Asian country's dishes and cooking methods. Expect to see ingredients you might need an explainer on, like banana ketchup, humba glaze, and bagoong - staff, predominantly Filipino when we visited, will enthusiastically explain what they all are. The first section of the menu, "Pulutan", are snacks served with drinks in the Philippines, so get your order in for those and something to sip as soon as you sit - it'll make those tough menu decisions slightly easier. The 'Inihaw na Manok' (€4 each) are synonymous with Bahay at this stage, chicken thigh skewers barbecued on a custom Smokin' Soul grill, in a rich, tangy banana ketchup. A perfect cocktail accompaniment, although the lack of provenance/free range indication with chicken always gives us the ick. Okoy are deep-fried fritters usually made with shrimp, but these ones made from shredded leeks (€6) are of the "once you pop you can't stop" variety. Dipping crunchy handfuls into an aggressively vinegary sawsawan dipping sauce, we were brought back to the mouth-burning days of Mini Chips , when you just can't stop reaching for more. If ceviche/aguachile is on your death row dinner menu, don't miss the Kinilaw, meaning 'eaten raw' (€16). Chunks of Goatsbridge trout which have been cured in vinegar, come in a rich, vivid coconut and jalapeño sauce, with slivers of pickled red onion, citrusy Calamansi vinegar and shards of lumpia crackers (similar to spring roll skins), with more on the side for piling it on top of. We can't imagine any of these plates going back to the kitchen without being completely wiped clean. 'Sinigang' is a savoury Filipino soup or stew with sour tamarind as a core ingredient, so we were unsure what the connection was to the 'Sinigang' here (other than tamarind). Meaty, juicy, tempura oyster mushrooms (€12.50) come doused in tangy tamarind salt, with whipped tofu underneath for dipping. It's a nice dish, but a few bites was enough before we lost interest, and that price felt high for the portion size. 'Sisig' is a popular bar food in the Philippines - crispy pork parts fried with onions, garlic, chillies, soy, calamansi and more. This one (€17.50) has crispy pig's ear and pork jowl mixed through with spices and onions, while the egg yolk on top waits to be pierced and smeared through the lot. Delicious? Yes. Good for your arteries? Definitely not. Share to minimise the impact. We had the creamy, peanut sauce based kare kare (€25.50) with tofu on our last visit , and thought it was lacking in flavour. It's back here with oxtail instead, and the missing ingredient on the side - bagoong. The spicy, pungent, fermented fish condiment gives the mild nutty sauce the flavour kick it needs, and it's also great smeared on top of Castillo's essential garlic fried rice (€4.50). We love seeing under used cuts of meat like this too, which offer much better value for money. Adobo is probably the most well-known Filipino dish, but you're more likely to have come across it as chicken or pork, braised in vinegar, soy, peppercorns, garlic and bay leaves. Kaldero's squid adobo (with squid ink - €18) is a more elegant creation, with rich seafood flavour from the softest squid swimming in peppercorns, and more of that tang that's a thread amongst all of the food here. It's a must order for seafood fans. Our server talked us into ordering the stir-fried greens with garlic and soy (€6.50). It's a dish Castillo's father has always cooked him, and now he's brought the recipe here - if you needed a heartstring tug, this is it. It's just stir-fried cabbage, but there's a simple magic woven here - it's the kind of recipe we all need in our lives. For dessert don't even think about skipping past the leche flan (€8) with Mungo Murphy's seaweed salt, a burnished, silky, perfectly formed triangle of set caramel custard, only improved by the salty sprinkling on top. It's Castillo's granny's recipe, and granny could take on Uno Mas in the flan wars . Another of ube (purple yam) soft serve (€7) with Irish strawberries and elderflower vinegar was light and refreshing but too light on the vinegar - we could barely taste it and it all needed an acidic lift. What about drinks? The cocktail menu has taken a leap forward since our last visit too, with a light firmly shone on Filipino ingredients (there's been even more new additions since). We loved a spicy pineapple margarita with calamansi, a 'Mangga't Alat' with mango, rum and fish sauce, and a calamansi paloma with a burnt grapefruit wedge. A 'white Filipino' with vodka, Kahlua, coconut cream, condensed milk and pandan leaf should only be undertaken in place of dessert. How was the service? Almost everyone who served us was Filipino, and could give personal viewpoints on the dishes they were bringing and how they're served in the Philippines and in their own family homes. This would be a difficult thing to bank on, but it really added to the experience. They couldn't have been more pleasant and helpful, but did keep interrupting conversations to ask if everything was okay, which will undoubtedly irritate some people. Well-trained servers watch for moments of discomfort or diners in need before sweeping in. How much did you spend? €100 a head for far too much food (we brought some home) and two cocktails a piece, but if you're also on the cocktails you probably won't spend much less. Be aware also that as of publishing, the prices we paid were substantially higher than those on the menu on their website, with several dishes jumping by €2-3, and the sisig jumping from €12.50 to a whopping €17. What's the verdict on Kaldero #2 ? Finally the restaurant group known for middling food have made a smart kitchen move, and the talented Bahay team have somewhere to build on their fanatical following. Kaldero has gone from muddled melting pot to Filipino food headquarters, the only place in the city that you can eat food from this part of the world, at this standard of cooking, and that's exciting. New Openings & Discoveries More >>

A natural wine shop/bar, model on the type that seem to be on every corner of Paris. You'll find a regularly changing by the glass list on the board above the till, or you can drink anything from the shelf and pay a corkage fee. Iconic cheese toasties and small plates are also available, and you can carry on the party by buying more wine and cheese to take home. Loose Canon Website loosecanon.ie Address 29 Drury Street, Dublin 2 Good For Tag 1 Cuisine Tag 1 Once Over Read our Review >> The Story A natural wine shop/bar, model on the type that seem to be on every corner of Paris. You'll find a regularly changing by the glass list on the board above the till, or you can drink anything from the shelf and pay a corkage fee. Iconic cheese toasties and small plates are also available, and you can carry on the party by buying more wine and cheese to take home. 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

Did we even smash before Dash? Get into a heated debate about Dublin's best burger with anyone in the city and Dash will top the list again and again. Double and triple smash burgers, chicken tendies, fries and sauces make up a simple menu that needs nothing else. Dash Burger Capel Street Website dashburger.ie Address 159 Capel Street, Dublin 1 Good For Tag 1 Cuisine Tag 1 Once Over Read our Review >> The Story Did we even smash before Dash? Get into a heated debate about Dublin's best burger with anyone in the city and Dash will top the list again and again. Double and triple smash burgers, chicken tendies, fries and sauces make up a simple menu that needs nothing else. 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

Kodiak in Rathmines is one of the best things to happen to beer in Dublin in decades. The global selection will impress even the most hardcore craft beer lovers, and the small but punchy pizza menu is the perfect pairing. From the same owners as Bonobo in Smithfield, the famous potato and pancetta pizza is here too, as well as sausage with rayu, and mortadella with pistachio. The high ceilings and long tables are made for group get-togethers, staff are lovely and efficient, and the cocktails are't too shabby either. Kodiak Website kodiakdublin.com Address Kodiak, Rathmines Road Lower, Rathmines, Dublin 6 Good For Tag 1 Cuisine Tag 1 Once Over Read our Review >> The Story Kodiak in Rathmines is one of the best things to happen to beer in Dublin in decades. The global selection will impress even the most hardcore craft beer lovers, and the small but punchy pizza menu is the perfect pairing. From the same owners as Bonobo in Smithfield, the famous potato and pancetta pizza is here too, as well as sausage with rayu, and mortadella with pistachio. The high ceilings and long tables are made for group get-togethers, staff are lovely and efficient, and the cocktails are't too shabby either. 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 Legal Eagle An old favourite takes flight again with sizeable Sunday roasts and a great wine list Posted: 14 Nov 2023 Neighbourhood Neighborhood Name Address Restaurant Address Website Website Name Restaurant Info View the Listing >> Written by: Ronan Doyle What’s the story with The Legal Eagle? Despite a couple of stuttered mid-covid re-openings and a handful of popups, we’d started to worry The Legal Eagle might be destined to go down as one of the more high-profile pandemic casualties as its doors remained closed well into this year. But fear not, the once and future hot spot gastropub recently took flight again with a revamped menu and a return to its famed Sunday roast offering. Our Insiders are forever asking us where to get a really great feed of a Sunday lunch – could we have a new easy answer? Where should we sit? Nigh-on four years since the Eagle last opened its doors for any real length of time, stepping into its mahogany and exposed brick interior brings as much of a sense of nostalgia as the unmistakable smell of roast meat and veg in the air. If you’re looking for old reliable comforts, the heady whiff seems to say, you’ve come to the right place. The leather sofa seating lining the walls is where you want to find yourself here – there’s just not the same satisfaction of leaning back stuffed in a hard-backed wooden dining chair or, heaven forbid, a high stool. What’s on the menu? The revamped menu keeps the classic Irish gastropub vibe – all the lamb stew, coddle, and chowder you could want on the lunch menu – with a higher-end twist through its focus on meat and veg provenance and a tilt toward the western Mediterranean, especially across the smaller plates. Most of the dinner menu is available at Sunday lunchtime for those of us whose eyes are bigger than our bellies, with the large plates’ sides swapped out for all your typical trimmings. You’ll be steered to snacks and small plates, if you’re so inclined, as your server advises it’s a twenty minute or so wait for the roasts – don’t mind if we do. Homemade crisps are a reliable favourite from plenty of prior visits and are like an embrace from an old friend, with the salty-sharp slap of bacon and cheese dust. Marinated Gordal olives are glistening with oil and gloriously meaty, generous in number and giant in size – there’s plenty here to keep a full table happy. Conscious of the heaped plates of roast we’d passed en route to our table, we heroically held ourselves back from over-ordering and stuck to two of the more modest small plates. Pan con tomate pairs chewy, airy slices of house focaccia with salty, garlicky puréed tomato. The bread’s a delight, golden crust and soft, stretched crumb the perfect host for the tangy tomato, especially as alternating with olives and crisps we found the salt in it a little overbearing. The trio were each great in isolation, but all together left us a bit parched. Seared tuna tostada might not quite fit the Sunday roast brief, but trust us here: this is a detour worth taking, and a fine showcase of the Eagle’s new lease of life. The crisp tortilla and firm-fleshed tuna make for a wildly satisfying small bite, with the sweetness of avocado puree and punch of pickled carrot and togarashi pepper making every morsel a moreish treat. Hold back a little focaccia to mop up every last blob of sriracha mayo, if you can. And so to the main event, even with that hard act to follow. There are three choices for the classic roast plate, with whole-roasted fish and courgette options there to cater to pescetarian and veggie tastes – neither gets the full trimmings. The Black Angus striploin is two thin slices of rare beef just glistening with juices - it’s tender, fatty, flavourful stuff. Wafer-thin slicing gives the meat a texture we wouldn’t see lost to thicker cuts, but a third slice here wouldn’t go amiss. Wood-fired half chicken feels more substantial by contrast with its meat oozing juice, and the black, blistered skin’s crackle – classic comfort food. Root veg are the star of the show where sides are concerned, with slivers of honey-roast carrot and parsnip bringing sweet and earthy tones to the plate, and a carrot purée dissolving into the gravy for an endlessly rich sauce you’ll slather on every forkful. Stuffing and Yorkshire puds are spot-on in their simple satisfactions, but the roasties make for a disappointing damp squib with a softened crisp shell and over-dry interior that bear all the tell-tale signs of having been kept warm. There is no substitute for oven-fresh, and no sorrow like good spuds spoiled. What are the drinks like? A solid if smallish craft beer selection on draught should keep most happy, even if Guinness as the priciest pull here had us scratching our heads. We stuck with the similarly small and serviceable list of wines by the glass – the light acidity of the Azevedo Alvarino was a welcome balm from the mouth-puckering saltiness of those first few plates, while the Coquard Beaujolais 69’s red fruits and low tannins came to life with the beef. The top tip here is to bring some friends and dive into the bottles, an unusually exciting list for a pub, and one running lower margins than some of the competition around town on standouts like Preisinger's 'Puszta Libre' and Ponce's 'Reto'. How was the service? Happy and helpful – that little nudge on small plates feels more like a friendly FYI than an opportunity to upsell, and we really appreciated a little extra jug of gravy brought over to the table after the plates arrived, “so you don’t have to ask in a minute”. You’ll be well looked after here, but note they expect to be busy on Sundays so table times are kept strictly at a two-hour turnaround – no latecomers or lingering. And the damage? €115 for two each of snacks, small plates, roasts and a glass of wine with 10% tip automatically added. There is more than enough here in the main event to sate you, especially for lunch, so in and around €30 a head is more like what you can expect if not drinking. As Sunday roast prices around the city go, it's on the higher side - their beef roast is €27 in comparison to FX Buckley at €22.50, Hawksmoor at €23, and The Old Spot at €28. What’s the verdict on The Legal Eagle? Every bit a return to form, The Legal Eagle has landed again with a welcome mix of old favourites and new flutters that should satisfy fans of yore and newcomers alike. If there’s an occasional slight touch of the production line to things here, it’s one easily forgiven in the high calibre food and great value wine on offer. Taken together with the warm, welcoming vibe of the staff and space here, there’s all the makings of a classically comforting Sunday lunch. Except the roasties. New Openings & Discoveries More >>

A beacon of solid pizza and pints for the good folks of Inchicore and surrounds. Tucked inside a quiet little industrial estate, Rascals really took off during the pandemic with its lively, covered outdoor seating area the perfect place to catch up with a group over an evening. On colder nights, the vibrant indoor space is always buzzing with a great view of the vats brewing away in the background giving a boozy equivalent of the farm-to-fork experience. Monthly food and drink specials mean there's always something new for regular visitors, but we always come back to the black pudding-dotted 'Dublin Ate'. Crisp crusts and dip servings that don't skimp seal the deal. Rascal's Brewing Co. Website rascalsbrewing.com Address Goldenbridge Estate, Tyrconnell Road, Inchicore, Dublin 8 Good For Tag 1 Cuisine Tag 1 Once Over Read our Review >> The Story A beacon of solid pizza and pints for the good folks of Inchicore and surrounds. Tucked inside a quiet little industrial estate, Rascals really took off during the pandemic with its lively, covered outdoor seating area the perfect place to catch up with a group over an evening. On colder nights, the vibrant indoor space is always buzzing with a great view of the vats brewing away in the background giving a boozy equivalent of the farm-to-fork experience. Monthly food and drink specials mean there's always something new for regular visitors, but we always come back to the black pudding-dotted 'Dublin Ate'. Crisp crusts and dip servings that don't skimp seal the deal. Where It's At Nearby Locales Yibu by Janet Little Canton Dak @ Bar Anam Mongoose Chongqing Hot Pot Boco Clontarf Bell Pesto Bang Gloria Osteria Cantina Valentina D'Lepak Pera Borgo Amai by Viktor Kaizen Chubbys Badam Table 45 Comet Daruma Malahide Lena The Pig's Ear Notions @ Two Pups The Rooftop @ Anantara The Marker Sofra

One of the city’s best vegetarian and vegan restaurants for over 30 years, Cornucopia is about casual, wholesome dining, just off Grafton street. We love the window seats on the ground floor but there's a large upstairs too. Cornucopia Website cornucopia.ie Address 19-20 Wicklow Street, Dublin 2 Good For Tag 1 Cuisine Tag 1 Once Over Read our Review >> The Story One of the city’s best vegetarian and vegan restaurants for over 30 years, Cornucopia is about casual, wholesome dining, just off Grafton street. We love the window seats on the ground floor but there's a large upstairs 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

Un'Altra Pasta Bar A new fresh pasta bar for Blackrock, but we left deflated Posted: 4 Feb 2025 Neighbourhood Neighborhood Name Address Restaurant Address Website Website Name Restaurant Info View the Listing >> Written by: Lisa Cope What should we know about Un'Altra Pasta Bar? We're always banging on about restaurants not using their windows to full effect, so when we discovered a new opening in Blackrock (via the medium of OpenTable ), making fresh pasta right in the window (via the medium of Instagram ), we were in there like designer Italian swimwear. We could find scant background on Un'Altra (which means 'another') through the usual online stalking channels, but their takeaway pasta bar opened in Sallynoggin in 2021 to good reviews. This is their first sit down restaurant, and once we were sitting down, managed to prize out of our server that the owners are Romanian, with the chef of the two obsessed by pasta. He's worked in various restaurants here and in Italy, and owns a few cafés in Dublin, but this is the dream becoming real. The website (which looks more like a takeaway's, as does the signage outside) hypes up their Neapolitan pizza recipes, developed by " esteemed partner Antonio Carlos Garcia, a two-time Neapolitan pizza world champion ", delivering " mastery in every slice ". We met the champ himself, a Spaniard now living in the UK , and he told us he was just over to help out for the few couple of weeks, and was heading home to his own pizza business in Lincolnshire a few days later. Where are we sitting? As good as an idea it was to use that window for pasta making instead of tables, they didn't really think about the customers in the restaurant getting a view of the action. The best vantage points are at the counter overlooking the pizza oven and across to the pasta making, but it won't work for more than two, or three at a push, to sit side by side. Larger tables are lower, set further back, and blocked by the counter, so sit there and you're missing the chance to see any pasta or pizza making. You can get up and walk over for a look, but the restaurant could have been laid out so much more cleverly to maximise the live action experience. What's the menu like? Extensive, with some pretty out there flavour combinations. We did raise our authentically-inclined eyebrows at the inclusion of pasta with chicken, garlic bread, and Nutella-fried gnocchi on the menu of a restaurant pitching themselves as authentically Italian, but we wanted to give the benefit of the doubt to anyone putting that much effort into the pasta. Some of the flavours however feel very misguided, like the special pasta with steak, red peppers, carrots and garlic, lightly tossed in soy sauce (!?) and finished with Parmesan and mozzarella for a " fusion of flavours ". Or the carbonara finished with truffle oil, which will have one of our national food critics fulminating if she crosses the threshold. There aren't many starters, and we skipped doughballs, bruschetta (no tomatoes in January please), and an €11 rosemary and sea salt focaccia (no explanation for the price), for the Crocchette di Riso (€12), crispy rice croquettes stuffed with nduja and Provolone cheese. They arrived more anaemic than they should have been, with a dry, claggy filling, and barely a hint of what they were supposed to be stuffed with. They were inexplicably covered in what tasted like a marie-rose sauce - we still don't understand why anyone would do this to a croquette. A simple aioli or marinara would have been so much better. Nonna's Polpette (Grandma's meatballs, €12) were fine, like something you'd make at home in a hurry. They didn't taste of long and slow cooking, and we weren't going to be banging on the kitchen door begging for the recipe (like we were tempted to at Hera a couple of weeks ago). The blackened leaf of basil on top was unnecessary. There are 24 pastas to choose from, including all the staples like amatriciana, fettucine al Ragù , and lasagne, but we only had eyes for the flambéed tagliatelle with fresh black truffle and a crispy Grana Padano crust, finished tableside on a wheel of Parmigiano Reggiano (€24.50). " A luxurious dining experience " apparently - consider us sold. We waited for the Parmesan wheel to be pushed over to our table and the show to begin, but then realised the action had already started over at the window, and we'd missed the flambéeing - we're still no wiser as to why you would flambée pasta, or what it was set on fire with. We asked what had happened to the tableside show, and they said there wasn't enough space to push the wheel over. They might want to rewrite the menu.... The pasta, cooked in the kitchen and tossed in sauce, is swirled around the wheel, then twirled up onto tongs and (for reasons unknown) placed into a heart-shaped casserole dish. It was then brought back into the kitchen, where we presume the truffle was grated on, and delivered to the table under a heart-shaped lid. By the time the palaver was over it was barely lukewarm, one note creamy, and had no sign of any " crispy Grano Padano crust ". A textbook example of over-promising and under-delivering, when the best restaurants do the opposite. From the stuffed pastas, capellacci with ricotta and spinach (€19.50) were a strange, over-sized shape, not the little hats we were expecting, and had little discernible flavour. We thought the Ragù Toscano might lift things, but it was over-salted and under-whelming. Good ragu takes time (see Marcella Hazan's recipe for the only one you'll ever want to make), and this didn't taste like an appropriate amount of time had been allotted. Maybe we'd do better with those award-adjacent pizzas. We went for the Un'Altra special with fior di latte, olive oil, stracciatella, mortadella, rocket and aubergine chips (€19.50). These are cold toppings on a warm pizza base, with the oily aubergine the dominant flavour, and while the dough was good, there was barely any sign of leoparding on the crust. They'll need to do better to poach customers from Little Forest , which is just a few doors down. You cut it with a scissors, for another TikTok touch . We wanted to give it a final spin with Tiramisu but it hadn't set, so we settled for an affogato. The coffee was good, but the ice-cream had none of the overt creaminess that makes this dessert so loved. It also had hard iced bits in it, like it had slightly defrosted and been refrozen. What about drinks? There is no information on the wine list about producers and vintages - just grapes and regions, which will cause frustration to anyone who likes to know what they're drinking. What is welcome though is the alcohol levels (on most). Watch out for those reds by the glass, two of which are 14% and 15% - too much of that is a recipe for a hard headache the next day. We tried the Corvina by the glass (€9, 12.5%) and it was passable, but seemed to get less so the longer it sat there, and a decent Aperol Spritz. We wouldn't have taken a chance on a bottle without knowing what we were buying, and you can ask them to bring you the bottles if you want to know more, but it's an unnecessary tension point during what should be a relaxing meal out. How was the service? Very friendly and pleasant, but there were a lot of questions about whether we liked the food, and how much we liked it, and isn't it all just amazing? When that hasn't been your experience you can either lie and get out of there, or watch their hearts break as you point out everything that wasn't amazing. We reluctantly got pulled into the latter, and they took any criticisms well, saying they were new and working to be better. What was the damage? €108 before tip for two starters, three mains, and two drinks (we took some food home and they left the dessert off the bill). Not a bad price for dinner, but we were in for lunch - they desperately need a lunch deal or daytimes will remain empty. We were one of only two tables over a full sitting. What's the verdict on Un'Altra Pasta Bar? Is this a bad restaurant? No. Is it Blackrock's answer to Grano / Bar Italia / Amuri ? Also no. Un'Altra seem to be angling to deliver "what people want" instead of "what people need but don't realise it yet", evidenced by the Irish crowd-pleasing additions that any Italian would go to war rather than cook (see the note on Bar Italia's menu stating " please DO NOT ask for chicken in your pasta! ") We have a lot of admiration for anyone putting in this kind of effort and making all of their pasta from scratch, we just wish that same effort had travelled through the ingredients, flavours and time spent perfecting dishes in the kitchen that any Italian Nonna would be proud of. While you don't need to be Italian to run a truly excellent Italian restaurant (see Trullo and Padella in London, and the late Russell Norman's empire ), you do need to have the soul of the boot shaped country running through your veins, and we couldn't feel it here. New Openings & Discoveries More >>

The newest addition to the Mamó Howth empire is this lovely wine bar hidden behind St Stephen's Green, with possibly the best value evening tasting menu in town. The Cantabrian anchovy toast with preserved lemon aioli became an instant hit, and the olive oil aged in sherry barrels is one of the best things you'll taste there, or anywhere. The wine list is in the upper echelons of delight, and staff are as charming as in every other site from talented partners Jess D'Arcy and Killian Durkin. Lunch is a simpler affair of sandwiches and salads. Margadh RHA Website margadh-rha.ie Address RHA Gallery, 15 Ely Place, Dublin 2 Good For Tag 1 Cuisine Tag 1 Once Over Read our Review >> The Story The newest addition to the Mamó Howth empire is this lovely wine bar hidden behind St Stephen's Green, with possibly the best value evening tasting menu in town. The Cantabrian anchovy toast with preserved lemon aioli became an instant hit, and the olive oil aged in sherry barrels is one of the best things you'll taste there, or anywhere. The wine list is in the upper echelons of delight, and staff are as charming as in every other site from talented partners Jess D'Arcy and Killian Durkin. Lunch is a simpler affair of sandwiches and salads. 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

Speciality coffee by the sea in Clontarf, with morning pastries and lunchtime sandwiches from Greenville Deli. Also runs as a wine bar from Thursday - Saturday, with an interesting natural wine list, and simple cheese and charcuterie plates. Surge Coffee Website surgecoffee.ie Address SURGE Coffee Clontarf, Clontarf Road, Clontarf West, Dublin 3, Ireland Good For Tag 1 Cuisine Tag 1 Once Over Read our Review >> The Story Speciality coffee by the sea in Clontarf, with morning pastries and lunchtime sandwiches from Greenville Deli. Also runs as a wine bar from Thursday - Saturday, with an interesting natural wine list, and simple cheese and charcuterie plates. 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

Legit Coffee Co. Upping the Northside's brunch game Posted: 14 May 2019 Neighbourhood Neighborhood Name Address Restaurant Address Website Website Name Restaurant Info View the Listing >> Written by: Lisa Cope What’s the story? Legit Coffee Co. started on Meath Street in the Liberties, Dublin 8 in 2015, after French man Daniel Vossion saw a gap in the market for a café serving interesting food and good coffee. They were accepted into the area with open arms, and even made it into the Lonely Planet's guide to Dublin , and last summer opened their second location in Phibsboro, where Daniel and his partner live. Between here, Two Boys Brew and Loretta's , Phibsboro is relatively spoilt for brunch these days, but there's something about the quiet confidence of Legit that we really liked the look of - the sleek food images on their Instagram page probably helped. They open as a café seven days a week, with breakfast, lunch and brunch every day, but it's the latter we were interested in, as we are clearly a city obsessed with it - every time we even mention the B word the website goes mad. Consider us fulfilling our civic duties. What’s the room like? There's a good amount of seating, at regular tables, at a high table and in the window. They also have highchairs if you're coming with a child in tow. The whole thing is very industrial chic with greenery dispersed throughout, and there's more natural light in the front, the back suffers from a lack of windows. We loved the window seats in the front for the people watching (and the view of Mountjoy Prison, you never know you'll see coming out), but the back is calm and private and there's good distance between tables if you're coming for a gossip. What's good to eat? One of the things we really liked about Legit Coffee Co is that the brunch menu isn't full of the same sad greatest hits seen on most menus, and everything has a twist. We thought the pulled pork benedict was genius, with two eggs on toasted brioche with caramelised apple and hollandaise. Pulled pork is usually a take it or leave it affair, and we thought it might be too salty, but it was expertly balanced and the brioche was better than any English muffin. We also really loved the rolled up French toast, stuffed with berries, apple and cream cheese, before being dipped in egg and milk and fried, then drizzled with maple syrup - something that's going to be attempted (for better or worse) at home very soon. The eggs and greens deserves a round of applause for making breakfast time cabbage taste good, and is a nifty way to get your five a day, with avocado, spinach, beetroot hummus and pomegranate. It was also just very tasty without feeling like too much food or that you were over doing it (not looking at you pulled pork benedict), which is good because you need to leave room for cake. A halloumi plate was another out of the ordinary option, with a homemade flatbread, soy portobello mushroom, garlic hummus and mixed salad. The menu said it also came with slaw and pickled onions, neither of which were on the plate when it arrived, but on asking, the pickled onions materialised. We were told the slaw had been replaced with salad, but we think slaw would have been better. It was a nice alternative to a full Irish, but the halloumi was quite chewy (an upgrade to Toonsbridge would be just the job) and it really needed the bite of the onions, so if we hadn't gotten them it would have felt a bit flat. It is also a lot of food so only order if hungry. Definitely save room for cake, all of which are homemade. The canelé, with either salted caramel, dulce de leche or chocolate are the best we've had here (maybe ever), and the 3 layer flan, on staff recommendation, had really interesting consistencies, and was smooth, creamy and delicious. Neither tasted too sweet. What about the drinks? The excellent house coffee is from Baobab Coffee Roasters in Kildare, with regularly changing guest roasts, and they do speciality teas from Wall & Keogh. Cold pressed juices are made fresh in house and worth the €3-€4 price tag. And the service? Everyone's so nice in here that at times we've thought they must all be the owner. You order and pay at the counter and they bring the food to you, but they're more than happy to take time to talk you through the menu or make recommendations. And they smile, a lot. There's just a very welcoming vibe to the place. The verdict? Legit has become one of our favourite places for brunch in Dublin, due to the unfailingly excellent coffee, inventive, delicious food, lovely staff and ample seating space. The next time you're near the North Circular Road make a beeline for it - or just make this your next brunch destination. It's worth any effort it might take to get there. Legit Coffee Co. 394 North Circular Road, Dublin 7 www.legitcoffeeco.com New Openings & Discoveries More >>