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‘tis a long way we’ve come since the Abbey Theatre opened all the way back in 1904 - hotel dining rooms or the nearby Ship tavern were about all you could rely on for a pre-theatre feed in those days. A century and change on, it’s but a short stroll to sample food from all over the world, and plenty of early bird deals among them to lure you in. Going to The Ambassador or The Gate? Anything marked with an asterisk (*) is a perfect pick for you. See our guide to eating before shows in Vicar Street and other southside theatres here, and the Bord Gais Energy Theatre here. QUICK BITES Marka Cadey, Talbot Street (Mon-Sun, 3 min walk)* Top of our own list for next time we’re at the Abbey is Marka Cadey right round the corner on Talbot Street, a Somalian spot we’ve heard plenty of positive whispers about. Brimming beef stews and flatbreads to mop up every last drop are the vibe here, with most mains at or under €15, and there's enough space to get you in and out on the double. Jehan’s Heaven, Talbot Street (Mon-Sun, 4 min walk)* For quick casual food in comfortable surrounds, few places are as good and close to the Abbey as Jehan’s Heaven. The palatial restaurant space from the owners of Ella’s across the road serves up lesser-spotted dishes from the Caucasus alongside a shopfront Turkish grill to tempt the crowds in – we’d skip it and stick to the Georgian specials like khachapuri, dolma and chanakhi instead. Pickosito, North Lotts (Mon-Sun, 7 min walk)* Newly relocated from its former Mary Street site over Pera (see below) to a very handy alley off Liffey Street, Pickosito’s the place if Mexican is your kind of pre-theatre treat. Honing in on the dishes of the cattle ranch-studded north of the country, their beef barbacoa and house chorizo really show what they’re made of – we haven’t tried the newish chilaquiles yet, but we can’t wait to. Don’t skip the guava cheesecake if it’s going.

Two weeks ago we rechecked our Dunnes vs the discounters research to see if Lidl and Aldi really do offer savings anymore, or if the Dunnes voucher scheme just evens it all out. It came as a big surprise to many that Dunnes came out technically cheaper on the basic items we checked, if you manage to get 20% off each shop by spending in €25 increments. Basically, there's nothing in it if you use your vouchers well. This time around we had more calls to involve Tesco in the conversation - our readers wanted to know how they stack up against the addictive voucher scheme that so many people are stuck in the loop of. Their Clubcard offers appear to have gotten bigger and bolder over the past year, making you feel like a chump if you only visit sporadically and don't have an account to avail of them, but with the recent news that they're starting to use customer data to train AI and enhance your individual shopping experience (read: try to get you to buy more), are we giving up too much to get the best price on onions? This time around we checked 78 like for like items - basic fruit and veg, meat, fish, pasta, flour, eggs etc. We can't comment on quality - if you like Tesco own brand tea bags over Dunnes, that's your prerogative. What were the parameters? Everything was price and weight checked on Thursday 14th May and rechecked on Monday 18th May (multiple items had changed price in just a few days so this is a moveable feast) We only included basic, whole food, own brand products where was no discernible difference, e.g. Pink Lady apples, free-range chicken breasts, premium own brand pasta. We did not compare processed food items where quality can vary substantially If items were slightly different weights (e.g. 60g vs 100g pine nuts) we calculated the comparative price by weight We struggled to decide whether or not to include Tesco Clubcard offers as we've previously not included short term offers for other supermarkets, but some of Tesco's price reductions last five or six months, so they are semi-permanent. In the end we decided to show you both columns, and the Clubcard saving on the products we checked turned out to be negligible What were the results?

What should we know about Baked and Bottled? Korean pastry chef Eojin Lee made her name with pre-order patisserie Ondo, and desserts like fig shortcake and strawberry fraisiers gaining all the attention. Before this she also ran a Korean hot food stall, but pastry and cakes seem to be her happy place. Baked and Bottled is her first café and bakery, open since January in Ashtown, and fully bootstrapped. This is a desperately under-served area for nice things to eat and drink, and with a growing number of locals, it looks like a great choice of location. You can also order those Ondo-style cakes for collection, so file that away for your next special occasion. What's the seating like? There's a good amount of tables along the window and in the back of the café. There's also a bench outside where you can perch with a coffee and pastry in the sun. What did you have? Pretty much everything from the counter (we're dedicated). It's packed with sweet and savoury creations, classic and lesser seen, along with breads to take away. There's also a breakfast/lunch menu with granola, toasties, pancakes and more, but how could you look past that counter. A K-BBQ sausage roll (€5.95) should be your first savoury order, but they gave it to us cold. After cutting it and realising we asked them to heat it, and suddenly congealed fat turned to dripping juice. They also brought a yuzu mayo post heating which raised the game on chunky pork mince, sweet and spicy flavours, and all the layers. A ham and kimcheese pain suisse lookalike (€5.50) also had great flavours but should have been heated - hard cheese doesn't hit like gooey cheese. The kimchi flavours could have been louder too. Focaccia of the day was nduja and ricotta (€7.50), and it's good bread, but was crying out for sea salt on top and oil on the bottom. A pain suisse (€4.50) and almond croissant (€4.50) were technically perfect, the croissant just the right side of over/double baked, with all the colour and crunch you could want. A matcha cream and strawberry Danish (€5.50) is best left to those who love the bitter, vegetal flavour of the ubiquitous green tea. The strawberry brought balance, but there wasn't enough of it. We took home flourless chocolate cake and a chocolate pecan cookie for later, and if you'd made either at home you'd be bookmarking the recipe as the only one you're using from now on. What about drinks? The one big drawback here is coffee. It's from a big, commercial, Italian brand, and tastes like something you'd get in a kid's play centre (we've actually had better in play centres). It's bitter and over extracted, robusta over arabica - the kind you choke down in Spain and Italy because you're on holidays. They picked it because they supplied the coffee machine (a big cost), but in a city with so many brilliant roasters (and discerning coffee drinkers), this feels like a big misstep. Why should we go? Go for the pastries, the craft, to collect a pre-ordered cake, but if you love coffee the way we love coffee, you might want to grab that elsewhere. Baked and Bottled Unit 2, Lock Keeper's Walk, Ashtown, Dublin 15 instagram.com/bakedandbottled_dublin

With temperatures due to hit 20c this weekend we're thinking pastries in the park, picnic sandwiches, and the Kool Pop throwback brought up to adult standards that we didn't even know was missing in our greedy little lives. Here's what we're most thinking about eating this week... 1) All the pastries, Around The Corner Alma's little sis Around The Corner is soooo dedicated to the pastry cause that they have TWO different suppliers and make even more sweet mouthfuls in house. Sur Bakery supply these cardamom buns, sweet and savoury Danishes, and alfajores, and there's more classics from The Rock Bakery too. Find them at the weekend until 16:00. 2) Mortadella & Pistachio sandwich, Two-Faced There's a right and a wrong amount of mortadella in a mortadella sandwich, and Two Faced have got the memo by the looks of this lunchtime ciabatta. The pistachio, stracciatella combo is iconic for a reason you'll understand upon tasting, and did we mention they sell wine if coffee's just not doing the job? 3) Curried rotisserie chicken focaccia, Dandelion We were already dying to get out to Dandelion in Howth, chef Aoife Barker's new grocery and deli, but this curried rotisserie chicken focaccia special almost sent us over the edge when it appeared one hungry lunchtime. Sambos are available from 12pm until sold out, and let's all hope this one goes permanent. 4) Carrot-shaped croquettes, Good World And the award for the cutest food item of 2026 goes to... Good World! The Cantonese restaurant for those in the know have been amping up their dim sum lately (look at these custard mushroom buns!) and these radish mixed meat croquettes have absolutely no reason to be shaped like carrots, but also no reason not to be. They say they're too adorable to eat. We respectfully disagree... 5) Posh Kool Pops, The Fat Fox Okay this one might not technically be in Dublin, but chances are lots of us will be making a day trip to Greystones over the next few months, and what kind of genius came up with grown up kool pops?? The Fat Fox geniuses of course. Between matcha, iced coffee, and watermelon filter, we'll having one en route down to the beach, and another on the way back to the Dart.

Summer's so close we can smell it, and there's a definite summery vibe to May's ATF Insider prize draw. Each month ATF Insiders are automatically entered into our prize draw, with nine brilliant giveaways each time from some of the best restaurants, hotels, food and drink businesses around. May's winners will be drawn on Monday 18th, with names announced on social media and contacted directly by email. If you’re not an Insider yet, sign up before midnight on Sunday 17th to get your name in our digital hat. Along with other benefits like invites to the best restaurant events in Dublin, access to exclusive content, weekly insider intel and more. Here’s what we've got for you this month… 1) A rooftop experience for two at Anantara The Marker One of Dublin's best (and only) rooftop bar experiences is back for summer 2026, and this year Anantara The Marker is bring a Mexican vibe to the hotel bar with all the city views. There's ceviche; bluefin tuna tostadas, Wicklow lamb birria, and even a Yucatán spice bag, with Mexican cocktails to match - like the Fuego Dorado with tequila, jalapeños, and mango. There's also live Sunday DJ sets once a fortnight, which sounds like the softest comedown from the weekend... We're sending one lucky ATF Insider into Anantara The Marker for a rooftop experience for two, with three cocktails and three small plates each! 2) Bottle & Bites experience for four at Ely Wine Bar Ely Wine Bar has a new chef and he's already making waves around town. Lucas Aoki is blending Japanese and South American flavours on his new menu for the long-standing wine bar, and Elote croquettes, beef tongue skewers and whole fish moqueca are some of the dishes we've been daydreaming about. If you want to dip a gentle toe in, Ely's Bottle & Bites experience is the way to do it. At €79 for two people sharing, you get a bottle of wine and five small plates (ATF Insiders also get a FREE upgrade to a more premium wine). We've got a Bottle & Bites experience for four to give away this month - that means two bottles of wine, ten sharing plates, and a helluva catch up. 3) An evening on the terrace at Minetta Deli, Sutton Minetta Deli in Sutton are fully leaning into summer 2026 by opening for snacks and drinks on the terrace every Friday - Sunday evening! (if the weather plays ball). There's a lovely little wine list, all the spritzes, and small plates like cheese and crackers with hot honey; gochujang sour cream and tortilla chips; and anchovies with guindilla chillies and salted crisps. We've got a €100 voucher to give away this month which should get you through most of that lovely menu. 4) The Gulliver's Travels afternoon tea for two at Conrad Dublin Conrad Dublin has launched a Gulliver’s Travels-inspired Afternoon Tea at Lemuel’s, bringing a playful new take on the classic experience. Drawing inspiration from Jonathan Swift’s iconic novel, the menu features sweet and savoury creations influenced by Gulliver’s adventures, like saffron chicken and mango sandwiches, and battenberg cake, all served in the elegant surroundings of the hotel’s bar and lounge. Available daily, it’s a literary-inspired afternoon for food lovers, and we're sending one of you in to enjoy it with someone who love. 5) The Kinara Kitchen curry club experience for four Kinara Kitchen’s Curry Club has built a quiet following for good reason. Each month, the team puts out a rotating lineup of rich, deeply spiced curries that keep regulars coming back, and there’s a loyalty card in the mix too - every 11th main is completely free. This month one of our ATF Insiders will win a Curry Club experience for four, with their choice of main, plus a bottle of wine to help it all go down. You can book your own curry club night out here. 6) Tickets to Green Earth Organic's new festival plus a vegetable delivery to your door One of Ireland's best sources of organic food, Green Earth Organics, is turning 20 this month, and to celebrate they're hosting a new Sustainability Festival on their organic farm in Galway this September. There's going to be farm walks, panel talks, cookery demonstrations, food trucks, a local food producers showcase, live music and more! The speaker line up includes Darina Allen, JP McMahon and Mick Kelly, and this is turning into a calendar must if you love food like we love food. We've got two tickets for the festival to give away, as well as a box of organic, Irish vegetables delivered to your door. 7) €100 voucher for The Exchange Bar & Restaurant Just steps from the Olympia Theatre, Vicar Street, comedy clubs and some of Dublin’s best performance venues, The Exchange Bar & Restaurant at NYX Hotel Christchurch has launched a new “Curtain Call” pre-theatre menu. Designed for guests heading to a show, you can get two courses for €39 or three courses for €47, and they promise to get you out in time for curtain call. This is easy-to-like food, like Irish three cheese croquettes; beer-battered cod and chips; and Wexford strawberry pavlova, and if you quote "showtime" to your server you'll get a complimentary cocktail too! We've got a €100 voucher for The Exchange to give away this month, which would be a great excuse to book in a show. 8) €100 for The Leeson and an invite to the soft launch All eyes are on The Leeson (formerly The Leeson Lounge) which is reopening on Leeson Street Upper very soon. It's going to be a neighbourhood wine and cocktail bar, featuring live music like DJs and jazz three nights a week - keep an eye on their social media channels for an announcement on the official opening date. We've got a €100 voucher for the new Leeson to give away this month, plus an invitation for you and a pal to the soft launch. 9) Six tickets to Bord Bia Bloom 2026 Ireland’s largest festival of flowers, food and fun, Bloom, returns to the Phoenix Park for its 20th year over the June Bank Holiday weekend (28th May – 1st June). The festival will showcase the best of Irish food and drink, from inspiring chefs and artisan makers, to hands‑on discussions and sustainable food showcases, and we've got SIX tickets to give away worth €236 for the day of your choice! Check out the full weekend line up here. Want to get your name in the draw for all of this? Sign up to ATF Insiders by midnight on Sunday 17th May. We’ll be picking winners on Monday 18th May, so keep an eye on your inbox and you might get a very nice Monday surprise, and if you’re not an ATF Insider yet, what are you still waiting for??

*This article was updated on 13th May 2026 to correct some inaccuracies and reflect changes in pricing on some products since its initial publication on 5th May 2026* The Dunnes voucher scheme remains the biggest supermarket success story in decades, with the "voucher cult" keeping customers loyal to ensure their vouchers stay active. Local Whatsapp groups are plagued with people looking for spare vouchers, and there are Facebook groups and even a dedicated website designed to source vouchers for those in need. The first rule of the Dunnes club is - you do not shop without a voucher. The second rule is, you must spend in multiples of €25 to maximise your savings - a €25 spend with a €5 voucher = 20% off. A €35 spend with €5 voucher = just 15% off and so on.... Last year our curiosity got the better of us, so we price checked almost 70 every day, comparable items from Dunnes against discounters Lidl and Aldi to see if the voucher scheme actually means savings, or if we're all part of a big grocery game and they just inflated the prices by 20% to begin with. To our (and everyone else's) surprise we discovered that after using Dunnes vouchers to maximise your saving, Dunnes technically were the cheapest, but you had to be getting exactly 20% off each shop (it's possible but it takes work). A LOT has changed in the global landscape in the past 12 months, with multiple wars causing food prices to increase faster than a bullet train, and empty supermarket shelves becoming more of a common sight. We're all concerned, we're all feeling the difference in our bank accounts, and we're all trying to make our money go further, so we thought it was time to spend hours trawling the supermarket shelves again to see what's changed since June 2025, and whether Dunnes would still come out on top... What were the parameters? Everything was price and weight checked between Thursday 30th April and Saturday 2th May (some items were rechecked on Wednesday 13th May) We only included basic, whole food products where was no discernible difference, e.g. a net of three lemons, 800g stewing beef, 500g frozen mango. We did not compare processed food items where quality can vary substantially If items were slightly different weights (e.g. 125g v 150g fresh raspberries) we calculated the comparative price by weight Some products had to be omitted as there were not like for like examples in all three supermarkets e.g. tofu, strong flour, Spanish EVOO We did not include special/weekly offers, just the on shelf ticket prices

Our 35 hottest list features the most talked about restaurants in Dublin right now, based on column inches, Insta love and the general pain involved in getting a booking. There are the restaurants with all the buzz, in alphabetical order, with EIGHT new entries for Spring 2026... (It might also be useful to read our guide on how to tables in the top ten hardest to book restaurants in Dublin) * This list doesn't include cafés or lunch-only options, everywhere here is open for dinner at a minimum Achara Where: Aston Quay, Dublin 2 Northern Thai BBQ-inspired Achara, from the same owners as Crudo in Sandymount and Hera in Drumcondra, brought an injection of Thai flavour to Dublin and applied it to great Irish produce, like Donegal squid and Leinster lamb ribs. It's impeccable value for money, great for groups, and the premium cocktail and wine lists have diners hanging around long after the food's gone. Read our review of Achara here. Allta na Farraige (New) Where: Grand Canal Dock Allta's more casual "Allta Bar" never really found its feet, despite that burger, but they're hoping their new seafood-based iteration will do better business. Allta na Farraige is a "seafood and cocktail bar", and so far the critics have loved it, with Corinna Hardgrave calling it "equally original and thrilling", and Katy McGuinness saying it's "the best food I’ve eaten in Dublin in a while". Read the Irish Times review here. Amai by Viktor Where: Harry Street, Dublin 2 Few Dublin restaurants have ascended the dining ranks as quickly as Amai by Viktor. After opening above The Corkscrew last July, they were added to the Michelin guide just 55 days later, and all eyes were on them for a potential star when the awards came to town in February (and disappointed us on so many levels). Every time we've eaten there it's been better than the last, and if 2027 isn't their year we're taking to the streets in protest. Read our our once over here.

As one of the city’s most popular music and live comedy venues, we’re constantly plied with queries from ATF Insiders on where they should eat before heading to a gig in Vicar Street. From quick and casual pit stops on your way over from work to early bird options around the area, here’s everything worth considering within a quick walk away... Going to The Olympia, Project Arts Centre, or Smock Alley? Everything marked with an asterisk (*) is a perfect pick for you, with a few added options down the bottom... QUICKER BITES Coke Lane @ Lucky’s, Meath Street (Mon-Sun, 3 min walk) So close to the stage you could literally leave off legging it to the last minute, Lucky’s is perfect if casual pints and pizza is your preferred pre-gig vibe. Coke Lane’s light, Neapolitan-style pies are solidly priced with great catch-all variety for any veggie, vegan or GF friends coming along, and there’s usually no shortage of space here on all but the busiest of nights – book ahead to be sure. Space Jaru, Meath Street (Mon-Sun, 4 min walk) Casual Korean spot Space Jaru’s large central table inside the right window is the ideal spot if you’re going with a group, and available to book by email – piled-high plates of tteokbokki and yangnyum chicken washed down with shared soju (10% off on Sundays!) is our kind of catch-up. Otherwise, it’s walk-in all the way with quick enough turnarounds and a short stroll to the venue so you don’t need to leave yourself too much time. Read our once over here. Fusco’s, Meath Street (Mon-Sun, 4 min walk) If the walk-in woes strike and everywhere else is keeping you waiting too long, there’s no back-up quite like one of Dublin’s most untouched old-school chippers. Fresh ray in Fusco’s is one of the Liberties’ greatest IYKYK pleasures, so quickly served up you can be in and out in no time – there’s plenty of seating inside too if you want to linger a while. Read our two minute review here. Notions, Francis Street (Tue-Sat, 7 min walk) * On busier and brighter nights you’ll definitely want to be booking ahead, but Two Pups’ wine-bar-by-night Notions isn’t a bad shout to chance your arm on a walk-in mid-week. The bigger inside space has plenty of room to settle in and sample a few of their superb seasonal small plates alongside plenty of BTG natty wine options. Bolt Burger, Patrick Street (Mon-Sun, 10 min walk) * If burgers and beers are on your agenda, nothing nearby will sort you as well as Bolt, tucked inside the Fourth Corner bar and usually easy enough to bag a table in. FX Buckley-sourced beef makes for deliciously juicy, crisp-edged smash burgers in double or triple stacks. The €13 Monday double deal (€10 for students) is a real draw here – the chicken katsu fries too. Read our two minute review here. Sano, Temple Bar (Mon-Sun, 10 min walk) * Surely one of the few spots still standing where you can get a half-decent pizza (and cocktails!) for south of a tenner, Sano boasts brilliant value for rock solid quality as one of its enduring draws. They’re walk-in only of an evening but tend to have plenty of room, and will text you quick to let you know when they do at busier times. They do a mean '99 too, if you fancy a walking dessert. Chiya, Dame Street (Mon-Sun, 12 min walk) * How we ever survived before Berliner kebabs landed in Dublin we just don’t know. Chiya pack their puffy pide pockets with delish doner meat or your choice of three (3!) veggie options, so it’s a great choice for mixed crowds. They sling them out at lightning speed at even the busiest times, meaning you can be sure of getting a bite in a hurry if time is really tight – good luck eating these whoppers on the go, though. Read our two minute review here. Fayrouz, Cork Street (Tue-Sun, 12 min walk) Longtime Lebanese favourite Fayrouz’s mezzes and Middle East décor make it an oasis amidst the Liberties’ busy bustle. Piled-high platters come quick, with kibbeh and fattoush among the things you need to try – shawarma and mujadra are ace too. Be warned, the draw of free corkage BYOB is sadly no more. Doom Slice, Dame Street (Mon-Sun, 13 min walk) * The cheesey crust crunch of Doom Slice is one of Dublin’s greatest ASMR experiences – even without the regular specials we’d be back here to hear it again and again. Those specials really do help though, with whiskey BBQ pulled pork and a pickle slice among the latest. Their slice and can €10 deal Mondays and Tuesdays is perfect when you’re out early in the week week. BOOK AHEAD Mongoose, Thomas Street (Sun-Tue, 2 min walk) * While you could technically get through an early sitting at Variety Jones before most gigs kick off, you’d be nodding off all night after the feed they give you. Good news then that kid brother concept Mongoose has opened at last after years of setbacks, with a more casual à la carte menu than its starry sibling next door. Spitalfields, The Coombe (Tue-Sat, 6 min walk) The only issue with booking Spitalfields pre-show is you’ll never want to leave. From a special Michelin gong for the strength of its service, to the iconic plaited cock-a-leekie pie, a night here is about as good a welcome as it gets anywhere in the city. Just be sure to bear in mind it’s a long and languorous kind of vibe, so leave plenty of time. Piglet, Cow’s Lane (Wed-Sun, 10 min walk) * If you don’t mind making your way to Thomas Street early (or, better yet, fancy a drink along the way), Piglet’s early bird offer of three courses for €35 finishing at 17:30 is a great way to get a glut for a little less. Even outside of that awkward hour, it’s a nice near spot to wash down fine French-leaning cuisine with a ton of BTG options. The Legal Eagle, Chancery Place (Wed-Sun, 11 min walk) * Another early bird option, and one that runs until the far more favourable hour of 18:30 is The Legal Eagle, where it’s two courses for €30. Classic pub grub with a fancified twist is the vibe, with the pie of the day and Guinness sticky toffee pudding popular favourites for reasons we don’t need to wonder about. Full Moon, Parliament Street (Mon-Sun, 11 min walk) * A Temple Bar Thai that makes little-to-no concessions to local or tourist palates, Full Moon is a top pick for any parties that aren’t overly spice-averse – more sensitive souls can ask staff for help steering clear of anything more intense. Thai basil beef and the deep-fried whole sea bass are the two dishes to make a beeline for here. Daruma, Parliament Street (Mon-Sun, 11 min walk) * Sake and skewers make a great casual combo at izakaya Daruma, where a focus on quick-fire cooking and sushi usually gets you in and out with oodles of time – especially solo, where bar stool seats are often free. Ox tongue and oyster mushrooms are some of the best bites here, while the spiced sake cocktails are a lot of fun to explore. Fish Shop, Benburb Street (Mon-Sun, 12 min walk) We can’t count the number of times we sadly settled for something other than Fish Shop of a pre-Tuesday gig dinner – well, it’s sad face no more since they shifted to a seven day service at the end of last year. Now no matter what you’re seeing you can enjoy the city’s best fish burger bar none, washed down with any of their regularly switched up wines. Sister 7, Queen Street (Wed-Sun, 12 min walk) The pumping sound system at Fidelity and BigFan’s genius collab will get you in the gig mood over some of the best Chinese-style small plates around. Sister 7’s menu of dumplings, bao and fried chicken uses beer and brewery by-products from Whiplash for a smart, sustainable USP that keeps the crowds coming. Cocktails, no surprise, are bloody good too. Bar Pez, Kevin Street (Mon-Sun, 16 min walk) * Fish Shop’s little Spanish sibling just about makes the cut for what we’d consider a fair walking distance – the never-misses calibre of the food at Bar Pez is worth every extra footstep. A mandatory manzanilla-gilda combo while you mull over the menu is the first taste of the treat you’re in for, with the scallop toast and crab sandwich the ones we can never go without. MORE OPTIONS FOR PROJECT ARTS/SMOCK ALLEY/THE OLYMPIA Row Wines, Coppinger Row (Mon-Sun) With their formerly midweek offer of two plates and a glass of wine for €25 now extended all the way from Monday to Thursday, Row Wines is a top spot to nab if you’re at a show outside of peak times. Even if you’re in at the weekend, the likes of their Kilkee crab rösti and yellowfin tuna tostadas are worth every penny. Hawksmoor, Dame Street (Mon-Sun) With a six-day set early bird menu going for €33 for two courses or €38 for three, Hawksmoor are holding hard to the pre-theatre crowd – as long as you’re happy to be in there before 17:45. And why wouldn’t you with prices like this, saving you seriously versus the à la carte cost even if you aren’t going all in on the meatiest mains. The Seafood Café, Temple Bar (Mon-Sun) Another set menu essential, Niall Sabongi’s Seafood Café will do you three courses for €32 or two for €27 up to 6.30 from Monday to Friday every week. It changes daily with the catch and the whims of the excellent kitchen staff, and the likes of a half lobster aren’t unheard of. The oysters here are nothing short of essential. Achara, Aston Quay (Mon-Sun) There might not be any better value going on this list than what you’ll get at Achara if you’re in before 18:40 Sunday to Thursday. Their charcoal-grilled Thai sharing menu for two at €32 a head dishes up their immortal fish sauce caramel chicken wings alongside another two starters, three mains including a smoked pork cheek curry, and a coconut gelato to top it all off.

Anyone else positively reeling at the fact that it's May? Is it summer now? Or does that start in June? Why is it still only 13c? Will summer be good again like last year? Or a washout like the one before? We're channelling a PMA attitude with cold breakfast places, PB&J (not what you think) toasts, and BBQ lamb skewers... 1) Danish breakfast plate, Volumes The perfect breakfast doesn't exi... Volumes have just added this Copenhagen-style breakfast plate to the menu and if there wasn't already a stampede to get in, this would probably have done it. There's a sourdough roll, soft boiled egg, Comté, whipped butter, seasonal jam, pickles and a date, and you can get this plate of perfection each day until 11:30. 2) PB&J, Fairmental Fermentation fairies Fairmental are shaking up the meaning of PB&J on their Saturday menu. Forget the peanut butter, theirs is a pistachio/brioche/jalapeño, with a spring salad on the side. Consider us very interested... 3) Eggs Benedict with Guinness and treacle hollandaise, Two Pups Every time we're confronted with the same eggs benedict/florentine/royale combo on a breakfast menu we want to scream from boredom. Two Pups must be inside our brains because this new addition to their daytime brunch menu in D8 has turned the old reliable on its head, with Bold Boy Bakery's brown soda bread topped with free range poached eggs, seasonal greens and a Guinness and treacle hollandaise. More innovation like this please!? 4) Sausage scramble, Slice You've probably heard about Slice's famous sausage scramble, and if you were all "I've had scrambled eggs, I've had sausages, what of it", then let this little breakdown change your mind. Not sure whether the slow-roasted tomatoes, herb gremolata, or homemade hot sauce did it, but we're offically obsessed. 5) BBQ lamb and padrón pepper skewers, Orwell Road New head chef Leticia Miranda has shaken things up over at Orwell Road in Terenure, and with dishes like this BBQ Lamb Rump and padrón pepper skewer it's not hard to see why the reviews as as good as they have been. She's paired it with a brown butter hummus (where have you been all my life), sumac, and a celeriac vinaigrette, and if we were picking the dishes we most want to eat over summer 2026 this one is right up there.

What’s the story with Mambo Sambo? “Our vision of what a deli should be like” at Mambo Sambo is pretty simple: “not just processed shite”. We couldn’t argue when their Christmas toastie took honours in our latest annual rundown. Back then they were managing loaves-and-fishes miracles out of a poky truck behind Inchicore’s Glen of Aherlow; since, they’ve shacked up with a renovated McDowell’s up the road and bagged themselves the space to really go wild. What do we need to know? Where not to sit, first of all. Though the suntrap stretch that sees neighbours Unfiltered and Riggers thronged will be packed all summer, steer clear of the huffing exhaust. The whiff of grilled cheese in our hair isn’t exactly a rarity, but one you might want to avoid if you’re venturing onward after. Though who’d want to with the sun beating down as it was on our first sleepy Sunday afternoon visit - pint in hand, you’d park here all day. Which we thought we might have to as time rolled by, with no sandwich in sight. Less than a month in the new space teething issues are to be expected, but with few other punters in sight we couldn’t comprehend this long a wait. It worked as an appetite-builder at least - we inhaled a Mambo cheese steak (€14.50) with the full force of a Dyson. This two-cheese molten mess of mozzarella and cheddar swaddles grilled rib-eye and caramelised onion in a soupy, steaming feast, with only the crunch of crispy onions to slow you from swallowing it whole. Worth a wait, for sure. The beefy madness (€11.50)… was not. Mambo’s approach goes all in on double dairy decadence - the fat stick of butter they baste the grill with, and the full-contact crispness of the cheese flipped onto it. A moment too long left it overly crisp, and if the beef were better it’d have almost passed us by, but these dry dud shreds were left steaming too long, losing all the juicy goodness of the gold standard at Mrs Reid’s. We’ve seen (and smelled) enough online and in passing to know that’s not standard fare for the slow-cooked Mambo meats, so it fell to spicy pulled pork to prove they could do it better when the brisket was already gone on a second-chance visit. Plenty of other options were too – €6 toastie Thursday was bringing the crowds. They won't have left hungry. Meat and cheese both just the right side of caramelisation this time, crisped bread faring better than an overly soft roll, this spicy, sloppy jalapeño and crispy onion filled specimen is how it’s done. Why should we go? The hard-hatted queue from the building site across the road who pass over the cheap Spar nearby is all the endorsement you need on the chicken fillet (€11.50) and breakfast roll (€8.50). Both of these are textbook with a twist, like the chicken’s sweat-inducing bounty of bacon and pepperoni, or the breakfast’s soft yolks soaked into spreadable pudding. In just a few minutes’ early morning we saw dozens doled out. If this place can hit its stride, it’ll be our vision of what a deli should look like too. Mambo Sambo McDowell’s pub, Emmet Road, Inchicore instagram.com/mambosambo_1

It's no shock to hear that we're major fan girls (and boys) of Amai by Viktor (read our review here), the first fine dining showcase that Brazilian food has ever had in Ireland, and after a recent trip back to try their spring Folklore menu, we decided you absolutely have to try it too, so we're going back for a second takeover of the restaurant. On Tuesday 12th May they're opening the restaurant just for ATF Insiders, and serving the full 'Folklore' menu, plus a couple of previews from their new summer 'Samba' menu for only €89pp including a welcome Caipirinha - a massive €27 saving from if you booked in on your own. They're doing this as a very special experience for us because they think we put them on the map - the reality is we just got in there first (thanks to tip offs from a couple of ATF Insiders!). Word will always get out when a restaurant experience is this good, but don't tell them that or they might stop being so sound. We're taking over Amai by Viktor on Tuesday 12th May, with early tables at 17:15 and 17:45, and later ones at 19:45 and 20:15, and there's a vegetarian option (please request this when booking!). As usual with our events, the team including chef Viktor and GM Alex, will be on site all night to welcome you, serve the dishes, and answer your questions. This is an ATF Insiders only event - sign up here for €6 a month if you want in. Each Insider can book a table for two, and bring one non-Insider with them. If you're coming with friends who are also signed up and you want to sit together, just make a note on your booking. There's also bar seating so solo diners are very welcome. Who knows who you might meet over dinner. Bookings for our Amai by Viktor takeover on Tuesday 12th May go live tomorrow, Friday 1st May at 13:30. Everyone signed up to ATF Insiders will receive the booking link directly to their inbox. If you're not already part of Dublin's best food club, find out what you're missing below.

Rebrands, revivals, renovations, reopenings and even a residency - it’s exciting times as Dublin hurtles headlong into the high season. From Korean fried chicken to New England lobster rolls; a Michelin kitchen’s younger brother to a Ballina bistro’s capital city cousin, here’s everything new and upcoming worth getting excited about.   Mongoose, Thomas Street   Most restaurants have a bumpy path to opening, but few have hit quite as many speedbumps as this. When the Michelin-starred Variety Jones  grabbed the chance to move from their original, intimate Thomas Street site into the vacated Caffe Noto building beside it, they had grand plans to rebrand the OG as Mongoose , a more casual concept than its starry sibling. But things are rarely as easy as that, and after a shock fire just eight days in, VJ was back at home. Three years and untold reams of insurance paperwork later, VJ is thriving in the new space with their star happily retained, and Mongoose ’s time has come at last. They’ll be slinging a more affordabl e à la carte from Sunday to Tuesday starting this very weekend, and bookings are already open .

This sunshine is making the sad state of the world seem soooooo much better, and with peachy sandwiches, langoustine toasts, and purple pancakes, that feeling seems to be spreading to the city's plates too. Here are the five hard fought dishes we've singled out in the capital this week... 1) The peachy boy, Loverboy We're suckers for a summery sandwich, so when we saw this from Loverboy at the weekend we were all "STOP THE LIGHTS". The 'Peachy Boy' is tarting up prosciutto with peach chilli jam (read that again), as well as mozzarella, radicchio and lemon aioli on ciabatta rolls. It might only be April but we're proclaiming this the summer sambo of 2026. 2) Apple pie and Delice de Bourgogne ice-cream , Variety Jones Keelan Higgs is known to be a Michelin-starred, culinary genius, and he strikes again with this apple pie and Delice de Bourgogne ice-cream. He first put the two together out of desperation one lazy Sunday at home, and now he's spreading the good word as part of the tasting menu at Variety Jones . Praise be for scarcity breeding ingenuity. 3) Ube pancakes, Sasta in the city Apart from the fact that they're antioxidant, vitamin C and potassium packed, how adorable are these purple ube pancakes from Sasta in the city in Leopardstown? They come with a coconut and white chocolate ganache, whipped vanilla mascarpone, flaked almonds and coconut shavings, and if you're going to do dessert for breakfast, at least those complex carbs should slow down the glucose spike. 4) Langoustine Toast, Mr Fox Mr Fox has gone back to offering an À la carte option as well as their longstanding tasting menu, which is great because then you can order multiples of this l angoustine toast with yuzu kosho, bonito and sesame. See also sourdough with Parmesan custard, and tuna aguachile. 5) Côte de Boeuf , Tablá Tablá in Mount Merrion have gotten themselves off to a very strong start, with every reviewer and foodie that's been by impressed with the French flair on show in the former Little Mike's spot. While the Croque Monsieur and French onion soup sound like the business, there might also be a new contender for the best Côte de Boeuf in town. They use Irish Angus beef, stick a slab of 'Beurre Maître d’Hôtel' on top (butter, lemon, parsley, black pepper), and bring the Bearnaise on the side. We haven't seen the chips but we're hopeful.

What do we need to know about Twist Bakery?   It's the new Temple Bar bakery where Coco Brew used to be, and it's very quietly VEGAN. Twist aren't shouting about it as they don't want to put the non-vegans off, but stepping into a café and bakery where every croissant, Danish and patisserie is dairy and egg free is a unique experience in Dublin.   One of the owners is dairy intolerant, while head pasty chef  Marija Lacic i s vegan (she ran vegan bakery Cake My Day ), but another owner and their head baker eat all the foods. They felt there was a gap in the market for an inclusive bakery, making exciting pastries and cakes without traditional ingredients. Is there seating? Very little. You'll be lucky to get a perch, but if you don't you could take your goods and sit in Central Plaza, or head to Trinity for some green space. What did you have? We kind of lost the run of ourselves - it all looked too good. There were two pistachio pain au chocolats, and after much soul-searching we picked the 'double-baked' (€5.50). They use a butter substitute made from shea butter, coconut oil and vegetable oils, and while we've had better butter-based pastry, we've also had a lot worse - this is so impressive for vegan lamination, as is that pistachio filling. A firm favourite was the coffee hazelnut Danish (€5.20), with a praline filling and coffee cream. Despite its richness we couldn't stop lifting it for one more nibble.   A sole savoury option of focaccia with vegan herb yoghurt, fennel, tomatoes and radicchio (€5.95), would make for the most gloriously summery lunch on the go, the crunchy, creamy toppings sinking into the chewy bread with each bite.   An almond croissant (€4.95) did have us pining for real butter, with a lack of pastry crispness, but there was no talking down that intense almond paste filling. Would we eat another? Definitely.   A polenta, almond, orange and cranberry cake (€5) was dense and syrupy, citrus bursts against a cloud-like vegan cream topping, while a 'Ferrero Roché' wouldn't have been out of place in a Parisian patisserie, with nothing giving away its vegan secret. Instead of eggs they've developed "egg alternatives" for each recipe, depending on the structure, texture and richness needed. Once again we were dazzled. Presumably the drinks are vegan too? Yep, with just oat and coconut as alt milks when we visited, built into the price. They blend and roast the spices for their oat chai latté (€4.50) in house, and this one sets a bar for chai in Dublin. A house blend Americano (€3.60) was faultless too. Why should we go?   They might not be shouting about it but the word on the vegan (and non vegan) street is out. Twist is just an excellent bakery, doing everything the hard way, and did we mention their 'sunshine in human form' staff, standing by to give the warmest of welcomes? The fact that they're vegan doesn't even really come into it - goal achieved. This is the kind of place we can see other wannabe vegan bakeries across Europe coming over to study, and it's all ours. Twist Bakery 5 Bedford Row, Dublin 2, D02E393 twistbakerydublin.com

What's the background on Cora in Lucan?   Lucan's newest café opened on main street in February, from the people behind East Village in Clondalkin and Urbanity in Smithfield. It initially opened as another East Village, but somewhere along the line changed names to Cora . Their feed of out of the ordinary, eye-popping dishes looked right up our street, and the addition of a spritz or two to the menu only added to our hastiness to visit.

The middle of the month only means one thing around here - nine more chances to be an ATF Insider winner! Once you're signed up to ATF Insiders , you’re automatically entered into our monthly draws , with nine brilliant prizes each month from some of the best restaurants, hotels, food and drink businesses around. April's winners will be drawn on Saturday 18th , with the winners announced on social media and contacted directly by email. If you’re not an Insider yet, just sign up before midnight on Friday 17th to get your name in there. Along with other benefits like getting access to exclusive content, weekly insider intel, invites to the best restaurant events in Dublin and more. Here’s what you could win this month… 1) A trip to the five-star Park Hotel in Kenmare, including a wine pairing dinner worth €675! On Sunday 26th April the five-star Park Hotel in beautiful Kenmare are hosting a celebration of fine art and fine wine in their art-filled Landline restaurant , with a dinner paired with organic and biodynamic wines from Château La Coste . Wines will be introduced by their head winemaker, and paired with dishes full of seasonal, local ingredients. We're sending one of you down to Kenmare for this very special event, including an overnight stay at the Park with breakfast the next morning. Talk about a proper switch-off. See more about the event here . 2) Two weekend tickets to the Ballymaloe Festival of Food with Sunday lunch at Brawn's pop-up restaurant The Ballymaloe Festival of Food in Cork has long been one of the most interesting weekends in the Irish food calendar, drawing some of the world's best chefs, producers, sommeliers and journalists to the site of one of the most globally renowned cookery schools and dining experiences. There's so much to do, from cookery demos and panel talks , to tastings and pop up restaurants , and we've got a sensational prize to give away of two weekend tickets for the festival PLUS Sunday lunch at the Brawn pop-up , featuring thoughtful, seasonal cooking from one of East London’s most loved restaurants. See more and get tickets here . 3) The Supper Club menu for two at Hera with cocktails and Lambrusco Hera ’s midweek Supper Club is right up our alley — Michelin guide cooking, standout Irish ingredients, and a price that makes going out for dinner all too tempting. At two courses for €33 or three for €39 from Monday - Wednesday, and dishes like cured Goatsbridge trout with cucumber and dill , and seafood paella with saffron aioli , it's the midweek treat we all deserve. We've got a supper club for two to give away this month including three courses, cocktails, and a bottle of Lambrusco , which sounds like a VERY good evening. Check out the menu here . 4) Two tickets to the Chef’s Table at Pitt Bros BBQ Pitt Bros ’ new Chef’s Table events are fully leaning into the theatre of BBQ. These intimate nights with their pitmasters feature a multi-course BBQ tasting menu , a welcome beer cocktail, Hope Brewery pairings, and the stories behind every dish. Expect live fire, smoke, and a menu with flavour at the fore, and with a small group format, this is the perfect gathering place for a group of barbecue enthusiasts. We've got two tickets to give away for a Chef's Table date of your choice (worth €190), and you can see all the details and upcoming dates here . Go hungry. 5) €100 voucher for The Sauce Series at The Washerwoman The Washerwoman ’s Wednesday Sauce Series is the kind of weekly commitment we can get behind. From 5pm every Wednesday you can get unlimited wings for just €20 , with a rotating line up of sauces each week (there's already been spicy Korean and Irish whiskey BBQ, and we can't wait to see what's next). We've got a €100 voucher for The Washerwoman to give away this month which will get you and three pals unlimited wings plus some drinks to wash them all down with. Just leave the white clothes at home. 6) A pizza party for four at Deano's in Walkinstown We'd been getting messages from you guys about Deano’s in Walkinstown for MONTHS before we visited , and it was even better in reality than in the DMs. This dream of a local pizza spot is serving top tier dough with extra special Italian toppings, and going the extra mile with absolutely everything they do - you'll taste the difference, we promise. We've got a pizza party for four to give away from Deano's this April, featuring four pizzas, both sides, all the dips and desserts. All you'll have to do is pick the lucky three to go with you. Check out our review of Deano's here . 7) Gourmet Irish Food Hamper from Fallon & Byrne worth €160 Fallon & Byrne ’s fancy as F food hall has always been the most reliable place to pick up the good stuff in the city centre, and incredibly it's their 20th birthday this year!? To celebrate we've got a gourmet Irish food hamper worth €160 to give away - essentially a greatest hits of Irish producers. There's a mix of pantry staples like Wildwood Blackberry Balsamic Vinegar , to treats like Achill Island Sea Salt Fudge , and it makes a great gift if you’re feeling generous — but you probably won’t be. Check out Fallon & Byrne 's hampers available for nationwide delivery here . 8) €100 voucher for Riggers South's take home meals Since our pandemic era ended, so many of you have bemoaned the lack of restaurant quality food available for taking away and eating at home . Sometimes you can't get a babysitter; sometimes you don't want to move; sometimes you just can't be arsed cooking. Riggers South  in Glasthule has heard your call and has started a line of   take-home meals , like beef bourgignon , and creamy Italian Parmesan chicken . These are proper portions, good ingredients, and none of your own elbow grease needed in the making. We've got a €100 voucher to give away for Riggers South  this month so you can work your way through the lot. 9) Four tickets to the Alsace Rocks! wine fair One of the most under-rated wine regions in the world is getting a Dublin showcase at the end of April, and you're invited. Alsace Rocks! is coming to Bewley's on Monday 27th April from 18:00 - 20:00 , and the €30 ticket (€25 for ATF Insiders, ask us for the code) will allow you to try over 60 wines , from crisp Pinot Blancs and zippy Rieslings, to aromatic Gewurztraminers and fizzy Crémant d'Alsace We've got four tickets to give away for the event, and if you win, we guarantee that 2026 will be the year you discover your new favourite wine. Get tickets here . Want to be in the draw for all of this, just sign up to ATF Insiders  by midnight on Friday 17th April . We’ll be picking winners on Saturday 18th April , so keep an eye on your inbox, and if you’re not an ATF Insider yet, what exactly are you still waiting for?? If you are an ATF Insider , then send winning vibes out into the universe - this could be your lucky month.

What’s the story with Deano's Woodfired Pizza?   Tucked beside the CherryTree pub in Walkinstown, Deano’s Woodfired Pizza has built a fiercely loyal local following since opening in 2022. Owner and head chef Jordan Grossman brings serious credentials to the hatch, having trained in Naples with renowned pizzaiolo Enzo Coccia , owner of La Notizia 53 – one of Italy’s most celebrated pizzerias.   Jordan told us that the flour, meats and cheeses all come from Italicatessen , a Wicklow-based company importing directly from Italy, while the sauce is made in-house from tinned Italian San Marzano tomatoes. Is there seating/toilets? Yep you can sit in the CherryTree's beer garden or take your food inside and order drinks. What did you have?   The Margherita (€12.50/€10 on Wednesdays) with San Marzano tomatoes, fresh basil, Grana Padano, Fior di Latte and extra virgin olive oil was simply perfect. The tomato sauce classically tangy with a smooth sweetness, while the chewy, leoparded crust delivered exactly what you want from Neapolitan pizza, its floppy middle best folded in on itself.   Our standout was the Piazza Dante (€14) – a bianca base where the silky fior di latte and made in-house pesto melted into the peppery bite of rocket, salty black olives and sweet sun-blushed tomatoes, toasted pine nuts bringing crunch and texture to every bite. This was the one we kept reaching back for.   The Spaccanapoli (€15), with San Marzano tomatoes, basil, Grana Padano, Fior di Latte, spicy chorizo, Ventricina salami and sweet teardrop peppers is like an elevated Diavola. The salami's intense chewy bite immediately signalled quality, bringing sweet-spicy depth, while the chorizo added more richness, the teardrop peppers cutting through it all with bright bursts of sweet, pickled freshness.   On the side, garlic pizza bread  brushed in melted Kerrygold butter, chilli flakes, oregano and extra virgin olive oil  (€6) , was made even better with the €2 add-on of Fior di Latte. Generously grated garlic gave it plenty of punch.   Nduja and rosemary tatties (€6) were on our order sheet thanks to Deano’s socials , arriving with all the golden edges and fluffy centres we'd imagined. Cooked with herbs, garlic and rosemary, before being tossed in nduja butter and topped with parmesan, these were giving spicy bacon notes in the best possible way. We tried all four dips (€2 each) - lemon garlic aioli, pesto, nduja, and chilli honey, each clearly homemade and entirely bottleable. We'd struggle to pick a favourite.- just get all of them. We were hoping for tiramisu, but it's only available from Thursdays onwards. Instead it was a gooey, deeply fudgy Belgian chocolate brownie (€3), and a Belgian chocolate woodfired cookie (€3), so irresistibly chewy, sweetness balanced by flaky sea salt. Why should we go?   Because this is not your average local pizzeria. From the imported Italian ingredients and house-made sauces, to standout sides and desserts, everything here feels deeply considered and highly skilled. Each part of the menu stands confidently on its own, while working in perfect harmony with everything else, and we left wondering why isn't this isn't a fully fledged sit down restaurant. "Food truck" does not do Deano's justice.   Deano's Woodfired Pizza Walkinstown Cross, Walkinstown, Dublin 12 instagram.com/deanoswoodfiredpizza

What’s the story with Volumes?   “ He literally wrote the book on coffee! ” is the clear pitch for Volumes , and what volume it's been pitched at since Dublin Coffee Guide  author Paddy Kirk teamed up with As One  owner Mark Cashen, and ex- Bastible and Delahunt  chef Fionn Dwyer Hyland to give us this new Scandi-chic café. It’s the must-have Insta-backdrop du jour  – but is it any good?   Well?   On this team’s well-documented desire  to deliver a Copenhagen-style community vibe, their space delivers, coffee accoutrements bathed in the light of the floor-to-unfinished-ceiling windows like a modern art museum – solemn nodding punters and all. And why wouldn’t you nod with a cup like this in hand, via Belfast’s Bailies Roasters .   Punters are snapping the bagels like they’re rare exhibits too, with the more sustainable smoked trout twist on a classic lox living rent-free on feeds the city over. She’s pretty alright, though for €14 she’d want to be. Goatsbridge fish and Hayes Farm cream cheese go part of the way to explaining the premium over others we’ve had of late , and if you’re willing, it’s worth it.   Even more an icon of NYC cuisine is the BEC (€10), served here on a "house roll". This bodega-beloved breakfast item even came up in a recent mayoral debate - maybe Mamdani won for his jalapeños versus his opponents' no-salt. He’s right and they’re wrong for the same reasons Volumes’ BEC is, with its slick of gochujang mayo a needed spice shock to cut through the excess - the overly-sweet bacon forfeits the saltiness it needs to really sing.   But the bread! More than in the bagels, Dwyer Hyland’s big bakery back there shows its promise in the rolls, crisped to blisters but so soft. It’s just the right vehicle for the slow roast pork special (€14), with wafer-thin slices draped over pickled fennel and radicchio in blood orange vinaigrette. As it stands, they’ve rolled this one out week after week - shake it up a little more and there’ll be every reason to return.   Especially once you’ve got your teeth into the pastries. A sausage ragu bun (€4.50) is the stuff of slow-cooked daydreams, soft dough spewing juicy clumps of pork and fennel. Hash browns (€6.50) present more a pale straw than the golden hue we expected, but the crisp factor's there in force, with a chunky chip shape giving all the right edge-to-innard ratio. The house harissa apricot sauce is an sweet and spicy inspiration - if one that could use a little thinning of texture. Sweeter options don't let things down either, with sesame seeds coating the white chocolate and miso cookie (€4) bringing crisp texture to well-balanced taste. Value and variety are much more assured on this side of the menu. Why should we go?   As early, easy beats yield to more pulsing melodies by lunch, a winding queue of bagel cravers begins to bisect the room – and the vibe. A little more order would go a long way. Plan for an early arrival when the countertop confections are steaming just as much as the perfect coffee, to get a real measure of the place and its potential.   Volumes George’s Quay, Dublin 2 instagram.com/volumesdublin

From a new spot to soak up the sun that’s surely coming soon, to a monthly menu we want to eat all April long; a Spanish-Irish take on a favourite spring ingredient, to a Indian-Italian lesson in community spirit; a new Sunday lunch hot-spot to a pop-up opportunity to try one of the country’s best concepts, here’s everywhere we’re eyeing up for April's eating...   For the good weather that might, maybe, arrive: The Linen Yard, Harold’s Cross   After a series of soft-launches throughout the month of March’s, Harold’s Cross’ Linen Yard is officially open for business. Rise Nordic Spa are at the heart of the offering with a wood-fired sauna, hot tub and plunge pool, but it’s the food court with ample outdoor space that we’re as eager to get out to – if the weather plays ball (there’s indoor space too, but where’s the fun in that). Shaka Poke  and Bak’d Pizza  are on hand for savoury needs, with Sweet Churro  and Brew Brothers Coffee at the ready with sweeter options. With a bar to boot and a dog-friendly policy, this one is gonna be hopping.   For pastries worth a journey: The Rock Bakery, Skerries   One of the best parts of April is knowing that even if the heat isn’t there, the odds of bright blue skies all over Dublin just get better and better. It’s the ideal time of year for a road or rail trip, and what better reward at the end of it than The Rock ’s latest drop. Their April menu counts confit garlic sausage rolls, and tea and honey custard-covered lemon drizzle danishes among the five specials added to their old favourites. If ever you needed a reason for an early outing to Skerries, there it is.   For the best new Sunday lunch in town: Margadh RHA, Ely Place   Eighteen months on from pulling down the shutters on his much-missed Skerries site Potager , ex- Chapter One  chef Cathal Leonard has taken over the reins at Margadh RHA - a flurry of feet to Ely Place is sure to follow. Mamó  owners’ Jess D'Arcy and Killian Durkin's city centre concept ditched à la carte for a (great value) set menu a while back, but with Leonard at the helm (and no doubt exhausted diners in mind), it’s right back to a mix-and-match with truffle bon bons, smoked duck, celeriac pithivier, and rotolini pasta among the new treats in town. We expect a new Sunday lunch service here to be the real draw, with beef wellington and stuffed guinea fowl among the weekly specials we've already seen.   For a steal of a deal on the best chicken fillet roll around: Chimac, Aungier Street   It’s as much for the necessary lesson in local provenance and premium ingredients, as the exceptional value of this one-week offer, that we’re all eyes for Chimac ’s chicken fillet roll price match. We know well the scepticism that cash-strapped punters greet higher costs with – we hear it every time we try to preach the difference between price and value. Here’s a rare chance to really taste the difference, with one of the city’s best chicken shops slinging them out at the same €6.25 price as their local deli all week long. If you can still genuinely say the taste difference isn’t worth the extra few quid, well – no harm, no fowl.   For the best of white asparagus season: La Gordita, Montague Street   We sounded the alarm   on an unusually early appearance of white asparagus way back in February this year, with choice treatments from Richmond  to Comet  to Forest Avenue  cropping up all over the city ever since. But as Spargelzeit  proper really kicks into its April high gear, nothing’s grabbed our attention as much as what the gals at La Gordita have cooked up. They’re serving spears straight from Spain alongside our own Lough Neagh eel, and we’ve never wanted to eat our veggies more. All that’s left to decide is what to drink it with – ours is a txakoli.   For a high-end taste of West Africa’s best: Ibile @ The Devlin, Ranelagh   We won't rest until Ibile  get their own space – run, is our advice any time these guys pop up, especially with the immortal prawn akara on the menu. They’re back in the capital with their fine dining spin on West African flavours at The Devlin this weekend after an initial Easter Sunday appearance that looked just incredible. You can go the whole hog on four courses, two sides and three cocktails for €75, or just rock up and help yourself to their first-come-first-serve bar menu from 9pm, with drinks and DJs going all night. We’ll bet good money the whiskey suya sour is as good a cocktail as you'll get all month.   For the Italian-Indian fusion you never knew you needed: Rascals x Kari, Inchicore   There are good neighbours and then there’s this. Inchicore icons Rascals and Kari  have joined forces for the former’s April specials, and if it’s as good as it sounds, Italian-Indian just might be our new favourite fusion food. The Kari Gold (nice) is the product of some special schooling  of Rascals’ chefs by Kari’s, a lesson in layered Indian spicing and creamy textures that’s resulted in this butter chicken pizza. And for the veggies, Green Day pairs a creamed spinach base with mozzarella, paneer and beetroot cream. As big fans of both businesses we’re all for this co-operative collab.

We've got seafood on the brain this week, just in time for a rise in the mercury; there's a new b ánh mì on the block that we want to get to know better; and the pizza/Indian collab we've got to get our hands on before the end of April... 1) Bánh Mì , Babble Deli Babble Deli in Lucan appeared in its aesthetically pleasing form in Lucan at the end of last year, and they've been slowly building quite the grid of beautiful looking sandwiches, sausage rolls and açaí bowls. The Bánh Mì is the current special (available until the end of today!) with grilled lemongrass pork, pickled Asian veg, cucumber, red chillies, fresh coriander and Maggi-seasoned mayo in an OakSmoke ciabatta. If you miss it, consider the meatball marinara an excellent back up. 2) Seafood paella , Hera Usually when diving into an early bird/pre-theatre/set menu you're dealing with smaller portions and/or cheaper ingredients, but not so at Hera in Drumcondra. Just look at the seafood paella, which is part of their Monday - Wednesday supper club with two courses for €33 or three for €39. It's positively packed with prawn, squid, mussels, white fish, saffron aioli and a bisque foam, and with the words "seafood" and "value" rarely found in the same sentence, this is one to take advantage of. 3) Fish finger sandwich , The Woollen Mills One of life’s great joys is an A-grade fish finger sandwich - soft white bread, perfectly crisp (but never greasy) batter or breadcrumbs, the flakiest white fish, and homemade tartare sauce. For us that’s where it stops, but the kitchen at The Woollen Mills have gone one step further and added minty mushy peas. It looks like they've nailed everything else, so we are nothing if not intrigued. 4) Butter chicken pizza , Rascal's Brewing x Kari We're loving the sound of this Italian/Indian collab, which came about after two of Rascals Brewing 's pizza chefs spent time with the owners of neighbouring Inchicore restaurant Kari , learning the basics of Indian cooking. Their love child was this butter chicken pizza, the “Kari Gold”, featuring a multi-spiced base with red onion, butter, garlic, ginger, garam masala, cumin, turmeric and chilli, finished with cream. They top it with marinated chicken, mozzarella and fresh coriander, and you can find it in Inchicore until the end of April. 5) Pecan, date and Earl Grey bun, Volumes Volumes doesn’t need to do much innovating to keep their daily queue intact, but that hasn’t stopped them adding a new thirst trap of a pastry to the menu. At first glance it looks like a cinnamon bun, but look a little closer – it’s actually date, pecan and Earl Grey. And we thought the bagels were fancy.

You know how much we love Volpe Nera , and you know how much we love ATF Insiders , so when they ask/beg/plead with us to do something, we do our best to make it happen. We've had so many readers ask us to do an event that they could bring their children along to (lucky kids), so the launch of Volpe Nera 's new Sunday lunch menu, designed with families in mind, is the perfect opportunity. Volpe Nera 's   new Sunday à la carte menu  will also feature a " chef's choice menu ", costing €49 for adults and €24 for children  aged 5-13, with Barry Sun's selection of bites, starters, pasta, dumplings, sharing mains, sides and starters brought to your table, and that's what we're showcasing on Sunday 19th April . ATF Insiders  and their families are invited to a very special launch event , where you'll get to try ALL THE FOOD . Each table will get to try almost every dish on the menu in smaller portions, and you'll just have to pick a sharing main and a dessert. The adult experience is €49, with the kids price €24. There's a vegetarian option too with a larger pasta course for €42, and kids under 5 eat free (just specify when booking which menus you'd like). This is an ATF Insiders  only event, with bookings starting at 2pm, and you'll be able to book a table for up to six people for your family . If you're not already signed up you can  do so here  for €6 a month. You don't have to have children to come along, but you're not allowed to complain about them if you do . Here's the menu you're going to be treated to... Bookings for our family friendly Sunday lunch at Volpe Nera will go live on Tuesday 7th April at 8pm . Everyone signed up to ATF Insiders  will receive the booking link directly to their inbox.

Did somebody just cut a VAT rate in here or what? After a long, cold winter, where only stray dribs and drabs of new openings gave us anything to look forward to sinking our teeth into, since February there’s been a glut of new openings cascading across Dublin. While many of these may be existing operations expanding their footprints from the safety of a solidly bankable base, there are enough new and novel concepts cropping up to give you faith for better times ahead in 2026 – on our plates anyway, if not our news feeds... Kin Dee, Leeson Street Upper   A sister site to Leeson Street’s Little Kitchen  just three doors down, itself spun-off from The Vintage Kitchen  now all a decade ago, Kin Dee  sees the chefs who staffed Indo-Chine on the same site break from former owners Townhouse Leisure to deliver something different. Named for the Thai for “eat well”, the menu shifts focus from the Vietnam-centric prior operation, though still making space for some stops off there and in Malaysia across its purported thirteen signature dishes. Thai-style scotch egg with isan sausage, and beef rendang with sweet potato fondant are some of the more eye-catching options, while a keenly priced lunch menu with all starters for €9 and all mains for €18 is sure to grab attention in these value-strapped times.   Boco, Clontarf   Closing for a “mental health day” right after opening weekend goes to show the fevered anticipation awaiting the second sit-down site for BoCo , who wrapped up their fire truck hatch in Harry Byrne’s in Clontarf almost a full two years ago with promises of bigger things soon to come. Soon they were not, but bigger they are, and the old Pigeon House location has given way to a spacious second site for the popular pizza joint. Warm wall tones, wraparound banquettes, all-organic wines – it’s a much more grown-up affair than the Bolton Street original with its regular student crowds, but much of the menu has made it into the suburbs untouched for all your Neapolitan needs.   Tábla, Mount Merrion   Slotting into the space previously occupied by Little Mike’s in Mount Merrion, Tábla  is a return-to-roots venture for Frenchmen Tanguy Gros Daillon and Thomas Loisel, who first met working in Piglet before the former moved to Allta  and eventually Entrecôte – the less said about all that the better. While waiting for a wine licence that’s since arrived, the new bistro kicked off daytime café, takeaway, and Sunday roast service with various French favourites like cornichon-studded jamon beurre, bechamel-stuffed cordon blue, and Loisel’s Blasta Books -featured French onion soup. Dinner will kick off shortly now the cellar’s unleashed, and with suppliers like O’Reilly’s Butchers and Tartine Bakery on board we’ve got fingers firmly crossed.