Assassination Custard Small, seasonal and perfectly formed Posted: 2 Aug 2018 Neighbourhood Neighborhood Name Address Restaurant Address Website Website Name Restaurant Info View the Listing >> Written by: Lisa Cope What’s the story? Ken Doherty and Gwen McGrath's tiny restaurant on Kevin Street in Dublin 8 is probably on the radar of most self-respecting Dublin foodies, but because they only open for lunch Tuesday - Friday we know just a handful of people who've managed to get there. The limited opening hours are to allow them to have a manageable family life and see their two children, but they do occasionally do pop-up dinners, like the one at Green Man Wines a few months ago which sold out almost as quickly as it was announced, and we hear you can book the space (and the chefs) for private parties in the evening. Both Ken and Gwen had worked in places before where produce is king (Good Things Café, Café Paradiso, Dax), and it's the same in Assassination Custard. Vegetables come from McNally Family Farm, with Ken himself often cycling to collect them, and meat is locally sourced. Offal appears regularly. A fter very complimentary reviews this year in the Irish Times and the Irish Examiner (and from everyone we know who's been there) we thought it was time for a midweek pilgrimage. What’s the room like? Teeny, with a max of 12 covers we're told (if even). There's one long rectangular table that fits three, and another round table where you can expect to sit with strangers, which is all part of the fun. We would definitely advise getting here as close to opening as possible, unless you're not in a rush. By 12:30 they were full with four people outside baying for seats. Despite this there's no feeling that they're trying to turn tables at lightning speed and the whole things is very relaxed, like having been invited into someone's kitchen who's going to make you the lunch of your life. What's good to eat? The hand-written menu changes daily depending on what produce they can get their hands on, but we'd be surprised to find a dud dish, and it always reflects what's in season. The panelle (pronounced pah-nell-eh) seem to be constant - savoury, salty slices of addictiveness made from chickpea flour before being deep-fried. It would be very easy to do a portion per person. From the other dishes on the menu that day we loved the fish pickle with homemade piccalilli, the oily tuna and anchovies lifted and balanced out by the vinegary pickle, which made for a perfect palate kickstarter, the juices mopped up with their chargrilled, homemade bread. We also loved the jalapeños with labneh, the thick, creamy yoghurt a perfect accompaniment to the charred, occasional fiery hot peppers (there's a bit of Russian roulette involved with the McNally jalapeños). A steaming bowl of chickpeas with sobrasada was so simple and so comforting, particularly on a cold, wet day in July (the return of the Irish summer), and is the kind of basic but brilliant dish that makes you pledge to start making it at home. Pointed cabbage with tahini sauce, Sichuan peppercorns and a dusting of curry powder was a deliciously brilliant example of what can be done when vegetables are put centre stage. The dessert option when we were there was flan covered in a thick caramel sauce, which tasted like the filling from the richest, densest cheesecake. They're famous for their "ugly but good" meringues with coriander and hazlenuts but they weren't on that day. If you see one, grab one. We ate most of the menu and the bill came to just over €40, which was really good value for food of this quality. What about the drinks? They only serve chilled tap water and coffee, but you can BYO for free. And the service? Wonderfully warm, almost like being entertained in someone's home. It's just Gwen and Ken, and they talk diners through the menu, making suggestions when asked and delivering the dishes to the table. There's a really intimate atmosphere because of the size and you get the feeling that nothing would be too much trouble. The verdict? A really special place for lunch that's well worth a midweek detour to Dublin 8. If you like eating with the seasons and food that comes from as close to the source as possible, you'll fall in love with Assassination Custard as soon as you walk through the door. If you can round up a gang of family and friends and take over the space for an evening, even better. That's something that's just gone to the top of our food-related wish list - although unsurprisingly we hear they're quite booked up for the next few months. Assassination Custard 19A Kevin Street Lower, Wood Quay, Dublin assassinationcustard New Openings & Discoveries More >>

Aobaba Obsession-worthy banh cuon on Capel Street Posted: 12 Dec 2018 Neighbourhood Neighborhood Name Address Restaurant Address Website Website Name Restaurant Info View the Listing >> Written by: Lisa Cope What’s the story? A few weeks ago we asked on Instagram what people's favourite cheap eats in Dublin were, and Vietnamese Aobaba on Capel Street came up quite a few times, with much enthusiasm from the recommenders. More than once we heard "this is my favourite place to eat in Dublin", and we were given various tips on what to order when we went. After a bit of investigation we found out that it opened in 2012, and is connected to four other Aobaba's in London. It's had nothing but positive reviews since then on various Dublin-based websites and blogs, but funnily enough, it doesn't seem to have come to the attention of any of the national restaurant critics, something we'd like to see rectified. Where should we go for a drink first? We're big fans of McNeill's pub, just down the road, with their consistently warm welcome and nightly trad music. It feels a bit like stepping back in time, and we've heard the Guinness is very good (the gin is too). There are plenty of other pubs on Capel Street like Slattery's and The Boar's Head, and Panti Bar is a bit of fun if you fancy a 90's style, super-sweet cocktail served by flamboyant bartenders. Where should we sit? It's pretty cosy in here. There a few four top tables, which you will definitely be sharing if there aren't four of you, a counter at the wall to the right and another facing out onto Capel Street. That would be our preference for the people watching, but it was so packed when we visited that we just had to take whatever we could find. What's good to eat? Since eating here we developed a complete obsession with Banh Cuon - Vietnamese steamed rice rolls filled with pork, mushrooms and shallots, with a fish sauce based dip. They have the strangest, gelatinous texture, but are one of the best things we've eaten this year. What we could have done without was the sheets of plasticy, ultra-processed pork that came with them, but next time we'd ask them to leave them off and save the food waste. If that's your thing, go nuts. We're big fans of Bun Cha, the cold noodle dish, with vegetables, herbs and peanuts, topped with meat, prawns or spring rolls, and served with a sauce to either dip in or pour over (we prefer the latter). Aobaba's is the best we've had in Dublin. Perfectly crispy spring rolls packed with flavour, on a really well balanced base of noodles, vegetables and herbs, and the accompanying sauce brought it all together incredibly well. A 'happy pancake', or Banh Xeo was also good, but we think Pho Viet 's on Parnell Street is better. The rice flour and coconut milk batter pancake was crispy with good flavour, but was a bit lacking in the filling of pork, prawns, beansprouts and other vegetables. It was also missing the traditional lettuce leaves and mass of herbs are usually used to wrap up pieces of pancake before dipping it into sauce. We asked for herbs, and at first they said no, then they brought some. That was the only surprising (and disappointing) thing about Aobaba. The norm in Vietnamese restaurants is to provide an abundance of fresh herbs to mix into or eat with your food. We were recommended to try the special Pho with beef, pork, chicken, tofu and prawn, and it was huge with a really flavoursome broth. It was a great example of Pho, but as always happens in these situations we find ourselves wondering about the provenance of the meat. Some of the beef was quite fatty, and we didn't see any descriptions denoting free-range anything, so it's probably safe to assume that it's not. Aobaba is very cheap, the bill for an enormous amount of food for two people came to €29, with a tonne of leftovers to bring home, and obviously with more ethically sourced meat the prices would rise, so unfortunately this is often the trade off for cheap food. We would have happily paid a few more euro per dish for free-range anything, but they obviously feel that cheaper prices are more important to their customers. What about the drinks? There are a tonne of drinks to choose from, like iced teas, milk teas, bubble teas and Vietnamese cofee, but no alcohol, and they don't do BYO. They probably don't want people hanging around as space is so limited. And the service? Ranged from sweet and smiling to brusque and barking with a side of eye-rolling, depending on who you got. You order and pay at the counter and then they bring the food to you when it's ready. The wait was only around 5 minutes, and they're clearly operating a tightly run ship. Take away boxes to bring home leftovers are 30c each - or save plastic and bring your own if you have a habit of over-ordering like we do. The verdict? This is currently in the lead for our favourite Vietnamese in the city. Despite a few flaws, the food is of a seriously high quality, and it's great value. Prepare to wait for a seat as it always seems to be jammed, and don't leave without trying those addictive Banh Cuon. Aobaba 46A Capel Street, Dublin 1 aobaba.com New Openings & Discoveries More >>

Amai by Viktor Brazilian food gets a fine dining showcase off Grafton Street Posted: 19 Aug 2025 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 Amai by Viktor? This one caught us on the hop. Usually when a new restaurant cooking at this level opens, especially one metres from Grafton Street, there's a lot of build up. A chef makes their name in one restaurant, gets backing to go out on their own, a PR company is hired and we're subjected to months of teasers before actually getting to eat anything. Up until a few weeks ago we had never heard of Viktor Silva, eaten his food (we think), or had any idea there was this serious a contender en route to the capital's restaurant roster. Amai by Viktor is a partnership between the chef and the owners of The Corkscrew downstairs on Harry Street (facing The Westbury, what a location). After the wine shop's last partnership with Sicilian restaurant Amuri , who they installed upstairs in their old location on Chatham Street, we're starting to think these guys could have an alternative career in spotting the next big thing in food. Silva's last position was as head chef in Amuri , and he's also worked in Bang , on events with Jordan and Maiken Bailey , and staged in multi-Michelin starred restaurants like L'Enclume. He grew up Brazil's favelas (scenes from which he's hand drawn on one of the dining room walls), and says the idea for Amai developed during the pandemic, when he was thinking about his family, identity and legacy. His grandparents were unable to read or write, and survived by cooking food which Silva's parents then sold in the city. Their sacrifices and " meals full of love " started his passion for cooking. Amai means "mother" in Shona (an African language and part of his heritage) and “to love” in Portuguese, and the chef says it's a tribute to the women who raised him. What table should we ask for? This is a beautiful old room (it used to be a shoe shop!) that's gotten the fit out it deserves, with comfortable, elegant seating, and Brazilian touches throughout - Silva's aunt's paintings are dotted around the room; a cavaco banjo hangs on the wall; a large black mural of an African woman covers the wall that greets you as you climb the stairs (painted by the chef). There are hanging florals, a parquet floor, a timber-lined bar with a swirling green marble countertop, rich dark wood and terracotta cushions on a creamy backdrop - it's a joy to take in, light flooding the room from those old sash windows. The best seats however are the two tables for two at the windows. On a muggy summer evening in Dublin it felt like having our own personal wind machine, the loveliest breeze drifting in through the window. Add to that the 10/10 people watching below (including right into The Westbury's lounge) and these aren't just the best seats in the restaurant, they're some of the best in the city. What's the menu like? It's a tasting menu only for €79 with no options (but they'll happily accommodate dietary requirements, just give them notice please ). Snacks first. A thickly crusted croquette with a rich feijoada interior (the famous Brazilian bean stew), animated by orange and nam jim on top. A smoky yucca (starchy root veg common in Brazil), egg and Gubbeen custard with lardo powder on top - dig deep for sweet and tangy black garlic underneath and scoop it up onto a crunchy tapioca cracker. A foie gras, coffee and açai (actual berries, not smoothie slush) tart that looked and tasted like it had come by taxi from Chapter One . If you weren't paying attention before, this opening salvo will have you correcting your posture. The statement cooking continues with barbecued o chra (a vegetable native to Africa but popular in Brazilian cooking), sitting on a ring of Ardsallagh Goats Cheese, with candied strawberries, nasturtium leaves and puffed rice. Watermelon gazpacho is poured in at the table, along with mint oil and fermented tomato honey (made in house, obvs). Getting your greens is rarely this exciting. Fennel brioche is a wow moment (the same way Jordan Bailey's brown soda bread course at Aimsir was), corn-cultured butter moulded into the shape of a corn cob. Tear open the sweet, fragrant bread topped with salty crystals and lather it on. This is not the stuff for scraping or scooping, this is bread that needs its own moment. Monkfish is next, and Silva's take on the Brazilian fish stew moqueca, with red pepper, coriander, coconut milk and red palm oil. The frothy top hides a deep red sauce underneath that you'll be using your fingers to scrape from the bowl, and the firm, meaty fish was needed for all that tang and spice. We're always surprised to see beef on menus these days with prices out of control, but it is synonymous with Brazil. AGM Mariana told us this dish represents the churrascos in her and Silva's home town of Porto Alegre, where meat is cooked over an open flame, but like everything else it's levelled up with vinaigrette (our favourite salsa-like Brazilian condiment), a rich jus, and a long wafer filled with potato salad. Smoky short-rib to the side, so tender you could eat it with a spoon, was the best thing about this plate, with the striploin too firm and the "jus bras" slightly too salty. Why are tasting menus "mains" always the least exciting part of a menu? We're still waiting on that restaurant with a tasting menu of just snacks. The culinary sparkle was back with a dessert of mango sorbet, mango pieces, lime, polenta cake, camomile infusion, and vanilla caramel tuille with bee pollen. Got all that? You will once it's swimming around your mouth, every flavour holding its own. A tenacious chef ends a menu with the same strong statement they started it with. A blow-torched lemon meringue tart; a banana caramel choux; a Capirin ha pâte de fruits. Three perfect bites, ideally paired with a decaf espresso (10/10), and you'll float happily off into the night. What about drinks? Being the national drink of Brazil, you've got to try a Caipirinha (€16) - this is the best one we've had outside of Rio de Janeiro, and just LOOK at those custom ice cubes (there are more than a few Michelin-worthy touches here). They don't have mocktails on the list but delivered a beauty of a mango one with N/A gin on request. The wines are coming through The Corkscrew downstairs, with Drappier the house Champagne at €22 a glass. Bottles start at €41/€43 for basic white and red, with the more interesting producers starting from €50-60. You'll find something you like here, but we would have liked to see some more exciting, off-beat choices, and they've gone high with margins - the same wines (like Pieropan's Soave) are available in other Dublin restaurants for a good 10% less. Must be the Grafton Street tax. Glasses are also 175ml which is large for this type of restaurant, so expect sticker shock looking at a glass of Portugese Dao for €20, or an Italian rosé for €17. How was the service? They posted on Instagram that what they hope makes them stand out is their " warm, welcoming spirit—that rare quality both Brazilian and Irish cultures share. The genuine kindness, generosity, and love for making people feel at home that's fundamental to who we are ." That statement of purpose sums up our experience here, and the generosity that flowed from arrival to departure. From the broad welcomes on arrival, to the offer of any table we'd like, to the generosity of time chatting and explaining more about the food and concept, to the offer of any drink you want on the house to end your meal (what a novelty!), it's like sitting through a crash course in what it means to be "hospitable". What was the damage? The tasting menu is €79, and if you go all in on cocktails, wine and coffee you'll easily spend €150 a head after tip. We considered that money well spent. What's the verdict on Amai by Viktor? Dublin is on a hell of a roll right now. 2025 has already brought us Lena , Comet and Chubbys , all operating at the very top of their game, and now Amai by Viktor has swooped in as a challenger to the best of them. We said Comet was bringing something unique to Dublin that didn't exist elsewhere - now here's another player a couple of streets over doing exactly that. Brazilian food has never had a showcase at this level of cooking in Ireland, and it's clear from the first few bites that this is a chef with an obsessive focus, who's pushing harder every day (just look at Google reviews to see how the plating has developed over the first few weeks). Take our advice - book Amai by Viktor now before the Michelin men and national critics write about how impressive, unique and exciting it is, and those window seats become a lot harder to secure. New Openings & Discoveries More >>

M and L Chinese Sichuan spice and a seriously good deal on corkage Posted: 11 Feb 2018 Neighbourhood Neighborhood Name Address Restaurant Address Website Website Name Restaurant Info View the Listing >> Written by: Lisa Cope What’s the story? As diverse as Dublin’s dining scene is right now, we’ve always suffered from a lack of the type of Chinese food they actually eat in China (trying to avoid the ‘A’ word). There are spice bags and 3-in-1’s on every corner, but try to get a plate of Xi’an Biang Biang noodles or braised, fermented fish belly and you’ll have a job on your hands. M&L on Cathedral Street is well known as one of the few places to get real Sichuan food, but it’s having a bit of an industry boom of late, as word has gotten out about their €6 corkage charge. Cue half the restaurants in Dublin booking it for their post-Christmas Christmas party (no restaurant has their Christmas party in December) so they can BYO some serious wine. Where’s good for a drink beforehand? Let's be honest, it’s not exactly Soho around here. Madigan’s on O’Connell Street is decent for a pint. Apart from that their sister site The Vintage Teapot just across the road is a cute (if ethnically muddled – Chinese dumplings, Italian antipasti and Russian blinis) place for a glass of wine, or post-dinner tea or coffee – they have a particularly good Chinese tea selection. What’s the room like? Like a Chinese restaurant. Cosy with some nice artwork on the walls and minimal table settings. The main room is nicer than the narrower section leading to the kitchen, but this tends to be quieter so better if you want some privacy. What's good to eat? Sichuan cooking centres around Sichuan peppercorns, chillies and garlic, so expect lots of each. There are non-Sichuan dishes here too (black bean, sweet and sour, peking) but we’d steer clear and stick to the ‘chef’s recommendations’ on the menu if you want the real experience. The specials on the board are a great place to start. From there we had beef and pork dumplings, and steamed buns with pork mince. All were excellent, especially drowned in chilli oil. We tried the chicken and sweetcorn soup (more out of curiosity than anything else) which was definitely of the more ‘European Chinese’ variety - gloopy and tasteless. Thankfully things picked up with the French beans with dry chilli, which seem to be everyone’s favourite. You might balk at €11 for a plate of green beans but you won’t once you’ve tried them. They’re M&L’s version of class A drugs - highly addictive. From a previous visit we can highly recommend the deep-fried seabass Sichuan style (on the bone), but this time we tried Seabass in hot and spicy sauce (off the bone), which was like a really good sweet and sour with extra depth of flavour. The fish was perfectly cooked and the skin crunchy, but it wasn't as good as the Sichuan version. We meant to order deep fried chicken with chilli and crispy peanuts (again had it on a previous occasion and again loved it) but in a miscommunication ended up with Kung Pao chicken, which is also a Sichuan dish and was very good, but a bit pedestrian. If you do order the deep fried chicken be warned that the portion is huge, but you can always take the leftovers home (you'll find images of it on Instagram). The deep-fried aubergine with soy sauce was also enjoyable if not overly memorable, but didn’t look remotely deep fried. No crispy edges. We wanted to try the whelks which are an M&L favourite but they weren’t available. The soft-shell crab is also mentioned constantly in reviews but seems to be a table divider. Some love it, some don't. We didn't have enough space to take the chance. In synopsis, you need to know what to order in M&L, and make sure you communicate it clearly to the staff. What about the wine? €6 corkage. That’s all you need to know. We took a cursory glance at the wine list and are sure none of it will kill you, but it would seem a wasted opportunity not to bring something special when the corkage charge is this low. To put it into perspective, a wine that you pay €20 for will cost you €26 to drink at M&L. Standard restaurant margins would make it in or around €50. We took an organic, biodynamic white from a Portugese producer called Aphros (annoyingly not currently available in Ireland, sorry) which was zesty and full of flavour (lime, orange, white flowers), with lovely minerality. A perfect pre-dinner drink while we waited for food to arrive. The chilli sauce with the dumplings eviscerated our palates so we couldn’t taste it after that, but luckily it was almost finished. We also took a Greek red from producer Gaia's 2009 vintage; an obscure Greek grape variety called Agiorgitiko. It’s currently on sale in O’Briens for €18.45 down from €28.95 (for no reason other than most Irish people don’t buy Greek wine), and was a hauntingly beautiful bottle, full of perfume, flowers and blackberries. (It's worth noting that we went back for a second bottle which wasn’t as good, but that’s wine, it’s a living thing so can be unpredictable). Neither were a perfect match for Sichuan food but not much is. And the service? Basic but friendly. No-one will fall over you and you might need to wave a few times but staff are very accommodating. The verdict? There is great food at M&L but you could easily fall into the trap of the Western diner and end up with a pretty standard Chinese, which would be a great shame. Do your research, stick to the chef's specials and bring your own wine and you'll be fine. M & L Chinese 13/14 Cathedral Street, Dublin 2 mlchineserestaurant.com New Openings & Discoveries More >>

The South-West suburbs of Dublin were never a stronghold for food in the past but that has started to change. With some great bakeries and breakfast options in D12 and a growing number of great ethnic restaurants in D24, the area is a wise choice for good value. West Dublin Our Take The South-West suburbs of Dublin were never a stronghold for food in the past but that has started to change. With some great bakeries and breakfast options in D12 and a growing number of great ethnic restaurants in D24, the area is a wise choice for good value. Where to Eat D'Lepak Kaizen Mama Shee Orani

Michelin recommended gastropub near Grand Canal Dock. Cosy décor, upmarket dishes and a great Sunday roast. The drinks are taken as seriously as the food with a huge list of cocktails, beer, cider and wine. The Old Spot Website theoldspot.ie Address 14 Bath Avenue, Beggar's Bush, Dublin 4 Good For Tag 1 Cuisine Tag 1 Once Over Read our Review >> The Story Michelin recommended gastropub near Grand Canal Dock. Cosy décor, upmarket dishes and a great Sunday roast. The drinks are taken as seriously as the food with a huge list of cocktails, beer, cider and wine. 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

‘Wine bar in a car park’ Amy Austin, from the same team as 777 and Dillinger’s, has the biggest selection of wine on tap in the city and a frequently changing small plates menu designed for sharing. It’s as easy to stop by for a Vermouth and olives as it is for a full feed, and they don’t take bookings unless you’re six or more (there’s a set menu for groups), so it’s a good one to know when you need a last minute table. Amy Austin Website amyaustin.ie Address Unit 1 Drury Street, Carpark, Dublin 2 Good For Tag 1 Cuisine Tag 1 Once Over Read our Review >> The Story ‘Wine bar in a car park’ Amy Austin, from the same team as 777 and Dillinger’s, has the biggest selection of wine on tap in the city and a frequently changing small plates menu designed for sharing. It’s as easy to stop by for a Vermouth and olives as it is for a full feed, and they don’t take bookings unless you’re six or more (there’s a set menu for groups), so it’s a good one to know when you need a last minute table. 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 basement wine cellar in upmarket grocery Fallon & Byrne has long been a drinking den for those in the know, and since they extended their €1 corkage offer from Sunday - Tuesday, a trip there to start the week off right is even more tempting. The menu of charcuterie and cheese, pastas and pizzas is relaxed and uncomplicated, so you can spend your time deciding which bottle you're going to drink at a bargain price. Fallon and Byrne's Wine Cellar Website fallonandbyrne.com Address 11-17 Exchequer Street, Dublin 2 Good For Tag 1 Cuisine Tag 1 Once Over Read our Review >> The Story The basement wine cellar in upmarket grocery Fallon & Byrne has long been a drinking den for those in the know, and since they extended their €1 corkage offer from Sunday - Tuesday, a trip there to start the week off right is even more tempting. The menu of charcuterie and cheese, pastas and pizzas is relaxed and uncomplicated, so you can spend your time deciding which bottle you're going to drink at a bargain price. Where It's At Nearby Locales Yibu by Janet Little Canton Dak @ Bar Anam Mongoose Chongqing Hot Pot Boco Clontarf Bell Pesto Bang Gloria Osteria Cantina Valentina D'Lepak Pera Borgo Amai by Viktor Kaizen Chubbys Badam Table 45 Comet Daruma Malahide Lena The Pig's Ear Notions @ Two Pups The Rooftop @ Anantara The Marker Sofra

Sister 7 BIGFAN's beer-based collab is another smash hit Posted: 16 Apr 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 Sister 7 @ Fidelity Studio? Not that long ago, the BIGFAN guys met the Whiplash Beer / Fidelity Bar guys, and bonded over food, beer, and mad flavour science. A trip to the brewery in Cherry Orchard was organised, and they fell in love over mash tuns and steam generators. The beer boys had taken the lease on the site next door to Fidelity and planned to open Fidelity Studio (with the guys behind The Big Romance ), a dog-friendly, late night, audiophile bar, with an as yet undetermined food offering. The idea for Sister 7, and BIGFAN's second restaurant was born... Sister 7 is named after Head chef Chung Lee, who has worked at Big Fan under head chef Alex Zhang since they opened. Her Chinese colleagues call her "sister", and she's the new girl boss character to Alex Zhang's BIGFAN boss man . Unfortunately she's had to temporarily return to China so missed opening week, and other staff members that Alex went to China to interview and hire haven't arrived here either, so at the moment it's a case of stretching who they do have across two sites. (Sister 7) They've said the menu will be 70% BIGFAN classics and 30% crossover dishes developed with Whiplash using beer or spent product from their brewery, and we're expecting constant collaboration and dish development. (Sister 7) We don't make a habit of doing a Lucinda and showing up on night one (in fact we've never done this), but we ended up looking for somewhere to eat on the day Sister 7 were opening, and knowing the calibre of these two teams we couldn't stop ourselves having an early peek. They'd had a few family and friends nights the weekend before to get to grips with things, and if it was terrible we'd go away and come back in a month. We booked a table for 4pm, but as we walked up to the door there were unloading our table from a van - this was not looking good. Staff laughed when we said we had a reservation, and that their furniture was delayed in arriving. We questioned why no one had called us to let us know, but we couldn't get an answer. We sat in Fidelity next door and given a complimentary drink while we waited for what we were told would be 10 minutes, then 15, then another 10, and it was close to 5pm before we actually sitting down. Not the best start considering we had to be gone by 6pm. "Please let this be good..." we prayed to the restaurant Gods... Where should we have a drink beforehand? If you feel like two venues for the price of one (not literally sadly, you will have to pay for drinks), head to original, brilliant beer bar Fidelity next door. As a Whiplash -owned bar they feature heavily, but you will find other breweries like Kinnegar , Trouble Brewing and UK-based Northern Monk . The 'Cellar Menu' is where the real geeks should head - the 500ml bottles there sell for as much as €38. Think of them as fine wine, and made for sharing. We tried the Whiplash x Allta dark sour, a heady, fruity mix with a vinegary whistle at the end, and a N/A version of their mango jalapeño cocktail, the heat from the jalapeño and hot honey deftly disguising the missing Absolute vodka. Where should we sit? It's business in the front, party in the back, with a DJ booth that looks like it's going to be busy. For something that feels like it's opened in a hurry, the design does not feel like a rush job. The colour scheme of black, sage green and rust feeling warm and contemporary, with little accents of gold bringing a bit of luxe. There are curved banquettes in the front room and on one side of the back, and we can confirm they're very comfortable to spend an hour on. There's also a cute counter for two along the divide across the rooms. Sound systems are not our specialist subject but we hear this one is very impressive, and expensive - if you want the details on subwoofers and coax compression drivers you can get it on their website . What's on the menu? Currently it's a lot of the dishes we know and love from BIGFAN , the baos, jiaozi, duck wings and more, but the cleverness and USP for this site is going to be the dishes they incorporate Whiplash beer and brewery by-products into. Start with the crackers made from spent brewery grain (€5). They sound odd, but taste amazing, some like puffed pork rinds, others with the short, crumbly texture of parmesan crisps. They come with an outrageous beefy chilli oil, complete with chewy, deep-fried beef floss - if there's one thing we've obsessed about daily since leaving here it's this condiment. Go, eat it, and beg them to make it available retail. Sweet heart eggs are another bar snack, cured with soy and bonito, with garlic and chilli oil (€5, or €13 with oscietra caviar added on). We didn't order caviar but it arrived anyway, and who's going to complain about that. The eggs were perfectly fudgy, but it's the garlic and chilli oil that takes it from "mmmm" to "mmmmaaagawd" so make sure it's spread all over. The caviar is a nice add on if you're in the black that week, and a more wallet-friendly way to try it than some other options around town, but our eggs were too cold, clearly not out of the fridge that long. We should have let them come to room temperature but we were too hungry. Bar snack number three, and it's a hat-trick with the Iberico char siu puffs - two for €7. The homemade pastry on this would make you weep - layer upon layer of crispy, flaky magic, not a soggy corner in sight, and the sweet, smoky, juicy filling will give Dublin pork puffs the best possible name, Most of Dublin have had Big Fan 's wagyu cheeseburger's jiaozi at this stage, and the new 'Chun Li' ones here, with chicken, celeriac and water chestnuts, are rolled in the same long style. They come with pickled mushrooms and a Whiplash dark sour vinegar (mimicking the traditional Chinkiang/black rice vinegar), and it's all very clever, and very delicious - despite the filling continuously falling out of the open-ended dumplings. We can nary pass up a soup dumpling, so the xiao long bao (€12) also went on our order sheet. They're filled with minced Andarl Farm pork and pork stock, with a ginger and black vinegar dip on the side. In case you don't know how you're supposed to eat soup dumplings, you pierce a hole in them over a spoon, squeeze out the fragrant soup inside, then dip the remaining dumpling in the dipping sauce. If you're a xiao long bao first timer, this is a great place to pop your dumpling. When it comes to the baos, the classic BIGFAN and Shan Ji appear here, but it's the Sister 7 one you want, with Whiplash Slow Life braised beef short rib, barley crumb, pickled ginger, ume and rhubarb fermented chilli, and cos lettuce. This is the type of bonkers combination that shows what a mad genius BIGFAN 's owner and chef Alex Zhang is. Rhubarb with beef? Why is this combination one of the best things we've tasted in months!? You may place a repeat order - we would have if we'd had time. Another beer-based take on a BIGFAN classic is the Fidelity fried chicken with a Blue Ghost and brewery grain batter, and a side of honey mustard yoghurt. These guys know how to brine and deep-fry to get the juiciest meat, but we waited a long time for this and when it finally did arrive it hadn't been drained properly - we can only put it down to a rush to get it out. The yoghurt was too heavy on the mustard, and we found ourselves coughing as it went up our noses. A couple of tweaks and all will be good. We ended with another new one - Lipsticks. Fermented rice is mixed with finely chopped vegetables including celeriac, shiitake, yam and cabbage, wrapped in tofu skin and served with a maple and miso mayo. BIGFAN have never snoozed on vegetarian options, and this is another good one to get your five a day, but we found the rich lipsticks and the sweet sauce in need of a jolt of acidity somewhere. The easiest fix would be to vinegar up that mayo. What's the story with drinks? Like the mothership next door, beer is the star attraction here. Whiplash beers come on tap, with a board for specials, which included the "Even sharks need water" IPA, and a "Pisco Sour" sour beer. Expect these to change regularly. There's also a standard selection of wines on tap, and some nice looking cocktails, including Basil Margaritas and Negroni Blancos. How was the service? While the food is BIGFAN , the servers are Fidelity , and despite our rubbish start, once we got in and seated they were all very pleasant and helpful. There was obvious beer knowledge so recommendations and tastes of things on tap won't be an issue, and we know BIGFAN will make sure everyone's up to speed on the food. Some dishes were slow in coming out, but it was night one proper so that didn't set off any alarm bells. And the damage? After the inauspicious start, they tried to not charge us for the meal, but as (we hope) you know, we don't write about food we haven't paid for, so we eventually accepted an opening night discount of 10% which they said everyone was getting that night. Prices here have a slight increase on what's on Big Fan's online menu , with some dishes up by 30c, others by 50c, but by and large they're very similar. This amount of food should have been €75 before drinks, and generously fed two. €50 a head is reasonable with a couple of drinks per person, but obviously the sky's the limit if you dig into the drinks list. Either way we thought it felt like brilliant value for money on the barometer of city prices right now. What's the verdict on Sister 7? It's not even open a week and it's clear that BIGFAN have another smash hit on their hands, the collaboration with Fidelity a thoughtful move for both. This kind of instant buzz is what restaurant and bar owners dream of, showing the strength of the fan-base both already had, and how it's multiplied by coming together. The real draw here is the collaboration between brewery and kitchen, the sustainable aspect of using brewery leftovers to make edible dishes, and the obvious passion both brands have for doing things right, giving diners something innovative and exciting to spend their earnings on. It's bar food, but so much better. New Openings & Discoveries More >>

One of the best places for dim sum in Dublin, with prices that make it accessible any day of the week. They have an à la carte mainly Cantonese menu too, but the dim sum is what most people come for. Don’t miss the mince pork crystal dumplings, stir-fried mooli cake and the BBQ pork rice noodle rolls. Ka Shing Website ka-shing.site Address 12A Wicklow Street, Dublin 2 Good For Tag 1 Cuisine Tag 1 Once Over Read our Review >> The Story One of the best places for dim sum in Dublin, with prices that make it accessible any day of the week. They have an à la carte mainly Cantonese menu too, but the dim sum is what most people come for. Don’t miss the mince pork crystal dumplings, stir-fried mooli cake and the BBQ pork rice noodle rolls. Where It's At Nearby Locales Yibu by Janet Little Canton Dak @ Bar Anam Mongoose Chongqing Hot Pot Boco Clontarf Bell Pesto Bang Gloria Osteria Cantina Valentina D'Lepak Pera Borgo Amai by Viktor Kaizen Chubbys Badam Table 45 Comet Daruma Malahide Lena The Pig's Ear Notions @ Two Pups The Rooftop @ Anantara The Marker Sofra

Gertrude Website gertrude.ie Address 130 Pearse Street, Grand Canal Dock, Dublin Good For Tag 1 Cuisine Tag 1 Once Over Read our Review >> The Story Where It's At Nearby Locales Yibu by Janet Little Canton Dak @ Bar Anam Mongoose Chongqing Hot Pot Boco Clontarf Bell Pesto Bang Gloria Osteria Cantina Valentina D'Lepak Pera Borgo Amai by Viktor Kaizen Chubbys Badam Table 45 Comet Daruma Malahide Lena The Pig's Ear Notions @ Two Pups The Rooftop @ Anantara The Marker Sofra

The all-in menu at Lucky Tortoise in Temple Bar (and in their original Aungier Street site) is some of the best value in Dublin, with plate after plate of banchan, okonomiyaki and dumplings meaning you can try it all and still have change from €30. There's a vegan version too. Lucky Tortoise Temple Bar Website luckytortoise.ie Address 17B Asdill's Row, Temple Bar, Dublin 2 Good For Tag 1 Cuisine Tag 1 Once Over Read our Review >> The Story The all-in menu at Lucky Tortoise in Temple Bar (and in their original Aungier Street site) is some of the best value in Dublin, with plate after plate of banchan, okonomiyaki and dumplings meaning you can try it all and still have change from €30. There's a vegan version 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

Yumgrub The Two Minute Review: Posted: 5 Sept 2023 Neighbourhood Neighborhood Name Address Restaurant Address Website Website Name Restaurant Info View the Listing >> Written by: Ronan Doyle What should we know about Yumgrub? Previously located in Ballybrack’s Village Yard before its sudden closurescuppered things, plant-based fast food “filth” purveyors Yumgrub have now setup shop in Grand Canal Dock’s The Place , alongside fellow food trucks Pastiamo , Tacoman , Dosa Dosa and The Drunken Cookie . The all-vegan menu is packed with Beyond Meat burgers, chick*n rolls, tofu baconand loaded fries, and we’d heard just enough positive word to want to get downto check it out for ourselves. What should we have? We might have expected to walk away from Yumgrub raving about one burger oranother, but actually it’s the nachos we can’t shut up about: slathered in a rich and creamy vegan queso, these well-loaded tortilla chips happily hold their own with the standard competition. Where meat alternatives have come along in leaps and bounds over the last couple of years, plant-based cheeses are often lagging far behind. Yumgrub’s concoction gets it spot-on with a sharp, tangy tastiness that’s nigh-on impossibleto distinguish from the real thing. Well-seasoned guac and a piquant pico de gallo have just the right acidic kick to balance out the gooey, cheesy goodness. Had we known in advance just how moreish that queso was going to be we’d have gone for a helping of cheeze-loaded fries too – we make these mistakes so you don’t have to. Instead we went for the little-bit-of-everything Grub Box to give us a few little tasters. It’s a substantial serving of food anchored in the perfectly crispy skin-on fries, but we found the overly thin chick*n strips a little disappointingly bland in isolation – it’s easy to imagine one of the sauce-laden chick*n burgers being a more well-rounded vehicle for the breaded Seitan, with other ingredients giving it a chance to work in concert. We’d been really curious to try the “Mac ‘n’ Cheeni”, suspect though the pun may be, and while the textural contrast of crispy breadcrumbs, oozing cheeze and al dente pasta makes for a mighty mouthful, the filling was just a touch too under-seasoned to really resonate beyond that initial bite. We rounded things out with a Cowboi burger, and there’s no doubting the BeyondMeat patty looks the part, slathered with melted cheeze and topped with a messymound of caramelised onion and BBQ sauce – that’s no complaint. https://video.wixstatic.com/video/79af6f_1a38892b4bf349629d9584c4e4eee808/720p/mp4/file.mp4 Texture and flavour is on-point too, with crisped edges and a juicy interior making this a spot-on replica: vegan converts craving the nostalgia value of a dirty burger will be well-served here. The only slight drawback is the tofu “bacon”, too subtly flavoured and softly textured to stand out from the crowd in this busy stack. Why should I go? Dublin’s still a bit short-changed when it comes to decent vegan fast food – especially since the late lamented Vegan Sandwich Co. shut up shop – so those craving just that will be happy to discover Yumgrub. The slot at The Place also makes it a perfect compromise pick for mixed groups of vegans and carnivores unwilling to go without, though they might well be tempted to try it once they see how good it all looks. New Openings & Discoveries More >>

Frank's Small plates and all the wine on Camden Street Posted: 23 Jul 2019 Neighbourhood Neighborhood Name Address Restaurant Address Website Website Name Restaurant Info View the Listing >> Written by: Lisa Cope What’s the story? Unless you've had your head under a rock for the past two months you've probably heard of Frank's , the new wine bar serving small plates around a communal table, from the guys behind Delahunt a few doors up. Industry chatter for months before they opened was about how they were going to bring a better value wine offering to Dublin, and that the inspiration came from London wine shop and bar P Franco in East London, which has a similar set up. Where they differ, is that Frank's don't really want you sitting at the communal table unless you're eating, so in effect it's only a wine bar if you're happy to perch on the ledges either side of the window (or maybe if it's not busy - we certainly wouldn't attempt it at peak times on Friday or Saturday night). And if you were planning on pitching up and snacking on olives and almonds your plans might be scuppered too - you can only order their smoked almonds with a glass of amontillado sherry, as apparently people were coming and just ordering those. Smoked almonds and sherry are a great match, but it seems like an oddly constraining rule to come up against on a night out. The other thing it's really important to know before going is that you can't book, it's walk-in only, and they won't take your name and let you go off for a drink (there's no phone), so you just have to hang around. This wasn't filling us with joy when we arrived just after 19:30 on a Friday evening to be told there was a two hour wait for seats. There's also no wait list, so you're just counting on the staff to remember who got there first, which seems unnecessarily anxiety-provoking (and will surely end in a scrap one night). We decided to have a drink (sherry, because we were starving and needed those almonds), and thanks to at least one waiting couple giving up and leaving we were sitting down after an hour, which goes by fast if you've brought someone with good chat. Where should we go for a drink first? The queue here is where you will be having your drink, because no one wants to risk an hour long wait for food while already tipsy, and they have good wine. Where should we sit? You'll likely have no choice unless you're first in, but if you do it's the dilemma of whether to go close to the action where the chef is cooking and risk leaving smelling like your dinner, or back away and sit closer to the window, standing a better chance of keeping your perfume/cologne on. Either way communal dining won't be for everyone, but if it's your thing you'll love it. What's good to eat? We can vouch for the wait snacks of almonds and gordal olives, and after that we just told them to bring everything - blame the queuing time. The menu has been changing a lot, and every review we've read has featured different food, so it could be totally different by the time you get there, but we imagine they'll settle into some favourites after a while. Head (and only) chef Chris Maguire had previously been the head chef at Locks , and before that worked at two-Michelin starred The Ledbury in London, so you know you're in good hands, and the same over-riding focus on quality produce is the main driver for the menu. From the six main small plates (not including cheese or dessert) the standouts were the chargrilled squid with a padrón pepper sauce and violet artichokes (a pretty perfect plate of food, in flavour and texture), and the hen of the woods mushrooms with charred corn and smokey chicken wing meat, which we would have ordered another of if we'd had enough time. What a dish. Burrata with heirloom tomatoes and pickled onion was simple but obviously made with quality ingredients, including tomatoes that tasted like they were grown on sunnier shores, and mackerel with gooseberry and horseradish would give that unfairly judged fish a less stinky reputation, just barely fried and still pink in the middle, lifted by the tart gooseberries, although we couldn't taste the horseradish. We'd been eyeing up the whipped chicken liver with pickled strawberries and brioche on Insagram all week, and while it was pleasant we felt like the chicken liver needed the flavour turned up, or maybe a bit more seasoning. It was hard to imagine the pickled green strawberries or the brioche getting any better. The only plate we didn't love was the morcilla with salt-baked beetroot and cherry, whose flavours seem to fight against rather than compliment each other. Dessert and cheese ended things on a high, as all meals should. We'd been daydreaming about the peaches, ricotta and brown butter crumb, and we're still daydreaming about it. The peaches were like none we've tried here before (maybe we're going to the wrong fruit shop) with an almost cartoonish, over-exaggerated flavour, smooth, creamy ricotta mellowing out the sweetness, with the brown butter crumb adding a rich savouriness and texture. It's already on the "best things we've eaten this year" list. Cheese was a perfect rectangle of Shepherd's Store from Tipperary, with a vivid looking and tasting purée of dried raspberries, which beats any chutney we've tried recently by a long stretch. What about the drinks? If you like wine you will not go thirsty in here. There's an extensive selection of sherry, sparkling wine, white, red and dessert wines at very reasonable prices, which is one of their hooks. We spotted wines that are €9/€10 on other city centre wine lists on here at €6.50-€7. You will probably end up drinking more rather than spending less, but the wines are great with that minimal intervention slant that tends to result in less of a hangover, so that's okay. The serious value seems to be in the glass selection, but they do have an additional few pages of bottles (including magnums that we could see ourselves having some group fun with) and we'd advise just telling the staff what you like and letting them make suggestions. You're unlikely to go too far wrong - we tried a lot of different glasses and there wasn't one disappointment. One thing you should be aware of is that you'll be holding onto the same glass for the night, so if you're switching from sherry or red to white or fizz you might want to ask for a rinse. And the service? Pretty to the point at queuing stage but warmed up considerably once we managed to sit down. Staff were happy to chat and recommend wines, despite being run off their feet, and dishes were delivered by the chef, although we would have liked a bit more chat in terms of what we were about to eat - to be fair he's pretty busy in that solo kitchen so we get it. This is a very lean operation and they have to be given credit for keeping things running as smoothly and calmly as it was when we were there, and keeping smiles on their faces throughout. The verdict? Frank's has brought a lot of things to Dublin that it was in desperate need of - somewhere that you can always (attempt to) walk in without a booking, non-gouging wine prices allowing us to drink better while spending the same money, and the kind of counter, communal dining that's so popular in other cities but which we're lagging behind with. We would love to see things loosen up a bit to the point where you can just go in for a bottle of wine, but at the same time understand that priority needs to be given to people who want to eat, so for now there's the ledges on either side of the window. If they can improve their wait list system it will do much to alleviate any queuing-related anxiety you may experience while trying to eat and drink there, but once you sit down all is likely to be forgiven. Frank's 22 Camden Street Lower, Dublin 2 www.instagram.com/franksdublin New Openings & Discoveries More >>

Osteria Lucio Solid Italian cooking centred around quality ingredients Posted: 3 Oct 2018 Neighbourhood Neighborhood Name Address Restaurant Address Website Website Name Restaurant Info View the Listing >> Written by: Lisa Cope What’s the story? Most people in the city know Ross Lewis as the chef-patron of Michelin-starred Chapter One , but not many seem to know that he has another restaurant - a modern Italian in Grand Canal Dock that he opened in 2015 with friend Luciano Tona, also a Michelin-starred chef, from Italy. The restaurant's blurb says that Osteria Lucio is in the style of cooking that Ross would do for family and friends (and we certainly wouldn't say no to dinner round his), and they had some very positive reviews under their belt early doors, but since then seem to just be quietly getting on with what they're doing. For those of us not working or living in Grand Canal Dock, it can seem like a different world. It looks different, people dress different, it's very windy. There aren't a whole load of reasons to head that way (tickets for a show at the Bord Gáis Energy Theatre or getting a job in Facebook seem to be the most common ones), but people kept telling us how good the food in Ross' 'other' restaurant was, so we braved the elements to check it out for ourselves. Where should we go for a drink first? There's not a whole pile on the doorstep, and the bar here is really lovely, with interesting wines and a nice aperitivi list, so we'd probably come straight here for a negroni or an aperol spritz. Otherwise you could have a plum and gingerbread daiquiri overlooking the water at Charlotte Quay , or take a short walk down to Beggar's Bush and have a pint in The Old Spot or The Bath Pub . Where should we sit? There are three distinct seating areas - the bar, high tables in the front opposite the bar, and the main room which is cosy and cavelike, and definitely the place to sit if you're looking to engage in intimate conversation. The front area with the bar is a bit buzzier, and great for small groups or lively catch ups, and the bar counter would be great for solo-dining or twosomes who like to chat to the bar staff. What's good to eat? We tried dishes from the pre-theatre (two courses for €25, three for €30) and á la carte menus and everything was very good. Nothing was over complicated, and it's clear they're using quality ingredients and not messing with them too much. Bruschetta on menus here usually has us yawning, but this one, with courgette pesto, tomatoes and olives on perfectly charred bread, was as good an example as we've had in ages. The same focus on quality produce was obvious in another starter of breasola with rocket, datterini tomatoes, pesto and parmesan, which was the perfect precursor to the carby mains. Gnocchi for mains (from the pre-theatre) was of the boiled, not fried variety, and practically melted in our mouths. It sat in a rich ragu of Irish lamb, with dollops of soft goat's cheese and fried parsley on top. The portion was huge, so much so that we took some home. Pizzas (also on the pre-theatre) are thin and crispy, and our Quattro Formaggi with smoked scarmorza, mozzarella, tallegio and gorgonzola was a cheese fiend's dream, our only complaint being that the blue tended to overpower everything else (as it does). Again this was a very generous portion, so come here hungry or prepare to take some home. From the á la carte menu, we loved the Irish beef striploin with shaved cabbage, tomatoes, parmesan and herbs, and if you don't want to roll out in a carb coma this is an excellent choice. The meat was cooked and seasoned perfectly, a combination which is surprisingly hard to find, and this is the dish we've re-imagining eating most since our meal there. The only thing we didn't try was the handmade pasta, but we plan to rectify that very soon, and would be very confident the quality of ingredients would shine through like it did with everything else. For dessert we had to go tiramisu (when in Rome), and it arrived with properly soaked sponge, creamy mascarpone with an espresso crumb and three chunky shards of milk, white and dark chocolate sticking out of it. Hard to think of a better ending to a really enjoyable meal. What about the drinks? As we mentioned earlier, they have a traditionally Italian aperitivi list, with the old reliables like aperol spritz, negronis and bellinis, and some other really interesting sounding cocktails, like 'The Grounds Garden', with vermouth bianco, dingle gin, saint germain, teapot bitters and prosecco. We'd quite like to slowly make our way through the whole list. The wine list is all Italian and has clearly been put together with thought and care. There are no nasty brands, and enough recognisable small producers to provide immediate assurance about the general calibre on offer. We tried a Sicilian blend of Cataratto and Grillo which tasted like honeyed melon and was a really good match for both starters, as well as a Montepulciano D'Abruzzo, which was all red fruits and spice, and perfect with both the lamb gnocchi and the steak. Another red, a blend of Montepulciano and Sangiovese, from renowned organic/biodynamic wine producer Fattoria San Lorenzo, was one of those natural wines that makes you feel like you're doing your body a favour (trust us on this), and was full of cherries and funk. Everything was so reliably good that we'd be happy to close our eyes and see where our finger lands next time And the service? Totally charming. Our Italian waiter was full of smiles and advice, letting us try wines before committing to a bottle and just providing one of those perfect service experiences where they're there when you want them and not when you don't. Everyone else who came near our table was equally lovely, and they came across as an experienced, confident operation. The verdict? This is a really solid, modern Italian where the fuss is left at the door, and the focus is on the ingredients. They're not shouting about what they're doing, and obviously don't need to. The place was packed on a Monday night, and a waitress told us it was actually quite chilled in comparison to other weeks. Dublin needs more restaurants like this with less jazz hands, and more quiet confidence that what they're offering is worth the trip to get there. Osteria Lucio The Malting Tower, Clanwilliam Terrace, Grand Canal Quay, Dublin 2 osterialucio.com New Openings & Discoveries More >>

All The Food x Devour walking food tour of Dublin Explore ATF X Devour Food Tour All The Food and Devour have created a food tour to show the best of Dublin eating right now We've been devout fans of Devour 's European and US food tours for years, pointing our readers towards them on their travels, and being constantly impressed at how they won't settle for second best. When they asked us to help create their first Dublin food tour, we couldn't turn down the chance to show visitors (and locals) the best cooking, baking and ice-cream making in the city right now. We've come up with a morning of sausage rolls, seasonal pastries, Irish cheese, icon-status toasties and the freshest seafood at some of our favourite city centre spots . You'll get an injection of history and culture too as you walk through St Stephen's Green, Trinity College, Central Plaza, past Molly Malone and through Dublin's Victorian Architecture. Find out more and book the Ultimate Dublin Food Tour here . What's New News and recommendations. More >>

Mongoose If you have one pasta dish this summer, make it this one Posted: 2 Jun 2026 Neighbourhood Neighborhood Name Address Restaurant Address Website Website Name Restaurant Info View the Listing >> Written by: Lisa Cope What should we know about Mongoose? It's the much delayed second site from the Michelin-starred team behind Variety Jones , in their former, smaller location on Thomas Street. Originally slated to open three whole years ago in 2023 after VJ moved to a bigger, shinier premises a few doors down, a shock fire in the new site sent them scrambling back to the old premises, while repairs, refurbishments, and arguments over who should be liable for the fire damage dragged on and on. It took until early 2025 until they could move back into the new restaurant, and they settled in there for a further 12 months before resurrecting plans for the more casual, affordable Mongoose , currently only open from Sunday - Tuesday, so the team are working a seven day week! They're hoping to expand days once they've got a more solid, Mongoose-specific crew, and if you're wondering about the name, it was another of the aliases used by infamous criminal Roger Thomas Clark /Variety Jones ( read that story here ). Owner/chef Keelan Higgs describes the Mongoose offering as " simple food " at " a good price ", with " a more casual approach to cooking. Two - three things on a plate, not overly complicated, a lot of it cooked over fire. " With Variety Jones very much in special occasion territory, is it any surprise that a more affordable, casual offering from the same team would blow up from it's first sitting? Where should we sit? If it's a warm day, try to sit as close to the door as possible. There's no A/C in here and those tables at the back beside the kitchen are in a sweaty, humid eco-system of their own. On the plus side you do get a birds-eye view into the kitchen - just keep some iced water on hand, either to drink or pour down your top. The Variety Jones chef's table for two remains - two seats sitting directly at the pass - and because of the shape of the room, most tables are for two, so if you're a four or six you'll need to be more prepared to secure one of the few larger tables. What's our first drink? White port and tonic if you know what's good for you. Failing that go for a Vermouth for Spanish vibes, or a glass of pet nat, because when is that ever a bad start to a meal. Let's get down to business. What MUST we order? Talk about impossible questions. If you, like us, enjoy All The Food, passing on anything here will be difficult - a table of four - six is the only way to try it all and not feel mugged off. Grilled baby turnips with cods roe and a pool of rich olive oil (€11) is the kind of simple, Mediterranean, expertly salted opener that walks the walk after all that talk. If you see white asparagus (€11.50) you'll need them too, the tender, silky spears caramelised on the grill but retaining just enough bite, and what genius came up with a Hollandaise x Tartare sauce hybrid!? Padron Peppers (€10) must be different too. Not content with just being smoked up on a hot grill, doused in olive oil and salt, they come topped with even more flame-licked flavours from roasted red peppers in a sharp vinaigrette. This is live fire BBQ levels of smokiness. Bread (a very good focaccia, €2) is one of the sides, but they'll bring it before your pastas arrive so it can use it to mop up the sauces (finally some respect paid to La Scarpetta ). On reflection they're probably just saving us from ourselves, because otherwise we'd all have our heads in these bowls rabidly licking the last drop. If you leave without ordering the Parmesan agnolotti with butter and black pepper (€16) we don't want to hear about it. Filled with a Parmesan custard that bursts into your mouth on biting, this is one of the best things we've eaten this year - we had to order a second, and stop ourselves going for a third. Also appearing to have been made by the hands of angels is the featherlight gnocchi with walnuts and sage in a brown butter sauce (€15). The potato dumplings are so light you'd barely register them in your mouth, with all the perfumed sage, and crunch from big chunk of walnuts. Any leftover butter doesn't stand a chance against that focaccia (or a spoon, or your finger). Sausage and fennel ragout (€18.50) with fettucine is the white kind, all chunky meat, teeny diced veg, warmth and sweetness from the fennel, and sitting in yet another pool of buttery sauce, that yet again not a drop of will remain on the plate once you're done. There are generally four meat and fish mains, with a fifth option of a whole chicken to share (limited numbers available). We had a chunky, flaking tranch of halibut on the bone (€25), which came with anchovy and chilli spaghetti topped with breadcrumbs, and .... ? You guessed it. A buttery sauce. If you're wondering at this stage if this was getting to be too much pasta, and too much butter, we're here to tell you the answer is no. It turns out you can't have enough of either. Another bread order might need to be on the cards. Our other main was a couple of lightly spiced lamb koftas (€17.50), with braised onions and one of the most interesting accompaniments we've seen on a plate - polenta cooked with buttermilk and nduja. The work of a mastermind, our groans were embarrassingly audible tables over. Sides of "spuds" (€5) and "salad" (€6) are refreshingly simple - baby potatoes doused in herby butter, and the good salad leaves simply dressed. Desserts at Variety Jones have always been on the simpler side, cake in one form or another, and Mongoose is rowing in with the same format. A classic sticky toffee pudding (€10) came swimming in the requisite amount of sauce, topped with rich Jersey milk ice-cream. When you've had a meal this good you may as well continue the excess into dessert. A second of deeply-coloured brown butter cake (€10) came in a pool of macerated Irish strawberries with vanilla ice-cream. There will be no complaints about either, from anyone. A simple cheese course of Cremeux De Bourgogne (€10) came with Variety Jones' hallmark seeded crackers, and the warm temperature of the room meant the soft cheese was spreadable - bonus. How are the drinks? There's a limited but tight drinks list, and the value they're offering in the food doesn't follow through here, with margins of the Michelin-star variety. Glasses of wine are priced from €13 - €20, with bottles only starting at €50. At those glass prices, if you're ordering more than one glass per person you'll get far more value by the bottle. There are four aperitifs, each picked for maximum refreshment (hard to beat that white Port and tonic though), and our Ameztoi 'Rubentis' Txakoli Rosé (€54) with its slight sparkle was all too easy to knock back in an attempt to cool off. There's nothing we wouldn't want on this wine list though, and there's a couple of Whiplash beers and premium soft drinks too. And the service? Depdning on your table size and time of booking you're given different time limits on your table. Twos seem to be only ever given 90-minutes, whereas fours can be allocated one hour and 45 mins - two hours depending on the time of booking. We were four and luckily weren't asked to move until closer to two hours - we wouldn't have had time for dessert otherwise. Food came promptly but nicely spaced out, sometimes delivered by the chef himself, but drinks service was less focused, and a few times we were left with empty glasses as food arrived, scrambling to wave someone down to take an order. There was also a blankness when we asked what the cheese on the cheese plate was, with guessing at first, then going into the kitchen to ask when we pressed. Another body on the floor might have made all the difference. What was the bill? Just over €80 a head, for no shortage of food and a couple of drinks each. That's also including a 12.5% service charge so that is the actual final figure. What's the verdict on Mongoose? While we're not quite buying the "simple food" philosophy (try making a lot of this at home and see how simple it is), to have a more casual, accessible offshoot from a Michelin-starred stable is a special thing, and to say Mongoose has delivered on their promises would be underselling what's happening in here. We're always cautious when places start out offering particularly good value. A lot of the time, once the reviewers have been in, price creep takes hold and the value that everyone shouted about slowly disappears, but if Mongoose can keep these prices, for this standard of cooking, it's going to entail Chubby's/Uno Mas/Grano levels of pre-planning to get a table. New Openings & Discoveries More >>

Uno Pizza become legendary during the pandemic for teaching people stuck at home how to cook a Neapolitan-style pizza in a frying pan, with their pizza at home kits. The good news is that the ones they make in house are even better. A classic pizza menu with some 'bites' and salads, available to eat in or take away. Uno Pizza Website unopizza.com Address 105 Rathmines Road Lower, Rathmines, Dublin 6 Good For Tag 1 Cuisine Tag 1 Once Over Read our Review >> The Story Uno Pizza become legendary during the pandemic for teaching people stuck at home how to cook a Neapolitan-style pizza in a frying pan, with their pizza at home kits. The good news is that the ones they make in house are even better. A classic pizza menu with some 'bites' and salads, available to eat in or take away. 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

Bah 33 All you can eat steak is one of the bargains of the year - if you do it right Posted: 11 Aug 2026 Neighbourhood Neighborhood Name Address Restaurant Address Website Website Name Restaurant Info View the Listing >> Written by: Lisa Cope What's the 411 on Bah 33? Bah 33 announced itself as the new premium Brazilian rodizio BBQ on the block back in August 2020. Flashy social media posts showing the red and green tabletop traffic light system , and mouth-watering meat being carved from skewers tableside did their level best to overcome the strict covid restrictions they opened in the middle of, but things went into total shutdown again a month later, so they never really had a chance for an opening blast off. Between its premium location just off Grafton Street, the price of steak in Dublin right now, and the ingrained theatre of an all-you-can-eat rodizio served "gaucho-style", it's always looked like a very fun place to eat, but seems to have relatively little buzz outside of Brazilian circles (we've been told by many Brazilians in Dublin that it's their special occasion place). Are the rest of us missing out on a good thing? Where are the best seats? While the weather's still playing ball there's a lovely outdoor terrace (covered, cos Ireland), with tables for two or four looking out onto Hibernian Way. If you like having a nose at passers by and their shopping bags, and/or like making pedestrians jealous of your dinner, you'll love this dining spot, BUT they don't do the rodizio BBQ out here - it's À Lá Carte only. Inside is where the BBQ magic happens, and it's a large space with the flexibility to make a table of whatever size you need. The worst seats for us are always in the middle of the room, so we'd go window or wall if we had a choice. The back section in particular with its longer banquette across the wall is ideal for groups or family gatherings with children in tow - it's far enough from the buffet that they can't stick unsupervised hands in, and close enough to the toilet for emergency runs. What's the price and when's it on? For the full rodizio adults pay €62.90 , with children aged five - eleven half price at €31.45 . Kids under five eat free . This isn't a cheap meal, but when you look at the price of steak in the city right now, it's not bad value. It's also on for lunch and dinner seven days a week so a great one to have in your back pocket when you need a special occasion meal at an awkward time of the week. So what's the gameplan? The meal has three main parts. "Starters", meaning various deep-fried carbs like pao de queijo, rice cubes, polenta and fries, are brought to the table when you sit down. They're perfectly nice but do not fill up on them . Then there's the salad bar, and once again we shall caution BEWARE . Every spoon of pasta salad, potatoes and cheese is taking up space in your stomach that should be reserved for the good stuff. Do you really need coleslaw, slow-cooked beans and salami slices when there's bife de chorizo, short ribs, and crispy pork belly on the way? Our advice is as follows: get some grilled and pickled veg, some salad, maybe a touch of potato, bowls of salsa and chimichurri, and some farofa to dip your steak in. Then head back to your table and let the show begin. How does the rodizio work? There's a menu on the table showing you everything that's supposed to come around during your two hour sitting . Look carefully - if there's something you haven't had towards the end you can ask them to bring it. We had no pork come by our table, but when we asked they brought all three options to us (we selflessly forced it down despite being stuffed full of beef by that stage). You turn your card to green when you want them to bring meat, and red when you want them to stop, but we kept ours on green the whole time for fear of missing out on something good. Steak (100% Irish meat) is the star here, and what you want to go hard on. You can tell them how you like your meat cooked and they'll try to get you the best slice for your tastes, or just do what we did and say yes to everything. The picanha (rump cap), alcatra (eye of rump), maminha (rump tail), vazio (thin flank) are all well worth dissecting and comparing, every piece precisely seasoned for peak flavour. The garlic steak was the only one we'd leave on the table - this meat just doesn't need it. https://video.wixstatic.com/video/79af6f_fe399703d4a74f27867a7d02916cf3a4/720p/mp4/file.mp4 The undisputed star of the steak show for us was the Bife de Chorizo (striploin), so juicy, full flavoured and skilfully salted that it could bring a tear to your eye if you were already feeling a bit fragile. https://video.wixstatic.com/video/79af6f_da5c725069b24539899383afb4034486/720p/mp4/file.mp4 The "12-hour authentic gaucho beef ribs" will be another core memory from your meal here, turning heads on every table as the rib trolley passes. Indecently good, these are likely to make a mockery of any you've had before - 12 hours well spent. https://video.wixstatic.com/video/79af6f_8608527c46a341839526efdb3a029e24/720p/mp4/file.mp4 Chicken wings and drumsticks might not sound as exciting as the main attraction, but they're juicy and chargrilled enough that you shouldn't pass them over. Chicken hearts are always a fun one to try on the uninitiated, but we don't think the ones here would convince a first timer to see the light ( Rei Momo's were in a different league - RIP). https://video.wixstatic.com/video/79af6f_1286c8188a204caca1ad9b5c67ce2ad7/720p/mp4/file.mp4 "Lamb picanha" is another don't miss it moment, the tenderest, juiciest slices of loin meat, cooked pink rather than in the traditional Irish way of cremation. Smoked pineapple might look like a cinnamon sugar-covered gimmick, but we said yes to the warm, juicy palate-cleanser three times in a row - we had to ask them to stop bringing it to the table because we were powerless to say no. https://video.wixstatic.com/video/79af6f_66e6459dd1c04d4a9c4fb30ae5b3d014/720p/mp4/file.mp4 We were absolutely at the point of "no more meat por favor" when we realised we hadn't had any pork. There was only one option. We summoned one of our gaucho waiters and he summoned the pork. We would be first in the queue for a class on how to get that crackling on pork belly - just the sound of the knife clashing through it would activate your fourth stomach, the meat itself juicily encased beneath. https://video.wixstatic.com/video/79af6f_a5a85def77b744f68acda3b5182ac478/720p/mp4/file.mp4 In a glut of greed at this stage we missed getting pictures of the pork ribs (you'll want these) and Tuscan sausage (you don't need these), and halloumi didn't come around, but we were well and truly done at this point. What about dessert? Dessert is not included in the price, and if you have space for it (flan, brownie, ice-cream) then you haven't done the Rodizio experience right. You should be deep, deep in the meat sweats by that stage, proclaiming that your 24-hour fast starts now. What should we drink? Caipirinhas of course (€13.90). When in Rio de Janeiro... Other than that it's got to be Argentinean Malbec with all that steak. We tried the Butcher's Cut (€39.50), and their signature Malbec (€40) which for an extra 50c is the better choice. For that price it's a perfect pairing with the meat, and while the rest of the wine list is short and mainly uninspiring, there are a couple of big hitters in there if you're in the mood to drop €600 on Barolo (sadly we weren't). How was the service? Each table was given the loveliest of welcomes from the manager, who introduced himself, thanked everyone for coming, and explained how the rodizio works. After that we were left in the hands of more lovely wait staff and (slightly more gruff) gaucho servers, but throughout the meal any requests were dealt with promptly and with a smile. We never went too long without meat being brought to the table either. What was the bill? We spent just under €100 a head including tip with two drinks a piece. Where else could you gorge on steak for that kind of money? What's the verdict? Bah 33 feels like a bit of a barbecue secret in Dublin (we might even say "hidden gem" if that wasn't the most hideous, over-used, influencer-infected phrase countrywide). Judging by the mainly Portugese speaking crowd it's clearly doing big business amongst Brazilians in Dublin, but we'd love to see that message getting out to everyone else in the city. Gather your steak lovers, find an occasion that warrants some fun, and don't wear anything that's a tight fit. New Openings & Discoveries More >>

Dosa Dosa So good you need to say it twice Posted: 5 Apr 2022 Neighbourhood Neighborhood Name Address Restaurant Address Website Website Name Restaurant Info View the Listing >> Written by: Lisa Cope What’s the story? We love Dosa Dosa 's back story. Owner Karthik Thiru was born in Tamil Nadu in Southern India, but came to Ireland after finishing school to study at the University of Limerick. In Southern India, dosas (similar to a flat pancake made from fermented rice and lentil batter) are an everyday food, equivalent to a sandwich, so he couldn't understand why they weren't readily available here, especially considering how much Indian food (of varying quality) we have access to. He ended up working in the tech sector, but his obsession with bringing the food of his home to Ireland continued to grow, until eventually he decided to buy a second-hand food truck, customise it, and Dosa Dosa was born. The wheels were put in motion in February 2020, with the truck popping up in various locations in West Dublin, and just weeks later the country went into shutdown, but if ever there was a pandemic-proof business, it's a food truck. The lived a nomadic lifestyle over the next year, travelling around Dublin and Wicklow feeding the hungry and dosa-starved, but in February last year they found their first home, in a pretty random parking lot off Grand Canal Street. The location did nothing to dissuade old and new customers, and pretty soon plenty were breaking the 5k rule to get their hands on gunpowder masala dosa, paneer parotta and a side of Masala tea. Late last year, the food truck morphed into a shipping container, with other food vendors joining them in the car park, so the Dosa Dosa truck was free and in search of a new home. After some searching they found it down a laneway at the side of Hyne's Bar in Stoneybatter (is there anything the D7 suburb doesn't have?), and earlier this month Dosa Dosa 2.0 opened for business. Never one to look a northside parotta in the face, we went off to do a Dosa deep dive. Where should we sit? There's a really nice beer garden out the back here that we foresee being rammed when the weather gets warmer (or if covid stays with us for the remainder of 2022), and half of it is covered which is handy, being in Ireland and all. While the outside of Hyne's Bar is in bad need of a refresh and a paint job, the inside is a delight for the eyes. It's so very Stoneybatter, with its little nooks, corners, exposed brick, artwork, and lights ranging from "fairy" all the way up to "chandelier". It's the type of place you'd want to bring your friends from abroad when they come to visit, to show them a "real Irish pub", and we be very happy to cosy up in here for an afternoon sipping on pints and having the chats. There are also well behaved dogs all over the gaff so another potential plus depending on where you stand on the matter of dogs in drinking establishments. What is slightly disjointing is that to get to Dosa Dosa you have to go back out the front door, turn left and go left again down the alleyway where the van is parked. This isn't a huge deal, but it means you either have to wait there while the food is cooked, or come back in your allotted 7/10/13 minutes, taking the chance that it's been sitting there a few minutes. We'd envisioned the truck in the beer garden so you'd be able to sip your drink while they cooked your food, and call out your name or number when it's ready. There's no way around this marginally irritating situation, other than hiring someone to ferry the food back and forth into the pub, which perhaps they'll look at if things get busy. What's the food like? The dosa are clearly the big ticket item here, but you'll also find parotta, uttapam, kathi rolls, vada and specials depending on the week. If you've seen the vada, it's probably already on your order list - has anything shaped like a doughnut ever been a disappointment? The deep-fried lentil fritters are filled with spices, herbs and curry leaves, and while we're sure they won't be giving away their family recipe, you'll usually find chillies, ginger, onion and sometimes coconut in there. They're light and fluffy on the inside, crispy on the outside, and only got better when dipped in the accompanying chutneys. Bar food Southern India stye. The dosa is king, and first up we tried their best-seller - the Gunpowder masala dosa. Gunpowder is the name of the lentil and spice blend inside the perfectly thin and crisp dosa, made using dahl, chillies and curry leaves, making it all vegan, and all tear to your eye delicious. Bite it, chew it, dip it, gaze lovingly at it - you'll run the gamut. It's one of the spicier options, but we'd mark it as a medium at most. We also tried the Chettinad chicken dosa, filled with Chettinad chicken (a type of south Indian curry) and spicy tomato chutney. This food is so pure, so flavoursome, so untouched by hands wanting to appeal to the Irish market, that it will probably make you a tad emotional. A paneer kathi roll was so flaky, so buttery and so perfect we briefly wondering had we imagined it. With each bite you can hear the shards of paratha pastry crunch and crumble, giving way to the fragrant cheesy filling. This is one of the most popular street foods in India, and we feel aggrieved that they got this, while we got chicken fillet rolls. Another section of the menu is devoted to parotta - shredded flatbread fried and mixed with vegetables, curry leaves and spices, and served with raita. We tried the egg kothu parotta with onion and mixed peppers, and it was a bit of a "once you pop you can't stop" situation, with forks aggressively diving back in for more. This also had a bit of a spice kick to it, but nothing unmanageable, and the raita's there to cool things down. Everything comes with chutneys - mint and coriander; coconut; and tomato, and they make every bite taste different. The coconut in particular we would drink by the bowlful. There's no dessert on the menu here, but the bar serve Pornstar Martinis if you're in need of something sweet, and Espresso Martinis if that's more your style. What about the drinks? For a pub, Hyne's has an impressive drinks list. There's a good selection of draught and bottled beer and cider (including craft obviously), and an extensive list of cocktails (which we didn't try but would be reasonably confident about). We'd steer clear of wines though - anywhere listing just the grape is usually bad news bears. Dosa Dosa are supposed to be serving mango lassis and masala tea, but they didn't have them when we visited. And the service? There's not much service to speak of. You order at the van, get given a time to come back, go back to your seat, then head back when time is up. As mentioned earlier it's a bit disjointed and a couple of times we realised our food had been ready a few minutes before we picked it up as it wasn't as hot as it could have been. Bar staff were lovely, but it's bar service, so between the two you can do a fair bit of jumping out of your seat. These are minor issues, but something to be aware of. And the damage? €43.50 for all of that food which comfortably fed three, which for price to quality ratio has to be one of the best bargains in Dublin right now. The verdict? You could get on a plane to Tamil Nadu and not find food as delicious and pure of purpose as it is at Dosa Dosa - okay you probably would find it but now you don't have to get on a plane which is going to save you a lot of money. You know those fantasies you have about making a new friend from a far off land and being invited to their house for a meal filled with the most incredible, fascinating, original dishes you might never experience otherwise? Dosa Dosa is that friend, and for mere pennies in comparison to what most Dublin restaurants are charging these days, we'd wager you'll have some of the best food you'll try all year. Dosa Dosa @ Hynes Bar 79-80 Prussia Street, Stoneybatter, Dublin 7 www.dosadosa.ie New Openings & Discoveries More >>

Daddy's is a ray of sunshine in Rialto, with their Turkish eggs, croissandwiches and brightly stuffed sandwiches some of the best breakfast and lunch fare for miles around. They champion small Irish producers, like Salter's free-range ham, Shine's wild tuna, and Annascaul pudding, and use them to the best possible effect. Daddy's Website daddys.ie Address 538 South Circular Road, Dublin 8 Good For Tag 1 Cuisine Tag 1 Once Over Read our Review >> The Story Daddy's is a ray of sunshine in Rialto, with their Turkish eggs, croissandwiches and brightly stuffed sandwiches some of the best breakfast and lunch fare for miles around. They champion small Irish producers, like Salter's free-range ham, Shine's wild tuna, and Annascaul pudding, and use them to the best possible effect. 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

With restaurants in Greystones and Bray already, the third branch of this Pakistani and Indian restaurant opened in Glasthule in 2021 and immediately gained a following. Their reputation preceded them, and their newest foray is delivering so far. The restaurant sets the mood before you’ve even had a chance to look at a menu, with rich and colourful furnishings in a large and comfortable room. The food itself is traditional, but very well done, and unusually for an Indian restaurant they have a well- developed cocktail menu, so this is a great spot to come with a group of friends. Daata Website daata.ie Address 73 Glasthule Road, Sandycove, Glasthule, Co. Dublin Good For Tag 1 Cuisine Tag 1 Once Over Read our Review >> The Story With restaurants in Greystones and Bray already, the third branch of this Pakistani and Indian restaurant opened in Glasthule in 2021 and immediately gained a following. Their reputation preceded them, and their newest foray is delivering so far. The restaurant sets the mood before you’ve even had a chance to look at a menu, with rich and colourful furnishings in a large and comfortable room. The food itself is traditional, but very well done, and unusually for an Indian restaurant they have a well- developed cocktail menu, so this is a great spot to come with a group of friends. 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

Old school, opulent dining with French flair in a refurbished 18th century coach house. Great produce cooked skillfully for over 20 years, with new head chef Zhan Sergejev taking the reins in 2022. They've made no attempt to hide that they're in pursuit of a Michelin star, and many think they should have been given one years ago. Could this be the team that does it for them? One Pico Website onepico.com Address 5/6 Molesworth Place, Dublin 2 Good For Tag 1 Cuisine Tag 1 Once Over Read our Review >> The Story Old school, opulent dining with French flair in a refurbished 18th century coach house. Great produce cooked skillfully for over 20 years, with new head chef Zhan Sergejev taking the reins in 2022. They've made no attempt to hide that they're in pursuit of a Michelin star, and many think they should have been given one years ago. Could this be the team that does it for them? Where It's At Nearby Locales 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

Gloria Osteria Big, bold and endlessly glam - your guide to the best time at Gloria Posted: 13 Jan 2026 Neighbourhood Neighborhood Name Address Restaurant Address Website Website Name Restaurant Info View the Listing >> Written by: Lisa Cope What should we know about Gloria? There's a good chance you know it all at this point, but in case you've just awoken from a coma that you entered in November 2025, here's a recap. Gloria Osteria is the first Irish opening from the French-owned Big Mamma group . The group currently owns and operates 35 Italian restaurants across Europe and the UAE, and you've got to admire the cohones of two French dudes opening an Italian restaurant in Milan (the reviews are excellent). We're not usually one for chains and/or international imports, which tend to come in all watered down and tin man-esque (in sore need of a heart), but after seeing the drama-filled, ultra glam, always fun restaurants these guys have opened in London, where by some sweet miracle the food doesn't seem to suffer as we'd expect, we were feeling buoyant that Dublin was getting in on the action. We managed to secure access to a three day soft launch for ATF Insiders , where our lovely readers let them test the breaks before going full speed ahead, and feedback was overwhelmingly positive, with a few kinks to be ironed out. We let them get ironing for a month before returning for a full once over. Are there any "best seats"? This is a sprawling, 180-seater restaurant, with so many different areas depending on what you're after. The centre of the room (above) feels the most dramatic, with it's striking red chandeliers, and 'Bambi chairs', modelled on the deer in the Phoenix Park. These all sit two - four. Walk straight to the end of the room and you'll find the best natural light, with a large window looking out towards Trinity College. There's a nice round group table in here, as well as some very cute booths for two with (for once) plenty of table space for whatever you order. Cute booths for two at the back; a more private dining option on the left side of the room behind the bar Then there are two slightly more private spaces, on the left and right sides of the room when you walk in. To the left would be perfect for groups of 8-10, hidden away behind the bar where clandestine talking might be easier. To the right is another larger space that's screaming out for a massive group gathering, with tables and banquettes that can easily be adjusted for whatever size your booking is (check out the €64 group menu on their website if this appeals). The dining space in Gloria to the right of the main room when you walk in There's also a fully private space with a curtain in front of it, but we didn't get a picture as it was still being worked on, so the options here really are endless, and groups are very well catered for. What's our first drink? A cocktail, naturalmente. You'll find all the Italian classics and more, each with a 'classico' or a 'twist' version. We can recommend the twists on a Bellini (peach and raspberry purée, bergamot foam), the Gin Gizz (creme de cassis and aranciata rossa), and the Spritz (grapefruit liqueur and homemade cream soda). The Margarita might not be Italian, the twist involves Limoncello and infused green peppercorns, and it's a Tequila-laced, spicy delight. After something stronger? Try the Penicillin, with Bourbon, Irish Whiskey, Cognac and Cynar, as well as a homemade honey and ginger concoction, cleverly served in a vessel on ice so you can keep it chilled while you slowly sip. We got very excited at the sight of an Espresso Martini flight (€25 for three minis, or a single for €9.50), and while we're on board for the Guinness and Pistachio twists, truffle oil has no business in an Espresso Martini - it took a while to expunge that sip from our minds. Let's get down to business, what should we order? Between us we've had four visits to Gloria (two during the soft launch) and tried most of the menu. We have definite standouts, and while we wouldn't critique something from a soft launch period, we do feel obliged to tell you about dishes we tried during those visits that we definitely think you should order. So prepare yourself - here's a run through of most of the menu... ANTIPASTI/STARTERS Focaccia della casa with herb and garlic ricotta (€5) : This is not the best focaccia in town, but the crumb was good and it's a perfectly acceptable vessel for scarpetta. The filling gives it some needed moisture. Prosciutto Crudo Gran Riserva (€18) : 30-month aged ham which will melt in your mouth. Huge portion, order one for the table. Datterini tomato tatin with Pecorino cream (€16) : Order this! Sweet, confit tomatoes on deeply flavoured and coloured pastry, lifted by a splodge of cheesy cream on each spoon. If you don't love it, we quit. Burrata alla pesto Genovese (€17) : Another example of letting the best Italian produce speak for itself. Slice through the burrata ball and let it flow, piling it into the crispy carasau crackers, topped with excellent pesto. Stracciatella con girolles (€16) : Another cheesey winner from Gloria. The heart of burrata is spread across the plate, with what we thought were slightly pickled, cooked down girole mushrooms, and herb oil. This is where you need that focaccia. Crocchette di Vitello Tonnato (€18) : Vitello tonnato in croquette form, complete with all the veal/tuna/capers flavours you would expect, wrapped in the crunchiest coating. One to share as five would be overkill. Truffle French Toast (€21) : Warm, buttery brioche topped with shavings of raw (i.e. cold) mushrooms and (real) truffle, for a self-indulgent start to dinner. We loved it, but did find the raw mushrooms slightly jarring. We'd share this due to richness, rather than over-doing it so early in the meal. PRIMI PIATTI Sideways lasagne (€27) : The kind of lasagne you constantly crave but don't have a spare 12 hours to put into it. A glorious beef and veal ragu with those San Marzano tomatoes almost jumping off the plate. Tender, fresh pasta, a perfectly cheesy béchamel, no notes here. Agnolotti with lamb ragu and minty salsa verde (€28) : A plate straight out of a Piedmontese osteria on a cold winter's day, that's crying out for a glass of Barolo. So rich, so comforting, such meaty depth of flavour, with that salsa verde saving it from veering into "too rich". Lobster and caviar spaghettoni (€45) : The seafood flavours in this sauce tell you how many hours of cooking went into it - it's like a thicker bisque. You don't get a lot of lobster, and barely a teaspoon of caviar, but this was another favourite. (This was actually better at the soft launch - the second time we tried it the pasta was undercooked. Always send it back if this happens - any good restaurant would rather know and fix the problem at the time). Fazzoletti al 3 Formaggi (€26) : A surprise star. We thought a three cheese pasta (Roccolo, Strachitunt and Taleggio fondue) would be too much, but we ended up fighting over the freshly rolled little handkerchiefs. The herby oil brought the freshness it all needed. SECONDI La Gran Milanese, €36: If you're after something meatier, please order this (to share - it's enormous). That butter soft veal, the perfect, grease-free crumb, the squeeze of lemon, aioli, radicchio and carrot shavings giving it all a heavenly flavour boost. Tagliata di Manzo (€28) : Kildare rump steak in a shallot sauce. We asked for it to be cooked however the chef recommended (medium rare), but it was too tough, and we felt like cows chewing on cud. We sent it back, the chef agreed, they offered to bring a new one, we declined, it was taken off the bill. Turbot with fennel, cockles and beurre blanc (€38) : The King of fish never comes cheap, but this was cooked to the exact point of doneness, with milky soft flesh in a rich but zippy beurre blanc with chewy fennel. We wouldn't come just for this, but those people who always want to order the fish should be happy. SIDES Compared to the other menu sections, we found the sides weak, and would skip most of them next time we return. Crispy potatoes (€6.50) : They certainly are crispy, but too small for our liking without enough inner, soft potato for the texture contrast we wanted. Insalata verde (€6) : A faultless, green, bistro-style salad. Nice and crisp with a nicely balanced dressing. Carotine al Parmigiano (€7) : Like something out of Peter Rabbit, but under-cooked and forgettable. Garlicky spinach (€7) : The worst of the lot. As if someone had boiled frozen spinach, forgotten to drain it, and given it a cursory spin in a pan. Not good enough for €7. Desserts A total highlight of dinner at Gloria so save space! And order as many as you can possibly fit in. A note on tiramisu: We tried two types during the soft launch, one pre-made, one assembled at the table. We only snapped the one made at the table, and they ended up ditching that idea, so now it's all pre-soaked. We tried it, and it's benchmark, so you won't be disappointed. The Incomparable Lemon Pie (€12) : Yes it's ridiculous, yes it's too much meringue, but you need the photo of you holding it next to your head! Full marks for all three elements here. Italian chocolate tart (€14) : An even crazier dessert price than the lemon pie, but worth it. A salted caramel chocolate tart sits on crispy coffee praline, which sits on a plate of cream (you might not spot it until you dig in), and this is one of the best desserts in Dublin - we'll fight anyone who says otherwise. Soufflé al cioccolato e pistacchio (€16): Up there with the most expensive desserts in Dublin! And yet again, worth it. Chapter One and One Pico have had the soufflé market cornered, until now. Everything you will be hoping for and more. Caramel apple torta (€11): The colour on this tart tatin tells you everything you need to know, and that lemony buffalo ricotta with olive oil is magnificent. Vanilla cheesecake (€9) : This can happily sit amongst the great Basque cheesecakes of the city. Not technically Italian, but when it's this beautifully burnished and creamy, do we care? What about wine/other drinks? There's an incredible spirits list in here, laden down with vermouth, grappa, amaro and everything else you can think of, and there's some nice softs if you're not drinking. The all Italian wine list is a nice size too, with most styles and regions covered, and bottles starting at €34. Staff were happy to let us try anything that was open by the glass before committing to a bottle, and we found the quality variable, but we really liked the Zullo Primitivo for a rich, full red; and the Tenuta Pule for a medium-bodied Valpollicella with great acid to stand up to any tomato-based dishes. Our absolute favourite thought that we ordered again on subsequent visits was the Villa Regis Montepulciano from Cascina del Colle. The perfect Italian red if you're asking us, working beautifully with everything we were eating. How was the service? Almost every report we've had about Gloria raves hard about the service - staff have been exceptionally well trained, with most coming from other Big Mamma sites, and they really go out of their way to look after customers. If you have a special occasion they'll put a little magnet on your table so everyone knows; if you don't like your wine they'll change it; if there's an issue with your food they'll whip it away and replace it; if you tell them the issue after you've eaten, they'll take it off the bill. We never had to ask for a water refill, a menu, to have an empty plate or wine bottle lifted from the table. We never had to get out of our chairs, try to make eye contact with staff or wave anyone down. They knew what we wanted before we did. With none of these friction points, it makes it easy to just focus on having a great time, but we'll insert one caveat. Many staff told us they were only here for a few months to get the restaurant up and running, so it remains to be seen whether they can find and train up new staff to a similarly high level by spring. What should we budget per person? Easily €100 a head (and rising if you like lobster and expensive wine), but you could share two antipasti, a couple of pastas, that lemon meringue pie and have a glass of wine each for €60 a head. What's the verdict on Gloria? Gloria isn't Grano, and it's not trying to be. You won't find the owner's Nonna hand-rolling pasta in the dining room, wines from a cousin's vineyard, weekly changing specials that have been passed down through the family for generations, but there's room for both intimate dining rooms in Dublin's suburbs, and a big, bold whack of glamour to the face. Sometimes you just want to sit in a stunning room taking in the obscene amount of money that's been spent on it, drinking a Limoncello spritz while you decide which pasta to order, while (sometimes) boisterous staff do more for your energy levels than eight hours sleep would have. It 's fun, flamboyant, and they could get away with much worse food than this (plenty in Dublin do), but that's not their MO. Get glammed up, go in and let them do what they do best, and use everything you've learned here to navigate the menu to full effect, and we're pretty sure you'll have a grand old time. New Openings & Discoveries More >>

One of the more authentic Chinese restaurants in the city, with a focus on dishes from the Szechuan province. All the reliables are there, but steer away towards the chef's recommendations for the real deal, like sliced whelk with scallions and soft shell crab in egg yolk batter. The green beans are one of the city's must-try dishes, as are the homemade dumplings and the deep-fried seabass. M and L Chinese Website mlchineserestaurant.com Address 13/14 Cathedral Street, Dublin 1 Good For Tag 1 Cuisine Tag 1 Once Over Read our Review >> The Story One of the more authentic Chinese restaurants in the city, with a focus on dishes from the Szechuan province. All the reliables are there, but steer away towards the chef's recommendations for the real deal, like sliced whelk with scallions and soft shell crab in egg yolk batter. The green beans are one of the city's must-try dishes, as are the homemade dumplings and the deep-fried seabass. 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

Honey Honey has been thronged from the day they opened in 2018 with locals, visitors and passing cyclists queuing up for specialty coffee, granola bowls and warm sausage rolls. It filled a much needed gap in the area for a quality café, and expect to wait for one of their in demand tables. Honey Honey Website honeyhoneycafe.com Address Strand Road, Burrow, Portmarnock, Co. Dublin Good For Tag 1 Cuisine Tag 1 Once Over Read our Review >> The Story Honey Honey has been thronged from the day they opened in 2018 with locals, visitors and passing cyclists queuing up for specialty coffee, granola bowls and warm sausage rolls. It filled a much needed gap in the area for a quality café, and expect to wait for one of their in demand tables. Where It's At Nearby Locales 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

Shouk Mezze, shawarma and arayes straight from the Levant Posted: 13 Nov 2018 Neighbourhood Drumcondra - Phibsboro - Glasnevin Address 40 Drumcondra Road Lower, Drumcondra, Dublin 9 Website shouk.ie Restaurant Info View the Listing >> Written by: Lisa Cope What’s the story? Shouk opened quietly a year ago with zero fanfare - they have social media but not even a website. Slowly rumours started to go around about what sounded like a ramshackle operation on the grounds of St Pat's college in Drumcondra serving really exciting Middle Eastern food. Catherine Cleary reviewed it six months later and the word was officially out. It's actually not in St. Pat's College, it's right next to the train station and the Arts and Business Campus, and it backs onto a yard with a few covered market stalls selling various handmade bits and pieces. Owner Alon is Israeli with Irish roots, and insists on everything being made fresh, and it's in no small thanks to this that in 12 months Shouk has gone from suburban unknown to somewhere you'd be lucky to get in without a booking. Where should we go for a drink first? This isn't really the land of wine or cocktails. Your best bet would be a pint or a gin and tonic in Fagan's (Bertie Ahern's fav) or Kennedy's , or just go straight to Shouk which is BYO. Where should we sit? Inside is warm and 'cosy', with a few bar seats and tables which are quite close together, but we can guarantee it won't bother you much once the food starts coming. There's also a wonderful outside area which is a total suntrap and was the place to be during the summer. We were thinking of how sad it is that this space is going to go to waste for the next six months or so until the weather gets better again, when they told us that work is about to get underway on building walls to enclose the space that will be able to go up or down depending on the weather, as well as a retractable roof. Genius. What's good to eat? Honestly? Everything. We've been three times and were wowed by it all. Don't miss the mezze platter, but be warned, it's enormous, so one between two (or two between four) is plenty, unless that's all you want to eat. Everything in Shouk is homemade and it's so obvious when you start eating. The flavours are so intense and vibrant, we spend most of our time there making yummy noises and shaking our heads rather than talking. You can order all of the bits separately from the snacks menu but the mezze is a really good overview of what the kitchen are doing. The chicken shawarma is another winner, albeit more difficult to share, and is packed with spiced chicken, pickled and fresh veg and loads of hummus in a fresh pita. For €8.50 it's one of the best sandwiches we've had this year. The menu is mostly vegetarian, and the chargrilled aubergine, with tahini, harissa, cherry tomatoes and more of that amazing pitta is as good an example as any to give meat a break. It is very charred and strong-tasting, so you might not want a whole plate to yourself but it's a definite if you're sharing. *Secret menu item alert* - Through some fortuitous twist of fate (an older member of a group asking where all the meat was) we discovered the beef and lamb arayes - stuffed pitta breads deep-fried and served with labneh, charred vegetables and a cucumber, onion and tomato salad. This is heavy and probably the least healthy item in here but oh so worth it - total table silencer. They're hoping to launch new menus soon and we're told this will be on there, but if not ask for it. They only had one dessert the last time we were there - Malabi, an Israeli milk pudding. Usually desserts like this wouldn't overly appeal, but our server convinced us to give it a go and we were so glad she did. A coconut cream base was topped with rosewater, shaved coconut, caramelised almonds and pistachios, and was a perfect combination of lightness, zippiness and sweetness. We shared one and were very tempted to order another, but had already eaten our body weight in pitta so restrained ourselves. What about the drinks? Another brilliant thing about Shouk is that it's BYO - €4 for wine, €1 for beer, but this might go up soon as it's very cheap. This started as they initially didn't have an alcohol license, but despite recently securing a wine list they're going to keep allowing BYO as it's been so popular - three cheers for Shouk. They're currently working on a wine list too so if you don't want to BYO (or forget to) they will have options. And the service? There's a really positive atmosphere in Shouk and everyone really seems to like working there. This is probably partly down to the fact that they are deluged with customers telling them how much they enjoyed their meal and can't wait to come back. It's like walking into a big love bubble. The verdict? This the most exciting, best-value Middle Eastern food we've found in Dublin. The dishes and flavours set the bar for this style of cooking, and if we had this in Israel, never mind Ireland, we'd be delighted. Every time we've gone the bill has seemed paltry for the amount and quality of food we had, and the fact that you can BYO makes it ideal for special occasions. Go soon, and be sure to book in advance. Shouk 40 Drumcondra Road Lower, Drumcondra, Dublin 9 shouk.ie New Openings & Discoveries More >>

Hakkahan The Man from Hakka comes to the 'Batter Posted: 12 Oct 2021 Neighbourhood Neighborhood Name Address Restaurant Address Website Website Name Restaurant Info View the Listing >> Written by: Lisa Cope What’s the story? Every now and then a new restaurant opens with no website, and no information (like pesky menus and openings hours) on their social media channels, and generally this is when our eagle-eyed readers slide into our DMs looking for the scéal. This is what happened in June when brightly coloured Hakkahan opened on Stoneybatter's main street, and other than a menu in the window potential diners had little to go off, but those brave enough to venture in sight unseen seemed to be leaving very happy. Hakkahan means "the man from Hakka" (where owner Ryon Wen is from), but head chef Terry Yang is from the Sichaun province, and they describe the food here as "purely Sichuan". This may be disappointing to anyone who knows their way around Chinese cuisines and who was expecting traditional Hakka dishes like salt-baked chicken or yam abacus - they say it's extremely difficult to find a chef from the region in Ireland. Yang previously worked at China Sichuan and Mak at D6, and we were immediately impressed by their declaration of wanting to use the best local ingredients in their dishes. Where should we sit? Indoor tables are aligned against one wall, but there is more space at the back that presumably could be filled if things get busier. If you're still a bit Covid-cautious the outdoor tables are fine with the umbrellas up (they come down in windy conditions), although it does feel a bit treacherous to have your back to the traffic whipping up and down the road. You certainly wouldn't want to leave your bag at your feet - but that goes for all outdoor dining. What's the food like? Menus with too many dishes make us feel confused, indecisive, and like we're missing out on something, so we like Hakkahan's relatively concise menu, with 'house dumplings', 'small chow', mains and sides. Also, they had us at the whole section for dumplings. There's not much provenance information on the menu but they told us that duck is from Silverhill, chicken is free-range from Manor Farm, meats are from FX Buckley, and fresh fish is delivered each morning from Every Day Seafood. Most of their organic vegetables come from The Green Grocer next door, and at these prices, putting this much care into sourcing deserves a bualadh bos. Of the six dumplings on the menu we tried three, and 100% would eat again. The scallop with yuzu soya sauce gained points for having proper juicy pieces of scallop in there, and lost points for having an ever so slightly slimy texture inside. The wrappers are thick but we didn't mind, it gave them more of a chew, and we liked the uneven, handmade quality of them. We enjoyed the roast duck with hoisin sauce a lot (a crispy pancake in dumpling form), but our favourites were the beef siu mai, which were crispy and chewy in every bite - we're guessing some deep-frying may have been involved here, and wouldn't change a thing. From the small chow we're still obsessively thinking about the salt and pepper fresh squid (note the used of the word fresh). Tender squid, a perfectly thin non-greasy batter, crunchy onions, scallions, chillies - it's the version of this dish you wish your local Chinese did, but they don't. Sourdough prawn toast was another exemplary version of an all too often annihilated dish, with big chunks of prawns, crispy edges and yuzu mayonnaise for dipping. Pork yuk sung is another dish that's all too often given a bad name by a greasy Chinese, but the one at Hakkahan is a world away, with fresh lettuce cups, fragrant pork and crispy rice noodles underneath. It has a decent amount of heat but nothing that will blow your head off, but we did find ours quite salty. For a kick in the tastebuds, the Pai Huang Gua (spicy smashed cucumber) will numb your mouth and have you asking for a water refill, but you'll still keep eating it. There's garlic, sesame seeds, chilli oil and a lot of fresh chillies in here, and if you're a spice fiend don't miss this. For mains we really wanted to try the black pepper short rib of beef, with ginger, garlic, onion, porcini mushrooms and chilies, but they'd run out. Devastating, but also a sign of freshness - if you try it let us know if it tastes as good as it sounds. We'd seen many a post about the Silverhill basil duck with scallions, garlic and chillies, and this is a must-try when you visit. Silverhill is amongst the best duck being reared in the country, and the very generous portion of tender, crispy meat with perfumed Thai basil, crunchy onions and chillis will bring us back to Stoneybatter again. We also tried the Mala spicy lamb, which had the first notable signs of those lip-numbing Sichuan peppercorns. This was a bit of a table splitter. The flavours were deep and the lamb delicious, but there was a lot of oil and gloop as it sat, which may put some people off. Nice to try, probably wouldn't reorder. For sides we went with steamed rice and Chinese scallion bread, the latter of which we were so interested to try but was a bit of a disappointment, the pancakes being hard and overly chewy, as if they'd been cooked earlier and reheated. Maybe it was a one off, as we've seen other people praising them online. They also do fried rice with pork char siu and vegetables, and stir-fried noodles, and sides are free with mains at lunchtime every day, which is incredible value considering how well priced the food is already. There's only one dessert - hand-made Nutella rice balls (mochi) with vanilla ice-cream. It does the job and the mochi themselves are very good, but we're perplexed at how many Asian restaurants feel the need to jam Nutella into dessert, unless there's a big cocoa and hazelnut factory in Sichuan province that we're not aware of. We would have much prepared mochi filled with something fruit based and less cloying, but younger diners will probably eat their basil duck quicker knowing this is at the end. What about the drinks? It's a constant source of head scratching that the majority of Asian restaurants don't put more effort into their drinks list. Surely it's as important a source of income for them as it is for other restaurants? The offering here is predictably humdrum, with "house white", "house red", "rose" and "prosecco". Hard pass. They have said that they're expanding their wine list shortly and bringing a few more suppliers on board, so we hope there will be something to entice us next time. And the service? Friendly if a little restrained. The outside tables definitely had to do a bit more waving to get a menu/order food and drinks/ask for the bill, but that was most probably down to there being only one server for the whole restaurant. And the damage? Lunch for three (with no drinks) came to the bargain price of €60, but two sides were free because of the lunch deal. They don't do takeaway because the chef wants his food to be eaten fresh (respect), but they will give you containers for any leftovers. The verdict? Hakkahan is not in the same bracket as your local Chinese, it's a serious cut above. The food is fresh, the provenance is admirable, and you'll feel more invigorated than inactive after eating it. Bring a gang, over order, eat all the food, leave feeling great about life. Hakkahan 32 Stoneybatter, Dublin 7 www.instagram.com/hakkahan_dublin New Openings & Discoveries More >>

Head to the back room in Bar Anam at the top of Capel Street to find a space dedicated to the art of Korean-fried chicken. Owner Kelan O'Reilly is obsessed with KFC in all its forms, and the playful menu featuring mandu dumplings and stretchy "corn cheese" is perfect for accompanying Bar Anam's excellent drinks selection. Dak @ Bar Anam Website baranam.ie/dak Address 1a Bolton St, Rotunda, Dublin, Ireland Good For Tag 1 Cuisine Tag 1 Once Over Read our Review >> The Story Head to the back room in Bar Anam at the top of Capel Street to find a space dedicated to the art of Korean-fried chicken. Owner Kelan O'Reilly is obsessed with KFC in all its forms, and the playful menu featuring mandu dumplings and stretchy "corn cheese" is perfect for accompanying Bar Anam's excellent drinks selection. 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

John Farrell (777, Amy Austin Dillinger’s, The Butcher Grill) has taken a deep dive into suburbia with this roadside grill and bar above Whelehan’s Wines in Loughlinstown. Much of the food is cooked on a wood-fired grill, and both the cocktails and the Sunday roast are worth a spin down the N11. At lunchtime from Wednesday - Friday you can bring in anything from the wine shop downstairs for a €10 corkage charge - something to make a note of if you like to drink the big hitters. Eleven Website elevendublin.ie Address Bray Road, Loughlinstown, Dublin 18 Good For Tag 1 Cuisine Tag 1 Once Over Read our Review >> The Story John Farrell (777, Amy Austin Dillinger’s, The Butcher Grill) has taken a deep dive into suburbia with this roadside grill and bar above Whelehan’s Wines in Loughlinstown. Much of the food is cooked on a wood-fired grill, and both the cocktails and the Sunday roast are worth a spin down the N11. At lunchtime from Wednesday - Friday you can bring in anything from the wine shop downstairs for a €10 corkage charge - something to make a note of if you like to drink the big hitters. 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