We love seeing a seasonal menu around town and pumpkin is popping up everywhere at the moment. Most of the pumpkins we see at this time of year are large and ready for carving, with skin that's something to be battled, but there are loads more variations than your Cinderella carriage standard. The best ones are smaller, filled with flavour and have tender skin that's chewy and sweet after roasting, and thanks to growers like McNally Family Farm, we're seeing a lot more of them on Dublin restaurant and café menus. Here are some of the best places to eat pumpkin in Dublin right now.
The Regal One
Forest & Marcy, sister restaurant of Forest Avenue has made its mark from day one with a seasonal menu done right. Case in point - this Crown Prince pumpkin with cep custard, capers and raisins.
The Middle Eastern One
Spot on flavour pairings at Hey Donna with their roasted pumpkin, shiitake creme, mint and honey yogurt, and killer Insta game to boot.
The Whipped Cheese One
3fe's squash, orange and whipped feta salad looked like another well balanced plate of flavour from chef Holly Dalton’s kitchen.
The Healthy One
Sprout and Co are known for making healthy tasty, and this spicy Indian chicken and squash salad with curry yogurt, organic kale and spinach leaves from the Sprout farm fits the bill.
The One on Toast
Pumpkin on toast is something we never knew we wanted or needed. Storyboard’s version with preserved lemon yogurt and spiced nut butter is looking like a very appealing brunch option for the weekend.
The Sweet One
Fable & Stey's cinnamon spiced pumpkin cheesecake uses organic pumpkins from McNally farm, which must offset any negative impacts associated with a second slice.
The Drinkable One
Taking on Starbucks in the authenticity stakes, Laine My Love have launched their own pumpkin spiced latté, and we can't think of a better way to ease into Autumn.
The Unattainable One
Just to tease you (because you'll probably never get a booking), this is from Heron & Grey's Autumn menu. Pumpkin, wild summer flowers and birch. Keep trying people, it's worth it.
The Pizza One
If all else fails, stick it on a pizza. Shovelhead's October special, 'The Hocus Pocus', comes with a pumpkin cream base (yum), gorgonzola (yes please), toonbridge mozzarella (most definitely), nduja and fresh basil. Suddenly we're feeling better about that chill in the air.
The Vegan One
As if eating your veg wasn't enough, you can go full on virtuoso vegan with the pumpkin brunch option at Veginity. This Indian Masala Dosa with Japanese blue pumpkin and ginger curry, caramelised onion sambol and freshly ground coconut sambol contains more health than we would even know what to do with. Best to follow it with one of their homemade cinnamon buns for balance.
The Cupcake One
Did cupcakes exist before The Cupcake Bloke? We literally remember nothing before his lemon drop, butterbeer and pinata cupcakes came to town, and of course he wouldn't let October go past without working the pumpkin.
