A word of warning, some of these aren't open yet, in case you're already grabbing your coat and heading for the door, but they sound like they'll be worth waiting for. While you practice patience there's an ice-cream bar, specialty coffee shop and high end retail shop (with a wine room en route) to keep you going...
Happy Endings, Aston Quay
Happy Endings have been gaining legions of fans for their fried chicken, yuk sung fries and 3-in-1s since setting up in a pub on Dorset Street last year, and now they're going permanent. Their new city centre location opens this weekend (keep an eye on their Instagram for the exact day) at 14-18 Aston Quay (where Pable Picanté used to be), and as well as continuing with best-selling dishes like 'The Jimmy burger' (Mission spice buttermilk fried chicken, pineapple and habanero chutney, peanut and lime satay, slaw, mayo and dry roasted peanuts) and their chicken toast, they'll be expanding into other street food flavours, as well as breakfast and lunch.
Some of their specials over the past month are also becoming permanent, like their McRib spring rolls with Rick and Morty szechuan sauce, Reuben fried rice, and Scotched egg wontons. They're starting with a fun evening menu, with breakfast and lunch being added once they're up and running, and they'll have around 40 seats for outdoor dining from the 7th of June. Follow them on Instagram for updates.
Benedict's, George's Street Arcade
The guys behind Loose Canon have pounced on the old Lolly and Cooks unit in George's Street Arcade, and will open Benedict's Egg Shop in the first week of June. They're describing it as "super straight forward", and while testing is still ongoing, we do know they'll be selling hot egg sandwiches comprising of a folded, buttery scramble with cheese and herbs, and a special breakfast sauce, popped into a bun. Eggs are free-range from Wexford, buns are from McCloskey's in Louth, and there'll be a lot of Irish butter used in the making of these sandwiches. Follow them on Instagram here for opening updates.
Daata, Glasthule
Daata, Waseem and Rahat Saeed's much loved Pakistani and Indian restaurant in Bray and Greystones, is coming to Dublin, opening in the old Carluccio's site in Glasthule next Tuesday 1st June. They're starting with food, cocktails and lassis to go (takeaway and delivery), but once restrictions lift will open for lunch and dinner, with a small number of tables outside and 100 covers inside. There's a sizeable takeaway menu to start with including dishes like lamb chops with mint yoghurt chutney, their 'famous Afghani chicken', and a prawn coconut curry, and they're also doing a BBQ box to finish at home, with chicken skewers, seekth kebabs and dips. Don't miss their signature cocktail, the 'Old Lahore', with vermouth, bergamot and tonic. Follow them on Instagram here for opening updates.
Elm Epicurean, Dublin 4
Those Mamó guys have done it again. They're adding a third specialty food shop to the fold with Elm Epicurean, opening tomorrow at 8am, and from then on seven days a week. It's on the Merrion Road, near Booterstown dart station, and is the same set up as Margadh in Howth and Barrow Market in the docklands, but this one will eventually have an upstairs wine room and cheese counter - what post-Covid nights are made of. Owners Jess D'Arcy and Killian Durkin class what they're doing as "hospitality driven retail", with high quality on a small scale. Expect freshly baked bread, charcuterie, cheese, condiments, pantry items, European wines and takeaway meals. They'll also have some outdoor seating from June 7th, and there's 10 parking spaces. Their website launches at 19:00 this evening with menus for the week, and you can follow them on Instagram here.
Copper Lane, Dublin 8
Copper Lane is the newest specialty coffee shop in The Liberties, from father and son Colm and Luke Lawless, and coffee fanatic Jonny Northcutt, who used to work for Roasted Brown (Copper Lane's house roaster). They're serving sandwiches from Greenville Deli, and premium Irish products from their grocer section, like Hazel Mountain Chocolate, Scarlet For Yer Ma hot sauce, and Blanco Nino tortilla chips. They're open Monday - Saturday and you can check them out on Instagram here.
Betty's Milk Bar, Arnotts
Domini and Peaches Kemp never seem to stop moving, and their latest opening is ice-cream shop Betty's Milk Bar, in Arnott's (on the Liffey Street side). On the menu is soft serve (vegan option available), plus home-made toppings like salted caramel pecan brownie, strawberry and lemon compote, and home-made cookie dough. They're also promising churros and personalised ice cream cakes coming very soon. Open now during Arnott's opening hours.
