The Best Autumnal Dishes In Dublin Right Now
Even if the temperature hasn’t told us yet, the stacks of pumpkins showing up all over town have - autumn is upon us. And as summery courgettes give way to their orange cousins in the seasonal squash relay race, we’re seeing a sudden glut on Dublin menus. If pumpkin sucks up a lot of the attention, the humble apple is just as much an autumnal MVP – here’s where to go to get the best of both, plus plenty more of the season’s best bounties...
Pumpkin benedict, Urbanity
You can keep yer pumpkin pies (actually you can’t, we want them too) – for our money it’s the savoury stuff gourds are really good for. Soups and salads galore will be rolled out in the ATF kitchen over the next few weeks, but we can’t claim anything as creative as this. Brunch Kings Urbanity are serving up Hokkaido two ways over brioche with crispy lardons and sage hollandaise (!) just two of the treaty things they’re topping it with. Their pear and blackberry granola, and a spiced sausage and apple toast look essential too - ofc they’ve got a pumpkin spice latte on the go.
Apple pie croissant, Twist
In the midst of what feels like a real Renaissance for Dublin bakeries, Twist in Temple Bar have turned our heads so often they’re sore – this apple pie croissant leapt right to the top of our weekend hitlist. Stuffed with frangipane and house spiced bramley jam, and piped with dulce de leche, it’s ticking all our boxes for autumn indulgence. A potimarron squash focaccia sounds right up our savoury street too (kale pesto!)
Carrot cake Danish, Two Pups
Pity the poor carrot. This quiet workhorse tirelessly anchors soffriti and mirepoix year-round, but right when it’s at its very best, in comes pumpkin to suck up all the attention. We’re on the side of the underdog here, and so are Two Pups. The Francis Street fave have filled their laminated pastry with orange cheesecake and a cardamom jam to mimic the flavours of a classic carrot cake. Pumpkin could never.
Maritozzo al gorgonzola, Sfuso
Or, errr, could it? Sfuso’s seasonal special is putting that carrot commitment to the test with a novelty that’s hard to ignore. The maritozzi moment has lasted long for no little reason, with these fluffy stuffed buns offering no end of opportunity for invention. Here filled with the IYKYK combo of pumpkin and gorgonzola and finished with a sprinkle of pistachio, it’s a very good reason to veer off the quays.
Apple and miso caramel tart, Elliot’s
It took all of our restraint to keep from choosing Elliot’s pumpkin pastry this time – it’s got brie! – but what they’re doing with Irish-grown apples is, somehow, even more interesting. Miso is the main man here, bringing umami depth in a caramel to complicate the sweetness of the Stonewell-stewed fruit, a nice nod to the savoury possibilities of one of the things we grow best. More cider whipped through a cream on top is just the OTT treat we all deserve.
Parsnip and potato croissant, Fable
There’s never not heaps of seasonal stuff to choose from at Fable. We could go for their brown butter cakes with spiced apple jam, blackberry jam danishes with rosemary cream, aubergine focaccia with feta and dukkah… or we could spare a thought for the poor parsnip, a veg to make the carrot look popular. If anything could bring it back into fashion, shacking up with spiced spuds and smoked Gubbeen in a gratin surely would.
Pumpkin spice bagels, Fat Baby Bakes
We’re ever-so-slight sceptics in the pumpkin spice space – with every crappy café in the city jumping on the bandwagon, it’s hard not to be – but one place it really, really works is in Fat Baby Bakes bagels. The NY-style microbakery’s best-sellers are back now for order in minimum batches of six, with tubs of pumpkin spice schmear also there to compliment it. Not keen on home cooking? No problem. You can also pick them up, single and pre-loaded, from Tribe in Rathgar and Knocklyon, Chatty Fox in Rathfarnham, or Mellon’s in Ringsend.
Glazed pork and apple, Mr Fox
As the seasons shift and the evenings close in around us, we’re suckers for the savoury-sweet pairing of pork and apple. Few look to be doing it as deliciously as the revamped Mr Fox under the stewardship of new chef-patron Adam Jordan. He’s taken prime pork belly from Salters free range farm, given it a BBQ glaze, and cut through the lot with a spicy-sharp salad of apple, radish and jalapeño. Look at that crackling...
Tangerine and chilli hot chocolate, Sister
We were sad to see Sister’s chamoyada say goodbye at the end of the summer before we had a chance to get in, but if their autumn drinks menu is anything to go by it looks like every season will be bringing new reasons to visit this recent Portobello arrival. An ancho chilli and tangerine hot chocolate is top of our list this time, but they’ve got house syrups to spare in banana bread, apple caramel and pumpkin pie lattes too.
Pumpkin spiced halloumi sandwich, Tir Deli
There’s no end of stuff to get excited about in Tír’s latest seasonal sambo, from organic roast pumpkin paté to a barrel-aged fermented house hot honey, but it’s the sound of smoked and soy-marinated mushrooms that’ll have us running for Hatch Street or CHQ. Their constant commitment to sustainability and minimal waste shines through in the pumpkin seed crumb and the guts set aside for spiced syrup.
Apple and celeriac, Amai by Viktor
With their fourth tasting menu newly launched, Amai by Viktor just keep giving us reasons to come back – this odd autumnal pairing is chief among them. Just like their tomato dessert we flagged as a summer special worth making a beeline for, this offbeat palate cleanser (sat between cheese and a chicken and bacon waffle) is playing with the versatility we often forget is right in front of us.
Autumn fruits tart, Dax
Don’t forget the fruits! With all those knobbly bits and root veg cropping up this time of year, it’s easy to forget the full feast of fresh fruit that lingers over after summer. Dax pastry chef Franco Rego is on the case with this pretty picture of a shortbread tart, topped with white chocolate ganache and a scattering of figs and all the best berries.
Apple pie chai, Loverboy
Clontarf café Loverboy have impressed us before with some of their smart sambo twists (prosciutto and peach chilli jam!) but they’re slinging out stuff just as creative in the drinks space too. A house spice blend for hot and iced apple pie chai is their latest invention, just in time for when you need something steaming on your seaside stroll. They’ve just dropped a few new sandwiches too if you've worked up an appetite.
Pumpkin pie, No Messin’
There’s no appointment eating quite like No Messin’ pies – the show-stopping bakery has been dropping seasonal sales to newsletter subscribers only since they launched things back in 2020. Mince pies (SOON) are by far and away the most beloved, but their pumpkin pie isn’t lagging far behind. Sign up quick to snag your slot in the impending release for that crisp, crumbly pastry…
