The best spring dishes in Dublin right now

The Bealtaine brigade will tell you spring set off all of three weeks ago, but judging by *gestures at everything*, we’re not quite ready to concede winter has passed us by yet. Look down from gloomy skies to rejigged menus though, and there’s no doubt the end is in sight. From a bounty of blood oranges and feasts of forced rhubarb, to the first wafts of wild garlic and weirdly early white asparagus, here’s everything out there to get a taste of spring in until you can feel it too...

Blood orange croissant, Elliot’s

Two weekends on the trot now we’ve tried and failed to get our greedy mitts on Elliot’s seasonal special, a two-chocolate croissant bursting with blood orange marmalade. That’s not just any two chocolates, mind you – they’ve gone all-in with Valrhona in both the brownie base and white chocolate whipped ganache. We’ll be queueing outside from Friday night this time.

Rhubarb tarts, Fable

Dun Laoghaire bakery Fable found so much favour with their perfect pink Valentine’s special they’ve had no choice but to keep slinging them out since. Keep the love coming we say. The crisp tart cases from their best-in-show mince pies are back, with custard and cream to top off a treat of rhubarb two ways.

Blood orange rice pudding, Osteria Lucio

A rice pudding brûlée? We went all love heart eyes at the thought of Osteria Lucio’s new dessert even before we got to the blood orange bit. They’re taking the seasonal citrus very seriously indeed this year, with a salad and secondo in there for those without sweet teeth. Blood orange butter basted over the pescato del giorno? Now we’re listening.

All things wild garlic, Flower & Bean

We’ve kindred spirits in Flower & Bean if their ways with wild garlic are anything to go by - they’ve put it in everything. These soup, focaccia and wrap specials we snapped will come and go as the scapes’ yield does, but we’ve no doubt this cute Cork Street café will keep it up all season long. Their granola bowl with rhubarb compote and blood orange slices is worth getting in for too.

Tuna and blood orange, Forest Avenue

An overdue star for Forest Avenue was one of the scant scraps of good news for Ireland at this month’s Michelin reveal, and it’s superb seasonal stuff like this that’s had John Wyer’s food knocking at the door for years. The natural sweet, slight acidity of blood oranges is a dream to play off yellowfin tuna’s fatty flavours, and we can't say we're on first name terms with Japanese spinach but we'd like to be.

Rhubarb oyster, Note

It’s a new lease of life for Note with Copenhagen-schooled chef Sam Kindillon recently installed at the helm and already attracting lots of attention. Including from us. In these early days of rhubarb we’re always eyeing up treatments that bring the full flavour to the fore, and popping it on top of an oyster ought to do it. The blood orange poroikalopita sounds stunning too.

Red mullet crudo with blood orange, Sea Shanty

Follow Sebastian Skillings at your peril - the fishmonger and cookbook author drops dishes like this with such regularity you’ll be needing a drool-proof cover every time you scroll. Good news then that he’s started up regular “seafood socials” with Sarah de Brún at Blackrock’s Sea Shanty, where you can pair plates like these with a night of wine and music.

Rhubarb and biscotti baked cheesecake, Camerino

We’d barely caught our breath from the shock of Camerino’s Saturday special before it was all sold out, but never fear – a little birdie’s told us it’ll be back this Friday. The sweet almond crunch of biscotti was born to play off rhubarb, and just look at all that swirling goodness. You can order online in advance to avoid disappointment.

Blood orange danish, Bread 41

The crimson complexity of a blood orange cross-section is always a delight to behold, so bonus points to Bread 41 for displaying it in full flare. Beneath glistening slices slotted into sourdough pastry, they’ve piped vanilla crème pat and topped the lot with blobs of blood orange gel. Spring never sounded so good.

Wild garlic scones, BaaBaa

BaaBaa’s base in Chapelizod is ideally placed for a quick nip to the Phoenix Park’s great excesses of wild garlic grounds, and they’ve wasted no time getting it into savoury scones with some sharp Irish cheddar. If that’s not your style (or you just like your breakfast over two courses, no judgement here) they’ve also got rhubarb-custard tarts and blood orange clafoutis on the counter.

Blood orange pavlova, La Gordita

Naranja sanguina is how the Spanish say blood orange, and here’s how they use it to top off a meal at La Gordita. Pink pearls of pomegranate seeds and green mint leaves colour up a classic pavlova, with slices of the stuff secreted away under little discs of meringue. Desserts often skew heavy here, but this is our kind of light.

Gnocchi with white asparagus, Richmond

Old reliable Richmond kicked off the year with a new Sunday lunch offer we’re dying to drop by for – all the more so with white asparagus in sight. It’s usually much deeper into spring before this delicate veggie crops up on plates, but some forced spears have made their way over from the Netherlands for the impatient among us (see Comet’s squid ragu for another excellent early arrival). Richmond are up to indecent things with rhubarb too.

Blood orange polenta cake, Urbanity

Getting pride of place on their Smithfield counter as long as the season lasts (does it have to end?) is this dazzling blood orange beauty from Urbanity. The naturally nutty pairing of a polenta and almond sponge is perfect to soak up all the sweet citrus syrup – it practically looks like it’s turned to marmalade all on its own.

Rhubarb meringue, Allta

Let’s hear it for the producers! Over at Allta they’re namechecking Donegal’s Castleruddery Organic Farm as the source of their pretty-pink forced rhubarb, tucked away in a meringue shell under layers of parsley ice cream and a yuzu-yogurt espuma. Blood orange is there too in sharp shrub form, with a crack of black pepper to boot.