The Two Minute Review: Street Frites

Lisa Cope
6 hours ago
2 min read

What’s the story with Street Frites?

After the short-lived (much loved) Vi's House closed after a year of trading, 21 Duke Lane sat empty for much of 2025. Former fans were a flutter when the lights went back on before Christmas, hoping that Vi was making a comeback, but it was something new.

Street Frites is "Belgian-style fries using the best Irish potatoes", from commercial grower Meade Farm in Navan, with chips cut and sauces made in house. They've got on-the-go cones complete with sauce hatch at the back, 'gourmet fries', 'gourmet bites', and "street shakes".

Is there seating?

Just four tables for two, so you're not coming here with a gang, but there is a toilet so you won't have to schlep to BTs afterwards to wash the smell of chips off your hands.

What did you have?

Cones come in original (ambitiously priced at €6.95), truffle (€8.95 with all the truffle oil, so nope), or funky (€7.95 with chimichurri, garlic, chilli and shichimi - our pick). There are 11 sauces, but we kept it classic with Belgian mayo, which is slightly sweeter. Fries were hot and crisp with a spicy, herby flavour, and we always like to see Irish chips served skin on (fibre goals), but as they cooled they became quite dry, and plenty of water was needed to wash them down. Kids (and adult kids) will love the cone's novelty factor.

There are five 'gourmet fries' - a veggie (Jakarta curry), two chicken, a beef, and a prawn. 'Yo Mama fries' (€12.95) come with fried chicken in a peanut glaze, kimchi mayo, sesame seeds, crispy shallots, chives, and unbilled chilli and peanuts. Chicken was tender and crisp, but there's no provenance information - staff had no clue and enquiries to the company have uncovered little. The sweet and spicy flavours were pleasant, but again the fries were hard to get through, needing plenty of sauce.

Tempura prawn fries (€13.50) come with saffron aioli, wakame, nori salt, red chilli and lime, and were like fresh scampi, in a top tempura batter. We loved the saffron aioli and seaweed, and it felt like it had marginal health benefits to offset some of those fries.

The 'gourmet bites' are the same as the gourmet fries, without the fries, and the Korean chicken bites with a clever wasabi and miso mayo (€8.95) were again well cooked, but the Korean flavours were off, with more gochujang needed and a burnt sugar taste, like treacle.

'Street shakes' are made with ice cream from The Milk Parlour in Northern Ireland, and while we couldn't stomach most of the diabetes in a cup combos (does anyone over five want salted caramel, oreo crumble and chocolate popping candy in liquid form?), we tried the 'Fla'mango'. Turns out mango, candied jalapeño, agave and lime is very delicious, especially when you get a mouthful of tajin and lime zest.

Why should we go?

It's just off Grafton Street, it's fast, it's easy, and kids and fast food lovers will be happy. Be aware though if you're taking the fam, prices will add up fast - gourmet fries and a shake each for four and you'll be down €85.