Thirteen new openings in Dublin and three coming soon
In recent years we’ve sometimes struggled to scrape together enough new openings of interest to fill a roundup every few months. Now we could nearly work one up for Capel Street alone. The Northside hub has no fewer than five new arrivals, all at once, but fret not if that's not your usual hood – there’s plenty more opening across the city and suburbs to stick on your autumn hitlist...
Chongqing Noodles, Capel Street
Let’s start our stroll along Capel Street from the south, where just over Grattan Bridge, in the site Soup Dragon vacated back in February, crowds started to cluster at the end of the summer. We weren't long joining them. Chongqing Noodles – no relation to Chongqing Hotpot – is a cheap and cheerful addition to the street with some serious spice kick spread across the menu. The walk-in only 14-seater has had queues for good reason, with the signature noodles the star of the show – we couldn’t slurp the dried with minced pork and peas quick enough. Wontons and smashed cucumber salad are worth opening your wallet for too. Read our two minute review here.
Rio Coffee, Capel Street
Only a few paces up the way, bright green frontage marks – at last! – the end of one of Capel Street’s longest-standing vacancies. Gone is Ivan Yates’ eyesore Celtic Bookmakers, and in is café Rio Coffee, with a newly-installed hatch slinging Brazilian beans and pastries. Chocolate-topped carrot cake and (of course) pão de queijo are among the tastes of home they’re cooking up at this family affair, with a €14 coffee and sandwich deal adding to the appeal. Their range of Brazilian beach drinks like lime iced tea and passionfruit mate might have landed just a little too late to capitalise on the sunny summer, but we’re anticipating seeing lots of their friendly branding up and down the street regardless.
Fuoco, Ranelagh
ATF Insiders will already know all about Fuoco – they got first dibs on the food there two Sundays ago with the latest of our exclusive takeovers. Suffice to say it was a very good night. Jules Mak shuttered his namesake Chinese after 14 years at the end of May (it continues in takeaway form with a lunch menu we’re keen to try) to make space for this new Italian concept, with lasagna skewers and clam linguine among the things we’re predicting for instant icon status in this stunning room. As it stands there already isn’t peak dinnertime availability until next month and it’s only going to get worse as the word gets out more – take whatever you can get quick.
