If you're broke and looking for ways to save a few quid post Christmas, or just while living through the "verging on Apocalyptic" world we seem to have found ourselves in, we've found some ways to keep extra cash in your pockets. Enter EarlyTable and First Table - two apps that save you money while eating out. We were wary at first, but more and more ATF-recommended places are popping up on there, so we thought it was time to give you the lowdown.
What is EarlyTable?
It's a restaurant discovery platform that allows you to get discounts by dining at off-peak times. To book it costs €1 per person but you can save 50% off your food bill. Almost sounds too good to be true doesn't it? Drinks are full price and reservations are for groups of two to eight people.
Our top picks on EarlyTable:
Crow Street, Temple Bar
Kathmandu Kitchen, Dublin 2 and Malahide
Musashi, IFSC & Hogan Place
Bah 33, Dublin 2
Bang, Dublin 2
Lucky Tortoise, Dublin 2
Maneki, Dublin 2
Eatokyo, Dublin 1
Bullet Duck and Dumplings, Dublin 1
Gushi, Dublin 1
One Society, Dublin 1
Fayrouz, Dublin 8
The Sussex, Dublin 4
CN Duck, Ranelagh
Indo Chine, Dublin 4
Zakura, Baggot Street, Dublin 4
Dall' Italia Pasta Bar, various locations
The Guinea Pig, Dalkey
Explore Early Table here.
What is First Table?
First Table is a similar concept, a restaurant discovery website offering 50% off the first table at breakfast, lunch or dinner at partner restaurants. You save money by dining during off-peak times. Similarly the discount is strictly for food only. Availability for every restaurant is added just after midnight each night for the next seven days and reservations are limited to groups of two, three and four people. Sorry solo diners.
Our top picks on First Table
Yamamori Izakaya, Dublin 2
The Port House Cava, Dublin 2
The Port House Pintxo, Dublin 2
Brookwood, Dublin 2
Kathmandu Kitchen, Malahide and Dublin 2
Indo Chine, Dublin 4
Mulberry Garden, Donnybrook
Taphouse, Ranelagh
Explore First Table here.
Too Good To Go
Too Good To Go, an app founded in 2016, was created to fight food waste in the hospitality industry. It connects customers to restaurants and shops that have surplus food at the end of the day, and is available on Android, iOS and Huawei AppGallery. Reports on what people get in their surprise bags are varied, and we've seen everything from crushing disappointment to exultation, it just depends on what's leftover that day, but at €3.99 to €5.99 it's worth a go.
Business we've seen on there include Umi Falafel, Camerino and Sprout, but just put your location into the app and it will tell you what's up for grabs nearby, and what time you need to be there to collect.
Know any other great ways to save money while eating out in Dublin? Let us know by emailing info@allthefood.ie.
