Where to eat before a show in The Abbey (and other northside theatres)

Ronan Doyle
49 minutes ago
6 min read

‘tis a long way we’ve come since the Abbey Theatre opened all the way back in 1904 - hotel dining rooms or the nearby Ship tavern were about all you could rely on for a pre-theatre feed in those days. A century and change on, it’s but a short stroll to sample food from all over the world, and plenty of early bird deals among them to lure you in.

Going to The Ambassador or The Gate? Anything marked with an asterisk (*) is a perfect pick for you. See our guide to eating before shows in Vicar Street and other southside theatres here, and the Bord Gais Energy Theatre here.

QUICK BITES

Marka Cadey, Talbot Street (Mon-Sun, 3 min walk)*

Top of our own list for next time we’re at the Abbey is Marka Cadey right round the corner on Talbot Street, a Somalian spot we’ve heard plenty of positive whispers about. Brimming beef stews and flatbreads to mop up every last drop are the vibe here, with most mains at or under €15, and there's enough space to get you in and out on the double.

Jehan’s Heaven, Talbot Street (Mon-Sun, 4 min walk)*

For quick casual food in comfortable surrounds, few places are as good and close to the Abbey as Jehan’s Heaven. The palatial restaurant space from the owners of Ella’s across the road serves up lesser-spotted dishes from the Caucasus alongside a shopfront Turkish grill to tempt the crowds in – we’d skip it and stick to the Georgian specials like khachapuri, dolma and chanakhi instead.

Pickosito, North Lotts (Mon-Sun, 7 min walk)*

Newly relocated from its former Mary Street site over Pera (see below) to a very handy alley off Liffey Street, Pickosito’s the place if Mexican is your kind of pre-theatre treat. Honing in on the dishes of the cattle ranch-studded north of the country, their beef barbacoa and house chorizo really show what they’re made of – we haven’t tried the newish chilaquiles yet, but we can’t wait to. Don’t skip the guava cheesecake if it’s going.