Each year Christmas sandwich hysteria seems to reach new heights, and 2023 has seen the most creative sambos yet - and it's not even December. Do you want house-roasted turkey or smoked chicken? Wicklow brie or mozzarella? Gravy on the side or gravy mayo? Here's our running list of where to get one in Dublin right now, and keep an eye out for our verdicts on how some of them actually taste...
City Centre
147 Deli, Parnell Street
147 Deli have been keeping us all waiting this year, only releasing their Christmas sandwich this week, and it's the same special that earned them top spot in last year's Christmas sandwich verdicts list. It's got glazed ham, steamed turkey, bacon fat sprouts, crispy bacon bits, hazelnut, sage and cranberry stuffing, Brie and cranberry mayo served on granary bread, and it's served with a chicken wing gravy. A beast is right.
Mr French, Dublin 2
We do love a Christmas sandwich with a difference, so claps to Mr French for serving their 'Christmas Sleigher' on chunky focaccia. This one looks like a monster, with roast turkey, honey and mustard glazed ham, sage and onion stuffing, smoked cheddar, cranberry mayo, wild rocket, and turkey and stuffing flavoured crisps. It's available from Wednesday 6th December and it better live up to the high expectations we've got for it.
Fairmental, Grand Canal Dock
Fermentation specialists Fairmental have just added their 'Christmas Turketta' to the menu, and if you like your monster lunch to come with tangy ferments this one's for you. It's got rolled turkey breast, ndjua stuffing, cranberry labneh, relish and leaves, all served on fancy bap-style bread.
Brother Hubbard, Dublin 1
The 'Chrimbo' is officially on the menu at Brother Hubbard on Capel Street and it's our first meatloaf sighting. Their homemade bread comes with turkey and sausage meatloaf, baked ham, their special stuffing sauce, brussel sprout and cranberry slaw, and a seasonal side salad.
Honey Truffle, Pearse Street
Honey Truffle's festive sandwich never fails, with proper turkey and ham, sage, thyme and onion stuffing, and an orange, port and cranberry sauce. It comes toasted but you can request non-toasted if that's more up your street.
Carved, Grand Canal Dock
Grand Canal sandwich specialists Carved aren't holding back this year with ham, turkey, sausage stuffing, red cabbage, chestnuts, brie, cranberry sauce, garlic aioli and homemade gravy on top - wowza.
The Commons @ MoLI, St. Stephen's Green
The Commons @ MoLI have just launched their 'Santy Toastie', with roast turkey, baked ham, stuffing, cranberry sauce, and the lesser spotted lettuce and mayonnaise.
Doughboys, Dublin 2
This year's effort from Dough Boys looks nicely messy, with house roast turkey, honey mustard glazed ham, braised spiced red cabbage, sage and onion stuffing, caramelised onion mayo, cranberry orange sauce, and a gravy dip. No danger of this one lacking moisture.
Lisboa, Dublin 2
Lisboa 'ultimate Christmas sandwich' is a spin on the famous Portugese Francesihna, with some festive substitutions like ham and turkey in place of steak and chorizo.
The Cake Café, Dublin 2
The Cake Café are calling this one "the Christmas sandwich of your dreams, and with smoked chicken, honey baked ham, stuffing and either their homemade cranberry sauce or spiced mango (eh yes) heaped onto their sandwich bread. It's served with a side of homemade gravy and we're sold several times over.
Urbanity, Smithfield
Urbanity's annual 'Chrimbo Sambo Slam' is back with a Croque Monsieur and brisket bang. Over the next three weeks they'll have two Christmas sandwiches on the menu every week, running a poll on which one reigns supreme, with the 'Ultimate Chrimbo Sambo' crowned on December 16th. The winning sandwich will be available for the week before Christmas, and keep an eye on their socials for each week's options.
North Dublin
Two Pups, Fairview
Two Pups in Fairview have shown up with the lesser spotted veggie Xmas toastie. It's got potato and Brie gratin, spiced apple chutney, and brussels sprout stuffing on Firehouse sourdough, and if you need meat you can add their home baked ham.
Slice, Stoneybatter
Slice's Christmas toastie is up there in the pretty stakes, and just look at that bread. Theirs has honey baked ham, cranberry relish, melted brie, herb stuffing, chive mayo and house pickles which we applaud - there are nowhere near enough pickles on this list.
Milo’s, Drumcondra
Milo’s Christmas toastie has come on the scene with no description, but we spy turkey, ham, stuffing, spinach and cranberry sauce, along with a side of relish. While it looks like one of the drier options on this list, we have it on reader authority that the stuffing is anything but.
Puck Lane, Whitehall
God bless Puck Lane for finally giving Whitehall residents somewhere to eat, and now they have a Christmas sandwich to boot. Roast turkey and ham come with stuffing, Brie and spiced cranberry sauce, and there's an option of hot gravy or gravy mayo for dipping - be cheeky and ask for both.
Perfect Day Café, Kilbarrack
The Kilbarrack/Raheny area is positively spoilt for Christmas sandwiches, but the cranberry mayo in Perfect Day's 'festive melt' has us positively interested, as well as their thickly sliced turkey and ham. Add some stuffing, brie and wrap it all up in sourdough and she's complete.
Perky's Coffee House, Raheny
Perky's toasted Christmas sambo has roast turkey, ham, stuffing, caramelised red onion marmalade, mayo and cranberry sauce on toasted sourdough, and it comes with a side of garlic mayo which is never a bad idea. Their vegan version is on a ciabatta with nut roast, caramelised onion, cranberry sauce and vegan mayo.
Lab, Raheny
Food truck Lab did an oozing Christmas sandwich special back in August, and it's back for December with the addition of ham as well as turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce, mozzarella (controversial but we love it) and caramelised onion, and while the August sambo looked considerably juicier, if you eat it immediately you should get the mozz at optimum melt.
McNally Family Farm, North County Dublin
McNally Farm's veggie and vegan Christmas baps are back on the menu at the farm shop and café, and we promise you won't miss the meat. They come with roasted carrots, sprout slaw, herby stuffing, cranberry and port sauce, mayo (regular or vegan), and the veggie version is topped with Corleggy peppercorn cheese. Don't skip the mince pies for dessert.
South Dublin
Junior's, Beggar's Bush
Junior's is something of a mecca for Dublin sandwich lovers, and their 'Christmas Cracker' is already drawing the crowds. Their chargrilled ciabtta comes with roast turkey, baked ham, crispy bacon, herb and onion stuffing, homemade mayo and cranberry relish.
Daddy's, Rialto
Daddy's are going different for the second year running using spiced beef instead of turkey and ham. There's also McNally's Brussel Sprout, Horseradish and Cranberry Slaw, and Nigel's Herb and Apple Stuffing.
Happy Out x Together Academy, Dun Laoghaire
Toastie Kings Happy Out have been kind enough to deliver a Christmas version, with turkey, ham, stuffing, cranberry sauce, mayo, rocket and a gravy dip. We hear preceding it with a very cold plunge makes for optimum enjoyment.
Greenville Deli, Rathmines, Inchicore & Monkstown
While supplying many of Dublin's cafés with their sandwiches, Greenville Deli operate a different menu out of their own three locations, so their in-house Christmas sandwich is a bit different. You'll find roasted in-house turkey breast, homemade maple glazed ham, parsley, sage and onion stuffing, pickled red cabbage, Wicklow brie, mustard aioli (oooh) and cranberry sauce. It's served with a cranberry mayo dip and a small bag of crisps, in case you needed more convincing.
The vegan one has roasted sweet potato and green lentils, vegan stuffing, mustard mayo and cranberry sauce.
Foodgame, Beggar's Bush
Two words. Bacon. Crumbs. That's what Foodgame are bringing to the table this year, along with sliced turkey, cranberry mayo, sage and walnut stuffing and brie on sourdough. They had us at bacon.
Daddy's, Rialto
Never one to row in with the masses, Daddy's have ditched the turkey and ham in place of spiced beef. Add in McNally's brussell sprout, horseradish and cranberry slaw, and a herb and apple stuffing, and it's everything a turkey and ham hater could wish for.
Park Life, Harold's Cross
Park Life in Harold's Cross are the only place on this list brave/clever enough to include crispy potatoes in their 'Crambo Sambo'. There's also turkey, ham, stuffing, unspecified cheese, and cranberry sauce. See you there for the potatoes.
Barnhill Stores, Dalkey
Barnhill Stores are flying the flag for Dalkey this year. Their Christmas sandwich comes with baked ham, roast turkey, herb stuffing, cranberry sauce and sage mayonnaise (what!?), and it's served with warm gravy. Joy to the world.
West Dublin
Ian's Kitchen, Kimmage
Ian's Kitchen (from the same owners as Cluck Chicken in Tallaght) have made gravy and mulled-wine glazed ham their USP. Their ciabatta comes filled with buttermilk-brined roast turkey, that ham, nduja & chestnut stuffing, and cranberry mayonnaise, with a spiced turkey gravy for dipping (or pouring which is how they seem to be doing it). It's available Tuesday - Friday as part of their soup and sambo combo.
Farmhouse Café, Walkinstown
Farmhouse Café's open Christmas sandwich made its return last week, consisting of toasted sourdough topped with cranberry mayonnaise, roast turkey, herby bacon stuffing, Durrus cheese, cranberry sauce and dressed leaves. It's a whopping €15.95 so it better be good.
Pickles, Kimmage
The Pickles Christmas sandwich is pretty standard with turkey, ham, Brie, stuffing, red onion, spinach and cranberry sauce, and comes on their own low GI brown or another bread of your choice.
Goat's Gruff, Strawberry Beds
Drive through coffee shop Goat's Gruff's 'Santa Baby' has returned for 2023, and the wood-fired sandwich once again has turkey, ham, Brie, cranberry sauce and stuffing on sourdough ciabatta, with garlic mayo for dipping.
Baa Baa, Chapelizod
Baa Baa don't tend to do things by halves, and it's no shock that their Christmas toastie is a little different. Organic sourdough comes stuffed with Derg cheddar AND Wicklow Brie, cranberry & pear jam, honey roast ham and sage butter. That'll be a *need* then.
Various Locations
Poulet Bonne Femme, Various Locations
Another winner from last year's sandwich tasting, Poulet Bonne Femme's 'Ho Ho sandwich' is back and it's about time. What made this for us was the soft white bread filled with their juicy free-range roast chicken, along with honey roast ham, house made stuffing, cranberry sauce, mayo and mustard. You won't regret this one. Find them in Suffolk Street, Ballsbridge, Monkstown, Blackrock and more.
Greenville's Wholesale Sandwich, Various Locations
Greenville supply over 30 cafés and delis across Dublin so expect their wholesale Christmas sandwich to pop up all over the place, including Grump's in Foxrock, Surge in Clontarf and Cob Coffee Company in Rathfarnham. It's got sliced FXB turkey breast, sliced FXB glazed ham, homemade parsley, sage and onion stuffing, mustard mayo and cranberry sauce.
Póg, Various Locations
Póg's Christmas sandwich is now available in all of their locations, and has turkey, ham, brie, homemade stuffing, cranberry sauce and mayo on sourdough.
Have you had a Christmas sandwich we need to know about? Let us know by emailing info@allthefood.ie.
