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The best places to eat in Rathmines right now

There’s a rich range of cool restaurants, cafés and world cuisine just south of Dublin’s Grand Canal

Rathmines boasts a diverse range of fine places to eat and drink. Photograph: Cyril Byrne
Rathmines boasts a diverse range of fine places to eat and drink. Photograph: Cyril Byrne
Sun Sept 03 2023 - 05:00

The Dublin suburb of Rathmines may not have the same foodie haven reputation as its southside neighbour Ranelagh, but it still boasts a diverse range of fine places to eat and drink – especially if you’re out for a casual bite. So here’s a selection of some great restaurants and cafes (and a couple of shops) all within a stone’s throw of the famous old clock tower.

Lottie’s

7-9 Rathgar Road, Dublin 6; 01-5585969, lotties.ie
Lotties is just what Rathmines needed. Photograph: Nick Bradshaw
Lotties is just what Rathmines needed. Photograph: Nick Bradshaw

A smart bistro with keenly priced food was just what Rathmines needed and Domini Kemp and Brian Montague (of the Winding Stair restaurant group) have delivered admirably. The bavette and chips is the star but the prawn bisque and octopus are not to be missed, as well as the île flottante dessert, a thing of beauty. The newly revamped terrace has a small after-dinner bar with music and relaxed couches. Read our review here. Corinna Hardgrave

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Deli 613

89 Rathmines Road Upper, Dublin 6; 01 551 8958, deli613.ie/
Salt beef sandwich from Deli 613
Salt beef sandwich from Deli 613

Deli 613 opened quietly in mid-March, serving Jewish deli favourites of Ashkenazi (eastern European) and Sefardi/Mizrachi (Jewish people from Spain, North Africa and the Middle East) origin. Everything is very tasty. While the salt beef on rye bread doesn’t reach NY deli skyscraper heights, big slabs of warm salt beef with mustard and pickles make for a very good sandwich. The pitta is substantial, stuffed with chunks of boiled egg, cucumber and pickles, progressing to a layer of fried aubergine, amba aioli and a slick of hummus at the back. The latke, which comes with apple sauce, is warm and delicious. Read our review here. CH

Flâneur

221-223 Rathmines Road Lower, Rathmines, Dublin 6; flaneur.ie/
There are a handful of tables outside under a blue and white striped awning with heaters, and even though it’s a very busy junction, it’s an interesting place to loiter over a glass of wine
There are a handful of tables outside under a blue and white striped awning with heaters, and even though it’s a very busy junction, it’s an interesting place to loiter over a glass of wine

The high density seating at Flaneur reflects the price point and the name reflects the direction of the food. The owner, Thom Lawson, describes it as being influenced by Paul Bert’s Parisian bistros. Operationally, it is similar to its sister restaurant, Sprezzatura: affordable and tasty, with diners in and out with turnstile efficiency. Flaneur doesn’t set out to wow you with its savoir faire, and it is not looking to win prizes for sophistication. It is geared to the inhabitants of its young cosmopolitan neighbourhood, who are clearly happy to be there, and service is charming. Read our review here. CH

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Farmer Browns

170 Rathmines Rd Lower, Rathmines, Dublin 6, (01) 567 6956, farmerbrowns.ie

The first Farmer Browns opened in 2012 and over the years Limerick sisters Grace and Fionnuala Caffrey have expanded from the original Bath Avenue location to Clonskeagh, Rathmines and Kilternan. Their popularity is fuelled by their hearty portions and brunch, including their take on a full Irish, the “Starvin Marvin”. Joanne Cronin

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Burdock’s

Unit 20, Swan Centre, Rathmines Rd Lower; leoburdock.com

They may no longer serve their fish suppers in newspaper wrapping but little has changed in the Burdock’s formula since it began dispensing its legendary fish and chips 110 years ago. A Dublin institution, frequented by thousands of tourists and scores of visiting celebrities down the years, portions are generous, piping hot and go down best doused in lots of salt and steaming vinegar. Madeleine Lyons

Two Fifty Square

Williams Park, Rathmines Dublin 6; (01) 538 6887, twofiftysquare.com
Two Fifty Square is housed in what once was a large-scale commercial bakery
Two Fifty Square is housed in what once was a large-scale commercial bakery

Two Fifty Square is a coffee bar and wholesale roastery housed in what once was a large-scale commercial bakery. The cafe is in one large, high-ceiling room with irons beams and light spilling in through a skylight. The folks do cappuccinos alongside V60 drip coffee, a filter method that takes a slower approach to making coffee. Brunch includes a V60 coffee and savoury French Toast, a salty take on eggy bread pairing French toast with bacon, spring onions and a spicy ketchup. There are kale and avocado sambos and a soup of the moment, served with sourdough. Aoife McElwain

Bethlehem

3 Wynnefield Road, Rathmines, Dublin 6; 01 497 8805, bethlehemrestaurant.net
The mixed grill at Bethlehem. Photograph: Nick Bradshaw
The mixed grill at Bethlehem. Photograph: Nick Bradshaw

The joy of Bethlehem is that it really does seem to capture the sort of experience you get in the Middle East if you’re invited to someone’s home. It’s a comfortable room, where you feel the genuine warmth and hospitality of being a guest, not just a paying customer. There are dishes that will please all diets, vegan, vegetarian and carnivore. And if you’re not on the dry, you can BYOB with no corkage. Read our review here. CH

Manifesto

208 Rathmines Rd Lower; (01) 496 8096, manifestorestaurant.ie
Manifesto is the best kind of place. Photograph: Brenda Fitzsimons
Manifesto is the best kind of place. Photograph: Brenda Fitzsimons

Manifesto is on a busy strip of Rathmines. Blink and you’d mistake it for another mediocre food place in the shadow of Rathmines town hall, with its beautiful stopped clock like a full moon in the inky night sky. It’s the best kind of place, a hardworking unpretentious Italian where everyone’s relaxed because everyone knows what they’re doing. No promises are broken in the making of the meals. Read our review here. Catherine Cleary

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Shaku Maku

192 Rathmines Rd Lower, Rathmines, D06 Y3E8; (01) 445 4813, shakumaku.ie/

Shaku Maku, which apparently means “what’s the story” in Arabic, serves Middle Eastern fare in a relaxed, diner-style setting. The atmosphere is chilled and the staff are friendly. The cauliflower fritters and shakshouka are a favourite lunch option, finished off, ideally, with some vanilla infused rice pudding. Dan Griffin

Best places to buy food

The Hopsack, in the Swan Centre, is one of Ireland’s oldest health stores, set up in 1979, and is now one of the best places to shop for organic food and interesting Irish produce. Excellent for anyone into fermented foods, or shopping “free-from”. It’s one of our favourite independent food shops in Ireland.

The Oriental Emporium is a real one-stop shop for Asian cooking. They have a bigger selection of spices than the supermarkets, and you’ll find lots of the spices whole, so you can grind them yourself. Nearby Moldova is great for vegetables; they are always fresh because it’s such a busy spot. They stock jars and jars of pickles, stuff you wouldn’t see in the supermarket.

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