With the festive season in full swing, it can be difficult to get a restaurant reservation if you haven’t booked well in advance. Here are four new spots that have opened in Dublin in the past few weeks, and because they’re still a bit under the radar, you might be able to score that elusive table for two at one of them.
On the east side of St Stephen’s Green, at the Leeson Street junction, the East Side Tavern’s name hints at the building’s past – it was formerly O’Dwyer’s pub. Chef Niall O’Sullivan, formerly of Isabel’s on Baggott Street, is at the helm in the kitchen, and promises you a three-course express lunch in 45 minutes (€16). There are also early bird, a la carte and diner menu options. The Mercantile Group is providing the “management contract and consultancy services” to East Side Tavern, and also provides this to The Green Hen, Pichet, Marcel’s and Opium.
St Andrew's Street's latest arrival is Stanley's, a ground floor wine bar and first floor restaurant run by brothers Stephen and Paddy McArdle, who also have the Arch Bistro in Churchtown. Stephen is in charge of the kitchen and Paddy looks after front of house. The dry-aged rib eye with Stanley's house butter, a Cafe de Paris-style butter that melts into the amazingly flavoursome beef, is not to be missed. It comes with fries, for €27. See stanleysrestaurant.ie.
Honest Pizza is a new addition at Honest to Goodness, the soup and sandwich cafe in Dame Court in Temple Bar. Thin crust pizzas from a wood burning stove are now on offer on the first floor, and owners Darragh Birkett and Martin Ansboro say they are sourcing the best quality pizza toppings for their pies. Portobello mushroom and truffle (€13), looks like being a winner. It's first come, first served, and the doors open at 5pm (Tuesday to Saturday).
On Camden Street, the former Jack Carvill's Off Licence at number 39 has become Delahunt, "a contemporary Irish restaurant and bar". The Victorian building has been sensitively restored and many original features retained. "Our menus are influenced by traditional and often overlooked cookery techniques, in keeping with the building's Victorian origins", is the promise. This translates as dishes such as beef cheek braised in stout with smoked bone marrow, and lemon posset, mulled blackberries and Leinster sugar cake, coming out of a kitchen headed by Dermot Staunton. There's a 12-person snug that can be booked in advance for private parties. See delahunt.ie.
