Our favourite new arrivals of 2007
Byblos: Cheap Lebanese After buying the lease of a
mediocre Italian off Wicklow Street, owner and manager Abed Sarhan and
Hassan Assaf gave it a makeover – with the help of Hassan’s father
Mustafa, who did the beautiful, and rather flaithiúlach, marble and
stonework – and opened a Lebanese mezze house named after the oldest
city in the world. The food is fresh and inexpensive: we love the mezze
tasting platters (from €25). Service is cheerful and plenty of the
customers are Lebanese, which is a good sign. Perfect for mid-week
lunch, or to watch a woman do mad things with her belly at the weekend.
11 St Andrew’s Street, Dublin 2. 679 1517
Alexis: French Flair Joan Collins in Dynasty? No.
Alexis honours Alexis Benoit Soyer, the French chef who established the
first soup kitchen during the Famine. This modern incarnation is the
brainchild of Alan O’Reilly, formerly of Clarets and Morels, and his
brother Patrick. The room is large and unadorned, like a canteen – in
deference to Soyer’s original premises perhaps. As for the food –
impeccable ingredients, cooked with flair and well presented. Go on a
weekday rather than a Sunday – the daily menus feature delights like
roast wood pigeon tartlet and braised beef ribs with a sauce conceived
by the great man himself. Simple but substantial brasserie food is what
Dublin needs. Alexis delivers. 17-18 Patrick Street, Dun Laoghaire, County Dublin. 280 8872
Bóbó’s: Holy Cow! Ireland has finally embraced the
gourmet burger trend. Bóbó’s, brought to us courtesy of Jay Bourke, was
first out of the stocks. At the weekend, the cow-hide benches are
packed with 20-somethings looking for something more than a battered
sausage from Roma II and drunken countrymen gazing incredulously at the
chips’ €3.95 price tag. It’s more dignified on a weeknight – the staff
are friendly, the burgers sit happily on the fence between juicy and
charred. Compared to rival Jo Burger, the toppings here are classic and
safe: we like the “Danny” – Cashel blue, cream cheese, tomato, rocket
and “Special Sauce” (€7.95). Save room for an ice-cream float (€3.55).
Way better than your average chipper. 22 Wexford Street, Dublin 2. 400 5750. www.bobos.ie
Bon Appetit: Michelin Man Dubliners love to speculate about who’s going to get the next Michelin star. The smart money, it seems, is divided between two restaurants in which chef Oliver Dunne has played a part: Mint in Ranelagh, which he left in 2006, and his new place, Bon Appetit in Malahide. Our money is on the latter, where the cooking is assured, and the decor – silken walls, crisp linen, chandeliers – is plush. Note: this is not a French restaurant. Dunne’s style is modern, with a light touch and an emphasis on presentation. Try to keep your credit card above water, especially if you’re trying the tasting menus. Save some money on the trip home: if you book a table for no later than 8pm, it’s just about possible to catch the last DART. 9 James Terrace, Malahide, County Dublin. 845 0314. www.bonappetit.ie
Eatery 120: Quirky Debutante This mid-range brasserie has been firing on all cylinders since opening in summer 2007. It’s like a suburban Winding Stair: quirky design, simple, interesting food, professional service and a wine list that forgets Columbus discovered the New World. To start, try the sardines on tomato and fennel toast (€9) then the confit of Barbary duck with madeira jus (€21) and follow with strawberry shortcake (€7). The cheeseboard selection is uninspired and one has to wonder if they’ll remain as sharp when they’re not overstaffed for the sake of caution. It will prosper in Ranelagh, though, filling the gap between chaotic Tribeca and stuffy Mint, and should attract visitors from far afield. 120 Ranelagh Road, Dublin 6. 470 4120. www.eatery120.ie
Jo’Burger: Rathmines Rocks What’s to love? organic burgers, the DJ, a slick interior and lots of old-school board games. Doesn’t sound like Dublin, right? Here, the tunes are cooler than a double frosted cherry popsicle on the first day of your summer holidays and the menus are made from Beano annuals; check out the aaarghs, harumphs and eeks while you decide which of the burgers to go for. We love the moroko (bacon and brie) and the chiawelo (fresh mango salsa and rocket.) All sound odd, many are delicious. Perfect spot for a date, or just hanging with your mates. Plus: they’re open late on a Saturday night if the anxiety of the pub doesn’t appeal and you still want to get your groove on. 137 Rathmines Road, Rathmines, Dublin 6. 491 3731. www.joburger.ie
Leon: Handsome Cafe Penny Plunkett, who worked for
Patrick Guilbaud before founding La Maison des Gourmets, is a
consultant for Léon. Even she admits that the three outlets – Trinity
Street, Exchequer Street and Wicklow Street, all within 100 yards of
each other – are “very similar” to a French café chain, Paul. The food
here is well-above average, and the room itself has charm. We love the
smoked salmon and scrambled eggs served on a croissant – order it with
a cup of tea and enjoy a leisurely morning reading the newspaper by the
real fire (a rarity in Dublin nowadays). Or have hot chocolate and one
of their fab French cakes of a winter afternoon. 33 Exchequer Street, Dublin 2. 670 7238. www.cafeleon.ie
Locks: Canalbank Treat The best restaurant reborn in 2007. Troy Maguire has brought from L’Gueuleton a menu of simple, French bistro food, though ingredients here are “more extravagant.” Wild mushrooms, truffles, turbot and prawns – call it bistro-luxe. Downstairs is lighter but also more austere than it once was, with white linen, off-white walls, hip lamps, tea candles and a hardwood floor. To start, try the prawns with pigeon biscuit, cep, celeriac and roquette (€16.90). Portions are comically huge: the hors d’oeuvres plate could serve as a grand lunch, while a black pudding and apple tart tatin (€13) was surely conceived for Homer Simpson. The portions will hardly remain this big. Let’s hope Maguire stays. 1 Windsor Terrace, Portobello, Dublin 8. 454 3391. www.locksrestaurant.ie
South: Industrial Chic Suburbia now covers half the size of the greater Los Angeles area, yet we still talk about popping into town for dinner. How quaint. But lo, the new Dublin strides forth! Witness the arrival of Ronan Ryan’s South Bar and Restaurant. Having lunch in an industrial estate has never been so chi-chi. Try the beer batter lemon sole or an 8oz beef burger, which comes at a price (€14.95) pleasing to the pocket of local residents with obligatory crippling mortgage. Chef Temple Garner’s old favourites litter the dinner menu: we love the cannelloni al forno (€23.95), and a rib eye with smoked bacon, pearl onion jus and mash (€26.95). Great cocktail scene, cool dining room and good service. A winner. Blackthorn Road, Sandyford, Dublin 18. 293 4050. www.south barandrestaurant.com
The Saddle Room: New Side Door Bernard McNamara, John Sweeney, Jerry O’Reilly, David Courtney and Bernard Doyle spent over €100 million restoring Dublin’s most celebrated address. They have boldly re-imagined the Shelbourne for the 21st Century, and, in Liam Doyle, they have installed a genuinely charming GM. The menu in the elegant new Saddle Room is full of staples – little room for invention on the part of chef John Mooney. A lobster seviche is the standout starter (€16), unless you want a plate of oysters. Entrées are excellent. Have anything from the grill, and if, like me, you enjoy a bit of Béarnaise, don’t be afraid to ask for it. Twelve ounces of prime sirloin for €32 sounds reasonable in smart surroundings, though you will need to order sides. Have the potato gratin, the caramelised cauliflower and the onion rings. Watch your waist tomorrow. The Shelbourne, 27 St Stephen’s Green, Dublin 2. 663 4500
I haven't tried it yet but Bobo's looks pretty good. The menu is on the website and even the breakfast sounds good. The only fast food place to include toast on their breakfast menu. Brilliant.
Posted by: Anonymous | January 29, 2008 at 17:22
Bobo's is crap. Chips are soggy and the place is filthy dirty. And they are not the only fast food place to include toast on their brekkie menu. Eddie Rockets does it too. :P
Posted by: Goldenlady | January 31, 2008 at 13:14
I was a fan of Bobo's until my last visit. A number of favourites have been removed from the menu. AND I received not one, but TWO hairs in my chorizo and rocket burger!
To be fair they insisted on giving my money back. Still, I don't reckon I'll ever darken its door again.
Posted by: Orla | February 11, 2008 at 15:27