Tom Doorley rounds up the best places for a tasty break from shopping in central Dublin.
When I was growing up, the first real whiff of Christmas came with the annual family outing that combined lunch – usually in the Bianconi Grill at the old Hibernian in Dawson Street – with leisurely shopping. I’m not at all sure that leisurely shopping is possible in Dublin at any time of the year these days. Back then, the office Christmas lunch was still confined to senior stockbrokers and had yet to become a democratic right. Advance booking wasn’t necessary.
Christmas shopping has to be done, like it or not. Mail order, the Internet and out-of-town retail developments are all very well, but most of us find ourselves whizzing round town, gathering parcels and in need of a pit-stop. So, what to do?
Generally, at this time of year, I avoid places that take bookings. And I go either early or late. Wagamama (South King Street, Dublin 2) may not be everyone’s cup of green tea but I find the combination of hard seats, cramped conditions and really good noodle broth make a desirable combination when you need fuel but can’t afford to linger. Fresh fruit juices can provide a mild energy boost while a Kirin beer puts me to sleep for the afternoon.
It’s even more important to avoid peak-times at tiny Café Cagliostro (Quartiere Bloom, Dublin 1) but the daily specials (at €11.50) make it worth the effort. Rack of lamb, a glass of wine, first class espresso and change out of €20. There’s not much of that around these days.
Back on the south side, some of the best value is to be had at L’Gueuleton (Fade Street, Dublin 2), as mentioned here recently. This is generous, rib-sticking French bistro food with a hint of London gastropub and, as such, is possibly better suited to an after-shopping repast. It can be hard to summon up the energy to move afterwards and a second or third glass of wine may prove impossible to resist.
One of my favourite spots for a late-morning almond croissant and proper cappuccino – as served in Italy – is Panem (21 Lower Ormonde Quay, Dublin 1). But lunch in this minute café is also possible: perhaps a simple pasta dish or a stuffed foccacia. There is seating for about five strangers or eight close friends, no wine, and perhaps a surfeit of lawyers.
La Maison des Gourmets (15 Castle Market, Dublin 2) is another small gem. Its basic lunch menu, essentially a range of excellent open sandwiches, combined with decent wine, superb coffee and central location, explain why it has such a passionately devoted following. And why it’s very hard to get a table at 1 p.m. Gruel (68A Dame Street, Dublin 2) seems to be always crowded. Mind you, it’s small and it, too, has a very loyal clientele who come for the quality of the soup (the sort on which you could happily live) and the now legendary roast-in-a-roll. Roast chicken with lemon mayo has its devotees, too. Approach Gruel with a hearty appetite and you won’t be disappointed.
The Canal Bank Café (146 Upper Leeson Street, Dublin 2) may be further from the shopping vortex than you might like, but it’s a pleasant oasis with fairly priced food and wine and pleasant staff. I’m quite devoted to its squid. And it’s only a stroll or a short bus ride from the Green.
Avoca (11-13 Suffolk Street, Dublin 2) appeals largely to a particular constituency: well-heeled, middle-aged, largely female and curiously aspirational. The food is good in a chunky kind of way, the coffee could be better and the place is noisy. Perhaps it’s the new Bewley’s.
Dublin pubs are not much good for grub if you want anything beyond the toasted sanger or the industrial carvery. The Clarendon on the corner of Clarendon and Chatham Streets, and the Market Bar on Fade Street are two exceptions to this. And there’s always Davy Byrne’s – the food is acceptable, but I would ignore everything else in favour of a dozen oysters and a glass of stout. That will set you up for the afternoon’s shopping right enough.
Next week: eating and shopping around the country