Category: Dublin Dining

Dublin Dining chronicles my food & drink experiences during six months living in Dublin, Ireland.

I knew that my last weekend in Dublin had to include a special meal, and after a little research, Forest Avenue fit all the criteria: seasonal and locally sourced Irish cuisine, tasting menu format, reasonable price. But this restaurant was even more of a gem than I ever expected. I stayed impressed through the entire dinner, including an especially dreamy pasta course with buttery, truffle-scented agnolotti and Jeusalem artichoke.

Several snacks and soup served as bonus courses to begin the meal. Each bite packed flavor, whether it was salty olive on a cracker, smoky bacon in a tart, or earthy mushrooms punctuating a delightfully foamy parsnip soup. Next came the salad course, where roasted beets were transformed by blood orange, creamy curd, and dukkah, an Egyptian spice blend. The early courses paired especially well with our bottle of Austrian white wine, a unique straw-colored blend of Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc, and Gruner Veltliner from 2014.

I chose duck as my main, which brought me full circle from the excellent duck I’d had at The Pig’s Ear during my very first weekend in Dublin. The nicely charred onion, wilted greens, and rich jus kept the focus firmly on the meat itself. In fact, that kind of focus and purity of flavor was really a theme in all of the dishes.

Dessert also included a couple of bonus courses, but the main event was a pleasantly tropical combination of coconut panna cotta and passion fruit sorbet with pineapple and spiced bread crumble on top. Even with its several playful components, the dessert still felt focused and clean. And Forest Avenue’s whole aesthetic adhered to those same values, from the earth-toned art and antler wall hangings down to the beautiful ceramic servingware. All that combined with attentive service and a soulful soundtrack made this the restaurant I’d now most highly recommend in Dublin.

While I’m sad that my time in Dublin had to come to an end, I’ve already started catching up on all the food and drink Chicago introduced while I was gone. Stay tuned!

The details: Forest Avenue, 8 Sussex Terrace, Dublin 4, Ireland.

[googlemaps width=300 height=300]

Dublin Dining chronicles my food & drink experiences during six months living in Dublin, Ireland.

As I write this, I’m spending my very last morning in Dublin, so it feels right to look back on what was probably my most fun dining experience. I booked a table at The Vintage Kitchen a few weeks in advance (it’s a small restaurant with only two evening seatings), and made it a girls’ night. And thanks to the BYOB policy, I was able to bring along the last bottle of wine that I had brought back from Tuscany. The silky-smooth red paired well with all three of my courses.

The star of the meal for me was the starter of duck liver creme, an unctuous spread topped with a thin layer of lime jelly and lots of crushed pistachio. Spread onto crustless toast points together with an apple-raisin jam, it basically made the perfect sweet-and-savory bite. And thankfully, there was enough of the creme and jam to form a whole lot of those bites, especially after a few more slices of toast magically appeared without asking.

I went for the pan-fried hake as my main. I’ve ordered hake a few times before in Dublin, but never have I seen it presented with such height and pizazz. The bed of mussels bathed in white bean-tomato sauce and the seashell full of lump caviar were excellent accompaniments. And again, the portion was incredibly generous for a modestly priced prix-fixe menu.

The half-baked chocolate cake for dessert lived up to its name. The inside oozed with liquid, melting into what felt almost like cake batter ice cream. It was a rich ending to a genuinely fun meal. The vinyl records and pop-art decor keep the tiny restaurant’s setting feeling at once cozy and fashionable, so it was an ideal venue for laughing and reflecting on the past several months.

The details: The Vintage Kitchen, 7 Poolbeg St., Dublin 2, Ireland.

[googlemaps width=300 height=300]

Dublin Dining chronicles my food & drink experiences during six months living in Dublin, Ireland.

The Avoca brand is beloved for both its fashionable shopping and its excellent gourmet food. I’ve visited three locations across Ireland, and each visit tends to include a little of both. The café on Suffolk Street in the Dublin city center has an especially lovely view, located several floors above street level. There are bright patterns and colors everywhere, and I was delighted to see that extend to the food itself. Every component of this vegetarian entree was vibrant, all the way to the garlicky beet sauce and similarly hued pomegranate seeds that bejeweled the nutty salad. The cakes had just the right texture, nicely paired with bites of avocado and carrot. It was the kind of satisfying, nutrient-rich lunch that puts you in a good mood for the rest of the day.

The details: Avoca, 11–13 Suffolk St., Dublin 2, Ireland.

[googlemaps width=300 height=300]

Dublin Dining chronicles my food & drink experiences during six months living in Dublin, Ireland.

Delahunt has only been open about a year, occupying an historic building on Camden Street. The interior was a pleasant mix of old and new: white marble-topped tables, modern lighting, and a classically ornate wooden bar. The menu was seasonal and focused, so my dining companion and I decided to try all three courses. I went with pheasant as my main, as I rarely see it offered. The meat was beautifully cooked, and paired nicely with mildly sweet parsnip and tart pickled cranberry. I also could easily have eaten another round or two of the house-made white pudding.

Dessert was the kind of chocolate-and-caramel concoction that I find irresistible (and admittedly have a hard time sharing). The salty ice cream and sauce mingled with the warm center of the chocolate fondant in the best of ways, interspersed with bites of the generous praline garnish. In a city of excellent cakes, this one was very much a standout.

My starter kept with the same theme as my main: game meat, but this time encased in a flaky crust and boosted by umami-rich chanterelle mushrooms and a chestnut sauce. It also went especially well with our wine selection of Monte Tondo soave, a clean and gently fruity Italian white. The whole meal felt cozy and wintry, making Delahunt a most pleasant January destination.

The details: Delahunt, 39 Camden Street Lower, Dublin 2, Ireland.

[googlemaps width=300 height=300]