T his edition of our 100 restaurants list is bittersweet because it appears so soon after the death of our beloved colleague, Irish Times restaurant critic, Corinna Hardgrave (pictured).
Please read it, her last work, as a tribute to her joy in eating out, her sense of fairness, and her love for the restaurant industry. In preparing this list with us, Corinna was determined to show support for independent restaurants, and sought particularly to highlight good value in the form of main courses for under €25. Her curiosity is reflected in the newly opened restaurants on the list, along with the great places for vegetarian dishes, spots with impressive wine lists, local treasures and very fine pubs. With the festive season approaching, we also point you towards superb places to party, and offer recommendations for special occasions. As always, it is impossible to include everyone, so, in lasting memory of our dear colleague and friend, Corinna, please do support your favourites whether they feature here or not. Wishing you all a cosy season of dining out with family and friends. Joanne and Ali.
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Husband and wife team Charlie and Brendan O’Sullivan have finally realised the dream of owning their own spot. Being based in Kinsale and having worked at Rare and The Black Pig, they took the chance to renovate a two-storey building overlooking the harbour. With an impressive cocktail menu, a wine list focused on small organic producers and a rotating menu of seasonal small plates, it’s the perfect place for cosy catch-ups. Joanne Cronin
Friends and fellow cafe owners Jason Mac an tSionnaigh of Urbanity and Ryan Nolan of East Village Coffee have transformed a beautiful 200-year-old building on Lucan’s main street into a light-filled cafe with a smart terrace. Chef Paul Brogan serves a modern menu of breakfast, all-day brunch and bright, zingy lunches, including Turkish eggs, pork belly polenta and a rotation of sandwiches. There’s home-made rock shandy and lemonade, excellent coffee and a concise list of wine and spritzes, all ready for the dinner menu arriving this winter. Ali Dunworth
Owner Kelan O’Reilly’s background as a self-taught cook, former Wagamama manager and Korean-food obsessive comes together at Dak, a tidy room tucked behind Bar Anam on the corner of Capel Street and Bolton Street. Korean soul food is the focus, with fried chicken and handmade mandu at the heart of the menu. There’s an excellent-value €25 dosirak meal and all five fried chicken flavours pair well with the wide selection of craft beers from Bar Anam’s taps. Bar Anam also serves Dak’s bar snacks . AD
A dosa is, of course, the thing to order at Karthik Thiru’s first bricks-and-mortar restaurant, which specialises in the food of Tamil Nadu. My choice is always the award-winning gunpowder ghee masala dosa, a large fermented rice and lentil pancake brushed inside with ghee and gunpowder spice blend, and filled with masala potatoes. The spinach masala vada are not to miss, neither are the well-priced grills, curries and biryani. Read review here . Corinna Hardgrave
It’s not unusual to see two queues stretching down the footpath outside Ian and Elaine Ussher’s new cafe. The sit-down brunch cafe features dishes such as the Buffalo Bennie and fluffy lemon meringue pancakes. Even busier though is the coffee hatch from which coffees, juices and açai bowls fly out, fuelled no doubt by the cafe’s social media…