Category Archives: Dublin Restaurants

Odeon – Tasty Treats and Fab Cocktails

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Main Bar to Cocktail BarThe Odeon Bar at the top of Harcourt St re-opened its doors last November following a fancy new re-fit and overhaul. WeLoveTown and a few other bloggers/meeja people were invited along on Wednesday night last to sample their new menu and try out a few cocktails. The new management have done wonders with the re-fit, where once it was a bit empty and warehouse –y it is now much more luxurious and comfortable. Large silken curtains are draped at intervals which give each section a compact feel, the seats are plush and the whole vibe is very boudoir.

Cocktail

We started with cocktails, we had a ‘Porn Star Martini’  and a ‘Flirtini’ . The  Porn Star Maritini won out with the vanilla infused vodka, passionfruit puree, Cointreau and lime juice. It was really refreshing and had that all important kick! We were advised to try the ‘Hot and Cold Cosmo’ which is on their food menu (the have special cocktails tailored for the food menu but more on them later!) it is described as ‘Citrus infused Smirnoff, Cointreau, Stoli Vanilla, Fresh Lime & Cranberry Juice, Simple Syrup & Egg White’. I am not sure where the hot and cold plays a part but it was certainly a delicious comso, with a real depth of flavour and a delight on the tastebuds.

Prawns Odeon

The food menu consists of tapas sharing plates, perfect for a casual catch up with friends. A selection was brought out to us to sample, and the winning plate was the very more-ish Chorizo and Smoked  Chicken , served in a cream sauce, delicious. We also loved the Brochetas Al Pollo (chicken skewers) ,  the Albondigas (meatballs made of beef and pork served in a delicious tomato sauce), Pan Pollo Enrollado (chicken breast rolled and stuffed with plums in a tarragon white wine sauce), and finally the Gambas Al Pil Pil (pan friend prawns in a pil pil sauce). Absolutely delicious food.   At this stage we were getting full and a little merry but we were treated to a range of dessert cocktails.

We had a choice of Expresso Martini which had a beautiful vanilla vodka which was really smooth, a Black Forrest Gateau cocktail, which was quite rich and very strong and finally the winner which was a Banoffi cocktail. It has butterscotch, baileys, banana and a fresh cream layer dusted with a pastry crumb. It was superb.

The Odeon have a great deal on at the moment, with 3 tapas and a bottle of wine for €35, this is available Monday to Thursday from 4pm to 8pm which is perfect for that post work catch up!

Thanks to Clodagh from BlinkPR and Lianne from the Odeon for looking after us so well on the night!

A day trip to the Old City

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About two Saturdays a group of us bloggers and meeeja people were brought on a tour of the ‘Old City’ in Temple Bar. Temple Bar Cultural Trust and Conway Communications organised the day which was action packed and highly enjoyable. We visited several shops and market trader stands and I have listed a few of them below.

The Old City is located in the west end of Temple Bar between Parliament Street and Dublin’s Civic Offices and is definitely a part of Dublin I have not been too many times so it was great to have an opportunity to re-visit and explore it.

Tamp and Stitch is an extremely cool clothing store and as the name suggests you can also enjoy a cup of Hasbean coffee while perusing the well sourced stock. The owners also display artwork which is for sale, and the whole concept works really well.

We also dropped into Gutter Bookshop which is an award winning independent bookshop which celebrated its second or third birthday (can’t remember which, sorry Bob) the day we were there.

Lunch was in the delightful Queen of Tarts on Cows Lane with the most amazing lemon meringue tarts, followed by visit to a few of the traders on Cows Lane and a tour of Smock Alley Theatre.

This is a fantastic creative part of Dublin with some really interesting quirky independent stores. I would highly recommend a visit, and if you are thinking of buying Irish this year for Christmas head to Cows Lane/Old City!!

NEW: Eateries and Drinking Establishments

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It might seem like a funny time to open new restaurants or bars but people are taking the plunge and launching new ventures nearly every week at the moment, maybe they are getting good deals on rents? Maybe also our expectations on a night out have changed, we don’t need a silver service experience any more to enjoy a meal….

Here’s a rundown on some of the more exciting new ventures:

777 on Sth Great Georges St

This Mexican place opened just a fortnight ago and are creating a buzz on facebook and twitter. It’s being run by the same people behind The Butchers Grill and Dillengers (both in Ranelagh) and have a very long tequila menu. They do ‘tweet treats’ on a Sunday.

www.777.ie

 

Bear on Sth William St

Jamie Heaslip has joined forces with Joe Macken (CrackBird, Jo’Burger, Skinflint etc..) and opened ‘Bear’ for meat lovers. Located where the second incarnation of CrackBird was based and opened for lunch and dinner.

http://bear.joburger.ie/

 

The Bath on Bath Ave, Dublin 4

Previously Murray’s this was one of the more local drinking establishments in Ringsend/Ballsbridge area, however it has now been prettied up and re-painted and will hopefully be a worthy contender to Slattery’s just up the road. This is a welcome addition to the neighbourhood with Juniors and The Chop House on the same street.  It is a new venture from Brian O’Malley (previously co-manager of Krystle) brother of Leinster player Eoin O’Malley so expect a lot of rugby heads.

 

The Black Sheep, Capel St, Dublin 1

From the same people behind ‘Against the Grain’ on Wexford St, it is another craft beer love-in. There is food available also. It was featured in a recent Irish Times article on pubs that are getting it right in the current environment.

Brancott Estate ‘A Curious Feast of The Senses’

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Following on from a great wine-tasting evening in Dublin, Brancott Estate are now following this up with an event called ‘A Curious Feast for the Senses’. I had seen some interesting advertisements in the Sunday papers and wondered what it was all about. Got this blurb today on the event, which sounds amazing:

This March, pioneering New Zealand wine brand, Brancott Estate will take wine and food enthusiasts on a voyage of discovery where all their senses will be stimulated as part of a four night food and wine event. From the dressing of the room, to the food on the plate to the matching visual and aural effects, the entire evening will challenge guests’ perceptions of food and ensure that their curiosity is piqued from the very beginning. The event called ‘A Curious Feast for the Senses’ runs from 5th– 8th March 2012 in the theatrical surroundings of the Sugar Club, Dublin 2. 

 

 Food duo Cully & Sully will guide guests on the culinary adventure over four nights as top Irish restaurants Pichet, Campagne, Tankardstown House and Locks Brasserie create a range of gastronomic delights that will tickle the palate and delight the senses in front of a live audience. Each night a different chef from one of the restaurants will take to the stage to create a three course sampling menu of discovery, which will explore food combinations that shouldn’t work together, but do! Food on the night will be matched to wines from the Brancott Estate range and guests will sample four wines; three from the classic range; Brancott Estate Sauvignon Blanc, Brancott Estate Pinot Grigio and Brancott Estate Pinot Noir and one of the newest varietals to the range, the sparkling Brancott Estate Sauvignon Blanc Brut NV. Cully & Sully will challenge guests’ curiosity throughout the night with food trivia quizzes, blindfold tasting games and more.

 

 A night of intrigue and wonder awaits 100 curious diners each night who will have the opportunity to attend the pioneering food and wine event. Guests can register for a chance to win tickets by logging onto www.brancottestatestaycurious.com, scanning the promotional QR Codes on promotional Brancott Estate bottles and by logging onto Brancott Estate Ireland Facebook page www.facebook.com/brancottestateireland.

 

Winning guests will be notified of attendance by 28th February and two tickets will be allocated per-person.

 

‘The Brancott Estate, Curious Feast for the Senses’ takes place in the Sugar Club from 5th -8th March 2012.

 

 


 

San Lorenzo’s – Sth Great Georges St

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In an area which is fast become a foodies haven, Temple Garner (former co-owner and head chef of Town Bar and Grill) has opened San Lorenzo’s, a modern italian influenced restaraunt on Sth Great Georges St. Gerry Crossan (former manager of Town Bar and Grill) is the manager.

The place is sparsely furnished but it means the food takes centre stage. We had an assortment of dishes between our group last night but the starters that won the most praise were the Burrata Buffalo Mozzeralla dish and the Gambas in Chili and Garlic.

For the mains the winning dish was the rib eye steak, perfectly cooked, melt in your mouth meat.  The menu itself has about 6 choices per starter and main, with a few dishes you would associate with previous Temple Garner menus(think Mermaid Cafe, Town and Dillingers) but with a twist. There are also some very original dishes such as the veal with artichoke served with parmesan coated potato gratin.

For desert the New York Cheesecake was a healthy sized portion and very more-ish but for a lighter option they had a limencello sorbet which was perfect to cleanse the palate. 

We rounded the meal off with some excellent Espresso Martinis and a Frangelico Irish Coffee. Service during the night was faultless and friendly.

One great feature is the unisex toilets on a mezzanine level with a window looking over the kitchen, you could stay there watching the chefs in action and found myself standing there a little bit too long at times!

As with any new restaurant they are still finding their feet and the menu is still being refined. Expect fresh tasty food with an Italian/New York vibe served by a highly professional friendly team. A welcome addition to the neighbourhood.

5 on a Friday October 21st 2011

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This weeks 5 on a Friday features a lot of art and culture happenings around the city. Innovation Dublin is also running through to November, with a number of events happening every week, check their website for more detail. Dublin Contemporary is nearly getting to the end of their run, make sure you visit it before it closes on October 31st

Here is this weeks recommendations:

1. Darklight Festival 2011- Strictly Roots

This year’s Darklight Festival will take place Thursday 20 – Saturday 22 October in The Factory, 35A Barrow St. Grand Canal Dock. Visit darklight.ie for more info:

This year’s festival theme is Strictly Roots and we’ll be celebrating the spirit of grassroots filmmaking; how friends and communities come together, and against the crazy backdrop of global financial meltdown still manage to make moving, hilarious, challenging and kick-ass films.

Through our programme strands at this year’s festival; New Indie Voices, Spotlight on Docs, SFX Unplugged, 3-D.I.Y. and Artist in Focus, we’ll be featuring all aspects of grassroots filmmaking including; crowd funding, distribution, homemade digital and special FX. And it’s all taking place in our new HQ, The Factory, Grand Canal Dock.

2.The Little Museum of Dublin Launch

The Little Museum of Dublin is located at 15 St.Stephens Green, and although had a soft opening for Culture Night back in September, this weekend is its’ official launch.

Tickets are 5 euro from their website, children under 10 go for free. They recommend you join one of the guided tours, more information on this on their website here. More details below:

The Little Museum of Dublin tells the story of Ireland’s capital city in the 20th Century.

For the last few months people have been submitting objects for the museum, and the collection now boasts over 400 artefacts, reflecting the generosity of ordinary Dubliners, as well as many cultural institutions and local luminaries.

The social, cultural and political history of Dublin is chronicled in the Little Museum. Our hope is that the collection will appeal to locals as well as tourists. There are simple artefacts that encourage contemplation of the past, alongside items related to famous visitors such as President John F Kennedy, Marlene Dietrich and Muhammad Ali.

3. Visit – Dublins Art Studios Sat 22nd

Over 250 visual artists living and working in the city will open the doors of their professional practice studios for VISIT 2011. 18 studios are taking part including Block T, Black Church Print Studio, Monster Truck Studios and Temple Bar Gallery and Studios.

More information is available at the site here http://visitstudios.com/

4. State v’s Young Hearts Run Free

State Magazine are running their free music events again the Mercantile starting this Friday.This months event is also a fundraiser for the Simon Community.

Taking to the stage on the night are: Melodica Deathship, Rory Grubb and Hello Moon

5. Paris Bakery, Moore St

Having read a lot about this place, I found myself on Henry St last Saturday feeling a little bit cold and a little bit peckish so dropped into the Paris Bakery on Moore St. I had French Onion Soup served with freshly baked bread for 5 euro. The soup was delicious and the bread even more so. The pastries looked absolutely divine but I will save that as a treat for another visit.

Dine in Dublin Week: 24th to 30th Oct

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I found out this week that Dine in Dublin is back next week, this is a fantastic opportunity to sample the flavours on offer in Dublins’ top restaurants.  There is loads of information on their site dineindublin.ie and see below for more details:

From Monday, 24th to Sunday, 30th October, Dublin City BID in association with the Restaurant Association of Ireland present Dine in Dublin – Restaurant Week, a seven-day event which will help food fanatics sample some of the city’s finest cuisine at a fraction of the normal price. Now in its sixth incarnation, Dine in Dublin will see over 50 of Dublin’s top restaurants opening their doors to the masses with set menus starting from as little as €15 per-person for a full three-course meal. 

 New to this season’s Dine in Dublin offering is a wider selection of set price-points per person, with meals priced at €15, €20, €25 or €30 (including tea & coffee) in various participating restaurants, guaranteeing savings of at least 20% on á la carte prices. There will also be a handy online reservation system available so that eager foodies can book their seats in advance.

5 on a Friday 2nd September

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This weeks 5 on a Friday is an Electric Picnic Free zone! This is for anyone not going to Stradbally, as there is plenty on to see and do this weekend in Dublin:

1. Mountains to Sea dlr Book Festival

Another weekend and yet ANOTHER festival in Dun Laoghaire!  This time it is the Mountains to Sea Book Festival which kicked off last night.

There are a large number of events including a Picture Book Picnic on Sunday, talks from authors such as Emma Donoghue, and also The Great Book Swop.

There is a lot of information on these events on the website: http://www.mountainstosea.ie/

Note for  a few events you have to book in advance, and not all events are free.

 

2. The Great Pink Run – 5km Fun Run

The Great Pink Fun Run is on this Sunday 4th September at The Point Village adjacent to the O2. 

The race is 5km and will start at 2pm. All funds raised go to Breast Cancer Ireland.

This is not just a ladies event, men and children are invited to take part also and there will be fun and refreshments in the Point Village all day.

More information here

3. No Tent Required Funk and Soul Weekender

Taking place tonight and Saturday night in The Grand Social, Dublin 1 is the No Tent Required Funk and Soul Weekender.

 It is a charity event for the Musical Youth Foundation with Proudfoot & Wyvern Lingo on Friday night, and Mirenda Rosenberg on Saturday night.

Tickets are priced at 10 euro each night, or the two nights for 15 euro.

4. The Liffey Swim 

 The Liffey Swim first took place in 1920, and the tradition has carried on for 92 years now.  The event is managed by swimireland.com who advised the following :

Open Water swimmers around the country are preparing to take part in this year’s Dublin Liffey Swim, which takes place on Saturday 3rd September over a newly extended 2.4 kilometre course, from Watling Street Bridge, behind the Guinness Brewery to the Dublin Docklands (the pontoon at Quay).

Over 250 men and 100 women will swim in the historic race this year.

The men’s race will start at 2.45pm and the women’s race at 3.30pm. Spectators are encouraged to support the competitors from the banks of the river, with the Liffey Boardwalk providing a great viewing point.

 For further information visit www.swimleinster.com

5. Head to Coppinger Row for a buzzy dinner

I have been to the restaurant on many occasions but we went again recently on a Friday night and it was amazing. Not sure if it was a different vibe as it was later in the night, and we were with a group of friends but it was a perfect place for our night out,  good background music and amazing cocktails. 

The dishes are casual Mediterranean and the cocktails are really special. Try the house signature cocktail Flo and Basy which is a delicious gin based creation. Website is here