All posts tagged: dining in dublin

Restaurant review: The Vintage Kitchen, Poolbeg Street, Dublin 2

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This is a restaurant review from my previous website from March 2013. It was a special evening as I met my dear friend Paolo Tullio (R.I.P). You will find his review of the restaurant here. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam. THIS was a blustery, rainy night that you wouldn’t be leaving a toasty house for, if at all possible. But the promise of an evening in the company of Paolo Tullio, and a quick scan of ‘The Vintage Kitchen’s’ menu was more than enough to get the brolly out. The Vintage Kitchen is only taking baby steps in getting its name out there in Dublin. However, if they keep the kind of standard we enjoyed, there will be some trouble in getting a table. Situated on Poolbeg Street, conveniently beside Mulligan’s pub (perfect for a digestif), it’s got a few achingly cool little touches. They play only vinyl records, and you can bring your own which they (might) play. If you’re cool enough. It was joyous to hear The Ronettes in a restaurant. …

Restaurant Crush: Isabel’s

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When restaurants are called by a girl’s name, I like to imagine it must be in honour of the heroine of a magnificent love affair, or an ode to a romantic encounter or some other grand and heart breaking tale where  you can almost hear Maria Callas sing ‘O Mio Babbino Caro.’ Isabel’s is so called, indeed from love, but not from any heartache. It is named after the owner, Ian Keegan’s daughter, which is immediately heart warming. It’s on the corner of Lower Baggot Street and after taking the few steps down to the basement entrance, you find a softly lit, warm and sensuous  restaurant and wine bar that’s tiny and perfect. I often have misgivings about wine bars with food, as  the menu can sometimes present a world of shocking misunderstanding. Cajun wings and a delicate Pinot? Yum. Thankfully, Isabel’s are tiny and perfect with their menu too. Ian and head chef Niall O’Sullivan have created a delicate, exciting, and delicious menu whether you want to nibble on lighter bites, a cheese board, …

Restaurant: Coppinger Row

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We are not equipped for sunshine dining in Dublin. It rains, we are quite aware, thanks. Neither are we all that equipped for in-between time dining. We’re all clamouring for a table at 1pm or 8.30pm. Does the food taste better at these times? Try getting a proper menu after lunch and before dinner and options are limited. Coppinger Row gets a big fat kiss for doing both of these. In fact, if I wanted a table at 3pm in the sunshine with a pretty decent menu, I’d go here. By coincidence, I had recently been here for both those reasons. A sunny Friday evening called for an outdoor table, and then a late lunch meeting meant all rows led to Coppinger. In the evening, you will inevitably wait to get a table. They are always humming. I’ve never been in company that’s booked ahead, so always end up waiting for a table. It’s actually probably an excuse to try one of their outrageous ‘Flo & Basy’ cocktails with Agave and Elderflower. These should be …