From fine dining, steakhouses and seafood favourites to focaccia sambos and roast dinner burritos, team IMAGE have been eating extremely well these past few weeks…
Lizzie Gore-Grimes, Editor-in-Chief
We spent the best day last Sunday, soaking up the sun at ‘Idrone Sur Mer’ – which despite its exotic Dirty Rotten Scoundrels/South of France sounding name is in fact in Blackrock. My pal has recently moved to Idrone Terrace and it’s an absolute beaut, with access to a gorgeous little swim spot and some of the best hipster watching in town. It’s also just a stone’s throw from The Blackrock Market where I was thrilled to discover The Sea Shanty – a fabulous micro-restaurant run by Spanish couple Elena (sommelier) and Sebastian (chef).
We were lucky to bag three of their eight stools at the counter and feasted on oysters – both raw (Rossmore Native) and hot (divine Japanese inspired tempura oysters served with matchstick-thin crispy courgette sticks). We shared calamari tacos to follow and washed it all down with a chilled glass of Supernova Moll, Mallorcan white wine. Depending on the day and ever-changing menu you can expect elevated seafood offerings such as Urchin, green mint curry, quail egg and katsobushi or Razor Clams, with garlic, parsley and sherry. I think I’m already regretting spreading the word!
Emily O’Neill, Marketing Account Executive
Located on Dame St, Forno 500 came highly recommended and it did not disappoint. We had a cosy table beside the kitchen where we could watch the chef cook all of the woodfired pizzas! To no surprise we all ordered pizzas and a glass of wine. I went for their 24 Month which included toppings like Rocket, Parma Ham and Parmesan Shavings. It was AMAZING! I would happily eat it every day of the week if I could!
Dominique McMullan, Editorial Director
I love Indian food. Both my grandparents on my mum’s side grew up in India, and Indian food was something that I grew up with as a result. My grandad used to take so much pride in spending two days making his famous curry. Daata (in Bray and Glasthule) is the closest curry to my grandad’s that I have ever had and I recently had the pleasure of enjoying a meal there for a good friend’s hen do. Fabulous women, great wine and a curry: you can’t get much better than that.
Lauren Heskin, Editor, IMAGE Magazine
At the beginning of the year, myself and some pals headed to Lignum to try its evening menu. I had heard lots of great things of course, and people who had been to its afternoon lunch had raved about it, but I wasn’t sure if the “tasting” menu was all going to be a bit too stuffy and contrived for me. And then passed the fastest, most joyous and delicious six hours of my life. (They encourage diners to allow about four hours but they pace the dishes based on your table, and we were having the time of our lives and clearly in no rush).
Owners Molly and Danny had the space set up so casually, encouraging guests to wander round, pop their head into the kitchen. You feel like one more door and you might be in their own living room, which is a possibility considering they live next door. Yet the indoor/outdoor feel of the converted barns give it an elevated touch that’s cosy in winter and idyllic in summer. I honestly can’t remember half of what we ate except that it was all divine (and I didn’t feel like I needed to be rolled out of there, another fear I have of multi-course menus) but I do distinctly remember the lemon sorbet, made using and set into the lemons Danny’s father hand-picks each week at his local Italian market and shipped to Ireland for our epicurean pleasure. Maybe one of the best meals I’ve ever had.
Sarah Gill, Staff Writer
Having freshly moved down to Cork, I’ve been spending most weekends attempting to assimilate into Corkonian culture, which has thus far involved much debate over who reigns supreme: Murphys or Beamish. Naturally, sampling the best food around has been paramount in my quest towards becoming a local, and last weekend, all bets were called off as I found something our ancestors could only ever have imagined: a roast dinner wrapped up in a massive yorkshire pudding. A Sunday exclusive, Masseytown has cornered the market on roast dinner burritos, and they’re every bit as tasty as they sound. It’s your choice between beef, chicken, lamb or ham, and it’s complete with a hearty helping of gravy, crumbly stuffing, roasties and veg. Bliss? Bliss.
Meghan Killalea, Branded Partnerships, Marketing Account Executive
I had the most amazing steak dinner in Hawksmoor last weekend, the cocktails were so tasty and the steak was out of this world. Although the steak was the star of the show I was also very impressed with the butterhead lettuce salad – who knew lettuce could be so tasty! The staff were also incredibly friendly and even though it’s on the pricier side I’d highly recommend it.
Shayna Sappington, Branded Content Editor
My husband and I recently found the best date night spot – Wallace’s Asti in Drumcondra. It’s a quaint little Sardinian restaurant, with indoor and outdoor seating, and it has a terrific view of Croke Park. We actually went during the Bruce Springsteen concert and the music echoed into the restaurant’s small courtyard.
The pull here though is hands down the authentic Italian pizza and pasta. They do a divine Bucatini cacio e pepe, but my favourite dish was the pumpkin cream and asiago cheese ravioli paired with a glass of Chianti. (I have been dreaming about this pasta ever since!).
They also have a decently sized pizza menu, where you can choose between a Neopolitan style or ‘Pinsa’ (a Roman-style rectangular pizza). We got the Diavola, made with for di latte mozzarella and spicy ‘ventricina’ salame – and we were fighting over the last slice. The tiramisu was also the best I’ve had in Dublin so far!
The service was fantastic, the atmosphere was casual and romantic and the whole experience had us reminiscing on our Italian honeymoon.
Megan Burns, Editor, IMAGE Interiors and Deputy Editor, IMAGE
I recently had lunch in Sadler’s in Fethard, Co Tipperary. It’s only recently opened, but we expected good things, being a sister restaurant to Mikey Ryan’s and The Cashel Palace, both known for their excellent food. We weren’t disappointed – although seats for the restaurant were booked up, we managed to nab some window seats, and I enjoyed an incredibly delicious breaded chicken sandwich. Made with focaccia, mozzarella and pesto, it was simple but packed full of flavour. I’ll definitely be back to try more of the menu.
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