Ireland (Lonely Planet, 9th Edition) - Fionn Davenport [97]
Town Bar & Grill (Map; 662 4724; 21 Kildare St; mains €18-28; noon-11pm Mon-Sat, to 10pm Sun) On any given night, you’re likely to share this low-ceilinged basement dining room with a selection of Ireland’s most affluent and influential people, conducting oh-so-important affairs barely above a murmur. But the place’s slight stuffiness is swept aside by the simply mouth-watering food, ranging from slow-rotated rabbit to sweet pepper-stuffed lamb. It’s how food should be made.
Mermaid Café (Map; 670 8236; 22 Dame St; mains €18-31; 12.30-2.30pm & 6-11pm Mon-Sat, 12.30-3pm & 6-9pm Sun) The Mermaid is an American-style bistro with natural wood furniture and abstract canvases on its panelled walls. It caters mainly to a hip gourmet crowd, who appreciate the inventive, ingredient-led organic food such as monkfish with buttered red chard or braised lamb shank with apricot couscous. Its informal atmosphere, pure food and friendly staff make it difficult to get a table without booking.
Bentley’s Oyster Bar & Grill (Map; 638 3939; www.bentleysdublin.com; 22 North St Stephen’s Green; mains €19-35; noon-2.30pm & 6-11pm Mon-Sat, noon-4pm & 6-10pm Sun) If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, then the famous original in London will be chuffed at what chef Richard Corrigan has done with the Dublin edition. Modern Irish is the theme of the superb menu, but don’t forget the oyster bar, where you can have a selection of shucked delights from Galway or Carlingford presented in a variety of ways.
Thornton’s (Map; 478 7000; www.thorntonsrestaurant.com; 128 St Stephen’s Green; midweek 2-/3-course lunch €25/38, dinner mains €45; 12.30-2pm & 7-10pm Tue-Sat) Kevin Thornton may have lost one of his two Michelin stars a few years ago, but he has proved somewhat defiantly that Michelin’s loss was his customers’ gain, and his mouth-watering interpretation of modern French cuisine is as superb as ever, with faultless service in a gorgeous room overlooking St Stephen’s Green. Want to watch a grown-up squirm? Ask for ketchup.
* * *
VEGGIE BUDGET BITES
Blazing Salads (Map; 671 9552; 42 Drury St; mains €4-9; 10am-6pm Mon-Sat, to 8pm Thu) Organic breads (many suitable for special diets), Californian-style salads, smoothies and pizza slices can all be taken away from this delicious vegetarian deli.
Fresh (Map; 671 9552; top fl, Powerscourt Townhouse Shopping Centre, 59 South William St; lunch €6-11; 9.30am-6pm Mon-Sat, 10am-5pm Sun) This long-standing vegetarian restaurant serves a variety of salads and filling, hot daily specials. Many dishes are dairy- and gluten-free without compromising on taste. The baked potato topped with organic cheese (€5.50) comes with two salads and is a hearty meal in itself.
Cornucopia (Map; 677 7583; 19 Wicklow St; mains from €6; 9am-7pm Mon-Wed & Fri & Sat, to 9pm Thu) For those escaping the Irish cholesterol habit, Cornucopia is a popular wholefood cafe turning out healthy goodies. There’s even a hot vegetarian breakfast as an alternative to muesli.
Govinda’s (www.govindas.ie; mains €7-11) Aungier St (Map; 475 0309; 4 Aungier St; noon-9pm Mon-Sat) Merrion Row (Map; 661 5095; 18 Merrion Row; noon-9pm Mon-Sat) Middle Abbey St (Map; 83 Middle Abbey St; noon-9pm Mon-Sat, to 7pm Sun) Authentic beans-and-pulses vegetarian place run by the Hare Krishna, now with branches on both sides of the river. The cheap, wholesome mix of salads and Indian-influenced hot daily specials are filling and tasty.
* * *
Restaurant Patrick Guilbaud (Map; 676 4192; www.restaurantpatrickguilbaud.ie; 21 Upper Merrion St; 2-/3-course set lunch €38/50, dinner mains €38-50; 12.30-2.30pm & 7.30-10.30pm Tue-Sat) With two Michelin stars on its resumé, this elegant restaurant is one of the best in Ireland, and head chef Guillaume Lebrun does his best to ensure that it stays that way. Next door to the Merrion Hotel, Guilbaud has French haute cuisine that is beautifully