We were starting to think it would never open, after delays spanning months, but the good news is that Gertrude, the all day diner from 3fe's Colin Harmon, has finally opened on Pearse Street, with Holly Dalton in charge of the food. Holly comes from 3fe's Grand Canal Dock location, and took some time out to travel around Japan a few months ago, which is presumably where she got her inspiration for Gertrude's pork tonkatsu sandwich.
Holly describes Gertrude as "like a diner, but good", and the all day menu stays the same from breakfast to dinner, so steak for breakfast and a fry up after work are now distinct possibilities. They're open seven days a week, and the only night they're currently open is Saturday, but eventually the plan is to open seven nights a week - they just need more chefs first.
The menu is a mixture of semi-typical diner fare, Asian influenced dishes and the best Irish produce, with dishes like friend chicken and buttermilk pancakes, duck buns and game pie, as well as scrambled eggs with crab and hot sauce, snacks, sides and sweets.
The wine list has been put together by Pete Conway O'Neil, formerly of Greenman Wines, and as is fast becoming the trend across the city, has a natural wine steer with loads of great options, as well as sherries, vermouth and white port. All of the bread and pastries are from Bread 41 down the road, and coffee is of course from 3fe.
We can personally recommend the snacks of Cooleeny croquettes with beetroot ketchup and the bacon and cabbage dumplings, which are like a slap of umami right across the face. The pork tonkatsu sandwich with homemade kewpie mayo (a Japanese variety made with rice vinegar) and shredded cabbage on Bread 41 batch loaf is also something special, using Irish free-range pork from The Whole Hoggs in The Boyne Valley, and they're all very generous portions for the price
Holly says she wants Gertrude to be accessible, all-day dining, where people can just as easily drop in for a small plate or food or a three course meal, and it's certainly somewhere we can see ourselves lingering for an afternoon.
Gertrude
130 Pearse Street, Grand Canal Dock, Dublin 2
Mon - Fri 08:00 - 16:00. Sat 10:00 - 22:00. Sun 11:00 - 18:00.
