Not booked somewhere yet? Shame on you. Officially world's worst child. But it's okay. We've got you covered. All of the below have availability for Mothering Sunday at the time of print, so if you're sensible, you will make a booking immediately after reading this and ensure your favourite son/daughter title remains in place at least until her birthday.
The Posh Ones
The Shelbourne
Let's face it. There's something very luxe about a glass of Champagne in The Horseshoe Bar, and even moreso about descending the stairs of one of the city's poshest hotels into The Saddle Room for lunch or dinner afterwards. Their three-course Mother's Day lunch is €45 and includes dishes like Castletownbere Salmon Gravlax, Pickled Lusk Cucumber and Smoked Yoghurt, Roast Aged Sirloin of Charleville Beef with Yorkshire Pudding and Tarragon Jus, and the Shelbourne Pavlova with Crème Chantilly and Mixed Berries.
Lobstar
How better to say 'thanks for birthing me' than with the most luxurious of all seafood, lobster. Lobstar in Monkstown is the real deal - always Irish, always fresh, always utterly delicious.
Oliveto
Oliveto in Haddington House, Dun Laoghaire has been firmly cemented onto the Dublin dining map in the past few months, with three national critics praising the Irish produce, thoughtful cooking and knockout sea views. Bonus points for the fact that you can take a nice stroll down Dun Laoghaire pier afterwards.
Taste at Rustic
Somewhere between posh and cool, Taste at Rustic is the place to take your Mum if she loves Japanese food and you have a healthy bank balance. Of all of Dylan McGrath's restaurants, this is the one that seems to most wow diners, and it's frequently mentioned as some of the best high-end Japanese food in the city.
The Cool Ones
Bastible
It's really hard to beat Bastible for Sunday lunch. It's without fail one of the best value options in the city when you take into account the quality of the food and the whole experience. There's a no choice, chef's menu on Sundays so you can just sit back, relax and focus on which minimal intervention wines to pair with it.
The Old Spot
If your Mum's not one for formality but still enjoys great food, The Old Spot is where you need to be. It feels insulting to call it a gastropub - it's more like a great Irish restaurant in a cosy neighbourhood setting. Staff are wonderful and the food from chef Fiachra Kenny and team always seems to over-deliver.
Locks
Another contender for the best Sunday lunch in town, Locks has it all going on - brilliant food, an interesting wine list, a gorgeous dining room (try to nab a window table) and an idyllic setting. At the time of print they only had late lunch tables left, so if you a booking here you'd want to act fast. Read our Locks once over here.
Pickle
For some of the most interesting, non-standard Indian food in Dublin, head to Pickle on Camden Street. Since opening in 2016 the food has never faltered, and at the time of print there were only tables available from 3pm so if you want it, jump on it.
The Cheap Ones
Groundstate Coffee
Since Catherine Cleary called Groundstate "one of Dublin's best cafés" in The Irish Times a few weeks ago, you can expect weekends to be a bit busier than usual, but we can think of few places nicer to take your Mum for something casual and relaxed, without having to worry about a reservation.
M & L Chinese
A perennial favourite of ours for the green beans, deep-fried seabass and homemade dumplings, M & L is a very tasty, very budget friendly option - particularly because it's BYO with a corkage charge of €6. At that kind of price you could even treat her to Champagne. Read our M&L once over here.
The Ramen Bar
Reliable and hard to break the bank in, you could definitely get and out of The Ramen Bar for under €50 for two, and while there's still a chill in the air we plan on making the most of soups and stews before it's officially salad season (we'll let you know).
3 Leaves
The value in 3 Leaves for the quality of the food is almost unparalleled in Dublin, as are the flavours in chef Santosh Thomas' food. Again you can BYO for €8 a bottle, so between that and the ultra cheap food this is very much champagne lifestyle on a lemonade budget.
So no excuses for last minute panic, whatever your budget, whoever your Mum.
