Of all of the Irish food traditions, Pancake Tuesday is probably our favourite. We don't need an excuse to eat pancakes/crepes/hot cakes, but we do enjoy the opportunity once a year to gorge on them (breakfast, lunch and dinner totally acceptable, as long as dinner is savoury - feel free to follow with sweet). If you're not au fait with your kitchen and/or get put off by the first dodgy pancake out of the pan, here's where to go for all the pancake joy with none of the floury, milky, eggy mess, and some of the specials this year are seriously knocking it out of the park.
Póg, Tara Street and Bachelor's Walk
Póg are the pancakes Queens of Dublin. Their signature protein pancakes come with the option of 30 different toppings (naughty, nice and premium), including chocolate drops, oreos, homemade chia jam and coconut cream, as well as fruit, seeds, yoghurt and pretty much anything else you can imagine throwing on there. Their special protein pancakes menu is available at their Tara Street and Batchelor's Walk locations, and on Pancake Tuesday they've taken the brave move of serving NOTHING but pancakes. See you there.
Alma, Portobello
Another place worthy of a pancake pilgrimage is family run, Argentinean café Alma in Portobello. Their dulce de leche pancakes with Argentinean caramel sauce, brandy and orange mascarpone, seasonal fruits, orange zest, mint and candied almonds has been a mainstay of the menu since day one and we're pretty sure there would be protests if it ever came off.
Tang, Abbey Street
Another one of our favourites, Tang on Abbey Street is a riot of colour and flavour. Their buckwheat pancakes are served with Greek yogurt, seasonal fruit (and they're going big on blood orange right now), pecan nuts and their honey and almond butter that frankly we have obsession issues with, and for Pancake Tuesday this year the special comes with vanilla cream cheese, rhubarb, blood orange, candied nuts and honey.
Cloud Picker, Pearse Street
Cloud Picker are making it very difficult to pass their door today with this pan "cake" with homemade cashew nut butter, jelly and caramelised banana on top, served by the slice. For the purists they're also doing American-style pancakes with rhubarb compote and vanilla crème fraîche.
Metro Café, South William Street
The ever busy Metro Café on South William Street serve their buttermilk pancakes with honeyed butter and golden syrup for the bargain price of €5.95. You can add berry compote or nutella for another €1.50, and they're on the all day menu so available until 17:00.
Lemon Crepe and Coffee Co.
Open for an amazing 21 years, Lemon on South William Street is Dublin's original pancake house and still going strong. Expect queues all day on Pancake Tuesday, for one of their 56 different types of crepes, including sweet ones like the Chocolate Supreme with chocolate, strawberries and banana, and savoury ones like the Mexicano with cheddar cheese, guacamole, salsa and tomato. Worth it for the nostalgia apart from anything else.
Eathos
Baggot Street healthy eating café Eathos specialises in very brightly coloured food, and their pancakes are no exception. On Pancake Tuesday they'll be serving their regular buckwheat pancakes with strawberry and coconut whip, along with one day specials of Nutella and white chocolate dipped honeycomb, and maple cured bacon with syrup.
The Cali Kitchen, Dun Laoghaire
The Cali Kitchen in Dun Laoghaire doesn't have pancakes as a permanent fixture on the menu, but for Pancake Tuesday they're going all out with four to choose from - classic lemon and sugar, pecan caramelised banana and maple syrup, crispy bacon and house berry compoté, and berry and house chocolate sauce. Now you just need to make the very difficult decision which one to order.
Stella Diner, Ranelagh and Union Café, Mount Merrion and Churchtown
The Stella Diner and both Union Cafés are giving out pancakes FREE tomorrow, with no purchase necessary. They did the same last year and there were queues out the door at the Stella so prepare yourself for a potential wait. Both Union Cafés will have standalone pancake and topping stations, with one free pancake per person, and they're available from 08:30 - 17:00 in Union Café and 08:00 - 18:00 in the Stella Diner.
Fable & Stey, Blackrock
Fable and Stey in Blackrock are all about the crepes this year, with sweet and savoury options. These mega looking ones are with poached rhubarb, blood orange, pistachio praline and ginger custard (you might need a minute to take that in), and the savoury option has Gubbeen ham, Gubbeen cheese and wild garlic pesto. They'll also have a veggie savoury option and classic lemon and sugar, but how you could resist either of those first two options is beyond us.
Skinny Batch, Lusk
Skinny Batch in Lusk make their pancakes with oat milk and they're egg and milk free, so perfect for anyone who's vegan or with dairy/egg allergies. Owner Sharyn Hayden says she made them for a small child she knows who can't eat eggs, and she wanted them to be suitable for lots of people. Their 'skinny stack' comes with either bacon and maple syrup, fruit and whipped cream or nutella and banana.
The Cake Café, Pleasants Place
The Cake Café on Pleasants Place just off Camden Street is always a good bet for something sweet, and on Tuesday they'll be serving their carrot and walnut pancakes with citrus curd & banana, as well as some specials.
One Society, Gardiner Street
One Society on Gardiner Street are serving their "taco pancakes", which have nothing to do with tacos and are actually American style fluffy pancakes with crispy smoked bacon, whipped cream, caramelised peaches, thyme and maple syrup, folded to resemble a taco. The name might be a stretch but they look and sound very good.
As One, City Quay
As One on City Quay are experts at making nourishing food that feels in no way like penance, and their Pancake Tuesday offering is no different. They're serving organic buttermilk pancakes with poached warm pears, blueberries and Velvet Cloud sheep's yogurt, and we think this should never leave the menu.
Gertrude, Pearse Street
We've long been fans of Gertrude's fried chicken and pancakes with fermented chilli sauce, but this week they've added rhubarb and custard pancakes to the menu. If ever there was a reason for a revisit...
Brother Hubbard North
Ending on something really special, Brother Hubbard North are officially winning Pancake Tuesday with this rose-syrup soaked pancake filled with a sweet ricotta-feta filling and sweet nut dukkah. If that's too far removed from your childhood memories, they've also just brought back their lemon meringue pancakes, topped with lemon curd, meringue and pistachios. As it's Pancake Tuesday you could totally justify having both.
Did we miss your favourite place for pancakes? Let us know by emailing info@allthefood.ie.
