For a while there we almost thought Sunday Roasts were going to be the new Brunch but nope, the weekend staple reigns supreme in Dublin. In the 11 months since we created our original 'Ultimate Guide to Brunch', a lot has changed - new openings, new menus, and new opportunities to indulge in the best meal of the week - so we thought it was about time we did a part two.
1. Circa, Terenure
Three words: Buttermilk. Fried. Bacon. If that hasn’t made you drop your phone and leg it to Circa in Terenure, we think you’re probably beyond help. Other dishes to get your heart racing (or palpitating erratically) include the black pudding burger, Snickers French toast, and fish tacos.
2. As One, City Quay
All day brunch is pretty much our ideal way to spend a day, and As One lets you indulge six days a week. With their spacious and funky dining room overlooking the Liffey and a menu designed to maximise gut health and nutrition, you basically have no reason to ever leave and so many delicious reasons to stay.
3. One Society, Gardiner Street
One Society makes deciding where to eat really easy thanks to the fact that they run breakfast, brunch, and lunch menus until 15:00 so you’ll never run out of options. The only decision-making you’ll have to do is deciding between the pan-fried kale on toast that you really need, and the Hangover Stack (pancakes, ricotta, fried eggs, tabasco, and maple syrup) that you really want.
4. Herb Street, Grand Canal Dock
Let us take you back in time to the early 2010s when Dublin looked a little different. Nobody could afford to sell a house let alone buy one, disposable cups were still permissible, and brunch wasn’t really that much of a thing. Then along came Herb Street, the grand madam of pancake stacks in the capital. We would suggest that the first indication of economic recovery was when the Saturday morning queue reached 45+ minutes on a sunny day with people waiting for a table on the terrace.
5. Grove Road, Rathmines
Located right along the canal, Grove Road has an understated and easy-going vibe, great music, and is a serious contender for the best avocado toast in town, thanks to the addition of feta and the crispiest bacon known to man. Serving brunch, great coffee, and fresh juices every weekend from 09:00 - 16:00.
6. Bread 41, Pearse Street
When you stand in the queue at Bread 41, it’s hard to believe that what used to be an office furniture shop is now one of Dublin’s busiest bakeries and cafés turning out brunch dishes like mushrooms on toast, kimchi pancakes and whopper pastries. The bakery opens at 08:00 on weekends with brunch served from 10:30. Get there early but expect to queue - maybe have a custard tart while you’re waiting. We call that pre-brunch, or prunch. It’s a thing.
7. San Lorenzo's, South Great George's Street
Sometimes you want brunch that involves a quiet corner and solitude to read the paper, and sometimes you want loud music and to fleetingly feel that you might actually be cool. We don’t judge. San Lorenzo’s weekday brunch is a bit more laid-back and refined, but at weekends you can expect lots of buzz and a quick turn-over in tables. The menu is big, and varied and, while you probably won’t have the Coco Pops-coated French toast every weekend, we’d highly recommend giving it a try.
8. Urbanity, Smithfield
Coffee roast-house and café Urbanity’s weekend brunch is a thing of beauty. Big plates packed with colourful food that looks like it should be bad for you but is actually verging on the side of healthy thanks to some imaginative ingredients. Regular dishes include butter bean hummus with aniseed popcorn on sourdough toast, and brown sugar sweet potato waffles with blueberry mascarpone, and salted chocolate caramel. Ooof.
9. The Washerwoman, Glasnevin
If, like us, you love the classics but are always up for trying something a little different, The Washerwoman has your back with dishes like nachos with wild boar, wild garlic pancakes with white asparagus and duck eggs, and a waffle sandwich with bacon, fried eggs, and hollandaise.
10. The Orange Goat, Ballsbridge
Big, buzzy, and dog-friendly, The Orange Goat on Serpentine Avenue has a funky interior and lovely outdoor seating. The menu covers pretty much everything from porridge to smoked salmon hash to crepes with Nutella. Coffee is from Cloud Picker and their smoothies and juices are really good.
11. Overends Kitchen, Airfield Estate
With lots of their meat, vegetables and fruits coming from the estate, Overends Kitchen has a small weekend brunch menu featuring French toast, chorizo eggs, omelettes, think-cut belly bacon, and a brawn salad for the more intrepid eater. One of our favourite things here is the kids’ menu - beans on toast, poached eggs, and a mini-fry, or the under-12s can half a smaller portion of anything from the full menu. There’s also homemade kombucha to keep your energy levels up - perfect after a ramble through the farm and gardens.
12. Wigwam, Abbey Street
If you’re looking for somewhere a little different, Wigwam’s Brazilian flair extends to their weekend brunch menu with dishes like Escondidinho (picture a Latin American style cottage pie with shredded brisket under cassava), and fried chicken with tapioca waffles. They do occasional themed brunches, and there’s a bottomless option which is welcomingly heavy on rum cocktails.
13. Daddy's, Rialto
A newbie but already making a mark, Daddy’s is the daytime café located at the front of new Rialto pubr The Circular. Weekend brunch has you covered for staples like pastries and a full Irish, but the Turkish eggs, egg in a cup, and the double-baked croissant pudding with bacon are all calling our name. Plus, anywhere where you can go straight from brunch to bar is a winner. Read our Daddy's once over here.
14. Blas, King's Inn Street
Blas is everything we love in a café - cosy, comfortable and boasts a weekend brunch menu that’s small but perfectly formed. Sure, you could grab an acai bowl but if your yoga pants have never actually been to yoga and you just wear them for the stretchy waistband, opt for the Cowboy Breakfast - featherblade steak, two fried eggs, onions, roasted tomato, and rocket all piled-up on sourdough, with some sage potatoes on the side, just in case you were thinking of doing something vaguely productive afterwards.
15. Pot-Bellied Pig, Rathmines
A small spot that’s big on personality, Pot-Bellied Pig’s brunch menu swings from classics like smashed avocado to the downright dirty waffles with maple glazed bacon and caramelised banana. If that isn’t enough to excite you, they hold regular drag brunches - expect cocktails, heels, and lots of colour.
If you missed our Ultimate Guide To Brunch Part 1 read it here.
