Between new openings, new offers to lure us into old favourites, and all the upcoming festivities on the calendar, we've got a helluva prize line up for ATF Insiders this month. ATF Insiders is our premium service offering added benefits for readers, that allows us to operate ad-free and independently, with everything featured and recommended here paid for by us. Having your name put in the hat for nine brilliant prizes every month is just one of the benefits.
Everyone signed up to ATF Insiders by midnight on Sunday 17th November will be entered into the draw, and winners will be picked and notified on Monday 18th November. Here's what you could win this month if you're in the club...
1) €250 to spend on food and drinks at Caribou
Just think of all of the steak-frites, weekend roasts, craft beers and cocktails you'll be able to consume if you're the lucky winner of this month's top prize from our current favourite bar Caribou - which was this week's once over. Stop in for lunch seven days a week (served till 16:00 on weekdays and 17:00 Friday - Sunday) or head in in the evening for clarified rhubarb sours, palomas, and a craft beer list that will have your head spinning. €250 is going to go a long way in this room...
2) Dinner for two with cocktails at Kaldero
Kaldero is the city's newest high end Asian restaurant with Bahay's Richie Castillo at the helm, along with consultant chefs Daren Liew (ex-Duddell's and Hakkasan in London) and Alfred Prasad (the youngest Indian chef to win a Michelin star at Tamarind, London). It's in the old Wagamama site on South King Street and will bring Filipino, Chinese and Indian food together in one moody basement venue, when it opens next Friday 22nd November. We're got dinner for two to give away to celebrate the opening, with two small plates, two large sharing plates, two desserts and cocktails on arrival. Follow Kaldero (which means 'pot' in Filipino) on Instagram here and see a sample menu here.
3) Sunday roast for four at Hawksmoor
We're well into Sunday roast season, and there's no question that Hawksmoor's is one of Dublin's best. Their slow-roast rump of beef is finished over charcoal and served perfectly pink, with enormous Yorkshire puddings, crispy roast potatoes, seasonal veg and Hawksmoor stuffing. Or you can replace the rump with sharing cuts from the blackboard, like prime-rib or Chateaubriand, and add on the trimmings for €9 each (plus extras like cauliflower cheese and celeriac mash with sausage gravy if you're insatiable). We've got a Hawksmoor classic Sunday Roast for four people to give away this month, with a welcome cocktail on arrival AND wine with your meal. Name a better Sunday. Check them out here.
4) Sunday lunch for two at The Seafood Café
This weekend The Seafood Café in Temple Bar launch their new Sunday set menu for two. From 12:00 to 17:00 you'll be able to order a feast of food for €35 to €55 per person (depending on the main), which includes an aperitif, starter, main course, sides and dessert. You'll start with a cocktail or pints, share seafood snacks like a shellfish cocktail and oysters, pick a main like Halibut en Croûte, or Lobster and Monkfish Pie, choose two sides, then have cheese or dessert to finish. Ideal if you're trying to catch up with friends during silly season but still want a bit of a deal. See the menu here.
5) €100 voucher for brunch at Old Fashioned Sam's
For months we've been getting messages from readers asking what is opening on the corner of Montague and Harcourt Street, and last week it was revealed to be Old Fashioned Sam's. The new three floor venue is opening just in time for those who haven't arranged their Christmas getogethers, with a restaurant on the first floor, bar and courtyard on the ground floor, and cocktail bar in the basement. We've got a €100 tab for one of you to spend on Sam's brunch, featuring dishes like chicken and waffles, 'tiramasu' pancakes and 'the full Granby fry' - head in for on Saturday for live piano, or Sunday if you prefer some DJ action. Follow them on Instagram here.
6) Dinner for two with wine at Bartley's in The Grafton Hotel
Serving right through from breakfast to late night aperitifs, Bartley's in The Grafton Hotel is ideally situated just minutes from Grafton Street, with a bar, restaurant, lounge and coffee terrace. We've got a three-course dinner for two to give away this month including a bottle of wine, where you can pick from dishes like Guinness-cured salmon, beer-battered haddock and chips, and braised lamb shank with red wine jus. (Prize valid until 21st May 2025)
7) Two tickets for the Festive Pop-Up Restaurant night at Dublin Cookery School
Dublin Cookery School in Blackrock has a load of Christmas-inspired courses & events coming up over the next few weeks, including Edible Gifts Social, Christmas Bites & Booze, and the DCS Annual Christmas Extravaganza - all designed to get you in the Christmas mood. We've got two places to give away for their Festive Pop-Up Restaurant Night on Saturday 7th December, with 20% of the ticket price donated to the Blackrock Hospice. With live music, drinks and canapés on arrival, and a three-course meal to follow, it's the perfect opportunity to start your festive countdown. For some culinary new year's resolutions, check out their 2025 class schedule here.
8) €100 gift hamper from Folláin
Folláin is one of Ireland's most loved preserve makers, and for the past three years they've partnered with The Simon Community, pledging 50% of proceeds from online sales during November and December to the charity fighting homelessness in Ireland. There are loads of gift ideas online including the Christmas Preserve Box, the Cheese Pairing Box, and the 12 Days Gift Box, and you can feel doubly good about giving this year knowing you're supporting Irish and a very worthy charity. Follow the Follain festivities at @follainirishpreserves and shop at follain.ie.
9) A coffee tasting subscription from Anam Coffee
Anam Coffee might be the smallest specialty coffee roastery in the country, in the limestone landscape of the Burren, Co, Clare. They want to make an impact with their 'Ethical First' approach to sourcing, buying from relatively undiscovered coffee regions like war-torn Burundi and Mozambique. To help highlight this they've given us a three month coffee tasting subscription, plus an AeroPress coffee maker to give away to one of our lucky ATF Insiders. Each month you'll be sent out a different hand roasted single-origin, or exclusive micro-lot coffee in fully compostable packaging, with the choice of having it pre-ground for your preferred method of brewing, or wholebean so that you can grind it fresh. Check out Anam's coffee tasting subscription here.
Everyone signed up to ATF Insiders for November (new and old) will be automatically entered into the prize draw - you don't need to do anything. If you're not signed up yet join here before midnight on Sunday 17th November. You'll be supporting independent reviews and news in Dublin and beyond, and be able to get answers to all of your burning questions about eating out, here and abroad, directly from us.
