A Jewish deli, Brazilian bauru sandwiches, and a French prix-fixe - here are eight of the latest new arrivals in Dublin, and four more coming soon...
Deli 613, Rathmines
Is it true? Does Dublin finally have a Jewish deli? Look we're not promising Katz's of NYC, but we are quietly optimistic about Deli 613, which has just opened on the ground floor of the Chabad of Ireland Jewish centre in Rathmines. Opened by Rabbi Zalman and Rifky Lent (who also operate the centre and have lived in Dublin since 2000), Their goal is to provide the Jewish community with a wide range of kosher food at the best prices, including chicken-soup, salt-beef and pastrami, chopped herring and chopped liver, as well as more Middle Eastern Jewish food like hummus, pitta and falafel.
There's cake and coffee too, as well as a grocery section, and it's open Monday - Friday at present, but they're teasing a "fine-dining experience" on Sunday evenings, and the possibility of Sunday breakfast if demand is there. Colour us excited.
Recanto, Talbot Street
With a name meaning “nook” in Portuguese, Recanto has its sights set on being a cosy community spot for the ever-growing Brazilian population in Dublin - or anyone out to get a taste of their cuisine. It’s run by the same people behind the Vama No Brasiliero coffee kiosk down the street, and given the queues sometimes seen there they’ll be needing the seats. Among its specialties are feijoada, a pork and bean stew served with cassava and orange wedges, and a bauru sandwich, layered with roast beef and melted cheese. There's also sushi (no surprise given its popularity in Brazil), as well as cakes and pastries, while on the drinks front they’re complimenting the coffee offerings with sparkling guarana and matcha tea.
Flâneur, Rathmines
The team behind Sprezzatura have gone back to the drawing board on the neighbouring space that briefly played host to fried chicken joint Spatched. What they’ve come up with is Flâneur - French bistrot cooking with Irish produce. The menu certainly lives up to the promise, with Carlow snails and Killary Fjord mussels finding their way into escargot and moules-frites dishes. Comfy vibes and competitive pricing is the name of the game here - their prix fixe menu sees daily specials like steak or lobster served alongside dessert and a glass of wine for an impressive €24.95. We hear there's occasional jazz too.
Dà Qín, George's Street
Appearing quietly at the start of the month was Dà Qín, a new Chinese café that’s taken over the George’s Street premises previously occupied by Toonsbridge (RIP). There’s been little word yet save for a few enthusiastic Google reviews (always best taken with a pinch of salt), and the menu is general to the point of including some Korean and Thai influences, not to mention what seem a few concessions to European palates - given the name is the old Chinese term for the Roman Empire, maybe that’s no surprise.
Noisette, Rush
French-Mauritian couple Vaarsha Baugreet and Jérémy Pastor have been quietly toiling away on the opening of their artisan bakery Noisette for eight long months, all the while sharing head-turning snaps of their experiments in bread and pastry. Their creations include various sourdoughs and focaccias, cruffins, and the signature hazelnut pain au chocolat from which they get their name. Coffee is via Imbibe, and we can see the lovely little plaza outside being a very popular spot in Rush this summer.
Ian’s Kitchen, Kimmage
It’s been a busy and buzzy start for Ian’s Kitchen since opening on Tuesday of last week - the twenty-two seater brunch spot saw almost six hundred customers flock to Kimmage in just the first four days. The name above the door is Ian Ussher’s, who together with wife Elle also runs Cluck Chicken, so it’s no shock that we’re eyeing up the bloody Mary buffalo fried chicken eggs benedict. “Cooked by locals for locals” is the slogan proudly slapped on a menu that also includes eye-catching offerings like crème brulee banana French toast and a truffle bechamel-bathed Croque Monsieur.
La Gordita, Dublin 2
After appearing twice before in the “coming soon” section of this series, we’re glad to report La Gordita finally opened its doors last week on Montague Street. Anna Cabrera and Vanessa Murphy’s second space, right round the corner from Las Tapas de Lola, is named after the couple’s pet pug, and the Bodega-style bar has all the feel of a family space. It’s a slimmer, more streamlined menu than Lola with loads of Spanish favourites, from boquerones and bombitas to salt-baked seabass and pork cheeks on the bone. For lunch, it’s all about rice, with a prawn and octopus arroz to share looking like a standout choice. Read more about La Gordita here.
Tapa, Stepaside
It’s been a quick turnaround for gelato bar Raffaele’s, which closed in Stepaside two months ago and has been replaced by Tapa - no points for guessing what's on offer here. The menu is a little short on standout items, big on classic tapas. and it only opened its doors on Patrick’s Day (brave move), so it’s a little soon to tell if it's worth hitting the south suburbs for. That said, the same team also run Riba in nearby Stillorgan, and if the new site sees a similar focus on provenance and honest fresh food, the people of D18 could be in for something good.
Coming soon...
Kari, Inchicore
The ground floor of one of Inchicore’s new apartment buildings is suddenly sporting Indian branding, and the planning permission application mentions Konkan (in Dublin 8 and Dundrum). More news on Kari when we have it.
Kip, Northside
Details are very light on the ground for Kip for now, beyond a broad Northside location and the promise of moreish snacks and unreal wines. We’ll bring you the story when we have it.
Camerino Bakery, Kilmainham
Capel Street won’t be the same without the sights and smells of one of Dublin’s best bakeries, but we’re very excited to see Camerino taking on a bigger space in the basement café of the Irish Museum of Modern Art, which opens Easter weekend.
Zakura, Ranelagh
It’s a mixed blessing for Ranelagh as Zakura is set to open its fourth site in a space recently vacated by CN Duck (sob). While usually we'd be excited at the thoughts of sushi, we're just too gutted by the loss of the city's best roast duck and pork.
