A four story multi-sensory experience, plant-based puns, and another London-based heavy hitter has a go at opening in Dublin. Here’s what’s new in the city this week...
The Park Café, Ballsbridge
After the recent ropey arrivals of Jamie Oliver and Anna Haugh on the Dublin dining scene, we’re not sure any celebrity chef is safe from our sceptical Irish palates. Richard Corrigan is the latest to step into the fray with The Park Café, taking on the former Shelbourne Social space in D4 from Dylan McGrath and promising a warm, casual all-day restaurant experience.
The ace up his sleeve is Virginia Park Lodge, the four-acre County Cavan estate from which his London restaurant empire had been supplied until Brexit mucked it all up - more homegrown produce for us, then. The all day menu is unashamedly lush, with yellowfin tuna schnitzel, lobster spaghetti and tableside Caesar salad, as well as the Bentley's fish pie and a plate of roasted Oxford ‘Sandy & Brown’ piglet with crab apple and pickled mustard seeds. We’re quietly confident.
Hyde, Dublin 2
You’d be forgiven for thinking Hyde was set to be the biggest game-changer for Dublin since Covid-19 from the tone of their social media teases. The four-storey mixed-purpose experience just off Grafton Street has a lot to take in, from the ground-floor café bar to the rooftop terrace - not due to open until Spring of next year, and their first few nights were spent wine-ing and dining every influencer, model and PR luvvie in town.
The second-floor restaurant Gekko is one of the most-touted attractions, and while pitching a menu as “Asian-style” tends to put us on edge - as if 60% of the world’s population shared a single cuisine - the presence of Hang Dai alum and the man in charge of Saltwater Grocery's Raw Bar, Karl Whelan, as Executive Chef goes some way to calming the nerves. He’s dreamt up a primarily Japanese-style selection of plates to enjoy alongside the venue’s sizeable selection of high-end cocktails. Hyde is open now.
Milo's, Drumcondra
After six successful years in Phibsborough, the brains behind Two Boys Brew, Kevin Roche and Taurean Coughlan opened another café, Milo's on Monday, November 14th. The name of the new café was inspired by Taurean's dog who's called, you guessed it, Milo. Their Australian-style interiors, good coffee and cinnamon knots, as well as their egg and bacon brioches have all made their way over to the lucky people of Drumcondra.
El Milagro, Clanbrassil Street
We recently reported the good folks at 57 The Headline had kitchen space in need of good food every Tuesday, and we couldn’t be happier that El Milagro are moving in for a Taco Tuesday Takeover every week from 18:00 to 21:00. We’ve been banging the drum for these guys since they first cropped up at Malahide Marina last year, and this is top-quality stuff made with some of the best ingredients sourced from Mexican providers in Ireland and further afield. There are four varieties of taco to try, but for us the slow-cooked beef brisket birria is the one to beat.
Mrs Reid's, Kevin Street
The latest addition to Dublin 8’s increasingly-packed café scene, Mrs Reid’s is a new neighbourhood arrival beside Assassination Custard on Kevin Street. Affectionately named after owner Kristin Hawthorne’s grandmother, it’s a little spot steeped in the humble food history of the area, formerly home to a butchers and bakery. Open weekdays for breakfast and lunch, the small premises is starting out with soups and a simple sandwich menu including meatballs, beef brisket and a veggie delight. Coffee comes courtesy of Badger & Dodo, the artisan Irish roaster that imports from Brazil and Columbia directly into Cork.
Yumgrub, Grand Canal Dock
Vegan fast food joint Yumgrub is back after finding itself suddenly without a fixed abode in September, following the closure for renovations of Ballybrack’s Village Yard, and the ending of its summer popup stint in P. Mac’s in Dundrum. The plant-based takeaway is the latest arrival at Grand Canal Dock’s street food yard The Place, joining Griolladh, Pastiamo and Ciao Cannoli in the buzzy D2 hub. Seitan burgers and loaded fries are the name of the game, though we’re hearing the arancini-style Mac ‘n’ Cheeni are worth trying, even with a dodgy pun like that. Yumgrub arrives this Wednesday 16th and will be open Wednesday - Sunday each week.
Benjamin's Hot Chicken, Irishtown
Likewise left without a home after The Village Yard’s temporary closure was Benjamin’s Hot Chicken, but they've also found a new lodging at Irishtown’s Vintage Inn. From Thursday to Sunday each week the team will be serving up their signature menu of Nashville sandos and tendies, and keep tabs on social for their eye-catching specials. In the meantime, the classic hot chicken and prawn po boy will do very nicely indeed. Don’t be fooled by the name either - there’s interesting options for pescatarians and vegans too, with hot fish and crispy oyster mushroom sandos rounding out the menu.
