Soup season is upon us, and there doesn't exist a better way to warm up than with a bowl of something hot and supremely tasty. We've rounded up the best of the best to warm your cockles, and there isn't a funeral style "country veg" in sight...
Honey Truffle, Pearse Street
A popular lunch spot and independently run café with a mission to serve the best of Irish ingredients, Honey Truffle has a great selection of sandwiches and salads, as well as excellent coffee on tap, but for us their soup specials are always very special. Exhibit A: roasted sweet potato, cumin, carrot, butternut squash, caramelised red onion, ginger and coconut milk soup, garnished with a spiced maple, lemon beetroot and yoghurt dip, with thyme roasted croutons, finished with a herb jalapeño oil. If that's not a serious bowl of soup, what is.
Nomo Ramen, Portobello
Nomo is our go to spot in the city for steaming bowls of ramen. Their noodles are imported from the US from the same supplier as Momofuku and Ivan Ramen in New York (humble brag), and their bowls are on the less flashy side, but with layers and layers of flavour. They recently updated their Yuzu Shoyu Ramen (aka Chintan broth) after working on the new recipe for the last couple of months, putting it right back to the top of our must try list.
The La La Café and Restaurant, Balbriggan
Seafood chowder is an adopted Irish hero (by way of North America), and The La La Café and Restaurant in Balbriggan have only gone and won the best bowl of chowder in the country in the SOUPerb Awards 2024, judged by food writers Sally & John McKenna. They smoke their fish in house, and put an interesting spin on the classic, adding sweet corn and sweet pepper to offset the smoky fish. Served with a crunchy white croute and home-made brown bread, this bowl of the good stuff is one we've earmarked to try soon.
La Maison, Dublin 2
French onion soup is a classic, and we reckon La Maison on Castlemarket (you know, the one Grogan's is on) does one of the best in Dublin. They use a traditional blend of rich, caramelised onions in a savoury broth, all topped with melted Gruyère croutons. This with a glass of bold Bordeaux equals Autumn evening heaven.
The Goodies at NCAD, The Liberties
Not the first place that might spring to mind when you think of soup, but when we stopped by earlier in the year, The Goodie's Jerusalem artichoke soup took first class honours. The sweet and nutty flavours from the chokes, paired with garlicky crunchy croutons and smoky cream, are all reasons we're still thinking about it. At €4 a pop it's also some of the best value for money, by a longshot. Read our two minute review here.
Full Moon Thai, Parliament Street
Husband and wife owned Full Moon Thai on Parliament Street, just outside the Temple Bar madness, have a whole section dedicated to Thai soup on their menu. From brothy noodle soups to spicy Tom Yums, their steamy fragrant bowls will transport you to flavour town while warming you from the top down.
Biang Biang, Smithfield
Biang Biang is the most recent opening from the folks behind Hakkahan, Nan Chinese, Bullet Duck & Dumplings and Little Dumpling, so rest assured you're in for a good time. Their short and sweet rice noodle soup section allows you to choose your own meaty, spicy adventure, and is best paired with a Roujiamo (a Chinese hamburger) on the side. Read our once over here.
Pho Kim, Parnell Street
Vietnamese veterans of this viking city, Pho Kim, are masters of the fragrant dish of their namesake, consisting of broth, rice noodles, herbs and meat. The extra spicy Bún bò Huế is a variation on the classic pho, made with beef and pork broth, and using vermicelli round rice noodles. With a bowl of this in our hands and our eyes closed, we could be wedged on a plastic stool in hot and humid Hanoi, instead of tucked inside on blustery Parnell Street with the Luas dinging past and people's umbrellas going inside out.
The Pepper Pot Cafe, Powerscourt Centre, South William Street
Dearly loved by the people of Dublin, The Pepper Pot Café in the Powerscourt Centre always has a soup of the day that's hard to resist. They can sell out fast though, so be sure to get there early to avoid leaving soup-less. Their hearty bowls come served with their freshly baked breads, and both are perfection.
Blas Café, Dublin 1
Sometimes we wish Blas Café was our little secret, but it’s not and that wouldn’t be fair to everyone else anyway. The high-ceilinged hideaway can be found behind Cineworld on Parnell Street, and they're big soup heads in here, chosing it over birthday cake to celebrate their 10th year in business. With dedication like that you know their rotating flavours are going to be good.
Meltdown, Montague Street
We challenge thee to find us a more comforting or indeed classic combination than an oozy gooey ham and cheese toastie with a hot bowl of tomato soup. Meltdown know a thing or two about a hang and cheese sandwich, and their vegan spicy tomato soup is the perfect accompaniment, each making the other just that little bit more whole.
The Gravediggers, Glasnevin
Whether you're in the "it's a watery stew!" camp, or the "it's a chunky soup!" corner, Wikipedia lists coddle as a soup, so it's going on the list. The famous Dublin dish is the closest we've got to a legit Marmite situation, but one thing is for sure - a bowl of this paired with a pint of the black stchuff at the Gravediggers is a direct way to inject heat back into anyone's bitterly cold bones. If it's good enough for Tony B...
