The early bird menu is a bit of a throwback these days, mostly resigned to the 90's and noughties along with free bread baskets, balsamic glaze on everything, and garlic baguette as an acceptable starter. However the elusive early bird/pre-theatre/set menu can still be found in some more than acceptable places to eat, you just need to know where to look...
Achara, Aston Quay
Taking our gong for the best pre-theatre menu in town is new opening Achara, cooking Thai flavours over open flame. Their three course offer, featuring must-try dishes from the à la carte, is just €25 for three courses, available Monday - Friday from 17:00 - 18:30. Choose from chicken wings in chilli fish sauce caramel; baby kale fritters; or chilli beef krapao; with charred pineapple and whipped sheep's yoghurt for dessert. Read our once over here.
Hawksmoor
London-born steakhouse Hawksmoor have a set menu available until 18:00 Monday - Saturday, with two courses for €31 or three for €35. You'll find lots of their menu stalwarts on there like potted beef and bacon, rump and chips, and sticky toffee pudding for dessert. Read our once over here.
The Seafood Café, Temple Bar
Prefer seafood to steak? Head across the road to The Seafood Café, whose early bird runs until 18:30 from Monday - Friday. It's seriously good value with two courses for €27 or three courses for €32, with dishes like fish soup, baja tacos, ceviche, monkfish, and even lobster rolls. With those prices you may as well add on some happy hour oysters.
Charlotte Quay, Grand Canal Dock
One of our top choices for an early dinner before a show at the Bord Gáis Theatre, Charlotte Quay's pre-theatre menu runs from 17:00 - 19:00 every day, with two courses for €37 or three for €45. The menu's of the something for everyone variety, with French onion soup; chilli and garlic gambas; chicken Milanese; and braised featherblade steak. Be sure to ask for a table near the window to take in those views.
The Saddle Room, St. Stephen's Green
For an extra-fancy early bird, head into The Saddle Room in the five-star Shelbourne Hotel, which does two courses for €40 or three courses for €47 from 17:30 - 18:30, Sunday - Thursday. Go for whiskey-cured Castletownbere salmon tartlet with Liscannor crab; followed by charred short rib of Kells beef; with a chocolate & caramel mousse tart for dessert, then retire to The Horseshoe Bar for a nightcap.
Piglet, Temple Bar
A very early early bird, ending at 17:30, Piglet do two courses for €29.50 or three for €35, with starters like mushroom risotto and octopus carpaccio, and mains like cacio e pepe, and steamed mussels with smokey bacon. End with tiramisu or crème brûlée, and with all the cash you've saved on dinner you can splurge on an extra special bottle to drink with it.
Brother Hubbard, Capel Street
Middle-Eastern leaning Brother Hubbard on Capel Street do an early bird sharing menu on Thursday and Friday evening, on orders taken before 18:30. You can get the whole hog featuring snacks, sharing starters, a main of your choice and dessert for €32 per person, or skip dessert for €28.
Richmond, Portobello
Richmond's early evening menu is one of the more punchily priced, with two courses for €40 and three for €46. You'll find dishes like roast beetroot, ricotta and goat's cheese; grilled bass with squid mariniere; and mango and coconut tart, and there's no supplement if you're more of a cheese fiend.
The Dunmore, Rathmines
Served until 18:30 Monday - Thursday, The Dunmore in Rathmines offer two courses for €29 and three for €35. It's a good menu for a gang, with plenty of choice from Duncannon mussels with house sourdough; to a Pat McLoughlin burger, to The Dunmore's seafood pie. You can save a good €10 on the à la carte if you pick right.
Kinara Group, Ranelagh, Clontarf & Malahide
Kinara Kitchen in Ranelagh and Clontarf, and Kajal in Malahide all serve their early bird from 16:00 - 19:00 on Wednesday and Thursday evenings. Two courses will set you back €31.20, but in a frustrating turn of events for some, the set menu dishes mostly aren't on the à la carte, so it's hard to see what kind of value you're getting.
Taza, Artane
For Pakistani food in Artane, Taza have a similiar offer, with their early bird €29.95 from 16:00 - 20:00 Tuesday - Thursday. It also features dishes that aren't on their à la carte, so don't go expecting their Molly Malone masala.
Bresson, Monkstown
The early bird catches all the extras on the 17:00 - 18:00 menu at Bresson in Monkstown, served Tuesday - Sunday. Two courses are €39.95, and three €44.95, but you'll get bread, soup and petit fours as well as starters, mains and desserts, We recommend keeping it classic with moules marinieres, steak frites, and chocolate mousse for dessert. It's a good thing you're eating early as you'll need a few hours to digest before bed.
Orwell Road
At Orwell Road in Rathgar they serve a 'neighbourhood menu' from Tuesday - Thursday, 17:00 - 18:00, with two courses for €37, or three for €47. It's more or less the same as the à la carte which we love to see, and you could save €16/17 on the same starter/main combo if you just eat them earlier in the evening. The extra €10 for dessert doesn't feel like much of a saving, but it's all a balancing act.
Yew Tree, Terenure
From Wednesday - Sunday, 17:30 - 18:30, two small plates and a side costs just €25 at Yew Tree in Terenure (from the former owners of 57 The Headline). Pick from dishes like pil-pil; calamari; black pudding croquettes; and beef and chorizo meatballs.
Woodruff
Woodruff serve their set menu until 19:00, or 18:30 Friday and Saturday, with two courses for €35 or three for €42 - which is truly excellent value considering the quality of what's coming out of the kitchen. Pick from dishes like smoked Castledermot lamb with sumac Velvet Cloud; steamed cod with fregola and smoked mussel ragu; and a True Gold cocoa tiramisu for dessert, and make sure you're not driving so you can explore one of the city's most interesting wine lists.
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