With Leaving Cert Weather™ right around the corner, you're going to be looking for all the excuses to go for lunch - ideally as close to the Irish Sea as possible - and how better to travel than by Dublin Area Rapid Transit and make a day of it - 10 points if you hit them all. You've got from now until the first week back at school (aka our Indian Summer). Go!
North of the city centre
Mamó, Howth (six-minute walk from Howth DART station)
We're kicking off the list with one of our favourites - Mamó, the pearl of Howth's clam shell. Husband and wife Killian and Jess run a tight ship, meaning the food, wine and service is always faultless. The cod chip always floats our boat, and try your hardest to get a table by the window for a view of Howth harbour. Lunch runs from Thursdays to Mondays, or book in for dinner and watch the sun go down.
Kajal, Malahide (three-minute walk from Malahide DART station)
Kajal are known for serving up some of the best Pakistani food in Dublin, so good in fact that we would travel to the very end of the DART line for their chargrilled lamb chops. On weekdays they serve a two course lunch menu for €28, and on weekends their two course lunch menu plus an adult drink is €34. They also have nan wraps to go for €14.95 if you're looking for something to eat in the marina, looking out at all the boats you can't afford.
Just Chubbys, Clontarf (eight-minute walk from Clontarf DART station)
Barry Stephens of 147 Deli opened up Just Chubbys outside Lotts and Co. in Clontarf back in 2022 and the tacos have been flying out of the truck ever since. Open from 12:30 on Saturdays and Sundays, we suggest you pick up a couple of tacos, a chilly bottle from Lotts and Co. and head across the road for the picnic to end all others. Read our two minute review of Just Chubbys here.
South of the city centre
Crudo, Sandymount (ten-minute walk from Sandymount DART station)
Tucked away in Sandymount village you'll find Crudo, run by Jamie McCarthy & Sean Crescenzi (the son of the Dunne and Crescenzi empire). Open every day for lunch, sit in and enjoy their baseball sized crayfish and lobster bisque arancini, gambas with focaccia, and hand-rolled ravioli. They also have robust paninis including the "Hot Beef" inspired by TV show The Bear - take one to go and enjoy by the strand, where you'll also find exercise machines if you want to burn it off afterwards. Read our Crudo once over here.
3 Leaves, Blackrock (ten-minute walk from Blackrock DART station)
Recent winners of "Best World Cuisine Dublin" at the Irish Restaurant Awards, 3 Leaves serve a walk-in only lunch from 12:00 Thursday - Sunday. During the week they do the choosing for you (music to our ears) with a meat or veg Thali taster, or there's a daily changing curry and dhal. Weekends there's more choice with an additional street food menu, and it's worth whatever the waiting time is for a table.
That's Amore, Monkstown (four-minute walk from Salthill and Monkstown DART station)
The impossible to get into That's Amore in Monkstown is definitely worth the journey if you're organised enough to secure a reservation (and there's no online booking so you'll have to pick up the PHONE). Serving food from 16:30 Monday - Saturday, you'll find all the Italian antipasti, zuppe and pasta you could want, before being handed a heart-shaped blackboard featuring dessert specials. Seapoint beach is calling your name, either beforehand to work up an appetite, or afterwards to shift that tiramisu while the sun goes down.
64 Wine, Glasthule (four-minute walk from Sandycove & Glasthule DART station)
If you're looking for a lazy lunch with all the wine after a scenic train journey, you can pick up any bottle from wine shop and café/bar 64 Wine in Glasthule and drink it in there for €15 corkage. It also happens to have one of the best selections of the good stuff in Dublin. On their daytime menu you'll find salads, sandwiches and sharing boards, and the friendly staff are always on hand to make recommendations - and there will be many. Lunch is served Monday to Saturday, 12:00 to 14:30.
Cavistons, Glasthule (five-minute walk from Sandycove & Glasthule DART station)
Cruising along our coastal coach course (aka the DART line) demands a stop at a seafood establishment on the Southside, and we're pegging Cavistons as the one. Their fresh seafood heavy menu changes on a regular basis, but don't be surprised to see Kilkeel scallops, wild Atlantic prawns, brill and swordfish, with a handful of veggie and meat options for those who aren't feeling fish. Lunch is served Thursday to Saturday from 12:00, and Sunday from 13:00.
Oliveto, Dún Laoghaire (seven-minute walk from Dún Laoghaire DART station)
We like to make excuses to get out to Dún Laoghaire as often as possible for two reasons, and they're both in Haddington House. Oliveto's outdoor, sea-facing tables have some of the best views in Dublin, only matched by their homemade pasta and chargrilled meats. They open for lunch every day with a midweek set offering two courses for €27.50 or three for €32.50, as well as full à la carte all week. Their Parlour Bar (reason #2) opens from 14:00 at the weekend, and from 16:00 during the week, but you could easily make that long lunch slip into late afternoon cocktails.
The Grapevine, Dalkey (three-minute walk from Dalkey DART station)
Once you've have your fill of looking for Bono's gaff in Dalkey, head to the Grapevine and secure a spot outside on their south facing terrace. The menu is a catch all of things like pasta, burgers and seafood, but the stars are on the shelves. Pick from an ever-interesting wine list, or ask the staff for a recommendation. Lunch runs Tuesday - Sunday from 12:00.
Nine, Bray (one-minute walk from Bray DART station)
The closest spot on this list to a DART station is Nine in Bray, and it's worth the jaunt across the border to Wicklow. The kitchen is led by chef Ciara O'Leary, formerly of Brookwood and Pearl Brasserie, and they serve brunch/lunch until 15:00 from Wednesday to Sunday, with bangers like steak and eggs, truffled mushrooms on toast and Korean fried chicken buns. Coffee is 3fe, and they offer a full wine list if it's one of those lunches.
Daata, Bray (five-min walk from Bray DART station, and also in Blackrock, Glasthule and Greystones)
If you're looking for lunch with a view, Daata in Bray have a rooftop terrace that is straight up vibes for days. Their brunch/lunch menu runs from 11:30 - 14:30 and has fun options like Burrata chicken and anda masala - savory chopped boiled eggs served with a buttery flatbread. The signature dish is their "Famous Afghani Chicken" - a creamy and spicy chicken curry with tomatoes, fenugreek, black pepper and lemon. If it's good enough for Gordo, it's good enough for us.
Scéal, Greystones (thirteen-minute walk from Greystones DART station)
Yes it's the longest walk from a DART station, and at the very end of the line, but we would travel the entire DART line ten times for anything that's come out of Scéal's kitchen. Each month their seasonal pastries kill us (full on skull emoji) and we find ourselves scrolling Daft.ie to see if Greystones property prices have come down at all (they haven't). They're open seven days a week, but on the weekends be prepared to queue.
Did we miss somewhere great on the DART line? Let us know by emailing info@allthefood.ie.
