The events of 2020 may have dimmed our recollection of the haunting graph of 2008 – the Celtic Tiger economy plummeting off a cliff into a seemingly bottomless abyss. Far from a momentary lapse, it was the start of an economic free fall that left the country floundering for years. Ferrari-driving, high-profile restaurant operators made front page news as a correctional purge ripped through the hot spots once patronised by designer-clad, jet-setting diners.
Against this backdrop, innovation emerged. At the forefront was Joe Macken, the maverick behind Jo’Burger, Crackbird, Bear and Hey Donna, with a story arc made for the Chef’s Table series. When the illustrious Anthony Bourdain touched down in Dublin in 2012 to film an episode of his Layover series, it was Macken who took him on a tour of the city’s culinary and drinking spots.
Macken is in Coppinger the night I visit this reimagining of Marc and Conor Bereen’s iconic Coppinger Row, another restaurant that made its mark during the recession. Launched in 2009, Coppinger Row was effortlessly cool and more polished than Macken’s filament bulb, grittier ventures. It was all about the scene, attracting international A-listers and the in-crowd who kept the economy going for those of us switching to German discounters. It closed in December 2021 and has now reopened with a back story – a 2½-year battle to reclaim the lease from the landlord. It may be a little shy of the gruelling angst required for a Chef’s Table epic, but it’s a tale that has been met with a wave of rose-tinted nostalgia.
Cocktails (mostly €14) are baked into the DNA of this restaurant, so we go that direction rather than order from the wine list of 50 bottles, which start at €35. This turns out to be a good choice. The celery gimlet is fresh and savoury; the roselle is beautifully nuanced, a refreshing mix of tequila, hibiscus and passion fruit; and the delicious whiskey sour has the clever addition of fino sherry and toasted sesame. The silver osmanthus (€15), a pisco-based drink, is perhaps the least interesting of the cocktails we try.
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Daniel Hannigan, the executive chef of the Bereen restaurant group (previously based in Orwell Road) is behind the menu, which takes the sharing-plates approach. House focaccia (€4) is perfect for mopping up the tarama (€6.50), a cod’s roe dip that is doused with fennel jam and dusted with furikake; and the muhammara (€6.50), a delicious dip made from charred, marinated red peppers and studded with candied walnuts.
Croquettes are ubiquitous on menus these days, but I have to say that the salted cod croquettes (€8) here are very good. The texture is loose rather than stodgy and you can really taste the fish. The saffron aioli is perhaps a little too assertive, with the metallic taste you get from using it too liberally. It works more happily as dots on the octopus rice (€17), the rice richly flavoured with squid ink, topped with octopus that has been cooked slowly and finished on the grill.
Less successful is the lamb belly flatbread (€16), which is closer to a crumpet texture and is just a bit doughy and oily. The slow-cooked lamb is tasty, but some crispier textural bits would be welcome. It feels like a bit of an assembly job. So too does the dish of pan-fried gnocchi (€26) with peas, glazed maitake and a flurry of micro-planed Hegarty’s cheese. The large gnocchi are just a bit dense and would work better in a smaller format.
Desserts are tasty, and I love the flavour and freshness of the figleaf ice cream (€6). The strawberry and elderflower cruller (€12) is also delicious, a hot pastry that is like a churro, crispy on the outside and a delicious accompaniment to the fruit and elderflower ice cream.
The Bereen brothers have a nose for what works and it looks like they have got it right once again. With Hannigan’s menu, they have completely updated the format in Coppinger which, nostalgia aside, was seriously in need of a re-boot. Not all the dishes hit the mark, but they are tasty and a welcome reprise from the formulaic predictability of the bigger operators. Once again, they are launching a restaurant at a time when the industry is going through a bit of a shake-up. It perhaps reflects how its original customers have moved on since it first opened as party central.
Dinner for two with four cocktails was €159.
The Verdict: A wonderful re-boot that is better than the original.
Food provenance: Glenmar, Jonathan Wright fish, Pat McLoughlin meat and Caterway.
Vegetarian options: 10 vegetarian dishes including muhammarra, tomato salad, gnocchi, and courgette with saffron rice.
Wheelchair access: Fully accessible with an accessible toilet.
Music: Portishead, Bob Dylan and Nina Simone.
