Seafood on the horizon
No one wants to think about the new year quite yet but there’s one good reason to, and that’s Molly Malones, a new seafood restaurant set to open in Howth. It’s the latest in Simon O’Connells collection of restaurants which includes the much-loved O’Connell’s Pub and The Pier House Restaurant, all in the same locale. Spoiled for choice.
Winning restaurants
You’re in for a treat if you use Georgina Campbell’s awards as your guide to good eating. This year the esteemed critic and food writer’s gongs went to Allta in Dublin, its Fine Dining Restaurant of the Year, and Glenlo Abbey, its Five Star Hotel of the Year. Chef of the Year went to Conor Halpenny, of Square Restaurant in Dundalk.
Campbell, who doesn’t pull her punches, sounded a note of caution to the industry in general, at risk from what she calls “cutting corners”. “The cold hand of the accountant is very apparent in some businesses,” she said. “Presumably in an understandable response to rising costs, the little extras in bedrooms and bathrooms, the breakfasts showcasing local flavours, the well-trained staff sharing wine knowledge, and even the time spent making guests welcome can seem to be under threat.”
In contrast to the outstanding businesses that won awards, it is, she said, “as if mean-minded efficiency is the rule in some places, where staff do the job but without meaningful engagement with guests.” Time for the naughty list.
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Exchange of gifts
If you’re looking for a catch up with clients or friends over the festive season, don’t forget The Exchange, one of the newer offerings in Dublin’s bar and restaurant scene. Always nice to see a new restaurant open. You’ll get bragging rights for suggesting the venue, which is at the junction of Lord Edward Street and Exchange Street upper, up towards Christ Church. Open for lunch, dinner and drinks, starters (around €13) include Salmon Tataki and Katsu-Glazed Baby Back Ribs. Mains, at around €23, include Grilled Irish Beef Cheeseburger, Peruvian Roast Chicken and Rigatoni with Burrata. There’s also a deeply appetising cocktail menu (around €13.50 each) and, because it’s corporate entertaining time, The Vault, a stylish private events space that can hold up to 50 guests.
Festive dining
The Christmas food offering at restaurant and catering group Gourmet Food Parlour has dropped – always a red-letter day.
From festive dine-in experiences to indulgent at-home feasts – and exclusive private dining options – there is something for everyone to savour.
At Gourmet Food Parlour restaurants across Dublin, Meath and Galway, expect lunch and dinner set menus featuring an extensive list of dishes at pretty tasty prices, with a two-course Christmas lunch for €29 or three courses for €34, while the dinner set menu is €35 and €40.
For gifting, the Gourmet Food Parlour at-home hamper is stocked with all the festive essentials and is a stress-free guarantee of gourmet food on Christmas Day, with prices starting from €210 serving four to six people, including starters, mains, desserts and wines.
If you’re doing a Christmas party, or entertaining friends, they’ll do that too.
No Grinches here.
A little voucher can go a long way
Speaking of gifts, if you’re planning a present, for clients, suppliers, friends or family, a little voucher can go a long way. All the way to west Cork if you opt for one from The Jewel Lodge and Spa, a boutique riverside escape offering an adults-only retreat for couples and friends, with outdoor hot tubs, natural river plunge pools and saunas. A two-night stay for four in one of its luxury apartments, with a two-hour spa session, starts from just €480 in total (€120 per person).
For a bit of team building, what about a seasonal away day including spa experience, gourmet lunch and guided meditation? From €95 per person for groups of between five and 15.
Or how about a voucher for Number 31, a town house experience in Dublin’s Leeson Street. Vouchers are available from €100 to €400, the higher of which will net you a stay in one of its Fabulous Rooms – their official moniker – plus breakfast, and they’ll throw in a €50 Brown Thomas gift voucher, for even more festive fun.
