5 of the best places for IRISH FOOD

1 The Winding Stair

40 Ormond Quay L

O’Connell Street & the Quays ➃

+353 (0)1 872 7320 winding-stair.com

2 Craft Restaurant

208 Harold’s Cross Road

Ranelagh & Rathmines ➆

+353 (0)1 497 8632 craftrestaurant.ie

Besides being a beautiful bookshop, The Winding Stair is also a restaurant of some renown. This is proper imaginative Irish cooking using only the best of locally sourced ingredients. The Winding Stair stands for a mix of home cooking and artisan style, with an extensive microbrewery beer and wine list.

This Michelin Bib Gourmand recipient is the brainchild of chef Philip Yeung, who is renowned for his modern take on traditional Irish cuisine. In a cosy and unpretentious setting you can savour an original and exciting menu with dishes like roasted hake, venison shank and Thornhill duck, matched with an assortment of unusual salads and vegetables.

3 Library Street

101 Setanta Place

St. Stephen’s Green & Grafton Street ➁

+353 (0)1 617 0999 librarystreet.ie

4 Variety Jones

78 Thomas St

Kilmainham & Liberties ➄

+353 (0)1 516 2470 varietyjones.ie

Sometimes sharing is caring, even when the food tastes so good that you don’t want to. Sharing plates are the theme at this recent addition to the city, utilising the best of Irish produce. It’s a comfortable setting with large wooden tables to relax around as the dishes arrive all at once. The menu features fascinating combinations of meats, fish, sauces, and root vegetables, all at very reasonable prices.

Run by owner and head chef Keelan Higgs – of Locks Brasserie and The Greenhouse fame – Variety Jones has risen quickly, winning a Michelin star within a year of operation. The food and wine menus, short and concise, change regularly and lean towards sharing plates. Immaculate food, driven by flavour.

5

Bastible

111 Circular Road S

Ranelagh & Rathmines ➆

+353 (0)1 473 7409 bastible.com

Even if you might not usually eat out at a contemporary neighbourhood bistro, you certainly should visit Bastible. Here you will enjoy immaculate food, prepared with careful attention and a lot of love, with ingredients from artisan food producers. The imaginative menu put together by the very creative kitchen team is forever changing.