Ireland’s Best Shopping Lunches
Lucinda’s guide to the top 20
Nothing beats the excitement of seeing the Christmas windows, followed by a visit to Santa Claus, and browsing the shops for gifts to put under the tree, says Lucinda O’Sullivan. So, once you’ve jingled the tills, linger awhile and savour the festive atmosphere with a delicious Christmas-shopping lunch at one of her top 20 picks around the country A CAPITAL CHRISTMAS BANG
Think, perhaps, of confit duck leg, ’nduja, cauliflower, organic baby gem, and coco (haricot) beans at this citified Merrion Row hotspot, which has a one/two/ three-course lunch menu at €15/€20/€25, Tuesday to Friday. bangrestaurant.com
BEWLEY’S
After a multi-million-euro refurbishment, the iconic Bewley’s on Grafton Street, with its famous Harry Clarke stained-glass windows, has reopened its ground-floor cafe just in time for Christmas, where you can watch the bakers and patissiers prepare their signature coffee opera cake in their new open bakery. Pastries/posh sambos, €3-€9. bewleys.com
BROTHER HUBBARD NORTH
From humble beginnings, to the vast space that was once Rhodes D7 on Capel Street, savour Middle Eastern-style food at a little over a tenner, all day from 7.30am on weekdays; and from 9am at weekends. brotherhubbard.ie
CIRILLO’S
Featuring authentic Italian antipasti, pasta, risotto, and wood-fired pizzas, priced €9-€13 at lunchtime, this chic little spot is beloved by Italophiles. The manzo pizza — flank steak, provola, red peppers, rocket and salsa verde — is a cracker. cirillos.ie
DAVY BYRNE’S
Nip into this famous Joycean pub, which is located just off Grafton Street, for a half-dozen oysters at €12.95, other great seafood, or try the Irish stew or lamb’s liver around the €10 to €12 mark. davybyrnes.com
EATOKYO
A dinky Japanese eatery near the Ha’penny Bridge with an all-day menu (€3.70-€18.90) of sushi, curries, noodles, teppan teriyaki, as well as a knockoutvalue bento box at €9.50, from 12-5pm. eatokyo.ie
DUNNE & CRESCENZI
Italy on your doorstep — breakfast, antipasti, pasta, carne (€4.50-€27); set lunch, €25-€30. They have you covered in South Frederick Street, Sandymount and Blackrock, as well as in Dundrum Town Centre and Kildare Village with their L’Officina branches. dunneandcrescenzi.com
FALLON & BYRNE
On Exchequer Street, snack in the food hall; enjoy nibbles, boards and hearty dishes (€3.50-€18.95) in the wine cellar; or indulge in the Christmas menu (€37) in the upstairs brasserie. fallonandbyrne.com
MARCO PIERRE WHITE
Want to make a glamorous day of it? MPW’s Christmas menu has shrimp cocktail, traditional roast stuffed turkey, and plum pud at €47.50. marcopierrewhite.ie
THE GARDEN ROOM
The offerings on the all-day menu (€5-€40) at the plush, lush new Garden Room at the five-star Merrion Hotel, range from snacks, through omelette Arnold Bennett, to grilled sole. thegardenroom.ie
BALFES
The Westbury Hotel’s ‘New York meets Paris’-style buzzy brasserie is great for all-day dining (€4.50-€32) with food for all tastes, and daily lunch specials at €16 available until 6pm. balfes.ie
101 TALBOT
This long-standing oasis serves eclectic food (€3.50-€14) including mushrooms on toast; braised rabbit; wild boar sausage;
and spinach and goat’s cheese risotto. 101talbot.ie COUNTRYWIDE BUTTON & SPOON The newly opened Button & Spoon on Church Lane in Wexford Town has great soups, salads and tasty hot dishes, from around €4.95-€14.95. buttonandspoon.ie KILKENNY DESIGN CENTRE Facing Kilkenny Castle, with a food hall that opens seven days a week at 8.30am, and a restaurant that opens at 10am, this has the best of what’s local and fresh from artisan producers in the Marble City. Two/three-course set menu, €18.95/€21.95. kilkennydesign.com
DOCKLAND
Chill out by the Lee on Clonakilty black pudding pizza at Harold Lynch and Beth Haughton’s new deli restaurant, with prices €5.80-€15, on Cork’s Lapp’s Quay. dockland.ie
MOMO
In the heart of Waterford’s shopping scene, Momo is great for Lebanese-style fare (€4.50-€15.50) including soups, salads, sambos, and their ‘famous’ meaty hash salad. momorestaurant.ie
GASLIGHT BAR & BRASSERIE
Located on Eyre Square, Hotel Meyrick spells the heart of Galway. Its Gaslight Bar & Brasserie has well-priced daily brunch and lunch menus (€4.95-€15.95) with classic favourites — eggs Benedict, buttermilk pancakes, sharing platters, et al. hotelmeyrick.ie
RACHEL’S
Rachel Allen’s classy Cork brasserie has a great casual lunch menu (€5.50-€15.95) with dishes including mussels & chips, steak sambo, and wood-fired pizzas. rachels.ie
THE FRENCH TABLE
Thomas and Deirdre Fialon’s little bit of France on Limerick’s Steamboat Quay is superb, with one/two/three courses at €12.50/€16/€20; or you could have French onion soup (€7), croque monsieur (€8), or tartiflettes €8/€12. frenchtable.ie
TRIBETON
If you’re shopping and dropping in the City of the Tribes, then grab a bite from the Bruncheon menu (€9-€12) at Tribeton, a vast urban gastrobar, in the former McDonagh building on Merchants Road. tribeton.ie