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13th Jan 2022

6 places you should *try* getting a booking for in 2022

Emily Mullen

tablewine chairs seats restaurant

The Dublin food scene has rarely looked so healthy, food-fans are practically spoilt for choice when it comes to dining out in town at the moment.

Choosing where to eat in Dublin can sometimes be a little daunting, it’s also pretty dependent on who you plan on sharing a meal with. We’ve put together a list of six places that we reckon would be worth your while securing a booking for in the year ahead (if you can).

6. Library Street

Opened late last year, Library Street pretty much hit the streets of Dublin running. It’s a spot that’s got a pedigree you can’t argue with, led by Kevin Burke former chef at London’s Michelin starred Ninth restaurant and situated in the former home to Allta (where Burke also used to work). The food has been waved with the Allta knack for conceptualisation and is based around food that’s meant to be shared.

Who to book with: 

A gang of friends you haven’t seen in a while (who don’t mind sharing)

Library street table shared food

5. Table Wine

Another spot that opened late last year, Table Wine is the restaurant-wing of Meet Me in The Morning (which now goes by The Morning). It’s got a menu based around small plates, so best off bringing someone that you are comfortable enough reaching over and grabbing food from. As the name suggests, the beveragino of choice is wine and the team have put together an impressive lineup of “juicy” wines.

Who to book with: 

Your partner or a close friend

tablewine chairs seats restaurant

4. Lennan’s Yard

Another newb on the list, Lennan’s Yard the restaurant, cocktail bar, and gastropub opened up in December last year. Impeccably refurbished, it operates out of mews and stables of a Dawson Street property that dates back to 1780. It’s a lux spot, that’s run by the people behind Asador in Ballsbridge and Prado in Clontarf. Chef Ryan Bell has created a deft menu, which has exciting flourishes and haute cuisine classics in it.

Who to book with: 

A small group of friends who have something to celebrate.

lennan's yard dinner food plate

3. Mae

Opened last Summer by wunderkind Grainne O’Keefe, Mae’s is her first solo restaurant after stints in Clanbrassil House, The Merrion, Pichet, and Bastible. It’s an all-female kitchen team working out of the spot above The French Paradox in Ballsbridge. With a menu best described as Modern Irish, with a heavy emphasis on Irish ingredients, there’s a wine list informed by their downstairs neighbors.

Who to book with: 

Someone you want to have a good long chat with over full-bodied French wine

Mae dinner plate restaurant

2. Locks

Last year Locks by the canal got a new chef Andy Roche back in the door. Roche had previously worked in the Dublin institution as a chef de partie, before a stint in Vancouver’s Wildebeest Restaurant and alongside Jordan Bailey in the kitchens of Aimsir out in Kildare. Drawing on his previous experience Roche has changed the menu quite a bit, making it one of the most exciting and imaginative in the city.

Who to book with: 

Family for a celebration dinner or catch up over a Locks’ Sunday roast.

locks building restaurant

1. Luna

Those new enough to the city may have heard true-blues talking about the shuttering of Luna with a misty-eyed mournful look in their faces. It was a spot that was placed snuggly in Dublin-food lore as being one of the nicest spots in the city. After two years the Irish-American 1950s spot is back, with chef Ben Dineen at the helm (previously from L’Gueuleton). The chance to get back into a space that we once thought lost has to make dining at Luna extra special.

Who to book with: 

A date

luna restaurant darkly lit

READ ON: What I eat in a week in Dublin, Burnt boil in the bag rice and an attempt at vegetarianuary