A Tasty Bit On The Side: Our Top 10 Sauces And Dips In Dublin

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There are few things in life that sum up the concept of ‘small but mighty’ quite like a decent sauce or dip.

Because for all our talk about top-quality cuts of meat, or perfectly sautéed spuds, nothing will dominate our tastebuds quite like that little dollop off to the side of the plate.

So while we know this is going to cause fights, divide families and result in lots of angry exchanges on Twitter – and while we know it’s far from being a complete list – here’s our view on what makes up the Top 10 sauces and dips in Dublin.

10. Eddie Rocket’s – Secret sauce

Okay, so it might not be the most upmarket joint you’ll see on this list, but really, can anything compare to that pinky-orange gooey goodness at 3am on a Saturday mornign? No. No it can’t.

9. Jo Burger – Relish

Another burger sauce, albeit of a completely different kind. You know you’re doing something right when the burger itself is this damn good – and yet you still find yourself talking about how delicious the relish in the middle is.

8. Boojum – Cholula Chili Garlic

An honourable mention goes their homemade chipotle, but this sauce definitely comes out on top, combining intense flavour with a gentle kick.

7. Neon – Hoisin sauce

You need to do two things right to nail down aromatic duck pancakes: make sure the duck is cooked crispy to the point of almost being burnt, and make sure you’ve got the best hoisin sauce in town. The texture is the best thing about this dish, but the flavour all comes from the sauce – and nowhere does it better than Neon.

6. 777 – Guacamole

We had to include guacamole somewhere on this list, and 777 was a no-brainer. A perfectly textured and delicious way to offset the super-strong flavours on offer across the menu here, it’s one of the undersung highlights of any visit.

5. The Fumbally – Hummus

Hummus is difficult to mess up, but it’s even harder to master – and The Fumbally has managed to do exactly that. Not only does it bring their falafel and salad plates to life, but it also tastes absolutely perfect on their homemade bread.

4. Pitt Bros – BBQ sauce

Like guacamole, we had to have BBQ sauce in here somewhere – and this place leads the way. Honourable mention also to their white Carolina sauce, which mixes like a dream with their pork and beans.

3. Crackbird – Burnt lemon whipped feta

Original, tasty, decadent, creamy and – most importantly – perfectly complementary of the fare on offer in this ultra-cool chicken restaurant.

2. Base Woodfired Pizza – Garlic dip

Base do the best pizzas in the city – no arguments here, sorry – but it’s a testament to their dips that you often find yourself rushing through the ‘boring’ cheese and tomato and toppings, just so you can get dunking those crispy crusts into this delicious concoction.

1. Super Miss Sue/Cervi – Ketchup

Is it a ketchup? Is it a relish? Does it matter? And what the… is that a taste of CINNAMON?!

Whatever the secrets behind this beautiful dip, one thing for sure is that this pushes the Heinz vs Chef debate into irrelevance; the future of ketchup starts right here on Drury Street.