Dublin’s top 10 restaurant openings of 2019 has been revealed and we think you will be surprised at who is in the number one spot
It’s been a big year for new openings and some would even say the boom is back.
At Lovin, I’m lucky enough to go out and try a lot of these places for our Early Doors series.
I then get to share that knowledge with you.
Of course, this top 10 is based on what I tried this year and what I thought stood out the most.
Here it is, my top 10 new openings of 2019:
10) Casper & Giumbini’s
The slick new restaurant is a sister to Dalkey’s DeVille’s and you can expect the same standard of high-quality food.
The fillet of plaice was for mains which was honestly amazing.
From the video, you can see the lemon parsley butter dripping off it, along with crispy roast potatoes and fried asparagus.
9) Woodruff
A recent enough opening in the hills of Stepaside.
A bit off the beaten track but don’t let that stop you giving it a go,
The highlight was the eight-hour braised daube of beef with organic sprouts, heritage carrots, mash, and braising jus.
Just look how it pulled apart.
8) Double 8
A short trip out to Bray was well worth it.
Double 8 is a dumpling spot in the Arcade and it’s delicious.
It’s not in the video but, they had Banoffee Pie dumplings that are worth the visit alone.
7) Kerb
A lovely joint in Foxrock serving up the finest Kerbabs.
I really loved this place to grab some healthy lunch.
The shrimp taco with mango chutney was by far my favorite.
6) Shelbourne Social
The latest of Dylan McGrath’s creations in a flashy new area in Ballsbridge.
This opened earlier in the year but I still talk about the lamb pot and the creamy mash potato that accompanied it.
Honestly, the best mash potato I’ve ever tasted.
5) Alma
Absolutely loved this little cafe ran by an Argentinian family on the South Circular Road.
Not only was the steak & eggs to die for but we also crowned them with the best pancakes for Pancake Tuesday.
There is always a little queue for this place but don’t let that put you off.
4) Krewe
The latest opening I got to check out was Krewe that opened up on Capel St.
Self-described as a New Orleans inspired Restaurant & Bar bringing the Dirty South to the North Side.
You want to head here for dirty fries, Jambayala and a chicken burger the size of your head.
It’s just open a couple of weeks and people are going mad for it.
3) Eaton 6w
Deserved to get a podium place this year with a massive revamp.
What used to be Brambles of Terenure is now Eaton 6w and I loved their menu.
They had unreal chicken & waffles, sticky toffee pudding waffles but the pork belly absolutely blew me away.
My mouth waters when I think about it.
2) Sprezzatura
Pasta, pasta, and wine on tap.
What more could you want?
Sprezzatura has been booked up since it opened and there’s a good reason why.
It is absolutely delicious and very reasonably priced.
The sage butter gnocchi was my highlight here and it deserves the silver medal.
1) Órale
A fine example of not needing a flashy place with a big kitchen to serve top quality food.
In at number one is Órale which is situated in the back of The Belfry in Stoneybatter.
It works on a week on, week off basis so check their Insta before you head over.
I still have not got over how tasty the food is here.
Ian, the owner, puts so much work into each ingredient and it shows when you take your first bite.
I highly recommend you check out the full review.
There it is, Dublin’s top 10 restaurant openings of 2019.
We hope for a few more decent openings in 2020 but until then why don’t you check out our favorite hidden gems that Dublin has to offer.
