For those of you who never visited the old Da Mimmo, it managed to be one of the best Italian restaurants in town while only having about 12 seats.

Their mixture of informal setting, great banter from the staff and amazing Italian cooking made it popular beyond belief. 

When I heard they were moving to a bigger premises I groaned. I presumed the owners had smelt the money and our perfect little hidden gem would be ruined forever by being plonked onto South William Street, serving €20 pizzas with prosecco cocktails and socialites at every table. 

My fears were quickly allayed with news that they'd only moved three doors down the street, had installed a new wood burning oven and would be increasing capacity to a still modest and cosy 40 seats. 

We don't want the best things in life to change. We like what we know and just like movie sequels nothing tends to top the original. But thankfully, the new Da Mimmo somehow manages to be an improvement on the original. 

Upon entering the restaurant, you're greeted by super friendly, chilled out staff – the pizzaiolo was even wearing sunglasses inside on a dark wet Irish day. 

The pizzas tastes way better because of the brand spanking new oven and the prices are still cheap and cheerful. I always tend to go with pizza as it's so hard to get a good one in Dublin, but they've upped their pasta game even further here and have some absolutely magnificent dishes on the menu. 

I've noticed it's even harder to get a seat or a booking here of late. It's the kind of place that attracts fiercely loyal customers who love to watch it grow. 

Da Mimmo is like a little part of Dublin you want to keep to yourself, a hidden gem on a quiet street behind Croke Park, under the radar of those hip crowds looking for the next big trend. 

You won't find the best food on Oxford Street, the Champs Elysees, or Grafton Street. You'll find it where the rents are lower, where the staff are passionate and creative, and where the customers come back on a regular basis. 

Di Mimmo ticks all those boxes and is easily one of my favourite five restaurants in Dublin. 

Just don't tell many of your friends, yeah?

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