Readers Recommend Restaurants

We’ve been getting loads of great restaurant tips from Dublin readers, here’s a few for you to mull over, try out and comment on.

Clairey says:

We went to Fallon and Byrne last week, got a plate of hot food at the deli counter on ground floor, paid €6.95 for a big huge delicious plate of beef chilli and rice and then we went downstairs with our food and ate it down there in the Tapas/Wine Bar place. It was all very cosy and nice atmosphere and incredibly cheap and tasty. I think its a good eat-in tip. And of course you have the option to have a lovely glass of wine.

Commenters here have already mentioned how good the hot meal counter in Fallon and Byrne is, they have a great choice of main meals and sides for well under a tenner.  This is almost as cheap as cooking at home!

Oisin recommended Nonna Valentina in Portobello, saying:

Early bird is €22.50 for any one starter, one of either pasta or meat course, dessert of either tiramisu or panna cotta and tea/coffee, wine’s €5 a glass, or €18 for a bottle of grand house red, food’s really good, as is the venue (like the upstairs seats with views over the canal).

The early bird menu also operates on weekends at lunch time, the early bird menu is identical to the full price menu, only difference being you can ignore the prices.

We had mozzarella and roast veg starter (€14 full price), medallions of beef with parmesan and rocket as a main (comes with a generous side of tasty roast potatoes and mushrooms) (€18 full price) and tiramisu (€7 full price) – you basically get the regular menu at half price. Same people who own Dunne & Crescenzi. They’re strict about timing though – have to get orders into the kitchen by 6:30 or you pay the full menu price.

I’ve never eaten in Nonna Valentina but the Dunne & Crescenzi restaurants are all really good.  Sounds like a great deal – most early birds have a limited menu so to get the full menu at half price is pretty sweet indeed.

Fiona spotted two restaurant offers:

Seagrass, South Richmond Street, Portobello is doing an earlybird two courses for €20 deal. I had the yummiest roasted red pepper soup and a reasonable roast chicken main there over the weekend. The deal runs from Tue to Sun 5.30pm to 7pm.

Brasserie Sixty6 has a ludicrously large sign on the window announcing a buy-one-main-course-get-a-second-one-free deal.

I’ve eaten lunch in Brasserie Sixty6 a few times, and they do a delicious rotisserie chicken of the day with mash and corn on the cob for €14.75…to get it for half price would be quite a steal indeed. Updated: it’s a swizz!

Joanne spotted a deal in Carluccio’s:

Carluccio’s Cafe on Dawson Street are offering a Menu della Casa for €11.95, This is available throughout the whole day. It comprises a choice of two starters, two pasta dishes and an espresso/latte/cappuccino. You can also have a large glass of house wine for €4.95. It’s really good value and very filling. The ravioli are particularly good.

And from beyond the Pale…Martina recommended the Monks Kitchen in Kinnitty Castle, Offaly, but when I look at their website it says that it’s gone into foreclosure. Does anyone know if it’s currently open?