Absurdly tasty sausage crostini from Coppinger Row
It’s still hard to get value for money at trendy restaurants in Dublin city centre, but Coppinger Row have thrown down their gourmet gauntlet with aplomb.
It’s just a cool restaurant – they’ve got it right, and already it seems to be full most nights, but with a swift turnover that allows you to get a table pretty quickly. The average price for a main course is €15, and for a starter around €6. So it’s not shockingly cheap, but the food is rather sensational. Really.
Their Merguez Crostini with Apple and Horseradish Yoghurt is all sweetly, sinfully tasty; their Garlic & Chilli Prawns suitably fresh and messy. Their sirloin is barbecuey divine, simply served with rocket and parmesan and their Roast Seabream is perfect, served in a little pot with potato, capers, tomatoes and black olives. It’s a warming, filling, wonderful menu, executed with a bit of imagination.
I ruined the whole cheap aspect by ordering a big stinky (ok, delicious) bottle of Gavi di Gavi and two champagne cocktails, but I just got over-excited because I felt like I was in Paris or London, such was the great vibe. You’ll get a decent wine in there for around €22, or you might want to just fabulously sip their organic ginger beer, sold by the bottle. Go and treat yourself to dinner here, it’s worth it.
- Coppinger Row, off South William St, Dublin 2 (Tel:+353 1 672 9884)
Wednesday 7 October, 2009 at 11:43 am
Wow what a glowing report, that all sounds delish! Now I HAVE to give it a whirl.
Wednesday 7 October, 2009 at 5:02 pm
The don’t take bookings for less than 6 people. Annoying.
Wednesday 7 October, 2009 at 5:03 pm
That’s a bit odd. Still, L’Gueleton don’t take bookings at all. On the other hand, 3 of us planned to go to Green 19 on Camden St. a few Tuesdays ago at 6.30pm. It was booked out solid. I guess different restaurants will do what suits them best.
Wednesday 7 October, 2009 at 5:15 pm
Fortunately Coppinger Row hasn’t had the same hysterical reaction from the general public so no round the corner queues quite yet.
Hopefully it’s down to greater self respect than any reflection on the restaurant.
Incidentally it’s run by the same chaps who have the South William pub of posh pie fame.
Thursday 8 October, 2009 at 9:49 am
Sounds good, I must give it another try. I was there twice when they first opened at it was very disappointing both times. By the sounds of things they have ironed out the teething problems.
Friday 9 October, 2009 at 10:51 am
I was there before all the recent the reviews and was also underwhelmed. Seems cheap but the dishes are not big so you need to add on side orders which make it not good value at all. Also staff were a bit off-hand and service not great. Hope it gets better but I would not go again as there are better value places around with more welcoming staff. Also food reads better on the menu than it tastes which is always a let down. I prefer when food exceeds my expectations on arrival rather than being disappointed.
Sunday 11 October, 2009 at 4:55 pm
I was here today for a disappointed Sunday brunch. The portions were tiny and it was expensive for what we were getting (€10 for some mushrooms on one slice of small bread and a poached egg) and the service was poor. The waiting staff have an air of self importance and I got the impression that we should feel lucky to be eating there rather than they should be lucky to have our business. They got our order wrong – forgot poached eggs with mushrooms didn’t bring toasted bread with the side of olives. 2 friends came in for a coffee and to sit with us while we were eating, there was no queue and plenty of free tables and they got told that they couldnt sit at the spare table beside us, that we would have to squash in if they wanted to stay as they were ‘really busy’ and this is a restrauant rather than a place for coffee. If they actually were busy I would have understood. But there was plenty of room and lots of free tables.
I was really looking forward to eating there but was REALLY disapointed with how the place was run and the snootiness that went along with it. Hopefully they sort this out as it seems like a nice place and an interesting menu. It needs greater value for money and and attitude make over.
Friday 5 November, 2010 at 5:01 pm
Had a nose at the menu in Coppinger Row last night and was convinced to give it a whirl when two ultra hip cats loitering outside advised that ‘the food is really good in there tonight.’
nice vibe, nice decor and setting. bloc-party-esque staffers were helpful and polite and the gingerbread and blackberry martini marraige was just delicious. perfect for the wet winter evenings.
service was sluggish though i wouldn’t be too critical. the apparent delay seemed deliberate, designed to allow us soak up the cool, rather than the result of tardiness.
the food, delightfully described was underwhelming and unfortunately priced. bang for buck it is not. a nice pitstop on a cold dank november night but bit likely to become a regular haunt.
Wednesday 10 November, 2010 at 10:10 pm
Everything, in theory, should be good about this place. Good location, trendy, interesting-enough menu at relatively good prices. The BIG problem is the exclusivity issue that the waiters have. We went here a year ago and were so aggrieved by the fact that they booted us out in the most offensive manner because they wanted the table back after what seemed like no time at all. Nearly a year later and nothing has changed. Same snooty air of the waiters, bill given to us before we asked for it when restaurant was still empty, hovering by waiters to get us out -all makes you hate the place and never want to return.