CheapEats.ie - a blog about food and value

16 Comments

  1. I was also underwhelmed by Cinnamon – it was a reminder of all that F and Byrne and even Avoca do well.

    Re. other Ranelagh places, Bodega has good food and you can eat inexpensively. Sadly, Ochos is no longer with us.

  2. Thanks for the review Rebecca. Will maybe give it another while before I try it.. Sounds _slightly_ expensive for what they are offering. Ranelagh could definitely do with a few more cheap eats offerings (more in the price range of Green 19, Cafe Bliss, etc.).
    I must give La Bodega a go. I seem to always end up in Dillingers as well!

  3. I just had tea and a scone there today; not impressed, the texture was all wrong for a scone. I would love a place in Ranelagh like Mayfield in Terenure. However, Cinnamon was packed today at 11.30!

  4. If you have no problem with the serving of food and the transaction itself, why does it matter if the waiter was chewing gum? It’s not like it emits bad smells that interact with the food eating thing you’re doing or anything like that. This is what I will never understand about these types of food reviews, the extremely bourgeoisie and conservative ideas about how the restaurant should work. A young waiter, chewing gum, dear lord! What next, slightly off white tablecloths?

    Isn’t this site called CheapEats.ie, not WhereToSatisfyMySmugness.com?

  5. J, when you deal with customers, you are not supposed to chew gum. Be it a sales assistant, or someone behind a desk, or even on the phone. It is just a matter of respect for your customers. And it’s nothing to do with social class, the chipper and the 4 stars restaurant will be on the same foot here: it’s just gross and impolite. Eating cheaply doesn’t mean accepting bad manners.

  6. Have to agree that Cinnamon is a serious disappointment. I have given it a fair chance i.e. i have been 4/5 times at different times of the day nd the service has ranged from the mediocre to the appalling. The food itself is unremarkable i.e. does the job but nothing special but the service means i won’t be going back. Always seems to be packed with yummy mummies though which means there are hopefully less of them in the other Ranelagh eateries. Woohoo! Also, Dillinger’s, to me, is very Emperor’s new clothes – Butcher’s Grill is far superior though pricey.

  7. Welp, I don’t get insulted by anyone chewing gum….maybe because it doesn’t convey an insulting message nor is there any rational reason why I should be insulted by an arbitrary action like that.

  8. I don’t feel too strongly either way about gum chewing in restaurants, but it is a fact that some people have terrible gum chewing technique, all open mouth and slurping and smacking. That can be off-putting when you’re about to eat – I don’t think it’s one of those old-fashioned meaningless etiquette points, as it can be both visually and aurally unpleasant.

  9. I have to agree with the review, the layout doesn’t work as shop, shelves are to close to the tables. Both times I’ve been there the staff, while keen, were not well trained and service was very slow – although none were chewing gum.

  10. Like your reviewer I too have found Cinnamon to be a huge disappointment. I was excited to think that we were going to have a food hall in Ranelagh and as soon as it opened its doors I went to get something to bring to a dinner party I was going to that evening. The first thing that struck me was the decor……everyting was brown really and depressing but I digress this is food website. Food hall…..what a joke. It is just some hard- to -reach- without- disturbing- the- diners- shelves stocked with uninteresting pastas oils and jars of this and that, I left empy handed. I have eaten there twice since, have never seen so many badly trained staff gathered in one room in my life. One third of properly trained staff could do the job. However it was amusing to watch and went some way to taking my mind off the food which was uninspiring to say the least. I had the worst cup of coffee in my life followed by the second worst when I sent it back. I for one will not be returning unless I see a big sign in the window that says UNDER NEW MANAGEMENT and oh yes please can it be Avoca ? ….their new place in Glasthule is how it should be done.
    By the way I would not want a waiter chewing gum while serving my food no more than I would want him/her displaying any other nervous bad habits like biting their nails or picking their noses !!!!

  11. I liked the food in Cinnamon, but like most of the other posters, I didn’t like the table layout. Plus, while the serving staff were well intentioned, they were clearly also all over the shop. Possibly young Celtic Tiger cubs on their first job?

  12. Hate this place. Each time I’ve been it’s been really bad. The waiters/waitresses are all young and the girls plastered in makeup. Food was bad, waited for 23 minutes for food and they’d run out of most food. Awful.

  13. it could be a great place, but sadly it isnt, and its all due to really bad service.
    Went there for coffe/cake. technically nothing wrong with them, nothing amazing either. But the service.. it was 4 pm when we went, there were probably 8-10 staff all walking around, not really knowing what do do.

    We asked what cakes they had? no idea, they had to check. Really? had to go by the window and then tell us what they had.

    I asked the aitress for a glass of water with our order. It never arrived.

    Its like a bunch of kids working in there waiting for their shift to finish, just not caring in the slightest.

  14. Am thinking of going there tonight, but all these negative reviews are putting me off. Is it really THAT bad?

  15. Cormac, I’m in a minority here obviously but I’ve been twice for lunch / brunch in the past couple of months and really enjoyed it, additionally the place has been full on both occasions so it is obviously popular (especially with women it seems.. Or is this the same with any lunch time trade in suburban Dublin these days?).

    Food and service were good if not exceptional. Liked our table ( big round one near the door, great for people watching’!).

    Toilets etc were top notch as well. Prices not cheap, but reasonable for the quality and quantity.

    I’m there for lunch tomorrow again.. I’ll bear in mind the criticisms listed here to try and ascertain if I’m too easily pleased or just happened to be very lucky ..twice!

  16. I had to laugh today at Cinnamon when the waiter was asked for a regular white coffee and he quite literally didn’t know WTF – once we mentioned an Americano we were away!