Restaurants

Eating out with a group is always a nice idea, but in practice it suffers from being a stationary affair whereby even the most delicious of menus cannot compensate for suffering dull conversation while laughter and scintillating anecdotes echo over from fellow diners further down the table.

This is why The Mongolian Barbeque is a perfect antidote to stiff, sit-down dining. The format is simple – grab a bowl, fill up with your choice of meats, vegetables, herbs, spices and sauces from the buffet, toss them on the communal griddle and watch as the house chef stir-fries them to perfection. Return to your table, consume, and repeat as desired.

There are numerous optional extras, but unlimited steamed rice and fresh salad are included as standard. The atmosphere is friendly, the culinary creation possibilities are endless and the to-and-froing from buffet to griddle to table ensure that, if eating en masse, you’re sure to spend some quality time debating the compatibility of black bean sauce with chicken. There’s no blaming the chef this time.

I first reviewed Camden Kitchen for this website after stumbling on it by chance one day shortly after it opened a few years ago. I am glad to say subsequent visits have confirmed its status as one of my favourite restaurants in Dublin.

The decor is simple and unfussy, with an open kitchen down the back, and the food is of the upmarket-bistro variety. Most main courses come in at around the € 20 mark, and when quality is measured against price, this really represents good value for money. The owner-chef, Padraic Hayden, has worked in some of Dublin’s most exclusive restaurants, including the Michelin-starred L’Ecrivain – and it shows. On my last visit I had rabbit with pancetta and black pudding as a main course, and I felt like I was getting a Michelin-star experience on the cheap. The dark chocolate fondant with ice cream for dessert was equally good.

They are not doing anything ground-breaking here – the mid-price bistro format has been all the rage in Dublin since a restaurant called L’Gueleton became an overnight sensation back in the early Noughties. But it is done very well, and with considerable charm.

One thing that has changed since my original review is that the word is well and truly out on Camden Kitchen at this stage, so booking ahead is essential.

It may be oddly out of sync with our troubled economic times, but some of Dublin’s more successful restaurant openings in recent years have seemed to rely on a formula borrowed straight from an episode of Sex and the City: sleek decor, a bar counter, a cocktail menu and some funky music. This works, ultimately, thanks to a more competitive pricing policy, meaning we can afford to retain the odd touch of glamour in our chastened lives.

There is certainly nothing frivolous about the cooking here either, and the menu has a light, Mediterranean flavour to it.

Main courses, which typically include the likes of baked sea bass, roast guinea fowl or meatball linguini, all come at in or around the € 20 mark. They don’t take bookings for parties of under six, and it gets pretty busy at weekends.

Turn up early, or have a drink or snack at the bar while you wait.

I have bemoaned elsewhere on this website the lack of decent quality street food to graze on in Dublin – presumably attributable to over-regulation and lack of cultural diversity. When Neon attaches the words “Asian street food” to its title, however, it is probably doing itself a disservice. The quality of the ingredients and cooking here is of a higher order than the term would imply.

With a bright, breezy interior and long communal benches, it is effectively an upmarket take-away. Go up to the counter to order and pay first, then hope to find a seat. They take your first name and promptly deliver the food to your table. The place is usually buzzing at weekends, but don’t be deterred as the turnover is quick. 

Starters are generally priced around € 4 – 5, but I rarely order one as the mains – noodles, curries, wok dishes etc. – are pretty substantial. My personal favourite, for what it’s worth, is the Mekong Duck.

For dessert, the choice is straightforward: each meal comes with a complementary Mr Whippy cone which you dispense yourself from the machine.

Located on one of Dublin’s livelier strips, offering good value for money, and with friendly staff and efficient service, Neon has become one of my favourite spots to start a night out with a group of friends.

Builders and developers are almost as reviled in Ireland these days as bankers and politicians. The exception – until a recent tax scandal – was a colourful character called Mick Wallace (now an Independent politician also), who was responsible for developing Bloom’s Lane back in the early Noughties.

A lover of Italian culture, Wallace’s ambition was to bring a slice of the continental lifestyle, with good food and wine at affordable prices, to Dublin at a time when prices elsewhere were soaring.

It is an attractive walkway which links the Millennium Bridge with Strand Street and Upper Abbey Street and is lined with restaurants, cafes and a few shops. There is a cluster of Italian restaurants at one end, hence it is generally referred to locally as the “Italian Quarter.”

Whether this area can still be said to offer better value for money than elsewhere in the city is debatable. The Italian fare on offer tends to be decent and reliable rather than exciting or inventive. Nevertheless, it is a very pleasant option for al fresco dining or a simple glass of wine. Bloom’s Lane is also one of Dublin’s prime people-watching locations on a sunny day, forming a perfect runway for the city’s beautiful people – usually foreigners.

Incidentally, the picture above is of a mural to be found at the heart of Bloom’s Lane. Featuring a collection of random individuals chosen by the local artist responsible for the work, it is a clever and amusing take on the Last Supper.