{"id":168688,"date":"2025-12-01T05:10:22","date_gmt":"2025-12-01T05:10:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/168688\/"},"modified":"2025-12-01T05:10:22","modified_gmt":"2025-12-01T05:10:22","slug":"twelve-of-the-buzziest-restaurants-in-ireland-right-now-the-irish-times","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/168688\/","title":{"rendered":"Twelve of the buzziest restaurants in Ireland right now \u2013 The Irish Times"},"content":{"rendered":"

Catch the buzz<\/p>\n

Bar PezUnit 3, College Court, Kevin Street Lower, Portobello, Dublin 8; 01-5670577, barpez.ie<\/a>\"BarBar Pez head chef Simone Tamilio <\/p>\n

This stylish, wood-panelled room is owners Jumoke Akintola and Peter Hogan\u2019s homage to the Spanish tapas bars they love, and it shows in the menu full of top-notch Irish<\/a> ingredients<\/a> cooked with plenty of Spanish<\/a> inspiration. Choose from the chalkboard \u2013 oozy croquetas, Connemara<\/a> oysters, crab sandwich, maybe a stew. Wash it down with something from their 300-plus eclectic wine list, offering 20 or so by the glass, including sparkling, orange wines and sherries. AD<\/p>\n

China Tang 5A Monkstown Crescent, Monkstown, Co Dublin; 01-4853798, chinatang.ie<\/a>\"PekingPeking Duck at China Tang <\/p>\n

There\u2019s a welcome old-school glamour at China Tang and a menu to match. Cantonese dim sum, roasted meats, Sichuan and Hunan dishes are delivered with flair, but the show stopper is the signature roasted Peking duck carved tableside (must be pre-ordered). Bring a gang to work through the extensive menu for a great time. Read our review here<\/a>. AD<\/p>\n

Dar\u00f3g56 Lower Dominick Street, Galway, Co Galway; 091-565813, darogwinebar.com<\/a>\"DarógDar\u00f3g chefs Stiof\u00e1n Feeney and Chloe O’Shea. Photograph: Ciar\u00e1n MacChoncarraige <\/p>\n

This intimate wine bar may be small, but it packs bold flavours and an exceptional wine list curated by co-owner Zsolt Luk\u00e1cs, crowned Michelin sommelier of the year in 2025. Chef Stiof\u00e1n Feeney\u2019s seasonal small plates, such as polenta cakes with Comt\u00e9 and Dexter beef tartare, build up to a substantial dinner, perfect for pairing with the 40 by-the-glass wine options. Read our review here<\/a>. AD<\/p>\n

KalderoUnit 4B, Stephen\u2019s Green Shopping Centre, King Street South, Dublin 2; 01-4782152, kaldero.ie<\/a>\"KalderoKaldero chef Richie Castillo <\/p>\n

After a bumpy start in 2024 with a mixed Asian menu, Kaldero smartly relaunched this summer with Bahay \u2013 the Irish Filipino concept from chef Richie Castillo and food creative Alex O\u2019Neill. Now it\u2019s all about the dishes for which Castillo is celebrated: golden lumpia spring rolls, rich kare kare braised oxtail with peanut sauce, and inihaw na manok, barbecue chicken skewers glazed with banana ketchup. It\u2019s a wonderful showcase of his Irish and Filipino heritage on a plate. AD<\/p>\n

La Gordita6 Montague Street, Dublin 2; 01-5313303, lagordita.ie<\/a>\"LaLa Gordita, Montague Street, Dublin. Photograph: Dara Mac D\u00f3naill <\/p>\n

Walking past La Gordita takes you immediately to the streets of Spain. The classic wooden and glass exterior beckons you in for a glass of good Spanish red or a nutty amontillado sherry. With a long bar running down the middle and tables at either end, it\u2019s always buzzing. Chef Mar\u00eda Luisa Moraleda knows how to deliver a menu of signature dishes such as anchovies with blue cheese butter and ever-changing seasonal specials. JC<\/p>\n

Lena1 Windsor Terrace, Portobello, Dublin 8; 01-4163655, lena.ie<\/a>\"LenaLena co-owners Paul McNamara, Simon Barrett and Liz Matthews. Photograph: Bryan O’Brien <\/p>\n

Lena starts with a sage leaf and an anchovy \u2013 fried to a crackle \u2013 two bites that set the bar unreachably high. Liz Matthews, Simon Barrett and Paul McNamara \u2013 the team behind Etto and Uno Mas \u2013 seem incapable of putting a foot wrong. Italian-inspired plates follow: wild sea bass crudo with blood orange and rosemary, pici cacio e pepe that leaves you licking the plate, and halibut with vermouth sauce. No wonder it\u2019s the toughest booking in Dublin right now. It\u2019s the perfect restaurant. Read our review here<\/a>. CH<\/p>\n

[\u00a0Lena, Portobello review: This is the perfect restaurant, with the best fish dish I have eaten in yearsOpens in new window<\/a>\u00a0]<\/p>\n

LirThe Coleraine Marina, Coleraine, Co Derry, BT52 1EY; +44 78 28127739, lirseafood.com<\/a>\"SteafanSteafan and Rebekah McCarry of Lir. Photograph: Arthur Allison\/Pacemaker <\/p>\n

The Great British Menu has been a fantastic showcase for Northern chefs in recent years, most particularly for self-taught Steafan McCarry. Years of innovation for this devotee of fin-to-tail cooking culminated in the overall region win this year. With wife Rebekah, he has added a new events space to Lir, and is looking forward to a winter of special collaboration evenings with other superb local talent. JC<\/p>\n

Mae53 Shelbourne Road, Dublin 4; 01-2313903, maerestaurant.ie<\/a>\"GráinneGr\u00e1inne O’Keefe, chef-patron at Mae. Photograph: Alan Betson <\/p>\n

Chef Gr\u00e1inne O\u2019Keefe may have published a book about cooking for one this year, but you\u2019re advised to bring friends or family when dining at Mae. There\u2019s just too much to enjoy solo. The set menu features dishes such as smoked Hegarty\u2019s cheddar agnolotti, brown butter fillet of hake and the decadent tarte Tatin. Diners can choose from a selection of individual handcrafted knives, and the wine pairings from downstairs The French Paradox are unique. JC<\/p>\n

Reggie\u2019s Pizzeria221\/223 Rathmines Road Lower, Rathmines, Dublin 6; reggies.ie<\/a>\"AA Reggie’s nduja, ricotta and honey pizza. Photograph: Bryan O\u2019Brien <\/p>\n

The hype hasn\u2019t faded \u2013 nor should it. Reggie White\u2019s low-waste pizzeria in a reworked redbrick in Rathmines is one of the most exciting rooms in Dublin, humming with families, students and couples sharing bottles of wine over 48-hour fermented wild-farmed sourdough pizzas. The whey-braised leek with Cashel Blue and honey and the Andarl Farm sausage are standouts, and nothing costs more than \u20ac18.50. Soon, there\u2019ll be pasta too \u2013 because why stop at great pizza? Read our review here<\/a>. CH<\/p>\n

The Morrison RoomCarton House, Maynooth, Co Kildare; 01-5052000, cartonhouse.com<\/a> \"ChefChef Adam Nevin at the Morrison Room, Carton House. Photograph: Nick Bradshaw <\/p>\n

The grandeur of this historic 19th-century room is the perfect canvas for chef Adam Nevin\u2019s dynamic cooking<\/a>. After winning a Michelin star last year, the food featuring exquisite ingredients continues to wow. Go all out with the tasting menu (\u20ac150) or visit on Sunday for a pared-back four-course (\u20ac95). A champagne trolley and classic wine list with big hitters are fitting partners. AD<\/p>\n

The PullmanGlenlo Abbey Hotel, Galway, Co Galway; 091-519600, glenloabbeyhotel.ie<\/a>\"TheThe Pullman, Galway. Photograph: Joe O’Shaughnessy <\/p>\n

Leona and Linda are the charming ex-Orient Express carriages that are home to the Pullman restaurant. Reopening this year after an extensive renovation, the two ladies are smarter than ever. Working from an adjacent purpose-built kitchen, chef Angelo Vagiotis, pastry chef Linda Sergidou and the rest of the Pullman team are driving a refined tasting menu experience worthy of the setting, while restaurant manager Ian McDonnell walks the aisles with wines to match. JC<\/p>\n

Variety Jones79 Thomas Street, Dublin 8; 01-5671164, varietyjones.ie<\/a>\"KeelanKeelan Higgs, (right) and Samantha Spodzieza at work in Variety Jones. Photograph: Dara Mac D\u00f3naill <\/p>\n

Variety Jones may have moved premises and settled into a gorgeous new home on the corner of Thomas Street, but some things will never change. There will always be the signature waffles and pasta on the tasting menu. The sharing main will always be a joyously riotous affair. The wine list is always good. Open-fire cooking is used as much as possible and, in the words of owner Keelan Higgs, \u201cyou\u2019re in for a good time, not a long time\u201d. JC<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Catch the buzz Bar PezUnit 3, College Court, Kevin Street Lower, Portobello, Dublin 8; 01-5670577, barpez.ieBar Pez head…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":168689,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[53309,4500,61,60,71183,46885,43,5861,5862,5863],"class_list":{"0":"post-168688","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-ireland","8":"tag-fine-dining","9":"tag-galway","10":"tag-ie","11":"tag-ireland","12":"tag-italian-cuisine","13":"tag-michelin","14":"tag-news","15":"tag-restaurant","16":"tag-restaurant-guides","17":"tag-restaurant-reviews"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/168688","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=168688"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/168688\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/168689"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=168688"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=168688"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=168688"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}