Farewell to north inner city Dublin – Part 2: The Restaurants

For part 2 of my farewell to the north inner city, I’m going to focus on the restaurants (Part 3 will be the coffee shops). As with part one, I’ll only be focusing on on places I actually visited, so you won’t see a review of Chapter One here, as I’m not a multi millionaire (OK, the prices aren’t that bad, but the waiting list for a table is longer than a Tolkien novel).

Kingfisher restaurant is situated on Parnell street, opposite the Rotunda hospital. To my mind, it serves the best greasy-spoon food in Dublin. Lots of tables, lots of customers, lots of action and lots of artery-clogging-delicious-evil-badness: deep fried for your taste-bud’s pleasure and your gut’s dismay.
The good bits: The best All Day Breakfast in Dublin - believe me, I’ve tried them all. Great full flavour black coffee. Deep fried fish n’chips. Home made jelly and ice-cream for dessert. Lovely friendly staff.
The bad bits: Your heart will cry with fear the moment you walk through the door. Can get very busy. Customers can occasionally be (ahem) a little rough & loud (I’m allowed say that, I come from Summerhill in the inner city).

Enoteca Delle Langhe (Italian for My spell-checker just exploded) is an authentic Italian wine bar and restaurant, located in the wonderful Italian Quarter on the north side of the Millennium Bridge. It offers a selection of Italian starters, and there’s a huge collection of Italian wines to choose from.
The good bits: Warm friendly atmosphere. Delicious cheese, bruschetta and ham. Fantastic wine.
The bad bits: The wine prices seem to have gone up significantly lately. Slightly cramped seating. Very popular, so you sometimes have to sit at the bar for a while before you get a table.

Bar Italia is also in the Italian Quarter. It offers authentic Italian food, including pizza, but my favourite dish is their wonderful mussels starter (I just drooled on my keyboard just thinking about it).
The good bits: Reasonable prices. Easy to get a table. Great wine and beer. Friendly staff.
The bad bits: It’s a little bright. Lacking in decor.

Flanagan’s Restaurant on O’Connell Street has been part of Dublin since the Vikings first landed and fancied a nice lump of steak after a hard day’s pillaging. OK I’m exaggerating, but it has been there as long as I can remember, and long may it last.
The good bits: Great traditional meat and two veg dishes that your dad will appreciate. Warm and snug booths, great on a winters night. Unbelievably delicious ice cream desserts, covered in butterscotch syrup, Mmmmmm.
The bad bits: Staff occasionally forget you’re there. Teeny tiny wine glasses that look like they were nicked from a Barbie doll house. Some booths are too close to the kitchen. Never, ever visit on a night before a big GAA game: you might get eaten yourself, by an overzealous, overexcited, red faced country gentleman.

101 Talbot on Talbot street has also been around for as long as I can remember, and is a favourite of visitors to The Abbey theatre. It’s odd in that it has no music (at least it didn’t the night I was there) but you hardly notice over the hum of the crowd.
The good bits: Great atmosphere. Good prices. Usually full of people and chat.
The bad bits: Probably a bit too busy for a romantic dinner. You’ll definitely need to book a table in advance. Local lads may try to steal your shoes on your way home.

Yamamori sushi restaurant is on Lower Ormond Quay. There’s a cracking atmosphere here and the layout and decor is (dare I say it) even nicer than that of it’s south-side (Georges St.) counterpart.
The good bits: Full of people and craic. Good healthy eating. Beautiful surroundings.
The bad bits: It gets really hot, especially in the summer. Need to book in advance. Every time I visit I feel guilty about the time I was drunk and stole a porcelain chop-stick rest.

Chinatown If you want to visit Dublin’s real Chinatown, then head to Parnell street. One of the best things to come out of the Celtic Tiger era was an influx of immigrants who totally transformed this area from a run down concrete graveyard, to a bustling community. There are many restaurants here and I can’t do justice to them all. I’ve already mentioned The Hop House, but do walk a few doors further and try another venue.
The good bits: Authentic Asian food. Very cheap. Open late.
The bad bits: Authentic Asian food - some of it is terrifying (Boiled fish head served with chicken intestines? Yummy bummy). Food preparation sometimes a little hands-on for us Irish. Lots of garlic.

Honourable mentions: Cucina, Parnell street. La Pizza, O’Connell street. The Epicurean food hall, Liffey Street.

So what do you think dear Culch.ie readers, any suggestions for a nice, north inner city, eatery?