Lucinda's 20 BEST Festive Shopping Lunches
Wednesday 12 December 2018
DUBLIN
BALFE’S
The smart-casual Balfe’s on Clarendon St, part of the 5-Star Westbury Hotel, has an extensive all-day menu with seafood platters, Josper grilled steaks and gorgeous grilled gambas with harissa. Daily lunch specials, 12pm-6pm at €17.50, include a main and a fruit fool dessert pot.
balfes.ie
CORFU
On Dame Street, Corfu, with its brilliant colours and Greek food, will transport you immediately to the Aegean. It has a wide selection of a la carte faves (€3.95-€21.95) ranging from moussaka to delicious saganaki (fried cheese), stifado (stewed meat), souvlaki, and baklava. There is also a 2-course lunch menu at €12.95 from 12.30pm-5pm.
corfugreekrestaurant.ie
DUCK
A Hong Kong style BBQ deli on Fade St, where pork, chicken, and of course the old quacker are cooked in a torpedo-shaped ‘Bullet Oven’. Pop up at the counter and try the duck spring rolls (€3.95), followed by char siu - sticky BBQ pork with rice/noodles (regular/large €7.45/€9.45).
duck.ie
GLOVERS ALLEY
At the Fitzwilliam Hotel on St. Stephen’s Green, Andy McFadden is serving up some of the most elegant French-style food in the city. A 4-course Festive Menu is €80 at both lunch and dinner and includes canapes, petit fours and coffee.
gloversalley.ie
L’OFFICINA
In Dundrum Town Centre, lunch at L’Officina delivers an authentic Italian experience, with antipasti and pasta dishes, plus a slow-cooked casserole of Tuscan sausage, salami, tomato and borlotti beans with rosemary roast potatoes (€14.50).
dunneandcrescenzi.com
PEPLOE’S
One of Dublin’s best bistros, Barry Canny’s Peploe’s on St. Stephen’s Green, is sophisticated, warm and buzzy, with great food from chef Graeme Dodrill. 2/3 courses (€31.50/€37.50) from 12pm-4pm.
peploes.com
PIPIZZA
If pizza is your thing, the new hip PiPizza – Wood Fired Pizza Fundamentalists – on South George’s St has all the pizza heads ranting on Twitter about it’s kissable dough base and just the right amount of burn. Pizzas are €9-€16 and they serve beer, cider and wine.
pipizzas.ie
SABA
Superb cocktails are a given at Saba on Clarendon St, along with delicious Thai & Vietnamese food at great prices. I love its Pho Bo (€14.50), Vietnamese rice noodle soup. Mon-Fri, it does a 2 course Express Lunch menu (€14.95).
sabadublin.com
THE KIMCHI HOPHOUSE
With a bar on one side and restaurant on the other, Ireland’s oldest Korean restaurant, on Parnell St, has lunch mains at €9-€13. Try the bibimbap – steamed rice, veg, egg yolk, in a hot stone bowl with beef, tofu, salmon or tuna (€10.50).
kimchihophouse.ie
THE LEGAL EAGLE
Across the river, The Legal Eagle at Chancery Place is the hottest gastropub in town. Think pies, puddings and roasts; big and small plates; plus variable roasts in a roll. You can even have a pickled egg (€2) or a 1kg Chateaubriand for 2/3 people (€79).
thelegaleagle.ie
COUNTRYWIDE
EVERETT’S
In Waterford, Everett’s on High St is a real treat. Chef patron Peter Everett, who is ex Chapter One and Residence, has a superb 3 course lunch at just €27.50.
everetts.ie
HARPERS
Set in the Kikenny Hibernian Hotel with its lush Belle Epoque decor plus plenty of buzz and good food, Harpers has a great 2/3 course festive lunch menu (€20.95/€25.95), plus a la carte options. A perfect escape from the madding crowd.
kilkennyhibernianhotel.com
RISTORANTE RINUCCINI
In the shadow of Kilkenny Castle, Rinuccini’s is the spot for sublime Italian food and wines. 2/3 course lunch €24/€29 every day plus quick lunch specials (€14-€17.50). Oh, oh, and Antonio’s raviolo...
rinuccini.com
HARRY’S ON THE RIVER
Overlooking the Shannon, Harry’s On The River in the Absolute Hotel in Limerick, is a lovely place to chill after a hard morning’s shopping. Its casual menu (€5.50-€12.50) includes seafood chowder, open prawn sandwiches, and burgers.
absolutehotel.com
THE HAMPTONS GRILL
On Limerick’s Henry Street, The Hamptons Grill at the Savoy Hotel, has a great selection of a la carte dishes with mains (€11-€15) including roast rib of Limerick bacon, and lobster (market price) with truffled fries.
savoylimerick.com
HOOKED
Sligo’s hottest restaurant does great all-day food (€8.95-€24.95) in a rustic atmosphere. From prawn cocktail to southern-fried chicken burgers, there is also a Little Nippers Menu (2/3 course €10/€13.50), which includes a Knickerbocker Glory.
hookedsligo.ie
THE BOOKSHELF
The Bookshelf, on South Mall in Cork, do all-day small bites plus small and large plates (€4.95-€16.95), including garlic-roasted Portobello mushrooms or moussaka with roasted veg. It also has a new branch at the Elysium.
bookshelfcoffee.com
GREENES
Have a cocktail first in Cask bar on MacCurtain Street, Cork then cross the courtyard, with its rippling waterfall, into Greenes restaurant for Head Chef Brian McCarthy’s sublime contemporary food. 2/3 course lunch menu €29/€34.50.
greenesrestaurant.com
THE DOUGH BROS
If you fancy a pizza, you can’t do better than the brilliant Dough Bros on Galway’s Middle Street; it does great pizzas at really good prices (€9-€12.50).
facebook.com/thedoughbros
THE GASLIGHT BAR & BRASSERIE
In Galway, a great refuge from the crowds is The Gaslight Bar & Brasserie at The Meyrick on Eyre Square. It does great cocktails, sharing platters (€22 for 2), sambos (€7.95-€8.50) and mains (€13.50-€14.95).
hotelmeyrick.ie
First Published In The Sunday Independent
lucindaosullivan.com