Lucinda O'Sullivan's Ireland

About The Restaurant

Eileen Dunne & Stefano Crescenzi are the couple who raised the level of casual Italian dining in Dublin thus formulating the successful Dunne & Crescenzi “brand”. It is a very simple concept really, but like all of these things has to be done well, an amalgam of good charcuterie and marinated vegetables in oil, decent breads, pastas, olive oils and wines, served with panache.

L’Officina Dundrum, centered in a triumvirate of eateries with outdoor tables overlooking the Mill Pond fountain in Dundrum Shopping Centre, is part of their stable of restaurants with David Izzo and it is just perfect for collapsing into after you have been shopping or indeed as a destination restaurant for a lovely continental style lunch or dinner. It is basically a large fitted out shell unit, so the atmosphere is casual, almost Deli open kitchen style. However, big hanging cream lampshades hovering over pine and cream tables with rush seated kitchen chairs, splashes of aubergine paint, and a long banquette, soften and add the desired designery look. The clientele is always eclectic, young couples, groups of girls, and a brace or two of twittery “ladies who lunch” getting tiddlier by the minute over their glass or three of Prosecco.

You can kickstart your day with a delicious Italian style breakfast – small or large as you may want. You can have a simple coffee and croissant, or beef it up, or should I say ham it up, with two slices of toast with Parma ham – the Italian version of a bacon sandwich. They also di toast with Asiago cheese and honey which would be good with a fresh fruit salad. More substantial breakfasts include croissant with organic scrambled eggs and ham, or organic scrambled eggs with Buffalo mozzarella and smoked speck. There are all sorts of varieties as there are of coffees, chilled drinks, and chocolate drinks.

Antipasti e Piatti Freddi – Starters and Cold Plates included various platters of Italian charcuterie and vegetables such as chargrilled vegetables in oil - aubergine, artichoke, courgettes; Parma Ham and Buffalo Mozzarella; I very often have the Antipasto Misto with Italian Villani salami, pepper salami, Mortadella, Prosciutto, DOP cheese, courgette, mushroom, red and yellow peppers, rings of crostini, and olive oil. Another thing I like is their selection of cheeses served with honey. They do delicious foccaccia with lots of lovely chopped fresh tomatoes, Buffalo mozzarella and aubergines, or you can have this also with tuna, or Italian bacon, Taleggio cheese or chargrilled vegetables.

Their pastas and risottos, of course, are gorgeous. I like their simple Fettuccine alluovo con pomodoro e basilico. Another of my favourites is their fresh egg Tonnarelli pasta with clams, radicchio, pine nuts and cherry tomatoes, and indeed their ravioli filled with Ricotta cheese and spinach in a Taleggio, walnut and sage sauce. Absolutely sinfully yummy.

They also do a cracking Filetto di Manzo, which Brendan had on his last visit, with a Brandy and pepper sauce – delicious beef cooked perfectly – and do have their rosemary roast potatoes – they are gorgeous. You can also have chicken escallops with roast Italian ham, truffle oil, and rosemary, or sea bream fillet filled with a cream of black olive, potato and courgettes. They generally too have specials on the board – always interesting.

Whether you want a light bite or a total indulgence L’Officina Dundrum never disappoints.

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