Tucked between the Dublin Business School and a charity shop on the buzzy end of South Great George's Street, this new Dublin favourite hit the ground running when it opened in the former San Lorenzo's premises, just before Christmas 2023 - and it hasn't looked back since. And no wonder. Owned by former Chapter One head chef, Eric Matthews, and front-of-house business partner, Richie Barrett, it's a real class act. The simple, smart street frontage opens directly into a long, bright and warmly welcoming room with lovely lighting where a gorgeous mural painted by artist Leah Hewson (niece of Ali Hewson and Bono) immediately works its retro charm, with vibrant colours framing the open kitchen that's Eric's pride and joy. And there's plenty else of interest too, notably the care that's been lavished on the room in all the right ways to reflect the owners' personalities, with a relaxing informal vibe - and, unlike many contemporary restaurants, seriously comfortable chairs.
And then there is the food... The exciting broadly Mediterrean and ingredients-led à la carte menus are not over-long, and the style is a far cry from Eric's fine dining days. And it's definitely a 'no tweezers' zone, which will please many - in fact Eric enjoys sharing the story of how they ditched them from the start and then his last pair showed up accidentally going through airport security -, to be binned with glee. The focus here is on enjoyment, good value (considering the quality of ingredients sourced from an outstanding supplier list), joyful cooking and giving a genuine experience that's not just a one-off treat but will make diners want to return as often as possible - which they do, and the fact that they're open on Mondays when so many Dublin restaurants are closed is a big draw.
Freshly made pasta and mains cooked over charcoal are the big attractions, along with innovative dishes that you won't find anywhere else - signature dishes not to be missed include the seriously more-ish 72-hour Potato Focaccia with carbonara butter from the Bites section of the menu (also available for vegetarians without gunciale), while unusual pasta dishes could include a tempting Rabbit bolognese,with 24 month Parmigiano Reggiano, pangrattato, Strozzapreti. When it comes to the main courses cooked over charcoal, both fish and meat lovers are in for a special treat - you don't often see a dish like their magnificent monkfish on the bone, for example (with celeriac and Castletownbere shrimp perhaps), or the signature shared main of Peter Hannan Striploin on the bone, a feast that comes complete with sides at around €90 for two. Sides are given equal care - every dish is full of creativity, with flavour to the fore and every detail carefully thought through.
The dessert list is short but equally unusual - a house special is ‘The Irish Coffee’ (don't ask just order it) - while 'Cheese with all the bits’ offers a carefully selected combination of Irish and French cheeses with Granny smith, truffle honey, house seeded lavosh.
And when it comes to the drinks list, there's a good mix of house cocktails, Sippers, a couple of beers and a 'No and Low Alcohol' section, including Homemade ginger ale - and an interesting wine list which has no tasting notes but it's helpfully arranged by style (Fun-Fresh-Light, Mature-Lush etc) with Organic, Biodynamic Sustainable ('Natural') wines marked up and plenty of choice by the glass.
This is a happy ship, with a supplier list that's a joy to read and makes its mark on every bite, while hospitable staff are keen to make sure guests are enjoying themselves. Every dish is full of creativity and, with flavour to the fore and every detail carefully through, eating here is an immensely satisfying experience. Heartily recommended.
