A brightly painted and, in summer, flower-bedecked traditional pub frontage sets a welcoming tone at Spitalfields. Situated in the heart of The Liberties - the 'auld Dublin' of song and legend - it's near St Patrick's and Christchurch cathedrals and a host of increasingly popular attractions, many of which are connected with the area's famous brewing and distilling past.
Formerly Shanahans pub, Spitalfields was re-named and given a sympathetic makeover by new owners Stephen McAllister (who will be familiar to viewers of 'The Restaurant') and his wife Andrea Hussey, who have another well-loved restaurant in the city - The Pig's Ear, on Nassau Street. And the pair assembled an outstanding team, including the legendary front of house man, Declan Maxwell, formerly of Chapter One and the late lamented Luna, who was our Host of the Year in 2016. No surprise then that Spitalfields was one of Dublin's most keenly anticipated openings in 2019 - and hit the ground running, with reviewers queueing at the door.
But once the critics had moved on, what they left behind was an atmospheric pub and restaurant that's here to stay. Although mainly a dining destination - the interior has been reworked to host a restaurant upstairs, in the former event space, and bar seating downstairs overlooking a modern kitchen with a smart wooden free-standing chefs' pass - the McAllisters have been careful to retain it as a pub. So there's a bar serving the full range of long and short drinks, as well as a restaurant quality wine list, so it's still a place that locals can drop into for a quiet afternoon pint.
The food is described as "traditional, classical restaurant cooking in a pub setting" and a lot of care has gone into menus which offer five or six dishes per course and include not only almost-forgotten classics such as devilled eggs, but also items relevant to the area - notably ‘Old Dublin’ Gravadlax, a thoughtful nod to Eamonn Walsh's pioneering Russian/Scandinavian-inspired restaurant The Old Dublin, which was a Francis Street favourite for many years.
Dishes which soon established themselves as reasons to return include a deliciously impressive Cock-a-leekie pie for two (about €42) and a speciality starter, Beef cheek and Bone Marrow Parker Roll, which is a nest of brioche sharing rolls stuffed with slow cooked beef cheek and bone marrow. Served with a rich gravy on the side, for dipping, this is luscious comfort food. There is also a Côte de Boeuf at around €68 which serves two with thick cut chips on the side.
The welcome from Declan Maxwell and his team is extremely warm and, adding to the ambience, the team of chefs is on view to ground floor diners in the open kitchen, serving up the well executed and tasty food that we have come to expect from Stephen McAllister’s venues.
Expect to pay restaurant rather than pub prices for the à la carte (the small dishes, especially, can add up quickly), but it's worth paying for carefully sourced ingredients from top producers - and the short set lunch / early evening menu is a snip.
Spitalfields offers quality casual dining at its best - and the music is unusual here too, so bring along a favourite record if you like, for Declan to give it a spin.
