The Irish Food Report #5
Vada, Stoneybatter, Dublin
Carved, Grand Canal Dock, Dublin
La Maison, City Centre, Dublin
This week I tried Dublin’s best new brunch café, the most queued for lunch-time sandwiches in Dublin, and classic French food in the liveliest part of the capital.
Vada - Dublin city brunch at its best
https://www.hellovada.com/
Food 10/10
Vibe 9/10
Value 8/10
Vada is a new brunch café in Stoneybatter, a stone’s throw from the great Walsh’s pub. It is a “neighbourhood café committed to sustainability,” with a mission is to be “zero waste and crafting fresh flavours from Dublin's local bounty.” This is an admirable goal and the food was certainly fresh, and delicious.
Vada is a certifiable hit and could be the best brunch I’ve had in Dublin. The coffee was excellent and the brunch menu was full of so many great options I struggled to decide. I went for a daily special “Vada Toast” of sourdough toast, creamy labneh, romesco sauce, crispy kale and broccoli, poached eggs, and za’atar. I also added a side of smoked black pudding. It was a perfect brunch dish.
Stoneybatter is spoiled for choice with its many great new brunch spots, and Vada could be the best. Whether or not the more established locals approve of Stoneybatter’s gentrification remains to be seen though. I couldn’t help but laugh at the work of a graffiti artist who had spray-painted “fuck your bougie cafés” on the wall opposite Vada for all diners to see. I don’t agree with the message, but I support their freedom of expression.
Carved - the much-loved sandwich spot for Dublin’s tech elite
https://carved.ie/
Food 10/10
Vibe 8/10
Value 8/10
Is this where you will find the best sandwich in Dublin? Arguably, yes. The queue for a sandwich at Carved starts around 12pm and is consistently out the door well after 2pm, but it moves fast and the food is worth the wait.
I work nearby and go here once a week if I can. The menu is incredible, with a daily special that is usually hard to resist. The bread rolls are soft, but not too soft. Whether you want buffalo chicken, beef brisket and onions, a New York reuben, or a roast chicken dinner with potatoes, you’ll never be disappointed at Carved.
Pro tip: get the side order of roast potatoes with garlic aioli.
La Maison - delicious French food where the cool kids hang out
https://lamaisondublin.com/
Food 8/10
Vibe 8/10
Value 8/10
La Maison is next door to Grogan’s and George’s Street Arcade, bang smack in the middle of Dublin’s liveliest area for a drink and some people-watching. It’s been around for a long time and for good reason. The food and atmosphere is great.
The interior is beautiful and the staff are very friendly. It’s a cosy room that gets busy but doesn’t get too loud. It’s very French and very welcoming. This is definitely somewhere you bring a date or a small group to celebrate something.
The menu has a nice mix of French classics made with fresh Irish ingredients. I wanted classic French food and went for slow-cooked beef croquettes with a celeriac and mustard salad, Coq au vin, and crème brûlée for dessert. Each dish was perfectly cooked and delicious. The Coq au vin was a highlight, as it’s not something I would ever cook. The rich red wine sauce, bacon lardons, and soft chicken breast on a bed of puréed potatoes was the perfect dish to enjoy while watching the heavy rain fall outside on a wet Dublin evening.
Thank you for reading my fifth report. I have had such a great response from fellow Irish restaurant lovers following on social media and joining the mailing list. To receive and read my next report, make sure you’ve joined the mailing list. I send my reports out every Monday. Happy eating!
