Dublin’s best restaurant options in spring

Mamó is a modern European restaurant with an emphasis on sustainable ingredients, sourced from some of Ireland’s most respected food producers. The springtime menu includes gorgeous seasonal dishes like suckling pig belly with Roscoff onion, crumble and grilled leeks, Jerusalem artichoke risotto, and rhubarb and almond tart. There’s an outdoor seating area, brilliant for sunny spring days, and the indoor dining area is light and airy with large sweeping windows. Located a mere stone’s throw away from the pretty harbour, we highly recommend taking a stroll by the water after dining here.

A few stops south of Dalkey and we find ourselves on the beachside town of Bray. There’s always a great buzz about this town, with food and drinks options both varied and plentiful. However, the warm fires and wooden interior, as well as the heated outdoor area of The Martello is a lovely spot to cosy up for some al fresco dining. The food is a combination of Irish pub classics and takeaway favourites, which makes The Martello one of the best restaurants around for a catch up with friends. Start off with the chicken satay, where light chicken strips rest on a bed of noodles, marinated in silky satay sauce. As for mains, The Martello truly displays an extensive list of signature dishes and pub favourites all while maintaining a high standard of food. We’d highly recommend the barbecue pork ribs, which are slow cooked for at least five hours and marinated in a spice rub, then served with crunchy coleslaw. If you’re in for fish while gazing over the beach, The Martello serves up a beer battered cod that’s fantastic. The batter is made with local craft beer, ‘Wicklow wolf’ and is served with a homemade tartar sauce and fries. The Martello hosts some brilliant drinks. On offer is a mean pint of Guinness, the benchmark of any good pub, and some brilliant signature cocktails. We’d recommend trying the ‘Starburst Cocktail’, based on the chewy fruit sweets we all love.

When the weather warms up, there’s no better place to be than the Canal Bank Cafe. This charming spot, located right on the banks of the Grand Canal, offers a tranquil retreat from the hustle and bustle of the city. Sit outside on the cafe’s spacious terrace and watch the boats and barges float by on the water as you tuck into some delicious eats. The menu features seasonal dishes made from locally sourced ingredients, including chargrilled lemon and rosemary chicken salad with toasted hazelnuts and Cashel blue cheese, and chargrilled vegetable flatbread with white bean hummus, roasted chickpeas, and sesame nut dukkah. Yum!

Nestled on the grand canal dock, herbstreet is a charming cafe that captures the essence of springtime in the city. The sun-drenched outdoor seating area is the perfect spot to enjoy a lazy brunch or a leisurely coffee, surrounded by colourful plants and the gentle hum of the city. Herbstreet’s menu is bursting with fresh, seasonal flavours, all of which use locally sourced ingredients to showcase the best of Irish cuisine. From pan-fried mackerel with puy lentils, roasted tomatoes and baby spinach casserole, to moules frites and buttermilk pancakes with blueberries and orange honey butter, there’s something for everyone.

Serving breakfast, lunch and dinner seven days a week until 9:30pm, as well as weekend brunch and fresh roast of the day, daily – Scott’s Seafood and Grill Restaurant is a haven for foodies. Here you’ll find not just unbeatable food, but also award-winning cocktails, an outdoor terrace, a private Bar and Tanquery Garden. Scott’s Seafood and Grill Restaurant is a suburban food and drink emporium offering arguably some of the best steak and seafood in the area.

If that summer holiday can’t come soon enough during spring, then we recommend you book a table with Dada where you’ll discover Moroccan cuisine, considered to be one of the richest in the world. Inspired by many cultures and civilisations across Africa, Europe and further East, and in particular the flavours of the Moorish kitchens of Northern Africa and Southern Spain, Dada is authentic and bursting with flavour. In the kitchen is chef Jalal Belmaati and his team, where he applies his years of experience cooking in some of the finest restaurants in North Africa. Jalal started his career in Casablanca’s five star hotels, before working in Spain’s finest restaurants in the cities of Bilbao and San Sebastian, where he deepened his knowledge of Spanish and Central Mediterranean cuisines. In Ireland, Jalal has worked in the exclusive Clanard and Herbert park hotel, and now in Dada he’s excitedly introducing the authentic flavours of Moroccan and Moorish dishes to the people of Ireland, going back to his cooking roots.