This week, The Irish Times published 25 of the best new Irish restaurants to try this summer. They have” something for everybody. ”
Let’s take them at their word. It’s 2024, so hopefully, these new Irish restaurants will have vegan options.
First on the list is Alta in Dublin 2. We are not off to a good start; the introductory paragraph boasts about barbecued rabbits: squid and suckling piglets. Writer Corinna Hardgrave thinks it’s wonderful that retired 6-year-old dairy cows are turned into hunks of beef. There is no menu on their website, but a look at their Instagram page shows that their focus is on dead carcasses. They even have photos of the baby pigs before they end up on the plate. This is something that vegans and vegetarians will want to avoid.
Next on the list is Andhra Bhavan, on Marlborough St, Dublin 1. This looks a lot more promising. The menu promises a tropical taste of southern India. Chef Venkata Manthri and the team cook from morning to night with authentic breakfast, lunch, and dinner dishes. There is a vast selection of veggie options. The menu does not specify vegan options, but some are bound to be vegan. We have contacted the restaurant to find out more. The restaurant looks vibrant and used high quality ingredients. This looks very appetizing.
If you find yourself in Kerry”Bea”cafe, it looks charming and has interesting-sounding vegan options.
Caladh is a new spot in Greystones with a changing menu. It might sometimes have a vegan option, but if not, you can just go to the Happy Pear on the same street for plenty of plant-based delicacies.
Cellar 22 in Stephens Green have a salad or olives to choose from so enjoy the wine.
Cent’Anni Pizzaria in Cork has no plant-based options on its menu, but the chef must at least know how to make a Marinara.
I’m staying in Cork for the next option, Church Lane in Middleton. This one doesn’t have vegan options, either, so avoid it.
Ichigo Ichi Bistro saves Cork with a Michelin-star chef, vegan options, and the best Japanese noodles in Cork.
Jean-Georges at The Leinster sends you on a wild goose chase to find the menu, which does not seem to have plant-based options.
Eric Matthews and Richie Barrett’snew Restaurant”’icky”’on South Great Georges Street has a changing menu and or vegan options at the time of writing. Still, there are numerous other options on Georges Street.
I’m back in Cork for Léa’s at the Glucksman, an interesting daytime cafe for brunch and lunch. It does have veggie and vegan options, and it looks good.
There’s another pizzeria on the list called ”Mani.” Although it has a hipster location on Drury Street, Dublin 2, the menu offers no plant-based options. This will likely change in the future, as most good pizza places in Dublin now have vegan options.
Next to Sligo for another Pizza, Otto. Will this pizzeria finally have a vegan option in 2024? Finally, we have plant-based options from a pizzeria on the list. Otto can offer padam peppers as a side and a Marianna pizza for a main. These pizzas are superior Italian style.
Table 45, on Hogans Place, Dublin 2, looks like one of the more exciting places on the list. Daniel Kavanagh and their husband, Daniel Rivera, lived in the apartment upstairs before taking over the lease for the pub. This place has tapas and really good-looking vegan options. Strangely, though, neither the humus nor the braves are vegan, which is unusual.
Tacos Lupillo in Kilmainham is the first Mexican restaurant on the list. It has excellent reviews from locals and Mexican ex-pats. The menu is currently unavailable online, so I don’t know if they may have vegan options. It is likely that they either do or will have in the future. Mexican cuisine is becoming very popular in Ireland. Masa restaurant offers excellent vegan options, including cauliflower tacos, and El Grito in Rathmines also has excellent vegan options.
Above : The Dunmore in Rathmines, formerly Toast and The Station Bar.
The Dunmore in Rathmines is a new venue in a familiar location. Pubgoers in Dublin will recognize this place as Toast Bar, a trendy drinking spot in Dublin in the noughties. Going back even further, this was the rebranded Station Bar in the 90s. It is all renovated now and turned into a restaurant. They do not serve vegan food here, but the bar area at the front is excellent for a drink before heading to one of Rathmines’s vegan-friendly spots.
Upstairs at Connolly’s could have looked better, but their menu shows an interesting falafel salad and some sides are vegan. It is an excellent place for a pint.
The Irish Times saved the best for last, concluding the list is Yves @ Brother Hubbard in Ranelagh. The menu changes constantly, but every menu we checked had interesting vegan options, including the Brother Hubbard Sabiche, the vegan cauliflower wrap, and loads more. This is also the only restaurant on the Irish Times list that clearly identifies the vegan options on the menu with VG. Brother Hubbard has the bonus of a BYOB policy. I will definitely be visiting here during the summer
Places on the list with no vegan options included Mara in Waterford, Sadlers Bar in Tipperary, and, surprisingly, Yew Tree in Terenure. Of the 25 best new restaurants to try in summer 2024, only a handful appear vegan-friendly. However, this was just an opinion piece, not from a vegan perspective. There are many restaurants and takeaway options in Ireland that are keeping up with the times and offering plant-based options.