Editors note: Bella Supiana is working with JJ Kavanagh & Sons on a new series called ‘Tastes of Ireland’. She’ll be travelling to our destinations and scouting out the best lunchtimes deals in Dublin.
Lunchtime Deals In Dublin
We all know breakfast is an important meal of the day… But so is lunch! Sometimes we don’t have time for breakfast, maybe got out of bed a tad too late or simply forgot that trendy pot of overnight oats on the kitchen counter while pegging it for that bus or train… We’ve all been there and at times it’s impossible to even nip into the shop to grab a hold of anything to fill that empty tummy after a night’s sleep!
And so the wonderful world of lunch comes creeping in, ready to feed that hunger pang! Whether you eat out every day or simply treat yourself once or twice a week, Dublin has some seriously epic spots! I’ve dug deep and come across some of the freshest and budget friendly places to tuck into. I’ve narrowed it down to four places, bringing you a somewhat modern taste of Dublin – think Middle Eastern falafels to gorgeous Taiwanese stuffed steamed buns! So what are you waiting for… here are the best lunchtime deals in Dublin!
Tang
Tang has to be one of the coolest places I’ve ever eaten in! So vibrant with a fresh atmosphere and feel. Sister of the famed Yogsim over in Georges St. Arcade,
this place has recently opened and is bound to get you excited for some of the freshest fast food served on the corner of Dawson Street. Expect pops of colour against crisp clean white walls and some of the nicest staff!
Arguably one of the best places to grab lunch in Dublin and at the same time get back to the office quickly! If you have time sit in and have a chat with a stranger by the long bright window bar or grab a stool and crack up a convo with a new face by the high communal scaffolding wooden tables.
They serve up some of the best Middle Eastern food I’ve ever tasted, get your hands around one of their wraps – I gobbled down the Middle Eastern Chicken wrap stuffed with succulent pieces of refreshing well balanced spicy pieces of chicken, peppery rocket, fresh mint yoghurt packed with vibrant carrot and red cabbage slaw. Absolutely stunning and at only €6.75 for any of their wraps you’ll be laughing!
Energetic looking salads which resemble the rainbow are a total nod to the notion that if we try to eat those seven colors on a daily basis we’re vitality bound! Salads like broccoli, radish and sesame or bright yellow and red pepper tabbouleh sit piled high in Moroccan styled clay bowls, atop mismatched tiles and a sleek touch of stainless steel – Ottolenghi wouldn’t get a look in!
Make up a salad lunch box and choose three of their daily creations, slather it with hummus, drizzle over with their daily yoghurt dressing and stuff it between a fresh flat bread and you have a pretty exciting box of goodness you can make your colleagues jealous with for only €7.50!
Huge kudos, Tang!
Umi Falafel
Umi meaning mother in Arabic is a falafel house found on Dame St. Made with care, their falafels have won over the hearts of Dublin’s bustling city. Fresh falafels made to order – golden brown on the outside and vibrant bright green inside, pittas freshly baked every morning and some super duper lunch deals that are gonna get you excited!
They say they make enough falafels in a week to stretch as far as Rathmines… And boy oh boy when you taste them you’ll understand why!
Meal one: €7.50
Choose a sandwich of your choice – ‘The Lebanese Falafel’, ‘The Hummus Sandwich’, ‘Falafel Your Way’ or a ‘Grilled Halloumi Sandwich’ which is served with spicy Batata Harra potato wedges and a choice of a soft drink, tea or coffee.
Meal two: €7.50
A generous platter of Middle Eastern goodies – four falafels, a salad of your choice – think tabbouleh to Moroccan quinoa salad, hummus dip and a choice of a soft drink, tea or coffee.
Umi Falafel is fast food done healthy, fresh and at an incredibly affordable price! It’s a must try even if you don’t get a chance during your short lunch break.
Bread & Bones
Bread & Bones has become one of my favorite places to pop into while in Dublin! The atmosphere is always buzzing with the friendliest of staff who always seem to be in the best of form! It’s Asia in lots of ways – Taiwanese Bao, spongy soft steamed buns, Vietnamese Banh Mi, crisp stuffed fragrant herby and meaty baguettes or Malaysian Penang curry, all the way from north Malaysia where Anthony Bourdain has pinpointed as one of the best foodie destinations in the world.
Bang smack in the middle of Millennium Walkway, these guys have your precious lunch time taken care of! Take a thirty minute adventure to Asia or stay at home and munch down arguably one of the best burgers the city has to offer. For just €10 choose from a crispy Banh Mi or steamy fluffy Bao stuffed with a choice of chicken Katsu drizzled with curry sauce, chili beef lashed with garlic mayo, crispy squid pimped with chili sauce or a veggie crispy tofu slathered with garlic mayo.
If you’d prefer to stay local and stick with something more familiar, their eight oz dry aged John Stone steak burger sandwiched between a fresh fluffy Waterford Blaa is bound to delight and not disappoint! Big, tasty and something of a mid week treat…
If you’re in a rush, the Banh Mi or Bao can be taken away at a pocket pinching €6!
It’s an incredibly budget friendly place to pitstop and dash back to work with quality food in hand. If you have some time, sit back and admire the artwork which owner Jack adores collecting!
Ps… Be naughty and order a side of their homemade fries – crispy potatoy goodness which your belly will love you for!
Cornucopia
For all you veggies out there or simply those of you who want a super nutritious lunch, this place is gonna get you excited! Cornucopia has been around for sometime. Opened in 1986, this much loved wholefood vegetarian restaurant is still going strong and known widely amongst the vegetarian community.
A brave move to open an all vegetarian restaurant thirty odd years ago, where Ireland still served up a plate full of meat and two veg on the side. I commend them highly and see them as a total inspiration!
With simple no-fuss decor, the focus is solely on the food. Vibrant and exciting health packed dishes and treats are at the ready to fill you up on all the good stuff! An easy ‘carvery’ style service as oppose to waited tables is their approach. Queue or no queue, people seem to go mad for the place. They must know they are going to feed themselves with some of the tastiest and mouth dropping veggie food Dublin has to offer!
Some of their salads to get excited about!
Grated red cabbage and carrot kissed with scallions and dressed with a spicy Thai peanut dressing. After spending sometime in Thailand, I felt a pinch of nostalgia as I savoured every forkful of this salad!
Sliced daikon, cucumber and scallion in a basil sauce.
Vibrant carrot and red cabbage slaw tossed with vegan mayo.
Sprouted beans with ginger, lemon and coriander.
Soup has never poured so well!
Raw
Chilled carrot, avocado, garlic and lemon is bound to get those taste buds going and would be absolutely superb during a warmish Irish day! I’ve never tasted a soup as interesting as this one, vibrantly orange in color and totally fresh to the palate.
Broccoli, Irish Dillsk, cashew and tamari served with warmed water. Very nourishing and super tasty.
Heated
Hearty sweet potato, butter bean and roast garlic is an absolute must during a cold miserable day. Full of depth and gorgeous in flavor.
Thai inspired roasted pepper, coconut and basil shows Cornucopias exotic twist on soup and ticks all the boxes for trying an Asian version of soup. Flavorsome and aromatic.
Their lunch specials are excellent value. For just €8.95 choose one soup from a selection of either raw or heated soups along with bread, three small salad portions of your choice and their gorgeous sundried tomato pate. For the ultimate health-tastic bargain go that bit further and pay €11.95 for a soup of your choice, homemade sesame scattered crackers, greens, two salads of your choice and a green cucumber, celery and apple juice! How good does that sound?
And there’s always their mains which looked rather comforting and wholesome. All served with two salads and range from €12.50 to €13.95, Cornucopia has quality food at a superb price.
And the best bit? You can get up to Dublin with JJ Kavanagh & Sons from as little as €10 one way!
