Lucinda O’Sullivan goes on a food safari around Dublin’s newest casual dining spots and finds dumplings, spice bags and more

With plenty of interesting new establishments opening around Dublin, our critic decided to take a tour of the town

From left: Prawn dumplings; and duck dumplings in Sichuan chilli broth from CN Dumpling. Photo: Lucinda O’Sullivan

Lucinda O'Sullivan

Despite the spate of recent restaurant closures, it hasn’t stopped eager restaurateurs from planting their flags. Indeed, with so many hip new casual dining spots opening in Dublin, I decided to do a safari of openers to see what they had to offer.

Montague Street, linking Camden and Harcourt Streets, with its graffiti-embellished walls became a must-visit location when the adventurous Vanessa Murphy and Anna Cabrera of Las Tapas de Lola opened their brilliant bodega, La Gordita, some 12 months ago. “This could become a hot restaurant quarter in Dublin”, said my friend ‘the fashionista’ when we visited. She was right — where the brave may go, others soon follow.