A great thing about my line of work is that it involves an element of travel which many people don’t get the opportunity to do.
One of these trips was to Dublin recently where among meetings and answering emails, we managed to enjoy ourselves.
One of the partners we were working with treated us to our dinner in Dublin city centre restaurant Dunne & Crescenzi, I’ve never been known to knock back a free meal.
Something that struck me was the expense when eating and drinking out, but when in…er, Dublin.
As everyone was hungry after a long day of meetings, they opted for a full three-courser at the funky purple-fronted restaurant – however I just stuck to two and enjoyed a large glass of wine as my pudding!
To begin with I chose from a fair selection of starters which included bruschetta and a charcuterie option:
Melanzane e bufala: Mozzarella and aubergine stack, basil and almond pesto.
A colleague chose the Salmone Affumicate Irlandese biologico which combined smoked salmon with goats cheese, capers and pickled onions. I was reliably informed that it was lovely.
For my main I selected:
Ravioli: Purple potato ravioli/broccoli, Tuscan pancetta, black pepper, pecorino fondue.
This was the hardest decision for me as there were so many delicious-sounding dishes and I could spy neighbouring tables tucking into some beautifully put together meals.
The creamy sauce was very reminiscent of a classic carbonara sauce, this was only enhanced by the pancetta . The broccoli was a great way to break up the richness of the sauce and the heaviness of the pasta.
The recently pup-friendly bar has a very active Instagram account where they share their food and wine specials while highlighting their dedication to creating their dishes while using locally sources products.
Unfortunately as I traveled for work, I don’t have a ‘Where to Next?’ option for you – however if you’re anything like me and recoil at paying £8.50 for a glass of wine, a trip to the off-license and a night in the hotel may be up your street!