Dublin: Classy, chic and cheap

Alexis, 17/18 Patrick Street, Dun Laoghaire, Co Dublin; tel: [phone]; alexis.ie

Alexis, a bistro named after French chef and author, Alexis Benoit Soyer, is a solid, sparky asset, the likes of which every town and village should have at its disposal.Picture: Frank Courtney

Is it possible to eat well for a modest cost? Alexis Benoit Soyer certainly thought so. A French chef and food writer who opened famine kitchens in Dublin and worked in the Crimea as a cooking adviser to the British Army, Benoit Soyer’s food philosophy made a big impression in the 19th century.