Restaurant Reviews: out on the tapas trail in Dublin
Las Tapas de Lolas: a full Spanish experience
- Pintxo, 12 Eustace St., Temple Bar
- Fallon & Byrne Wine Cellar, Exchequer St., D 2
- Las Tapas de Lola, Wexford St., D 2
- Franks, Camden St., D 2
Is there a more convivial and fun way to eat out doing a Tapas Trail in a busy Spanish city such as San Sebastian, Grenada or Valladolid? I’m not sure there is - but can it be done in Dublin?
Blanca Valencia is my Spanish food guru (you might know her from Spice Bags Podcast), and in Spain, she tells me: “you never book anywhere, you keep things free and easy and you bump into friends along the way. Some friends might come with you to the next bar, it’s a sort of culinary Odyssey.”
Speaking of Odyssey, International Tapas Day coincides with Bloomsday on the 16th June so watch out for events - Molly Bloom was Spanish after all.
We began at Pintxo in Temple Bar at 5.45pm on a Thursday. Pintxo means ‘spike’ in Basque as tapas typically come attached to bread with a cocktail stick. We began with some classics - a plate of fruity fresh Padron Peppers, and a selection of creamy and crisp Croquetas (€6) including chorizo, chicken and jamón versions. Next came some Majorero (€9) - nutty rich goat’s cheese with honey for dipping, all cheese should come with honey. Two glasses of excellent Fernando de Castilla Fino (€6.50 each) brought our bill to €31.50 and we were off to a fine start.
Next up was Fallon & Byrne Wine Cellar which was a must-visit because like all the cool tapas bars in Spain they offer conservas - tins of razor clams or sardines etc. In Spain, all the cool chefs have a line of their own Conservas. Glasses of De la Riva Fino (€6 each) were a perfect foil for the meaty sweet marinated Boquerones (€10) which came with crisp wheaten melba toast. A large bowl of juicy olives (€5) brought the bill to €27.
The next stop had to be Uno Mas on Aungier St but of course, they were booked up weeks in advance - in Spain the street would be pedestrianised and we would simply eat and drink outside.
On we marched to Las Tapas de Lolas (TdL), Dublin’s best-known Spanish restaurant - they too were full but had room outside. This was a full Spanish experience with two glasses of gratis Tinta de Verano to start - the fruity sweet mix of red wine and lemon soda - ‘only tourists ask for Sangria!’ says wise Blanca.
TdL has a solid wine list and a choice of six Lustau sherries - ‘Peninsula’ Palo Cortado (€7.75) was layered and complex and Don Nuo Olorosa (€8.50) was nutty and warming and both worked well. Patatas Bravas (€6.25) were possibly the best I’ve tasted with crisp potatoes and good aioli and tomato sauce - but better again, and a revelation for me was Berenjenas Fritas Cordobesas - Cordoba-style fried aubergine strips with a drizzle of molasses - utterly delicious. Scallop Gratin (€10) had a mix of scallop and white fish with a hit of tarragon topped with a rich béchamel sauce - unctuous and rich in a good way. The bill came to €48.25 (incl. Galician Herbal Liqueurs).
Next to Franks on Camden St. which does not take bookings so they were happy to see us and was the perfect place to finish.
We also had a proper Spanish experience by bumping into wine importer and old friend Enrico Fantasia with one of his winemakers. Franks has a new menu and we loved the cheesy zingy Scamorza, Nduja and Cauliflower Croquettes (€8) and had an outstanding creamy spiky Elderflower Crème Brûlée with fermented honey - a few glasses of Bodegas los Frailes Monastrell from Valencia (€11) and our bill was €58.
So, yes - you can absolutely do a tapas trail in Dublin but start early, choose a quieter day and remember that Franks don’t require a booking!
Total spend for the night was €164.75, an average of €41 per tapas bar.
Tapas de Lolas is closed Mon-Tues & Franks on Monday, but Pintxo and Fallon & Byrne are open every day.
Standards were high across the board.
- Food: 9/10
- Drink: 9/10
- Service: 9/10
- Ambiance: 9/10
- Value: 8/10
All our experiences were thoroughly enjoyable - with dishes of the night being the fried aubergines in Las Tapas de Lola and the Elderflower Brûlée in Franks - yes, you can do a successful Tapas Trail in Dublin!
