Bring back the lesiurely lunch, with white tablecloth! Ciara McQuillan finds pleasant places to linger in…
BRESSON, MONKSTOWN
THE ROOM Mon dieu, the dining room at Bresson is a treat for the senses, with Gallic air and classic style. So lighting, comfy leather banquettes and colourful framed French posters create an intimate ambience.
ON THE PLATE Lunch is served Thursday-Sunday and the menu is a riot of classic French flavours. Start with the sourdough loaf with Isigny butter and a petite soupe and follow with the Roquefort and pear salad or the moules mariniere before enjoying a classic steak frites or coquilles St Jacques. The set lunch menu is great value and you will leave feeling sated before a brisk post-lunch walk along the seafront.
WHAT ELSE? Bresson also serves a weekend brunch menu alongside the lunch menu and for a more casual pitstop, Mermaid (from the same owner), which is next door, is a great choice for a laidback catch-up with friends, sans tablecloths. Bresson, 4a The Crescent, Monkstown, Co Dublin, 01 284 4286; www.bresson.ie.
PEARL BRASSERIE, DUBLIN 2
THE ROOM It could have gone so wrong, and yet, it went so right. A basement room with nooks and crannies and discreet booths aplenty, the subterranean Pearl Brasserie is equally perfect for an intimate lunch or a business pow-wow over great food. The lighting is spot on.
ON THE PLATE Sebastien Masi and his partner Kirsten Batt opened Pearl Brasserie in December 2000 and over the years, the restaurant has won many accolades and been listed in the Michelin Guide. Unusually, there is no set menu for the lunch sitting (just a lunch a la carte menu), although there is also an option to have the tasting menu. Isigny butter makes yet another appearance (no complaint) and while the menu is mostly French in flavour, there are some Asian influences, such as halibut with wakame seaweed, sesame galette, lemongrass and yuzu. The wine list is easy to navigate and comprehensive with plenty of good wines to choose from.
WHAT ELSE? Pearl Brasserie is open for lunch from Wednesday-Friday, from 12pm. Pearl Brasserie, 20 Merrion St Upper, Dublin 2, 01 661 3572; www.pearl-brasserie.com.
THE MORRISON ROOM AT CARTON HOUSE, MAYNOOTH
THE ROOM The Morrison Room at Carton House is one of the most beautiful and opulent dining rooms in the country. The stunning room features a unique vaulted ceiling, lavish Greek columns and intricate cornicing, all of which add to the palatial, luxurious feel of the space.
ON THE PLATE Head chef Adam Nevin took over the reins at The Morrison Room in 2023 and by all accounts, Sunday lunch is a treat indeed. The menu combines traditional dishes with creative air, using excellent local produce. A three-course lunch costs €65.
WHAT ELSE? Adam Nevin was head chef at The Grill Room in London’s Dorchester Hotel, prior to joining Carton House last summer. He is originally from Maynooth – what a proud homecoming. The Morrison Room, Carton House, Maynooth, Co Kildare, 01 505 2000; www.cartonhouse.com.
DAX, DUBLIN 2
THE ROOM 2024 marks 20 years of Olivier Meisonnave’s enduringly popular restaurant in Dublin’s Georgian Quarter. The dining room is an elegant, genteel space with plush carpet and pristine linen, the perfect backdrop for Graham Neville’s exquisite food.
ON THE PLATE Lunch is priced at €42 for two courses and €58 for three, which is excellent value for food of this calibre. Graham’s signature summer dish of courgette flower stuffed with Lambay Island lobster and Dublin Bay prawns with lobster sauce is unmissable and of course, being a French restaurant, the wine (and the tarte tatin) are not too shabby either.
WHAT ELSE? A native of the town of Dax, near Biarritz, Olivier previously ran the famous Thornton’s Restaurant with Kevin Thornton for nearly nine years before leaving to establish Dax. Dax Restaurant, 23 Pembroke Street Upper, Dublin 2, 01 676 1494; www.dax.ie.
POTAGER, SKERRIES
THE ROOM An upscale restaurant with the pedigree to match in the pretty seaside town of Skerries, Potager has been wowing diners from both near and far since opening its doors. Classic decor, art and irresistible food combine here.
ON THE PLATE Fine dining without the faff is the name of the game at Potager. Sunday lunch is €58 per person for a menu that is filled with delicious, locally sourced and seasonal titbits in a “modern Irish” style. Beetroot with walnut and yoghurt has quite the fan club. Extras include petit fours and a cheese plate, so come hungry.
WHAT ELSE? Potager was awarded a silver star in three categories of the Star Wine List Awards last year. The restaurant also hosts regular wine tastings. Potager, 7 Church Street, Skerries, Co Dublin, 01 802 9486; www.potager.ie.