Bar of the Year Awards 2026 were announced on Monday night with Pig’s Lane in Killarney taking home the top title of Bar Of The Year. They also got a Gold for both Best Designed Bar / Inside Space and Cocktail Bar of the Year. See the full lineup of winners here.

Bread 41 is opening in Blackrock!

Looks like Mama Shee is opening in Liffey Valley.

Award-winning New York Irish bar The Dead Rabbit is coming to Dublin, popping up at Mark Moriarty’s Studio in September.

Mountmellick, Co. Laois has a new gastropub, The Old Canal, from Kildare team Joanne Deegan and Barry Liscombe.

If you are heading to Electric Picnic this weekend, there seems to be a few glimmers of hope when it comes to food, after a dismal lineup last year. Great news that Bambino will be slinging pizza slices at Salty Dog, then I discover Belfast pizza legends Flout will also be on site! Ibile and Biang Biang are part of the Nomad lineup, and you can book ahead for daytime slots via the EP app. There you’ll also find Bah33 Brazilian steakhouse and Wing It. Kakilang will be at Freetown all weekend serving Asian street food and iced Vietnamese coffee. Guinness has built a two-storey pub called ‘The Lovely Local’. I’ll share any more discoveries over the weekend on Insta.

Fable Bakery back in the city! Well, sort of: they’re collaborating with Jameson Distillery Bow St for a Jameson Black Barrel Irish Coffee Workshop on 4th and 5th September at Bow St., pairing a hands-on Irish coffee-making session with Fable pastries. Tickets etc here.

I love an evening food tour, so it’s cool to hear that Kilkenny Food Tours has launched a new three-hour evening food tour kicking off in September, taking locals and visitors through Kilkenny’s medieval streets to eat, drink and support the city’s restaurants, bars and producers. See more here.

The end of summer is peak tomato season, so great to see Irish celebrations like this Tomato Party at McNally Family Farm happening Friday, September 11th. Hosted by Sarah & Olive Olive Oil, dinner is a collaboration of chefs - Aideen White of Landlover Supper Club; Eric Carrillo and Andrea Flores of Fondita Mestiza; and Lorraine Fitzmaurice of Blazing Salads. It’s part of the Eat Spain, Drink Spain 2026 lineup that has loads more worth booking; check it out here.

Ballydehob Restaurant Chestnut are keeping themselves busy before they close. Last week I shared the news that Rob Krawczyk and the Chestnut team will be popping up at Gloria in Dublin on September 20th; see more on that here. A little closer to home, for them, they will be cooking at The Montenotte Hotel in Cork for The Hillside Gathering: a culinary journey from coast to city on Sunday 18th October. The tasting menu will celebrate the best of Ireland’s autumn larder; tickets are €180 per person, including a welcome cocktail, the collaborative tasting menu and wine pairings. And the hotel has special overnight rates. See more and book here.

Tap Talks is a new Dublin speaker series with the idea of bringing big ideas out of lecture halls and into pubs. Their first event is on Thursday 3 September at the Purty Kitchen in Dun Laoighaire with AI expert Mark James, talking about how AI is changing the way we work and live, the opportunities it creates, but also the risks and challenges. See more and book here.

The Seán Corcoran Series is a three-day traditional and multi-disciplinary arts festival happening in Drogheda September 4th to 6th, with a couple of fun food-related events:

Cake Dance, hosted by Edwina Guckian with Luail, Ireland’s National Dance Company, is an old social tradition where dancers quite literally dance to win *the cake! Sunday 6th September, 3-5 pm on St. Laurence Street, Drogheda. Free to attend - details here.

Hedgerow Fermentation Starter Workshop is an evening event on Wednesday 2nd September all about foraging and fermenting our autumn hedgerows into wild-crafted beverages. Taking place at Only Natural, 10 Stockwell Lane, . See more about the festival, tickets, etc, here.

Úll Abú is a two-day, family-friendly apple festival happening in County Leitrim, September 26 and 27, exploring the apple’s place in our food culture and the wider importance of protecting biodiversity, supporting local producers and growing more sustainably. See more at www.theorganiccentre.ie

Look at Martha Stewart’s tomato haul. And what about this tomato retreat?

More tomatoes

Love this Tomato bag

Very invested in this stock market

Thanks for reading The Kitchen Press, my weekly round-up of Irish food, drink and hospitality news. If you liked my writing, I’ve got a very fun book out, A Compendium of Irish Pints. You can also follow my eating and drinking, and other writing work, over on Instagram and sporadically on TikTok.

The Kitchen Press Food News is a reader-supported publication. Your subscription, free or paid, means I can keep delivering it weekly, so please do subscribe. GRMA x

Fresh ingredients:

News & stuff I’m excited about

Onóra is a new all-day neighbourhood restaurant opening this October at the new July Dublin aparthotel on Capel Street. The Amsterdam company have partered with Dublin’s Bereen Brothers (Coppinger, Orwell Road, Row Wines, Charlotte Quay) to work on the restaurant, which they say will feature “ locally sourced produce, vibrant cocktails, an outdoor terrace, and a fast-paced coffee hatch for those on the move”.

The new Glovers Alley under the stewardship of chef Adam Nevin will open its doors on September 9th, and bookings are already live here.

Chimac teased their new opening…location TBA, although I can tell you it’s city centre… There is also another exciting fast casual TBA announced close to them too. Watch this space…

The Strawberry Bed’s favourite Goat’s Gruff have now opened a new restaurant in Castleknock, doing evenings Wednesday to Sunday for pizza and small plates.

Delighted to see that Bambino will be at Electric Picnic! The food at the festival has not been a strong point the last few years, so let’s hope there will be at least a few more spots worth seeking out over the weekend. Please tell me if you know any…

Elliots in Phibsborough have expanded, and how gorgeous does their new next-door space look?

Mark Moriarty Studio will launch Friday lunch service from October, moving to one lunch sitting at 1 pm and one dinner service at 7 pm. Looking forward to getting in for a visit soon, early reports have been great.

Chongqing Noodle has opened on Capel Street in the location that used to be Soup Dragon.

Fade Street Social has a new late-night concept, Fade Street Tavern, focused on New York and Chicago-style pizza.

Lisbon’s famous Time Out Market will open its first UK location and global flagship in London’s West End in the first half of 2028. It will be located on Regent Street in the space that was home to Tower Records. I’m more excited, though, by Kid opening in Soho this September from chef Sertaç Dirik and restaurateur David Carter.

Did you know there is an Irish festival happening in New York this weekend? Mór Fest is a celebration of all things Irish, including food, and Galway’s Chipeen will be popping up there.

Pichet on Trinity Street is celebrating 17 years in business with a limited-edition birthday dessert - butter-fried brioche, Irish strawberries, whipped vanilla mascarpone and fig leaf custard (inspired by fig leaves brought back from Croatia) available until September 30th.

Delicious Dublin Food Tours have added a new Stoneybatter route which will no doubt be delicious.

The Irish Food Writers Guild has opened entries for its Community Award — the only award open to both guild members and the wider public, with self- or third-party nominations welcome. The award recognises individuals, projects or businesses demonstrating outstanding social responsibility within Ireland’s food sector, from community kitchens to educational programmes and local food networks. If that’s you, or someone you’d like to nominate, fill out this form.

Irish native oyster season kicks off once again in September, and The Shelbourne Hotel will be celebrating with special menus at No. 27 Bar & Lounge featuring Carlingford oysters from Louth, Flaggy Shore Oysters from Clare and Kelly’s Giga Oysters from Galway Bay. See more and book in here.

Dates for the Diary:

Tasty things to book ahead

I’ve had an early preview of Homegrown, the new book by Barrie Quinn of Portnoo Market Garden, and it’s wonderful. His journey from novice gardener to one of Ireland’s most recognised regenerative growers is fascinating, and I’ll be chatting with him all about this and lots more at a book launch event on September 8th at Chapters Bookshop. See more and book here.

John Wilson and Viking Irish Drinks return to Faithlegg Hotel’s Roseville Rooms Restaurant on Saturday 29th August for a wine dinner, with Head Chef Jenny Flynn’s menu matched to a selection of wines and expert insight from both Wilson and David Dennison of Viking Irish Drinks. See more here.

Wine Spirit Women host their summer gathering at Urban Brewing on 29th August, with tickets at €20 including three drinks and canapés; non-members are welcome.

fEast, East Cork’s Food & Drink Festival 2026, returns from Tuesday 1st to Sunday 6th September, culminating in the much-loved fEast Street Festival in Midleton town centre. See the full lineup here.

Dingle restaurant Solas are heading to Killarney on Friday 11th September to cook at Pig’s Lane. Menu sounds great; tickets are €85 per person, and you can book here.

Culture Night returns for its 21st edition on Friday, September 18th, and there are plenty of food and drink adjacent events happening; see more here.

Chef Killian Walsh of Michelin-starred Bastible joins Overends Kitchen at Airfield Estate for a one-night-only seven-course tasting menu on September 18th (€140), showcasing the estate’s seasonal harvest alongside Irish produce. Booking and details here.

Cork’s Cold Cut are popping up at The Collins Club in the Leinster Hotel on September 1st along with Belfast’s Rattlebag for what is sure to be a very tasty evening.

On 18th September, Chef Meeran Manzoor presents a one-night, five-course Champagne-pairing menu at Rare at Blue Haven in Kinsale, pairing his Indian-French cooking with a selection of Moët & Chandon Champagnes, presented by Julie Dupouy. Tickets are €165 per person; email bookings@bluehavenkinsale.com or find out more at www.bluehavenkinsale.com.

Gloria Osteria welcomes Michelin-starred Rob Krawczyk and the Restaurant Chestnut team from Ballydehob to Dublin for one night only on September 20th. Tickets are €85 for a four-course menu, or €125 with wine pairing; bookings live 9am August 31st via sevenrooms.com/experiences/gloriadublin

Food writer, photographer and cook James Gabriel Martin is hosting a dreamy-sounding writing retreat in Cork this November. See more here.

Petit Fours:

Sweet bits to watch, listen, read or obsess over, etc.

I’ve already recommended you watch Tony if you can. Two other foodie films I’ll be seeking out are The Big Cheese, a new documentary released in the US this week about competitive cheesemongers; let’s hope it finds its way to our screens soon.

Also on the lookout for Cookie Queens, an American documentary film about Girl Scout cookie selling.

Feolas is a new art exhibition bringing together Cork artists to explore the relationship between art and meat in the 3rd-floor Atrium of Dunnes Stores, Patrick Street, as part of the Cork on a Fork Festival, running throughout August 2026.

“Magazines are cultural artefacts”: the enduring importance of print.

Love to see that Salt: A World History by Mark Kurlansky is back in the book charts thanks to this guy who read it and can’t stop obsessing over it on Instagram. It’s such a good read; see also his books on Cod and Birdeye frozen food.

Listen back to designer Annie Atkins on RTÉ’s Arena - she designed the iconic Mendls Pastry box in Wes Anderson’s Grand Budapest Hotel and will be part of the upcoming Big Type Festival at the National Print Museum Sept 4-6th.

This brilliant episode of the Go To Food Podcast with Mursal Saiq is a great listen, and I LOVE that she caused such a stir with this clip - almost 10k comments!

Looking forward to listening to Irish London chef Anna Haugh on Catch Up with Louise McSharry.

Lily Allen writing in Noble Rot. Need to find a copy!

Please can the Rose of Tralee add this?

A prawn chandelier 🍤

Women in STEM haaaaaa 🍾

Things I put in my online shopping basket this week that I didn’t buy but I would love to:

JW Anderson Rhubarb Bag Charm

Martini Beaded Bag

Strawberry Shoes

Food Joke of The Week

Q: Why did the cheddar cheese decide to go to the gym?

A: To get shredded…

Thanks for reading The Kitchen Press, my weekly round-up of Irish food, drink and hospitality news. If you liked my writing, I’ve got a very fun book out, A Compendium of Irish Pints. You can also follow my eating and drinking, and other writing work, over on Instagram and sporadically on TikTok.

The Kitchen Press Food News is a reader-supported publication. Your subscription, free or paid, means I can keep delivering it weekly, so please do subscribe. GRMA x

Subscribe now

I’ll kick off with my random story for you from ATN. Fresh from hosting a brilliant panel “I’ll Have What She’s Having: The iconic food and drink of our favourite rom coms” - with Louise McSharry, Hilary Quinn and Jordan Mooney, which included a deep dive into Notting Hill - I was backstage when a confused-looking man wandered in. I’m guessing he thought it was a bar. Then I recognised him and, well, it was only bloody Dylan Moran! I jumped up when I realised, desperate to let him know we had just been talking about Notting Hill. “You’re Dylan Moran!” I declared, in a moment that was eerily similar to the dinner party scene in Notting Hill when starstruck Honey says “Oh Holy Fuck!” to Anna Scott (Julia Roberts). I continued. “You put the book down your trousers in Hugh Grant’s bookshop!” and explained we had literally just been discussing Notting Hill on stage. Moran, it seems, did not share my enthusiasm for all things Notting Hill, although he did get in this selfie with us. Perhaps it would have been cooler to tell him I loved Black Books?

The Big Grill is back this week; gates open on Thursday for the weekend and the lineup is as smoky and stellar as ever. Some of the food bits I’m looking forward to - Afghan-meets-Texas brisket naan from Mursal Saiq of Cue Point, Bahay x Kaldero’s pig’s-head tacos and Holy Smoke’s Swedish dripping pit beef sandwich. I’ll be hosting Bastecamp on Sunday with loads of action packed delicious demos. See timetable here.

So sad to hear that Little Acorn in Baltinglass, Co. Wicklow will be closing - this is one of the finest cafés in Ireland, I very much recommend trying the beef sandwich there while you still can. Hopefully chef Mags Roche will be back with something even better soon.

Sidekick is the new restaurant concept open in the Dean Hotels Dublin and Galway, serving wings and burgers, taking the place of what was Elephant & Castle.

The Irish Independent shared a shocking story last week about housing rented for staff of the restaurant group that operates some of Dublin’s most popular Chinese restaurants, including Bullet, Little Dumpling, China Hunan in Ranelagh and China Song in Monkstown. Company director Ian Keegan went on Liveline to give his side of the story. They also released “an open letter” from their teams on their socials. I don’t know how helpful these “explanations” have been. The conditions in the housing were dangerous and horrific. And the food world doesn’t forget things easily - just take a look at the comments on this post about René Redzepi’s return to Noma.

Cork on a Fork Fest returns next week from August 12th - 16th and there are plenty of events still available to book. Check them out here.

Green Earth Organics organic farm in Corrandulla, Co Galway is hosting its first Sustainability Festival on Saturday, September 12th, a family-friendly day of talks, farm walks, cookery demos and more. Grab your tickets here.

Hawksmoor has teamed up with YouTuber Calfreezy to launch The Burgurr, a limited-edition bacon double cheeseburger, available now at their Dublin restaurant as part of Hawksmoor’s 20th anniversary. I’ll admit I’ve no idea who Calfreezy is, but the burger does sound great. Available from the 3rd August for a limited time.

We’re getting close to native oyster season so no doubt there will be plenty of tasty events and offers to share (PR’s please send them on!). The biggest celebration, of course, is always the Galway International Oyster & Seafood Festival, running from 25th - 27th September. See more here.

I’m considering jumping on a flight for the London Oyster Championships hosted at Bentley’s Oyster Bar & Grill, Richard Corrigan’s seafood restaurant, on Friday 18 September. The Best Dressed (oyster) judging panel includes Stanley Tucci, Jeremy Lee, Georgiana Davies (Oyster Girl) and Matthew Fort. What a lineup; see more here.

Vittles released their latest print magazine, The Influencers Issue, with a eulogy for food writers. (I will be finding a copy when I’m in London). It comes out in tandem with an extra helping of food influencer bashing online, it seems. Well, on my algorithm anyway. But takes like this really annoy me. As do many of the videos I’ve seen decrying food influencers - which ironically seem to be created for maximum engagement, the very thing they’re giving out about. It’s all a bit boring. Social media has made it easier than ever to really niche down and curate your algorithm, so why not just do that? If you don’t like something, don’t follow. Don’t engage. Then you won’t see it. Same as back in the day when we consumed our media in newspapers and magazines. If you didn’t like something, you didn’t buy it. Support the people creating content you love. And maybe use Substack more…

Interesting take here from London on The Inside: In Defence of the Influencer

Tony, the biopic about a summer in the life of the late Anthony Bourdain, is released today. In Dublin, from what I can see, it’s playing at the Stella, the Lighthouse and the IFI. The Stella in Rathmines is hosting a special screening this Sunday followed by a Bourdain discussion with Domini Kemp, Paul Flynn, Jane Frye (D’Olier Street), Temple Garner (Bresson) and food critic Conor Stevens. There are a handful of tickets left; if I were in town, I would be snapping one up.

The film has predictably meant a lot of discourse about Bourdain. Chefs lauding how he influenced them, content reminding us how influential he was and many giving their opinions on what he would think of the film. See Jay Rayner writing in the Financial Times about the Bourdain myth. One certainly worth a read is Laurie Woolever, Bourdain’s longtime writing collaborator in Bon Appétit.

PS - Woolever is coming to Ireland in September for a writing retreat in West Cork with Bog & Thunder.

Greta Thunberg at Izz Cafe 💚

Did you know there is Bobby Sands’ Burger in Iran?

A 1,000-year-old Irish oak tree, brought down by a storm, has been made into three rare whiskey casks in Co Kildare.

This is really interesting - Making Sense of the London Dining Scene. A reminder of how lucky we are in Dublin to still have so many independent restaurants. Support them if you can!

Thanks for reading The Kitchen Press, my weekly round-up of Irish food, drink and hospitality news. If you liked my writing, I’ve got a very fun book out, A Compendium of Irish Pints. You can also follow my eating and drinking, and other writing work, over on Instagram and sporadically on TikTok.

The Kitchen Press Food News is a reader-supported publication. Your subscription, free or paid, means I can keep delivering it weekly, so please do subscribe. GRMA x

Fresh ingredients:

News & stuff I’m excited about

Even more new bars on the way in Dublin, thanks to a sleuthing Kitchen Press subscriber who sent info on these (GRMA Brian!). The Wellington on Baggot Street is reopening on Monday after a facelift, and the façade and interiors are looking very smart. See more on Instagram.

Further up the street, the former Star Bar has been given a fresh coat of paint and a new identity as Sally MacLennanes, a nod to The Pogues track, so I’m guessing music be part of the vibe. The writing on the window says “History in the making”, quite a bold statement. A LinkedIn post describes it as a “proud, traditional Irish pub & kitchen.” The venue is now owned by EHL Experiences, the group behind Sole and FIRE restaurants.

Sprout is opening in Cornelscourt this September within Dunnes Stores. They say it will be part restaurant, part grocer. “A place where you can eat with us as well as take some of our secret recipes home to cook in your own kitchen”. Sounds great, but all I want to know is when they’ll open North of the Liffey? 🥲

There’s a new pizza slice joint set to open on South William Street called Little Slice, but comments online have been less than welcoming about yet another pizza slice entering the chat.

Smaak Dutch fries are also due to open on the street in the space that was Rei Momo.

In Kildare, Donedea Wagyu have opened a shipping container serving their own Wagyu beef as burgers, tacos, hot dogs and more. Find them Thursday to Sunday at the Inver filling station in Clane. Read more about them here.

And Matsu Ramen have set an opening date for August 1st in Newbridge.

This week the Irish fashion crowd got some major news as Dior announced it will host the pre-fall 2027 show at Trinity in December. Jonathan Anderson has been weaving Irish references into his Dior collections since taking over as creative director last year, so it feels like a natural fit and tbh a bit like Dublin’s fashion World Cup

But why is this in your food news? Well, you know I love a food-fashion crossover, and Anderson clearly does too: the Loewe tomato clutch, the Dior egg invites, the JW Anderson x Guinness collection. His shows and parties are known for great snacks, so I’m already wondering who will do the show catering, if I can blag a job as a waiter, if he’ll go for a pint and where everyone else who comes to town will eat…

While Jonathan Anderson might love a red tomato, the Guardian recently reported that Britons are giving “the classic round tomato the red card as coloured and vine varieties score”.

My take? Worry less about the colour and check where it’s coming from. Irish is always best, and you’ll be sorted if you eat at Nut Butter.

If you like to really nerd out about food and its place in culture, then you might be interested in TU Dublin academic Anke Klitzing’s new book. Reading Food in Literature, Film and Other Imaginative Texts is the first dedicated guide to gastrocriticism - an emerging interdisciplinary, critical framework for investigating food, drinks and foodways in literature, film and other imaginative texts.

Corinna Hardgarve visited the revamped Darwin’s Tavern for this week’s Irish Times review, and I’m glad it’s positive because their Daily Cut Steak Frites at €19 sounds like a great deal.

Katy McGuinness is the first reviewer to cover Cúán Greene’s lauded opening Ómós - her conclusion? “It’s a resounding yes from me”.

Huge congratulations to Robin Gill, the Dubliner who’s made quite the name for himself as a chef and restaurateur in London. He has been announced as the Food Curator for the new London Museum in Smithfield.

Taste 4 Success Skillnet is back and now open for the Autumn 2026 CPD accredited Sustainable Food Tourism Experience (SFTE) Development programme. The programme is designed to support food and drink businesses, farmers, tour guides, and experience providers to build profitable and sustainable food tourism offerings. Apply here: www.taste4success.ie

Readers will know I love a dramatic Rob Kenny PR email and this week’s news is that House on Lesson Street is bringing back “Its Famous 2.30 am Weekend Nights”, complete with “live DJ’s, ambiance building acts like electric violinists and saxophonists, delectable cocktails and dancing into the early hours”. The saxophones really are getting louder.

Did you know you can do a super casual wine tasting Wednesday to Saturday on Baggot Street at Neighbourhood Wine?

There’s a new afternoon tea at The Westbury that might appeal to writers who love a good pen - the Montblanc Afternoon Tea is inspired by iconic Montblanc writing instruments, €79 or €103 to include a glass of Charles Heidsieck Brut Réserve NV, available from July 23. Book in here.

Dates for the Diary:

Tasty things to book ahead

Baked and Bottled in Ashtown are hosting a wine night this evening from 5-9 pm.

Happy Hut Catering is hosting a Summer Celebration Community Supper Club at SPADE Food Enterprise Hub in Dublin on Friday 31st July. Tickets €55pp for three courses, see more & book here.

Guinness Open Gate Brewery has announced ‘Good Things Brewing’; a series of weekend takeovers kicking off this weekend. Expect experimental brews, music, games and this weekend there is a jersey customisation station with limited edition designs available for printing. See more here.

Happy Birthday to JP McMahon’s Kombu, celebrating its first birthday this August bank holiday weekend, introducing Sunday brunch with DJ Jenny Greene on the decks.

Fondtia Mestiza are off the Trim, Co. Meath for their next pop-up. They will be at Moore’s Trim on August 22nd for two events: a daytime workshop exploring the art of corn dough and more, and an evening pop-up serving Mexican Street Food. Book tickets here.

Cork on a Fork Festival is happening this August and there are loads of incredible events - see the full lineup here. Da Micro, an Italian restaurant on Bridge Street in Cork, will be hosting a Wild Plate & Cocktails popup as part of the event on August 16th led by their head chef Sergio Gurrea and chef-forager Epi Rogan of Fiáin Wildflowers. Reservations here and walk-ins welcomed.

The Centre of Food Culture Ireland has announced dates for its All-Island Food Networks Gathering 2026, taking place on 22nd September at The Midlands Park Hotel, Portlaoise. This is the first time regional food networks from across Ireland will come together along with food and drink producers, hospitality providers and food experience operators. Find out more and book your ticket here.

Food writer Kate Ryan has plenty to celebrate this year. Alongside her upcoming book Blood, Guts and Black Pudding (out this September), she’s hosting a food writing retreat in a West Cork castle this October. A few places remain for what promises to be an inspiring few days, with exceptional food from chef Caitlin Ruth. Find more details and booking information here.

Petit Fours:

Sweet bits to watch, listen, read or obsess over, etc.

Speaking of food-fashion crossovers, it’s all about ice-cream in London at the moment. Loewe has taken over the beloved Dreamery in East London until July 30th, serving bespoke gelato inspired by Loewe perfume and candles. Bottega are doing something very similar in Selfridges on Oxford Street. What a chic way to cool down.

Chef & baker Graham Herterich has been doing a brilliant radio series “Celebrating Irish Food Producers” on Q102 with Kathryn Thomas. It’s well worth looking back at and listening to his recommendations.

I have been known to bring an Aeropress with me on my travels, but this Pourigami is another level. Might need to try it out on my next long haul.

Is this the Louis Vuitton of lamb? In New South Wales, KS7 claims to be the world’s first ultra-premium brand.

Always check you close the fridge door properly! - Millionaire claims faulty fridge made £1m wine collection go ‘mouldy’

The twisted history of the Tangle Twister.

Making 20 Irish coffees look easy.

Let them…put bananas in their smoothies!

Brighton man outraged by price of curry sauce at Bankers - he would not be happy in Dublin…

The fascinating woman behind Budget Travel - Gillian Bowler’s Biography

Hard hard hard agree - what’s with the kitchen always needing attention?

An entire supermarket made from felt 😍

Lights so gorgeous I would lick them…

Thanks for reading The Kitchen Press, my weekly round-up of Irish food, drink and hospitality news. If you liked my writing, I’ve got a very fun book out, A Compendium of Irish Pints. You can also follow my eating and drinking, and other writing work, over on Instagram and sporadically on TikTok.

The Kitchen Press Food News is a reader-supported publication. Your subscription, free or paid, means I can keep delivering it weekly, so please do subscribe. GRMA x

Subscribe now

This week, the Instagram account for Host Restaurant in Ranelagh’s highly anticipated second spot surfaced - Okela, which I think means meat in Basque. I don’t know much more other than it’s due to open in maybe September or October, and it will be a Basque/ Spanish-leaning menu with lots cooked over fire.

Dublin must be very thirsty, judging by the barrage of new bars opening. The Leeson finally opened their doors this week, on Leeson Street, a new neighbourhood bar from the brilliant M’O’Brien’s team. The stools outside will be a hot commodity for cocktails, no doubt.

BAKO, a new wine bar and speakeasy from the Amai by Victor Team, opened last week under their restaurant just off Grafton Street.

Lulu’s opened yesterday on Aungier Street, next to Egan’s, serving Italian wine and drinks, small plates and snacks.

Monty’s opened a wine bar in addition to their Temple Bar restaurant, and there seems to be another wine bar opening in Temple Bar called Boo & Grape. I can’t say I know anything else other than this Insta page shared by All The Food.

Jumon, a much loved Asian inspired restaurant in Belfast, is coming to South William Street in Dublin, opening in the space that was Mercado 52 this August.

Hatch Coffee, which already operates in Glasthule and Blackrock, is set to open a third place this time in Sandymount.

What’s happening with Clery’s Quarter and the promised food and drink contingent at Earl Place Market? My pal pointed out that the branding has been on one shop front for a while now, Rolled Sushi, but nothing else seems to have happened. And what about the rooftop bar? Imagine we had it in this weather 🥲

This Aussie burger pop-up sounds delicious and perfect for the ongoing sunny days - Jimmy’s Burgers today at Caribou, 12-5 pm only.

Chimac have entered the chicken Caesar wrap convo. I adore a good chicken Caesar wrap and am patiently waiting for someone to do a dedicated series trying all of them in Dublin…

The Liberties Festival is back in Dublin 8 from next Monday, and there is so much great stuff happening all week, from walking tours to beekeeping classes and distillery tours. To see the full festival line-up, visit the Liberties Festival website.

They also have their own festival beer, Batch Bread Red, made by Guinness Open Gate Brewery, which I got a taste of during the week; it’s delicious. Keep an eye out for it pouring in participating Liberties pubs.

Rascals x Yamamori - Rascals in Inchicore are teaming up with Yamamori for a special Japanese-themed karaoke party on July 24th. See more and get your tickets here.

Hen’s Teeth in Dublin 8 is launching a new dinner party series, kicking off with Tacos and Margs on 14th August. Only €20 for some food, a drink and entry to the party, with a DJ till late. Big Vibes. Small Bill. See more and book here.

The Thatched Farm Project, a beautifully restored cottage in Limerick run by food writer Imen McDonnell, is hosting a Printmakers Brunch this August. Titled Brayers, Bagels & Bloodys, it promises an inspired day of food and craft. Sunday, 16 August. See more and book here.

La Cocina Cuevas in the Naul is hosting a late-summer dinner series celebrating the harvest on August 29th & 30th, with chef Chris Maguire. Expect a seasonal tasting menu with produce from their farm and Hope Beer “Queen Bee” brewed with the farm’s own honey. Tickets are pre-booked via email: cuevasbookings@gmail.com.

Irish publisher Gill Books releases their Autumn Winter catalogue, and there are some great food books on the way, including Home Grown by Barrie Quinn of Portnoo Market Garden and Heat Shelter Water Food by Harrison Gardner.

Do you follow Meredith Hayden/ Wishbone Kitchen, a private chef turned content creator? Netflix announced last week that they will be making a ‘video podcast’ with her, so wouldn’t that just be a cooking show then? Interesting and confusing…Reddit seems to think it might all end up a bit With Love, Meghan…

This is cool - an interactive map of female-owned hospitality businesses across the UK. Who fancies setting up an Irish one?

Love stuffing your suitcase with goodies from the supermarket on hols? I spoke about just this with David McCullagh on RTÉ Radio 1 during the wee, you can listen back here.

Speaking of holiday crisps, this is interesting - Are these the greatest crisps on earth?

Have you noticed Beavertown taps pop up in more and more Irish pubs following Heineken’s rollout brand? And I’ve been offered it as a ‘craft’ beer more than once. It’s an OK beer, but it should not be presented as craft alongside independent beers. In the UK, real ale enthusiasts’ club CAMRA have had enough of this and has called for an investigation into big brewers’ marketing products this way, citing pressure on independents. Read more on that here.

Paris now has a butter boutique! Can’t think of a butter reason to visit 😌

Thinking of opening a restaurant? Read this first.

Have you even put crisps in the freezer?🤯

Why is this so accurate? gen z bartender

Food Joke of the Week (ok, it’s a drink but still)

Q: What did the grape do when it got stepped on?

A: It let out a little wine

There is no way I could tell the time on this clock, but look how beautiful it is!

Lily Vanilli Buzz Ball Cake 😍

Another great week for cafes on the Northside - Nippon Kan (日本館), translated as Japanese building, is a new cafe opened this week on Capel Street from the team behind Daruma. Looks very interesting.

Happy Out is opening their third cafe in the Docklands today, with free coffees until 12 pm! I mention my love for all things Happy Out in this Irish Times piece that just went online - Great food and drink outdoors: From ice-creams and fish and chips in the sun to seaside brunches.

La La Burger, who’ve opened in Fenit, Co. Kerry last summer already, are opening a spot in Kimmage, Dublin 12 serving LA-style burgers, looks very In-N-Out influenced.

Return of the Mak! Mak in Ranelagh announced they were closing, but turns out they are just moving locations. Good news for their loyal local fans.

Kerrygold are hosting a cheese pop-up to launch their new cheese range. Powerscourt Townhouse Centre, Dublin 2, 14–16 July ⏰ 12 pm until sell out.

Two of my local faves are having a party 🥳 Sunday 19th July, Coopers and Chubbys in Clontarf are having a lil day sesh.

This sounds gorgeous, Seafood Plates & Summer Wines at Franks on August 2nd. Bonus points for beautiful artwork.

A Taste of Summer lands at Avoca Kilmacanogue on Saturday, July 25th, a family-friendly afternoon of BBQ, artisan food and live music from 12.30 pm. Tickets are €35 for adults and €15 for kids, including lunch, a summer cocktail and entertainment. Book here.

Euro-Toques Young Chef of the Year 2026 Finalists have been announced - congratulations to Áine Budds of Comet, mentored by Kevin O’Donnell; Shannon Caulfied of Ashford Castle, mentored by Liam Finnegan; Aymeric Decourval of Lady Helen, Mount Juliet Estate, mentored by Stephen Murphy; Sam Nourse of Chapter One by Mickael Viljanen, mentored by Mickael Viljanen; Jack Rice of Comet, mentored by Kevin O’Donnell; Simone Tamilio of Bar Pez, mentored by Hugh Higgins. The chefs will be working on dishes with the theme “Community at the Table - From Place to Plate” that will be served at the final on Sunday, 11 October 2026, where one chef will be crowned Euro-Toques Young Chef of the Year 2026 before the annual Gala Dinner at Dublin’s InterContinental Hotel. Follow along here.

An interesting online upskilling event for food producers - From Producer to Experience.

Waterford Harvest Festival (Sept 4th - 6th) have announced a dinner event at Mara Restaurant, a one-night-only collaboration between chef-owner Luis Martin and JP McMahon of Aniar. Both chefs love local ingredients and share a passion for Spanish food and wine, so it should be a tasty one. The 11-course tasting menu is €150 per person, with an optional wine pairing available for €75. For reservations and further information, visit www.marawaterford.com

Congratulations to F.X. Buckley, which has retained Wine Spectator’s Best of Award of Excellence for 2026.

This is why more and more people are choosing to boycott Teeling Whiskey.

My dream shop, TBH, Crisps From Abroad! And it’s inspired a fun radio item next week - Wednesday morning, RTÉ Radio 1, David McCullagh, exact time TBC.

Scottish S’mores 🤤

How chic does this new Irish bar in New York look? Bar Monto.

Alasdair Gill, AA Gill’s son, has written a memoir, Knives and Spoons: A Chef’s Story of Kitchens, Addictions and Mayhem, and it sounds like quite the brutal read. See an extract here from The Times. He was also on RTÉ Radio 1 talking about the book; listen back here.

Unsurprisingly, I’m not the only one annoyed by AI marketing and posters. Patrick O’Hanlon has his rant over on the Journal.

Inside a female-led agricultural sanctuary in Limerick - Cliodhna Prendergast in Image.

Dee Laffan serves up Wimbledon-inspired food on RTÉs Drivetime.

What’s the secret to great cafetiere coffee?

I don’t understand Bambino’s obsession with frisbees at all, but I do admire it!

Statue Ice Cream Cones

This opera! Can’t stop watching clips. Look at the costumes!

🎫 Guinness Giveaway time!

My pals at the Guinness Storehouse have given me two tickets to give away for their Thursday Night Social - a brilliant weekly evening event happening across July & August in the Storehouse featuring incredible live music, stunning panoramic views, fresh pints, and tasty food from Hawker & Salty Buoy! See more here: https://www.guinness-storehouse.com/en/visit/summer

What you’ll win:

• 2x Tickets to a Thursday Night Social at the Guinness Storehouse.

• 2x Pints of Guinness (or Guinness 0.0).

• 2x Stouties (your selfie printed on the head of a pint!).

• 2x Food tokens to use during the night.

Note: The winner can choose to attend on either Thursday, the 16th or 23rd of July. Open to those over 18 only.

👇 How to Enter*

To keep it super simple, all you have to do is:

• Be a free or paid subscriber to The Kitchen Press

• Vote in the poll below so I know you want to be entered!

P.S. Know a friend who loves a pint of the Black Stuff? Forward this email to them! If they subscribe to The Kitchen Press and vote in the poll, they’ll be in with a shot to win too (and maybe they’ll take you as their plus-one).

*The Boring (but important) Details:

• Eligibility: Open to residents of Ireland/UK aged 18 or over.

• How to enter: You must be an active subscriber to The Kitchen Press and have voted in the poll above at the time of the draw.

• Closing Date: Entries close on Monday, 13th July 2026, 11 am.

• The Draw: One winner will be chosen at random from the pool of eligible voters. The winner will be notified via the email address linked to their Substack account on Tuesday, 14th July.

• Redemption: Transport to/from the Guinness Storehouse is not included. The prize is non-transferable and cannot be exchanged for cash. This giveaway is run independently by The Kitchen Press in partnership with the Guinness Storehouse.

Food Joke of the Week:

Q: What’s the most musical part of a chicken?

A: The drumstick

It’s that time of year - The Kitchen Press LIVE is back, happening as part of the lineup for All Together Now in Curraghmore Estate in Waterford, Friday 31st - August 2nd. Basically, I have a stage in a tent where I’ve programmed a weekend full of Kitchen Press bits, talks, panels, food, drink and chats. Champagne! Nostalgia! Live podcasts! Rom Coms! Strong opinions and strong drinks! Think of it as finding the kitchen at a house party: you come for a sit down and stay for the craic. The festival is sold out, but if you are coming along, I hope you’ll make time to pop by. See more here.

Chef Mark Moriarty was flat out this week promoting the long-awaited opening of his new space, Mark Moriarty’s Studio and it seems to have been very effective. Bookings for August opened on Wednesday, and he was already on the radio that morning to tell us they were full for the first six-week stint. Listen back to that chat with Oliver Callan here. The Studio at Wilton Park, Dublin 2, is not a conventional full-time restaurant but a studio cooking space that is open to the public every Friday night, serving a set tasting menu across two evening sittings to just 20 guests per sitting. Mark has quite the cooking calibre behind him and a very strong fanbase from lots of TV shows, so it’s no surprise spaces here will be in demand, including the private dining options. Find out more and try for your booking here.

Monty’s in Temple Bar is running a week-long soft opening for their new wine bar from July 2nd to 9th with a complimentary glass of Arras Sparkling Wine and small bites on arrival.

While I’m looking forward to this and very happy for Monty’s, why oh why have they used such a horrible AI poster? They are not alone. I keep seeing these everywhere and they just give me the ick so bad. Can’t we just use AI to help design and not hand over the design completely? Learn a bit of Canva? I would fully welcome back 90s MS Word posters over this generic AI ick any day. I am fully in support of the Thomas House on its stance on AI posters.

Musashi has opened in the Liffey Valley Shopping Centre. I also keep seeing their Hana Izakaya Sushi Push-Pops all over socials, too. Has anyone tried them?

I was full of hope a few months ago when I saw something was finally opening in the space that was once The Greenhouse on Dawson Street. The new spot opened this week and is called Dawson 19, which doesn’t give much away - but the Instagram does, and not in a good way: another ick AI-generated poster and a video from Conor Ryan front and centre. It’s not exactly sending me running to book a table.

The Morrison Room at Carton House has a new chef: Killian Bowen, formerly of the Oak Room at Adare Manor. One to watch.

The newish Barebone on Wexford Street has launched a new summer menu from Head Chef Brian Spain, with Konro-fired dishes like koji-glazed pork chops and bavette steak, plus folklore-leaning cocktails such as the smoky “Cú Chulainn” and strawberry-coconut “Tír na nÓg.” Looks promising.

Lots of lists and announcements this week. First up, ‘50 Best’, who are best known for the World’s 50 Best Restaurants list, released their inaugural Europe’s 50 Best Bars 2026. Very disappointing and a bit wild that there isn’t a single Irish bar on there. Ireland is a world destination because of our bars and our hospitality. I know cocktails are a big focus for this list, and maybe we’ve only started to up our game with them more recently, but come on, how do they overlook somewhere like Bar 1661, not to mention the rest? Patrick Dooley sums it up very well here on Insta.

The Financial Times, however, is much more aware of how great we are when it comes to beverages. This week, they published a list of the best independent coffee shops in the world in How To Spend It, and two brilliant Irish cafes made the cut - Bean in Dingle and Coffeewerk & Press in Galway. An excellent list, it has to be said.

The inaugural New Zealand Michelin ratings were announced this week to mixed reactions, as plenty of people thought they were doing just fine without the tyre company’s opinion, but the restaurants included on the list all seemed to be very happy they’d made it. I’m lucky to have eaten in a few of them already, the now one-star Mudbrick on Waiheke, Ahi in Auckland and Sherwood in Queenstown and am delighted for all of these well-deserved wins.

Across the pond, Australia has opted out of bringing Michelin in, deciding against the significant investment typically required, often backed by tourism bodies. As Michelin continues to expand, which it will do, it’s big business; you can definitely feel an increased wave of cynicism behind it. And real ones know that you should always take the opinion of a marketing scheme for a tyre company with a pinch of well-sourced sea salt.

Huge congratulations to Eunice Power, who has joined the Irish Examiner as their new recipe writer. Eunice’s recipes are excellent, always delicious, always beautiful. I’m looking forward to following along.

Container Coffee are running a fundraiser today in aid of Venezuela 💚

Flavours of Fingal is on this weekend at Newbridge House and Gardens with a great food element, including chats with Dee Laffan, Shane Smith and Erica Drum. See more here.

Tiger Balm Club at Saint Francis Kinsale this weekend!

The Centre of Food Culture Ireland’s Meet the Maker series continues with farm walks and tastings at Coolattin Cheddar (July 18), Tory Hill Farm (Aug 8) and Leitrim Hill (Aug 23).

Esk Mountain in Glengarriff opens for summer with nature-led stays, immersive food experiences and a ‘Taste the Wild’ guest chef pop-up series.

Irish drinks writer Oisín Davis is headed to London to host a one-night Irish Cocktail Party at The Dawn Seal, London (July 17), showcasing some excellent Irish drinks. Book tickets here.

Four Hands Studio are hosting what sounds like a brilliant cookalong later in July at Relick Farmhouse. Details here.

Rekindle: Festival of Lost Skills from Common Knowledge returns to Clare (Aug 14–16) with exhibitions, heritage walks, workshops, céilí and live music across Ennistymon and Lisdoonvarna. See more here.

Great sounding online event - Serve it Forth Food History Festival 2026 is happening in October, but you can sign up now. Plenty of time for them to come up with a better poster, perhaps?

This is a bit mad - what’s next for Tesco Club Card.

This is when you know something has peaked, dirty martini soft serve. Nope.

Pubs are culture 💚

Food joke of the week

Q: What is the easiest way to make a banana split?

A: Cut it in half!

PS - I edited this in the back of a car, so excuse typos and can’t get rid of watermarks on photos. Please help!

Let’s start with my “boots on the ground journalism” - Ahmet Dede and Maria Archer, the duo behind Dede and Baba’de, in Baltimore, Cork, are gearing up to open their third spot, Dede Cellar and Pantry, on July 8. Mornings will centre on coffee and house pastries, while shelves will be stocked with provisions including their own Turkish olive oil and other Turkish staples. Wine is a major focus too, available to take home or drink in with corkage, alongside a casual food offering of small and sharing plates in their signature style, blending West Cork produce with Turkish influence: think lobster rolls, charcuterie, olives and house breads. There is also more news in the pipeline from the Dede team, but they’re keeping tight-lipped on that until everything is official. Watch this space…Is Ahmet Ireland’s Rick Stein? Will Baltimore become the Irish Padstow?

Sad news to hear that Allta is set to close at the end of the year. Niall Davidson’s restaurant has been one of the most innovative in Ireland - perhaps too innovative. It always felt like the Docklands location never quite took off as it should have. The question now is: what’s next? Davidson has a strong reputation for pop-ups, brand collaborations and the like, but could we see a move back to a more central location? They are open for booking until the end of December, and if you haven’t been yet or in a while, I would recommend booking.

A new opening is on the way to Aungier Street, next to Egan’s, with Trattoria Lulu, or Lulu’s, taking over the former Val’s pizzeria space. It will start as an Italian-leaning wine bar serving small plates and snacks, before expanding into a full dining room in September with a grill-led menu of sharing steaks, fish and pasta.

Pancake brunch favourite Póg is opening in Terenure! In about 6 weeks, they hope.

This looks like a very promising new opening for Killarney - Loinnir Brewery, Smokehouse & Pizzeria, where the former Killarney Brewing Company taproom was.

There’s a new rotisserie chicken restaurant in Dundalk called Chicken Shack, serving Josper-grilled rotisserie chicken. Can’t tell much about the chicken or the location from their Insta, but their branding is great!

Loved getting the press release from Rob Kenny PR on the Dingle Gin launch they hosted last week at the Marker Hotel. Landing in my inbox via DJ and publicist Billy Bunzari, it read more like a gossipy noughties Sindo Diary entry than standard PR. There were cameos from Maia Dunphy, who arrived early with a wedding gift for Rob Kenny, and Adam Kelly (aka 2BigLugs) on date night, alongside a roll call of other “notable names”, while Kelly-Anne Byrne was on the decks. All, of course, sipping Dingle Gin cocktails, and the new bottles look very well.

Huge kudos to chef and content creator Tom Murray (A Bit Of Banging), who embarked this week on a pop-up world tour. Looking forward to following along.

Lidl Ireland announced chef Eric Matthews as a new official chef ambassador - I interviewed him for the Sunday Times ahead of the announcement. Also in print on Sunday.

Excellent cheffing behind this new supper club in Clare - A Kind of Supper Club - a series of seasonal suppers created by Niamh Fox, Ashley Gribben & Tabitha Halliday. The first in the series will be on Friday, 24th July, hosted in the Courthouse Gallery in Ennistymon.

Whitestown House has teamed up with McNally Family Farm and James Gabriel Martin for Of the Land - A Celebration of Summer in North County Dublin. Taking place on July 25 (5–9 pm) and July 26 (1–5 pm), the experience begins with a farm walk before finishing with a three-course feast inspired by what’s growing and in season. Tickets are available via WhitestownHouse.ie or in person at the McNally Family Farm shop.

There’s a food-focused wellbeing event taking place at RCSI on July 1 as part of the European Conference of Positive Psychology. The workshop led by graduate chefs from TU Dublin’s MSc in Applied Culinary Nutrition, alongside a group of practitioners in the space, will explore the link between flavour, food and wellbeing, led by. Book here .

No more pink restaurants - expect to see lots more blue.

A new podcast from Ina Garten!

The Fat Fox made a stunning cake for Oliva Dean 😍

‘The beauty of the useless’: Spain’s super-thin restaurant napkins are throwaway art treasures: The Guardian

Have you ever thought about how and why milk is colour coded?

Can’t believe I forgot the joke last week! So here is a seasonal food one, found on the beach yesterday! 🤣 sandals-on-the-beach journalism…

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Little Canton opened this week in the space that was Nan Chinese on Stephen Street. The menu looks very delicious and very fun.

Killarney cafe & wine favourite Luna announced they are opening in Cork this summer.

Congratulations to Giovanni Mannino, chef at Grano in Stoneybatter, who won Italy’s prestigious Fresh Pasta Championship for 2026 with a dish using ingredients he foraged in Co Carlow.

Dromoland Castle in Co. Clare has a new Resort Executive Chef, Kevin Fleming, with a stellar five-star hotel background in the Middle East and Adare Manor.

Congratulations to The Station House Hotel in Meath, who were added to the Michelin Guide this week.

Did you know there’s a beautiful community garden tucked away in Dublin 3? Mud Island Community Garden, just off North Strand, is hosting its Great Big Summer Picnic on Sunday, 28 June at 2 pm, with Ross Golden-Bannon at the helm - all in aid of the Attracta O’Regan PhD Scholarship for early ovarian cancer detection. It’s a lovely excuse for a day out: gather your pals and settle in for an afternoon of delicious food and entertainment, all while supporting vital research with Breakthrough Cancer Research. Book in advance here.

I had such a great chat with Aideen White, the chef behind Land Lover supper clubs, at Beyond The Plate last weekend. We talked all things Below Deck and the realities of being a yacht chef, and she brought along the most delicious tasters for us. A reminder that I need to get to one of the Land Lover dinners, and so should you. The next ones are happening in Galway; details here.

Glas Restaurant on Chatham Street are hosting a five-course, plant-based July tasting menu celebrating Irish veg on Tuesday, 7 July (€45pp). Book at glasrestaurant.ie

ORSO in Cork launched a summer Wednesday series spotlighting English Market producers, kicking off with Tim Mulcahy from The Chicken Inn for a chicken-led two-course menu alongside its Levantine-inspired à la carte. See more and book in here.

Guinness Storehouse is launching a new weekly event, Thursday Night Social, this July and August, offering locals €15 entry with a self-guided tour, a pint at the Gravity Bar, DJ sets and food from Hawker by Hang Dai, Salty Buoy and El Fuego. Tickets here: https://www.guinness-storehouse.com/en/visit/summer

Another summery drinks promotion, this time from UK brewer Beavertown. Soundtrack Stories is happening on the 25th & 26th June, taking over Egan’s and The Globe with performances from SexyTadhg and Kean Kavanagh, support from Minikimono and storytelling in the mix too. With pints, of course. Book tickets here.

Are you an experienced chef looking for a change? Ballymaloe Cookery School are looking for a new teacher. What a dreamy place to work.

First look inside Lidl’s new pub!

Interesting read here on what a rip-off stadium drinks prices are.

Also, this investigation on food rip-offs in American stadiums is worth a watch.

Conor Stevens wrote his last review for the Sunday Times, announcing his departure on Instagram. But fear not, you can still read his regaling reviews in Totally Dublin.

Candy Floss Tayto?!

The trailer for the final season of The Bear is here.

How did we end up drinking milk?!

There is a restaurant in Nailsea, Somerset, called Posh Spice

Banana peel Louboutins!

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Morso, the sandwich shop from the Mani Pizza team with chef Tom Murray (Bitta Banging) in the kitchen, opened yesterday and sold out. They are back open on Drury Street from 12 pm today. If you’ve been following Tom on Instagram, you’ll know that these are no ordinary sandwiches…

Bujo Burger opened today at Central Plaza, and it looks great - looking forward to not having to go to Sandymount for a Bujo fix.

The rumours (written here) were true. Adam Nevin, who recently left his role at The Morrison Room at Carton House, is taking the reins at Glover’s Alley as Executive Chef. Glovers Alley will be reopening on Wednesday, September 2nd. No announcement yet on who is taking over Nevin’s place in Carton House, but another rumour tells me it’s someone from a Munster Michelin kitchen…

A commencement notice for work on the new food market at the CHQ building in Dublin 1 went live this week 👀 Plans are afoot for a multi-stall food hall and event space.

Have you followed Provenance_ie yet? Documenting the farmers & producers of Ireland, working on an Irish food verification system and building a map as they go.

Taste of Dublin is on this weekend, and tickets are still available for Saturday and Sunday. Always a fun day out.

How cool is this way to dispose of kitchen oil - do you think it would work here?

The Real House of Guinness

Justice for cauliflower

Shark-cuterie

This barrel 😍

Graham Herterich’s Pride Shortbread 🌈

Food Joke of the Week: it’s another cheesy one…

Q: What did the cheese say when it saw itself in the mirror?

A: Halloumi!

Thanks for reading The Kitchen Press, my weekly round-up of Irish food, drink and hospitality news. If you liked my writing, I’ve got a very fun book out, A Compendium of Irish Pints. You can also follow my eating and drinking, and other writing work, over on Instagram and sporadically on TikTok.

The Kitchen Press Food News is a reader-supported publication. Your subscription, free or paid, means I can keep delivering it weekly, so please do subscribe. GRMA x

Subscribe now

Fresh ingredients:

News & stuff I’m excited about

I just missed the breaking news last Friday that Jack’s, a new wine bar and small plates joint, opened next door to the ever-popular Loverboy on St. Gabriel’s Road. Perfect time as the summer gigs continue this weekend at St. Anne’s Park. I popped by Chubby’s just-opened taco truck last Saturday and it was buzzing before CMAT. I was just going to Lotts & Co to get some milk, but when I saw three tacos for €15, how could I resist??? Excellent value, they were delicious. There is also a great little aperitif bar in the yard. Delighted also to see that Seana O’Brien and Robert Stewart, well-known hospitality heroes previously at Hang Dai, have joined the team at Chubbys.

A new chapter is underway at Mr Fox on Parnell Square, with Adam Jordan stepping in as co-owner and executive chef, now fully leading the kitchen. Anthony Smith, who founded Mr Fox and remains involved on the ownership side, is stepping back from the menus. Jordan has a strong Michelin kitchen cooking pedigree - The Greenhouse, Chapter One, AnnaLena (Vancouver), D’Olier Street and Terre in Cork - so it will be interesting to see what changes he makes. I know for now that Saturday lunch is making a return, and both the à la carte and set menus are sticking around.

Hilary Quinn, senior pastry chef at Ballymaloe House, is running a doughnut pop-up at Ballymaloe Cookery School on Saturday, June 6th, with lots of goodies on the menu, including a new, special edition elderflower glazed yum yum, Irish strawberry & fig leaf doughnut, the return of the “everything bagel” inspired savoury bun, & more. For this pop-up, Hilary is trialling a “BYOB” concept - Bring Your Own Box and you will get a €1 discount off your purchase. I can vouch for Hilary’s doughnuts being some of the best I have ever tasted. Worth making a detour for. Details here.

The teething problems for Karl Whelan’s Marée continue. After some booking system blips last week, reservations have now been postponed due to building issues. Writing on Instagram, he said: “This old building has waited a long time for a restaurant, so what’s a few more weeks?” Hopefully everything is resolved soon.

Restaurateur turned consultant Joe Macken (Crackbird, Jo’ Burger, Hey Donna, etc) launched his latest venture, Tiller, this week, a new certification for restaurants championing Irish produce. You can read more about it here, and if you’re coming to Beyond The Pale, I’ll be chatting to Joe about this on Friday at Beyond The Plate.

The Unicorn on Merrion Row has opened its terrace for the summer and launched a new Italian summer menu.

Kinara Kitchen in Ranelagh is now open seven days a week, with a new €22 Curry Club and a loyalty card offering a free dish on your 11th visit. There’s also a new Thali lunch with rotating options (lamb, fish, chicken, or vegetarian). See more here.

Bettystown House in County Meath has announced a new series of dinners across the summer, celebrating the Boyne Valley produce, led by chef Aidan Ryan. On the 4th of July, Reuven Diaz joins for an American-Irish menu and on August 15th, Chad Byrne, Executive Head Chef at The Brehon in Killarney, will host an evening of live fire cooking. Both evenings will be four-course dinners along a communal table on the grounds of Bettystown House. Tickets are €100. See more and book here.

Congratulations to Adare Manor on being named among the inaugural recipients of the Condé Nast Traveler Triple Crown - a new award for hotels that have achieved all three of the publication’s honours: the Hot List, the Gold List and the Readers.

WineOnline.ie Summer Wine Festival takes place upstairs at The Morehampton, 135 Morehampton Road, Ballsbridge, Dublin 4, on Thursday 11 June 2026, from 6.00 pm. Tickets are €45 per person and include access to a tasting of over 70 wines. Tickets here.

A very tasty way to celebrate Bloomsday season - Bia Duit x Three Castles Burning x Assassination Custard Present: Dining in Dublin 1904: Food in the Time of Ulysses at Cleary’s Pub. Tickets here

El Milagro are on the move this summer - here’s where you can find them

Put Tig Bhric Saturday barbecue on your list if you’re in Dingle this summer

Very sad to write about the death of Ernie Whalley, one of our finest food writers and a huge supporter of restaurants, chefs, producers and fellow writers. An incredible character - great fun, immensely knowledgeable, and always with a story to tell.

He began writing about wine in 1978 for a northern English newspaper and, after moving to Ireland in 1987, became a familiar voice through the Sunday Independent, the Evening Herald and his long-running column in The Sunday Times. An influencer before it was a thing, he informed generations of readers, while championing Irish food and mentoring many along the way. His legacy is lasting.

I was lucky to spend time with him through Irish Food Writers’ Guild events. He was generous with his time and encouragement and was deeply valued by so many. My thoughts are with his family and wide circle of friends. Suaimhneas síoraí dá anam.

Petit Fours:

Sweet bits to watch, listen, read or obsess over, etc.

Plans for summer? The Great Northside Dart Pub Crawl, perhaps?

An absolute DREAM writing retreat - Bog & Thunder Telling Your Story: Memoir with Laurie Woolever. A writing retreat with longtime lieutenant of Anthony Bourdain. This September in West Cork

Get a 3FE cup for home

Dreaming of a stay in Ashford Castle and a cinema night with this snack box 😍

So lovely to listen to the wonderful Felicity Cloake on the Go To Food Podcast

I’ll have a Card-onnay Kim 🦘

Can you guess who the highest tipped cast member of all time on Below Deck is..

A pair of Louboutins I would 100% consider putting myself through the pain of wearing 🐌

Food Joke of the Week:

Q: What do you call cheese that isn’t yours?

A: Nacho cheese

Thanks for reading The Kitchen Press, my weekly round-up of Irish food, drink and hospitality news. If you liked my writing, I’ve got a very fun book out, A Compendium of Irish Pints. You can also follow my eating and drinking, and other writing work, over on Instagram and sporadically on TikTok.

The Kitchen Press Food News is a reader-supported publication. Your subscription, free or paid, means I can keep delivering it weekly, so please do subscribe. GRMA x

Subscribe now

PS, you voted overwhelmingly yes for the weekly food joke! So I’ve gone with one of my all-time favourites 🤭

Fresh ingredients:

News & stuff I’m excited about

Beyond The Plate at Beyond The Pale, my first official festival stage of the season, is less than two weeks away - I chatted with Doireann Garrihy on 2FM about what’s ahead. Listen Here. We’ve also added the Beyond The Plate timetable to the festival website so you can plan when you will come hang with us. I promise there is always something tasty going on.

The Irish Times Summer Food Magazine is out with today’s paper. Make sure you grab a copy to check out the 100 Great Restaurants list I worked on with Corinna Hardgrave and Joanne Cronin. We’ve gone a different route this time and I think it’s v fun and perfect for summer - online here. I also interviewed some brilliant chefs who swapped hotter climates to make Ireland their home - look out for ‘No Taste Like Home’.

Right, some news that is not about me, perhaps?

We have a date for Banco, the long-awaited bakery from the Grano team - June 2nd! Conor Pope got a first look for the Irish Times.

And how gorgeous to see that Tartine Bakery have opened in the IFSC.

Bookings for Karl Whelan’s new Grand Canal restaurant Marée opened this week. There may have been a few technical hiccups, but all seems to be good now, and there are still some tables available.

Monty’s of Kathmandu in Temple Bar has long been a sommelier’s favourite restaurant thanks to their extensive wine list, so it’s great news to hear they are opening a wine bar.

Green Beards are opening a new spot at 18 Dublin Rd, Shankill.

It’s the end of an era for Captain Americas on Grafton Street - The Journal reported that the site will undergo rebranding and will reopen later this year as a New York-style brasserie.

Iconic New York Irish pub group The Dead Rabbit are popping up in Killarney next week for a collaboration with the brilliant Pig’s Lane. Thursday 4th June, from 7 pm.

Chubby’s in Clontarf just announced they will be open this Bank Holiday Monday, so if you have been waiting to get a table, this might be your chance! (I had the chicken burger last week, VERY GOOD). They also have a late night on Sunday with Billy Scurry on the decks.

For some fun Bank Holiday drinks, Franks on Camden Street is hosting a pop-up with Drinks Studio on Sunday and Monday.

Staying in this weekend? Floritz is now on Deliveroo, get their delicious sushi, bao and that crispy rice at home.

The annual Euro-Toques Ireland Food Awards took place this week in Wicklow. This year, the awards recognised producers across seven categories: Water - Aran Island Seafoods; Land - Garryhinch Mushrooms; Farm - Winetavern Farm; Dairy (Aged Cheese) - Kylemore Farmhouse Cheese for Kinlahan Reserve; Dairy (Soft Cheese) - Leitrim Hill Creamery for Cnoc Liatroma; Artisan Produce - Dunany Flour; and Traditional Craft/Skill - Micil Distillery for Micil Irish Poitín. Congrats to all the winners! See more here.

Summer has kicked off at Suesey Street with a new cocktail menu for drinks on the terrace and €5 Friday corkage. See more here.

Castleknock Hotel are hosting a Rosé Wine Evening on Thursday, 4 June, with Jamie Hunt of Tindal Wine Merchants. Tickets and details here.

Jess Murphy from Kai Galway is heading to Cork; she will be cooking at Blue Haven Kinsale with Meeran Manzoor on June 14th for a very special one-off evening. Book here.

Lewis Barker, executive chef at Terre in Castlemartyr Resort, is launching a new guest chef collaboration series, ‘Friends of Terre’. First up is Michael Wilson, chef of Michelin-starred Marguerite in Singapore, for two dinners on the 17th and 18th June. Details and booking here.

Redbreast Irish Whiskey will be at Pichet on 12th July for a special whiskey and fine dining event - see more details here.

The Big Grill is headed to Chicago!

Fellow writers - entries for the Irish Food Writing Awards close on May 31st; don’t forget to get yours in.

RIP Carlo Petrini, founder of Slow Food, who passed away last week at 76. He was a visionary leader who leaves an enduring legacy. Read more about him and his big life here.

Petit Fours:

Sweet bits to watch, listen, read or obsess over, etc.

📰 Inside the French House: How a Soho pub built its own art world

📰 The pizza oven start-up that came through the fire

🎧 Darina Allen on the Go To Food Podcast is just a great listen.

🎧 Pint expert Padraig Fox talking all things Guinness.

📺 Apple TV announced season two of the docuseries “Knife Edge: Chasing Michelin Stars,” hosted by Jesse ‘Top Jaw’ Burgess, and we know they filmed in Dublin…

Ever wondered what the difference is between a Recipe developer vs Content Creator

💾 An essential map to save for the summer - every Cloud Picker Coffee stockist around Ireland!

RHOBH’s Dorit finally dropped her famous carcass out ‘recipe’ IYKYK 😆

How good do these affogatos look?

OMG the cuteness

Food Joke of the Week:

Q: Why did the tomato blush?

A: It saw the salad dressing 🤭

Fresh ingredients:

News & stuff I’m excited about

Let’s start with a plug for me! I’m back for another summer session, curating Beyond The Plate at Beyond The Pale, returning to Glendalough Estate from June 12th to 14th. This year’s theme is “The Spice Bag Edition”, a mix of culture, creativity and a little bit of rebellion, packed with great chats, tastings and plenty of craic. Check out the full lineup and come find us if you’re heading to the festival.

The Irish Restaurant Awards run by the RAI (Restaurant Association of Ireland) took place in Dublin this week. Restaurant Patrick Guilbaud took home the top gong of Best Restaurant, Ahmet Dede, Dede at The Customs House Baltimore, won Best Chef and Paul and Máire Flynn received the Outstanding Achievement Award for The Tannery Restaurant, Townhouse and Cookery School. There is a full list of the winners in the Irish Times.

“Guess what? Your baby Janet has huge news!” delighted that Janet has found a new permanent home at the Arthaus Hotel on York Street, Dublin 2. She’s opening Yíbu by Janet, bringing day and night concepts side by side. Whatever shape it takes, it’s sure to be fun and seriously delicious.

Following the news about The Silk Road Café in the Chester Beatty Library being told to close for six months? Let’s hope it gets sorted. See more here.

Wishbone, the chicken restaurant that used to be on Montague Street, has reopened at the Parnell Square end of Dorset Street.

The Lesson looks very close to opening 👀

How did I miss the news that Lidl is opening a pub in Co. Down? The pub is a workaround to get an off-licence for a new store and is due to open this summer. Please, can they have fun with the name? I think any of these could work - Lidl By Lidl, The Lidl Drop, The Lidl Lounge?

The Palace Bar in Dublin has released an exclusive 25 year old single cask Redbreast Irish Whiskey. If you fancy tasting it, they have a special Redbreast Cask Strength flight for €85 available until the end of June.

Speaking of whiskey, the Titanic Hotel in Belfast has a great offer that would be ideal for whiskey lovers: an overnight stay in the nautical-themed hotel, Titanic Distillers whiskey miniatures, and two tickets to a signature tour at Titanic Distillers from £229 per room. Book in here.

Dough Bros have done it again - a Scampi Fries pizza!

How good does this pop-up by Quinta An look? Sarah Hanrahan unearthing actual hidden gems.

Dates for the Diary:

Tasty things to book ahead

Howth Maritime Festival is happening this weekend and includes a brand-new Live Food Stage hosted by the brilliant Erica Drum.

The Eurotoque Food Awards are taking place on Monday at Tullfarris Hotel in Wicklow. Tickets are still available. Details here.

The eighth Dublin Gastronomy Symposium (DGS) is happening next week, May 26th & 27th at TU Dublin Grangegorman, centred around the theme Food and Crisis / Hope. Open to everyone curious about food, the ticket price includes lunches on-site and a final dinner at the King’s Inns. (And a TBA pub chat event on Tuesday) Register at arrow.tudublin.ie/dgs/

More €10 martinis for Dublin - Hawksmoor is hosting a collab with Equal Parts London on 27th May, with €10 Boatyard Martinis.

Note is hosting a Sunday lunch with Barra Berlin on 31st May. Book in here.

There are still some tickets for the Dash Burger X Alvin Cailan (the chef behind Eggslut and Amboy Quality Meats) popup on 31st May, but the location has now moved to Dash Burger on Capel Street. Tickets here.

Online event: The Oxford Symposium on Food & Cookery Kitchen Table is back on Wednesday 3rd June - We Need To Talk About: What is a Recipe?

Clonakilty Street Carnival is a day of family fun and food taking place on June 13th, celebrating its tenth year. See more here.

Forbes Street by Gareth Mullins at The Marker Hotel is hosting a dinner with Champagne Ayala on Thursday, 11th June 2026, along with Rachel Mignon, Champagne Ayala Brand Ambassador. Details and tickets here.

If you want more food festival listings, I’ve got a bigger round-up over on the Irish Times.

Petit Fours:

Sweet bits to watch, listen, read or obsess over, etc.

Food is Never Just Food - a listening essay from the endlessly creative Jennie Moran

Conor Stevens in Totally Dublin with a very entertaining visit to Super Ramen and a shout out to one of my all-time faves, The Ramen Bar.

What Actually Keeps an Independent Restaurant Alive? UK article, but still a relevant read.

This is a really interesting read - The True Cost of Influencing: Part One and Part Two. A good reminder to stay sceptical because there are always a few bad eggs online. But also a reminder to value the good food content creators. Give them a like, comment, some love, when you can. And if you don’t like what someone does, just unfollow. Simple.

Tucci in Italy Season 2 is back on Disney!

When latte art is subjective…

A reminder of when we all discovered vodka and Red Bull from a very unlikely source

Darina Allen & Keith Floyd

Why does this feel so real?

Below Deck’s Most Memorable Cakes

The Sauvignon Blanc Flytipper - the comments on this post ⚰️

Food Joke of the Week:

Q: What’s the difference between a black eyed pea and a chickpea?

A: One can sing us a song. The other can only hummus one.

Thanks for reading The Kitchen Press, my weekly round-up of Irish food, drink and hospitality news. If you liked my writing, I’ve got a very fun book out, A Compendium of Irish Pints. You can also follow my eating and drinking, and other writing work, over on Instagram and sporadically on TikTok.

The Kitchen Press Food News is a reader-supported publication. Your subscription, free or paid, means I can keep delivering it weekly, so please do subscribe. GRMA x

Subscribe now

Fresh ingredients:

News & stuff I’m excited about

Two big Michelin-starred endings this week…

Chestnut, the charming Ballydehob one-star from Rob Krawczyk and Elaine Fleming, has announced it will close at the end of October. Here’s hoping this is less of a full stop and more like the start of a new chapter.

In Dublin, Glovers Alley will close on May 17th to “carry out some essential works and restructure our team and leadership,” following the departure of head chef Andy McFadden. He leaves after eight years, having held a Michelin star for five of them. Rumours are already swirling about who might step into the role, with one recently departed Michelin-starred chef from just outside Dublin being mentioned more than most…

Set your alarms 🚨 bookings for chef Karl Whelan’s much-anticipated new Grand Canal restaurant, Marée, will go live on May 25th

Dede is coming to Dublin! The two Michelin-starred Cork restaurant, led by chef Ahmet Dede, will take over Fidelity on Monday, June 8th, cooking alongside Alex Zhang of Big Fan/ Sister 7. Expect bold, exciting flavour combinations from two seriously talented chefs. Tickets go on sale Friday, May 22. Sign up to the Fidelity mailing list at www.fidelitybar.ie for first access.

Another whopper pop-up coming to Dublin - Kate and Lee Tiernan from London cult favourite Black Axe Mangal will take over Hen’s Teeth for a one-night-only dinner and show on June 6th. Dinner is five courses of BAM classics with a twist, alongside music from Wasman. Tickets are €95pp (but you have to book in twos), nab yours here.

Not at all happy to hear that Hong Kong on Eden Quay is closing. I will miss their char siu puffs 😭

Also devastated to hear Indigo & Cloth are being turfed out of Temple Bar. I’ve always loved how they felt like an injection of cool, creative Dublin in the middle of the touristy surrounds. And the coffee is consistently top-notch. They’re on the hunt for a new home, so if you have any leads, let them know.

Chef Jules Mak announced he would be closing his Ranelgah restaurant Mak at the end of May and pivoting to Fuoco, a “premium takeaway concept”.

There is a new branch of sandwich shop Carved set to open in Charlemont Square, marking its third outpost after Ballsbridge and Grand Canal Dock.

The Purty Kitchen in Dun Laoghaire has teamed up with brilliant butcher Rick Higgins for a special week-long menu running May 13th - 17th, celebrating the relationship between farm and kitchen. Expect excellent côte de boeuf, Wagyu burgers and on Sunday, they’ll be serving a pig on a spit from Winetavern Farm.

A huge welcome to the new members of the Irish Food Writers Guild - John Wilson, Dr Christina Wade, Blanca Valencia, Eunice Power, Matthew Nugent, Trevis L. Gleason and Liam Campbell.

One of Ireland’s most iconic bars, The George, is celebrating its 40th birthday this week. Read more about it here. And this afternoon, I will be tuning in to listen to Kieran Cuddihy and Liveline broadcast live from the venue, sharing stories from the past four decades and the many chapters this landmark space has held for Ireland’s LGBTQ+ community.

Loving the sound of the new Sunday Steak Frites & Martinis deals from Coppinger. On the menu: steak frites for €30, and martinis, dirty, wet, extra cold, however you take yours, are €10 all day.

Dates for the Diary:

Tasty things to book ahead

The eighth Dublin Gastronomy Symposium (DGS) will take place on May 26th & 27th at TU Dublin Grangegorman, centred around the theme Food and Crisis / Hope. Always a fascinating couple of days, you’ll hear from Irish and international speakers presenting 53 papers across 15 parallel sessions, culminating in a four-way roundtable led by international experts in food and diplomacy. Open to everyone curious about food, the ticket price includes lunches on-site and a final dinner at the King’s Inns. Register at arrow.tudublin.ie/dgs/

China Sichuan is marking its 50th year with a special collaboration dinner with guest chef Barry Sun of Volpe Nera. Following a rapid sell-out of the first sitting, a second date has been added on Tuesday, June 2. Details and booking here.

The International Literature Festival Dublin kicks off next week and includes bookable food and literature walking tours hosted by Dee Laffan of Scoop Magazine. See more and book here.

Hell’s Kitchen Champion Ryan O’Sullivan returns to the Grill Room at the River Lee in Cork on May 18th for a seasonal dining experience. Tickets are priced at €70 per person and include a four-course menu; An Evening with Ryan O’Sullivan.

The Mountain House in Ardfield, Co. Cork, will host a special pop-up series featuring the Eurotoques Young Chef finalists in collaboration with chef Josef Quane, showcasing themed, seasonal menus from Ireland’s next generation of culinary talent.

After selling out their first even Dot Dot Dot pop-up is back this June with another dinner, bookings go live May 24th - see more here.

To celebrate 20 years in business, Green Earth Organics is hosting a Sustainability Festival on Saturday, September 12th, on its farm in Corrandulla, Co Galway. See more at www.greenearthorganics.ie.

The Comber Earlies Food Festival returns as the flagship of Ards and North Down’s Taste Summer celebration on Saturday, 20 June, showcasing the borough’s finest local flavours.

If you want more food festival listings, I’ve got a bigger round-up over on the Irish Times.

Petit Fours:

Sweet bits to watch, listen, read or obsess over, etc.

📰 Mongoose review: This new Dublin 8 spot is now my favourite restaurant

📰 Andy Hayler visits the Yellow Bittern

📰 Behind the Scenes of London’s Most Influential Restaurant Group w/ Songsoo Kim

🎧 The wonderful founders of Honey & Co on The Go To Food podcast

How good do these modern day cool pops from The Fat Fox look?

There is always time for red

Pasta Disco Balls!

Dad Food Joke of the Week (thanks to popbitch, but should I share one each week I have lots…?)

Q: What was Romeo and Juliet’s favourite fruit?

A: Cantelope.

Thanks for reading The Kitchen Press, my weekly round-up of Irish food, drink and hospitality news. If you liked my writing, I’ve got a very fun book out, A Compendium of Irish Pints. You can also follow my eating and drinking, and other writing work, over on Instagram and sporadically on TikTok.

The Kitchen Press Food News is a reader-supported publication. Your subscription, free or paid, means I can keep delivering it weekly, so please do subscribe. GRMA x

Subscribe now

Bambino is opening a third location on Camden Street! It’s in the space that was The Port House Cava, so will this mean it’s a sit-down space? They also teased more big announcements coming soon.

Sprout has launched a new range of drizzles available to buy to take home from their restaurants.

The Libertine is back open.

Almost forgot Bujo Burger were meant to be opening in Central Plaza, looks like it should be happening soon.

The Nine Bean Row and Blasta Book lineup for A/W 2026 is very exciting.

Paula Pastry at The Drawing Room is a new haute pâtisserie concept created by celebrated pastry chef Paula Stakelum (aka, Paula Pastry) at Ashford Castle, open to residents and non-residents. Running from May, it’s €60pp and looks and sounds divine.

Entries are now open for Cocktail Bartender of the Year as part of the Bar of the Year Awards. Open to all bartenders, they are asked to submit a cocktail creation using the selected spirits available from the Edward Dillon & Co portfolio. Find out more and apply here.

Dash Burger announced a very exciting one-day-only pop-up with Alvin Cailan, the chef behind Eggslut and Amboy Quality Meats. May 31st at the Devlin, more details here.

Goleen Harbour Eco Resort has announced a series of summer dinner pop-ups from Tom Hayes (Almost Anywhere), The Glass Curtain restaurant, Leviathan’s James Gabriel Martin, Miyazaki Cork’s Pádraig Nagle and Epi Rogan (formerly The Glass Curtain / Paradiso, Cork). Dates and booking here.

Clonakilty Street Carnival is a day of family fun and food taking place on June 13th, celebrating its tenth year. See more here.

Osaka Social Club, a new monthly Japanese supper club, launches this month in Dublin, showcasing “Osakan flavours using staunchly Irish produce”. Details and booking here.

PETIT FOURS

Why did the trailer for Tony, the new Anthony Bourdain film out this year, make me teary?

For People With Autism, Can Restaurant Kitchens Be a Haven? via NY Times

Cinemas deciding what food to sell. Haaaaaaaa

If it swims, we have it

Cate Blanchett as Martha Stewart!

Ina - Store-bought is fine

The story of pork scratchings

“It feels like Ireland’s coastal areas are being turned into a theme park…” Sally Barnes in conversation with Tom MacSweeney

Subscribe now

Fresh ingredients:

News & stuff I’m excited about

Dublin continues to deliver good café & casual eating news. Dandelion is a new market, kitchen, and deli in Howth from chef Aoife Barker, who most recently was behind the 147 Deli sandwiches at Chubby’s, so you know there will be plenty of tasty offerings.

The Day Café opened this week in The Circular (in the space that was Daddy’s), and it looks great. The same team are also behind the Gaffe pop-up this weekend at Leonard’s Corner.

Happy Out and the Together Academy are opening a second cafe in the North Quays. If you’ve been to their Dun Laoghaire outpost, you’ll know this is one to look forward to.

Sandwich-making legends, Goats Gruff, are opening a cafe in Castleknock.

And the lovely Luna has opened a second café in Mount Merrion.

In Leap, Co. Cork, the team who previously ran Pilgrim’s in Roscarbery are getting closer to opening their new venture, Harnen, a bakery, cafe & provisions. Lucky Leap!

Flout Pizza no. 2 is opening today in Belfast.

Chef & baker Graham Herterich will be the guest chef on Channel 4’s Sunday Brunch this Sunday. Cooking & talking about all things cabbage! Jessie Ware and Alex James are also guests def one to tune in for.

The Stapleton bar opened a few months ago, at the bottom of Powerscourt, and now they’ve added The Stapleton pub.

You know summer is getting a bit closer when we start to hear news of seasonal openings. The Currabinny Caravan is back open for the summer at Shankhill Castle in Kilkenny for delicious sandwiches and treats from William Murray.

In Monkstown, Mermaid is back open with lots of summery seafood on the menu.

Lovely Food Company, Glasnevin are back open for wine evenings.

Speaking of wine, there has been much online chatter this week about ‘Irish’ wine. A story that, just like a big shiraz, needs some opening up, I reckon…

Love to see a neighbourly collab - Rascals x Kari pizza.

Happy 15th Birthday to Galway’s Aniar, chef-owner JP McMahon will be marking the milestone through a series of collaborations, menus and signature dishes and launching a limited-edition sparkling Irish rosé with David Llewellyn of Lusca Wines.

The brilliant Cask in Cork have launched a new cocktail menu, ‘Tasty Anarchy’.

UK restaurant Richard Caring sold a majority stake in his UK hospitality empire, which includes the Ivy restaurant chain, to an entity controlled by Abu Dhabi royal Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed al-Nahyan. If you need another reason to avoid The Ivy and The Ivy Asia, this is it. Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan, nicknamed the “spy sheikh”, is involved in many controversies, including a half-billion-dollar corruption scandal with Trump. That glam Ivy backdrop can’t take away the taste of corruption.

Dates for the Diary:

Tasty things to book ahead

The gorgeous Blossom Bakery, usually based at Buddy’s Market in Ballymun are popping up in town on Wednesday 22nd at Little Lemon, kicking off at 9am with breads and pastries.

Waterford Festival of Food is coming up soon - April 24th-26th - with lots of events happening in and around Dungarvan, take a look here waterfordfestivaloffood.com

Tickets are now on sale for SommiT Ireland 2026, taking place this year in various venues around Drogheda, Co. Louth, from the 10th to the 12th of May. Tickets and details here: https://sommitireland.ie/

Then it’s time for Ballymaloe Festival of Food, May 15th - 18th https://www.ballymaloefestivaloffood.com/

And there’s still time to register your own street party and event with Street Feast 2026, May 23rd-24th; streetfeast.ie

Kilkenny-based The Wild Grazer and Kilfane House & Gardens have come together to launch a series of food and wellness experiences this spring and summer, set within Sanctuary at Kilfane House. A Wine & Cheese Experience on April 30th, marking the opening of the Wildflower Tearooms and The Art of Slowing Down retreat on June 14th, developed in collaboration with Solas Ort and Dr Cliona Cosgrove. See more at www.thewildgrazer.ie

Daróg Wine Bar in Galway will host Turas Fíona Wine Talk & tasting in May with Cathal McBride & Zsolt Lukács. Tickets €60 per person, including a wine flight of five wines, a cheese board and great insights. Tickets available via www.darogwinebar.com/wine-events

Food on The Edge 2026, which will take place on October 19th and 20th in Malta. The launch of this year’s symposium, FOTE2026, will also take place in Malta, on Saturday, 2nd May.

If you want a fuller look at the year ahead, check out piece I did for the Irish Times: Food and drink festivals: 36 of the best across Ireland this year

Petit Fours:

Sweet bits to watch, listen, read or obsess over, etc.

Reading about the rise of anywhere and everywhere radio, I discovered Let Him Cook Radio, based in Marseille, where DJs do sets from a working kitchen, heavy bass & flames galore and in Montpellier, Piñata Radio broadcasts from a working bar.

Love a food-and-wine-adjacent rom-com? There is a new one out called You, Me And Tuscany starring Halle Bailey and Regé-Jean Page, the tagline alone sold me: “She came for the pasta and got lost in the sauce.” This kind of predictable, feel-good, food-filled film rarely makes it to cinemas, so I’ll be watching - even if Donald Clarke only gave it one star in The Irish Times (clearly not his genre).

Anthony Bourdain in Dublin 💚

Dave Mulligan on Poitin Parlour this week

These ceramics 😍

Thanks for reading The Kitchen Press, my weekly round-up of Irish food, drink and hospitality news. If you liked my writing, I’ve got a very fun book out, A Compendium of Irish Pints. You can also follow my eating and drinking, and other writing work, over on Instagram and sporadically on TikTok.

The Kitchen Press Food News is a reader-supported publication. Your subscription, free or paid, means I can keep delivering it weekly, so please do subscribe. GRMA x

Subscribe now

Fresh ingredients:

News & stuff I’m excited about

The bar space at 199 King Street North has lived many lives over the years - Taco Libre, Beerhouse, Rúta, The Last Watering Hole, and most recently, Underdog. This weekend, it re-emerges with a fresh identity: Bar Anam, a “bar for cocktail drinkers and natural wine lovers or indeed drinkers and lovers of any kind” with Korean-inspired soul food, fried chicken and dumplings, by Dak, from the team behind Dudley’s on Thomas Street.

Further down Capel Street, there has been movement on the planned Bullitt Hotel after significant delays when they found a burial site dating back more than 1000 years on the site. The Belfast hotel company, Beannchor, is working on a 98 room hotel in the buildings that were once Bolands Bakery and, more recently, Riverdance HQ.

Brindle Coffee & Wine, who are already in Portobello and Charlemont Street, are opening a third spot on Manor Street in Stoneybatter.

Love to see another tearoom in a public park open - this week, Copper & Straw officially opened in Palmerston Park in a transformed former depot building with indoor and outdoor seating. It will be followed later this year by another tearoom, currently under construction, in Merrion Square Park.

The Leeson, the latest iteration in the space that was The Leeson Lounge on Upper Leeson Street, seems almost ready to open the doors to this new “neighbourhood bar”.

Mountain House opened this week in Ardfield, West Cork and already has a glowing write-up from the McKennas.

A gorgeous new thatched coffee spot, Parlour, has opened in Boher, Co Limerick.

Spotted some renovation activity on Dawson Street in the building that was home to The Greenhouse; the only clue I could find was a Japanese poster hanging on the door. Anyone know what’s going on there?

Bookings are now open for Table 2 on Grattan Street, Table 45’s new spot.

Chef Adam Nevin announced he is leaving Carton House, where he has been leading the kitchen at The Morrison Room.

Huge congratulations to Dr Christina Wade, her brilliant book Filthy Queens is on the shortlist for the Fortnum & Mason Awards.

Chef Shane Smith’s new book, Loaf Tin Bakes, is officially out next week - I got a first look at his media launch on a vintage bus, take a look here. He will also be launching the book this coming Wednesday at Books Upstairs, all welcome.

Dates for the Diary:

Tasty things to book ahead

Dublin Coffee Festival kicks off today and runs all weekend at the RDS, tickets still available here.

On April 26th, Park Hotel Kenmare will host a celebration of fine art and fine winemaking, with a wine dinner featuring the organic and biodynamic pours of Château La Coste, introduced by their head winemaker, Paul Guillouard. Details and booking here.

If you’re headed to Beyond The Pale in June, bookings are now open for the sit down restaurants Host, Reggie’s and IBILE: itsbeyondthepale.ie/restaurants

JP McMahon announced that this year’s Food on the Edge will be taking place in Malta this October.

Looking ahead, I’ve put together a round-up of 36 food and drink festivals taking place around Ireland this year for The Irish Times.

Petit Fours:

Sweet bits to watch, listen, read or obsess over, etc.

I wrote about great pub roasts around Ireland for the Irish Independent and chatted to Alison Curtis about it on Today FM.

In the Irish Examiner, I round up 18 Delicious Days out around the country.

Real Housewives of Beverly Hills legend Lisa Vanderpump announced her first cookbook, Home at Villa Rosa, Cooking & Living the Vanderpump Way.

New York Restaurateur Danny Meyer announced his new book, What Could Possibly Go Right? almost 20 years since his first book, Setting the Table, was published - a must-read if you work in hospitality.

Enjoyed listening to London Irish restaurateur and Pied à Terre founder David Moore on the Go-To Food Podcast, talking about the evolving restaurant scene in London, growing up in Ireland and Michelin stars.

How beautiful

Haaaaaaaaa

Thanks for reading The Kitchen Press, my weekly round-up of Irish food, drink and hospitality news. If you liked my writing, I’ve got a very fun book out, A Compendium of Irish Pints. You can also follow my eating and drinking, and other writing work, over on Instagram and sporadically on TikTok.

The Kitchen Press Food News is a reader-supported publication. Your subscription, free or paid, means I can keep delivering it weekly, so please do subscribe. GRMA x

Subscribe now

Subscribe now

Exciting changes at Margadh RHA as they welcome chef Cathal Leonard to the team, who was previously chef and co-owner of the celebrated Potager restaurant in Skerries. Early reports on the new à la carte menu have been glowing. Can’t wait to give it a try.

There were many tributes and heartfelt posts this week for Chef Gearóid Lynch, who lost his battle against motor neurone disease.

Chubby’s in Clontarf gets two big write-ups this week. Both reviewers have almost as much to say about the challenge of getting a table as they do about how much they love the food. Corinna Hardgrave in the Irish Times has to hijack her way into what she concludes is one of the top restaurants in the country. In Totally Dublin, Conor Stevens reckons getting a table at Chubby’s is akin to the legendary Battle of Clontarf. Being the warrior that he is, he secures a table and is also suitably impressed. It reminded me that I was quick off the mark on Chubby’s last table release and secured a booking for next Sunday, April 12th, for 4 people. Turns out I don’t think I can make it now - anyone here fancy taking my place? Comment below or get in touch. Subscribers get first dibs, of course. And don’t worry, I was there last weekend and will be back again soon!

There’s a new food truck and community space called The Linen Yard, which opened in Harold’s Cross in the space that was home to Scorchio/ Me Auld Flower. So far, it looks like they’ve got Shaka Poke, Sweet Churro, Brew Brothers and Bak’d, and they are open all this weekend.

The gorgeous independent food and art magazine Guzzle landed in Dublin this week. I was sorry to miss the launch party in Note, but it looked fab. If you want to get your hands on this latest issue, where I write about my love for biscuits, you can buy a copy at Note, Indigo and Cloth, The Library Project and online here.

Nan Chinese on Stephen Street is no more, but the good news is that they will be reopening soon as Little Canton, a Cantonese Cha Chaan Teng, which I think is a Hong Kong-style Canto-Western diner. Sounds very fun.

Saucy new series at the Washerwoman - Wednesdays it’s unlimited chicken wings for €20, with a different flavour each week.

The K Club, in Straffan, Co. Kildare, has added a new restaurant offering, the Barton Grill, serving a classic French-leaning menu with lots of Irish sourcing, think beef, seafood and French onion soup.

Also in Kildare, Voco The Club (formerly The Club Hotel at Goffs) has been adding new food options, including Friday Supper Clubs and its daytime offering, the Club Pantry.

Leonards Corner is hosting a new lunch pop-up called Gaffee with a menu from chef Dan Chambers, happening Saturday, 4th April. Details here.

Hang Dai is hosting a Hawker takeover this Thursday.

Angelina’s is launching a Monday Supper Club starting from April 13th, seasonal menus designed by their exec chef, Dan Hannigan, are €32 for 2 courses or €39 for 3, book through www.angelinas.ie

The Centre of Food Culture Ireland has launched a new series of events, and the first one, Meet The Meadmaker, kicks off on Saturday, 18 April at Kinsale Mead in Cork. Find out more here.

The Tan Yard in Killarney are hosting a pop-up on Saturday 18th April with Aniar and JP McMahon, tickets and details here.

Fondita Mestiza’s next pop-up on April 25th sounds very fun - Carnitas Ramen Pop-Up By MSG Noods and Fondita Mestiza.

Very exciting London news, Mursal Saiq and Joshua Moroney’s Afghan BBQ restaurant, Cue Point, has finally found its first proper permanent home. They open at The Garden Bar in White City on 22 April. Big Grill goers will be familiar with Mursal Saiq’s brilliant cooking and her infectious love for all things barbecue.

A couple of bits for food and drink businesses -

If you’re a startup, emerging or scaling food and drink business, you may be interested to know that Taste 4 Success Skillnet’s BrandBite – The Brand Acceleration Programme is back and open for applications. For full programme details and to apply, visit www.t4s.ie/brandbite

SuperValu, in partnership with Local Enterprise Offices (LEO) are seeking new Irish food & drink producers to supply their shops via the Food Academy programme. See more here.

Inch House Pudding is no more, what a shame to lose a food producer like this.

Happy 20 years to the fabulous Fab Food Trails.

That KitKat Robbery? It was all just a very clever marketing stunt.

Does anyone agree with me that AI has ruined April Fool’s? It’s just taken away that extra bit of edge; it’s all too easy to mock up a fake food product or pretend someone was in your restaurant, etc., etc. Bring back analogue fooling, please! And don’t get me started on these AI vegetable videos, although this is an interesting read.

In case you missed my Good Friday pubs & pints post last year, take a look back here.

If you’re not cooking this weekend and looking for a proper pub roast instead, I put together a roundup for the Irish Independent here. (Also in print tomorrow)

They earn their living by transforming food into art: a meeting with food designers.

Thank you, Cherry Bombe, for alerting me to Martha Stewart’s Lamb Cake

No thanks to Loewe, who have once again made a bag that I feel should be mine spiritually, but my finances say otherwise - The Shell bucket bag 🥹

Thanks for reading The Kitchen Press, my weekly round-up of Irish food, drink and hospitality news. If you liked my writing, I’ve got a very fun book out, A Compendium of Irish Pints. You can also follow my eating and drinking, and other writing work, over on Instagram and sporadically on TikTok.

The Kitchen Press Food News is a reader-supported publication. Your subscription, free or paid, means I can keep delivering it weekly, so please do subscribe. GRMA x

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Also I can’t quite believe it’s Easter next week. I had meant to do an Easter egg roundup, but time got away from me. I can tell you that I’ve tried the Sugar Plum Sweetery eggs - they’re great fun and still available to order. I’m waiting patiently for Bon Chocolatiers to restock their Mikado Egg later today. Fingers crossed. I probably shouldn’t share here because they’ve already sold out once, but have you seen it?

I was in Laois yesterday to visit Ómós, the hotly anticipated new venture led by chef Cúán Greene, for a PR-led “hard-hat tour,” which seems to be all the rage for pre-opening visits these days. About twenty of us food media types changed into steel-toe boots, yellow hard hats, high-vis vests, and even safety goggles for a detailed nose-around of the very busy site, led by Cúán himself.

Our starting point was the red-bricked Millbrook House, built in 1885, which began it all for Cúán. He tells us that he spotted the building while doing private chef work on the Abbeyleix Estate, on which it stands, owned by Stripe co-founder John Collison. He pitched it as the perfect location to build a hospitality business, Collison was on board, and so they began planning what will soon be Ómós - a 16-bedroom guesthouse and 40-seat restaurant set on 4.2 acres of land just outside Abbeyleix town.

There were no photos allowed as we began the tour in the main part of the guesthouse, a Victorian building that has been meticulously restored. Light pours into every room through custom-made wooden sash windows. Detailed cornice and crown mouldings sit perfectly with limestone-washed walls, exposed brick and pale ash hardwood floors. We all oohed and aahed over the muted pastel Portuguese tiles in the bathrooms and the hand-built wooden beds that will soon hold specially sourced Scandinavian horsehair mattresses. We admired the breakfast rooms where they’ll serve Farmstead coffee, daily pastries, eggs from their own hens and locally made jam. Beside the main house, restored stables have been transformed into more bedrooms with windows looking out over a babbling brook. See some of what I’m talking about here.

From there, we moved to the custom-built restaurant, which Cúán says was designed around the idea of a vernacular Irish farmstead building, bringing in design influences from Denmark and Japan - ideas developed with architect Ryan Kennihan. We entered the copper-roofed building through a central courtyard where magnolia trees had just been planted. Inside, the design centres on light and the flow of food from the fully open kitchen. Tables and chairs being made in Wicklow and ceramics from David Holden in Dingle will sit beneath high wooden beamed ceilings. There’s a private dining room that will no doubt get plenty of use, especially given the calibre of clientele drawn by backers. The restaurant opens out onto a patio overlooking a pond on one side and what will soon be their market garden on the other. We finished the tour in the staff area, which has the same fixtures and fittings as the restaurant and the same gorgeous countryside views.

Speaking of staff, we also met some of the core team: General Manager Patrick Healy (previously at Cashel Palace), head chef Matt Smith (previously at Lignum and Inver in Scotland), head baker Ryan Lally (who you may know better as Grá Pizza), and Alanna Starnes, who’s been busiest of all this week managing reservations. Bookings opened this week for July to September, with lunch reservations snapped up within 45 minutes. Non-resident dinners are mostly gone now, too, but overnights are still available, which should guarantee a seat in what’s shaping up to be one of the most exciting Irish openings of the year. The Ómós team then took us to Morrissey’s down the road in Abbeyleix for a pint, a delicious sandwich and a chat where the chefs talked about their meet cutes with Cúán, wholesome all around. Exciting to also hear that this much-loved pub is also undergoing a transformation, adding a 70-seater restaurant and rooms upstairs. Abbeyleix looks set to become quite the destination in 2026.

What’s happening around the rest of the country?

Devastatingly sad this week to hear of the sudden passing of Alex Lawes, co-founder of Whiplash Beer and Fidelity. Alex was a true pioneer and an absolute sounder to boot. Generous with his time, his knowledge, his creativity and a genius when it came to brewing. He was adored by so many people, and I’ve no doubt his legacy will live on for a long time. My heart goes out to his family, his friends and the vast group of work pals and fans he amassed; there are many.

Elliot’s Bakery is now open on Mondays, so you can get your baked goods 7 days a week from two locations. Chubby’s in Clontarf are now open on Wednesdays.

Chongqing Hotpot has opened in Ranelagh in the space that was once Michie Sushi. Early reports are good.

There’s a new art cafe opening on South William Street from the team behind Create & Sip creative workshops.

Eoin Cluskey from Bread 41 told the Irish Times he is planning on opening four new locations this year, including one on the Northside, but no exact details have been revealed yet. (I’m on the case).

It looks like work has started on the new brewpub set to be called Smithfield Brewing Co. on Arran Quay. Remember when I shared this Irish Independent story about it, where Ronan Rogerson, who also owns Drury Buildings, All Bar None and the Dublin Bar Academy, said it would be a “guy version of Drury Buildings”? Hopefully, us girly beer fans will still be welcomed in!

Meanwhile, around the corner on Queen Street, the building that was the original Token, and then we thought we were getting a sit-down Bambino, has changed hands once more, and planning has been submitted to change it from a restaurant space into a theatre space - the company behind it, Atlantic Collective Limited, specialise in traditional Irish entertainment.

Writer and podcaster Sophie White announced that her brilliant cookbook, Recipes For A Nervous Breakdown, is being adapted into a TV series this year.

Pint lover Jason Hackett, aka Prime Mutton, is in Dublin this weekend and will be doing the rounds at various pubs, announcing them on Instagram if you fancy a creamer and a chat with this pub legend.

Late-night bar The Mezz in Temple Bar is reopening, news via Alternative Dublin.

Bar 1661 has a new offering - the Distilled Experience is the best of BAR 1661 distilled into an hour and a half, and a 14-drink tasting experience. Find out more and book here. They also do a 28-drink three-hour-long experience, which I sampled last year. Take a look at that here.

The reason I have sort of neglected your dates for the diary here is that I’ve been working on a whopper of a 2026 food and drink guide for the Irish Times - loads to look forward to! Have a read here.

Excellent pop-up happening at St Francis Kinsale - doughnut queen Hilary Quinn is taking over on Bank Holiday Monday, April 6th.

On April 27th, the two-Michelin-starred Terre restaurant is coming to Dublin for a one-night-only takeover at Library Street. Executive Chef Lewis Barker and his team at Terre will present a curated four-course menu. Tickets are €150 per person here.

Also happening on April 27th is a fun-sounding wine event, Alsace Rocks! happening in Bewleys. Taste and learn about the wines of Alsace and nibble on French cheese. Get your tickets here.

Registration is open for the Dublin Gastronomy Symposium 2026 on the 26th- 27th May on the theme of Food and Drink as Crisis / Hope. It’s always so insightful. Find out more and book tickets here.

If you wanted to go even deeper into all things food, what about an MA in Gastronomy and Food Studies? TU Dublin is open for registration for later in the year. See more here.

The men who worship pie - 1,000 pastries, one Supreme Champion, Welcome to the British Pie Awards.

Fancy A Coddle? New merch from the Gravediggers.

Guinness Global Brand Ambassador Padraig Fox talks all things Guinness on The Curious Bartenders Podcast. There is very little this man doesn’t know about pints - he was a brilliant support to me when writing my book.

I love when my parasocial worlds collide - this week Jessie Ware from Table Manners podcast was on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen, talking about Dorit’s famous drinks order! IYKYK.

Fresh ingredients:

News & stuff I’m excited about

Passed by La Vespa on Castle Street this week, just opposite La Maison, who I believe are also the team behind this new Italian spot. Looks like it’s open. Here’s the menu.

Two Fifty Square has opened a new location in Sandyford.

Kin Dee is a newly opened South East Asian restaurant that has taken the space that was Indo-Chine on Lesson Street.

The cafe that was Studel in Dun Laoghaire is now Croissantly, who you may know from Glasnevin and Marlay Park markets.

Got a few million hanging around and fancy buying a hospitality space? Cliff at Lyons location, The Village at Lyons in Celbridge, is for sale for €20 million. In Temple Bar, the Vintage Cocktail Club building is for sale for a more affordable €2 million.

I forgot to share the Hot Dinners Murphia List last week! Always interesting to see how much great Irish talent contributes to the creativity of London’s food and drink scene.

This event at Cleary’s pub on April 1st sold out, so they’ve added another one for April 2nd - be quick! Bia Duit & Assassination Custard present: Food at Easter Time in Ireland

The Centre of Food Culture Ireland and Sheridans Cheese have launched their 2026 series of Meet the Maker and Farm Walk events, kicking off with Kinsale Mead in April. Take a look at the full lineup here.

Did you know Keogh’s Crisps are the only mainstream Irish brand that is still fully Irish-owned? Although technically, there is also the lesser-known Irish-owned Manhattan, based in Finglas, which makes ELITE cheese and onion crisps.

Food and drink producers - Boyne Valley Flavours are hosting the first Regional Producer Showcase on 30th April 2026 at Emerald Park, County Meath, bringing together food and drink producers from across the Mid East and North East in one dedicated trade-focused event. Trade only - find out more here.

Dates for the diary will be back next week, plus I have a mammoth listings piece I’ve been working on for the Irish Times that I can share very soon too!

Petit Fours:

Sweet bits to watch, listen, read or obsess over, etc.

Listen to JR Ryall, pastry chef from Ballymaloe House, on Radio Cherry Bombe.

Richard Corrigan’s guide to the best Irish spots in London.

It’s Not Easy Being Green - Inside the UK’s Matcha Boom.

Thanks for reading The Kitchen Press, my weekly round-up of Irish food, drink and hospitality news. If you liked my writing, I’ve got a very fun book out, A Compendium of Irish Pints. You can also follow my eating and drinking, and other writing work, over on Instagram and sporadically on TikTok.

The Kitchen Press Food News is a reader-supported publication. Your subscription, free or paid, means I can keep delivering it weekly, so please do subscribe. GRMA x

Subscribe now