Urban Picnic - Restaurant Review

Starved workers have long migrated to the various establishments in and around George's Street Arcade for quick lunchtime eats. Certainly at The Dubliner, we've never been shy about our penchant of our weekly pilgrimage for a Sloppy Joe, but there is a new(ish) dog in town.

Urban Picnic resides in the space formerly occupied by The Bagel Bar with a menu that emphasises flavours from the Mediterranean, Asia and the Americas. On our visit, we were greeted by cheery staff and considering the weather (horrid as usual), I ordered soup of the day (tomato and basil) with brown bread (€4.95), while my companion had a roasted vegetable and spinach wrap with pesto mayo (€5.75).

The seating is communal benches, which I'm a fan of but it is an arrangement that can be divisive - a suit at the end of the bench with his newspaper spread out seemed happy with the extra space. The food arrived quickly, the soup was pulpy, the bread was very lightly toasted, the roasted veg were crunchy and the dressing was delish. On our way out, Chef Vinny asked us for honest feedback, we were able to say we'd definitely be back.

Urban Picnic, 30 Market Arcade, South Great Georges Street, Dublin 2

La Caverna - Restaurant Review

From the raving word of mouth recommendations that seem to emanate from La Caverna in Temple Bar, you’d be expecting simple and authentic Italian dishes created with fresh, high-quality ingredients. You might also expect friendly service, some nice décor and a pleasant atmosphere. Expect to have these expectations crushed.

From our arrival we were disappointed. We were hoping to be seated in the wine cellar dining area, the barrel vault from which the name derives, but were shooed into the street level dining area. The waitress absconded before we could inquire about the cellar dining. Seated in a mini booth at a tiny table, we surveyed our surroundings - the menstrual red carpet, uncomfortable pine canteen chairs and generic art work all generated a sense of unease. The ABBA music oozing from hidden speakers added a bit of sparkle to the drab surroundings, but not enough to lift it from depressville.

Left with tatty menus, we surveyed the options. There are apparently specials, but these were not advertised on blackboards and not given by our waitress. No specials or anything special to be found on the menu either – potato skins, chicken wings, garlic mushrooms, burgers, chicken curry, ‘Italian’ omelette all feature, alongside the usual pizza and pasta dishes. It is a menu of overpriced pub grub - €19.95 for battered cod and chips (!). Our soft drink and glass of house white arrived at the table, neither chilled. Not wanting to linger, we decided to just get mains and get out.

My companion had a simple Margheritta [sic] pizza (€9.95), which looked like it was steam rolled out of the oven to our table. Nothing to write home about - although the tomato sauce had an unexpected zing to it, which is good if you like spicy, but not so good if you were expecting a plain ole pizza. I ordered two starters; the large Calarmi rings (€6.95) were over-cooked, rendering them rubbery and served with out-of-the-bottle sweet chilli sauce, which was an odd combination. The Brie Salad (€6.95) involved a giant wedge of brie with a side salad of iceberg lettuce, cucumber, pepper and three olives. The accompanying home-made cranberry sauce was overbearing and completely smothered the over-cooked brie, which managed to have a chewy coating. Truly awful. I had to nick a pizza slice from my companion to rid the taste.

After waiting an age for the bill, we grabbed our scrunched up coats from the side of our chairs (no cloak room and no backs of chairs to hang your on) and made a swift exit. An awful dining experience. Dissmissive staff (although a very smiley Maitre d’/manager), drab surroundings and a menu seemingly thrown together with no pretence of Italian. How places like this thrive and great Italian’s like Café Piedescalso on Thomas Street had to close is beyond me. It you don’t like Italian and want over-priced pub grub, you might enjoy a trip to La Caverna.

La Caverna, 12 Fownes Street, Temple Bar, Dublin 2. 01 6703110, www.lacaverna.info

Havana - Restaurant Review

When you find a place that serves decent calamari, you’ve found a restaurant you’ll find yourself eventually haunting. After lengthy recovery from a calamari overdose on a seaside holiday last summer, the calamari urge struck again - prompting a visit to Havana on George’s Street, Dublin. With previous positive experience under an expanding belt, my choice had already been decided on the way there. A menu was unnecessary for me, but my companion accepted two from a smiling waitress regardless. The first laminate was an Early Bird menu (available all night Monday – Wednesday) and the second, the All Day menu.

My companion settled on the Chicken Satay with casablanca couscous & satay dip (€9.20) on the Early Bird, and I, while tempted by Lentil & Chorizo Stew (€8.95), was not to be deterred from my mission and ordered Calamares (€7.95). Having brought the car, availing of the €4.75 per glass wine was not an option, and so an apple juice and Fanta (€2.75 each) were both delivered to the table, both with a little too much ice.

Our food arrived after a short wait, the calamari was small but plentiful and coated in a thin crisp of non-puff batter, served on a small green salad. The accompanying coconut and lime sauce was divine and after the tender squid was eaten, I was shamefully to be found eating the sauce straight from the ramekin. My companion was happy with her two small chicken skewers, which were swimming in creamy satay, its partnering couscous was light and fluffy but the mystery dip was questionable. It tasted like a mild Tabasco sauce and for me it clashed with the satay but my companion appreciated it – out of curiosity if nothing else.

After by-passing the dessert menu, we lingered to chat without noticing it was closing time, despite feeling sheepish we noticed a couple on their first date (yes there was a little eavesdropping) also didn’t notice the time. That’s one of the great qualities of Havana, the atmosphere is relaxed and the staff don’t try to hurry you along, even if it is closing time. Although the draw of the 20% off all-night Early Bird is an added incentive to visit Havana, as a casual restaurant that already boasts low prices it’s not a major draw - come for the cocktails and calamari.

Havana Tapas Bar, Georges St., Dublin 2. Tel: 01 400 5990, www.havana.ie

Milano - Restaurant Review

After receiving a link to a ‘too good to believe’ coupon, giving two mains for €15 at any Milano, a visit to the Dún Laoghaire branch was swiftly arranged. Arriving with a companion on a Thursday afternoon, the restaurant on Harbour Square was quiet enough with only one family and a few other couples dotted around the room.

Thankfully, we weren’t seated right up next to another table to make the room appear busier from the outside, a tactic that makes for an uncomfortable dining experience. Rather, we were seated alone at a small table and before coats were off were asked for beverage requests. Ordering a glass of the house white (a pinot grigio €6.35) and a Coca-Cola (€3.05), we perused the menu. I settled on the Tricolore to start (€7.50), a thin rosemary dough topped with buffalo mozzarella, guacamole and roasted tomatoes, while my companion ordered bruschetta (€6.35).

The Tricolore is part of the new Francesco Mazzei menu which is advertised with mouth watering images in a booklet on each table. The intro arrived on a slate tile with a pizza cutter, while the dough was crisp and flavoursome and the guacamole perfect, the mozzarella was piled high and tasteless. My companion was let down by the bruschetta, announcing ‘I wasn’t expecting a boat of bruschetta’, the plate hosted a large mound of dough swimming in oil and topped with both red onion and seasoned tomatoes. The Moby Dick of bruschetta was tasty, although quite filling for a starter.

The mains arrived perfectly timed from the starter, we both opted for pizza. I, the American Hot (pepperoni and jalapeno peppers) and my companion, the Il Padrino (torn chicken breast, char grilled Italian vegetables and roast tomatoes) - two mains for €15. The American Hot was plentiful of pepperoni but very scant on jalapenos, my companion certainly made the better decision - the Il Padrino was sublime, the chicken juicy and the vegetables cooked firm, not mushy.

We finished things off with a giant Toffee Fudge Glory (€6.95) and two scoops of Gelato, one flavourful pistachio and one pod heavy vanilla (€4.85). The total bill of €50.50 was delivered by our attentive and

efficient waiter. Although the final bill ended up being more than we expected on our 'bargain' meal, we can attribute that to our greed, but considering we both had 3 courses and a drink, €50 was good value.

The two mains for €15 offer is available any day (bar Saturdays and Valentine’s Day) until March 7th 2010 - get your voucher here. But seriously, who would pull out a coupon on Valentine's anyway?

Milano, Harbour Square, Crofton Road, Dun Laoghaire, Co. Dublin. Tel: 01 633 7640