There was a time when Irish grab and go meal options were little more than basic, but over the past decade, the scene has exploded with fresh concepts and cuisines from some wonderful independent businesses. A recent Deliveroo report on the Republic’s top trending dishes included kebabs, dumplings, sushi rolls, smash burgers, salad bowls and more - offering a delicious snapshot of our expanding tastes. Here are 10 new favourites around Ireland, and suggestions of where to try them.
1. Irish pizza
manipizza.ie , bambino.ie , flout.pizza , lilbros.ie
Ireland has adopted pizza as one of its own, tearing up the Italian rule book and creating unique versions that could only exist here and using great Irish produce too. Consider the Dough Bros Curry Cheese topped with potatoes and curry aioli or Mani Pizza’s Carbonara Slice. Along with that, pizza slices are having a moment. In Dublin, you’ve got Bambino, doing New York-style slices, Mani with Roman pizza and Doom Slice serving Detroit Style. In Galway, try Lil’ Bros, while Flout in Belfast seems to nail every style of slice you can imagine.
- One to try: Mani’s Carbonara Pizza €8.50
2. Creative sushi rolls
wabisabicork.com , sumaki.ie
There was a time when the only takeaway rolls in Ireland were from the deli counter, but these days you’re never too far from Japanese-leaning restaurants doing all manner of inventive sushi rolls. This is not traditional Japanese sushi, which is often famously simple. We love crunchy tempura, lots of mayonnaise, avocado and cream cheese in Irish versions. Big bold flavours, full of colour and texture. Wabisabi in Cork even does special sushi tacos, and Sumaki in Dublin specialises in sushi burritos.
- One to try: Wabisabi’s Volcano Roll with deep-fried sushi and spicy cheese mayo €9.50
3. Salad bowls
sproutfoodco.com
Who would have thought we’d go mad for salads? But salad bowls in various forms have become huge, and not just for lunches. There’s something about that balance of health and indulgence that’s really appealing, such as in Sprout & Co’s Crispy Bombay Bowl, with lemony rice, chaat potato, leaves and a spicy tahini dressing, which was part of Deliveroo’s top 30 trending orders in Ireland recently. Sprout & Co has been leading the way with seven Dublin locations, one in Kildare Village, and it has just opened a new spot in Cork City.
RM Block
- One to try: Sprout & Co’s Chicken Cashew Crunch €12.50
4. Berlin-Style Döner Kebabs
chiya.ie
These delicious kebab concoctions originated in Berlin within the huge Turkish food scene there and have happily made their way to Ireland. You’re still getting the gorgeous döner meats, but the bread is usually a sort of pitta with crunch on the outside and softness inside, and you can expect lots of crisp salads and vegetables. In Dublin, try Berliner Kebab on Richmond Street or the hugely popular Chiya on Dame Street – its Chicken Berlin-Style Doner was also on Deliveroo’s top trending dishes list.
- One to try: Chiya’s Mixed Berlin-Style Döner €10.90
5. Falafel
Falafel is an age-old street food classic, beloved across Arab countries and the Mediterranean and now firmly part of Ireland’s food scene. Fried balls of chickpeas, usually served with herby salads, pickles, hummus, and warm bread make for a moreish combination. Umi Falafel has locations in Dublin, Cork and Belfast, and its signature Palestinian sandwich is a must-try. Fresh and full of zing, stuffed with crispy falafel, baba ganoush and crunchy pickles.
- One to try: Umi’s Palestinian Falafel €8.50
6. Fish & Chips 2.0
thefishboxdingle.com , andchips.ie
Fish and chips isn’t just about battered cod and mushy peas anymore. Across Ireland, sustainable seafood has become the calling card for many restaurants and takeaways upping their game using locally landed fish and more diverse options like haddock and monkfish and adding crab and lobster rolls along with fried favourites. Dingle in Co Kerry is spoiled for choice with Reel Dingle Fish Co, one of the finest takeaways in Ireland, and The Fish Box, whose catchphrase is “We catch it and cook it”, and in Dungarvan, Co Waterford, there’s Eunice Power’s excellent And Chips.
- One to try: The Fish Box’s Seafood SpiceBox €18.50
7. Korean Street Food
royalcitykorean.ie
Korean food is gaining popularity in Ireland and globally, with ingredients such as kimchi and gochujang showing up in supermarkets and kitchen shelves. Our love for Korean food on the move has grown, too, and it’s no surprise, when so many of the dishes are fun to eat and to look at. Korean corn dogs, Korean fried chicken and kimchi cheese toasties seem to be everywhere. The Royal City in Maynooth, Co Kildare does a mean selection of street-food favourites such as cheesy corn dogs, along with spicy bibimbap and other street snacks.
- One to try: Royal City’s Corn Dog with cheese €8.80
8. Smash Burgers
dashburger.ie
Smash burgers are just that - smashed burger patties cooked on a hot griddle, giving crispy, charred edges. The bun steams slightly, the cheese melts perfectly, and toppings stay simple: onions, pickles, burger sauce, no big layers of salads here. They travel surprisingly well when wrapped correctly. In Dublin, check out leaders in the smash burger scene, Dash Burger, on Capel Street and Kevin Street – you can sit in or get delivery.
- One to try: Dash Burgers Dash Double Smash €10.95
9. Fried Chicken
chimac.ie , smashbirdgalway.ie , cluckchicken.ie
It’s nothing new, but we love fried chicken, and so we keep finding ways to reinvent it, and that’s not a bad thing. It means that businesses such as Dublin’s Chimac continue to blossom with their wildly popular “Soul food via Seoul” Korean Fried Chicken, and Cluck Chicken Truck captures hearts with their fried chicken delights. In Galway, try Smash Bird for an impressive selection of buttermilk fried chicken burgers.
- One to try: Chimac’s twice-fried Irish free-range chicken wings €9.50
10. Afro-Caribbean
instagram.com/blessupireland , instagram.com/le_kiosk_afrocaribbeanfoods
Afro-Caribbean dishes have carved out a loyal following thanks to their bold, warming flavours. Fried plantain, jerk chicken, oxtail stew, rice and peas are Afro-Caribbean staples that show up as lip-smacking, tasty, filling and satisfying dishes. In Dublin, check out Ruby Tuesday’s Soul Food and Bless Up Kiosk in Tallaght’s Priory Market. In Cork, look out for Le Kiosk Afro-Caribbean.
- One to try: Bless Up’s Jerk Chicken with Rice and Peas €26.95
