Muntrop: The best places to eat in Stoneybatter right now

Historic Stoneybatter always feels like it has something fresh to offer. Not long ago, Time Out magazine named it the coolest place in Ireland, ranking it among the 50 most exciting neighbourhoods in the world. That’s all subjective, naturally, but it’s hard to find a Dubliner who doesn’t have a certain grá for this neighbourhood near the Liffey. A lot of that is down to Stoneybatter’s artsy vibe, its warrens of cute residential cottages and, of course, a wealth of unique bars and restaurants. Here we present a pick of our favourite places to eat in the ‘Batter. Bon Appetit.

Stone Pizza

Norseman Court, Unit 1, Manor St, Stoneybatter, Dublin 7; (01) 671 9827, stonedublin.com

The pizzas are what the head chef Alessio Torre describes as Pugliese-style, in tribute to his birthplace, but most would know it as Neapolitan, so think puffy rather than thin and crisp. Before opening Stone, Torre worked at two other Dublin pizza restaurants, Pi on George’s Street and Rita’s in Ranelagh. Prices at Stone are keen and ingredients impeccable – a classic Margherita made with San Marzano tomatoes, basil, fior di latte, extra virgin olive oil and Grana Padano cheese is €12. Starters, salads and desserts are also available. Marie-Claire Digby

Outcasts

Cowtown Yard @ Clarke City Arms, 55 Prussia Street, Stoneybatter, Dublin 7; instagram.com

Chatty and efficient service. The bagels are generously filled and very tasty. The spudi is loaded with potato that has black pudding crumbled through it, with scrambled egg, chorizo, spicy mayo and the extras of cheese and bacon. There’s a load of eating in it. The Big Boi is filled with shredded maple glazed ham, with pickled red cabbage bringing a nice saltiness to it. The Nacho Libre, the vegetarian option, is our favourite. Corinna Hardgrave

A Fianco

Unit 6, Norseman Court, Manor Street, Stoneybatter, Dublin 7; 01-4452691, afianco.ie

A Fianco literally means “next to” and you will find this little gem right next door to its older sibling, the ever popular Grano. It’s a vineria, or wine bar, and this cosy 16-seater serves up a range of casual small plates designed to make the Italian wine selection shine. Order anchovies, tuna tartare or charcuterie and cheese, then choose from the wine list full of organic, small producers. One warning: there’s no pasta here, you’ll have to go next door for that. Joanne Cronin

Korean Table

50 Manor Street, Stoneybatter, Dublin 7; instagram.com

The sound of K-pop music playing outside leaves you in no doubt about what to expect in this smart narrow stretch of hipster aesthetic, with raw plaster walls and green foliage tumbling from high shelves. Vivian Cho has kept things simple, with a limited menu that does an exceptionally good bibimbap – go for the tofu option – and a warming hotpot. Prices are incredibly keen. CH

El Milagro

Joli, 57 Manor Street, Stoneybatter, Dublin 7; instagram.com

El Milagro is a Mexican family-run business, operated by Julian Trejo Pascual and his mother Maribel. They started out with a taco truck in Malahide Marina, stayed there a while, and have been popping up in venues around the city since. The toptopos are notably good, crunchy home-made tortilla chips with guacamole and pico de gallo. The vampiritos – two corn tortillas topped with mozzarella – are laden with juicy beef birria; they’re slightly messy to eat but delicious. From the taco platter, the pork taquito is the winner, cooked slowly in achiote paste with a touch of orange juice till tender. CH Read our review here

Hakkahan

32 Stoneybatter, Dublin 7; 01-5527678, hakkahan.ie

Regulars swear by the smashed cucumber salad, prawn toast and basil duck in this pale pink restaurant on the busy stretch of Stoneybatter. The chef, Yang Jian, previously worked in Mak at D6 and China Sichuan, and it shows in a line-up that is mainly Sichuan, with just a few regional dishes. It’s open Sundays, which is always good to know, but you’ll need to book, as it’s a popular time. Of note is the lunch special menu available Tuesday to Friday. CH

L Mulligan Grocer

18 Stoneybatter, Dublin 7; 01-6709889

Seáneen Sullivan and her business partners saw the beauty of putting great Irish ingredients into a typical pub setting so the food hugs could be as warm as the boozy ones. No laurels are being rested on here, and a halo of great food has eddied out from the foundation stone that is Mulligans, helping to turn Stoneybatter into a terrific little food village. Catherine Cleary

Grano

Unit 5, Norseman Court, Stoneybatter, Dublin 7; 01-5282003, grano.ie

Pasta is made fresh each day at this buzzy Italian restaurant which is one of the top places to head to with a group of friends. The food is Calabrian, and the flour used for the pasta is made from an ancient grain called Senatore Cappelli. There are a number of standout dishes on the menu, including Cappellacci alla Zucca – ravioli stuffed with pumpkin, butter, sage, red cow cheese and toasted hazelnuts – that put this restaurant right at the top of our must visit again list. CH Read our review here

Vietnom

The Glimmer Man beer garden, 14 Stoneybatter, Dublin 7; 087-3207279, vietnom.ie

This flavour-bursting food truck at the back of the Glimmer Man pub in Stoneybatter is serving some of Dublin’s best street food, with predominantly Vietnamese flavours and a bit of Mexican thrown into the mix. The cauliflower tostadas with peanut sauce, chillies and pickled onions are pilgrimage worthy, and the courgette fried rice with nuts, chillies, pickled onions, herbs and flower petals is the product of someone seriously au fait with flavour. Lisa Cope

Fish Shop

76 Benburb Street, Smithfield, Dublin 7; 015571473, 76benburb@fish-shop.ie

Fish Shop feels like a world-class tapas bar plucked from the narrow streets of San Sebastián’s old town and dropped into a long-neglected part of Dublin’s north-inner city. In a perfect world there’d be a strip of these where you could wander in, try a bite and a glass and wander on again. Until that happens, we’ll give thanks for this place, Ireland’s best fish and chip shop, by a country mile. CC

In addition to the restaurants, cafes and bars, Stoneybatter is also home to some top quality food shops. Here are a few of our favourites.

Lilliput Stores

Rosemount Terrace, 5 Arbour Hill, Stoneybatter, Dublin 7; lilliputstores.com

Perhaps one of the most beautiful food shops in Dublin, this atmospheric greengrocer, deli and coffee shop is packed to the gills with quality cheese, charcuterie, breads, olive oil and specialised food items. One of the best places for hampers.

Little Italy

139a North King Street, Dublin 7; littleitalyltd.com

This little corner of Italy, a wholesale and retail shop, has been hiding in plain sight in Stoneybatter since 1976. Cheese, charcuterie, tinned and dry goods are imported directly from Italy, as is a selection of Italian wines. Pick up one of their fresh dough-ball kits and tiramisu DIY kits while you’re there.

Mooz

1 Manor Street, Stoneybatter, Dublin 7; mooz.ie

Head to this Italian delicatessen for San Marzano tomatoes, guanciale, ‘nduja di Spilinga, cheese, dried pasta, passata, polenta flour, pesto, tapenade and all sorts of other things Italian, as well as sweet treats. Party platters can be ordered online.