April's Best Food & Drink Events
The recent heatwave may have been short-lived, but it gave us a taste of longer days and balmy nights ahead, and now that the clocks have gone forward the 'grand stretch' is giving us the perfect excuse to head into town after a busy day at work. This month, we’re psyching ourselves up for tasting menus (lots of them), boozy festivals and an exciting drop from one of our favourite bakeries.
Saltwater Grocery’s Karl Whelan is programming a series of foodie collaborations with Dublin’s most innovative chefs. After the first event's success, which featured Ken and Gwen from Assassination Custard, Karl is partnering with Jonny Boyle from Sticks to bring dry-aged Yakitori (Japanese skewered chicken), and we presume plenty of fish, to Rathgar. Email shane@saltwatergrocery.ie to reserve your space.
When? Sunday 10th April
Where? Saltwater Grocery, Dublin 6
How much? €65
2) Karen Smith's Dessert Pop-Up At Roe & Co
March saw the return of the D-8TE pop-ups at the Roe & Co Distillery, and this time they've curated a three-part series of dining experiences that take the form of the starter, main course, and dessert. For the first instalment, The Salt Project temporarily relocated from the West to give Dublin diners a taste of contemporary Irish cuisine, while Dan Howell and Catherine Keane from Man Street Kitchen presented an al fresco dinner for the main course. The final pop up in the series will see pastry chef Karen Smith prepare a dessert tasting menu, including her much-hyped Ferrero Rocher and Twix domes, each paired with a cocktail from Roe & Co's expert mixologist. Book here.
When? Thursday 14th to Sunday 17th April, and Thursday 21st to Sunday 24th April
Where? Roe & Co Distillery, Dublin 8
How much? €40 for the tasting menu and €30 for the cocktail pairings
3) No Messin' Dudnuts Pop Up At Proper Order Coffee
We thought we had finally seen the back of the doughnut trend, but the team at No Messin’ Bakery are bringing us back to Dublin circa 2014 with their upcoming ‘Dudnuts’ pop-up in Proper Order Coffee. The 'misshapen doughnuts with messed up flavours' will be available for one day only (April 18th), alongside drip coffee, and if they’re anywhere near as tasty as their Cardi-B cardamom buns (they will be), they’re going to sell out fast.
When? Monday 18th April, 08:00 until sold out
Where? Proper Order Coffee, Smithfield, Dublin 7
4) Drag Brunch, The Bernard Shaw
Bodytonic provides the perfect antidote to the Sunday fear by hosting a weekly Drag Brunch in the Bernard Shaw. The brunch is on the naughtier side with dishes like buttermilk chicken and waffles and a loaded breakfast burger with Jane Russell’s, sausages, smoked bacon and a fried egg, and there's naughty cocktails, of course.
When? Every Sunday, 13:00-17:00
Where? Bernard Shaw, Dublin 9
How much? €35 (includes entry, one main and three cocktails), or order items individually
5) Easter Cacao Ceremony, Fumbally Stables
Google “Easter events Dublin” and you’ll land on a cornucopia of egg hunts and bunny trails, but if you're feeling more grown up than childlike, Darragh Stewart and Lauren Meyler are lead a three-hour Cacao Ceremony on Easter Monday in the Fumbally Stables. Connect and energise with pure Guatemalan ceremonial cacao, and a guided meditation. Get tickets here.
When? Monday 18th April, 19:00-22:00
Where? The Fumbally Stables, Dublin 8
How much? €40-50 depending on what you can afford
6) Sustainable Wine Dinner, The Marker Hotel
The production process for wine starts deep within the soils, but all types of unsustainable interventions can occur, from pesticides that stave off bugs to plastic packaging used on bottles. The Marker Hotel has recruited Mick O’Connell MW (co-owner of Neighbourhood Wine) to curate a selection of wines from European producers that incorporate sustainability into all facets of their winemaking process. Mick’s picks will be paired with canapés on the roof of The Marker Hotel, followed by a five-course tasting menu. Call the hotel on 01 6875104 to book.
When? Thursday 7th April, 20:00-00:00
Where? The Marker Hotel, Dublin 2
How much? €80
7) An Evening With Mark Moriarty, Arnotts
Look, you’ve eaten the same lamb roast for the past three decades, so now it’s time to shake things up with a fresh approach to Easter 2022, and TV presenter and former Greenhouse chef Mark Moriarty is here to help. He's popping up at Arnotts in April to cook an Easter dinner that promises to provide the inspiration you’ve been seeking, followed by a three-course dinner with a glass of bubbles in the Kitchen restaurant afterwards. Book tickets here.
When? Thursday 7th April, 17:45 - 19:45
Where? Arnotts, Dublin 1
How much? €40
8) Sensory Supper, Café en Seine
Between Guinness 0.0 and Seedlip Gin, alcohol-free booze is beginning to trend, and we're on board with the idea of waking up with a fresh head and having the option of driving home after a night on the tiles. Peroni is the latest brand to cash in with the announcement of their Nastro Azzurro 0.0. To coincide with the launch, Café en Seine’s Head Chef Stephen Gibson has come up with a five-course tasting menu designed to engage with each of the five senses, based on iconic Italian flavours. Book tickets here.
When? Friday 15th April, sittings at 17:30 and 20:30
Where? Café en Seine, Dublin 2
How much? €55 (+ €4.58 booking fee)
9) Festival of Food Soverignity, Maynooth University
The food systems that we regularly depend on are being battered from all sides through the pandemic, climate change, supply-chain issues, and, more recently, the ongoing troubles in Ukraine. Alistair Fraser and Louise Fitzgerald are organising a series of sessions to identify ways of achieving food sovereignty in Ireland to tackle such threats, for the deep-thinkers amongst you. Get tickets here.
When? Wednesday 13th April, 10:30 - 15:00
Where? Callan Building, Maynooth University
How much? Free
10) Fish & Shellfish Workshop, Howth Castle Cookery School
Ireland shares its seas with a plethora of seaweed and sea life, but we make little relatively use of it when dining at home for a country with such an offering. Learn the basics of skinning a fish fillet to correctly preparing shellfish at Howth Castle’s upcoming Fish and Shellfish Workshop. Book tickets here.
When? Saturday 23rd April, 10:00 - 14:00 (doors open at 09:30)
Where? Howth Castle Cookery School, Dublin 13
How much? €150
11) Wigwam Rumbullion Festival, Dublin 1
We’re still dreaming about that four-day bank holiday around St. Patrick’s Day, but at least the May Bank Holiday is on the horizon. Wigwam has once again curated their three-day Rumbullion festival as an ode to their favourite distilled liquor, and daily tickets cost €5 and come with two complimentary cocktails. See more information on their website.
When? Friday 29th April to Monday 2nd May, 12:00 - late
Where? Wigwam, Dublin 1
How much? €5 entry
12) Happy Days Beer & Food Festival, Rascals Brewing
Another event to pencil into your calendar ahead of the upcoming May Bank Holiday is Rascals’ annual (well, obviously not for the past two years) Happy Days Beer and Food Festival. Rascals have outdone themselves with pop-ups including Beatbox, El Milagro, Cold Boi and Aventura Café, and featured breweries that include Wicklow Wolf, White Hag, and O Brother. Tickets cost €20 for access to the main HQ and the yard and outdoor areas, so let’s hope the sun shines for it. Get tickets and see the full line up here.
When? Saturday 30th April to Sunday 1st May, 13:00 - 21:00
Where? Rascals Brewery, Inchicore, Dublin 8
How much? €20 (+ €1.85 booking fee)
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