The 5 Best Restaurants for a Casual Weeknight Dinner
Words: Shamim de Brún
Images: Instagram
The art of the casual weeknight dinner is tricky to master. You need a place that’s easy to get into, will get you home and in bed by 22:00, and won’t scare your budgeting app into thinking someone stole your credit card. Oh, and great food wouldn’t hurt, either.
For all the nights when you can’t deal with figuring out where to get dinner, but you don’t wanna cook and can’t face another takeaway. So here is a list of places that check all of those boxes, from spots for excellent seafood curries to a dumpling house with some of the best bits in town.
Full Moon Thai
Need a last-minute dinner spot in the city centre that takes walk-ins? All roads lead to Full Moon Thai. At this relaxed place, you could pull any of their Thai standards, like the fiery pad gra pow or richly spiced duck curry, out of a hat and end up with a meal you’ll still be fixated on next week. But, really, get here to devour some solid pad thai. Luckily, things move quickly here, meaning you’ll have a steaming pile of noodles in front of you in no time.
Masa
Tacos are the perfect casual weeknight food (and also the perfect late-night food, and the perfect anytime food, etcetera, etcetera). Clearly, I love tacos, and Masa is the taqueria of the moment. The ones at this walk-ins-only spot serve as our inspiration to get up in the morning. The tortillas are perfect, the meats are all high-quality, and the salsas are full of flavour. Order any of the seemingly endless fillings (melty-yet-crispy carnitas and well-charred asada are our favourites) and lay on any of the many smoky, fresh, and charred salsas from the bar. You won’t be disappointed.
Pho Kim
Say you only have €20 in your pocket and you need some rich broth to make it through the day—Pho Kim and their giant bowls of rare beef phở to the rescue. If you’re feeling like a big spender, then other stand-outs include the shrimp cake chao tom, the crispy and fishy bánh xèo, and the garlic noodles, which are some of the better ones in the city—a high honour.
Kimchi Hophouse
When you need a place for a spontaneous meet-up with friends who are randomly in town or a third date with someone you met on an app, then Kimchi Hophouse is your only man. No matter which of its three names you call it by, this is a proper knight of the Dublin bar scene. Home to some of the first Korean food in the city, this gastropub has been slinging good craic for a generation. Kimchi Hophouse is one of the few joints in the city that still has a jukebox you and your friends can monopolise if you’re willing to spend a few euros. Plus, they also have pitchers of beer yiz can split while you’re at it, which is perfect if you’re looking for a little extra value on your Friday nights.
Umi
If your Wednesday was filled with back-to-back meetings (and your t-shirt was inside-out the entire time), you’re probably in the market for some comfort food. Umi is here for you. The falafel spot has mood-boosting built into its recipes and cushy banquettes for you to sink into. Order the Palestinian falafel stuffed with goodies and wedges, extra hummus and lots of pitas to go with it all. By the end of the night, you’ll have convinced yourself that no one really noticed the shirt thing.
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