4 Early Birds in Dublin Under €30 Per Person
Words: Shamim de Brún
Images: Instagram
Words: Shamim de Brún
Images: Instagram
What has happened to all the early birds? They were once the affordable way that aspiring food enthusiasts were slowly lured into the realm from which there is no return. Now you’d be hard-pressed to find a decent early bird with some quality food on it, especially under thirty quid.
While there are a wealth of early birds across the city hitting hard between forty and fifty, that sort of feels too expensive. Because if you add even the cheapest bottle of wine in the city to that, you’re over a hundred euros for two people on a Tuesday at 17:30. That just doesn’t feel like a bargain to me, even if it is good value in other ways.
So I have spent a chunk of my time on google maps and trawling through bits and found four genuinely good early birds. In every restaurant here you can get your full meal for two and the cheapest bottle of wine for under a hundred euro. I can stand behind each in good faith. They all deliver a little something different. So here are the four best remaining early bird menus in the city
€29.95 for 3 Courses
Kinara Kitchen is well known for its quality and flavourful food. Its early bird menu is a local secret that hasn’t been shouted about enough. I am not here to gatekeep. So I’ll let you know right here, and now Kinara Kitchen’s early bird menu is an absolute banger. Where else in Dublin can you cut your teeth on top-notch Pakistani cuisine at such a steal of a price? You’ll be stuffing your face with succulent lamb chops, buttery naan bread, and rich curries that’ll make you feel like you have been favoured by the gods of your choice.
The early bird runs Wednesdays and Thursdays from 16:00 to 19:00 and also comes in a two curse option. It can be booked online here.
€18.90 All You Can Eat
Sometimes early birds can be smaller portions than we’d like. Cynically we can feel like that’s to force us to buy a side. But not all early birds are created equal. Mongolian BBQ in Temple bar is a bit of an institution an is definitely an experience. If you’re looking for a dining experience that’ll have you feeling like a warrior, then the all-you-can-eat Mongolian BBQ in Dublin is worth a punt.
You get to pick and choose your own ingredients and create your own custom stir-fry masterpiece. You’ll also get to watch in awe as the chefs toss your creation on the hot grill with ninja-like precision. Then you get to go back for more until the meat sweats kick in. Or your belly can’t take it anymore. Whichever comes first. It’s like an all-you-can-eat buffet at roid level. So, if you’re ready to unleash your inner glutton and indulge in some serious stir-fry action, this is the shot for you.
The early bird at The Mongolian BBQ runs every day till 19:30
€27.95 for 3 Courses
If you’re on the hunt for an early bird deal that’ll knock your socks off, then you need to check out Dada Moroccan restaurant. Not only do they serve up a three-course meal that’ll make your taste buds dance, but they also host belly dancing entrainment on the weekends. They also let you BYOB, so you can get as boozy as you want without breaking the bank. The food itself is banging, relatively healthy, and hearty enough to feed you. Plus the interiors are very Instagramable. On top of that, this early bird is available on the weekends too, which is getting rarer.
Dada Moroccan Restaurant offers up two courses from their dinner menu for €23.95 per person. Or three courses for €27.95 Monday to Sunday until 18:15
22.95 for Two Courses and a Glass of Wine
This one is a little different, but it does include wine! The kind of rare culinary incision usually reserved for nostalgic Millennials remembering their recession-busting early birds of 09. Each week in Flaneur, their “Prix Fixe” will rotate what’s available at the discounted rate. Entrecote with Frites alongside Café de Paris sauce will be on the menu each Tuesday. Moules Frite au Curry on Wednesdays. On Thursdays it’ll be Lobster Frites in a Lemon Butter sauce. So choose your day wisely, but also enjoy the heck out of it.
The Flaneur with a midweek prix fixe offering a main course, dessert and glass of wine available from Thursday to Thursday for €24.95.
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