5 Five Amazing Women Owned Restaurants in Dublin You Have to Try
Words: Hannah Lemass
Images: Instagram, Ruth Calder-Potts, Suttersoftly
Words: Hannah Lemass
Images: Instagram, Ruth Calder-Potts, Suttersoftly
International Women’s Day is upon us, and it’s not just about shouting ‘yay women’ on Saturday the 8th.
We should all be taking the time to truly appreciate all the amazing women in our society who champion and inspire us, and who are blazing the trail for the next generation. We also must remember the women who came before us and shattered glass ceilings so that we could have better opportunities. Nothing is out of our reach thanks to them, the achievements of the women I’ve researched for this series is testimony to that.
The food industry is a particularly male-dominated world, known to be a difficult field to climb the ranks in, especially for women. Inequality, sexism, and abuse have been rampant, and while many women and men in the industry are working tirelessly to make it a safer and more inclusive environment for everyone there is a lot of work to do. Despite all the progress it’s still vital to support and celebrate the women who are killing it every day and making waves in the food and drinks industry.
So, we’re raising our glasses all month to the women who innovate, champion and inspire, with a series that shines a light on just some of the Queens we admire here at Char.
We’re starting with a few incredible female-owned restaurants that you can support on International Women’s Day and beyond. We have a little something for everyone, from fine dining to fast casual, and all the tasty little morsels in between.
Mae
Image: Ruth Calder Potts
Gráinne’s career is supremely impressive. She’s cooked in some of the city’s best restaurants and now, she is the patron chef of Mae, a beautiful D4 hotspot named in honour of her late grandmother. The tasting menu takes you on a journey from the snacks to start right up to dessert. If you go, don’t miss Grainne’s show stopping signature tarte tatin.
Alongside killing it running her own restaurant, she’s the creative mastermind behind the menu at BuJo, one of Dublin’s favourite burger joints. Not only an insanely talented and accomplished chef, Gráinne is a vocal advocate for women in the industry and an inspiring role model in a famously male-dominated field. With her generosity and formidable skill, her future is sure to get even brighter and we’re so excited to see what’s next.
Saucy Cow
In 2019, Róisín was a weekday bank worker and a vegan food truck trailblazer at the weekend. She became the hangover cure godsend the vegan community had been begging for. Her incredible creations are comforting, indulgent works of art that satisfy everyone—even meat eaters.
What started as a bit of fun at home with her air fryer quickly turned into a full-on business for Róisín. She believed in herself and went full throttle, transforming her food stall into a brick-and-mortar operation in just a few years and all before turning 30. The food she serves at her Crane Lane store is outrageously delicious and, of course, 100% vegan. She even has a second location in Cork at the Marina Market, so our friends out west can get their fix too.
Vanessa Murphy & Anna Cabrera
Two amazing women are behind these beloved Spanish restaurants. For more than a decade, Las Tapas De Lola has been known as one of the best and most romantic tapas restaurants in Dublin—perfect for a casual yet elegant evening. Meanwhile, La Gordita offers a more refined experience, ideal for celebrating special occasions and trying tapas offerings from a different region of Spain, some of which might be brand new to you. It’s a luscious, bodega-style dining area that feels both refined and sexy.
Maeve O’Malley
Maeve O’Malley is the cheese toastie queen of Dublin. She noticed that we all have a taste for a toastie but thought nowhere was really taking them up a notch to deliver something truly special. That’s when she decided it was time to do just that. Meltdown produces the most outrageously cheesy, decadent toasties in the game. And it’s not just toasties—you can also get your fill of sausage rolls, soups, sweet treats and more.
Maeve is a true entrepreneur and innovator, always experimenting and championing business growth, launching into catering and bottling hot sauce for purchase too.
Ruby Tuesday
Ruby Tuesday’s Soul Food has popped up in a few different locations over the years but this is the kind of food you’d follow to the ends of the earth. Now, you can find Ruby cooking her famous Afro-Caribbean staples like jerk chicken and oxtail stew at The Four Provinces Pub in Kimmage. It’s the ultimate in comfort food, that will warm your belly and your soul.
When she moved to Dublin from Brixton in 2004, she noticed a lack of representation for these flavours in the city’s food scene. She worked a regular 9-5 for years before realizing her true calling and what started as a passionate hobby for cooking became her business.
Image: Suttersoftly
Join us in saying thanks to all the amazing women who make this city great. All those who came before us and all these who pave the way ahead.
