Asador

There's a smart Barcelona vibe to this Dublin 4 favourite. The designer cool ivory and caramel interior is laid out in a well spaced mix of tables and comfortable banquettes with ceilings high enough to keep peak time buzz to pleasant levels and allow ladies lunch parties to co-exist happily with serious looking suits and a mixum gatherum of dining couples.

The open kitchen tucked away at one end of the restaurant contains the super sized stainless steel firepit that gives the Asador its name, modelled on the rustic asados of local meats cooked over vine cuttings in the Castilla-Leon region.

Asador’s beef steaks range from rib-eye and fillet to 10-ounce sirloin and cotes-de-boeuf for two, cooked over kiln-dried oak and lumpwood charcoal, served with onion rings, smoked tomatoes, salad and the house triple cooked chips. Choices of sauces and butters include chimichurri, smoked béarnaise, pepper and a happy revival of Café de Paris butter.

Spicy lamb skewers come with chargrilled vegetables and there are barbecued chicken wings and continental sausages for light bites, while tuna, monkfish and Irish prawns also get the grilling treatment.

Pleasant and efficient staff have front-line knowledge of all the dishes and are unfazed by special requests. A small dessert list usually includes something rich and chocolatey, a crème brulée and fruit baaed sweet as well as homemade ice creams or cheese.

A well selected range of a dozen or so wines are available by the glass, while pre-dinner drinks capture the fashion zeitgeist with a Grey Goose  lime and soda; Hendricks and tonic with cucumber and a Haddington Bellini that Harry in Venice would be proud of.

With its flavoursome food and great service, the stylish Asador has brought something different to Dublin dining. The long opening hours make it very accessible and weekend brunches are especially popular.