Killorglin's loss is proving to be Dingle's gain, since chef Damien Ring and his front of house partner, Suzi O'Gorman, closed their excellent Kingdom 1795 restaurant and moved here to open 505 in autumn 2025. They brought a following, not only from Killorglin but also from the lovely Screebe House in Connemara where they had worked together previously, and - strange as it may seem to open at the the end of the season - their arrival was very timely as it coincided with the annual Dingle Food Festival and its Blas nhEireann Irish Food Awards, which take place at the beginning of October, where they were very well received.
Moving to this foodiest of towns was an exciting step for the pair, and their stylish contemporary restaurant and wine bar is handily located just off the main street. Damien (a proud Limerick man) and, as is their way, Suzi (from Clare) have made it a welcoming space, where warm service and a relaxed ambience are just as important as the good food served - and quality local / Irish ingredients remain the foundation of Damien's cooking - many well respected names feature on his menus, and the food on the plate tells the story.
Pleasingly compact and constantly changing menus offer five or six starters/small plates and perhaps three mains. Fish and seafood are the main stars - Patrick O'Sullivan's delicious 'dainty oysters' from Cromane Bay Shellfishe with aged celeriac vinegar, horseradish might feature as an amuse bouche, for example, with Porcupine Bank Langoustine: crab, turf smoked sleabhach (seaweed) butter making a stunning starter, while a hearty main dish of Monkfish with mushroom, madeira, blackberry, hazelnut highlights another side to this caring kitchen, with foraged ingredients making a wonderful sauce. And it's not all about fish and seafood - any meat lover would be thrilled with a carefully crafted dish of Dexter Beef Short Rib with komatsuna (Japanese mustard spinach) and mustard emulsion, for example, and with exceptional local vegetables to call on - notably the famed Maharees carrots and, more unexpectedly perhaps Annascaul wasabi leaf - vegetarians will be very well looked after in equally imaginative modern Irish cooking - real come-back-for-more dishes with terrific flavour and textures. Desserts that would be hard to pass on include seasonal choices - a more-ish Spiced Pumpkin Tiramisu in autumn, for example - or you might like to finish on a savoury note with an interesting cheese such as Young Buck Blue, served with a warm scone, damson and walnut...
To accompany, Suzi's thoughtfully selected drinks list offers plenty to enjoy; low impact wines feature among a well balanced choice of new and old world wines, interesting cocktail bases (anyone for Umeshu / Plum Sake+ Tonic?) and desirable non alcoholic options, including refreshing sparkling Irish apple juice.
All round 505 is the class act that you would expect of this team, wth outstanding modern Irish cooking showcasing our wonderful ingredients, and with excellent service too - you'll be glad that you found this gem.
