This latest iteration of what has been a slowly evolving offer from Brian O'Caoimh and Kevin Powell sees two floors of their charming Pleasants Street space transformed from what was one of Dublin's favourite brunch spots (as Meet Me in the Morning café) into one of its hippest evening destinations for natural wines and creative cooking. The vibes remain resolutely casual with warm and confident service, small and large plates designed to share, and pared back decor featuring salvaged furniture, a rustic installation of bare branches and splashes of colour brought by interesting wine labels. Upstairs the lights are lower and the mood even more laid back: it feels like a room you could spend hours in, should the ResDiary demands allow.
Chef Kevin Powell has been a loyal supporter of McNally Family Farm since his early cheffing days of running Guerrilla Gourmet supper clubs from his Temple Bar apartment. His approach has always been to work closely with a small handful of key suppliers and to transform their seasonal produce in various clever ways within the one focussed menu; so you might see seasonal treats like Crown Prince pumpkin or sunchoke (Jeruselam artichoke) or favourite ingredients such as Cais na Tire cheese take centre stage in some dishes while playing a supporting role in others.
The menu runs the gamut from snacks (the prettiest candy pink pickled eggs perhaps, with lemon aoili and crunchy sunchoke crumb, or utterly moreish McNally kalettes in a light tempura batter) through small plates to main courses and desserts. All are designed for sharing and staff are adept at guiding your order to suit your appetite. Whatever you order, if they’re in season don't miss the Kellys native oysters, which might be served with a slice of lightly fermented tomatillo or perhaps a dice of gently pickled Bramley apple. And if the crab sandwich is on, it’d be hard to pass by, with its pairing of Lambay Island white crab and tangy Cais na Tire cheese sauce.
McNally’s excellent vegetables play a starring role in many of the dishes, such as flavour-bomb croquetas of buttered leek with thyme and chive, or hunks of roast cauliflower slathered in chilli, pecan, and honey and wild garlic mayo. Kevin is a fan of layering up bold flavours and contrasting textures: think juicy shrimp fried in a togarashi-spiced crumb with a house-made pumpkin miso mayo, or confit chicken southern-fried in a spiced crumb and served with a fresh slaw of collards and red cabbage with crisped sunchokes.
Keep room for dessert, which might be one of the doughnuts perfected by this kitchen during their Meet Me in the Morning incarnation – with a slow-fermented sourdough base and classic fillings given clever twists to max up the flavour, like rhubarb and custard with sherbet sugar.
The wines also play a starring role, and besides a short but regularly changing selection by the glass, the two-page list packs in an extensive selection from European producers focussed on low-intervention, organic and biodynamic wine-making, with special sections for skin-contact wines and grower champagnes. Grapes are helpfully listed (including lots of lesser-known varieties) though for descriptors of the wines you’ll have to rely on the well-versed and enthusiastic staff themselves. Deep pocketed wine lovers can have lots of fun here, though there are interesting choices at the entry point of €40 bottles too.
Next door, some of the best bits of the late-lamented Meet Me in the Morning live on, in what is now The Morning: a daytime hatch serving takeaway coffee and baked sourdough goodies. Highlights include brilliant seasonal takes on the cinnamon bun (dulce de leche, dark chocolate and hazelnut bun anyone?), all of them sourdough, as are their in-house baked croissants; plus an inventive selection of sweet cookies and savoury focaccia (topped with McNally courgettes, nigella and fennel seeds, perhaps, or beetroot and thyme).
Fans of that famous crab toastie should check out the extended toastie selection at this duo’s other site, Loose Canon on Dublin’s Drury Street, where natural wine also stars alongside great Irish cheese and charcuterie.
