Forget the socks and the aftershave, this Father’s Day treat dad to a meal he will remember in one of these first-rate restaurants…
For the Wine Loving Dad: Bar Pez, Dublin 8
Formal restaurants are all well and good but sometimes, all we want is a good glass of wine, some great Irish seafood and great company. Enter, Bar Pez. With an award-winning wine list including lots to choose from by the glass, it’s the perfect spot for a casual catch up with the Dad in your life. The crab sandwich is legendary, as are the fried prawns with aioli. Plus, there are always oysters, anchovies, almonds and Gilda to nibble on, making Bar Pez a great choice for a lazy Sunday afternoon. www.barpez.ie
For the Low Key Spice Lover: Andhra Bhavan, Dublin 1
What a year the team at Andhra Bhavan is having. A slew of rave reviews, queues out the door and reservations akin to gold dust, the South Indian-food loving public have certainly made their presence known. Thankfully the furore has (somewhat) quelled, and now, depending on when you plan to visit, reservations are a real possibility again. The cuisine of South India is quite markedly different so if a love of Indian cuisine runs in the family, this is where to go. Take your dad for breakfast thali or dosa, or visit later in the afternoon for Pani Puri, Vada Pav, Malabar fish curry or chicken Chettinadu. www.andhrabhavan.ie
For the Bon Viveur Traditionalist: The Saddle Room at The Shelbourne, Dublin 2
Sunday lunch at The Shelbourne is an experience. The glamorous room, the friendly and oh-so-professional staff, the refined atmosphere and of course, the food. If your dad holds a candle for silver service, fine wines and exquisite food then this is the place to go. The Sunday lunch menu is concise, but perfectly formed with a choice of four starters, mains and desserts and there is a vegetarian option for each course. Start with a pre-lunch drink and perhaps some oysters on the Champagne terrace upstairs before descending to the restaurant and proving once and for all that you ARE the best child. www.theshelbourne.com
For the Margarita Man: Eleven, Dublin 18
If the Dad in your life happens to have a penchant for a margarita (spicy or not), Eleven is the place to go this Sunday. With margaritas priced at just €10 all summer long, Sunday lunch at Eleven is the total package. There are three Sunday roasts on offer, beef strip with horseradish, corn fed chicken with chicken sauce and free range rack of pork with apple sauce. All are reasonably priced, and all come with duck fat roasties, Yorkshire pudding, stuffing, veg and gravy. Of course, there are other dishes but a roast feels like the correct choice on Father’s Day. Did I mention the €10 margs? www.elevendublin.ie
For the Truffle Hunter: Bar Italia, Dublin 1
Widely recognised as one of the best Italian restaurants in Dublin, Bar Italia is the place to go for burrata, steaming bowls of pasta (with optional truffle), pinseria Romana and wine. The handmade tagliatelle with free range Irish pork sausage and tomato ragout and Italian wild fennel is excellent, as is the authentic carbonara and the strozzapreti cacio e pepe. Fresh truffle (season dependant) is available to add on to many of the dishes, and the crunchy ‘pizza scrocchiarella’ with mortadella looks worth visiting for alone. A word of warning, do NOT ask for chicken to be added to any of the pasta dishes. It’s a major no-no. www.baritalia.ie