Restaurant SOS: Where to meet friends when you’ve no reservation

It has been a busy year and if you’ve been avoiding the early encroachment of Christmas, one thing may have slipped your mind. The WhatsApp topic of the moment is – where to go for a Christmas get-together? Even if you’re the organised type, and have your date with your besties nailed down and booked already, there are always the more casual nights out that pop up.

The good news is, there is still availability, but you may need to be a bit flexible. If “it’s GOT to be Uno Mas”, you’re out of luck. Even the waiting list there is longer than Santa’s naughty or nice list. Think of places that are a little less on the radar.

Most restaurants have two sittings, so generally you’re looking at a 6pm or 9pm booking. If Fridays and Saturdays are booked up, consider heading out on a night earlier in the week. It will certainly be better from a taxi perspective.

If you are a group of six or more, be prepared to pay a deposit, which may not be refundable if you cancel at short notice. Not only is this a good way of keeping the messers at bay, it also means that there can be availability in these restaurants as people have to stop and think before they book.

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It is also the time of year for set menus, which vary, some of them are quite limited and others offer a good choice, so it’s well worth checking these out before you book.

[ Da Mirco review: This restaurant is so wonderful I want to go back the very next day ]

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Check the website of your favourite restaurant for updates, as many of them have extended the number of days they are operating and do read the cancellation policy. Dax in Dublin 2, for example, is open Tuesday to Saturday for lunch and dinner, and reservations, by email only, must be secured with a credit card. Notice of a cancellation must be given by email three days before the date of the booking and numbers must also be confirmed.

Similarly, for Peploe’s in Dublin 2, reservations for Christmas are by email or by phone for the €65/€85 lunch/dinner menus, which offer considerable choice. Also keeping it old school and only taking bookings by phone is Il Vicoletto in Temple Bar, for a totally Italian experience. Somehow, Italian restaurants seem to encapsulate that friendly, fun vibe you want for Christmas. You’ll also find good Italian food in Amuri, Cirillo’s and Osteria Lucio, where online reservations are available for groups of up to six guests with two sittings per evening.

Other lively venues in Dublin include Library Street, Row Wines, Mister S, Chez Max, (recently reopened) The Legal Eagle, Hawksmoor, Aperitivo and Spitalfields, where Declan Maxwell makes everyone in the room feel like a regular.

For a tasting menu, head to Grainne O’Keefe’s Mae restaurant in Ballsbridge, where the €75 menu runs from Tuesday to Saturday, with additional lunch service on Friday and Saturday. John and Sandy Wyer’s Forest Avenue is better than ever, perfect for an intimate lunch or a special dinner. The €80 tasting menu at Delahunt is particularly good, with the added benefit of the gorgeous cocktail bar upstairs, and for a more formal night out, D’Olier Street’s 12-course tasting menu is €89.

When it comes to wine bars, Amy Austin has been getting all the love from the Michelin guide recently

Other Dublin venues such as Big Fan, Bonobo, Soup 2 and Pawn Shop will work well for groups. A new branch of Masa has opened on Camden Street, for something a bit special but very affordable, head to Korean Table, or the supper club in Gursha. La Maison is always atmospheric. Again, be sure to read the cancellation details on the website, as two days’ notice is required for cancellations and five days for groups of 12 or more.

When it comes to wine bars, Amy Austin has been getting all the love from the Michelin guide recently, walk-in only options include Frank’s for David Bradshaw’s cave à manger style menu and Katie Seward’s impressive wine list and Bar Pez, which is one of the few places open on a Monday.

Moving out to Dublin’s suburbs, Rathmines now has plenty of options. Newly opened is The Dunmore in the Bowery with a menu that includes seafood chowder, crab claws, fish platters and steaks and meat from their charcoal oven. Lottie’s is made for get-togethers, for a younger vibe there’s Kodiak, serving great pizza, craft beer and cool cocktails. Bethlehem is the place to go for tasty Middle Eastern food, you’ll find similar in Fayrouz in the Dublin 8 neighbourhood of Cork Street, which has the added benefit of being BYOB.

Other suburban options include Big Mike’s and Volpe Nera in Blackrock, Oliveto at Haddington House in Dún Laoghaire, Brighton Avenue in Foxrock, Eleven in Loughlinstown and Shouk in Drumcondra.

Naas, in Co Kildare, is home to the lovely Neighbourhood restaurant, where you’ll get the two/three-course lunch menu for €30/€35 and dinner for €52/€60. The Club at Goff’s is sticking to its a la carte menu which includes scallops, Dublin Bay prawns, sweetbreads and aged beef ribeye. In Kilkenny, Noinin has a relaxed vibe for dinner, the three-course dinner menu at Michelin-starred Campagne for €78 is a relative steal and for more formal dining there is the Lady Helen at Mount Juliet.

Da Mirco does great Italian food. 51 Cornmarket is a joy and you’re guaranteed delicious fish at Goldie

In Cork, head to Paradiso for a special occasion. Da Mirco does great Italian food. 51 Cornmarket is a joy and you’re guaranteed delicious fish at Goldie. There’s plenty of atmosphere in The Glass Curtain and for more of a wine focus, head to Nell’s Wine Bar, MacCurtain Wine Cellar or L’Atitude 51. If you’re meeting for cocktails, Cask and Paladar are the places to go.

In Galway, catch the party vibe in Ruibin, Kai, Cava, Ard Bia and Il Vicolo, and for a drop-in glass of wine, head to Darog, Galway’s newest wine bar. Union Wine Bar is the place to head to in Waterford for an impromptu meet-up for a glass, and there is still availability in Everett’s restaurant.

In Belfast, Ox has extended their hours, opening on Tuesdays and also on Monday 18th December, so if this is on your list, you have a good shot at getting a table. Waterman is a good place to go with groups, or you could head out to Holywood for great wine in Noble or the wonderfully atmospheric Frae.

Good luck with your bookings. Do check Instagram, where many restaurants announce tables that have become unexpectedly available due to late cancellations. If you have too many engagements, remember that one of the nicest ways to celebrate Christmas is in January, when all the festivities are over, taxis are available and restaurateurs are delighted to see you. You have a better chance of landing that much coveted booking and there is less likelihood that your table will be needed back after a set time.

No matter when you celebrate, just remember the manners your mammy taught you. Don’t let restaurants down by cancelling at the last minute, or worse still, not turning up. Tip well and tip in cash. This is the busiest time of year for waiting staff and they deserve to be looked after.