With the imminent arrival of a friend from 'down the country' to visit 'the big smoke' I remembered she had recently returned to her vegetarian status. Incidentally another friend has ditched the veggie life after many years and plunged with gusto into a bacon wrapped burger in Damson Diner, blood dripping on the plate!
The friend expressed a desire to eat in Cornucopia, that Dublin vegetarian institution and I felt that it was a great place to eat for a casual lunch, but not quite up to scratch for an evening get-together and also, what about the meat eaters? (growwllll!)
Setting about this with gusto I thought I'd peruse a number of menus for Dublin restaurants to see what they offered the vegetarian. The results were interesting. Some offered just one option whilst others carried dedicated vegetarian menus. Some of the ethnic restaurants offered the widest choice and my research has brought me to many restaurants I haven't yet had a chance to visit and now look forward to exploring.
I started my research on
www.boards.ie which helped me to start off with the twenty five restaurants below. I will state that this research is only based on what was advertised on the menu on the restaurants' websites and accept that many if not most will cater for the vegetarian on request or where possible will adjust a listed dish to exclude the fish/meat content. I have starred those that offer more than the average choice to the vegetarian diner-*=4-6 options(at least 2 starters+2 mains), **=7-9 options and ***= 10+options. I look forward to more suggestions and comments from readers.
Some Dublin Restaurants and their listed Vegetarian Options
A dedicated vegetarian menu with 3 starters and 4 main options + vegetarian option on early
bird menu.
2 starters + 2 mains (1 main same as starter) + veg option on early
bird.
A dedicated vegetarian menu with 3 starters and 3 mains + veg option on early
bird.
*(Restaurant) 6 options under ‘vegetables and salads’ plus good selection
of veg sides + veg option on early bird
**(Gastro Bar- tapas menu) 8+ options under ‘tapas from the garden’
Fade Street Social
1 starter and 1 main on á la carte + same options on early bird.
3 starters and 1 main + veg option on early bird.
An institution in Dublin, the dedicated vegetarian Krishna restaurant
Govinda's
Options on evening
menu but full menu not on website.
4 starters, several pastas, salads as mains and good choice
sides
**‘Raw’ lunch menu with mains and veg shakes
3 starters + 5 mains
2 starters + 2 mains on early bird
Rustic Stone The Farm
Need I say more?
***10. The Cedar Tree: 11 Sth Andrew St D2
A Lebanese restaurant, and possibly the only one left in
Dublin without a website?
Indonesian with dedicated vegetarian menu
The Cedar Tree The Chameleon
3+ starters and 2 mains + same options on early bird.
Nepalese with wide choice of vegetarian dishes and dedicated vegetarian menu.
Moroccan with large range of choice for vegetarians
Monty's El Bahia
Also Moroccan with maybe less choice but still lots of
vegetarian dishes
6 starters + 4 pasta mains, 8 pizzas
Dada Ciao Bella Roma
***16. Yamamori 71 Sth Gt Georges St D2, 38 Lwr Ormond Quay D1,
13 Sth Gt Georges St
Japanese - enormous variety and more choice than you know
what to do with
Spanish tapas with appetisers, salads, cheeses + 4 pintxos
(bar snacks)
Yamamori The Port House
2 ‘sixers’ (€6 plates) 3 starters and 2 mains.
Dedicated vegetarian menu (€60-choice of 2 starters and 2 mains.)
Fresh fast Asian food with lots for vegetarians.
Big salads, nice sides + choice of two veggie burgers.
Appetizers, 3 salads + 7 pizzas.
Wagamama Skinflint
***23.
Milano’s: 19 East
Essex St D2, 38 Dawson St D2, 6 Excise Walk D1, Hanover Quay D2
http://www.milano.ie
Starters, salads, pastas +pizza
4 tapas starters, 9 veg tapas mains + nice side orders and
bread
Salamanca
2 starters and 1 main (vegetarians catered for on request stated on menu) + choice on 'nibbles and platters menu' and early bird.
