allta

Led by the chef Niall Davidson, a star of the Dublin food scene, Allta is one of the toughest reservations to nab, but it’s oh so worth the effort. From their new location in a stark, modernist set-up in the Docklands, Davidson whips out dishes like barbecued rabbit on pasta, squid skewers and bone marrow rostis. Unusual for a restaurant of this calibre, the menu is a la carte, rather than a tasting variety, so you aren’t required to go for 10 courses (though you’ll probably want to anyway).

Bastible, the last place I reviewed in Dublin, has also now dumped its à la carte option in favour of tasting menus (€75). Clearly, in a time of staff shortages, tasting menus are easier for kitchens to manage.

The latest iteration of Allta, which has occupied four different spots around the city, opened early this year (2024) in a vaguely '70s-styled space in Three Locks Square in the heart of Dublin’s Silicon Docks neighbourhood. A micro-bakery by day, come evening, chef Niall Davidson’s talent shines throughout the choices on the A la Carte menu, which includes whole fish like John Dory, and six-year-old Jersey Dairy cow beef cooked over open coals and other offerings like squid and suckling pig skewers with lardo or rabbit, ricotta cavatelli, buttermilk and parsley. You can sit at one of the individual tables in the main dining room and watch the goings on in the open kitchen, the communal chef’s table, one of the high seats around the bar, or reserve one of the low tables in the adjacent Glovebox Bar with its cocktails and DJ spinning the decks for a more informal evening.

Few places on this list have undergone as many transitions and iterations as Allta have. Since they opened in November 2019, the team have gone from being a traditional sit-down restaurant, providing their sell-out Allta boxes throughout lockdown, to hosting a mystical dining experience along the Boyne Valley with their Allta Summer House. Now set to release a “new winter project” set in the city centre, the fooderati of Dublin can hardly wait to see what this band of merry Alltas do next, Food For thought founder Dan Hannigan is one of them.

I’ve been lucky enough to experience all renditions of ALLTA, from it’s current representation in Grand Canal Docks + the original to it’s pop-up in Slane Castle as a most genius response to lockdown restrictions during COVID + the car park situation for their winter garden restaurant on the 5th floor of St Andrews carpark - each an energy of somewhere else entirely. Somewhere chic, elevated. And ALLTA Bar is no different thanks to the master of it all, Niall Davidson.

This pop-up concept-turned-brick-and-mortar restaurant first debuted in 2019, before opening as a permanent establishment in early 2024. It has quickly become one of Dublin’s hottest restaurants, with glowing reviews in local papers, and has even stirred up whispers about Michelin star status. Start with a hand-crafted cocktail in the lounge, dubbed the Glovebox, where a DJ plays Thursday through Sunday evenings.

The hype for formerly London-based chef Niall Davidson's first Dublin opening was big, and when Allta finally opened in November it delivered on its pre-opening promises. The handmade pastas, charcuterie and hand-dived scallops have been a hit with most of the critics, with Leslie Williams saying it blew his mind, and Niall Toner calling the crab bigoli everything he ever wanted.

A temporary restaurant on top of a car park doesn’t sound that promising, but there’s a huge buzz about allta Winter House, which followed on from a successful summer pop-up last year. Chef Niall Davidson used to cook at the much-acclaimed Nuala in London and produces a strikingly original 12-course menu cooked over fire. Go before he finds somewhere else to pop up.

After a quick run around the docks to work off breakfast and make room for lunch we took a very short walk to our next restaurant which was just a few blocks away. Set right beside the Irish offices of JP Morgan, we're pretty sure that Allta does a storming weekday business with the finance bros. At the weekend though, it's a much more laid-back affair.

Allta Box comes from the clever and innovative folks behind what was Dublin’s hot-ticket restaurant before Covid-19 restrictions came into play. You can still get the Allta experience, however, in the shape of their delivered box of culinary tricks and treats. Visit their site and place your order, it gets delivered, it’s that simple.

Allta Box was created by the creative and innovative people behind Dublin’s most popular restaurant, before Covid-19 restrictions. However, you can still enjoy the Allta experience with their delivered box of culinary treats and tricks. You can order from their website and it will be delivered.

If beer isn’t quite your thing, grab a glass of wine (and maybe some dinner too) at the lovely Allta. They offer tasting menus with pairings, or you can simply grab a glass while enjoying their patio and terrace. There is a cocktail menu as well, and you shouldn’t overlook it.