An unexpected positive from the downturn is the number of quirky spaces that have been turned into new restaurants and cafés.
Just as the North Inner city is being re-claimed for the people, so is the South Inner city, with a prime example being The Fumbally on the corner of Fumbally Lane and New Street which has been thriving since it opened a few weeks ago.
Aisling Rogerson and Luca D'Alfonso have a range of influences including street food, Middle-Eastern food and most of all simplicity. Much of the food is vegetarian but this is by accident rather than design and where meat is used it is invariably free-range or organic.
There is a queue almost every time I pass and the clientèle is an eclectic mix of mums with toddlers, students, suits, hipsters and
hippies.
When I visited this week I had a roasted red pepper stuffed with lentils, butternut squash and feta cheese with a selection of salads that included roasted onions and potatoes, sprouted moong beans and fresh basil leaves.
I could also have had Irish Buffalo Mozzarella with roasted veg, red pesto and basil on ciabatta or of course their falafal. Asiling and Luca's falafal may be the best in the city and is already famous thanks to their café at the Saturday's Dublin Food Co-op in Nemarket Square and in the monthly Flea Market in the same venue (which they co-founded).
Everything is made in-house and I challenge you to find stickier brownies or tastier basbousa (an arabic sweet cake made with semolina flour and orange flower water).
Prices are low with the daily special costing €8.00, cake slices €3.50 and my double-shot macchiato (complete with foam art) cost just €2.60. Shots of espresso are €1 for September.
The Fumbally, Fumbally Lane, Dublin 8. Tel:01 5298732
Leslie Williams
